I say stay!
Today the voters of Lake Como decide the fate of the Lake Como Police Department. Any of you who vote in Lake Como please consider.
If Lake Como disbands its police department and contracts Belmar to police the town there are several possible outcomes and it’s unknown at this point which it will be. Simply put…
It could end up being bad for both towns.
It could end up being bad for one town but not the other.
It could end up being bad for one town and good for the other.
It could end up being good for both towns but much better for one than the other.
Or it could end up being more or less equally good for both towns.
In order for me to be in favor of the takeover plan, looking at it either as a Belmar resident or a Lake Como resident, the odds of the last outcome coming true would have to be greater than the total of the odds of all of the rest of the possible outcomes and I just don’t see it. There are so many variables, so many possible unanticipated problems. It could end up with all sorts of bad feelings and even lawsuits. I really think that neighbors get along better when they each take care of their own business. I consider Lake Como to be a good neighbor and I don’t want to see anything mess that up.
Bear in mind that the political leadership of both towns is invested in the plan being a success and would hide information that contradicts their rosy narrative. I’m pretty sure Belmar would anyway. It would take a lot of work to see if they are being truthful with us or not.
Remember, Lake Como, it’s a lot easier to repeal a tax increase than it is to reconstitute a police department. New political leadership might do a better job with the town’s finances. The tax increase might only be temporary. But once the department is gone it will be gone for good.
Also remember that the people of Belmar have not been asked about this. Even if you vote to let us police you, the folks here might try to stop it.
And please also remember that you changed your name from South Belmar to Lake Como because you wanted to establish your own identity apart from Belmar. If you’re not even going to have your own police department, if you are going to have Belmar police cars patrolling your streets, you might as well just change your name back to South Belmar. Show some pride in Lake Como, show some confidence that the people of Lake Como can solve any problem Lake Como might have.
Vote yes.
36 Comments
I say layoff the DPW and keep the police!
Up next for Lake Como, another name change. This time, “Mattytown”. You would be crazy to give Doherty control over anything.
“YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH”
Lord Matt and Court Jester Wilton are only looking out for themselves. The two of them came up with this RFP idea so Lord Matt could use this on his Freeholder campaign and Court Jester Brian could patch up the leaky bag of s%#* he and the former blow hard Mayor Mike Ryan created. Lake Como has been financially mismanaged for years. Ryan & Wilton gave their orders and the admin obeyed. No remorse, just Zero F@%ks! The people of LC need to show they care more about the their town and police, then the politicians do and vote YES.
#3, Sir, how is voting yes and keeping the police a good idea? It would only be a good idea if the police took a big pay cut and same with the benefits. The amount of money these small town policemen make is outrageous. It cannot and should not be continued. I’m sure they’re competent to do their jobs but each job has its own worth and paying these policemen anywhere near a 100K is just dumb. I’d say the entire job for one of these patrolmen should be worth 75K (benefits and pay), 90K for the chief.
Do the Belmar residents have recourse if this is approved by the town council ?
I would imagine so but they would have to move quickly.
#4, Voting Yes will sustain a police department with police salaries going down over the next ten years with retirements and new hires at a low costs. I agree police salaries should be controlled better, but when LC cops see what kind of money Belmar police make to do the EXACT SAME JOB they do it shows that something stinks. Blow Hard Mike Ryan & Court Jester Wilton approved theses police contracts, they are to blame. They should have restructured the contracts. Lord Matt breaks the law and steals from the beachfront to pay all his minions without blinking an eye on what they make or what it costs. Belmar has police officers who make $150k, $180k and even $200k+ with the unlimited over-time. The administration lets them run wild. No restrictions, no regrets. Just more and more debt that Lord Matt runs up and now wants LC help bail him out. The RFP is 25% of an out of control Belmar police budget that has unlimited over-time and now has a “Acting Chief” that will hold an admin position and accumulate all the over-time he wants. That is unheard of in NJ. What a joke the Belmar police budget is. It is out of control. That is why LC should vote YES and not pay for the absurd salaries and over-time the Belmar police are making every year.
Good try #7. The whole darn state is broke and Belmar, Lake Como, etc pay public workers to much $$$. Vote NO and start the ball rolling. To many public workers making to much $$$… Simple.
#4 & #8 How much is a life worth to you guys. In my opinion it’s priceless. The two of you probably have a nice cushy job sitting behind a desk. For every law enforcement officer and serviceman who has put on a uniform and served either their community or their country I don’t think there is enough pay in the world. For all the hassle they deal with day in and day out, I know I couldn’t do it. They kiss their significant others and their children goodbye everyday not knowing if its that last time they see them. No matter how small the town you never know who’s driving through. That one routine motor vehicle stop could be their last. So before you sit there and say they make too much money and criticize them why don’t you try putting that uniform on and putting a bullseye on your chest. VOTE YES MY FAMILY AND I ARE. Thank you to all Law Enforcement and Military out there. Especially my Lake Como officers who are professional and courteous.
