Just posted online in the Miami Herald is an article entitled, “NMB may fire 20 percent of its police force.” See http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/20/2330413/nmb-may-fire-20-percent-of-police.html.
Talk about PROPAGANDA! First of all, no one told the police department to fire anyone. The UNION decided to make the cuts on the backs of the police officers. Yes, the UNION policy is “last in, first out,” but if these terminations go down, it will the UNION’s decision to terminate rather than cut expenses in other areas. This “list” was distributed by the UNION purposely to create a fearful atmosphere among the employees and the residents. They are using it as a scare tactic so that uninformed residents will freak out and start blaming the council and the manager. This is a typical method that UNIONS use to bully employers (in this case the city) to meet their demands. Another tactic is that the UNIONS will tell the public that the city has plenty of money. No, it doesn’t! Whatever reserves and money the City of North Miami Beach once had was squandered by the previous mayor Myron Rosner and his partner in crime, fired city manager Kelvin Baker, under whose collective watch $2.6 million was stolen by the now incarcerated Mary King. Rosner and Baker had a big party on our dime and now we have to pay the price of their folly.
As for playing the “diversity” card by saying three out of four Haitian police officers will have to be fired, if the UNION chooses the option of firing the “last in,” whose fault is it that they didn’t hire more Haitians until the last round of hiring? Obviously, “diversity” wasn’t an issue until now or they would have hired more Haitians years ago! If you’re going to play the race card, look in the mirror first!
Since the Chief was fired this morning, I’ve heard about four different versions of why he was fired and what happened, each more fantastic than the last. The truth is, whatever happened in that room between the manager and the Chief is only known to two people – the manager and the Chief. The manager has been mum except to say it was for “administrative reasons.” I don’t know if the Chief has said anything to anyone or what he has said, but none of the “stories” have come from the manager. To my knowledge, not even the mayor or council were given the details, but if they were, they’re not talking, either. At least not yet.
As for “[T]he city hasn’t opened their books,” this is total nonsense! The proposed budget was posted online as soon as it was prepared. Anyone can look at it see for themselves at http://www.citynmb.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={EB9DA5F8-97C8-4C49-A53D-C67CF450B601}&DE={C408819D-B9D0-4EB5-B819-DF14628A4604}.
As everyone should know by now, I am a huge supporter of law enforcement, and our North Miami Beach Police Department in particular. I have always been very proud of our Department and have always claimed they were among the best in Miami-Dade County, and maybe even the State of Florida. I have also respected and admired Chief Hernandez. His termination came as a complete surprise to me, and I’m sure there will be much speculation and many rumors in the days and weeks to come surrounding this issue. But, until (and if) we ever learn the details of what actually took place, all there is right now is speculation. I, for one, am not going to do that.
The problem is NOT our Police Department. The problem IS the UNION. If the UNION officials had taken the time to sit down and seriously review their budget, and came up with some reasonable cuts, I guarantee they would have found a way NOT to fire anyone. Has the UNION even bother to try to negotiate for a smaller budget cut? I doubt it! They just looked at the problem, ran with it and started with their usual campaign of scare tactics and fear mongering. This is such BS it isn’t funny!
If the UNION follows through with its threat to fire 24 much needed and highly regarded police officers instead of making cuts in other areas, it will be doing so as a way to punish not only the residents, who want police protection more than any other service, but they will also be punishing their own. The police officers are unfortunately beholden to their UNION, under the false promise that only the UNION can protect their job security. The TRUTH is that their UNION will throw them under the bus just to make a statement.
The residents of North Miami Beach honor and respect our police officers. We want more than anything for them to keep their jobs. We are not the enemy! The UNION is doing what it does best – eating its own!
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
Stephanie,
The Union does not negotiate the budget. They only negotiate for salary and benefits for the employees. They had conceded to no raises for the last few years, negotiated the take home car payments agreed to by the city, increased health care contributions, and the members gave the City an extension to the large payment into the pension plan that was due last year. That was a 4 million dollar payment the city did not have to make last year and could spread it over time to 2019.
As for the Haitian officers, we had a few that did not make their probationary period and one that got arrested over the last several years. So it’s not for lack of trying. The Union does not dictate or select who is to be fired. If employees are to be let go, it is usually done according to least seniority. This is where the list came from. We just don’t feel the City Manager is acting in good faith.
