Truly Honored
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John Nance Garner, who served as vice president under FDR from 1933-1941, once remarked that the office, “wasn’t worth a bucket of warm spit.”
Obviously, he wasn’t aware of the office of vice president of the Boston Police Detective’s Benevolent Society. I am truly honored and humbled to have been nominated and affirmed to fill this position. It is an awesome responsibility, and one that I do not take lightly. These are perilous times for public safety unions. We are being attacked by the public, the media and all too often, our own department. At the first sign of financial problems, these very same people attempt to remedy the problem on the backs of the working classmembers of our union.We cannot, and will not allow this to continue.
At a recent budget hearing at city hall, it was acknowledge by Mayor Menino and Chief Financial Officer, Lisa Signori that a disproportionate amount of city property is tax exempt, i.e., hospitals, colleges, etc. This might have been fine in the good old days, but not today. Cities, such at Boston, provide enormous services not only to citizens, but also, to those thousands of people who commute to the city each day
One of those services is the exemplary performed by the men and women who make up the BPDBS. This is a cost, which cannot be averted. Clearly other revenue sources must be found other than the “concessions,” from city unions!
Be assured that the leadership of this union is here for you! As vice president, I have already filed several grievances and unfair labor practices on your behalf. I intend to periodically
visit each district and specialized unit. This is so that I can see firsthand your working conditions, and to make myself readily available to hear your concerns.
I can’t guarantee that I can fix every issue, but your complaints and concerns will always be listened to.
