| Author | Message | ||
     tdurkin307 Citizen Username: Tdurkin307 Post Number: 29 Registered: 4-2002 |
Kathleen, No, I never held an office in the Maplewood PBA. In April of 2003 I made a motion at a PBA meeing to endorse the Levinthal/Pettis ticket for Maplewood Township Committee. I felt incredibly obligated that before I moved on from the Maplewood Police Department if there was anything I could do to put my brothers and sisters and the citizens of Maplewood in better hands I would. I did!..and they are. Personal gain? Zero. There is no other option if you are to maintain your integrity. Mayor Fred Profeta has been nothing short of exemplary in his dedication, hard work and leadership during his term, for the Township of Maplewood. Public Safety and Taxes. It's comforting how serious Fred and Ian care about these issues. Oh, and my mother Joan Codey Durkin, has been a member of the Essex County Tax Board for over 20 years. She became the Essex County Tax Administrator in 2002. Google that too for more information. Trust me Kath, she's there on MERIT! Tim Durkin | ||
| sbenois Supporter Username: Sbenois Post Number: 13574 Registered: 10-2001  |
Roughly three months ago I had long conversation with an officer on our Police Force about crime, the mood of the officers, promotions, etc. He told me in very clear terms that this Township Committee has fostered a solid relationship with the Department and opposed to the previous TC. He specifically mentioned how professional Frederico, Ian and Ken Pettis were. Anyone who saw the ugly confrontation that took place during one particular TC meeting in 2003 in which the then PBA head and Mr. DeLuca really went at it (like "do ya wanna step outside" ugly), will appreciate the progress that has been made. It's very real. Very tangible. And these officers deserved everything positive that's come their way in the last two years. Score this one a major victory for Profeta/Grodman. | ||
| Lydia Supporter Username: Lydial Post Number: 1215 Registered: 5-2001 |
Tim may be too modest, I think T. Durkin was the police officer who got a grant to work with troubled middle-schoolers before they got into really bad trouble. I may be wrong, but I recall that Officer Durkin was a super-involved policeman - grew up in Maplewood and gave back to our town above and beyond the call of duty. Anyone? | ||
| Joan Supporter Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 5587 Registered: 5-2001 |
My impression too. The town really lost out when Tim and others like him decided to leave the MPD. I remember one long conversation I had with a Maplewood Police Officer back in 2003 where the officer stated that the worst result of the poor relations between the MPD and the town was the number of native Maplewoodians who were leaving the MPD. Their knowledge of the community and connections with community members just couldn't be replaced by someone who might never have even lived in town. | ||
| Woodster Citizen Username: Woodster Post Number: 75 Registered: 8-2002 |
OK, Let’s talk PBA. How many officers left from January 1, 2004 right up to today? How much did Fred and Co. actually give to the Police? As I recall there were 5 main issues, so let’s address them. 1) The Police building-Vic started that process and wanted it moved quickly but Fred delayed the whole thing because he wanted it to happen under his term as mayor not Vic’s. Now we are nearly 1.5 million over budget because of these delays. 2) The pay raises-the PBA wanted a 24% raise over 3 years which Vic wouldn’t give them. What raise did they get this year? (That info hasn’t been let out, as far as I know) It must have been nice because Fred has clearly stated that it was the arbitrator who awarded it, not him. So, did Fred give the PBA anything? Well, if you are the PBA you would say “thank you for not appealing the decision” and if you are a Fred supporter you would say “Fred didn’t give it to them the arbitrator did.” Just the way Fred likes it. 3) The promotion process-How were the last promotions decided? Did the TC have any say in the promotions? I heard they did and some of the guys involved in the previous endorsement were promoted because of their efforts in the last election. This is just what they were fighting against Vic about. 4) The scheduling- has their scheduling changed? I don’t think so, but I could be wrong. 5) Turnover rate-How many officers left since Fred took over on January 1, 2004? Finally, there is a big difference in having the PBA happy and having the Police Department doing their job for the safety of the town. If these guys were so unhappy with the town that they didn’t want to do their jobs then they should have quit or been fired. Their negotiating a contract should not make me worry about my safety! I don't see this whole PBA endorsement as a reason to elect Fred and Ian. This must be their only accomplishment because this is all I hear and read about. They sent a mailer to my house while I was out of town this week and it was all about the PBA. What else have they done? | ||
| Jack Straw Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 5020 Registered: 10-2001 |
PLEASE RE-READ THIS BEFORE VOTING..READ IT 5 TIMES A DAY IF YOU MUST......... "I(Sbenois) had long conversation with an officer on our Police Force about crime, the mood of the officers, promotions, etc. He told me in very clear terms that this Township Committee has fostered a solid relationship with the Department and opposed to the previous TC. He specifically mentioned how professional Frederico, Ian and Ken Pettis were." Anyone still on the fence? | ||
| Stevef Citizen Username: Stevef Post Number: 13 Registered: 5-2005 |
Sure. How much did it cost taxpayers? | ||
| Lydia Supporter Username: Lydial Post Number: 1218 Registered: 5-2001 |
