Message from the Executive Director
by Thomas W. Bahr
Comments and letters can be sent to Executive Director Tom Bahr at WPPA, 340 Coyier Lane, Madison, WI 53713, or e-mail bahr@wppa.com.
Well, its been an interesting summer, and by all appearances it will be an even more interesting fall. We have seen at least two things occur that are without precedent in the 75 years the WPPA has been representing the interests of its members. In the last four months, we have had officers in six different locals involved in situations that required them to use deadly force. In all cases, the responding officers were placed in situations where they were required to make split-second decisions that they knew would have profound effects for everyone involved.
The old saying is that “We Act as We Train.” All of the officers relied on their training and resolved the situations in a manner that protected themselves, their fellow officers, and the citizens they serve. As evidenced by these unfortunate events, people ought to be comfortable in the knowledge that when bad people attempt to do bad things to others, the men and women of their police and sheriff’s departments stand ready to effectively and decisively provide protection to those they serve.
The State Budget continues to be discussed, argued, and debated, and there seems to be no end in sight. This leaves the State of Wisconsin with the distinction of being the only state in the Union without a current budget. How does this affect us? With no conclusion to the budget and its associated components, like shared revenue, employers all over the state are left to wonder how they can even begin discussions with their employees regarding wages and benefits for the coming year. Try figuring out how you are going to pay your bills without knowing where the money is coming from. That is what we are left with when discussing what the next bargaining agreement will look like.
With the advent of the WPPA’s Political Action Committee, we have taken a more aggressive role in getting our members’ points of view to the legislators and the public. Another first for the WPPA was the recent airing of a television advertisement during the Packers’ first pre-season game. If you did not happen to see it, it is posted on our website at www.wppa.com. And, while you are there, please take the time to read the articles and see how the budget changes proposed by the GOP would likely affect your ability to maintain the wages and benefits you currently receive. You will be quite surprised at how some portions of the budget and bills they would like adopted would affect many of the things we have come to take for granted, such as retirement contributions and health insurance.
If ever there was a time to not sit back and simply watch the political processes grind on, this is the time. Your livelihood, and that of your fellow workers, is at stake. If you have not made your thoughts known to your legislators, please take the time to let them hear from you. They have heard from the WPPA about these issues, but you also need to make sure that they hear from the people who will be voting in the next election.
If you are unsure how to go about contacting your legislators, please contact the WPPA’s Director of Governmental Affairs, Jim Palmer, at our Madison office. Together, we can make sure that our legislators have a full and complete understanding of the serious effects some of their proposed changes will have on the very people they claim to support.
