Cops should be paid a lot, but the danger should be part of the job and risk. I’m thinking specifically of those Uvalde cowards who did nothing and let kids get killed. Their job should be the risk, to take the bullets, so as to save and help the innocent. That’s the risk they should take, and get paid well specifically for that.
Many of our cops are overweight lazy traffic cops who give poor people speeding tickets who are late for their shitty job they can’t afford to be late to. Or parking wrong, or whatever.
Teachers deserve a lot more too, way more for different reasons obviously. Unless they’re forcing some religious nonsense poison into the minds of growing kids, fuck that.
Underpaying cops is what leads to Uvalde. Have high standards, throw the fuckin book at cops who abuse their power, and pay the rest of them properly. Cops, teachers, construction, bus drivers, all the people who make things operate should get paid a fuckin living wage, and the jobs that are skilled in addition (I.e. most of those) should be able to demand a higher wage and limit the people who’re allowed to do it to the people who can do it properly.
You need to read the fact check you sent me. It explains that the actual number is much lower.
In actual reality the police almost never investigate themselves.
In some departments, that’s true. I am proposing that fixing that is a high priority. I think it’s been reformed to a pretty substantial degree already, though – most of these conversations about cops doing something fucked up, in the modern day, come alongside them getting charges because of the fucked up thing that they did.
That didn’t used to be true, and more is needed, yes, but the old days where it would never happen are definitely not true anymore.
You said 40% of the city budget. It’s 17% of the city budget. Don’t throw out random numbers that are distorted into the shape of the reality you would like to perceive.
Other PDs are doing far far less, more likely nothing.
Your assertion is that Uvalde is at the leading cutting edge of the best departments in the country?
all the people who make things operate should get paid a fuckin living wage
Agreed. Unfortunately, it’s just not going to happen in America. This entire country is founded on the principle of extracting as much value from labor as possible without compensating them fairly.
The best place to live I have ever been aware of in history was the US during the post-labor-movement environment of the 1940s through 1970s (for the white people). We just gotta have a second one of those that’s capable to demand that again, and extend it to all races.
Nothing’s inherently wrong with the US governmental system; the economic system just tends to get out of whack (and also distort the government along with everything else) if there isn’t a strong labor movement keeping it the fuck in check.
if there isn’t a strong labor movement keeping it the fuck in check.
Agreed.
Maybe the best thing about how awful the last two presidents have been for working people is that unions had to become stronger and more aggressive by necessity, and they did.
I realize Biden said a few things and has performatively supported unions.
I give Democrats credit for their actions, not broken promises and pretending that they are powerless. (Particularly so in a time when they have control of two branches of government.)
I’m sorry if that offends your sensibilities, but I live in a country where my 80 year-old parents have to work for DoorDash (using my car) or starve. I’m disinclined to be affected by mere words anymore.
That’s after adjusting for absolutely punishing Covid inflation during 2021 and 2022. If it was the same NLRB and IRA actions against a normal level of inflation instead of having inherited an absolute apocalypse economically, that lowest bracket of real wages would have gone up 25%.
the US during the post-labor-movement environment of the 1940s through 1970s
Uh, there might have been something else going on during that time period besides the labor movement - like a war and the consequent near-destruction of the rest of the industrialized world.
My firefighter/emt job I’m at 54 hours a week starts at $41k a year. That’s after getting all the certs and all the ongoing training and emt refresher classes etc. Most of us work two jobs.
Biden spent roughly a trillion dollars of increased-corporate-tax money on domestic manufacturing, and armed the NLRB to meaningfully fight for unions which enabled them to backstop a lot of the union gains that have suddenly magically happened over the last few years. There was actually a court battle because he fired the corporate hack who had Trump put in charge of it on his very first day.
Average cop starting pay is significantly more than teachers. Which one requires the education? Which one contributes more to society?
Cops should be paid a lot, but the danger should be part of the job and risk. I’m thinking specifically of those Uvalde cowards who did nothing and let kids get killed. Their job should be the risk, to take the bullets, so as to save and help the innocent. That’s the risk they should take, and get paid well specifically for that.
Many of our cops are overweight lazy traffic cops who give poor people speeding tickets who are late for their shitty job they can’t afford to be late to. Or parking wrong, or whatever.
