Go back and re-read your entry and then all the reply entries. Every point I made was a direct reply to what either you wrote or what another poster wrote.

Should I start using numerical bullets to help you keep track?

Now think about where these firefighters are going to go if they move out of the City: Dunlap, West Peoria, Princeville, Washington, Morton, Sunnyland, Metamora, etc. NONE of these town even have a paid fire department….so how much do they really believe in the necessity of the protection they provide if they are willing to reside in a community that has only volunteer fire departments?

Seems to me they are trying to have it both ways.

First, I have lives next door to and across the street from members of the Peoria Police Department. I assume you that police are wonderful neighbors to have, because problems like the the neighborhood bully and the neighborhood littebug seem to go away rather quckly. This is despote any prohibition against cops getting oinvolved in these little issues. And don’t think for a moment that the neighborhood crackhead/sneak theif doesn’t know where the cops live.

And are you suggestign that when city employees pay taxes, they have an expectation that their tax money won’t go to the costs the city incurs in collective barganing?

And I am one of the very few pro-labor libertarians you will ever meet,

I would prefer to do away with arbitration and mediation and all other nonsense and let the firefighters and police officers strike if they want. As long as the city has the right to permanently replace them (thereby approximating the situation that exists in the private sector). The current system tends to play out in FAVOR of the union employees. Based on a fair-market assessment, Peoria’s firefighters have excellent salaries and pensions. And they keep going up.

So many of your facts in your posting are flat out wrong.

For example, until just a few years ago, in Illinois cops were not even allowed to bargain on the issue of city residency requirments. The city didn’t just “make” them meet these standards. They did enact them many years ago but not recently.

As for “outstanding issues” taken to arbitrators, both sides are bound by the SAME guidlines and to me (being involved in labor issues) it is clear that items go to arbitrators for a variety of reasons – the major two being an impasse and one side obviously isn’t bargaining in good faith. Also, you seem to be wanting to punish a group of people for getting good at labor negotiations. Something that seems to fly in the face of your so called “libertarianism” and “self-reliance” blatherings.

Next, any other unionized city employee group can bargain for city residency changes and have actually been able to do so longer than police or firefighters.

Also, look at the BS happening to the firefighters – not only are they paying for their own representation, but they and other city employees are paying their tax money to help the city to screw city employees, so you have groups of people being taxed twice.

Lastly, let’s get over a big myth that you keep spreading – I have local cops who are friends and I have been told time and time again that city cops are PROHIBITED by city rules and regulations from getting involved in the majority of actions while off duty. I have been told by cops that they are supposed to act as “witnesses” and they should only get involved in issues that would involve the threat of life or great bodily harm. So get off this kick that a neighbor who happens to be a cop is going to step in because some teen in the neighborhood is bouncing rocks off the roof of your trailer.

And to clear something else up about “residencey requirements” these things actually started to reward political loyalists with jobs. Their start had nothing to do with providing emergency service, but to make sure people kept voting for the politicians in office.

And it is insulting to insinuate someone doesn’t give a crap about their work habits just because of where they live. Besides, would you really want that type of an employee? And for this matter, what is the difference between someone living out at Trails Edge and Bartonville if they work in the south end? For the person who makes this claim, it is like saying a cop or firefighter won’t care about a part of town unless he or she lives there. Sheesh….

Get real.

Do you really think that people who choose to do these jobs base the decision on how well they will perform based on their own personal stake in the city they work for? Or do they choose to do the job because they like it and they want to help people, no matter where they are? I hope it is the latter.