Kasich Calls Police Officer an ‘Idiot’
It seems Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) has a real penchant for degrading and demonizing public workers. Not only is he trying to take away the right of state employees to bargain, but the revelation today that last month he called a Columbus police officer an “idiot” for giving him a traffic ticket has caused a firestorm of criticism.
Jim Gilbert, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 9, the union that represents Columbus police officers, told the Columbus Dispatch:
We’re not idiots, we’re out enforcing the law that he as governor has asked us to go out and enforce.
Call Your Rep. Now on State Jobs Bill
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The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted for a bill giving essential aid to state and local governments that would save or create nearly a million jobs for teachers, public employees, police officers, firefighters and others. The measure is fully paid for, in part because it closes tax loopholes for multi-national corporations that send U.S. jobs overseas.
The House will vote on the bill tomorrow TODAY. Speaker Nancy Pelosi called representatives back from their August recess to vote because of the importance of this bill to America’s workers.
Please take a moment right now to urge your representative to vote for state aid and teacher funding to save these essential jobs. Call 877-442-6801.
IUPA Celebrates 30 Years of Fighting for Safety of Public
As state and local governments struggle to provide services in this tight economy, the role of unions like the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) is more important than ever.
IUPA, which is celebrating its 30-year anniversary, assists law enforcement locals, including those in “right to work” states, negotiating contracts for and providing benefits to locals in more than 35 states. The union has negotiated contracts that give officers access to good benefits, wages, leave and time off.
In a press release, IUPA President Sam Cabral says officers and their families need representation that protects them during times of duress and need.
The Warmer Side of Police Officers
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For most of us, our image of a police officer is usually associated with something unpleasant.
But Scott Baker, a former New York City officer, and freelance writer Tom Philbin say most people don’t see police officers as real people with cares, worries and, most of all, concern for the people they serve.
In their book, A Warmer Shade of Blue: Stories From New York’s Finest at Their Finest, they tell the stories of New York City police officers who have gone out of their way and sometimes stretched the rules to help people.
Some of the stories are extraordinary—officers risking their jobs to help people, such as the cop who drove his patrol car out of Manhattan to Bergen County, N.J., to aid a sick child. But all the stories have one common aspect: They touch the heart and perhaps in some small way make people look at the police differently.
Other stories are quite ordinary, everything from a policeman changing an old lady’s tire in the rain—after which she hands the officer, who is dripping wet, a handkerchief to dry himself—or another officer buying a pizza for a family who could not afford to eat.
