Annapolis Capital Punishment

The following was sent in as a comment from C James Lowthers, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400, which represents (?) our dedicated police officers. My comments follow:

Same old silliness from Paul Foer. He has no idea of the leadership and stewards and what we do. We are supported by the police officers. People who launch personal attacks have no real thoughts about anything. He attacks salaries of union leaders and uses phrases such as "protection money". I have been working in the labor movement for 35 years. We have represented the police officers of Annapolis for 25 years and we also represent 35,000 other members in various industries. During that time, the officers have received respectable wages and better pensions and retiree health benefits while the department has become more trained, better equipped and better able to fight crime and protect the citizens they serve. The partnership between UFCW Local 400, representing the officers, and the City works for everyone.

Your blog makes very little sense. You still don't know what you are talking about. I don't mind people disagreeing with us if they have intelligent arguments. You clearly don't and that is why you have resorted to anti-worker and anti-union attacks.

Sincerely,
C. James Lowthers
President, UFCW Local 400
__________________________________________reply from CP

Dear Mr. C. James Lowthers:

"Same old silliness" from me-eh? If I am uneducated or ill informed, please educate and inform me. This is what I have been asking for since this debate began. You took our officer's dues and hired your own consultant to do a study to produce results you wanted using outdated and irrelevant financial information. You took one quote from that study and pulled it out in an expensive, full-page ad in The Capital to scare residents with the idea that proposed contract negotiations were unnecessary, going to decrease public safety, and were targeted at police and firefighters.
The study was never made public. No city officials ever saw it. Not further information about the study was provided. I called your office to ask for information. You never returned my call. A reader located its author, who I called, but she did not send me the study either. She did admit the information she had was not current. She also vehemently disagreed with my contention that our city is in a severe financial crisis. She also disagreed with my contention that governments at all levels all across the country are facing similarly severe--or worse crises.

She repeatedly questioned why I believed government and not the union or her study. I repeatedly answered her that it's because I had yet to see her study while I had seen the government's information--repeatedly and for years--and I reminded her that I called you and you never returned my call.

So you continue to attack me personally, question my qualifications to write a newspaper column, say my blog makes little sense and call me anti-union and anti-worker. Okay. Are we done with your name calling now?

Mr. C James Lowthers, you are the one who is saying there is no budget crisis in Annapolis. I say you should prove it. Show us the facts. Show us your study. Show how police and firefighters whose jobs are secure, are being either targeted, or otherwise treated unfairly. They are being asked to make concessions and to negotiate in a time of a severe budget crisis but their jobs are secure while others have been laid off. By you officially denying such a crisis, and then attacking me, and then refusing to show us your facts supporting your assertion, you are merely building a case against the interests of your members.

The big question is are you merely protecting your job (which is presumably well-paid--how much do you earn by the way?) or are you trying to protect the interests of our public safety servants?  And finally, you even said above that:

"...the officers have received respectable wages and better pensions and retiree health benefits while the department has become more trained, better equipped and better able to fight crime and protect the citizens they serve. The partnership between UFCW Local 400, representing the officers, and the City works for everyone.

I agree one hundred percent on both issues. One, we have treated our officers fairly and generously and they have done a good job. Thanks for acknowledging that. Yes, the partnership works for everyone. So in fat times we were generous. Now in lean times, we can't be so generous. So if there is indeed a partnership, why don't you start acting like a partner and tighten your belt when everyone else is doing the same ? And while you are at it, how about ending this business of asserting that there is no budget crisis, attacking me for being "anti-union and anti-worker" and give us some facts, some data, some real numbers. That's what we're waiting for from you and from your consultant who has earned a living from writing studies for public sector unions.

I am not anti-union or anti-worker. I am anti phony union leadership. So instead of spending your member's money on consultants and ads that are continuing to backfire, put their money where your mouth is and tell us the truth. Show us your study. Tell us why there is no budget crisis.

Sincerely

Paul M Foer


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