Woodster, When Vic was Mayor the relationship with the PBA was so strained they had to go into arbitration. At one point I recall Vic referred to Maplewood's Finest as "a bunch of crybabies". I don't know what the (long overdue) raise the police got was, but I do know that our force is still at the bottom of the pay scale for police officers in Essex county. It is a very big deal Woodster that the PBA endorses Grodman and Profeta. Along with our schools, healthy police and fire departments are vital to keeping Maplewood safe and balanced. | ||
| kathleen Citizen Username: Symbolic Post Number: 81 Registered: 3-2005 |
Tim, Thanks being precise in answering my question. Pointing out that your mother was on the winning team in Essex County doesn't mean she isn't qualified for the job of Essex County tax collector. It's saying I don't think she'd be there, deserving as she is, if Joey D. had been defeated. And some of us question whether there should even be an Essex County tax collector with so much impact on our pocketbooks. Fred Profeta promised voters when he was an "independent" he would work to eliminate the county government system. He stopped doing that when he began running as a Demcorat on the party line Chris Durkin organized. The police promotions are a done deal, and I'm glad for it, but they would have been a done deal no matter who was elected in 2003. No one was against the police promotions. The hangup was preserving the authority of the town in being involved with them, an issue that had to be resolved by a 3rd party and it was resolved in the town's favor. To suggest there was a political fix by Fred is incorrect. The police union, like the teacher's union (the other most powerful union in town) is entitled to endorse candidates (without polling its members) and individual cops are entitled to stump for their personal faves. One conversation with one police officer doesn't tell the voter anything, and a politician faced with an orchestrated political campaign to misrepresent his record is entitled to defend himself and stand up to the union brass. Crime went DOWN during Vic's entire tenure. The police promotions were inevitable and expensive, so whoever was on the TC when they came through had a responsiblity to tell the truth about how e pay for those compensation packages, which are now embedded in the budget. Here is what another police officer wrote on MOL about what it costs to lower the turnover rate in November 2003: "When 8-10 guys a year are turning over, the result is a drastically reduced overall salary budget for the police department. The unused monies are returned to the general operating budget for the Township, and are not readily available for police spending. If Maplewood cops were to stop quitting at this ridiculous rate, the police budget will skyrocket by the MILLIONS over the course of a few years." The most recent claim from the PBA is that Fred and Ian have solved the turnover problem. I have no problem with a good retention rate. But I reject Fred's (with Ian's assent) plan to pay for it. We can't sustain the quality of the schools and the police force by relying on property taxes. So why are Fred and Ian opposed to a constitutional convention that would finally reform the property tax system statewide? Why are they instead insisting on cutting public services? Why are they telling those public services that they should be relying more on charitable donations? Why are they selling off irreplaceable municipal assets to use as one-shot fixes for annual operating costs and running up the deficit? Why? Democrats usually reject these approaches --- for excellent reasons. Why doesn't Fred? And why is somebody like Strawberry Fred's biggest advocate? Fred's protecting the wealthiest taxpayers in town, who are mostly Republicans who believe public services, excepting the police, should be drastically curtailed. They believe schools, libraries and other public services should be made to rely more on private charity. They oppose PROGRESSIVE property tax reform because right now, even with huge property tex bills, they still pay less of their income on property taxes than we do, and they don't want to pay any more taxes period. Democrats who support rational taxation and budgeting, instead of deficit spending and gutting services, on the national and state level should vote the same way here. Consider voting for Vic, most especially if you have kids in the public schools. | ||
| kathleen Citizen Username: Symbolic Post Number: 82 Registered: 3-2005 |
Joan and Sbenois, What I want is a professional police force. Not a club. I'm not disputing your report of your personal conversations, but crime went down steadily during the time Vic was on the TC. I've no doubt personal frustrations arose because of the PBA's position being contrary to the town's position -- but the town's position was in the best interests of the town. Many people don't like Vic. Many people don't like Fred. This isn't a personality contest for many of the voters. These promotions have to be paid for now, and they can't be paid for without statewide property tax reform -- unless you are willing to watch public services (except for the police) deterioriate, including the schools. Many of the police campaigned against liberals before. They'll do it again. It doesn't solve the problem of how we are going to pay for their raises -- and I am sorry they are so short sighted about that. I see little value in having a police force of native Maplewoodians if what that means is they are unable to grasp that their boyhood friend Fred has no longterm plan for sustaining their compensation. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 8430 Registered: 5-2001 |
First off the police promotions were to replace the ssuperior officers who retired or quit. This isn't padding the budget. Crime went down in the late 1990s and the early 2000s almost universally in the United States. This isn't to deny the roll of the MPD or the TC here in town, but most of the crackheads ended up either dead or in prison. | ||
