http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704337004575059650511481356.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5#articleTabs%3Dcomments
Common sense tells us that there is no way crime is really dropping. Not with the unemployment tolls that have taken place. What has changed though is what they now consider a persuadable crime I believe.
It's time to get real about our wants and needs. Wants can wait, while needs must be provided for.
Miami shows a prime example of administrative waste.
The question is: What exactly does a desk jockey do to deserve that kind of compensation, and what is the need for that kind of position?
The bleak arithmetic of the recession has pushed cities across the nation to make deep cuts in police, fire and emergency medical services.
Some cities are eliminating hundreds of patrol-officer and firefighter positions and taking ladder trucks and ambulances out of service. Others have announced they will no longer respond to entire categories of calls, such as burglaries, check fraud, shoplifting and traffic accidents involving minor injuries.
San Diego just auctioned off its police horses. Colorado Springs, Colo., has put its two police helicopters up for sale online. In Phoenix, Mayor Phil Gordon, a Democrat, said wearily that he may no longer be able to attach officers to federal task forces running down leads on terrorism, drug trafficking and child exploitation.
.Mr. Gordon's latest draft budget calls for laying off 236 officers. A tentative deal with the police union for a 3.2% salary cut may save some of those jobs, but even so, the expected layoffs—on top of normal attrition with no replacement hiring—will leave the Phoenix force at less than 85% its authorized strength.
Crime has been dropping, Mr. Gordon said.
Colorado Springs police no longer will deal with abandoned vehicles unless they pose a hazard. Officers are unlikely to respond to property crimes unless they have a solid lead on a suspect.
1 day ago..Barbara Lane wrote:
.Miami’s Top Salaries
Figures represent total 2008 compensation, including overtime, settlements, retroactive pay raises, deferred
compensation, health insurance, cell phone and automobile allowances. Some individuals who retired at the end of 2008 may have received unused vacation and sick time.
COUNT FIRST NAME LAST NAME TITLE DEPARTMENT NAME TOTAL EARNINGS
1 JON HART CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 308,317.88
2 FERNANDO ACOSTA SERGEANT AT ARMS MAYOR’S OFFICE 295,075.22
3 LAURA BILLBERRY DIRECTOR PUBLIC FACILITIES 291,637.81
4 JOHN TIMONEY CHIEF POLICE 290,532.66
5 JULIO MESTAS CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 288,575.59
6 JORGE VALLADARES CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 280,579.55
7 CHRISTOPHER MUSSER CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 279,551.33
8 PRISCILLA THOMPSON CITY CLERK CITY CLERK 277,172.48
9 JUAN MESTAS FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 276,364.93
10 PEDRO HERNANDEZ CITY MANAGER CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE 274,980.88
11 CRAIG RADELMAN CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 274,640.02
12 RAUL FERNANDEZ CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 273,720.12
13 MICHAEL SHELTON CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 271,806.69
14 EDGAR ACOSTA CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 270,270.48
15 THOMAS FLORES FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 267,704.93
16 RICHARD WALTERMAN CAPTAIN POLICE 266,781.99
17 JOHN GONZALEZ CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 264,856.30
18 HUGO RODRIGUEZ FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 261,448.53
19 JULIE BRU CITY ATTORNEY LAW 261,320.67
20 WILLIAM BRYSON FIRE DEPT. CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 260,557.76
21 ROBERT SIMMONS CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 260,206.82
22 ROY HAMLIN FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 257,010.41
23 VICTOR IGWE AUDITOR GENERAL INTERNAL AUDITS & REVIEWS 252,574.44
24 PETER DARLEY CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 250,192.93
25 LUIS DUTHIL CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 249,170.34
26 DANIEL MEADOWS FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 248,913.37
27 DAVID FARBER FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 248,829.11
28 RONALD KHAWLY FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 248,318.41
29 HENRY RODRIGUEZ CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 246,985.86
30 DAVID MORA CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 244,874.94
31 FERNANDO FERNANDEZ JR. FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 244,564.68
32 MAURICE KEMP FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 243,384.06
33 FRANK MOORE FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 241,626.76
34 WILLIAM LEWYCKY FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 239,827.75
35 LORAN DOUGHERTY FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 238,242.05
36 MICHAEL BRATZ CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 236,601.90
37 MARIA CHIARO DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY LAW 234,486.35
38 EDWARD PIDERMANN FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 234,075.98
39 PHILIP LEDEA FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 233,702.77
40 LARRY SPRING CFO CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE 233,525.45
