Harsh times create strange political alliances in Kansas City.
Typically . . . There's NOT a lot of unity among police and fire in Kansas City because firefighters have much better political lobbying.
BUT . . . The recent Kansas City budget hot mess involving insurance and benefit cuts for the KCPD along with job cuts for the KCFD have created a bit of unity.
There are even a few cool t-shirts!!!
This is a historical shift. Traditionally there's a bit of a rivalry because Kansas City cops can't strike, members of the KCPD don't really like to consider themselves City Employees because of the whole Jeff City Control deal . . . AND waaaaaaay back there was a brief period when KC cops had to fill in for firefighters during a "blue flu" . . . But that's ancient history. Right now it seems that a great deal of the rhetoric from the KCFD would like to align itself with KCPD and budget cuts for both make it an effective argument.
DEVELOPING . . .
Just wait till election time.
ReplyDeleteGreed and $$$ always bring people together.
ReplyDeleteIt has nothing to do with greed.
ReplyDeleteWait till the budget meeting at City Hall tomorrow. It will be all KCPD/KCFD.
ReplyDeleteFor decades the KCFD and KCPD have warily tolerated each other, but Mayor Sly has successfully brought them together as allies. See, he's a great leader after all.
ReplyDeleteIt will be fun to watch "Our Heroes" use their show of force at City Hall tomorrow to try and intimidate City Hall. Of course they will show up to City Hall on the Taxpayers dime.
ReplyDeleteWhile I doubt you are a taxpayer unlike ALL of "Our Heros" who absolutley have a right to protest government, there will be none showing up on taxpayers dime. Nice try Yeal to confuse the reader about the real issue.
DeleteIt will be fun to watch "Our Heroes" use their show of force at City Hall tomorrow to try and intimidate City Hall. Of course they will show up to City Hall on the Taxpayers dime.
ReplyDeleteIt will be fun to watch "Our Heroes" use their show of force at City Hall tomorrow to try and intimidate City Hall. Of course they will show up to City Hall on the Taxpayers dime.
ReplyDeleteJust because you post it 3 times, doesn't make it any more true. First, members of KCPD and KCFD do not show up to intimidate (its not like there is gonna be a brawl at city hall) they show up because the issues being discussed will have a huge impact on them and their families future. Second, every one of the 3 meetings I have gone to have been on my own time...after off duty and before regular duty, as is the same for everyone else I've seen there. We wouldn't screw our co-workers with covering our area while we sat in a meeting. Your opinions only succeed in showing your either misinformed or ignorant to the situation.
ReplyDeleteIf the city wants to cut the budget and get rid of fire fighters then i say that that tax that was passed last year to save fire fighter jobs, should be stopped and the people of kansas city, given there money back. you can't have our tax dollars then.
ReplyDelete2:36 PM
ReplyDeleteThat May be you, but the TV footage of the Last meeting clearly shows commanders not at their jobs. The 3 posts were an accident, just need to say the truth once.
I think the two groups need to unite and get the issues worked out.
ReplyDeleteLets say I have better faith in the KCPD & KCFD of doing it than I do Sly and the gang.
You know it's funny how the city always wants to cut the budgets of the most needed depts but never in the unneeded depts.
@ 2:36 Unfortunately for your arguement...those commanders are paid to be at those meetings, its part of their job. Also what position are you in to know weather or not a officer or commander in uniform is "on duty"?
ReplyDelete2:51
ReplyDeleteWhat you saw on television was B roll footage of a different city hall meeting.
Just because you see it on the news, doesn't make it true.
If the police and firefighters can't intimidate the KCMO electeds, they're about the only ones who can't. And I wouldn't bet on that.
ReplyDeleteYou need to be in one of these people's offices when they get a call from Gwen Grant!
The sky will not fall. The fire department has 1231 FTE's (full time employees) and there budget with the proposed cut is still $129,968,873. So please, shut the fuck up.
ReplyDelete3:26 PM Where did you learn to spell?
ReplyDeleteI don't really see anything he misspelled ....
DeleteThey're
DeleteIt is like any job, you know what you are getting into when you start doing the job and if you don't like it quit. The police and firefighters have had it their way for years. The City is broke so no one is getting what they want. They better get use to it.
ReplyDeleteIt's time for other non Fire and Police employees to speak-out against the Police and Fire and support the Mayor in his attempt to rein in these two out of control City Departments. Regular City employees, like many Americans, have suffered terribly during the past few years of recession. Yet the Fire employees especially have reaped huge raises while both the Police and Fire have been spared any layoffs.
ReplyDeleteStop balancing the budget on the backs of regular City Employees!!
