Legitimate Beef Or Witch Hunt Against Chief For Police Overtime Cuts?

Juan Santiago
Police Officer Juan Santiago. CT Post photo.

The police officer arrested recently for discharging a firearm inside Bagel King last December has once again called for an investigation against Assistant Police Chief James Nardozzi for slurs a college professor used in the context of ethics training last year. Some department members say the criticism directed at Nardozzi is a witch hunt for slashing police overtime.

Juan Santiago, president of the Bridgeport Police Hispanic Society, claims in a membership letter to Mayor Bill Finch last month, “We will request that the federal government investigate this incident and reinstitute the “Special Master” to oversee our police department once again.”

According to multiple sources, the outside legal counsel the city hired to review the matter has not recommended formal disciplinary action against Nardozzi beyond sensitivity training. Basically the recommendation to the Board of Police Commissioners is sensitivity training for an incident that involved sensitivity training.

“Call my mother anything you want but don’t take away my overtime,” is how one police department member has described the anger police officers have toward the overtime cuts made by Nardozzi who invited a college academic to school sergeants and lieutenants in ethics training. Hispanic Society members claim Nardozzi stood by as the college professor William McDonald used racial and ethnic statements to make a point. The words were insensitive remarks, but in the context of training. Specifically McDonald had cited inflammatory remarks used by West Haven police officers that led to a federal Justice Department review and criminal charges based on ethnic and racial targeting.

Nardozzi
Assistant Police Chief Nardozzi

Nardozzi was hired in 2012 with a specific task to cut out-of-control overtime. And he apparently has done just that, reducing overtime costs by millions of dollars.

Last month Officer Santiago was charged with a misdemeanor by state police for discharging a firearm last December inside the Bagel King in the North End. Examining the weapon, Santiago accidentally shot himself in the leg and the bullet shattered a window with police officers and civilians inside. Police Chief Joe Gaudett asked the state police to investigate the matter. The case is awaiting court action.

Letter from the Bridgeport Police Hispanic Society to Finch:

In September we, the Bridgeport Police Hispanic Society, brought to your attention an outrageous incident that Assistant Chief Nardozzi subjected officers to in a training class where the continual use of a racial slur against Hispanics was allowed in his presence.

Once nothing was done regarding this incident, we made an official complaint against Assistant Chief Nardozzi in a letter addressed to you on October 04, 2013 stating; “his rank and position with the police department must be beyond reproach. Assistant Chief Nardozzi must be transparent, representing all the member of this police department equally and cannot be allowed under any circumstance to not act on racism or racist views that injure members of this police department and citizens of our city, especially when it occurs in his presence.” We, the Hispanic officers, wanted to ensure that we are “properly represented, respected and protected from racism and racist views II and requested his immediate dismissal.

On October 24, 2013 we asked Chief Gaudett for an update in a follow up letter regarding the status of our complaint, reminding the Chief that according to policy on racial slurs, an immediate investigation should have commenced in a reasonable amount of time.

On October 30,2013 Chief Gaudett informed me that the law firm of Durant, Nichols, Houston, Hodgson and Cortese-Costa would conduct the investigation and that Assistant Chief Nardozzi would not be placed on administrative suspension, which policy requires for the separation of all parties affected until an investigation is completed.

We are aware that the law firm of Durant, Nichols, Houston, Hodgson and Cortese-Costa has been one of your major financial campaign contributors and has been hired by the city of Bridgeport during your administration to represent the city in labor hearings against city unions.

We know the law firm of Durant, Nichols, Houston, Hodgson and Cortese-Costa is a fine law firm, however we believe this investigation must be transparent and should have been conducted by a completely outside source independent from the City of Bridgeport, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Bridgeport Police Hispanic Society.

In the past the Bridgeport Police Department unfortunately had to have the implementation of a federal overseer, known as the “Federal Master,” for close to or over four decades because the police department and the city ignored or did not handle blatant issues of racism correctly.

