Has Sheila the Shoe given up any of her deputy mayors?
Any of her perks? Has her office budget been cut at all?

I would like to see the city council take a pay cut, a cut in perks, and please Lord, reduce the mayor's salary and number of cars. That goes for the state legislature and Gov. MOM as well.

Its so ironic that the Mayor is cutting back in every department but her own. She votes to give herself raises and steals from the poor. Now do you really think she's going to do anything that benefits the people of the City? She's already proven that she feels entitled and does not care. She needs to resign.

Good , BCPD and BCFD are not exempt from hardship

Absolutley, if she did not where would she get the extra for herself?

Is Mayor Dixon crazy wanting to cut police officers pay? Why not just tell them all to stay home and put out in the media that it's open season for crime in Baltimore City..it almost is anyway!
Police officers are under paid as it is, and to ask them to take a pay cut when they put their life on the line everyday would be sinful. Why not ask city counsel to take cuts and perks.

Andy how about a story on what city government costs aka the mayors office and city council.
Salary, benefits, assistants, budgets per council person etc....
How many deputy mayors are there?

Considering how unsafe and dangerous Murdermore is public safety should not be touched.

Good , everyone must share the pain , including BCFD and BCPD

It is of the highest importance that Mayor Dixon not cut the salary of the firefighters and police officers. These are the only two jobs in the city where everyday these people go to work knowing there is a chance they do not return home. In return for this they have been promised a certain salary and certain retirement benefits. This is a fair trade, and should be held onto forever.
These ladies and gentlemen of the police and firefighters are the backbone of a city, more important then everyone else, including teachers (I am one) and EVERYONE in the mayors office. The committment to them must be strong to keep the resolve of todays men and women and to ensure that future generations of positive people can be recruited to fill the new openings.
Let the budget be balanced by others who do not risk their life everyday.

either cut their budget or have them redo the police/fire pension.

I think this issue will be worked out between the city and the unions and Dixon was a tad bit premature when forcing the Board of Estimates to vote last night. I'm not sure that is so much hardball as it is dirty ball.

I can't wait until she gets out of office. First she stills from the poor. The she cuts out trash pick up. The things that is important to this city she is trying to take away. Crime has gotten worst since she been in office. Shelia Dixon has ran this city in the ground. Please hurry up and get her out of office. I am so tried of her . No she should not cut fire and police department budget. This is a busy time for the Fire Department because of the winter and all the unfornate fires that we have. How about she take a pay cut oh I forgot she is going on shopping sprees.

Everyone involved should thank their lucky stars they have a job.
This is where we are people, like it or not, facts are stubborn things.

Hey Larry G,

Next time your house catches on fire maybe it will burn down because the cuts in FD funds won't allow for enough staff to be on duty to put the flames out at your place.

Or maybe while you're walking around harborplace a mugging that should have just been a mugging just turned into a stabbing homicide because there were no police to around to chase off the thugs.

It's a shame they're not exempt, sir.

Well I can see your position, that it would be hard to come up with the money the city needs if they exempt the Police and Fire Department members, as a Police Officer of over 20 years I am not against doing my part to help, but just remember this, with all the problems in the agency and you read about them here everyday, I can tell you that there will be more officers getting in trouble and there will be many more negative stories on the police, It does not take a genius to see that there have been more negative stories on officers accused of wrongdoing, with salaries already so far behind the other jurisdictions, I mean even behind many of the counties sheriff departments that only serve summons and court papers you have to guess that the most qualified candidates certainly are not coming here, and will not come here. I don't say this as an idle threat or in any bitterness only to point out that all these actions have reactions, low pay, bad work conditions, HEAVY work load and now furloughs will not help the situation, what happens on the next cut by the state in December? furlough again? and then in July when the state has a two million dollar deficit to cut. The city is going to have to realize that revenue is not going to rebound enough to maintain the same amount of services and personnel, they are going to have to cut the amount of people on the payroll, even if that means police and fire personnel, you can't just keep lowering the already low salaries, everything should be on the table, cuts in the pension plan,in exchange for higher salaries, make all employees enter into HMO's, possibly end the pension plan for new hires and go to 401k's with some matching contributions, everything should be looked at.

cut out the drop from the police penscon and let the have just there regelar penson

Well, if the city is in such a financial bind, why are the city streets been torn up and redone? Where is that money coming from? Maybe if some of the people in public office cut their own salaries, used their own cars, paid for their own gas and stop trying to milk the good people that are giving their blood and sweat to survive, the city would be in better shape. Shiela Dixon is a joke! I guess now we'll be seeing more corruption in with the pd and slower response times when there is a fire. What does she care, she's still getting all she wants...the heck with people of this city.

