Modern Male Identity Crisis

[jamespowers]

One of the most powerful unions in California is the correctional officers union. They even get paid for "walk time" -- the time it takes for them to go from their cars in the parking lot to their posts when they come to work.

You forgot to include that they get paid for the time it takes them to get dressed and suited up for the job at hand as well.
"They came to do good and they have done very well."

 

[Travis Lee Johnston]

The local Florence state prison pays good if you can get a job there.

John Goodman and William Forsythe made an epic escape from there back in the 80's...

[video=youtube_share;e5HVPKO9Aow]http://youtu.be/e5HVPKO9Aow[/video]

 

[rue]

Raising Arizona!

 

[Edward]

Edward, regarding the BBC: I love the BBC and read it every day. Compared to CNN, the BBC is what adults read/watch for news as opposed to grade schoolers. (no offense to CNN fans, I read them every day too)

My only issue with the BBC is the same issue I have with some of the US' more venerable outlets; namely, it would seem they pull an AP ticker, read it, paraphrase it and present it, all the while avoiding any boat rocking. I prefer the Guardian over the BBC, but even then one must be careful to avoid any political leanings. Such is the world of journalism. [huh]

The Beeb do have various shows for serious analysis (Newsnight, Question Time, etc), though alas such is the way of the world that they're catering to an ever-shrinking proportion of viewers, it seems. "Avoiding any boat rocking" is exactly what they're supposed to be doing: the requirement is one of complete non-editorialising. The Guardian, being print journalism, is free to editorialise - the impartiality rules only apply to broadcast journalism. Traditionally this was to minimise undue influence in the media sector - print journalism is free to editorialise because the medium is not restricted, anyone with the funds can set up a paper. Broadcast spectrum was, traditionally, very limited. This has changed with digital broadcasting, but of course in the meantime we have discovered how valuable the plurality requirement actually is.

One point to note, which may be significant, is the the BBC as well as the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) are wholly government funded, with no commercial influence. Compare the regard in which the BBC is held by the public in contrast to News of the Day and other privately-owned "newspapers" in the UK.

True, though it should be emphasised that these same impartiality requirements apply to all broadcasters, not only the Beeb. The commercial entities get it the same. Something like Fox News, for example, or any equivalent from whatever editorial stance, would never be able to operate in the UK. Mind you, Fox News shouldn't be permitted anywhere which values a modicum of quality in its journalism. Nothing to do with the editorial slant - it is simpyl the most inane, substandard "journalistic" attmept I have ever encountered. And I've seen the Daily Mail.

One of the most powerful unions in California is the correctional officers union. They even get paid for "walk time" -- the time it takes for them to go from their cars in the parking lot to their posts when they come to work.

I certainly wouldn't begrudge them that - not a job I'd ever want, but a necessary one all the same. I believe it was the same sort of provision where I grew up - at least, I should damn well hope so, because over there signing up for that job automatically put your name on a death list.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Put 'em in tents!

Hi

It is my understanding from an old (5-10 years) article that the cost of imprisonment ($25K up) is STILL much less than the cost of crime as a whole. Apparently many criminals are prolific enough to cost well over $100K per year. Numbers are from memory.

later

 

[Gregg Axley]

Now Tom, that would be cruel and inhumane...
Why it's not like people sleep in tents for fun!
Wait, do they?
Where I live, they were surrounded by farm land, and grew their own food or they didn't eat....
Until someone found fault with that, now they get cheap food given to them...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

lol lol lol

Now Tom, that would be cruel and inhumane...
Why it's not like people sleep in tents for fun!
Wait, do they?

 

[lolly_loisides]

I certainly wouldn't begrudge them that - not a job I'd ever want, but a necessary one all the same. I believe it was the same sort of provision where I grew up - at least, I should damn well hope so, because over there signing up for that job automatically put your name on a death list.

I wouldn't begrudge them that either. It's funny, in another thread people were complaining that unions aren't what they used to be & then when given an example of unions negotiating decent pay & work conditions people complain about that too [huh]

 

[ButteMT61]

Put 'em in tents!

Already been done.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Oh, I know, that's what I was referencing.

Already been done.

