HURRICANE IKE

AND

COUNTY COUNCIL

MAKE DISABLED COPS

SCAPEGOATS FOR

DEMOCRATS' FISCAL

MISMANAGEMENT

Competing, Politically-Motivated

Reports Agree on One Thing: It's

Their Fault, Not Ours

In the most stunning doublespeak since the WSSC catastrophe in June, Montgomery County officials are attempting to blame their budget woes on disabled police officers. They believe too many officers are collecting disability benefits. There are 2 problems with this: One is that the officers have been examined by doctors to qualify. Second, this is the system the county created! So they are blaming disabled officers for using the programs they themselves put into place.

The Washington Post joined in as well. Why? They don't want our taxes to go down. But, like other Democrats and the special interests, they'd like to have some of that money to use for other things. And apparently, they don't mind taking the money from disabled police retirees. It's outrageous.

What's really at issue is that the executive and council have woefully mismanaged the finances of our county for years. Now the chickens are coming home to roost, and they want to divert attention from their failure to a trumped up "scandal" in the police department.

The local media has fallen for it - will you? The county has tried to embarrass the police union and department, and they've tried to hurt our firefighters with a "take from the needy and give to the greedy" ambulance fee. For shame. Once again, in Montgomery County, it's Politics First and Safety Last.