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MAYOR’S 2010 BUDGET CUTS POLICE POSITIONS By: Mark Sikora, MPA Secretary/Treasurer As last year, in late September 2009, Mayor Barrett presented his 2010 City of Milwaukee Budget to the Common Council. CUTS TO PUBLIC SAFETY ARE IMMINENT. Namely, the Mayor has proposed that one-hundred unfilled police positions be permanently removed, or taken off the books. These vacancies have existed on the Department for years with the hope that the “powers that be” would be able to fill the vacancies should shared revenue payments from the State of Wisconsin increase. This obviously will not occur since shared revenue payments have decreased since the election of Governor Jim Doyle. Even the seventy-five cent increase in our monthly cell charges dedicated to public safety, will be hijacked by the State to pay down their deficit. What has occurred is that there are currently over 200 police vacancies. What will occur is that more of our members are retiring daily. The City has accepted a federal “COPS” grant that enable them to hire fifty new police recruits in 2010. That hiring should cover the number of current members that will leave before the end of the year. Even while the Milwaukee Police Association is fighting the “furlough” issue as a clear breach of our collective bargaining agreement and in Federal Court, the Mayor has proposed each and every police officer take four mandatory “furlough” days without pay. Soon, Chief Flynn will release statistics showing a twenty-five percent decrease in crime in the City of Milwaukee. He will thank the membership for their dedication to service and say how proud he is of the excellent work you do. Unfortunately, he will then have to tell us that we will have to do more with less. MAYOR TOM BARRETT----THE POLICE OFFICERS OF MILWAUKEE HAVE NEVER TURNED THEIR BACKS ON OUR COMMUNITY—IT IS UP TO YOU AND THE COMMON COUNCIL TO NOT TURN YOUR BACKS ON US!!! Our fate will be decided over the next couple of weeks as the Common Council debates the merits of the proposed budget. IT IS STILL NOT TOO LATE TO CONTACT YOUR ALDERMAN AND DEMAND THERE ARE NO CUTS TO PUBLIC SAFETY. For your convenience, I have added the names and phone numbers of the “powers that be”. Mayor Tom Barrett 414-286-2200 ALL COMMON COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN BE REACHED AT 414-286-2221 YOU MUST ASK TO SPEAK TO YOUR DISTRICT ALDERPERSON District 1-Ashanti Hamilton District 2-Joe Davis, Sr. District 3-Nicholas Kovac District 4-Robert Bauman District 5-James Bohl, Jr. District 6-Milele Coggs District 7-Willie Wade District 8-Robert Donovan District 9-Robert Puente District 10-Michael Murphy District 11-Joe Dudzik District 12-James Witkowiak District 13-Terry Witkowski District 14-Tony Zielinski District 15-Willie Hines |
| Upcoming Events |
| Next Membership Meeting
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 9:00 AM & 7:00 PM at MPA Building 6310 West Bluemound Road Milwaukee, WI 53213 |
| Next Stewards' Meeting
Next Meeting Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 6:00 PM at MPA Building 6310 West Blumound Road Milwaukee, WI 53213 |