We, the members of the Hispanic Society, agreed to have the “Federal Master” removed from our police department believing that our police department learned from those past indiscretions. We were insured that those degrading, hateful acts would never occur again and if so, it would not be condoned and dealt with properly. Sadly, this is not true. We, the Bridgeport Police Hispanic Society want to feel safe, we demand equality and we demand that this behavior never occur again. We will request that the federal government investigate this incident and re institute the “Special Master” to oversee our police department once again.

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42 comments

  1. This cop Juan Santiago is full of shit, plain and simple. Is he telling me when he was on the street no one dissed him or called him names, no one insulted his family? I know that happened during his time on the street.
    So the professor used ethnic examples and words to teach officers to handle these type of incidents, Big F’n deal. These guys don’t like the chief because their OT was cut.
    Why is this an important issue for the cops? They managed to get the city to agree to put the police pension under the state MERF system. The benefit of this happening is all the OT a cop works in his best three years accounts for what his pension will be. This also includes OUTSIDE OT.
    This means for every hour a cop is directing traffic or looking in a construction hole, we are adding to his pension.
    Here is an example, let’s say patrolmen A had three years in which he made $100K in combined income. He has 30 years on the job and can retire at 75% of his pay. The base salary for a patrolmen is around $64K. This patrolmen will retire at $75K per year, under the old system he would have retired at $49K, a difference of $26,000. This is at the crux of this bullshit brought up by the Hispanic society.
    The city has put us in this pickle as we still as a city have to pay into MERF.
    Here is another note to the city and the council, rescind the ordinance that required police presence at construction sites and you save the city millions in undeserved pension monies. There is no state law that requires cops at construction sites.

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  2. Fardy could not be more correct. This is absolutely BS.

    Impression of typical Bpt police officer, “Whine, whine, whine … It’s because I’m black, Hispanic, female, whatever.”

    For the life of me, I do not see why the Finch administration changed the retirement policies. I guess he openly cares about sustainability when it applies to BS rain barrels or solar panels at a park. Financial sustainability means nothing to him.

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  3. I certainly hope neither of you ever need police assistance, it’s a dangerous and stressful job.
    Mr. Fardy, you complain about Maria Pereira’s hatred but all you do is spew hate for everything and everyone.

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    1. I also certainly hope neither of you ever need police assistance because good luck even trying to get them to show up. This particular cop was really just a paper pusher. A job that could easily be done by a civilian employee for a lot less money. Last time he saw the ‘mean streets’ they were covered in cobblestones. For the rest, they are so busy guarding construction sites, directing traffic, working OT or chasing (but not catching) murderers and drug dealers, they have no time to respond to your quality of life complaints.
      Funny thing. He gets this sweet job and also happens to be president of The Bridgeport Police Hispanic Society. It also happens The Bridgeport Police Hispanic Society had nothing more to say about this issue until Juan Santiago got in trouble for something. I wonder if the two issues are connected? What would be the ethical considerations in a ‘if you make trouble for me, I make trouble for you’ philosophy when your job is to (right, wrong or indifferent) uphold the law?

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  4. They are reacting to their retirement amounts being messed with. If a patrolman’s OT is reduced over a three-year period, so is his pension. Having worked with a detective partner for nine years, being called names is part of being in the street. Having sensitivity training incorporates that name calling in its training formula.
    What does dangerous and stressful mean in my article? I believe we should pay our police officers a competitive wage and a good pension. I don’t believe in giving away the store, which this new pension does. If you doubt me, check with Stratford where this type of system almost bankrupted them. They had officers retiring at 1-1/2 times their regular salary.
    Btw Bridgeport cops are professionals and will come if I need them.

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  5. When you were working for BFD and had a chance for OT and the MERF pension, you would have jumped all over it in two seconds flat.
    This sounds like jealousy more than anything else.
    If you hate everything as much as you do, much like Pereira, move to Florida where your pension would make you a rich man.

