Each and every day Wicomico County Sheriff's Department puts their lives on the line. One of the perks each Officer receives is that Wicomico County provides a term life insurance policy. Mind you Folks, this is offered to EVERY County Employee but my focus right now, (with all due respect) is based on the highest risk, Sheriff's Deputies.The term policy covers only one year of an employees salary, an average of about $50,000.00 a year or in value of life, an average of a $50,000.00 payoff. Their policy only cost the taxpayers $15.00 to $20.00 a month, THAT'S IT!
The above letter, (HOT off the press) was just sent out to County Employees telling them that the County has eliminated their life insurance policy but they can opt to buy into the policy by taking it out of their salary.
As if it wasn't bad enough that they have furloughed everyone, (or shall we say cut their salary). As if it wasn't bad enough that the Sheriff's Department lost $900,000.00 in their budget, (along with all other departments throughout the County) now they want to take even more!
To me, what's most pitiful is the lack of respect our County Executive has placed on those lives people that protect you and I. Clearly, after yesterday's charade with the County Council and the Budget, Jim Fineran keeps his job and immediately a notice is sent out that probably covers his salary.
Again, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. Rick Pollitt should have started making cuts more than 2 years ago and he refused to do what a strong businessman would do. I guess that land was more important for the Parks Department and the Civic Center than $15.00 a month.
I can only hope that other qualified people who respect our County Employees will step up to the plate and lead us in the right direction as a new County Executive.
This is just wrong Folks.
47 comments:
That is disgraceful! We were able to get along without a "Public Information Officer" for many years. As has been posted on this site, isn't that a job that a secretary/administrative assistant can do? Surely a $60K position is not required for writing up and disseminating some information! We better elect Stevie Prettyman or someone of her stature as County Executive.
Why has nothing been added to the county website about this? Or about the budget passing yesterday or the removal of the PIO job?
Got a call from a friend that said I needed to check out sbynews.com. This is f-ing retarded, as a county employee, this is how I hear about it. Time for a TOTAL clean up/out in November folks. Vote them all out!!!! Hell, anarchy is better than this.
And they did this all in secret!!! No employees knew about this until it was posted on this site!!! What bullshit!
County Council Members I have spoken with had no idea.
I guess i won't be risking my life without life insurance anymore. You better believe i won't be sticking my neck out there like i usually do! I have a wife and kids to think about.
The FOP should come out swinging on this one!
We don't need a RINO either. Same coin different side.
There are employees besides deputies that have jobs with the county that are ranked just as dangerous, if not more. It is an insult to all employees to always find out information like this from a source other than the county.
Simply amazing!!! But we as LEOs continue to do more with less and give them what they want. LEO agencies need to step up to the plate and start cutting services to the community. 911 can I help you. Oh sorry don't have an officer available at this time to respond to your dog complaint or to respond because you cant handle your 7 year old or to respond because you are in an argument with your spouse or to respond because some one is speeding down you road or to respond because there is a loud party at your neighbors. We can only respond to major incidents, murder, robbery, etc. Thank your local governments for all the cuts we can no longer do more with less!!!
I don't see anywhere on this form that says how much it will cost. How can an employee agree to something without knowing the cost? I thought the county had a PIO. lol
Joe:
Unfortunately the "7 dwarfs" (County Council) spend so much time whining about things that they don't get info that they should discover for themselves and not depend on "Slick Rick" and his staff buffoon, the PIO, to provide.
Then they pull stunts like the no vote yesterday on the budget.
Wicomico County government makes that in Salisbarrie look good by comparison, and that is not easily done these days.
Government agencies and corporations with budgets and service portfolios of this size and complexity always have one person dedicated to communications.
This is the 21st Century.
This is an absolute outrage!! I am so pissed at Rick Pollitt. What the hell is wrong with you? So instead of eliminating a position you eliminate life insurance for the men and women in uniform who risk their lives every day!! That's your freaking answer?? You are outta here come November.
Joe, Is there any way to have Rick Pollitt removed from office now? Where do we start the process?
