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Re: Effects of Massachusetts' civilian flagging legislation still in question

I didn't realize that cities and towns regulating who controls traffic on their streets is a "loophole".
 
Re: Effects of Massachusetts' civilian flagging legislation still in question

It's great that any poject that is using flagmen is hiring people from out of state. Good job Deval.
 
Police protest civilian flaggers on Rte. 85 in Hudson
Off-duty police officers protest the use of civilian flaggers at a road project on Rte. 85 in Hudson Friday.
HUDSON -
More than 20 off-duty police officers from Hudson and Marlborough spent the bulk of the day yesterday protesting the state's use of civilian flaggers on the Rte. 85 widening and reconstruction project that started this week.
"Is $2.45 worth a life?" read one of many signs hoisted by boisterous officers who believe the state is irresponsibly cutting corners and putting lives at risk.
"We're here to inform the public of an unsafe condition," Jack Donovan, president of the Hudson patrolmen's union, said yesterday morning at the start of construction in front of Rite Aid. "Their main thing is saving money over safety."
The long-awaited, $8.5-million project is expected to take two construction seasons, and involves widening and resurfacing the road to aid traffic flow as well as construction of a rotary at Broad and Washington streets.
The project is in the hands of the state Department of Transportation, which opted to use civilian flaggers for much of the work.
 
"We assumed by being one of the only businesses in Massachusetts on the forefront of an industry with zero competition, it was the ideal business but it didn't pan out," said a disappointed Elgart.

yeah, boo-hoo you scumbag !

translation - i wanted to take money from working cops and their families, hire ex-cons and put that money in my own pocket
 
"Is $2.45 worth a life?" read one of many signs hoisted by boisterous officers who believe the state is irresponsibly cutting corners and putting lives at risk.
Most people don't care. They don't like seeing the police out on the roadways making money. Simple as that.​
We're never going to win this argument on a pubic safety basis. I know it's real and you know it's real, but if you want to win the debate, throw back their own argument: Cut the detail rate and undercut the flaggers. I can't imagine guys who frequently work road jobs would rather never work another one again rather than take a $3-5/hr pay cut.

If this debate is truly about money, play the game. Make the contractors the bad guys for bilking the taxpayers.
 
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In theory undercutting the flaggers should work, but this is Massachusetts. If you told the sheep that the officers would work the details for the original unrealistically low hourly rates that deval and the media were saying the flaggers would cost people will still bitch and moan. I can't remember weren't the rates supposed to be somewhere between $9-17/hr? There is absolutely zero understanding why cops "just don't go out and get a second job like everyone else." You all know why and I know why, but the idiots in this state have no clue.
 
I love how the unions that have no problem assaulting people who cross their pickets have no problem crossing ours. The last strike I worked some of the company supervisors had to relocate their families becuase of death threats. I can't wait till I work another strike detail. I will not be cutting them any slack. If I tell them to move and they don't the cuffs are coming out.
 
I just read the comments. I have not been very productive as of late but i think that is about to change. The public hates us so, I guess I should hate them back. I think I will stop my policy of verbal warnings for expired licenses that I started when the registry stopped notifying people. My new policy will be shall arrest for 90/10.
 
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