SOUND THE ALARM: Is your safety worth $1.50 a month?

Take off the gloves. It’s a no-holds-barred 7-alarm disaster. The mayor is at it again, trotting out his repertoire of false information and lies.

It’s a Signal 1-7 all call for the truth, and retired Assistant Fire Chief Debbie Carlin has answered the alarm to put out the mayor’s lies.

It comes down to this: a mere $18 a year.

That’s $1.50 a month--less than a tall Starbucks latte.

$18 a year.  A buck fifty a month. That’s what it would cost each person if every Dallas resident chipped in each year to ensure the pension plan is strong enough to keep our fire and police on the streets. 

Aren’t our active and retired first responders worth that much? Isn’t public safety worth $1.50 a month?

“The Dallas's Mayor either cannot add—or he is a liar,” Carlin said. “In his letter to the public, the mayor claimed the city would be out $1.35 billion over the next 30 years to save the police and fire pension. Those numbers are not accurate.”

Here is the real breakdown of additional costs as stated in HB 3158:

City of Dallas: $626 million (11% increase)

Active police and fire officers: $1.2 billion (91% increase) plus another $1.4 billion in reduced benefits by age 80 for a total increase of $2.6 billion.

Retired first responders: Reduced cost of living adjustment going forward (and, of course, the Mayor still wants to steal back $700 million in benefits already earned). 

Of these three groups--taxpayers, active members and retires--the City's burden is considerably lower than everyone else’s burden. Plus, the city's burden is spread over more than 1 million people while the remainder rests solely on the backs of 10,000 active and retired first responders.

“The Mayor is engaging in ‘fake math,” said Sam Friar of theDallas Police and Fire Pension board. “The Mayor’s words and actions are consistent with our belief that he is willing — and possibly attempting — to kill HB 3158 and the current pension plan in order to start a new one.”

Carlin and Friar aren’t the only one to sound the alarm about the mayor. In a guest commentary in The Dallas Morning News, state representative Jason Villalba notes that HB 3158 is not a taxpayer bailout as Mayor Rawlings erroneously claims. Rep. Villalba also notes that the entire Dallas delegation to the Texas legislature supports HB 3158. 

Immediately after Rawlings’ letter of lies, Dallas City Councilman Scott Griggs publically chastised the Mayor.

“I am AGAINST this letter,” Councilman Griggs posted on Facebook. “I fear that this letter is part of an organized effort to ‘kill the bill.’ Attempting to kill the bill is shameful.”

Shameful indeed.

In an April 21 press release, State Pension Chair Dan Flynn who authored the pension bill said he was “deeply disappointed in the Dallas Mayor making allegations and spreading incorrect information that won't hold up under scrutiny.”

According to Flynn, the mayor’s “own staff gave him incorrect information based upon unsubstantiated assumptions” that  “he touted as true.”

Flynn also said the Mayor’s bullying, name calling and refusal to negotiate in good faith “lends a lot of credence to the opinion of many that the Mayor just wants to take over the Plan and drastically attack benefits by collapsing the plan. Well that’s not going to happen.”

“The city can't recruit because they have a preference for parks over police and firemen, suggesting to everyone those officers rate below dirt and grass,” Flynn said. “The current legislation raises no taxes and requires no bonds, and I have no idea why the Mayor thinks it is so.”

“I suggest he stops wasting taxpayer dollars on expensive PR firms, lobbyists and lawyers, quit claiming bankruptcy is the answer and starts taking public safety seriously,” Flynn said.

Retired Assistant Fire Chief Carlin confirms that police and fire officers are leaving in record numbers “because they can make more money and have a lower work load just about anywhere else. And City Hall is showing them how much they really don't care.”

It’s time, she said, for taxpayers and city council members to “stand up and tell the Mayor to sit down and shut up. Tell the Mayor you think Fire and Police are worth another $18 a year.”

#backthepension #peoplebeforeprojects #morethandirt #sitdown&shutup

Sound The Alarm

After my guest column ran in the Dallas Morning News, I was surprised when I checked my inbox and found several emails from readers. Some were supportive, some were informative and some were, well, mean.

I understand opinions.

I understand dissention.

I understand a free exchange of ideas.

I do not understand mean.

Just like I don’t understand how we got to the point where the top priority for city leaders is not public safety but rather improving Dallas’ sliding negative credit and pushing the mayor’s transformational projects.

I do not understand why the city of Dallas refuses to pursue any revenue stream that will shore up the Dallas Police and Fire Pension Fund. Raise taxes? No. Allocate DART funds? No. Secure Pension Bonds? No.  Divert money from the mayor’s multi-million dollar transformational projects? No.

These naysayers and pension mess has started to take a toll on public safety.

