We Are Not A Government Program (Via Herschel M. Sigall, OSTA General Counsel): Usually when we post an article about the need to improve the wages, hours and working conditions of our Troopers and Dispatchers, we do so with accompanying statistics that demonstrate we have witnessed the value of our wages decrease by 23% over the past eight years. Following such a posting, I usually see a comment or two (or three) to the effect that, you are lucky to have a job and be thankful for whatever you are receiving. The theory must be that law enforcement, much as road building, fire fighting, education, environmental protection; food inspection, etc., etc. are government programs designed somehow to help support our members and our fellow public service workers. Somehow we are but a government program that costs taxpayers hard earned money in taxes. Well, we are no safety net program, although we participate, through our own taxes, in such necessary programs. We are workers hired to do a job for the citizens of Ohio. The citizens, as users, pay for these services through payments to the Employer (State of Ohio) and the Employer pays us, theoretically, fair and equitable wages and benefits for the quality of the work we perform. The public could pay directly of course and the first question at any accident would be, can I see your insurance card or when a Police Officer responds to a call the citizen in need would be first given a card stating payment is required in advance of service...... Taxes are merely a method that avoids a cumbersome collection process and has he added benefit of being operated on insurance principles. As any good insurance policy would, it shares the risk. By sharing the risk our services are available and utilized by all irrespective of financial standing at time of the need.......... If public service is to be seen in terms of being a government program, the beneficiary of the program are the citizens of the State of Ohio. The workers who are employed to make that program effective and universal demand only to be seen as the professional workers they are and to be compensated in a fair an equitable manner.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 16:25:52 +0000
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