#9, Isn’t everybody in the same boat? You never know when your last day here is, do you? I have nothing against a guy making a buck. It’s just got to be in line with the difficulty of the job. Look at guys like Chuck Yeager. He wasn’t making squat, yet he went ahead and broke the sound barrier when civilians wanted 100K to even try. Is a guy sitting in a car all day to be compared with a guy like Yeager?
______________________________________
As far as “cushy jobs” go, I served in the Corps as a grunt riflemen. Let me tell you about that job. It goes like this – excrement flows down hill and you’re always at the bottom of the hill in a grunt platoon.
#10 Are you seriously trying to say police officers sit in their cars all day? I hope you or your family never need assistance from the police because according to you all the officers will just be too busy sitting in their cars to help. And to answer your question, No not everyone is in the same boat. Not everyone has a job that they put their own life at risk to save the life of someone else. To be honest Police, Milatary, and Fire fighters should be paid a lot more then they get. Professional athletes get paid millions and they don’t save anyone’s life. That right there shows you how messed up this country is.
Well, when policemen, firemen, and soldiers can throw a ball at 100mph, or run like a deer and catch a football or hit three pointers, then they might be thought of as worth millions. But if they can’t do that, then they have to be satisfied with what the taxpayers can afford to pay them (in this particular case, what Lake Como taxpayers can afford to give them – or not).
#9 It’s the money running out. Simple economics. Can’t afford to pay the cops that much. Just that simple. To many public employees making to much money. Cops are great ……..CAN’T AFFORD TO PAY THEM THAT MUCH…By the way I’m retired waiting for the last day to come.
Well we will find out what taxpayers of Lake Como think their police are worth after the vote. Personally feeling safe in my own town is worth the extra cost.
#14 Then you should vote accordingly. Good luck. God Bless the USA
To #7,#9 and #11, I say Bravo. To some others I say this: Do not blame these public servants for doing their jobs. They did not create the system. The #1 blame is on the sad state of America. Over the past 40 years we have seen a slow erosion of our Standards of Living. Example- In 1970 a car salesman, making $12k with no college degree could afford to purchase a house for $20,000, raise three children, debt-free with a housewife. In 1970 a Police Officer made $8.5k, some Viet Nam vets, jobs no one else wanted. Today children are graduating college with $80k in debt taking $25k jobs living back with parents. 350 people apply for 2 open positions on a Police Dept. No jobs. This lowering of standards can be traced to many things: corporate greed, outsourcing of jobs, illegal immigrant labor, political corruption, importing of cheap goods, over regulation, liberal and socialistic views. Every bomb we drop on the other side of the world lowers our standard of living. Every time an earthquake shakes in Japan, it lowers our standard of living. The reduction in local police coverage and lessening of other services we have once enjoyed by paying taxes is just another sign of our weakening Country. We must learn to live with it and expect more to come. Less service for your taxes.
This lowering of standards can be traced to many things
________________________________________
Basically, the lowering of standards can be traced to one thing. The ill conceived idea of quotas and Affirmative action (ideas put in place to create an illusion to make it seem people who were/are obviously unable to do work could do work). Once those concepts were put into action in the 1970’s in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (violation continuing to this day at all levels of govt. and judiciary)the downturn was begun. At first, it was hardly perceptible, but over time, it got faster and faster until the rot has seeped into facets of society. Why do people think these Corporations are moving out of this country. It’s to get away from this insane society that has been created here.
In all these comments not one person brought up government mismanagement, corruption, and ineptness. The role of government is to keep us safe. Why is it when ever government has a fiscal crisis the first thing to cut is defense? Wake up people it is the governing bodies that are the problem, not the police salaries. What Lake Como residents should do is GRIP these people and start over, so hey Lake Como residents who wants to start a GRIP drive and get your town reset?
Dave I’m really surprised you were advocating a tax increase. Let’s be realistic, there is no chance in hell you would have voted yes to raise your property taxes 22%!! This is a win for both towns. Lake Como gets to cut its budget tremendously, and Belmar get $900k a year for free just to patrol a couple extra blocks. This will likely save Belmar from future tax increases for years to come.
I am not a fan of the current Belmar governing administration, they are a very one-sided group with an agenda. Also I must admit, I do not have enough information to determine if this is a favorable deal for Belmar, but I hope it is. With that said, town mergers and shared services is the only means in which a town can save tax dollars. There is no reason I can think of, that Belmar, Como, Avon and Bradley cant merge all services in an effort to gain tax relief for the home owners.
These band-aids are a one time, present day solution for the bigger picture. Like taking an aspirin for a tumor. To what ends???? Is there an end? Lower quality of life and standards of living to calm the “middle class”, to avoid tyranny. Wake up America and look at the MUCH broader picture now affecting MAIN ST. USA.
$900k a year for free
_____________________________
There’s that word again “free.” Every time I hear or see that word, I feel like someone’s got their hand in my pocket.
#21 – How is this a bandaid? Rasing taxes 23% would have been the bandaid. Why have duplicate services every mile along the shore?? It’s wasteful and inefficient. This reduces the overall cost of policing. This is a long term solution.