Earlier this month, the fire department administered an entrance exam for prospective firefighters and paramedics.  Usually more than 1,000 candidates show up for testing. This time only 398 people took the test.

According to the city and news reports, 201 police officers have left since October 1, and that number is expected to double before the fiscal year is out. That will be the most officers to leave in decades, and the first time in nine years that the police force has dropped below 3,100 officers. In 2011, there were 3,690.

Meanwhile, the number of citizens and calls for help continue to grow. Officers have reported holding low priority calls for seven hours because the police department is short staffed, and the understaffed emergency call center with its recent technology and staffing snafus has placed hundreds of emergency callers on hold.

I do not understand why any of this is OK.

First responders are leaving and the no one is coming because of this mess. Why would you work for a city that doesn't pay a fair wage, breaks all their promises, and threatens your retirement? 

This is a 5-alarm public safety crisis.

What good are all the parks, the businesses, the bridges, or the neighborhoods if you do not have your first responders there to ensure your safety so you can walk through your parks, drive across those bridges and live in your neighborhoods? 

Why would the city of Dallas continue down this path leaving us to wonder just how many police and firefighters will be left to answer the call? 

I will never understand why we even have to ask that question.

#backthepension #PoundOfFlesh #savethepension

Thank Your First Responders By Backing The Pension

In her 33 years as a Dallas police officer, Crista served in many positions--on patrol, in Internal Affairs and Narcotics. She worked undercover as a high school student to help get drugs out of Dallas schools.

When her husband retired, they selected his pension and survivors benefits based upon her pension benefits and DROP account. All that is threatened now as Mayor Mike Rawlings and the city of Dallas attempt to seize DROP money and take back money already earned by retirees by garnishing their pension checks.

All that is further threatened by State Representative Dan Flynn who has sponsored HB 3151 that attempts to save the pension fund solely on the backs of its first responders by including the clawback provision, increasing the retirement age, eliminating cost of living adjustments and politicizing the make up of the pension board to one where the city gains control by allowing the mayor to appoint three additional members.

"The City of Dallas has benefited from our years of dedicated service and the DROP program," Crista said. "They immediately were able to keep senior officers, they were able to pay officers a 20 year pension versus a 30 year pension benefit. Yet, they are now threatening to abandon our pension. The City of Dallas and Mayor Mike Rawlings are bullies. They will use any and all forms of coercion to accomplish their goal of destroying the Dallas Police and Firefighters Pension Fund."

"My pension, DROP, and the annual adjustment is not a 'pie in the sky Ponzi scheme' crafted by 'greedy officers' intent on defrauding the citizens of Dallas, as Mayor Mike Rawlings has stated," she said. 

As a "greedy retiree," Crista volunteers more than 400 hours each year as a Reserve Police Officer, saving the City over $20,000 annually in wages and benefits for an on duty officer. She also assisted in the formation of the nonprofit Dallas Police Youth Foundation and has raised money for the operating expenses for the Dallas Police Department Youth Outreach Unit. 

"Many retirees perform similar activities" she said. "We don't serve the community because we are greedy. We serve in this manner because we have servant hearts and have earned our pension which we use to continue to give back to our community. Now is the time to thank your police officers and fire fighters by saving their pension."

#backthepension, #savethepension, #PoundOfFlesh

A Promise Made

In the almost 40 years Don served as a firefighter, working an off-duty job wasn't an option.

It was the only way "to raise my kids, send them to college, put food on the table, and not just live a measly existence" that the city thought its public servants deserved, Don said.

Don was fortunate to survive years of not receiving raises from the city because of the income he received from off-duty jobs.

"When I was a Paramedic, I would work as many extra ambulance shifts, and later, hire-backs as possible, in order to supplement my income. Even though my wife worked, there were some pretty difficult years we faced," he said. "I truly believe it was the grace of God that guided us through them. I still believe this."

Don always plodded on because there was "always the promise that someday, in retirement, it would be different."

Promises.

Promises that Mayor Mike Rawlings, the city of Dallas and the Taxpayers For A Fair Pension are attempting to break. 

Promises Don counted on when he decided to retire in 2012.

"I sustained an on-duty back injury early in my career from which I still suffer today," he said. "For over 30 years, I seldom had a day in which I didn’t have pain. In fact, it was what caused me to retire. I couldn’t feel my legs and was afraid if someone needed immediate help on the fire-ground, I wouldn’t be able to help them."

"I found out early in my career in 1978-1979 that the City was not our friend and never skipped a chance to tell the rookies at our station about it," Don said referring to a decades old pay lawsuit that the city hasn't settled and have dragged on for 22 years.

“It is the longest case pending in Texas right now,” Ted Lyon, a former Texas state senate and house member and police officer who's now a plaintiffs attorney representing thousands of the city’s first responders against their employer, told WFAA news.

