A recent Daily Press article discovered that 28 members of the Santa Monica Police Department are earning over $200,000 a year, while just 27 from the Los Angeles Police Department made that much.
So, this week Q-Line asks:
Do you think that SMPD's pay is fair and why?
Here are your responses:
"Unfortunately for everyone, these outsized salaries and benefits for city workers will lead to the bankruptcy of the city and renegotiations of all debts including earned but unpaid pensions. A new City Council needs to be elected and it needs to be more responsive to the citizens and the long-term health of the city. The citizens of this city are asked to pay for these overpaid and under worked city employees by paying far too high of sales taxes as well as outrageous parking tickets. I am soon moving away from this state and city which are just one step away from being a financial basket case and joining the walking dead!"
"No, we are not paying the police too much. How many people go to work everyday where their lives are on the line. I do not think comparing Santa Monica to Pasadena is a realistic comparison. Comparisons to several boroughs in NYC or areas of L.A. are more reasonable."
"The sheer number of housing and mixed-use developments predict an increase in urban madness. Additionally, the mix which runs the gamut of the very wealthy to street folks living out of grocery carts makes policing all the more challenging."
"We have big city crime even if we want to call ourselves a beach town. How many shootings have occurred in the last six months? How much meth is being cooked on a daily basis? How many petty thefts, bank robberies, domestic violence, hate crimes? How many guns are out there?"
"The recent information published by the Daily Press regarding the overpaying of police and other officials is a detestable alarm that imitates the city of Bell. These cops need to be told that when they are required to attend court and wait around all day for their testimony or to sit around at public street gatherings, it should be at a state minimum wage of non-involvement productive value instead of their regular salary rate. If they dislike this then let them quit their job. No cop is worth anymore than the median wage real estate salesperson or managers of any business regardless of how much overtime they are required to serve. Regardless of how much time they are involved, they are not entitled to anymore than any other middle class employee regardless if they have a college degree or not and that includes the city manager and chief of police and the attorneys and others employed as paper pushers for the city. The City Council needs to stop this assault upon the taxpayers and discontinue this immoral, disgusting paying out of taxpayer money to these servants of the people. Case closed!"
"It's absolutely fair if you're a member of the Santa Monica Police Officers Association or a member of the perpetual [Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights] majority of the City Council. It's a perfect relationship, the association endorses the SMRR candidates at election time and the SMRR majority ensures the police will receive some of the highest salaries and benefits in the entire nation. Santa Monica's level of corruption is more of a political nature, not nearly as blatant as the city of Bell was for cash."
"The police are the real criminals in this city. Their pay is completely out of line with the real world and I can only imagine what backroom deals were done to get to this level. Raise retirement age to 65 (they can work desk jobs), cut wages and benefits by 50 percent and make them responsible to the citizens who employ them."
"This is Santa Monica, just think of what it would cost them to make a down payment on a house. We need to keep this city safe."
"Yes, the Santa Monica Police Department does earn too much money. You can tell by comparing it to other cities; same size or larger. They also have comparatively cushy jobs compared to other cities. Lately, they are out in force out on the street; very visible since this article came out. But, they are usually in three or fours standing together. And not one has yet given a ticket to the bicycle riders who almost kill me on the sidewalk on a weekly basis."
"All our first responders are to be commended for their fine work. However, the look, the feel, the fabric of our life is being destroyed by the high salaries and the pension the city is doling out to its employees. The answer: More development, more revenue, creating clogged arteries of the likes which the city has never seen. The city manager and mayor have got to go along with their visionary plans for our city. My advice to all residents is to buy a canoe and watch as our city sinks under water."
