That is the message that Mayor Lo Walker has given to the city council in refusing to work with them in re-working the 2010 budget.
The budget the council is working on will tenatively not take any policemen off the street. People who are eligible will retire, and the five people who are now in the academy will be let go, but not until they complete their training.
As for the fire department, which was due to face 38 cuts, 8 active firemen will be laid off along with the 10 in the academy.
Basically, the plan spares 20 policemen and 20 firemen from the Mayor’s ax.
Of the remaining 37 cuts across different city departments, 16 will be spared and 21 will be laid off.
Every department, including police and fire, will have to make an across the board (except for salaries) 15% cut.
There will be no raises in the Mayor’s office and the travel budget will be cut.
Heather Carter, who started the Facebook group Save our Bossier City Police and Firefighters, has has been working with the council and has provided us with this information.
Heather’s husband is a Bossier City Police Officer who would have been laid off under the mayor’s plan. Heather has worked tirelessly in organizing the group, which now has 3,600 members, and has led the internet effort to save the jobs.
That’s Heather in the picture below with her two favorite people.
That's okay. I can refuse to vote for his sorry a...
ReplyDeleteWalker is arrogant as ever!!! Thanks for what you do Ms. Carter and Mr. Wells, the citizens are behind you.
ReplyDeleteThe Carter family should be a poster for all to see the lives that are being affected by the negligence in the actions of Mayor Walker. To refuse to work out a solution is an abominable act that the citizens of Bossier should not tolerate. Election time is too late to make a change. These policemen and firemen families need help now!!!
ReplyDeleteGood for Ms. Carter. Everyone in Bossier City should work as hard as she to make sure that the fool we elected as mayor does not get his way. He will hurt the city as well as the lives of countless policemen and firemen and their families. He does not care about anyone but a very select few of his good old buddies. Too bad he is so old and will probably not run again. We will not have the pleasure of defeating him at the polls.
ReplyDeleteThe department heads formulate the budget, give it to the mayor, the mayor presents it to the council, and they pass or amend as they see fit. Sort of like what happens at the state or national level. Of course he stands by what his administration has put together.
ReplyDeleteI can not imagine a council that would continue to hire this many police and fire - way more than are needed for a city of this size - then blame the mayor for cost overruns - the only people that need to be blamed are the folks that hired them and approved their hiring - what a huge waste of money, a huge blow to these folks lives, and a huge blow to the reputation of the City - a waste all the way around - only one taking it like a man is the Mayor - everyone of those councilmen are pointing fingers and claiming they have been deceived - what a freaking joke
ReplyDeleteBy taking it like a man do you mean sitting there only speaking when he has to at every council meeting. Or maybe you mean that most of the email responses he sends out are not from his email and look like a prewritten politically correct general response. I'm glad your on the mayor's side because I can assure you that you are in the minority.
ReplyDeleteYou couldn't find three more attractive people even if you went to Central Casting in Hollywood-- especially that little darling in the middle. I certainly wish Mrs. Carter much success in her endeavor. But I expect that Mr. Carter could find much better employment as a police officer if they are willing to relocate.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you comments on my family. I am well aware that my husband can relocate and probably find a police dept that pays better. You may also want to know that before my husband was a police officer her worked as a licensed electrician. He made more than double what he makes as a police officer. The point I have been trying to make from the beginning is that he wants to be a Bossier City police officer. We were both born and raised in this area and have no desire to leave. He finally has reached his life long dream of being a Bossier City police officer and I will fight for his job until the final vote has been cast. I do greatly appreciate everyone support.
ReplyDeleteHeather Carter
Realist - you couldn't find the character of these people in central casting. We are very fortunate to have them here and we don't want them to relocate. That is why we are fighting to keep them here.
ReplyDeletethis comment will most likely get blasted but Ms Carter, Jim and many others have been working very hard to support the men and women that are at risk for their jobs but with well over 3,000 on the facebook cause to support the police and firemen I can't imagine that they can't aford an hour or two to come with us to the city council meeting! I would love to see standing room only every meeting. let your voices be heard, we have been quite for too long.
ReplyDeleteAww, Heather is such a sweetheart. She's just an amazing person and touched by God. There should be more of her in this world!
ReplyDeleteWhy cant the sheriff's office provide one of the more than 300 deputies he has working to cover this law enforcement gap once the police are laid off?
ReplyDeleteSo if the mayor's budget goes through (which it won't), you are suggesting that 1 deputy sheriff could take the place of 26 Bossier City police officers?
ReplyDeletewow - what a turn out - nearly 50 people came to the meeting last night - the only people that are beating this mantra of "save our police and fire" are the folks that work for the Actual police and fire getting the axe - i hate it for these folks losing their jobs - but it seems that the majority of people in bossier either agree with the administration or do not care
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your opinion. Most of the citizens I have spoken to would like to come to the meeting but are unable to because they are held at 3:00pm. I also think it says something about the police dept that officers who are not on the lay off list attend the meetings to show support. I know you think I'm bias because I know most of the people involved and many of the people who do attend the meetings.
