City Pays Public Safety Officers Nearly Twice Residents' Incomes, Repeatedly Requests Tax Hikes

Michigan Capitol Confidential ^ | 6/10/2012 | Tom Gantert

[MichCapCon]

The average salary of Oak Park Public Safety employees was $86,050 in fiscal year 2010-11, far more than the median household income of $48,476.

To help pay those salaries, residents in the city of about 29,000 have twice in the last two years approved tax increases for the Public Safety department. Voters were told previously that the overall city work force was "cut by about a third in the last four years," but an analysis by Capitol Confidential showed that to be false.

Yet, 11 of the 63 members of the public safety department made $100,000 or more in the fiscal year 2010-11. A sergeant who grossed $152,606 was the highest paid in the department.

"Things like this are why Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker defeated a government-employee recall attempt by a large margin," said Jack McHugh, legislative policy analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "This is an example of government employees collecting benefits that far exceed anything that most of the private sector neighbors get."

On Feb. 22, 2011, Oak Park residents approved a 1-mill millage that runs through 2020. Then on May 8, voters approved another 1.14 mill millage that runs through 2021.

Oak Park Mayor Marian McClellan and City Manager Rick Fox didn’t return emails seeking comment.

[fwdude]

You know, I really don't care if public employees make more than private industry employees if the market demands these salaries. But when artificial factors, like public employee unions, come into play, that's where it becomes corrupt.

[cripplecreek]

If anyone wants to be added to the Michigan Cap Con ping list, let me know.

[kevslisababy]

It sounds to me like that voters were out and out lied to also.

[cripplecreek]

There's a real danger in public sector unions.

Cop Union Boss Boasts of Beating Lawmakers With Flashlights: If Soldiers Don’t Have Unions, Why Do Police and Teachers?

"We intend to walk into Lansing after the summer break and ask the Republicans who have been so eagerly screwing us, 'who's next?' If we cannot earn their respect we will do what we have always done; hit it with a flashlight until we gain compliance."

So what if the people vote to "screw" you?

[trapped_in_LA]

To quote Forest Gump, “Stupid is as stupid does”. These people were just down right stupid and lazy to boot. The information is out there but people don’t bother to even google it, they just vote in a knee jerk fashion to “fear and loathing” propaganda put out by the unions. Living in Kalifornia I see this all the time and suffer the consequences of other idiots voting for this. Nothing you can do about as most people are total idiots and vote with their emotions.