That whole group needs to be cleaned out. Every last one of them.
I sell life insurance and have had a couple calls today about this being eliminated from the budget. It is better to have a policy outside of your job anyway. You have control and then things like this cannot happen. It is bad for you if you are older or have medical problems and now trying to get a policy. So lesson learned buy your own policy when you are young and healthy and it is your policy. You can purchase a term policy cheap. I think we are going to see alot of this happening.
4:33, the process is called a hanging tree....thats what removes crooks out of politics
Times are tough, get used to it and stop crying.
4:04pm Bob Taylor stop right now. Put the blame where it should be and not on the county council. Enough already.
to 5:00pm. yes times are tough but there are priorities. as far as the council is concerned; if they did nothing the budget would go through and if they voted against it the budget goes through. they voted against it and this is what we got. it's "king ricky's" budget and it stinks. he was asked over and over to provide the details so the council could at least review it before the vote and he refused. it's been said that this is a victory for "king ricky". well; it may seem like a victory but if everyone who is not liking this type of leadership will vote for whoever is opposing him; we have an opportunity to let this be his last "victory".
I do not mind as much about losing the life insurance policy as I do about how all the employees find out the information. Sure not thru the PIO!! Rick said his and all County departments were going to be transparent for the public. Finding out information thru the blog is that what he calls transparent?? When Ricky first came in as executive he met with employee's and let them know they were first priority Ya look what's happening now, I bet none of the departments have even seen Rick or the PIO for any informative meetings. The PIO is a joke - you see maybe one article a month if even that and it might be ten sentences long, I'd be glad to do that for 60K. Have you ever seen anyone take up for a person like Ricky is taking up for the PIO?? How about the men who got layed off did Rick think of taking up for them??? NOT!! I"m telling "ALL" county employee's to watch your back, there are a lot of back room deals going on that we don't know about - I'm sure Mr. Albero will be the one to break the news to us -- Good Work Joe - please keep us informed - know one else does!!
ATTENTION ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEE'S - Please remember all that is happening and keep it in mind this November!! Hopefully Ricky will have some competition come November, I don't' think we could stand another four years and keep our jobs. And I hope Rick doesn't move up to a state level position or else look out State of Maryland.
My thoughts are if they are in a voted position vote them out if they don't do what the public placed them there for!! Rember the Park Land deal - did the public want it? NO - Rick did it. - The Civic Center Parking lot - Public No - Rick Yes - Ed Baker Retirement deal - no vote just back room dealings thanks to Rick - We could keep going but won't - so just remember November is coming!!
5:41 -- none of that could have happened without the Council's OK.
Put the blame everywhere it belongs.
Joe:
That special state "open space" funding used to by the land at the old mall for $300,000 per acre and the farmland near Hebron for another park could not be used for general operations or the life insurance premiums. However, Fineran's salary could be used for that.
It's a real shame that the Council didn't pass their version of the budget.
I'm sorry. I blame the council. They could of cut his budget down to a nub, but they didn't Every last one of them failed us.
Joe:
I understand why you decided to move to Sussex County.
I think that this post is incorrect. There may be a change, but not as stated.
I cant believe this, its nice county employees get notified by email!WTF is wrong with theses people. This was not even brought up at any meetings to vote on. Its bad enough when people leave they cant be replaced, do they really think people will stay and support a county that does not support their employees!I cant wait for elections to get everyone out......
We went without a county executive a whole lot longer than we've had one and things were a lot better.
Maybe we should consider a referendum to dispose of that layer of local government.
We can vote for anarchy and change our minds just as fast as we thought we needed it.
Were there any exemptions?
November hell. There is a really bad stomach virus going around right now. It would be a shame if everyone came down with it at the same time. My whole family was down with it for 2 days. I'm sure the county employees still have sick time. Better use it before they take that too.
LEO's I'd follow the State Police and start writing traffic tickets, the hell with the barking dogs, bad kids, fighting spouses and other BS calls you go out on. If its a murder, well hey, they ain't going no where no time soon. Take your time, save gas, the money might be needed to give Fineran a raise or any of the other useless positions in the GOB.