Teachers deserve a lot more too, way more for different reasons obviously. Unless they’re forcing some religious nonsense poison into the minds of growing kids, fuck that.
Exactly
Underpaying cops is what leads to Uvalde. Have high standards, throw the fuckin book at cops who abuse their power, and pay the rest of them properly. Cops, teachers, construction, bus drivers, all the people who make things operate should get paid a fuckin living wage, and the jobs that are skilled in addition (I.e. most of those) should be able to demand a higher wage and limit the people who’re allowed to do it to the people who can do it properly.
40% of the city budget isn’t enough? smh.
https://www.factcheck.org/2022/06/examining-uvaldes-police-spending/
Who are you talking to? In actual reality the police almost never investigate themselves.
You need to read the fact check you sent me. It explains that the actual number is much lower.
In some departments, that’s true. I am proposing that fixing that is a high priority. I think it’s been reformed to a pretty substantial degree already, though – most of these conversations about cops doing something fucked up, in the modern day, come alongside them getting charges because of the fucked up thing that they did.
That didn’t used to be true, and more is needed, yes, but the old days where it would never happen are definitely not true anymore.
It’s 40% of general fund and like 20% of total budget.
How much more do you want?
You said 40% of the city budget. It’s 17% of the city budget. Don’t throw out random numbers that are distorted into the shape of the reality you would like to perceive.
Your assertion is that Uvalde is at the leading cutting edge of the best departments in the country?
Agreed. Unfortunately, it’s just not going to happen in America. This entire country is founded on the principle of extracting as much value from labor as possible without compensating them fairly.
The best place to live I have ever been aware of in history was the US during the post-labor-movement environment of the 1940s through 1970s (for the white people). We just gotta have a second one of those that’s capable to demand that again, and extend it to all races.
Nothing’s inherently wrong with the US governmental system; the economic system just tends to get out of whack (and also distort the government along with everything else) if there isn’t a strong labor movement keeping it the fuck in check.
It’s not possible to extend racist privilege to everybody because racist privilege depends on racism.
Agreed.
Maybe the best thing about how awful the last two presidents have been for working people is that unions had to become stronger and more aggressive by necessity, and they did.
Kinda had a feeling that’s where you were going with that
Speaking as someone who actually supports unions and working class wages and things that help them, please back up what you’re saying
Like this or this
I realize Biden said a few things and has performatively supported unions.
I give Democrats credit for their actions, not broken promises and pretending that they are powerless. (Particularly so in a time when they have control of two branches of government.)
I’m sorry if that offends your sensibilities, but I live in a country where my 80 year-old parents have to work for DoorDash (using my car) or starve. I’m disinclined to be affected by mere words anymore.
That’s after adjusting for absolutely punishing Covid inflation during 2021 and 2022. If it was the same NLRB and IRA actions against a normal level of inflation instead of having inherited an absolute apocalypse economically, that lowest bracket of real wages would have gone up 25%.
Uh, there might have been something else going on during that time period besides the labor movement - like a war and the consequent near-destruction of the rest of the industrialized world.
Being a cop is mostly dangerous for those around the cop.
https://www.vox.com/2014/8/22/6053627/being-a-police-officer-is-dangerous-these-jobs-are-more-dangerous
My firefighter/emt job I’m at 54 hours a week starts at $41k a year. That’s after getting all the certs and all the ongoing training and emt refresher classes etc. Most of us work two jobs.
This is what I think about every time the soundbyte about Biden creating 16,000,000 jobs is played. How many of those are second or third jobs?
Probably most, because nothing meaningful has been done to curb inflation, price gouging on rent, and progress toward living wages.
Firefighters needing 2nd jobs has existed for a whole lot longer than any politics has screwed shit up.
Interesting factoid: if those jobs were created by Trump they’d all be 1st jobs and pay enough to house and feed a family of 4
/s
LOL
He’d certainly frame it that way.
Biden spent roughly a trillion dollars of increased-corporate-tax money on domestic manufacturing, and armed the NLRB to meaningfully fight for unions which enabled them to backstop a lot of the union gains that have suddenly magically happened over the last few years. There was actually a court battle because he fired the corporate hack who had Trump put in charge of it on his very first day.