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GOP: No to Troopers
Senate Republicans claim to be for public safety, but when those
entities come a-knockin' to raise some money to fund those services,
they are getting the door slammed in their mugs.
The senate GOP is demonstrating enormous party discipline as it
adheres to its pledge not to raise taxes to balance the books and come
you-know-what or high water they won't budge even if a higher crime
rate is at risk.
The Michigan State Trooper's Association is not smiling.
It's ranks are already at a 40 year low, according to the union
president and "it's going to go even lower" Chris Luty warns the public.
Within two weeks 60 senior officers will be out the door and in
the coming months another 40 could be right behind.
That's true, confides Sen Valde Garcia who runs the state police
budget in the senate. The Brighton Republican is a big fan of the MSP
and even, parish the thought, tried to jam through some revenue raisers
to avert those troop reductions.
He got an "A" for effort from the union but an "F" from his
colleagues in the senate GOP. Maybe he misplaced the memo about no tax
increase-no way?
Both he and Luty warn that a loss of trooper strength puts more
pressure on local police agencies to pick up the slack and they are
facing their own round of losses due to reductions in state aid to the
cities.
"The delayed response times (will be) unlike anything they've ever
seen before," Luty sounds the alarm for the typical citizen stuck with
a crime, traffic accident or other woes.
It looks like this is a classic case of good public policy taking
a back seat to election year politics.
"During an election year, you would think that we would prioritize
public safety and find the funding for that because nobody objects to
funding for public safety,' Luty foolishly opines.
Apparently the feeling is not mutual in the senate GOP ranks where
"thinking" and winning elections are two different things.
entities come a-knockin' to raise some money to fund those services,
they are getting the door slammed in their mugs.
The senate GOP is demonstrating enormous party discipline as it
adheres to its pledge not to raise taxes to balance the books and come
you-know-what or high water they won't budge even if a higher crime
rate is at risk.
The Michigan State Trooper's Association is not smiling.
It's ranks are already at a 40 year low, according to the union
president and "it's going to go even lower" Chris Luty warns the public.
Within two weeks 60 senior officers will be out the door and in
the coming months another 40 could be right behind.
That's true, confides Sen Valde Garcia who runs the state police
budget in the senate. The Brighton Republican is a big fan of the MSP
and even, parish the thought, tried to jam through some revenue raisers
to avert those troop reductions.
He got an "A" for effort from the union but an "F" from his
colleagues in the senate GOP. Maybe he misplaced the memo about no tax
increase-no way?
Both he and Luty warn that a loss of trooper strength puts more
pressure on local police agencies to pick up the slack and they are
facing their own round of losses due to reductions in state aid to the
cities.
"The delayed response times (will be) unlike anything they've ever
seen before," Luty sounds the alarm for the typical citizen stuck with
a crime, traffic accident or other woes.
It looks like this is a classic case of good public policy taking
a back seat to election year politics.
"During an election year, you would think that we would prioritize
public safety and find the funding for that because nobody objects to
funding for public safety,' Luty foolishly opines.
Apparently the feeling is not mutual in the senate GOP ranks where
"thinking" and winning elections are two different things.
posted by Tim Skubick at
5:39 AM
4 Comments:
Skoop,
Maybe the State Police should get their nose out of Kwame-type investigations. That would save some of their unnecessary expenditures.
And if local governments want State Police around, they can pay for them, and we have mechanisms to bring that about, in place long ago... so there's no need for additional funding.
I doubt the average Michigan resident sees any problems with the State Police staffing levels right now, even though their union representative claims that they're at a "40-year low". If they want more bodies on staff, then I suggest they take a pay cut, and pay for more of their benefits and retirement, so as to pay for that increased staffing that they're claiming is necessary.
Hey Skubick,
Stop being a hack for the Dems and maybe your articles would have more credibility. No-one will miss the State Police because no-one uses them now. They are another self serving union. Tell you what put it on the ballot and let the citizens decide. God help us if the Dems gain control of the Senate as all we will have is higher taxes.
I pee when I poop.
"No-one will miss the State Police because no-one uses them now."
The internet is filled horrible, ignorant and terrible comments. This is up there with the worst of them. Not only are you speaking on behalf of the entire state of Michigan, but you are also diminishing the value of men and women who put their life on the line for people like you!
To say the State Police have no purpose is egregious at best.
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