Presidents Message
Chesterfield Police Officers Association
PO Box 225 Chesterfield, Missouri 63006 Phone: 314-667-8401
PO Box 225 Chesterfield, Missouri 63006 Phone: 314-667-8401
In my last message I spoke of illusions and politics. In this message I want to write about perception and the
code of silence.
per•cep•tion
–noun
the act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
When dealing with politics, perception is everything. It’s not the truth that counts but what people perceive that
matters. Politicians spend millions of dollars every year to make their point of view what matters. The political
spin is all that matters.
Many areas of wealth are masters of perception and Chesterfield is no stranger to this. The residents of
Chesterfield recently passed a million dollar tax issue to update their park system. Now parks are not just picnic
tables. Chesterfield has an athletic complex that is second to none. They have every type of ball field that you
can think of with the exception of polo and lacrosse. For all I know those are on the drawing board. They are
building pathways, lakes, amphitheatres and beautifying roadways.
The expenditure of this money is a must as it is what separates the wealthy from the less fortunate. This
expenditure of money is meant to make a powerful statement that places like Chesterfield are better and
nothing like areas such as St Louis, Pine Lawn and Wellston. As of recent you can see the difference in areas
such as Olive and Clarkson. These two roads are maintained by the State of Missouri, but the State does not
have the money to make the beautifully landscaped areas preferred by people of power. Chesterfield spent
thousands of dollars building dirt medians in the middle of the road. These medians have sprinkler systems
installed along with trees and flowers that are cared for by Chesterfield employees. This system is also in place
along Interstate 64 where you will find beautiful oases along the highway as you drive through town.
Now we are taking it a step further by taking over the St Louis County medians all along Chesterfield Parkway,
the old Roosevelt Parkway. St Louis County was not taking care of the medians the way Chesterfield expects
them to be, so we will now be installing sprinklers and beautiful flowers there for our employees to maintain. All
part of the million dollar park tax initiative.
The only problem that I have with any of this is that I would love to be able to afford a sprinkler system in my
yard and maybe a landscaper to maintain it as well. But then again I am a Chesterfield employee and not a
resident. If I don’t like it I can leave. Just a short time before Chesterfield residents approved the park tax
initiative; the City government gave them a huge tax refund on their properties saying that the City no longer
needed the money and was still able to maintain their wonderful bond rating. City employees are once again
going without another raise. This is the second time in just a short time. No money for employees but plenty of
money for parks, flowers and sprinkler systems. There is also no money for defined pensions for the very
people who protect and make our communities what we want them to be. Our defined contributions and social
security benefits are in jeopardy like never before but yet our elected Federal and State politicians have
pension plans second to none. The people that we represent are receiving huge Federal bailouts and
incentives along with their stock options and bonuses.
Without a doubt we are in an employer cycle where they get wealthy and employees should just be happy to
have a job. As much I would not like to live through a great depression there are times that I believe that some
people need to live down with the rest of us, living from pay check to pay check and not being able to look
forward to retiring and enjoying what we have left of our lives. Maybe if I was a politician, an administrator or a
department head I would think differently.
Now I don’t believe that the silent majority of Chesterfield residents feel this way about their employees but it is
definitely the political, in power view.
Do you want to hear a powerful statement of perception, how is this? Recently the progress of moving a new
and improved State Highway 141 through Chesterfield brought to light an abandoned cemetery; a sacred place
where people of Chesterfield past were laid to rest. Up till progress it was discovered, cared for and maintained
by a neighbor. This person was bought out and moved. The city was asked to take over maintenance of the
cemetery but declined. Chesterfield will however take care of State and County roadways but not the sacred
ground where people of the past were laid to rest to await their savior. These people of past do not vote and
do not have money. These people of past can just lie in weeds and clutter while the people of today enjoy their
sprinklers and flowers. You know this cemetery could have been made a historical park for the City. It would
have taken City employees all of one or two hours a week to maintain this sacred place but it means nothing to
the power machine. Those one or two hours will be better spent on one of their political projects!
The code of silence! How many times have you heard the term used about cops protecting each other like it is
some kind of cop only behavior. Can you remember back to grade school? Remember when somebody did
something wrong and if you spoke out or told on them you were deemed a rat. Snitch, snitch fell in a ditch,
found a penny and thought he was rich. Remember when you were made an out cast being a “rat”.
Now I am here to tell you that the code of silence does exist in every profession in the world and this includes
POLITICS. Politics is about power and maintaining that power at all costs even lying and keeping silent. How
many politicians and those employed by them tell on themselves? When they do something wrong or break any
rule or regulation do they tell and take on the required consequences? I’ve never seen it!
Now I can tell you that I have seen plenty of situations in my employ here. I have also had people that don’t like
who I am making up things, in order to write me up to make me look bad. I am not by far the only one. But when
they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar, actually doing something wrong it is an entirely different story.
They are the system and the system can do no wrong. Sometimes people and structures can be in place too
long. To the extent that they accumulate too much power and abuse it to their benefit.