“The city has filed so many (pretrial) appeals that it is really ridiculous,” Lyon said.

"Sadly, those men and women who probably didn’t believe me then, are finding out first-hand what I was talking about because many naively assumed the city was going to take care of them like promised," he said.

Promises.

"I don’t know where this issue will land, but when the smoke clears," Don said, "the City of Dallas will have a black mark on it that will take decades to erase. The present government officials think public servants are below them and do not try to hide it now."

#PoundOfFlesh #savethepension

Another Story Of Betrayal

Editor's note: Here is another story about a first responder and his family. Mayor Mike Rawlings and the city of Dallas continues to paint police officers and firefighters as greedy, self-serving and overpaid.

This could be a story about John who gave 28 years to the city of Dallas before he retired.

Or this could be a story about John and the endless sacrifices he made for its citizens.

Or this could be a story about John and how he was betrayed by Mayor Mike Rawlings and the city of Dallas.

It could be, but it isn’t.

This is a story about his son Joe.

Joe was born six weeks early in the summer of 1991. Despite his early entrance, he was otherwise healthy, John said.

“About the time he turned 2, my wife was noticing significant delays in Joe’s ability to communicate as well as some of his motor skills,” he said. “After months of testing, Joe was diagnosed with autism.”

At that time, an autism diagnosis was very bleak, he recalled. “We were told to begin saving immediately because we would eventually need to institutionalize him. It was a harsh time for our family.”

“The financial strain was immense,” John said, “and the therapies were very intense. We were blessed to have not only our family, but also our police family. They looked out for me on many an occasion when I was exhausted from the long hours of work and taking care of Joe’s needs.”

In the 1980s and 1990s, the city’s insurance didn’t pay for speech therapy for anyone under any circumstance, he said.

“We had spent years paying out of our pocket for these expenses at a rate that a young police family couldn’t support. Doing without his therapies wasn’t an option for us because our child was our priority,” he said, “so we found ways to live very modestly and cover the costs.”

“After decades of hard work on all of our parts, but particularly Joe’s part, he has made major advances,” John said.

Joe earned a college degree and works full time.

“However, because of his communication difficulties, he is under-employed and still lives with us,” John said. “When DROP came along, we decided this would be a great way to ensure his future care. Without his DROP money, Joe’s care will suffer after my wife and I are gone. He is a fine, hard working young man who deserves a chance at a decent life.”

Now that money and his son’s future care is in jeopardy because of Mayor Rawling’s threat to seize DROP money and take back money already earned by retirees by garnishing their pension checks.

“I worked hard for ‪the police department and made many sacrifices to financially provide for my family,” John said. “I missed major milestones of both of my children --milestones I was told to never expect my youngest son to achieve. I sacrificed and worked hard in exchange for a pension. It’s time for the City of Dallas to honor our agreement.”

#PoundOfFlesh, #savethepension, #backtheblue

Don't Let The Politicians Scare You

The Dallas Morning News finally printed another guest commentary. This one is a good one from Jim McDade, president of the Dallas Fire Fighters Association. Read about it here.

#PoundOfFlesh, #savethepension,

Don't Let David Face Goliath Alone

Editor's note: Meet David who faithfully served the citizens of Dallas for 36 years. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, the city of Dallas and the bogus group called Taxpayers For A Fair Pension want you to believe he is greedy, self-serving and overpaid. The truth is entirely different.

David’s 36 years as a police officer took its toll in seemingly small ways.

“I worked in uniform for the majority of my 36 year career. It was my choice because I liked it,” he said. “Unfortunately, what comes with wearing the uniform is all the extra gear.”

The gun belt worn by police officers weighs between 10 and 12 pounds depending on the equipment carried on the belt. 

“You might think that doesn’t sound like a lot, but for an eight hour shift getting in and out of a cramped patrol car, it can wear on your lower back very quickly,” David said. “Factor in the late calls and the overtime worked because of the shortage of cops, an officer can easily spend 12 hours in a squad car several days a week.”

The weight of that belt “finally got the best of my lower back.  I had no feeling in my right leg,” he said.

Steroid injections and physical therapy were unsuccessful.

In June of 2016, David had his first back surgery. After weeks of being off work and $6,300 of uncovered out-of-pocket expenses, he returned to patrol.

Although the surgery helped, “as soon as I started wearing that gun belt again,” he said, “the extra weight triggered the same symptoms.  I muddled through work for several weeks--because that’s what we do--but finally had to have a second surgery.”

This time two 3-inch titanium rods were installed and held together with six 2-inch titanium screws.

And while he was fairly successful at battling his back issues, he could not win against another formidable foe: Parkinson’s disease.

For years, he was able to combat it with expensive medications.

