Monday, February 23, 2009

Gawker: City Might Want NYPD and FDNY to Curb Early Retirement

2009_02_NYPDRetired.jpg
Photo with arrows pointing to the Statue of
Liberty/coat drive ad by PirateJenny on flickr

With the grim state of the city budget a hot topic these days, questions are being raised about how long we can continue to sustain the heavy financial burden that comes from the city's pension system for municipal retirees. Last year the city paid out a total of 9% of its budget ($5.6 billion total) for its pensions and analysts project that percentage is only expected to rise. Former NYPD officer and current State Senator Martin Golden told the Post, "Everything's got to be explored...The bottom line is everything's on the table."

What Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson would specifically like on the table is the "20-and-out" retirement plan for municipal workers. Bloomberg said, "Right now, we are paying full retirement benefits to people in their 40s. As people are living longer, we simply can't afford to do it forever."

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Great Old Photo


Click the image to get a high-res version of the image, "Engine Company 15, Washington DC, 1910".
Source: Shorpy

Guest Blogger

I'm negotiating with a friend of mine to guest-blog here, add his views occasionally. 

Stay tuned.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tragic Fire, Great Photo Essay

 
Posted by Picasa
Click image for photo essay.

Don't Wanna Check Hydrants?


Click image for story.

Been checking your hydrants like you should?

Source: Newsday

Sunday, February 15, 2009

"Two Hat Rule" Strikes Again



Dave Statter covers implications of enforcement of the "Two Hat Rule" in Jamestown, New York. (Click image.)
Posted by Picasa

Here's the original article.