One reader (”Worcester Guy”) writes …
Written by admin on June 28th, 2010“Your comment feature never really was legitimate given the tendency to censor. But the gloves off approach regarding O’Brien appears like you’ve been bought off by Haller.”
- “Worcester Guy”
Rosalie responds:
Not so, Worcester Guy. I am still livid about all the SKY-HIGH salaries that our municipal workers make. My newspaper (ICTimes) has been running all the City of Worcester wage earners. You see line after line of cops, fireman, lawyers making over $140,000. Our WPS grammer school principals make $120,000! Freakin’ crazy!
In the old days, Worcester’s cops actually lived in our blue collar neighborhoods because they were paid blue collar wages! And they were great! My mom still remembers this Irish cop in Green Island (in the 1930s) who used to chat with the kids and give them airplane rides. Everyone knew him and trusted him! (and loved him) Now that was real community policing!
Working for the city or state used to mean two things: lifetime security and good benefits (heath insurance, etc). It did not mean a $120,000 paycheck! It usually meant a slightly below average paycheck. Something is so wrong with the system. O’Brien raises taxes and the money seems to go to pay for … city worker paychecks or the cops’ rising heath insurance costs or more (now that the state has opted out) freaking Quinn Bill payments to the WPD officers. Worcester now foots all of the $5 million (per year) Quinn Bill price tag. O’Brien has changed the payment system somewhat but all the folks who were getting payments will be gandfathered in and continue to get payments!
Worcester needs neighborhood swimming pools, branch libraries, etc - not cops with McMansions and summer homes, etc. Not grammar school principals making salaries of $120,000!
City Manager Mike O’Brien really needs to get ALL unions (teachers, etc) to pay 25% of heath insurance premiums. It’s the least they can do.
- Rosalie Tirella