“As with any medications, there are the dreadful side effects. I felt like crud most days, but continued to work because even after 35 plus years, I still enjoyed being a police officer in the City of Dallas,” he said.

But in October of last year, he faced one of the most difficult decisions of his life.

“I felt the disease progressed enough that even with medication, I could no longer perform my duties as a police officer, nor did I want to put my partner in harm’s way as I could not physically do the job,” David said.

After going through the exit interviews, turning in all his police equipment and signing some paperwork, David visited the pension office. 

The counselor told him the dollar amount he would received every month. The counselor also told him his health insurance premium would increase from $75 to $629 because he had retired. He is too young for Medicare.  His out-of-pocket expense for his Parkinson’s medication costs about $980 a month.

Now, the battle David faces is with the city of Dallas, Mayor Mike Rawlings and Taxpayers For A Fair Pension who want to take away his pension, seize the DROP money he earned and garnish his pension checks.

It really is David against Goliath.

#PoundOfFlesh #savethepension #backtheblue #DavidVsGoliath

I Know What Stress Is Now

Editor's note: Here is another first responder that Mayor Rawlings and the city of Dallas want you to believe is greedy, self-serving and overpaid.

Two years into his career as a Dallas police officer, Mike woke up in the back of an ambulance fighting paramedics after having a nocturnal seizure.

The emergency room doctor asked him if he was under a lot of stress.

Not really, Mike told the doctor who responded, “Your wife told me you just got back from out of state burying one of your partners who shot himself. She said you are working all of your extra job shifts and working on covering his also. She told me she’s pregnant with your third child and she needs some tests due to an abnormal sonogram.”

Then there was that call he had answered earlier in that evening when he drove up to a house engulfed in flames and desperately struggled to break through the burglar bars.

“Smoke was pouring from the house and I choked on it trying to gain entry because I had heard someone scream at one point from the inside of the burning house,” he said. “When I was throwing up in the yard after the firemen arrived, I didn’t know if it was from the smoke I had inhaled, the fact that they were pulling a dead family from the home or a combination of both.”

The emergency room doctor asked Mike if he even knew what stress was.

“I thought what a stupid question.,” Mike said. “I knew stress. I saw people in stress every day. People call 911 when they’re in stress.  We show up. We fix stress.”

Because of his seizures, Mike was put on limited duty in dispatch for a year a half. That assignment meant no extra jobs to help pay the bills. 

“I didn't always feel that I was treated fairly by the city,” he said, “but I believed everyone has doubts about their employer at some point in that amount of time.    I encouraged my three sons to do public service and two are firemen.  I always told them you won't get rich, but you will help people and you get a pension when you retire.”    

Within a year of his retirement, the city of Dallas and Mayor Mike Rawlings is trying to change the laws so that they can confiscate his promised pension.

“I now worry that I won't get what I was promised,” he said. “I know my job possibilities will be limited by my age and the epilepsy.    I worry more for my sons if we live in a society where they might work their whole life, plan and save, then retire, and after all that, get the deal changed.”

“I hope I didn't mislead them,” Mike said.  “One thing though: I do know what stress is now.”

#PoundOfFlesh #savethepension #backtheblue #DPFP

Who's Got Their Six Now?

Editor's note: Meet Brent, another first responder that Mayor Rawlings and the city of Dallas want you to believe is greedy, self-serving and overpaid.

In March of 1972, Brent, his father and an assistant city attorney all went down to the Dallas County Court House to witness the signing of documents to allow the 20-year-old boy from Oklahoma to join the Dallas Police Academy.

“I still could not buy bullets or drink legally, but I could carry a gun and arrest bad guys,” he recalled. “As a young boy, I always wanted to a policeman. I just never grew out of it.”

He would have to wait until he was 21 before he was allowed to patrol on his own after two young officers, Officer Carl Cooke, 20, and Officer Allen Perry Camp, 21, were killed in the line of duty in separate incidents that year.

“I always felt this was so symbolic of how some very young men were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their community and the citizens of Dallas,” he said.

“During my career, I was spit on, assaulted, had guns pointed at me and was shot at,” Brent said. “Several friends were killed in the line of duty. Several friends were severely injured. I have always felt it was only by the grace of God, that I survived.”

He retired in 2008 after 36 years of service. The actions, threats and lawsuits by Mayor Mike Rawlings and the actions by the Taxpayers For A Fair Pension have completely demoralized him, Brent said.

“My job--my life--was being a Dallas police officer for 36 years, working deep nights, evenings, crazy hours, the weekends, holidays, the 1984 Republican National Convention,” he said. "I depend on the pension from the Dallas Police Department to provide for my wife of 43 years and me.”

“I felt I had the backs of the citizens of Dallas for 36 years," Brent said. "We need the city and the citizens to have our backs now.”

#PoundOfFlesh #savethepension #backtheblue