ReplyDeleteHeather Carter
I think it's sad that you would be negative to people who are fighting for their lively hoods and for what they believe in. If you were told you were going to be laid off and had an opportunity to fight for your job wouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteh
ReplyDeleteThanks Heather.
ReplyDeleteMy mom could not come because her health is poor currently and I do not want her going anywhere until she is well.
I have a soldier home from war, and honestly, he needs me right now.
A 3pm meeting has not fit our schedule.
I do support the city and continue to do so. I will do anything to help that I can.
Support the citizens...not so much the city. :)
ReplyDeleteAll of y'all are absolutely ridiculous. Oh, poor you. You know what? I almost lost my job too and I work for COBC. I also have a family, you aren't the only one's. Why in the world do y'all think you deserve your job more than I do. I deserve to feed my son just as much as you do, so get over yourself. I support ever fireman and police officer out there, I even come from a family of officers. But the bottom line is WE ALL NEED OUR JOBS.... what I do for the city helps keep you working and if it wasn't for the city employees how would you have a job. Paychecks, water to put out fires, pipes for sewer so your waste isn't in your house or yard etc... Every city employee is needed.
ReplyDeleteNot that anyone will read this, but:
ReplyDeleteWhen I started the Facebook Page (yes, i started it, and was quickly, i mean withing hours quickly, told to take it down because i was Civil Service and could not be involved in anything political. When i pointed out that Civil Service law stated i could not support a candidate or proposition, but said nothing about me supporting a concept, i was told again to take the site down, so i put it in Heather's name. Back to my original sentence, when i started the facebook page, only firefighters and police officers were on the list of layoff's. Thats why i named the site what i named it. It wasn't until the meeting before the vote that we found out they were going to lay off city employee's instead of leo/ff. With all due respect, you have no idea what we went through, the money we spent (yes, it cost us alot of money)the angry anonymous phone calls, the hateful e-mails, the retribution i experienced at work, all because we wanted to save EVERY job. We did save many jobs, but as soon as the vote came through, we were attacked by those who did get laid off, as though my wife and i were responsible for them loosing their jobs! We made no backroom deals (hey, we're not city administration) ala "choose them instead of us". The only thing we did was put enough pressure on the city council to force them to stand up to the Mayor. I didn't do it because i wanted to keep my job, i mean i did, but the alternative was going back to my former career as an Electrical Engineering Tech making a fair wage with weekends off instead of working 16hours a day 6 days a week to try to make ends meet. We did it because some of the people who i worked next too did not have anything to fall back on. We did it because it is absolutely ridiculous that Bossier City is run like an episode of the untouchables, where you have the king pins calling the shots behind closed doors and relying exclusively on the "good 'ol boy network" while every one else suffers. I never have and never will claim a victory of any kind or pat any one on the back because jobs were lost. Those jobs did not belong to those who mismanaged the funds, instead they belonged to the people doing what they could to scrape out a living. As my Grandfather allways told me, "It is what it is". I just wanted to respond to the last comment.
Russell Carter
Not that anyone will read this, but:
ReplyDeleteWhen I started the Facebook Page (yes, i started it, and was quickly, i mean withing hours quickly, told to take it down because i was Civil Service and could not be involved in anything political. When i pointed out that Civil Service law stated i could not support a candidate or proposition, but said nothing about me supporting a concept, i was told again to take the site down, so i put it in Heather's name. Back to my original sentence, when i started the facebook page, only firefighters and police officers were on the list of layoff's. Thats why i named the site what i named it. It wasn't until the meeting before the vote that we found out they were going to lay off city employee's instead of leo/ff. With all due respect, you have no idea what we went through, the money we spent (yes, it cost us alot of money)the angry anonymous phone calls, the hateful e-mails, the retribution i experienced at work, all because we wanted to save EVERY job. We did save many jobs, but as soon as the vote came through, we were attacked by those who did get laid off, as though my wife and i were responsible for them loosing their jobs! (continued on next comment)
We made no backroom deals (hey, we're not city administration) ala "choose them instead of us". The only thing we did was put enough pressure on the city council to force them to stand up to the Mayor. I didn't do it because i wanted to keep my job, i mean i did, but the alternative was going back to my former career as an Electrical Engineering Tech making a fair wage with weekends off instead of working 16hours a day 6 days a week to try to make ends meet. We did it because some of the people who i worked next too did not have anything to fall back on. We did it because it is absolutely ridiculous that Bossier City is run like an episode of the untouchables, where you have the king pins calling the shots behind closed doors and relying exclusively on the "good 'ol boy network" while every one else suffers. I never have and never will claim a victory of any kind or pat any one on the back because jobs were lost. Those jobs did not belong to those who mismanaged the funds, instead they belonged to the people doing what they could to scrape out a living. As my Grandfather allways told me, "It is what it is". I just wanted to respond to the last comment.
ReplyDeleteRussell Carter