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    1. I took ll the OT I was offered but it did not count towards my pension. Its not jealousy its sound financial overview of what is happening wiith my pension. The city is going to wake up one day and change the ordinance for working construction sites and there goes a large percentage of OT. By the way I am already a rich man, you become rich by working hard and investing wisely.

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      1. What would happen if a car were to hit a construction worker because no police officer was there?
        I also have to feel at your age if you were so rich from investments you would be living out your remaining years on an exotic island where arthritis pain from the cold is a non-issue instead of the City you bitch and moan about on a daily basis.

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        1. Rebel grow up. Really, living on an exotic island? How childish. I bitch and moan as you say it because I love this city and want to see it get healthy. Most cities and towns do not use off-duty police officers, they use construction workers who are trained to divert traffic. The Bridgeport ordinance was a bone thrown to the PD for election work. Please, just a little bit of facts in your posts. Exotic Island, WOW!!!

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          1. You said you were rich, rich people have island homes. Or at least a condo on the water in a warm American oceanfront.

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        2. Well, you sound Bpt Smart? If a car hits the police officer, who pays everything, disability on top of his pension and medical bills while he/she was watching the hole in the ground? Whole or hole has many definitions. I would ask you and stop right there. Start your search at the letter A To define yourself.

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  6. This nonsense is very bad PR for Bridgeport Police. It looks ridiculous. Please suspend this gamesmanship! The vast majority of individuals on the force provide us with the best police department probably in the State. This type of politics and greed sully the force.

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  7. It just looks like a ludicrous effort to shine the spotlight on something other than Santiago’s moronic debacle at Bagel king to me. Classic attempt at misdirection, but not well executed.

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  8. Hey crybaby Fardy, good job of costing your wife an election. Your “know it all,” whiny attitude served her well. Now your hatred of everything BPD because no one came to your home when your car was hurt is back. I guess you must be a great neighbor as well. I hear this is more than the class. It’s about the lack of diversity in hiring as Senator Stallworth complained about last week and was ignored. The CT Post chose to print that on a Saturday when no one pays attention and this blog followed suit. It is about the discipline as well. I hear minorities are slammed harder for same types of offenses that others get nothing for. If true, this is bigger than is being reported. I hear this will be worse soon. From the outside looking in, it would have to be serious to ask for oversight when they voted to initially remove it. I will wait to hear more and so should others. What about the Guardians? What are they saying? Someone should ask their leaders what may be happening in the PD and ask if the HS is out of line. Then we will know.

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    1. Hey Phantom, the guardians were in the forefront of the minority suits filed against the city for police and fire staffing and they won those suits. I believe if there is something wrong in the PD concerning minorities the guardians would be leading the charge to correct the problem.
      In case you didn’t know it, Stallworth was looking for headlines, pure and simple. Please try to have some semblance of fact in your posts.

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  9. Fardy is not the problem. Dare you face the real GORILLA???
    OIB writers, use your real names or use an alias if you need to, but why not tell readers whether you are a Bridgeport taxpayer for a business, some real estate and one or more cars, please? That is the 800-pound gorilla that is wandering the City and so few people are willing to name him. If you are not a taxpayer, then the mostly silly rumors are your story line, but if you are a taxpayer and not paying attention to that very real, costly and hidden story, you are fooling yourself.

    Increasing tax payments over time. Property values that are diminishing over time. Failure of any official voice (elected or appointed) to provide comprehensive, current and accurate data to the public where questions can be asked and answered.
    Where are our watchdogs? Were they out there you would have seen the alarm raised on public-safety pensions in 2012 when Department overtime, police and fire, already exceeded that budgeted!!! In 2013 the variance was $8 Million. We spent $145 Million in total on those departments. If you subtract the Pension Bond Obligations for Plan A of $30 Million from that sum, you can see how significant the VARIANCE, overexpenditure of OVERTIME, has been.

