The LuLac Edition #1198, June 2nd, 2010
PHOTO INDEX: "WRITE ON WEDNESDAY" LOGO.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Jim McCarthy had a letter to the editor this past Monday in the Citizen's Voice regarding "On Call" money for County Managers. Here's what he had to say:
On call pay for human services is a misdirected county expense.
Published: May 31, 2010
Editor:
Now, let me get this straight in my mind. Luzerne County (read you and me) paid "management supervisors" in human service agencies "additional compensation" to be "on call" for "possible" work during weekends and off-hours. Eleven of them. At a weekly "on call" rate of $575. Now, get this, that's per week just to sit around and wait until something "might" (or might not) happen. And, according to the new county controller, Walter Griffith, there were 175 Luzerne County employee's who received a total of $260,000 last year for sitting around waiting for something to happen. Or not. And the county's solicitor says he's worried that the county may not have managers "available" for "emergency situations." For the amount of money they are paid on a regular basis, Mr. Solicitor, they damned well better be "available." Now, Mr. Solicitor, let me tell you something about being "available/on call" for "emergency situations." I don't want to get personal, but I have to show how ridiculous this is. My son Harry is a firefighter. He is "available/on call" 24 hours a day, seven days a week for "emergency situations." And he gets no extra "on call" money, and every time he goes out on a fire or ambulance call, "something" "might happen," he might even die saving someone else's life. He might get some overtime or extra pay, but I can assure you it's not an automatic $575 a week. My youngest son, Tim, was a police officer for ten years until illness sidelined him, Tim was "on duty" 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No extra pay, no extra benefits, no extra anything. Just his weekly pay. If a robbery took place, or an accident happened, or a child was missing, he maybe got "overtime" at his regular hourly pay. No extra's, no "stand by" pay, or any other kind of special income. And that goes for every firefighter, police officer, ambulance driver ... they get a salary, and maybe some overtime, and they might die saving us.
Jim McCarthy
Published: May 31, 2010
Editor:
Now, let me get this straight in my mind. Luzerne County (read you and me) paid "management supervisors" in human service agencies "additional compensation" to be "on call" for "possible" work during weekends and off-hours. Eleven of them. At a weekly "on call" rate of $575. Now, get this, that's per week just to sit around and wait until something "might" (or might not) happen. And, according to the new county controller, Walter Griffith, there were 175 Luzerne County employee's who received a total of $260,000 last year for sitting around waiting for something to happen. Or not. And the county's solicitor says he's worried that the county may not have managers "available" for "emergency situations." For the amount of money they are paid on a regular basis, Mr. Solicitor, they damned well better be "available." Now, Mr. Solicitor, let me tell you something about being "available/on call" for "emergency situations." I don't want to get personal, but I have to show how ridiculous this is. My son Harry is a firefighter. He is "available/on call" 24 hours a day, seven days a week for "emergency situations." And he gets no extra "on call" money, and every time he goes out on a fire or ambulance call, "something" "might happen," he might even die saving someone else's life. He might get some overtime or extra pay, but I can assure you it's not an automatic $575 a week. My youngest son, Tim, was a police officer for ten years until illness sidelined him, Tim was "on duty" 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No extra pay, no extra benefits, no extra anything. Just his weekly pay. If a robbery took place, or an accident happened, or a child was missing, he maybe got "overtime" at his regular hourly pay. No extra's, no "stand by" pay, or any other kind of special income. And that goes for every firefighter, police officer, ambulance driver ... they get a salary, and maybe some overtime, and they might die saving us.
Jim McCarthy
posted by David Yonki @ 12:14 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy ..... if you want to work on a farm, you need to not compare apples to oranges. Your son is on call as are dozens of others. If they show up for a call that's good but if they don't, it is not a problem. On call supervisors are required to be available if something happens that requires their expertise. There are not dozens on call, there is one supervisor on call at a time. Apparently, you shot from the lip before looking into the facts. That having been said, the amount of compensation is typical of judges who live like kings earning a salary that is 6, 7 8 times the norm. They have lost track of reality so they think hat $575 is a pittance. On Call pay should not be more than $200 for the week and that's a lot. One of these top county court managers should advise the public as to what is done to earn that kind of on call pay. What is it that these supervisor actually do and how many calls do they receive? There must be a record so tell us what they do for that kind of money. Gentleman Jim may not be hitting the nail on the head but he sure did bring the nail to everyone's attention. Thanks Big Jim. Signed City Voter who Appreciates Jim
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