| Woodster Citizen Username: Woodster Post Number: 76 Registered: 8-2002 |
Lydia, I’ll take your word that the police had to go to arbitration when Vic was in office, but didn’t they just have their current contract settled by an arbitrator? I recall Fred saying this was the case whenever he mentioned the raise the police got. So, why is Vic the bad guy and not Fred? Because he stood up to a couple (and I mean a couple) of the PBA men who made the decisions for the PBA? Vic told these same guys he would not respond to threats so they decided to make him look bad in public. Fred on the other hand refused to stand up to them and it has and will cost us a lot of money now and in the years to come. I remember speaking to an officer during the last election and I asked why they were against Vic and he said “it’s not Vic it’s the chief.” He also told me that it is common practice to campaign for the challenging candidates because they are willing to make deals with the different unions in town so they can get elected. I’m still waiting to hear how many officers left since Fred took over as mayor. Lydia, I’m sure you can this info from Fred. Someone mentioned the night where the PBA leader and Vic were ready to go outside and fight it out. I remember watching it on TV, and couldn’t believe this officer was not fired or suspended for challenging the mayor to “come on down and deal with me man to man”. This guy was a lunatic (with a gun) who became incensed because Vic questioned his leadership of the PBA. I don’t recall his name, but hopefully he is one of the ones who left. What about the guy who said he starts having panic attacks the closer he gets to work in the morning. Holy crap, and this guy carries a gun? Just exactly who did Fred make deals with? In no way am I judging the whole department. Most of the members of the force seem like great guys who want to make Maplewood a safe place to live. It’s just a few of the senior men who like beating the Profeta drum. | ||
| bookgal Citizen Username: Bookgal Post Number: 637 Registered: 7-2001 |
Kathleen, "Look, I think everybody who lives where I do knows Fred was your wife's politcal patron in the last election. Whatever you feel your political obligations are, I don't feel obliged not to mention it for the sake of "netiquette." Kathleen, as I was someone who was very active in Andrea's campaign I can assure you that your statement is complete and total GARBAGE. And, we have a Deluca sign in our front yard! Kathleen, you do Vic no favors by posting this tripe. Get a grip! Jacqueline Murphy | ||
| wendy Supporter Username: Wendy Post Number: 976 Registered: 5-2001 |
Amen to that bookgal. I also support Vic and while I think some of the time Kathleen is right on in her assessment of the political situation (see her and Woodster's analysis of the pba endorsement for an example), these other wrong assumptions/accusations are not what Vic or this town in general needs. Wendy Lauter | ||
| johnny Citizen Username: Johnny Post Number: 1231 Registered: 5-2001 |
Kathleen, Do you honestly think that Huemer, DeLuca, or Gerry Ryan never worked to get certain candidates on the BOE? | ||
| Lydia Supporter Username: Lydial Post Number: 1220 Registered: 5-2001 |
Everytime anyone posts and attempts tp divide our town by labels (rich and poor, black and white, racist and so on) hurts our town. Hatred always hurts everyone - hatred trickles down and lies there and pounces months or years after the seeds were planted. I'm taking a break from MOL - at least a week, maybe permenently. I had an intervention tonight (Dave was present) and I think that the fake/real world is intruding on my real/real world. Everyone on both sides, keep fighting your real fights and own your truths, be decent and keep it honest and keep passing the open windows. Bless you all in a non-secular sort of way. Lydia | ||
| Woodster Citizen Username: Woodster Post Number: 77 Registered: 8-2002 |
Lydia, Keeping the police happy is important, but you have to balance their happiness against the taxpayer’s needs and affordability. That was what Vic was trying to do. This whole PBA thing kind of contradicts Fred’s whole platform on taxes doesn’t it? After all, what did this whole “let’s make the police happy campaign” cost the taxpayers this year? Give us the bottom line of how much the police salary budget went up this year. Tell me where I can get this info and I will get it myself and I promise to post the exact numbers as I get them, I won’t leave out anything. If Fred has nothing to hide why doesn’t he show these numbers? How many other services were cut to fund his PBA endorsement? The same people who blame Vic for the PBA being unhappy are the same people who would have screamed bloody murder if he had given them the 24% raise. I don’t know if they are the lowest paid in Essex County but $70k plus overtime and side jobs isn’t hard to take. Does anyone know what the police in the city make? Or how about Irvington or Newark? Sbenios, was the officer you spoke with a veteran or rookie? Was he a PBA representative? | ||
| ffof Citizen Username: Ffof Post Number: 3744 Registered: 5-2001  |
"The same people who blame Vic for the PBA being unhappy are the same people who would have screamed bloody murder if he had given them the 24% raise." Apparently you're the one screaming bloody murder, Woodster. And when Vic snuck in the 10% tax hike with the reval, what did that go to? Not the PBA. | ||
| Mapleman123 Citizen Username: Mapleman123 Post Number: 2 Registered: 5-2005 |
hey man. Deluca is a good guy. Profeta is a snake in the grass. Deluca has been a democrat his whole life. Profeta changes with the wind. We need someone with cajones, not blind political ambition | ||
| crabby Citizen Username: Crabbyappleton Post Number: 65 Registered: 1-2004 |
Blind political ambition would be the definition of DeLuca, imho. He already lost 2 years ago. Get over it. And he got the boot in Newark politics too. He's a loser. |
