Comments on: Florida PD Action on Huge Caseloads http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/ Latest news involving the Cook County Public Defenders Association AFSCME LOCAL 3315 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:22:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: Michelle Thomas http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3676 Michelle Thomas Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:06:18 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3676 Why does it suddenly feel like I'm trying to explain something to a client? Steven, Please feel free to ignore my posts.... Just consider them as the big white elephant in the room that really isn't there. Why does it suddenly feel like I’m trying to explain something to a client?

Steven,

Please feel free to ignore my posts….
Just consider them as the big white elephant in the room that really isn’t there.

]]> By: stephen http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3668 stephen Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:41:04 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3668 Michelle: Poor house? Bottom falling out? Rocket science? Kindergarten 101? With all "due respect," you seem a little hysterical. The difference between you and me is that I will be willing to stand in a soup line if it means getting justice for the union or our clients. Courage and strength equals justice. Stocking up a few cans of soup and grilling out is not going to get anyone through a long strike. Members will have to do much more radical things to make it through a long strike. Michelle:

Poor house? Bottom falling out? Rocket science? Kindergarten 101?

With all “due respect,” you seem a little hysterical.

The difference between you and me is that I will be willing to stand in a soup line if it means getting justice for the union or our clients. Courage and strength equals justice.

Stocking up a few cans of soup and grilling out is not going to get anyone through a long strike. Members will have to do much more radical things to make it through a long strike.

]]> By: Michelle Thomas http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3664 Michelle Thomas Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:38:29 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3664 Steven, With all due respect, I don't think it's any top secret that HUGE numbers of the entire country are living paycheck to paycheck. PD's are NO exception to that rule. To incinuate that I've somehow given the county folks some sort of "insider information" is just rediculous! If you plan on sitting on your hands and waiting until the bottom falls out, more power to ya, but I don't plan on doing that. That's what has gotten so many folks in trouble as it is. Rather than being PRO-active and taking affirmative steps to minimize situations that they are highly likely to have to confront, they sit back and are forced into a RE-active posture. My message is pretty simple....do what you can do now, while it won't put you in the poor house to prepare for the upcoming battle. That's not rocket science, it's kindergarden 101..... ok....off my soap box!! Steven,

With all due respect, I don’t think it’s any top secret that HUGE numbers of the entire country are living paycheck to paycheck. PD’s are NO exception to that rule. To incinuate that I’ve somehow given the county folks some sort of “insider information” is just rediculous!

If you plan on sitting on your hands and waiting until the bottom falls out, more power to ya, but I don’t plan on doing that. That’s what has gotten so many folks in trouble as it is. Rather than being PRO-active and taking affirmative steps to minimize situations that they are highly likely to have to confront, they sit back and are forced into a RE-active posture.

My message is pretty simple….do what you can do now, while it won’t put you in the poor house to prepare for the upcoming battle. That’s not rocket science, it’s kindergarden 101…..

ok….off my soap box!!

]]> By: stephen http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3661 stephen Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:34:13 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3661 Michelle Thomas wrote: <<<<<<<<I>>>>>>>>>>>>> ---------------------------- I hope people know that the county probably reads this blog. I don't think we want to advertise that many PDs live paycheck to paycheck. Instead, we should be highlighting our resolve EVEN IF it means standing in the soup line, moving in together, sharing resources, deferring student loans, living off a strike fund etc..... Michelle Thomas wrote: <<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>
—————————-

I hope people know that the county probably reads this blog. I don’t think we want to advertise that many PDs live paycheck to paycheck. Instead, we should be highlighting our resolve EVEN IF it means standing in the soup line, moving in together, sharing resources, deferring student loans, living off a strike fund etc…..

]]> By: mo http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3653 mo Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:03:24 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3653 COLA's were eliminated my second year in Miami. 0%. Still is that way I think... COLA’s were eliminated my second year in Miami. 0%. Still is that way I think…

]]> By: Bruce Mosbacher, Executive at Large http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3649 Bruce Mosbacher, Executive at Large Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:41:35 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3649 Thank you Michelle! Bruce Thank you Michelle!

Bruce

]]> By: Michelle Thomas http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3646 Michelle Thomas Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:32:17 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3646 I agree with you Steven if folks are prepared to strike. If not, they could find themselves in the soup line. I know plenty of PD's who are living pay check to paycheck as it is and a strike would be devastating to them....especially the ones who are now commuting long distances to work and can't even carpool cause nobody lives close enough to them. I just sent an email blast to other PD's that I know in other jurisdictions to see what some of them are getting. If I get a sufficient response, I'll post. I agree with you Steven if folks are prepared to strike. If not, they could find themselves in the soup line. I know plenty of PD’s who are living pay check to paycheck as it is and a strike would be devastating to them….especially the ones who are now commuting long distances to work and can’t even carpool cause nobody lives close enough to them.