Why should the police and firefighters have to take a pay cut when Dixon and the rest of the crooks running this town gave themselves a 28% pay increase.

No, she should cut her pay, the cost to the city to keep her on will pay the increase insalaries. If I was the police and firemen I would go on strike and probably within a 24 hour period we will beg for them and pay what they need to service this crime ridden city..... I know that they have too much concern for the public but sometimes you have to prove your point! Good Luck

No their salaries should not be cut. I think Shelia should give up some of her cars and start worrying about the city that people make fun of because we have so much crime. Maybe she like to risk her life in a burning bldg or maybe it will take her to be a victim of crime before she realizes how valuable the men and women are.

Maybe we can offset staffing cuts in the fire department by starting up volunteer fire companies like they have in the counties. Volunteer firefighters risk their lives in the counties on a daily basis for no compensation.

Cut-out all of the State hand-outs and free-rides to able bodied people before even thinking about cutting the wages of firemen and policemen.

Do you hear us talking Shiela Dixon? Just one time while you're in office, do something that will benefit this city. You know you're not getting in office next term so try to show that you care a little bit.

Sheila should be ashamed of herself for all the embarrassment she has caused Baltimore City. Now she wants to harm the city further by cutting the budgets and salaries of those who keep the citizens safe. No wonder people are leaving the city as fast as their legs can carry them. She is a hypocrite and a few other things. She needs to stop paying for her legal team out of taxpayer money.

Sheila Dixon is trash, plain and simple. How she got into office is beyond me, but I hope the good people of Baltimore won't reelect her. All she wants is power and money and she won't let anything stand in her way - not even the police or firefighters. What a shame. Baltimore deserves better.

Are they crazy. I barely have enough police in my area or paramedics to treat the ones who are getting shot daily. As far as police and fire pension. It's the least you can give them for being underpaid until they retire. And to HOWARD...you are one of many reasons to why this city is losing so many tax paying residence today. Shut up, get off the corner, and get a life. Or better yet, don't you ever call for police of fire departments for assistance again.......Jerk

Sure...cut the police salaries...I'm sure Mayor Dixon won't have a problem answering any questions from the media when city homicides hit 500 next year or she needs to attend the funerals of 5 or six officers who died due to lack of proper back-up. The idiots are running the asylum!

Cut the Free hand outs and leave the Police and Fire alone.

Why is getting Dixon to trial taking so long?

She needs an expeditious and fair trial to either confirm her guilt or exonerate her so that her decisions have somme credibility.

I don't see why they shouldn't also share in the pain. Maybe they could cut back on some of the petty arrests.

maybe she sould cut her body staff personal staff. like the body gaurds she has that city pays for. she way over payed for a mayor look at other county mayors pay

I'm confused. Didn't I just hear that expected revenue from slots will allow the City to cut my property taxes? I'd like to see my taxes go down as much as anyone, but shouldn't the maintenance / restoration of essential services take a higher priority than throwing a bone to property owners?

Let the thugs take over for a week or two. Let your elderly,kids and victims die due to lack of services. Let the economy go further in the toilet when the crowds come to town even less than now out of fear and statistics. Maybe then she will come up with a realistic solution to this crisis. Oh, that's right, build a soccer stadium, that will solve it all.

In a shortfall that reaches millions,it only makes sense that cuts come from across the board.They certainlt work hard,but at that largess,no department could be exempt.Mayor Dixon reliquinshing a paid for city car is not going to solve the problem.

I personally would not want to be responsible for having to fill such large budget shortfalls. Mayor Dixon is handling this challenge with grace and fairness. These are tough times that she has been placed into and she needs support not scorn from the citizens of Baltimore. We are all in this together!

How about the Citistat Team? seven members including one deputy mayor at a cost of 2.5 million dollars

Don’t believe what you read in the media as you should expect an overwhelming vote by the two fire union’s membership to reject any such settlement! Furloughs to public safety for those who support such action let us know and we can close your community fire station daily until all the furlough days are accounted for of each FD employee!

In a time when violent crimes are increasing in downtown neighborhoods and the need for police patrols on foot, bike and car is necessary to provide a presence in these neighborhoods, I think that it is pennywise and pound foolish to cut budgets of our essential services.

If the residents are not protected in their own communities and neighborhoods, the flight out of the city will continue. A loss of public services is a disincentive to stay in the city, as crime is increasing. Without the tax base, the city will lose even more money.

Some things are immutable - public safety budgets (fire and police) should not be cut.

I hope that the Mayor and the City Council gets the message before its too late.