41 JOSEPH ZAHRALBAN CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 232,106.89
42 J. GUARDARRAMA FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 231,868.76
43 M. JONES CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 231,739.16
44 CHARLES MAREE FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 231,528.13
45 ALLEN JOYCE FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 230,423.41
46 ROBERT “EVANS, JR.” FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 229,622.92
47 RAFAEL DIAZ ASST. CITY ATTORNEY LAW 229,083.54
48 REGINALD DUREN FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 228,840.75
49 WALTER GRANT CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 28,490.64
COUNT FIRST NAME LAST NAME TITLE DEPARTMENT NAME TOTAL EARNINGS
50 WARREN BITTNER DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY LAW 224,892.67
51 JORGE BARRETO CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 224,486.80
52 RALPH PARKER CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 224,255.74
53 RICARDO SANDA CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 223,918.41
54 BRUCE OESTREICH CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 223,619.86
55 MICHAEL WINCHESTER CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 222,921.24
56 EDDY RODRIGUEZ FIRE OFFICER FIRE RESCUE 222,589.30
57 RICARDO ROQUE LIEUTENANT POLICE 222,214.45
58 THOMAS GABRIEL CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 221,707.94
59 JOSE ECHAGARRUA LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 220,635.08
60 ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 220,488.36
61 ELOY GARCIA CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 220,274.91
62 CARLOS GARCIA LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 219,870.02
63 JUAN MEIZOSO FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 219,467.53
64 JOE BURNS CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 218,892.85
65 BRENDA HOPPE LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 218,113.05
66 DAVID DUENAS JR. CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 217,974.10
67 WILLIAM CHAPMAN LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 217,837.55
68 FRANK MAINADE LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 217,186.11
69 JAMES PACE CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 215,597.73
70 ROGER HERNSTADT ASST. CITY MANAGER CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE 215,538.27
71 ROBERTO HERNANDEZ LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 215,014.08
72 JOE CABRERA CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 214,973.50
73 JOSEPH FERNANDEZ FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 214,769.31
74 CRAIG DUNN FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 214,596.93
75 GARY DAGNAN LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 212,977.30
76 RICHARD HERRIN CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 212,317.92
77 RUBEN BARGUEIRAS FIRE CHIEF FIRE RESCUE 212,223.39
78 RICHARD “TIERNEY, JR.” LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 211,439.78
79 EMILIO SANCHEZ CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 211,431.10
80 EARL ALLEN JR. LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 210,611.30
81 CHARLES COLLIER LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 210,483.10
82 BARRY GONZALEZ CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 210,211.25
83 JAMES PAUGH LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 209,677.14
84 JEFFREY FITZGERALD CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 208,491.22
85 DAVID WALSH CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 208,428.88
86 SCOTT DEAN LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 208,359.31
87 JORGE DU QUESNE CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 207,659.71
88 GEORGE LAWRENCE LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 207,442.68
89 CARLOS PEREZ LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 205,760.67
90 EDWARD JARRELL JR. CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 205,024.13
91 LESS REDDICK LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 204,120.67
92 MARIO PATTERSON LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 204,054.87
93 GUILLERMO ANIDO ASST. CITY MANAGER CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE 204,018.50
94 ALBERTO LAGEYRE LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 203,410.60
95 MICHAEL COLOMBO MAJOR POLICE 201,630.12
96 HUGO GORT CAPTAIN FIRE RESCUE 201,153.27
97 WILLIAM SAVOY LIEUTENANT FIRE RESCUE 200,858.67
TOTAL 22,760,335.77
Miami, with a population of 404,048 and a median income just over $26,000 per year, continues to compensate dozens of employees at pay rates far greater than comparable cities. Much of the expense is related to the city’s lax management of its fire department, where salaries negotiated by the fi refi ghters’
union are generous, and where vacancies and strict staffi ng rules have pushed overtime pay through the roof.
In calendar year 2008, a total of 97 city employees received more than $200,000 in compensation, costing taxpayers more than $22.76 million, according to documents prepared by the city’s budget office and department of employee relations. Interestingly, 84 percent of those individuals were middle- to high level
supervisors at the fi re department. "Gravy Train" www.BiscayneTimes.com