Adios Rick.
Is this enough to bring either Stevie Prettyman or Terry Cohen out of the woodwork to run for County Exec? Both are intelligent, as well as fiscally conservative, that's good enough for me. We don't need Ollinger to get in and reinstate the Good Ole Boy system with his cronies. Ollinger = Alessi
Rick needs to retire because the same people that voted him into office in the county will be the same voters going to the polls if he runs for a state position. Rick screwed himself in a major way. He's just like his lord and master, Owe Malley. Rob from the working stiff and line your buddies pockets. Way to go Rick.
I say eliminate the exc position and all that it entails.....times are that bad. If the exc cant work with the council...which represents the people.....then toss it in the trash....we can no longer afford taxation without representation. Who can introduce this to be voted on asap. Just like we voted it in...its time to vote it out!
4:04, you're either a Pollitt lover or a Council hater, but definitely not a thinker! The council is dependent on Pollitt and staff to give them administrative information. If it's withheld, they're voting in the dark.
I don't think this is right. In the last couple of months, we have seen highway people, a state trooper and a Delaware officer killed, all on the job.
I suppose the roof could drop on my head at work, but otherwise, I'm not in danger from my job.
$15 per month for how many employees? What figure are we talking about here? If it's in the budget, why didn't the council address it? I am so sick of the sensationalism of this site. I truly wish you would stick to news. The headline of this article is disgusting. You know better, Joe, and you KNOW that is not how Pollitt feels about anyone's life. Did anyone ask him about this or do we just attack and run?
Investigate this...
1) LEOPS meeting to begin a feasability study... find out when/where it was, and who wasn't there...and why...
2) BOE to hire 4 PT people to work one day a week at a cost of...??? $500/ea for an 8 hr shift!
I am confused...why doesn't our County Sheriff ever say something about these issues?
Thank goodness I work for the BOE. Not effected by this. Any I get 1.5 times my salary up to 100K.
Glad I got my degree in education!
How the about the 3000 Board of ED employees? Same cuts?????
What about the drill academy, how much does that empty complex cost every month?????
Mr Pollitt, the PIO and $120K Ted need to go !!!!!!
The Dems have found out that using the poor, elderly, sick, EMS, Police and Fire as excuses for tax tax tax spend spend spend has run its course now they abuse public servants. Cut all these Nuts salaries to about $20,000 and put on bonuses for staying within budget, lowering taxes and other common sense practices. Then you will see progress.
Here's an idea. Next time you get mugged, call Rick Pollitt. Next time your child goes missing, call Rick Pollitt. The next time a dog craps in your yard, call Rick Pollitt!
Craig Theobald
Ironshire
Remember the good ole days when we were worth more dead than alive.
Its reached a point of madness. Do you laugh or cry?
Voting booths, huh...
If we petition to remove the county executive form of government we could save $85k annually plus benefits. Then we won't need a PIO person so there is another $60k. Combined salaries alone makes up the $145k to fund the life insurance.
Rick came in office and immediately gave his cronies a 6% pay raise on top of hiring more staff for himself. Revoke those pay raises and removed his additional staff as well. Money saved for things that are actually necessary.
Anyone up for circulating a petition to remove the county executive form of government? It has caused more problems than it is worth.
If people only knew the state this Sheriff's Office was currently in with manpower. I hate to say it but it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or killed do to only two (that's right two) Deputies being on duty in the ENTIRE county at one time. Now mind you, their shifts may say there are five or six on duty, however when you take into account court, transports (for the jail I might add-and the WCSO has NOTHING to do with the jail-so WTF are they transporting their prisoners all over the state), and sick time, there are normally two people working the entire county. Then they spend all day answering barking dog complaints or loud music complaints. People have no idea how screwed things are. Just wait, mark my words, it's only a matter of time and then they'll all be saying "how did this happen?" It's gonna happen because noone gives a shit because they aren't the ones that have to do it daily!
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