Anyone who follows Protect San Jose knows Ed Rast is good with numbers, especially when it comes to public safety. In his regular Tuesday column, he's examined staffing imbalances between local agencies, wasteful spending at City Hall, and methods for modernizing the San Jose Police Department to save money and ensure the safety of our streets and neighborhoods.
Now, Ed wants to open up a dialogue with you, the reader. This is your chance to ask him all those questions that have been nagging at you...
What's the most wasteful spending project in San Jose?
What are the factors that determine "America's Safest Big City"?
Where do all these taxes and fees end up?
These are just a few examples. We encourage to post your own questions in the comments below.
Stay safe.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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Ed,
ReplyDeleteThere has been a lot of commentary by folks on another blog that shall go nameless, about Police retirement benefits. There seems to be this misconception that Police and Fire are overpaid, and are robbing taxpayers blind. They cite that Police and Fire retire at 95-100% of their salary, have excellent health care benefits, and are solely responsible for the budget crisis our City is facing. Could you please address this issue with FACTS and FIGURES? The misinformation being spread by the Metro, Merc, and a certain very anti-Police blog is off the charts. Thank you!
How much money is De Bug, the NAACP, and the ACLU costing taxpayers for public information requests that we regular citizens have to pay for? Raj says he uses a fee wavier because he runs a non-profit. As a taxpayer I want to know how much we are paying out to help him and groups like his to unfairly attack the Police.
ReplyDeleteHow many employees get relocated or cut from the Crime Prevention Unit, and much money does the Crime Prevention Unit get cut from its budget every year? The City Manager lied about the Mounted Unit so I want the truth.
How much money does the City pay outside consultants each year?
How much money has been poured into downtown, and the Mexican Heritage Center and Gardens for their failed business ventures?
How many loans and how many millions of dollars owed to the City has been forgiven?
Ed,
ReplyDeleteIf San Jose has a small police force compared to other cities, does that mean the police department budget is also relatively smaller?
If yes, then what part (or parts) of the city budget is (or are) greater than other cities relatively speaking?
If no, does that mean we pay each officer relatively more or spend more on high tech things to compensate for fewer bodies?
Ed, please verify and publish how much the San Jose Police Department and the City of San Jose spends on it's San Jose Mercury subscriptions. I know the City and the Department receive several copies of the paper seven days a week. If the City or the Department spends even one penny towards the Mercury News, they've spent too much. If they're paying, let us know how to make it stop. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteEd,
ReplyDeleteI've read that SJPD doesn't have enough people for the job it has to do. Are the current hiring plans just to fill attrition, or are they expanding their staff? What are the medium and long term staffing plans?
BlackHandJack,
ReplyDeleteActually it is cheaper for the City to subscribe to the Mercury than to buy the toilet paper it is used for.
ED,
ReplyDeleteWhere does S.J.P.D. officers salary rank in the county, and what other departments pay the officers retirement 100%? Thanks.
Ed,
ReplyDeleteA few years back when the stock market was doing great the city lowered there retirment contribution, but raised the officers. I was told the city is liable for the payments to the retired offices. If so why is the city cying for the officers to pay more when they lowered thier share?