This is what the liberal democrats of Baltimore gets for voting for her, you had a chance to get rid of her and you didn't! You wanted to show the country that you can elect a strong black woman to run your city. Do you like what you got?

I respect the job of folks who put on a uniform everyday to protect others. However, if everyone else is taking hits then what makes them immune from any cuts? Whats the difference? Is it because they swore to serve and protect citizens? For a city that racked up 300+ murders for at least a decade, and a force with the majority not even living in the city seems like a bunch o whining. The sky high property taxes we pay go to their ridiculous amounts of overtime and, in some cases doubling their own salaries. I thought law enforcement was a form of public service, just not in Baltimore. As in any profession, they should have thought about this when signing up for the job. If the police want to yap about something then do your job and clean up the mess on our streets.

Cut the pay of one of the lowest paid Police Dept's in the area? Have you seen the equipment they work with? The stations are run down, the cars are poorly maintained by DPW, and other things too many to answer. The Police Dept did not create this fiscal mess, why should they pay for it? The Police Dept and the work they have done these last 5 years is the reason many buisnesses are coming to Baltimore...for that they get a pay CUT?

As a wife of a Baltimore City Firefighter I do claim some bias, but my bias has nothing to do with salary but with the risk to salary ratio that Sheila Dixon and her supporters seem to forget....For those of you who believe that every city employee should share the brunt and concessions should be equal...let me ask you....are you willing to put your life on the line everyday for a mere $50,000/year? No one can share or understand the mental burden of our firefighters,police and their families.Our public safety officers both police & fire as well as our teachers are one of our most valuable assets and their jobs including contracted salaries should be evaluated on a different level than most....I can assure you that our fire and police officers make more than their fair share of concessions on a daily basis.... but that never is communicated to the public. I hate to break it to all of you Dixon sympathizers, but all jobs are not created equal....I think it is unfair that anyone should have to sacrafice, but to think that there is no discernable difference amongst city job values is ludicrious as well as dangerous. Does anyone remember Dixon and other members of city council who voted themselves pay raises last year when everyone else was getting nothing, then trying to hide it? Give me a break....Mayor Dixon... stop criticizing the fire and police and take care of your own house. Maybe Sheila Dixon can give out gift cards to compensate for furloughs....

if you cut the bpd/bfd then they are not the only ones who will feel the pain, the city it self will feel the pain of not as many officer to respond to calls thus longer response times, more crime going unsolved, and so on.......
I am sure there are other areas that can be looked at to cut the budget, there are usually high paid people in goverment that don't get the same pressure to cut back and aren't even looked at, i have seen that before......

How about volunteer firefighters/EMTs? Volunteers would undergo professional accredited training through MIEMMS and MFRI, and would be provided with equipment and gear by the city. Yes, professional volunteers would face great initial resistance from proud and defiant unions that have "never done things that way before", but this would definitely incur tremendous savings over time, provide a positive community service outlet for men and women, and grow community involvement. Volunteers save Baltimore County millions annually, providing nearly 50% of fire and EMS runs and enjoy a solid working relationship with career counterparts.

Just this past May Peter Hermann's blog addressed the staffing numbers at the Police Department. (http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/blog/2009/05/baltimore_cops_have_always_fel.html) Even then, the City was using fuzzy numbers to claim the BCPD was "fully staffed." His article pointed out otherwise and was corroborated by several commanders. Since then, we have learned of multiple incidents in my district when officers have literally been taken off of my streets and sent to another district when something major has happened. A big shooting on the East Side? Well, those in the SE and NE and N better watch out, because their regular patrol officers will be redeployed. And remember, with regard to the fire department, they are not only fighting fires, they are also our primary source of paramedics. Proposing more cuts to personnel and hours is so preposterous, so dangerous, it's ludicrous, and I don't even have the words anymore to describe the stupidity and narrow-mindedness of Baltimore's leaders. Where is our City Council, btw? The reason our mayor has been able to run amok with bad decision-making is because the Council is not providing the needed checks-and-balances. The personnel reductions should start at the TOP of City Government, not the BOTTOM.

To Everett, When you can testify that you put on the uniform and went out in most likely the most violent city per capita in the entire nation, spend 8 hours geting yelled at, spit on and hurt, then you can put your 1.5 cents in this argument. You have no idea what a police officer has to contend with everyday of a 6 day work weekwith a lousy 2 days off inbetween. Yes we signed on to do a job of protecting but not at the risks that go on out in the streets. So, my dear friend stop your "Whinning" when you talk about the police and the firefighters for that matter

Sheila is not hurting anyone but the citizens of Baltimore. if she wanted cooperation from the fire department and the police department, she should have cut her own salary as an example. But she almost makes me ashame to be a black woman with what she has done to Baltimore city with her lies and deceit. I can not wait for trial to begin and they get her out of office and save baltimore. Who does she think is going to rush to a crime scene or fire with their pay cut and frozen while she steal enjoys the perks of being a crooked mayor.

