Tom Patterson's column (March 6) is offensive. It is offensive to those who go to work every day to keep our streets and highways clean, our water safe and our parks well maintained. It is an affront to every police officer and every firefighter to refer to them as "paid more than their worth" and "just another welfare group supported by taxpayer largesse."
The fact that Dr. Patterson's basis for his position is a few quotes over a period of seven decades, plucked out of history and presented with no context, makes me wonder how this diatribe ever made it to print.
If Dr. Patterson is truly concerned about "taxpayer largesse," perhaps he could expound on the medical profession and how as a group they have corrupted and defrauded the Medicare system to the tune of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars? This would be far more substantive than vilifying hard-working employees who actually do a job to earn their pay. And to those police officers and firefighters who pay the ultimate price for their service, exactly what is their life worth, Dr. Patterson?
Jeff McHenry, Tempe
Geepers posted at 3:39 pm on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
Nicely said. I would love to hear Dr. Patterson's response.
samkat posted at 5:44 pm on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
I imagine that Tom belonged, and perhaps still belongs to the American Medication Association which lobbies politicians heavily to protect their interests. I would say this is an informal union.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:04 pm on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
The Arizona tax-payer is sick and tired of opening up their morning newspaper only to see the latest Police Officer or Fire Fighter scandal. Inflated kidnapping figures to get more money for overtime, overtime falsification by hundreds of police officers, sexual harassment suits againts policeofficers almost every week, firefighters convicted of arson, and you wonder why the tax-payer is upset.
These days when the tax-payer is scared to death every single day he/she goes into work that they will be fired, demoted, a pay cut or a furlough. Then they see teachers asking for their "INCENTIVE PAY" of $2,500, School District Superintendents retiring at more than $200,000 a year for the rest of their lives, Police Chief that retire from one City at $100,000 and then take another Police Chief job at $140,000. Cadillac Health Care Retirement packages for life. Cadillac retirement packages for 20yrs of service for the rest of their lives.
AND WHO PAYS FOR THESE...."GUARANTEED FOR LIFE" HEALTH/HOSPITLIZATION/DENTAL/VISION CARE & THE CADILLAC RETIREMENT PENSION AFTER 20 YEARS...................the TAX-PAYER...who is scrapping by...THAT'S WHO..............so....IF DR. PATTERSON SOUNDS MAD........HE IS ONLY ONE OF THE MILLION OR MORE ..........ARIZONA TAX-PAYERS WHO WANT TO SEE THEIR ...."EMPLOYEES"....TAKE THE SAME CUTS IN PAY AND BENEFITS THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO ENDURE.
Rich posted at 7:59 pm on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
"paid more than their worth" and "just another welfare group supported by taxpayer largesse." Offensive or not, it's true, and the fact is that we just can't afford it anymore. The tail has been wagging the dog for much too long and it shows in the government's inability to deal with things like unemployment, real estate collapse, recession. $100,000 for having been a police chief? Please.
Dale Whiting posted at 4:16 pm on Thu, Mar 10, 2011.
Yes, Patterson ought to stick to what he ought to know best, medicine, and leave such topics as unions to those who have studied them? His thoughts are more likely to be perscriptions for disaster that for any cures to our collective ills.