I read a classified help wanted ad today for a Police Chief. The starting salary was between $20,000 and $26,000, depending upon qualifications. If you look at the low end of that pay scale, that's less than $10.00 an hour. This is someone who is going to be responsible for carrying a gun, putting their life in possible danger every time they go to work, to make sure ourselves and our loved ones are safe, and the laws of the country are obeyed.
That's rediculous!
We pay athletes millions of dollars annually, and all they do is entertain us. Would they save our lives if we were in danger? We'd like to think so, but that's "not their job!"
So how do we make up the difference?
Well, for one thing, professional athletics sell paraphrenalia with the name of the team, a particular team member, and other "stuff" to help pay their salaries. Cheese head anyone? And we'd never mistake the average Joe for being the athlete whose name he (or especially she) is wearing on his or her back. But that won't work for law enforcement.
Someone wearing a t-shirt or hat that says LAPD or FBI or something like that may actually be mistaken for a law enforcement professional. And, God forbid, they also have a gun which they may or may not know how to use properly, well...you can see the ramifications here.
The most obvious solution is a tax of some sort to insure generating more money to pay for these people. But then everybody abhors the thought of another tax, even if it were as innocuous as a 1/8 cent sales tax, which has been proposed in some areas. You'd never miss that 1/8th cent, even when it multiplies (think 1 cent for every $8.00 spent.) Nope you'd rather save that money, and risk a lack of professional police help when you need it.
As for me, I'm willing to pay a couple extra cents, or even dollars, for the priceless gift of safety...Day 199!
That's rediculous!
We pay athletes millions of dollars annually, and all they do is entertain us. Would they save our lives if we were in danger? We'd like to think so, but that's "not their job!"
So how do we make up the difference?
Well, for one thing, professional athletics sell paraphrenalia with the name of the team, a particular team member, and other "stuff" to help pay their salaries. Cheese head anyone? And we'd never mistake the average Joe for being the athlete whose name he (or especially she) is wearing on his or her back. But that won't work for law enforcement.
Someone wearing a t-shirt or hat that says LAPD or FBI or something like that may actually be mistaken for a law enforcement professional. And, God forbid, they also have a gun which they may or may not know how to use properly, well...you can see the ramifications here.
The most obvious solution is a tax of some sort to insure generating more money to pay for these people. But then everybody abhors the thought of another tax, even if it were as innocuous as a 1/8 cent sales tax, which has been proposed in some areas. You'd never miss that 1/8th cent, even when it multiplies (think 1 cent for every $8.00 spent.) Nope you'd rather save that money, and risk a lack of professional police help when you need it.
As for me, I'm willing to pay a couple extra cents, or even dollars, for the priceless gift of safety...Day 199!
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