APD Contract: Backpedaling Berry/Perry Style

On December 15, just 11 days ago, Albuquerque police union president Stephanie Lopez sent an email to members presenting the proposed Tentative Agreement. In her email she stated:


"Voting will be held on December 30, 2013. We will have 1 box located at the APOA office from 8am-4pm and 1 box located at the Moose Lodge from 12pm-7pm."

In the days since this posting of the Tentative Agreement at substations and here, officers from across all spectrums in APD have voiced opposition to it. From supervisors, specialized units, senior officers, to rookies, all have pointed out the obvious: it restores little from what has taken away and makes things worse.

In numerous postings APD personnel have pointed out the seemingly endless deficiencies of the agreement and the obvious rush by the APOA to get the agreement approved.

Yet today, our Eyes tell us Ms. Lopez has confirmed what everybody has been saying. In an email to members she writes:

"[T]he city is still in the process of writing the final draft of the APOA contract to be viewed by the APOA membership. There were a lot of mistakes that still needed to be corrected and addressed within the tentative contract. There is not a final copy of this contract completed yet, however as soon as it is finalized it will be posted for 10 days before a vote will be held."

Ms. Lopez backs away from the 12/30 vote as states that there will now be an informational meeting regarding the tentative contract at 8:30am and 5:30pm at the APOA office on 2nd Street NW. Ms. Lopez then adds in closing to her email:

"The city has been very deceptive in the wording of the language in the contract so I am grateful for those of you who to take the time to read this contract and bring issues to my attention."

Excuse us? On December 15, the summary sheet attached to the tentative agreement that was disseminated and posted at each substation had a recommendation by the APOA Negotiating Team. Their recommendation was: ratification of the tentative agreement. And this is the team supposedly led by the city's former negotiator Paul Broome...

Folks, these are things that make one go hmmmmmm.

Not even two weeks ago APOA "leadership" was promoting the passage of this contract. After years of "negotiating" they presented this agreement as the best that could be done. Now, after the massive dissent expressed here and amongst the rank and file, Ms. Lopez has offered a glimpse of truth: that the city is engaging in deceptive negotiation tactics. That they are saying one thing but writing something else in the contract.

We and our Eyes have been saying this all along: Given that the city unilaterally broke the previous contract, what makes you think they'll honor even this absurd one?

In the Christmas day paper, the local edition of the Albuquerque Journal ran an article about staffing shortages in New Mexico law enforcement. The author sidesteps the fact that while APD is in a staffing crisis because of deceptive practices and the DOJ investigation such practices have invited, APD's sister agency BCSO is not in such a crisis. He also somehow misses the fact that the state's DPS and NMSP academies are full and maxed to capacity. Here in Bernalillo county, how is it that two agencies who share the same geographic footprint have such stark differences of problems? It is because of deception and incompetence by APD and APOA leadership. It's that simple.

Berry’s has imposed a “Death March” on Albuquerque

Last night in-front of a fairly large crowd of Tea Party folks, both Paul Heh and Pete Dinelli spoke.  This forum had invited ALL the mayoral candidates including Berry.  Guess who was not there and why he was not there?
 

It is interesting how Heh and Dinelli have attended over 100 different forums and community meetings and Berry never shows up but still wants your vote. Most recently, Berry has started his lying and negative ads campaign.  Berry states in his commercial, “…the economy is moving forward…” is that moving ‘forward’ like the “Death March?” Albuquerque lost more jobs last year than ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to the tune of 3,900 lost jobs.  Even with Berry’s “Paseo Welfare Plan” he claims will create 2,500 jobs but that still leaves a minimum deficit of 1,400 jobs lost.  We call it Welfare because the Government is footing the vast majority of the bill.

In Berry’s commercial he shows some APD detective who worked for Pete Dinelli acting like fools. Here is the funny part of all this; guess who was the Chief of Police? Ray Schultz.  Guess who kept Ray Schultz as Chief? RJ Berry. Guess who was the Internal Affairs Lieutenant when this occurred? Allen Banks.  Guess who appointed Allen Banks as Interim Chief? Richard Berry.

Corruption breeds corruption. Berry is corrupt and he has and continues to appoint corrupt people like Schultz and Banks.  If we are going to look at facts; the facts clearly state Berry has been a terrible mayor and has ruined the city. Berry’s “At the speed of business” is synonymous with a “”Death March.”

If Berry was such an outstanding man and mayor how come his commercials do not showcase his accomplishments? It is because he has NONE! Why doesn’t Berry put on his big boy panties? Oh, that’s right; he left his big boy panties in his girlfriend’s suitcase. So Berry does the cheap political thing; he goes on the offensive and attacks his opposition. Someone needs to tell McCleskey and Little Missie they missed the mark on advising Berry.  People are TIRED of politicians. On a positive note; keep up the good work Berry showing your real colors, you are giving the none-politician Heh a bump up in the polls…

On a side note, we are being told that APOA Vice-President Shawn Willoughby has been actively in contact and cooperating with the Berry campaign and doing his best to support Berry against APD and APOA members. Does Benedict Arnold come to mind. He was a back-stabber and a traitor too...