Posted on 11/07/2013 2:36:09 PM PST by bkopto
I am a retired Detroit Police Officer and this is my story. I hope this will not happen to you.
I joined the Detroit Police Department in 1986. At that time the city had an agreement with the federal government that made Detroit Police officers ineligible for social security and Medicare. We were led to believe that this was to our benefit. We were told that we would be taken care of upon retirement with a pension and health care.
Today, this is no longer true. Because of the bankruptcy filing by the city of Detroit, the Emergency Manager has stripped me and my fellow officers of our health-care coverage and is trying to void our pension income.
I spent more than 23 years with the Detroit Police Department as a patrol officer. I patrolled the streets of Detroit. I answered calls for service. I did not have an administrative job, nor was I an executive. I have seen some really horrific scenes and fought against the worst violent acts that most people cannot even imagine.
I have uncovered babies from shallow graves, responded to domestic-violence incidents, armed robberries, and murder scenes. I have discovered heads blown off, double ax murders, and mummified bodies in abandoned buildings.
I have saved people from being killed. I have found lost children and returned missing relatives to safety when they wandered, were carjacked, or were taken away by force. And I have come into your home or the home of someone you know when help, safety, and security were needed to help the citizens of Detroit.
I have lost more friends in the line of duty than anyone should.
I have been shot at more times than you can count; and
I have been run over.
I loved my job.
In 1996, I was on my way back to the First Precinct after patrolling the streets. I proceeded through a green light near the precinct and was struck by a vehicle that ran a red light. I do not remember much about the accident because I was in a coma for six days. I had a very serious head injury. I was off work for nearly one year, then on restricted duty for two years.
I had to learn to eat and swallow again.
My head injury caused memory issues, which I have to this day.
I did not take a duty or medical retirement at the advice of my union. They told me not to worry---the retirement insurance coverage would take care of me. But that’s not true anymore.
I do not think I am special, nor do I think I am unique. I am like every other patrol officer in any other city. I worked hard. I earned everything I have. I do not want anyone to “give” me anything.
I do want what I earned --- my health-care coverage and pension.
Thank you for listening. I hope you do not experience the same treatment.
Boo- freekin-who....lotsa people lose jobs & benefits when their employer goes bankrupt. Welcome to reality,
Given the nature of our Government and the people we have elected -- I don't consider ANY of our assets to be safe. Our esteemed Bill Lockyer (professional politician - I forget what position he's holding in the State Government this year) kind of let the cat out of the bag when he said in response to the question about how the State was going to fund all these programs by saying 'Oh, there is plenty of wealth in this State'. I.e., whatever you think belongs to you -- your house, your bank account, your stocks and bonds -- the Government considers it as belonging to them. They are just loaning it to us for a little while...
Keep your treasures in Heaven, because what you have here will soon be moth eaten and riddled with rust.
He should have transferred to one of the police departments in Galveston County, TX. As most Freepers know, Galveston was one of three Texas counties that transitioned to a 401k type system 30 years ago, based on employee contributions, county matching funds and professional money management. The Galveston system is working well; workers retire with a pension twice that of social security benefits and the county isn’t going broke
I’m very sorry for him but the lesson here is an old, conservative principle; never trust the government. He did. He got screwed.
Life is hard, it’s harder if you’re foolish.
Dude, I don’t think the future is “all rainbows and unicorns”.
I think we are severely screwed. I think we’ve reached critical mass where the takers out number the producers and the takers will never vote to take less, only more. The death spiral has begun. Obama is only the result of that, not the cause.
I think its going to take a combination of things and the retirees will never get the whole amount owed.
We’ve got a bill floating around in the legislature tat would exclude veterans from paying property taxes. Maybe that could be extended to these guys with the stipulation that the legislature passes a laws that prevent this from happening again.
I also support stripping city council members and union execs of excess personal property to pay some back. Some of those people have accumulated enormous wealth.
The biggest group of Double Dippers are retired members of the U.S military. Reagan tried to limit double dipping, I don’t think he got anywhere or do military retires have to wait until 65 to start drawing military pension?
The dishonest and duplicitous DEMOCRATS are doing the job the RNC and country club pubbies will not: Converting democrat voters into conservatives!
Wait until Illinois files BK. There’s going to be 100s of thousands like this.
“ate workers pay into a deferred comp system run by the state. As such, they don’t pay social security, and are not eligible for the same.”
My wife retired from the state of California. She starts drawing SS next year.
He has no case in the event of a valid claim of bankruptcy. The courts approved the bankruptcy. He has no claim.
Our country isn’t producing enough useful things. Energy and agricultural production and revenues are good, but a large and diverse manufacturing base is also needed. But too many interests have effectively outlawed owner-built small housing and new, small manufacturing starts on private properties (planning, building and other regulations, zoning regulations in rural areas). That’s where the new ingenuity needs to come from. Old, global business, politics and academia are rotten to the core.
Our nation is morally bankrupt. Political factions are each wishing the worst for others. Thus, the defaults and many more to come.
When the money runs out, or is not worth what it once was, this is what happens. There will not be an answer that people will like. People with defined benefit pensions will lose and nobody is going to bail them out.
Simple MOVE!
Like anything involving the IRS, "it's complicated"
Some number of public employees were allowed to stay out of the SocSec and Medicare system.
http://businesspublicpolicy.com/?p=839
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10051.pdf
Oh, I will. It’s a Detroit City problem. Don’t be looking for the whole U.S taxpayer base to pay for your poor decision.
If you were a Fireman I would have more sympathy. Cops get no sympathy from me, I’ve known too many and their enormous sense of entitlement is as large as their egos.
“I know what part he voted for and so do you. “
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How on earth do you know who he voted for? I have a son who is a cop and has never voted for a Dem in 25 years of voting.Maybe this guy voted the same way.
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What bothers me is all the multi-millionaire firemen. A lot of cops don't make it to 20 years.
He should have took his pension in cash and put it in a tax shelter. Then when Detroit went belly up, he would still be doing well.
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