#22 – Well let’s do the math. What does a new officer receive in pay $50k/yr? $60k/yr? So 5 new officers will cost Belmar between $250k and $300k a year. Let’s say another $100k for benefits. Well Lake Como will be giving Belmar $900k a year. 900k – 300k – 100k = 500k. Belmar gets a half million dollar cherry dropped right in their laps every year. You guys make out like bandits.
And the salary, plus Cadillac benefit package per year equals what after 20 odd years on the job for that 50 – 60 K Rookie wages
over the span of 20 some years?
#23- The LCPD did consist of 10 Officers. Wilton gave the people a choice of manning a force of 12 Officers (not needed). Belmar consisted of 20 Officers. The choice LC residents decided was to now have 25 Officers patrol both towns. There was a total of 30. They got rid of 10 Officers to hire five at lower salaries. That is the savings. The problem is that Belmar residents will now have a lessening of services they now enjoy because the force will now have to deal with the additional workload in Lake Como combined with fewer total Officers. More work, less total officers.
What would be your thoughts if Belmar fired all of it’s teachers and paid Wall Twp. $5000 per student to school them at the near empty West Belmar School. Wall could then hire rookie teachers and we could all save a ton of money. Belmar could then sell the school to convert to senior living and bring in more tax revenues. Again. Where does this ever end? Stretching your tax dollar with fewer services hoping no one would realize it. Maybe LC’s tax rate is too low compared to other similar towns. Probably should have been raised over the past several tears.
#25 – First, if you’re concerned about a “lessening” of services, bring that up to your council meeting. Lake Como voters didn’t decide whether or not Belmar would take over our policing, we simply said “NO” to a 23% property tax increase. That’s all we were asked about, property taxes. You would have voted no to an increase that large too.
Second, what “service” are you so afraid of being reduced? What do the cops really do? They write tickets. That’s it. That’s their sole purpose. Let’s be perfectly honest for a second. We don’t have gang violence. We don’t have major drug dealing problems. We don’t have murders and armed robberies. We’re a quiet beach town. The cops are glorified meter maids who bully drunk kids during the summer. We were all young once, we know what it’s like to get a little too drunk in Belmar.
A few less cops on the street will simply mean a few less tickets will be written. It’s not the end of the world. In fact, I see it as a good thing. Let’s stop pretending that these cops were terrorist-fighting superheroes. This isn’t Camden.
Gee, there is no crime In Belmar sounds so familiar. Somebody doesn’t know that there is a HEROIN epidemic going on right now, here and NOW. ANTI-CRIME is a reality even if you choose not to acknowledge it. Think JERSEY CITY. Down the 60’s tunes due to DRUGS. the revival is due to pavers LBGT community investment.
Actually one of them did fight terrorists, in Iraq for over a year. He’s a Veteran that became an officer to serve our community after serving our country. He does not deserve to lose his career over this.
Paying people $100k a year to write parking tickets is insane, no matter which way you slice it. No one deserves to have their taxes raised that much just for the privilege of being given a ticket by a veteran.
They should get $200,000 in my opinion. And, parking tickets? Lol You obviously don’t pay attention to crimes in this town. Must be a 2nd home for you. You should come around more often. I see them rushing to incidents daily, arresting criminals…Its out of YOUR sight so it’s out of YOUR mind.
Hahah, then why don’t you pay their inflated government salaries? Obviously the voters of Lake Como don’t feel like it’s necessary. If it’s so important to you, then why don’t you volunteer a 23% increase to your property taxes?
Lake Como had one serious incident when the body was found in the lake last year. What happened? “Call in the state police! We’re not equipped to handle a REAL problem! We’re just meter maids!”
I’d like to track these guys after they leave the job. My guess is they can possibly qualify for a job gathering up the shopping carts in a supermarket parking lot. That’s if they would. Nothing above that level.
Joe Goofinoff, It is obvious you have an axe to grind against Law Enforcement. My guesses are you have probably been on the other side the Law one too many times or perhaps just defy authority in general. You may have, maybe early in your life, had the opportunity to take a civil service test to become a Police Officer. Police Officers do not make laws. Police Officers did not create the “system”. They took an oath to enforce the laws and protect the citizens. Most do not set policies as to what and when some laws will be strictly enforced. Yes they do this job for 25 plus years, years which take a toll on their mental and physical health. Family life suffers. Perhaps if everyone walked around with their salaries stamped on their foreheads, you may have a different opinion on what a Police Officer is worth. Better yet, apply for the job or are their too many skeletons in the closet?
#33 – I have no axe to grind with the police. I’m just calling’em as I see’em. They do fine for these towns, but not fine enough to be making the dumb amounts of money they’re making. If those guys in Lake Como had gone to the town with hat in hand and said, let’s make a deal here and get the salaries and benefits down to a reasonable rate, they might still have a job. But they sat there and insisted they get their ridiculous 100K salary plus benefits and now they’ll be out the door with nothing. It’s tough sledding out there in the private sector and many of them have never worked in private industry. So we’ll see what the private sector thinks they’re worth.
There’s still time to talk
Ohhhh from what I hear, They tried giving up everything on top of volunteered substantial pay cuts. Our so called council turned the offer away. Must not be financial after all…
Post a Comment