I am not at all in any way attacking our Police Department. I hope that I made this very clear. I have also made known on more than one occasion what I think of public unions, and I still think they are the problem. I’m sorry if you disagree because I respect you and your opinions. I just have heard too many horror stories about unions and what they are capable of for me to think otherwise. Now, of course, some unions are worse than others, and some really do work for the benefit of their members. I don’t mean to lump them all in as completely evil. But when I see the usual tactics being played it gets my back up. The residents and the police should be working together to try to make the best of a not so good situation, i.e., the economy. The residents (most of them anyway) are not the bad guys here. I have heard nothing but tremendous support for our police officers, who really do want to protect and serve. I just can’t help but think they’re getting the shaft from the union, and they’re being played as pawns in a very twisted game. That is just not right!
An ex-manager plays the race card; the UNION plays the diversity card. Aren’t they one in the same? It is shameful that these tactics are used to hide behind the real problems. Scare the residents, freak out the employees and try to start a race war in good ole North Miami Beach. Personally I think the residents are much smarter than that and hopefully the employees are too. This is a REAL PROBLEM, not a fabrication. These pension problems, UNION problems, salary problems and spending problems have been an issue for many years in this city, but past managers were scared straight into doing nothing. Kick the can down the road, pay your friends nice wages and it never rains in North Miami Beach so don’t bother saving for that rainy day. I guess it takes a monsoon to wake everyone up. I say let this new manager do the job that no manager has dared to do in the recent past. Support the council that allows a “professional” manager make things right for the future of NMB. Perhaps when cronyism is put to bed this city may turn over a new leaf. In bad times good things may just come out of it.
Did you read the same article that I read? The Chief was told by the City Manager to cut four million dollars from the budget. The only way to do this is to cut positions. It was the Chief, with his back to the wall on orders from the City Manager who had to cut the positions, not the UNION. I seem to remember that you stood in front of the council right after the new Mayor was sworn in and said that you would hold him to his promise that no police positions would be cut. It seems that he is changing his tune now, and so are you.
I did stand in front of the council and tell the mayor to keep his promise to put more policemen on the streets. I did not change my tune. Sorry, but I don’t believe for one minute that the union has nothing to do with this. Every department was told to make cuts, but the union won’t negotiate the pensions or other items that could possibly be cut. Instead, the union’s first response is to threaten firing people. That is a fear tactic and nothing more and I stand by my opinion.
You are wrong. The union has not been contacted by the City and ask to do anything. And the City Manager has even admitted that he has not contacted the union yet. Sorry to say you are getting bad info.
Stephanie, the Union does not negotiate the pension or the pension benefits. The pension and salary negotiations are two different animals. The Pension has a board of directors (which the Mayor and Councilwoman Spiegel sit on). When contract negotiations begin, the pension is not part of the bargaining. That needs to be made clear. Negotiations between the City and Union members (let’s not forget that practically all the City employees belong either to the Police Union (IUPA) or the General Employees Union (AFSCME). Each negotiate their own contracts separately. Just wanted to clarify these two issues.
The City has historically taken its sweet time to negotiate with the unions. HIstorically as well, the City claims hardship and threatens layoffs in order to win concessions from the union. This usually in the form of the members having to pay more for benefits, or lose benefits.
So the scare tactics mentioned by twocents plays both ways unfortunately. The union is not trying to scare anyone, rather our position is simple. Any reduction in manpower is a reduction in the quality of service the residents of this community are accustomed to.
Unions helped to export our American jobs overseas through hard nose negotiations. In this case with our city, if they do not come to the bargaining table with their pencils sharpened, I can see them forcing the city to go do things no one wants, but will have to do to avoid bankruptcy.
I will not feed into the NMBPD doing us a favor to kick $4 million down the road. If we live within our means, we do not have to kick anything down the road.
Warmest,
Both you and Kasan seem to want to blame the police officers for the financial mess that the City is in. Especially when it comes to the pension. At the last pre council meeting the City brought in a pension expert to talk about different pension options. The Mayor asked this pension expert why he thought that the pension was not funded properly at this time. The expert told him it was because the City DID NOT contribute money into the pension fund like they should have during the years that the fund was doing well. The expert said the City chose to use the money else where. The expert even gave examples of Cities that did put money in, one being Surfside and their pension is 100 percent funded. Again the the city caused this problem and now tries to blame it on the officers.
Have any of you wondered why we have heard any more about this financial urgency that the city manager want to do. Ask yourselfs why this has not been brought up again. Ms. Kienzle you like to dig dirt, find out why they pulled the financial urgency off the table. Also call and ask why the City manager has not contacted the unions to speak with them.
