BE CAREFUL

WHAT YOU

WISH FOR

Elected Officials' Scheme to Deny

Disabled Officers Retirement Benefits

May Result in New Take-Home Vehicle Plan

...And Those Same Politicians

Are Complaining About That, Too!

Some of our county elected officials are complaining that the new, expanded police department take-home vehicle plan defeats the purpose of the original concept. Namely that police cruisers parked in residential driveways make neighborhoods safer. (I personally have always felt that a take-home vehicle was also simply an appropriate benefit that every officer should be allowed to have - regardless of their place of residence). Now some of those vehicles might improve safety in other counties, as the new plan allows officers to live and/or drive within 15 miles of the county line.

To some extent they are correct. However, the new plan resulted from the reopened collective bargaining between the executive and the police union. Had the executive and council simply honored the original labor agreement, the take-home vehicle program would have remained unchanged.

My response to those councilmembers who are complaining is:

First, you got yourself into this mess, as I explained above.

Second, the 15-mile plan does have a different safety benefit in that some officers who already live in Frederick County - for example - will now be able to respond to emergencies immediately upon crossing the county line. Currently, they may have to drive their own vehicle to a county parking lot where their police cruiser is parked. The new plan would reduce response times and the inconvenience of having to shift all of their equipment from one vehicle to another.

Finally, instead of complaining that officers will leave the county... ...why not make it more affordable to live in Montgomery County by reducing the massive, draconian tax burden? And the cost of living created by fees, parking costs, etc.?

I don't think any officer prefers to have a longer commute from out of the county. If everything was equal, they would obviously want to live here. So our elected officials need to examine our county's immoral property and income tax rates, and oversized Big Government regulations and interference in every aspect of our lives.