    The Mayor is reported to have directed the hiring of a fifth Deputy Chief. What has he accomplished and why is he hated, disparaged and/or not heard from? What does the Budget and Appropriations Committee have to report about watchdogging that topic over the past three years? (They canceled their monthly meeting on March 10, 2014 without a re-schedule. Nothing to do?)

    And the Mayor has never dealt with the “potential doubling of public safety pensions” because of the change to MERF-CT and who will pay for this. Will the City be responsible now or in the future? Or will the State be stuck with the increased potential payout? Where is the courage to address “GREEN ISSUES?” Who will take up this chant with me? Are we assisted by the Police Commission that also doubles as the Plan B Pension Trustees for those who retired before the shift to MERF? Why are they silent? Or have they been silenced? And the Fire Department Board and Trustees? And when will the actuaries (whom we pay for in each budget) appear and be open for questions?

    “GREEN ISSUES” like this are otherwise color blind. They have to do with full-time employees putting in years of service and building up credits for a pension that puts all risk on the taxpayers for investment volatility, for lesser gains than assumed, for longer retirement income payout years than assumed. Share the facts and projections, Mayor Finch. You have the data. Time will tell.

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    1. JML, the only people who claim this is about OT are the same people who are behind this article. Someone is pushing these storiewho run the PD are setting up their smear campaign in advance. They’re not real good at it, though.

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  10. Well, we have Rebel and the Phantom both of whom know nothing about what they are writing about. Here is a perfect example, quote from the Phantom: “I hear minorities are slammed harder for same types of offenses that others get nothing for. If true, this is bigger than is being reported.” This is an illustration of a person who knows nothing of which he writes, he makes stuff up as he writes. The Phantom further writes, “If true, this is bigger than is being reported. I hear this will be worse soon.”
    This is inflammatory rhetoric not shrouded by any truths at all.
    Phantom, I have no neighbors.
    BTW I am not against the police officer, I am against a pension the city can’t afford. I am against retired cops and firefighters listening to politicians talking and in Detroit’s case altering pensioner’s pensions. Have you two got it yet?

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  11. Fardy. Like you, I am retired under an old plan and guess what? I am all right with CMERS. They deserve it for what is a tough job. Get over it already. You’re a jealous whiner.

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    1. Not a city plan, are you trying to pass for a retired police officer or firefighter? Still with the name-calling, what a shame you cannot debate someone of superior intellect. How’s that one?

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    2. Phantom,
      You say you are under Pension Plan A. You also say you are OK with the MERF CT plan for public safety as of 2012. Do you know who will pay for the expansion of the retirement payout? If you do not, how can you be OK with it?
      Andy Fardy is OK with his Plan A. Each of you are at risk every time that committee meets with no representation of the retired folks. Yes you have a special guarantee, but when the City cupboard goes bare, or when the Plan A disappears because of market volatility, returns on average below assumptions, or beneficiaries living longer, what will the guarantee mean? How many police are in those tough jobs? Twenty-five percent of the force? How many are pushing paper, handling the phones, doing office work? I am not jealous. I respect hard effort, dangerous work and the application of street smarts in terms of total compensation but I also respect a balance of costs and benefits, and the public does not get the story from the politicians, and the politicians intend to be out of office when the piper show up to be paid, and the way it is playing in Bridgeport, Mayor Finch may be around for the bonfire. Time will tell.

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    1. Phantom, grow up. You are afraid to use your real name I am not. In fairytale land the city would vote to improve our pensions. Earth to Phantom.

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  12. Hey Fardy. You only posted your name after everyone figured out who you were. Not only are you a jealous whiner, you’re a hypocrite too. Would you give back a CMERS pension if they voted it in for retirees or not?

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    1. Why reply to a fantasy? Grow up please kids, play the game you want to play with that question and BTW when I was posting as town committee everyone knew it was me. What is your excuse?
      Hey if you don’t like me too bad. I know you recognize the fact I am smarter than you but I promise I will write slowly so you can understand it.

