Part of the Problem

Actually, Daley is all of the problem, aided and abetted by 50 spineless wonders:

• Mayor Richard Daley and some aldermen suggested today that police officers and firefighters take off nearly five weeks without pay to cut city spending next year.
  
  The idea, which the city cannot force on the police and fire unions, surfaced as outside critics and aldermen are questioning Daley’s plan to dip into long-term cash reserves to help pay for his proposed $6.1 billion budget.
  
  “Everyone has to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” Daley said today when asked if police officers and firefighters should take unpaid furlough days. “And that’s why I’m taking 24 days without pay, and I got other people to take that, because you have to show that government understands the suffering that is going on throughout your communities.”

You want 24 days without pay, you better be bringing something to the table Mr. Mayor. something big. There's a reason the Teamsters, the SEIU, CPD and CFD haven't taken furlough days. The first two unions stuck together and refused givebacks for no guarantees. They paid in layoffs, but they still have their negotiated benefits. The second two can't strike, but they didn't surrender anything and an arbitrator isn't going to touch previously negotiated items that aren't even on the table at this point. It's a dead issue as far as we can see.

Just for shits and giggles, let's look some stories from ChicagoBreakingNews.com over the past two days or so:

• A boy and girl were shot in an apparent drive-by shooting tonight in the Far South Side's Morgan Park neighborhood, police said.

  WGN-TV reported that the children were an 11-year-old boy and his 10-year-old cousin.

• GeRod Thomas went out of his way to avoid trouble, often staying inside when he was at his Bronzeville home.

  Yet violence found him on his front lawn Tuesday night when he was gunned down in what police believe was a gang-related drive-by shooting.

• A body was reported to be found in a trash receptacle this morning in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.

  The discovery was made about 10:40 p.m. near West 73rd and South Carpenter Streets, officials said.

• A man in his 20s was shot and critically wounded this morning in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.

  The shooting happened within a block from where a woman and a teen were killed Tuesday afternoon in a drive-by shooting, which also left two men wounded.

• A 19-year-old man and a woman were killed Tuesday afternoon in an apparent drive-by shooting in the city's West Englewood neighborhood, police said.

That's about 48 hours worth of mayhem, mostly in Englewood. We imagine that most coppers in 007 would welcome 24 extra days away from this bullshit, but not at the cost of two paychecks. Someone better get these idiot aldermen a reality check. Soon.

We already gave at the office. We've been pointing out the manpower shortage for over two years now. The Department is finally admitting they are 591 officers short after two years of non-stop retirements and three Academy classes totaling maybe 150 police. Add in the voluntary resignations to take other police jobs, details to outside agencies and we're lucky if we aren't 1,200 short right now. 591 is just what they admit to being short. And that is shortage is 365 days a year. Figure it this way...

• 24 furlough days times 9000 cops is 216,000 days "saved"
• 591 open positions times 365 days is 215,715 days "saved"

The difference is negligible. And the retirements haven't stopped. There are going to be almost 200 scheduled retirements in the first half of next year, more probably. Reduction by attrition is savings. It isn't doing shit for officer safety or public safety, but it's "savings" according to Shortshanks.