 

[jamespowers]

Already been done.

Interesting how his recidivism rates down there are very low. Hmmmmmm......

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Can't argue with results.

 

[jamespowers]

I certainly wouldn't begrudge them that - not a job I'd ever want, but a necessary one all the same. I believe it was the same sort of provision where I grew up - at least, I should damn well hope so, because over there signing up for that job automatically put your name on a death list.

Let's be honest with the statistics here. According to the FBI's Uniform crime statistics, less police officers are killed every year than convenient store clerks in this country. Interesting how the pay is not commensurate.

 

[jamespowers]

Can't argue with results.

Power to the tents.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The problem is that unlike a private sector union public sector unions are bankrupting the state (read the taxpayers) with massive unfunded obligations. Successive California governors had caved into the demands of the prison guards union (who are the biggest campaign contributors) and have given them solid gold pensions and benefits that are practically unheard of in the private sector.

 

[jamespowers]

The problem is that unlike a private sector union public sector unions are bankrupting the state (read the taxpayers) with massive unfunded obligations. Successive California governors had caved into the demands of the prison guards union (who are the biggest campaign contributors)and have given them solid gold pensions and benefits that are practically unheard of in the private sector.

Don't they get to retire at 50 will full benes too?

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I just heard a city in Alabama went bankrupt from that. Some folks are getting greedy. I'm pro-Union and a Union member myself, but some demands are getting out of hand. Give me access to decent benefits, a living wage, and a blue-collar forty and I'm happy.

 

[Edward]

I wouldn't begrudge them that either. It's funny, in another thread people were complaining that unions aren't what they used to be & then when given an example of unions negotiating decent pay & work conditions people complain about that too [huh]

It seems to me the root cause of such duality of thinking is that people feel the need of the benefits a union can bring, but once you start using terms like "union", "organised labour", etc, certain.....eh..... sections of society have been so condition to think of that as "bad" and associated with .....eh..... certain economic theories and forms of government, let's say..... that knee-jerk, anti-union (un)thinking comes heavily into play. And that's all I have to say about that.

Let's be honest with the statistics here. According to the FBI's Uniform crime statistics, less police officers are killed every year than convenient store clerks in this country. Interesting how the pay is not commensurate.

Police? I'm talking about prison guards here. Though on that score, California might just be a lot further away than Northern Ireland in the Seventies and Eighties than just a few thousand physical miles would suggest.

 

[sheeplady]

Let's be honest with the statistics here. According to the FBI's Uniform crime statistics, less police officers are killed every year than convenient store clerks in this country. Interesting how the pay is not commensurate.

Well, police officers are not correction officers. (I do imagine the rate of death of correction officers is even less.) However, I'd like to know how many injuries there are between the two (clerks and police officers) and the severity levels.

And also, not to be snarky at all, but police officers are supposed to go through some kind of training and meet certain standards (physical fitness, training, etc.) that clerks don't need to do. The police likely run into more situations that could end in their death than the clerk. However, they likely have training, weapons, shielding, etc. that allow them to diffuse the situation without it ending in their death which the clerk doesn't. If the only measure of dangerousness we use is death, then clerks do have a more dangerous job. However, if we look at injury, I'm wondering if the result would be different?

 

[jamespowers]

Well, police officers are not correction officers. (I do imagine the rate of death of correction officers is even less.) However, I'd like to know how many injuries there are between the two (clerks and police officers) and the severity levels.

And also, not to be snarky at all, but police officers are supposed to go through some kind of training and meet certain standards (physical fitness, training, etc.) that clerks don't need to do. The police likely run into more situations that could end in their death than the clerk. However, they likely have training, weapons, shielding, etc. that allow them to diffuse the situation without it ending in their death which the clerk doesn't. If the only measure of dangerousness we use is death, then clerks do have a more dangerous job. However, if we look at injury, I'm wondering if the result would be different?

They don't separate the numbers from the figures I got. However, I think you are probably right.

Clerks likely get jerked around just as much but they have a lower incidence of having a gun or any real training to protect themselves. Those people are nuts to do that job in the wee hours of the morning. I would be a policeman before I would work the nightshift at any convenient store.