Do you have my raise??? Because I sure the hell don't. It's funny how everyone " believes " we got the HUGE raises. I have not seen a raise in 2+ years. And yes , THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR signed our contract and agrred to the terms. We have followed thru on our end, lost wages, days off, wirk conditions, all of it. Why are we the bad ones because we are asking for the City to follow thru on a FEDERAL law abiding contract. We have not gotten raises and we are set to lose 105 in personnel. This just doesn't impact these men and women, but the entire city. Economically, safety, job market, housing market, will all suffer with these firings. Take 105 people out of your workplace and have your boss look you in the fave for two years and
Deletepromise you raises only to be told he lied to you . They didn't have the money then and we don't have it now. Attend a town hall meeting or a budget hearing at City Hall
DeleteBefore making such stupid fucking comments
promise you raises only to be told he lied to you . They didn't have the money then and we don't have it now. Attend a town hall meeting or a budget hearing at City Hall
DeleteBefore making such stupid fucking comments
Do you have my raise??? Because I sure the hell don't. It's funny how everyone " believes " we got the HUGE raises. I have not seen a raise in 2+ years. And yes , THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR signed our contract and agrred to the terms. We have followed thru on our end, lost wages, days off, wirk conditions, all of it. Why are we the bad ones because we are asking for the City to follow thru on a FEDERAL law abiding contract. We have not gotten raises and we are set to lose 105 in personnel. This just doesn't impact these men and women, but the entire city. Economically, safety, job market, housing market, will all suffer with these firings. Take 105 people out of your workplace and have your boss look you in the fave for two years and
DeleteThe City needs the best Fire and Police Departments that the citizens can afford, not the best that unlimited money can buy. Austerity is here for the next decade at-least. The taxpayors can no longer afford to sustain the level of raises and staffing that these two departments maintain.
ReplyDelete1:30 - You're right. The greed of project developers, brokers, and city council trying to move $$ to their buddies has brought PD and FD together because that's where they are stealing it from!
ReplyDeleteFitch Rates Kansas City, MO Bonds 'AA': Outlook to Negative
PENSION UNDERFUNDING: In the aggregate, the city has not made its full annual pension cost (APC) to its pension plans for at least the past six years.
CONTINUED PENSION UNDERFUNDING: The city's inability or unwillingness to initiate a plan to increase aggregate funding of its annual pension liability would likely place downward pressure on the rating.
People are realizing that, unlike the special interests in the city who only want to enrich themselves, pd and fd actually understand how this will kill public safety. Further these people aren't just employees, they're also city residents who know how their own families will be put sat risk when public safety is slashed.
ReplyDeleteThis is nothing more than an attempt by the city to pit pd and fire against each other so the two groups fight each other instead of unifying for a better city and getting the message out to the public.
This is how democracy works, but apparently some ill informed commenters here would prefer the city to conduct its business without any public input or transparency.
no thats how the dems work.
ReplyDeleteIts all about the money your pension is so underfunded it wont be there when you retire.
Pull your head out of your ass and do the math.
I get that collective bargaining is good i agree but ask yourself this if there is no money what do you collectively bargin for.
@ 522. Stop balancing the budget on the backs of regular city employees?
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, stop trying to lower your health care premiums on the backs of police employees by raising our premiums.
Amen.......
ReplyDeleteAnd giving us crappier health insurance to go along with it. I run 15-20 miles a week and work out 3-4 times a week minimum. I don't see city employees doing anything to better thier own health. They could take the initiative and better themselves as a whole by implementing a workout program incentive and forcing people who are 60 and over to retire. This would save the tax payers millions of dollars, but I'm sure it won't happen.
ReplyDeletePolice and Fire are coming together. City counsel and the mayor are thinking what the hell have they done. Just wait until local 42 and fop start making statements and putting out commercials. Never go against public safety. No one wants Kansas city to turn into the next Detroit, all because a new toy train and downtown hotel is more of a priority that police and fire.
ReplyDeleteKCMO is already Detroit. Remember the good old days when KCK was the agreed upon regional shit hole. Now KCMO has taken over that role and appears to be very satisfied in that position. We have a winner.
ReplyDeleteLocal 42 and KCPD FOP are about as close as a snake and a mongoose. FOP speaks for less than HALF of the men and women in blue. The FOP are not respected and many officers are disgusted with their techniques and their so-called alliance with KCFD.
ReplyDeleteActually the FOP speaks for all Sgt's and below and I think the last couple of meetings show otherwise as to us supporting each other. The only person that would post something the above is a person that has something to gain out of the 2 groups fighting each other. Your games will not be tolerated, if you are an officer please stand up at these meetings and fight for yourself and quit feeding off the FOP and bitching about them after. But we know that won't happen.
Delete1:01 I personally know three sgts that hate FOP. Check your facts. FOP doesn't speak for even a majority of cops.
ReplyDeleteThe sky will not fall. The fire department has 1231 FTE's (full time employees) and there budget with the proposed cut is still $129,968,873.
ReplyDelete