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  13. You are so smart you just cost your wife an election. Yeah, I should be as smart as you. If you were smart, you would know this is a smear campaign against Santiago because there is more stuff coming. It’s an attempt to smear him first. They love folks like you and JML, who believe it’s about OT. Keep sipping the Kool-Aid, my friend.

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  14. You won’t answer that question because everyone knows the answer to it. Unless you’re a big fool, you’ll damn sure take the new pension. Don’t be afraid. I’d shake your hand for being truthful.

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  15. Here, I will write slowly so you can try to understand. No one answers a dumb hypothetical question like you asked. I am not afraid of anything. Do you think anyone in the police brass gives a shit about Santiago and the Hispanic society? Smear him first, what childish behavior. Did I write slow enough? I hope the big words were okay.

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  16. You write slow because that’s what you are. I’m glad you pride yourself as being so smart. You are the biggest fool on this blog. You write like a grammar school student and your opinions are dopey. Only a fool would come on this blog and whine as much as you do about everything fiscal, but continue to pay the high taxes in the city. You’re slow to the dance, my friend. You should have exited with everyone else. Now you’re stuck and can’t help but complain about those who left for greener pastures. You’re stuck with the zombie voters who vote in the likes of Mayor Grinch. Hypothetical or not, you would run to the bank and forget about the taxpayers in a New York minute. Even then you’ll still find something to complain about.

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  17. Nice try. I can leave anytime I want but I choose to stay and fight. Now if you ignore the fiscal problems the city is facing then it goes to hell in a handbasket. It’s fools like you who blog fairytales that are detrimental to the city and its people. By attending B & A meetings and seeing what is happening with our tax dollars I can with correctness blog on the subject. You on the other hand have to resort to childish what-if’s and other BS to have your BS put on this blog. You really are a dumbass but I was taught to humor the dumb and the ignorant which I have been doing all day with you.

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  18. *** I think the MERF PLAN for the Bp P/D is a fair plan in part due to their job being a hazardous-duty one. Before the plan, might be the reason for so many old timers sticking around after 25 year’s service because 50% of their base pay at retirement was not enough to make ends meet due to the ever-rising economy. Especially since most like to live above their base pay economic means and work the O.T. to support it. The only thing I don’t agree with is adding the outside O.T. instead of just the in-house O.T. to their three highest years. Also, I don’t know if it’s the three highest “consecutive years” or just the three highest years period but either way it’s not a bad plan. And for a city that has the highest taxes in the state and nation, it should not be hard for the city to contribute their part to their pension if those in charge are doing their job and city government is not overspending on things they don’t need! A decent pay for a tough job that should be better screened and controlled from top to bottom to make sure that everyone is on the same page of music and leads by example, as professionals who serve and protect the citizens of this city and state! ***

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  19. Fardy–You are a real piece of work. You accuse others of not using “facts” yet your example of the enhanced pension benefit from Plan B to CMERS is not even close to being factual.

    -A CMERS pension after 30 years of service would be 60% of the average of the employee’s three best years (FACT). You used the example of 75% at 30 years (FALSE).
    In fact one can make an argument it is only you old Plan A guys who were able to get 50% at 20 years and 75% at 30 years who are beating the hell out of the system. How many years did you pay into your plan? What percentage are you drawing? Be careful throwing stones.
    Nowhere has it been mentioned by the self-appointed watchdogs the outside OT the PD does actually makes money for the city.
    If you want to accuse others of not dealing in facts then perhaps you should get your shit together before you embarrass yourself further.

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    1. park city fan, before the 2012 contract overtime could be earned, internal or external, by public safety personnel, but that extra income had no effect on RETIREMENT INCOME. Is that your understanding? If not, please inform us what your understanding is.