Chesterfield is a wonderful place but no where near perfect. They need to be really open and listen to
everyone and not just those with the power and the money. They need to treat everyone with respect and
dignity. In the ten years that I have been here I learned that I am in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am an
outcast because I grew up and worked in the City. I am different and I have been told that I am not Chesterfield
enough and will never be promoted even though I have supervisory and command experience. I have nothing
to look forward to as an employee other then being happy that I have job in a terrible economy. God Bless!
code of silence.
per•cep•tion
–noun
the act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
When dealing with politics, perception is everything. It’s not the truth that counts but what people perceive that
matters. Politicians spend millions of dollars every year to make their point of view what matters. The political
spin is all that matters.
Many areas of wealth are masters of perception and Chesterfield is no stranger to this. The residents of
Chesterfield recently passed a million dollar tax issue to update their park system. Now parks are not just picnic
tables. Chesterfield has an athletic complex that is second to none. They have every type of ball field that you
can think of with the exception of polo and lacrosse. For all I know those are on the drawing board. They are
building pathways, lakes, amphitheatres and beautifying roadways.
The expenditure of this money is a must as it is what separates the wealthy from the less fortunate. This
expenditure of money is meant to make a powerful statement that places like Chesterfield are better and
nothing like areas such as St Louis, Pine Lawn and Wellston. As of recent you can see the difference in areas
such as Olive and Clarkson. These two roads are maintained by the State of Missouri, but the State does not
have the money to make the beautifully landscaped areas preferred by people of power. Chesterfield spent
thousands of dollars building dirt medians in the middle of the road. These medians have sprinkler systems
installed along with trees and flowers that are cared for by Chesterfield employees. This system is also in place
along Interstate 64 where you will find beautiful oases along the highway as you drive through town.
Now we are taking it a step further by taking over the St Louis County medians all along Chesterfield Parkway,
the old Roosevelt Parkway. St Louis County was not taking care of the medians the way Chesterfield expects
them to be, so we will now be installing sprinklers and beautiful flowers there for our employees to maintain. All
part of the million dollar park tax initiative.
The only problem that I have with any of this is that I would love to be able to afford a sprinkler system in my
yard and maybe a landscaper to maintain it as well. But then again I am a Chesterfield employee and not a
resident. If I don’t like it I can leave. Just a short time before Chesterfield residents approved the park tax
initiative; the City government gave them a huge tax refund on their properties saying that the City no longer
needed the money and was still able to maintain their wonderful bond rating. City employees are once again
going without another raise. This is the second time in just a short time. No money for employees but plenty of
money for parks, flowers and sprinkler systems. There is also no money for defined pensions for the very
people who protect and make our communities what we want them to be. Our defined contributions and social
security benefits are in jeopardy like never before but yet our elected Federal and State politicians have
pension plans second to none. The people that we represent are receiving huge Federal bailouts and
incentives along with their stock options and bonuses.
Without a doubt we are in an employer cycle where they get wealthy and employees should just be happy to
have a job. As much I would not like to live through a great depression there are times that I believe that some
people need to live down with the rest of us, living from pay check to pay check and not being able to look
forward to retiring and enjoying what we have left of our lives. Maybe if I was a politician, an administrator or a
department head I would think differently.
Now I don’t believe that the silent majority of Chesterfield residents feel this way about their employees but it is
definitely the political, in power view.
Do you want to hear a powerful statement of perception, how is this? Recently the progress of moving a new
and improved State Highway 141 through Chesterfield brought to light an abandoned cemetery; a sacred place
where people of Chesterfield past were laid to rest. Up till progress it was discovered, cared for and maintained
by a neighbor. This person was bought out and moved. The city was asked to take over maintenance of the
cemetery but declined. Chesterfield will however take care of State and County roadways but not the sacred
ground where people of the past were laid to rest to await their savior. These people of past do not vote and
do not have money. These people of past can just lie in weeds and clutter while the people of today enjoy their
sprinklers and flowers. You know this cemetery could have been made a historical park for the City. It would
have taken City employees all of one or two hours a week to maintain this sacred place but it means nothing to
the power machine. Those one or two hours will be better spent on one of their political projects!
The code of silence! How many times have you heard the term used about cops protecting each other like it is
some kind of cop only behavior. Can you remember back to grade school? Remember when somebody did
something wrong and if you spoke out or told on them you were deemed a rat. Snitch, snitch fell in a ditch,
found a penny and thought he was rich. Remember when you were made an out cast being a “rat”.
Now I am here to tell you that the code of silence does exist in every profession in the world and this includes
POLITICS. Politics is about power and maintaining that power at all costs even lying and keeping silent. How
many politicians and those employed by them tell on themselves? When they do something wrong or break any
rule or regulation do they tell and take on the required consequences? I’ve never seen it!
Now I can tell you that I have seen plenty of situations in my employ here. I have also had people that don’t like
who I am making up things, in order to write me up to make me look bad. I am not by far the only one. But when
they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar, actually doing something wrong it is an entirely different story.
They are the system and the system can do no wrong. Sometimes people and structures can be in place too
long. To the extent that they accumulate too much power and abuse it to their benefit.
Chesterfield is a wonderful place but no where near perfect. They need to be really open and listen to
everyone and not just those with the power and the money. They need to treat everyone with respect and
dignity. In the ten years that I have been here I learned that I am in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am an
outcast because I grew up and worked in the City. I am different and I have been told that I am not Chesterfield
enough and will never be promoted even though I have supervisory and command experience. I have nothing
to look forward to as an employee other then being happy that I have job in a terrible economy. God Bless!
| PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE July 2010 |