I just sent an email blast to other PD’s that I know in other jurisdictions to see what some of them are getting. If I get a sufficient response, I’ll post.

]]> By: Stephen http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3645 Stephen Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:21:26 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3645 It is going to come down to striking vs. taking smaller COLAs than the last contract. I don't think it will come down to standing in a soup line. It will be a tough fight. What are PDs in other jurisdictions getting for COLAs? It is going to come down to striking vs. taking smaller COLAs than the last contract. I don’t think it will come down to standing in a soup line.

It will be a tough fight. What are PDs in other jurisdictions getting for COLAs?

]]> By: Michelle Thomas http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3639 Michelle Thomas Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:01:07 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3639 The picture is truly depressing. It's happening all over the country. Florida, Minnesota, Kentucky, New York, Georgia,....just to name a few! So for people who do what we do...the times are bad everywhere and picking up and moving jurisdictions doesn't solve the problem or insulate one from layoffs. Staying put, getting organized & INVOLVED in your local union as well as local politics seems to be one of the best ways to fight for our clients, most of whom are locked up and cannot speak for themselves. One of the reasons that I keep sending my PD friends email updates on the national issue is so that they can't start to PLAN NOW for what may happen down the road. We are about to go into another round of contract negotiations and it's not likely to be pretty. I've already started my own layoff/strike fund and initiated other cost savings measures like biking to work, walking to work, doing one stop shopping at places like Costco, grilling outside 2 times a week for the entire weeks worth of dinners as opposed to eating out all the time. I figure that I need to be doing this for myself now, because if I don't and if the worst happens, it's going to be ME in the soup line...not Stroger. Michelle The picture is truly depressing. It’s happening all over the country. Florida, Minnesota, Kentucky, New York, Georgia,….just to name a few! So for people who do what we do…the times are bad everywhere and picking up and moving jurisdictions doesn’t solve the problem or insulate one from layoffs.

Staying put, getting organized & INVOLVED in your local union as well as local politics seems to be one of the best ways to fight for our clients, most of whom are locked up and cannot speak for themselves.

One of the reasons that I keep sending my PD friends email updates on the national issue is so that they can’t start to PLAN NOW for what may happen down the road. We are about to go into another round of contract negotiations and it’s not likely to be pretty.

I’ve already started my own layoff/strike fund and initiated other cost savings measures like biking to work, walking to work, doing one stop shopping at places like Costco, grilling outside 2 times a week for the entire weeks worth of dinners as opposed to eating out all the time.

I figure that I need to be doing this for myself now, because if I don’t and if the worst happens, it’s going to be ME in the soup line…not Stroger.

Michelle

]]> By: mo http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3637 mo Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:13:15 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2008/06/03/florida-pd-action-on-huge-caseloads/#comment-3637 Not to add to the depression, but: Minneapolis Star Tribune (Minnesota) – Minn. to lose 72 public defenders to budget cuts – (Thursday, June 5, 2008) – ST. PAUL (AP): Those accused of crimes in Minnesota will likely face longer waits for their day in court and parents trying to hang onto their children will stop getting free legal representation after the state Board of Public Defense voted Thursday to cut more than 15 percent of its lawyers. That translates into the equivalent of 72 full-time positions. The board said in a release that it faces a $3.8 million deficit after the Legislature cut $1.5 million from its budget to address a state shortfall. Public defenders represent the majority of defendants in Minnesota, including 85 percent of those accused of felonies and half of those accused of misdemeanors. The average public defender handles 714 cases a year, a number expected to top 800 after the job cuts take effect next month. Not to add to the depression, but:
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Minnesota) – Minn. to lose 72 public defenders to budget cuts – (Thursday, June 5, 2008) –
ST. PAUL (AP): Those accused of crimes in Minnesota will likely face longer waits for their day in court and parents trying to hang onto their children will stop getting free legal representation after the state Board of Public Defense voted Thursday to cut more than 15 percent of its lawyers.
That translates into the equivalent of 72 full-time positions. The board said in a release that it faces a $3.8 million deficit after the Legislature cut $1.5 million from its budget to address a state shortfall.
Public defenders represent the majority of defendants in Minnesota, including 85 percent of those accused of felonies and half of those accused of misdemeanors. The average public defender handles 714 cases a year, a number expected to top 800 after the job cuts take effect next month.

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