BEVERLY — Faced with cuts of 80 percent in state aid for law enforcement education incentives, Beverly and its police unions got creative.
They agreed to a three-month trial period of contract changes to ensure officers continue to receive their pay under the Quinn Bill.
"We absolutely wanted to work with whomever to try to retain that salary," said Sgt. Phil McCarthy, president of the Beverly Police Superior Officers Association.
And police say a better-educated officer is a safer, more effective officer.
As the state slashes its portion of payments for the Quinn Bill, as it's called, cities and police departments across the North Shore have renegotiated contracts, tightened budgets and tapped reserve accounts.
When my last employer had to cut expenses, one of the first to go was the educational reimbursement plan. First, payments were deferred. Next, they were stopped completely.
ReplyDeleteEducation is not a right. It's earned. Earned by your own sweat of your brow. I worked by way through college with the help of two scholarships. My daughter is now working her way through nursing school. My wife paid her own way through her doctorate.
Nothing in life if free, there's a cost that comes home eventually. It's better to pay as you go than get that lump sum bill when payment, in whatever form, comes due.
We too pay our own way, and we also pay for others, but...we can not pay for everyone.
ReplyDeleteYes, let's keep cutting education and first responders so that we can keep dishing up billions in entitlements. Genius.
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