Is she still paying $80,000 a Year to have someone open doors for her?

To CB volly firefighters would not work in the city. Baltimore city has some of the busyist fire units in the country there is no way that you are gonna get a volly to ride on a medic that takes 8000+ runs a year or work in a fire station that still has lead paint peeling of the walls and aspestos.

Cut firefighter and police pay?? I have a much better idea--cut the Fat Cats' salaries. Stop worshipping the CEOs and the corrupt politicians and cut their pay. Make them take a furlough--go to work but don't get paid. The rest of us are becoming slaves because of the Fat Cats. Maybe Ms. Dixon should learn to drive her own car.

As a state worker, I am scheduled to have about 12 furlough days total (from 2009-10). That's more that a paycheck. Im more that sure the fire and police can handle 5. We all have to work together to get out of this mess. no one is exempt

Salaries for city police officers and fire fighters absolutely should NOT be cut. First, the men and women work INCREDIBLY hard at their respective academies for just a chance to serve their city. They are then hired on full-time, just to be met with faulty equipment, political pissing contests, little time off, constantly shifting schedules and low pay. To require them to take furlough days or to make any other cuts to their take-home pay is a slap in the face to every officer and fire fighter who risks his/her life everytime they report to work. Sure, they chose to go into that line of work knowing the risks, but they didn't choose to do it for free. Mayor Dixon and her crew should be ashamed of themselves if they do anything to affect the salaries of these particular public servants.

I am a City Police officer and Mayor Dixon has made this City a Hot Mess. I do not have a problem taking a few furlough days but that is where it stops. Cutting my pay. We are underpaid as it is compaired to every other law agency in Maryland. Putting on a uniform everyday and running into gun fights with thugs and dealing with spitting prisoners with every type of known communnicable disease is putting my life on the line everyday. I do believe that fire and police are not exempt, but dont cut from an agency that has horrible cars, radio batteries that always die, districts that have no heat and are run down with rats and short staffed. I suppose while us safety personnel are on our furlough days, people who comment that the police and fire are not needed can just call a crack addict for assistance when you or your loved one is in danger and if you come home from work and someone is in your house doing a burglary, just wait for them to finish stealing your things and take one for the city..Oh yeah and if your house catches on fire, grab your hose and do the work yourself. I am SURE it is easier than it looks..What a bunch of jackasses....

Mayor, is trying to avoid a massive lay-off in the city gov. Police and Firer fighter are selfish employees. Condition of the city has became out of control, not because of the mayor. "Spending" has became out of control. Lets start with the police dept not putting there money where its needed and all the payed leave that is given to them. City worker, do not get half as much leave as the Police dept gets and they share the same abuse as Police officers from the public 365 days out of the year. Stop ego tripping Police Dept.

Fire Dept, can not put out a firer without the city employees water department. We all are helping each other in some way. Police Dept & Fire Dept need towork with the budget the Mayor has offer and stop your ego tripping and deal with the truth, and not what you want to feed the public.

Mayor, Dixon stay strong and hold fast to what is right.

SELFISH???? Realy lets see Baltimore City Police and Baltimore City Fire are the LOWEST paid agencys of there kind in the STATE. We are so Selfish that we work in buildings that have LEAD PAINT peeling from the walls we have ASPESTOS in the stations. Some stations you can not even drink the water because there is feces in it. Some Stations the AC works in the winter and the Heat in the summer. Police cars and medics are so badly mantained its shamefull....I can countinue to list the horrible conditions that police and fire work under in this city.....but then again the police and firefighters in this city are so selfish

Hey Cupcake...you must live in the county. Without the police force you have now, working the hours they do now and without further reinforcement, you'll be able to turn on the tap and draw blood instead of water. The thugs would be in charge before you hit the beltway on the way home. Baltimore City as it stands today thrives on crack and heroin and the crime that finances it. There is a younger generation that would sooner put an ounce of lead between your eyes than say good morning to you. You think I'm wrong? Cut the police force and come back and see me in a week. There will be blood on your street next. The problem is THAT serious.
Oh by the way, Her Honor should be in Federal custody by the time the next union contract comes up so I wouldn't waste a lot of campaign funds on her.

"Fire Dept, can not put out a firer without the city employees water department."

Cupcake you are a moron you think all the fire dept dose is put fires out......whatever keep suppourting you Currupt Maddam Mayor.....hopefuly NOV 9th the city will be free