      The City of Bridgeport had problems providing adequate funding for public-safety folks hired previous to the early 1980s, all but a few of whom are retired today (or deceased, some with surviving spouses receiving a reduced benefit for their lifetime). We are talking about those who are in Plan A. The City attempted a “catch-up” strategy by borrowing $350 Million in a Pension Obligation Bond 13-14 years ago and the taxpayer is making the principal and interest payments to that POB of more than $30 Million annually that is part of Police and Fire budgets. Years to go to pay this off and because of bad markets (as well as good ones) and retirement benefits paid there is only about $100 Million left in the fund.

      The Pension B plans for Police and Fire were in much better shape a year or two ago when the union members decided to go with the State of CT MERF. If the retiree has enough years for normal retirement benefits AND HAS EARNED ENOUGH OVERTIME IN THREE YEARS THAT EQUAL BASE PAY FOR HIS GRADE then that pension benefit gets doubled. BUT WHO PAYS FOR THE DOUBLED BENEFIT? The taxpayer of course, but will that be a City obligation indicated in future actuarial computations or a STATE OBLIGATION? Do you care?

      Finally, if we are talking about EXTERNAL OVERTIME FUNDED BY CONTRACTORS AND THE LIKE the City does charge for the work though the Police Department showed a $500,000 deficit in a budget of $4.9 Million in collecting those fees. Shouldn’t we get payments from contractors up front, rather than in arrears? It would eliminate the negative variance.
      There is some understanding the formula charged to contractors for EXTERNAL OVERTIME includes all costs and may include a slight ‘profit.’ Where is that info shown? Has that formula received any change since the potential for police EXTERNAL OT to double pension benefits for retirees was passed two years ago? If not, why not? Is it because the taxpayer has no way to be told what is ongoing directly by this administration and the elected district representatives will not regularly ask tough questions, demand backup evidence in print and/or share it with members of the public who wish to know? Start asking the hard questions, please. Budget time is approaching. Time will tell.

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  20. CMERF, is that what you meant? Maybe I did use the wrong figure (I doubt it). The money the city makes from outside OT is a negligible amount when it’s put up against the pension costs to the city for this outside OT. Let me ask you this, do you really feel looking in a hole for eight hours and getting a little more than your hourly rate for doing so should be added to your pension? BTW, do you pay taxes here?
    I have outlived what the actuarial tables figured for my pension, no doubt about it. I will tell you this, 18 of the 21 guys on my shift are dead. I should be with them also but the Lord feels differently. I am going to shoot for 100, how’s that? You are definitely not a park city fan.

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  21. park city fan. take a look at the budgeted funds for outside OT. $3,303,981, pretty hefty figure, NO? Now imaging at least 50% of that money goes towards PD pensions for the year. Do you get it yet or are you still going to call me names, which BTW I don’t give a shit.

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  22. Fardy–I simply asked you to check your facts before you begin running your mouth. Under the CMERS plan, employees receive 2% per year of service up to 100% at 50 years. An employee would have to work 37.5 years to EARN the 75% figure you quoted. Furthermore, I did not call you names and have no intention of doing so. I will not be indulging either you or JML any further. JML … yahooy was right … keep it short and to the point with your posts here. Too wordy, much too wordy.

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  23. park city fan, you are right I was wrong, I was using the old percentages. That is all neither here nor there, the point of my writing on this subject is the police and fire pensions are going to cost the city a ton. The city pays 7% of payroll to the state, that’s not so bad but add outside OT it gets out of hand where the city will throw up their hands and have the state government or whoever go to 401K’s instead of pensions.

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  24. *** It appears to be a little bit of both, “beef and witch hunting” depending on whom you ask. Anyway, it’s really nothing new when it comes to different types of disputes between management and the union member officers/firemen. Whether it’s about OT, race, promotion system, job posting, training, etc., if it’s not one thing it’s another in Bpt! *** JUST ANOTHER DAY IN DA ‘PORT ***

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