I am not blaming the police officer for the financial mess at all! The problem is mainly the fault of the previous mayor and city manager who depleted every last penny of the city’s reserves, and did not even attempt to fund the pensions properly. This is not the fault of the police department, nor is it the fault of the current administration who are all left to clean up the mess. I don’t believe they are blaming it on the officers, either. They were handed a time bomb and now have to try to stop it before it explodes. (Maybe a bad analogy, but that’s all I can think of for the moment.)
Thanks for reminding me about the financial urgency matter, since I had completely forgotten about it. I do not know what happened, or even why it was pulled, but you’re right, this does need to be investigated. I will try to dig that dirt up today if I can, or as soon as humanly possible. It’s hard to get in touch with anyone at city hall these days, but I’ll do my best and report back as soon as possible.
While I agree you cant blame all of the current administration, you have to take into account that only two officials changed in the last election. The others have had time to make corrections.
Absolutely. Beth and Barbara were only elected in 2009, and they were fighting a losing battle against Myron and Kelvin Baker when it came to the budget. Baker kept insisting that all was well and presented two bogus budgets after another. Barbara even voted against it if you recall. The others were there for several years and were complicit in not fixing the problem when there was still time. While Myron is FINALLY gone, Phyllis and Frantz still have no clue. Don’t forget that Phyllis was the first to give the interim city manager a humongous raise when Kelvin was fired. She’s very good at spending other people’s money! Frantz is just an idiot, and I honestly have no idea what Mr. Derose understands or doesn’t understand. Seriously! I can only tell you that four out of seven up there are attempting to fix what is now a very, very serious problem.
If I recall two council people did not vote for the budget last year. Good or bad I think they were trying to make a point. The budget was a bunch of B.S. Baker didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground and now it is more obvious than ever.The new manager has an MBA and I heard he majored in Statistics. Finally NMB has a brain with which this Council can respect.
Our city has been giving big payouts especially to the police officers without thought for tomorrow. 8 years ago the NMBPD commanded a third of our $37.5 million budget. Today the general budget is far greater at $43.5 million and they now command 52% of this. That tells me something is definitely wrong. The other 550 workers and left with the rest of the city infrastructure to fight over the other 48%.
I would only hope this council and its manager have the back bone to reign in this fiscal irresponsibility.
If the utility bonds are under preforming hence 10% raise for the next five years, how come the cops pensions are preforming at 8%?
Wall St. melted because of GREED. Hopefully the NMBPD can see a little further and avoid layoffs while allowing reforms done to their salaries and pensions.
For the reader, a sergeant gets approx. $200,000.00 each and an officer gets approx. $150,000.00 every year, inc. pensions, health insurance, excluding take home cars, other equipment and training,. We have 110 officers.
Mr Kazan
For god sake can you please stick with one number? Every time you write something the numbers change. Now you are saying that we have sergeants making 200k? You are trying to spread fear and lies by doubling the numbers every time you speak or write. These times need level headed people on both sides to work through this, and you are not one of them. Please stop with these lies.
Warmest.
EXPENSE IN PROPOSED 2012 BUDGET PRESENTED 17th JUL 2011
UNIFORM SERVICES
POLICE SERGEANT
T. SCOTT
SALARY 100,153
CELL $600
FICA $7,722
RETIREMENT – POLICE PLAN $72,361
HEALTH INSURANCE $11,917
GROUP LIFE INSURANCE $402
ACCIDENTAL DEATH & DISMEMBERMENT $33
DENTAL $0
TRAVEL & EXPENSES *
TRANSFER TO WORKERS COMP-SELF INS $3,404
UNIFORM CLEANING $500
TOTAL $197,092
*City provided vehicle, fuel, maintenance
EXPENSE IN PROPOSED 2012 BUDGET PRESENTED 17JUL11
UNIFORM SERVICES
POLICE OFFICER
M. PONS
SALARY $75,916
CELL $0
FICA $5,815
RETIREMENT – POLICE PLAN $54,849
HEALTH INSURANCE $11,917
GROUP LIFE INSURANCE $315
ACCIDENTAL DEATH & DISMEMBERMENT $26
DENTAL $0
TRAVEL & EXPENSES *
TRANSFER TO WORKERS COMP-SELF INS $2,581
UNIFORM CLEANING $500
TOTAL $151,919
*City provided vehicle, fuel, maintenance