The Piercing Truth

This is right from the dictionary and seems to describe Albuquerque, Berry and Schultz. Fascism (f ash ,izem) noun An authoritarian right wing system of government and/or social organization. (in general use) extreme right wing, authoritarian, chauvinistic and/or intolerant views or practices. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one group over another, national, ethnic, especially social strata or monetarily; a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach. Compliments of one of our Eyes

Aug 13, 2013

What's $9.47/per Hour Worth?

For 2012, the Albuquerque Police Department's operating budget was approximately  $154,000,000. Across the street at the Albuquerque Fire Department, they made due with a budget of about $70,000,000. Now we're not saying either department is comparable at all to the other in terms of costs. In fact it makes little sense at all to compare either department except together AFD and APD represent virtually the entire public safety line item on Albuquerque's expense budget.

Together, the two departments cost about $224,000,000.
 
APD however is finding it impossible to retain their finest and most experienced officers, and incoming applicants have all but dried up. Despite what the city's mayor says, our Eyes tell us that there are 853 sworn officers left in the department. Which is down almost 25% from four years ago.  Even with cadet pay of $19/hr, and patrolman pay of over $25/hr, and hiring bonus of $5,000, APD is hard pressed to populate a full academy class.

However, AFD is not having that issue. Their academy classes move forward as they train the city's bravest for endless rescue, fire, and haz-mat calls.

Astonishingly though, given that both departments combined constitute "public safety" and field personnel from both departments assume huge risks to their own safety when they put on their uniforms and go on duty; there is a huge disparity in the pay offered to department personnel.

Where APD cadets earn $19.00/hour, AFD cadets make a mere $9.18/hour. And once the AFD cadets graduate from their academy, they get a whopping 39-cent raise to $9.47/hour. Finally, once AFD personnel complete probationary period they are bumped up to $15.60/hour. In essence they are always at least $10.00 below what their counterparts in the public safety make.
 
We at the Eye believe positions in public safety are a calling and you cannot induce anybody to become a firefighter or police officer merely by pay. It's a profession where duty comes first.
But it has to be sustainable and proportionate. We at the Eye openly wonder whether a first year salary for a firefighter of about $20,000.00 is sufficient given the cost of living in Albuquerque? For a family of three, $20,000.00 is 100% of the federal poverty level. That means this family is eligible for public assistance.
 
Yes, there will be the fringe conservatives out there like Berry who will say "they should be so lucky to have a job" but when it comes to service providers, do we really want our public safety personnel at or near federal poverty levels? What does this say about our mayor and city?

AFD brass promote that the department is fully staffed with 700 uniformed personnel (our Eyes say it is around 670). But given that AFD pay is significantly less than their public safety counterparts at APD, one has to wonder, where the balance of the budget is going. Our Eyes and news reports tell us of aging fleet vehicles, insufficient gear, inadequate gear, and reduced staffing. Unlike APD where they spend millions of dollars into boutique units and operations that result in no increase in safety, money invested in AFD saves lives and reduces damage to property.
 
And yes, we here at the Eye know that AFD is based on a 56 hour work week. Notwithstanding, there still remain a substantial disparity in pay which totals over $500.00 per month. One has to wonder, how much more blood will AFD's chief Breen draw out of his firefighters at $15.60/hour....

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder what the difference in pay is for the white shirts between AFD and APD? Bet it's not much....

Anonymous said...

Hey APOA when you gonna fund Heh?

Anonymous said...

Not even $10 bucks an hour. Sorry fellas, you deserve so much more.

Anonymous said...

The news is a riot.
Banks says violent crime is down for the first half of 2013. Isn't that convenient. Now they look at the first half of the year when there is an election right around the corner. And Banks plays the same old word / shell game due to rapes being up because the FBI changed the definition. Are you kidding me? Can these clowns ever stop with the games? Well then rapes and Batteries would have both been up if they had not changed the definition. Did anyone stop to think just how many people failed to report burglaries to auto and homes, assaults batteries, thefts and various other crimes due to officers just not showing up because there are none? How about we look at 911 calls for service for the last two years? Nothing but a smoke and mirrors words and numbers game and a bunch of sanctioned liars.

Anonymous said...

Pretty Shameful. Mayor Berry needs to wake up on this issue.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Eye. Way to move the pricks Breen and Perry into action even if just a survey.

Anonymous said...

LEVI CHAVEZ IS PETITIONING TO GET HIS CERTIFICATION BACK WHO WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH THIS PIECE OF CRAP OR HIS WHORE WIFE

Anonymous said...

Joey Sigala and Ron Olivas that's who.

Anonymous said...

Ryan Buckner would probably work with him too.

Anonymous said...

hey 8:22am you are correct.
bet scott lopez would given up his retirement (wait, it's all is going to his ex's), and sit shotgun with levi. they would fight for who gets the chick with
big boobs.

Anonymous said...

@ August 15, 2013 at 1:26:00 PM MDT
I don’t know what Sagebrush has to do with this, do the people that you mention attend as well? Regardless, rarely do ones ways alter for the better until they hit rock-bottom. But even then they revert to their old hypocrisy at some point. How many supposed Christians are there at APD who use that affiliation only to broaden their options with their sexual deviances? Comparing these individuals and their escapades might very well become the next “Levi” scenario, but then again Levi was not the first to get tangled up in such a way. He’s just the first that was publicly persecuted and charged with murder. There have been MANY others at APD who have been involved in violent assaults and suicides because extramarital affairs, subordinate relationships, and other sexual relationship triangles. Neither Schultz nor any of the previous chiefs dating back to Polisar ever did anything about this. It’s a culture at APD, “nature at play.”

Anonymous said...

10:44:00 PM Ok Ken...chill out. Just because someone is talking about a Christian Church doesn't mean that your athiesm is going to be affected. Geez, so much hate! Feeling conflicted?

Anonymous said...

Don't know who "Ken" is but standing behind a church does not excuse anyone from sin or hurting others. Why don't you guy's just stand up and be your own man/woman?
1:26 PM is judging others, uses profanity, then drops "Sagebrush" in there. Talk about con job.