A lot of police cars have some kind of motto printed on them. A classic example is “To Serve and Protect.” It’s a reminder that police officers are public servants. We have a lot of public servants. Here in Pennsylvania, you have to take a civil service exam to work at our liquor stores. I’m not kidding. Our liquor store clerks are public servants. So are our teachers. And our welfare case officers. And the people who work at the Division of Motor Vehicles. And the stenographers in our courts. Most of these people belong to public service unions. And if you piss them off, it doesn’t matter how conservative they might be in their cultural beliefs, they’re going to react.
Next month the Broward County Police Benevolent Association is holding a “Party to Leave the Party” — an event coordinated with the Supervisor of Elections where police officers and the general public can switch their voter registrations from Republican to Democratic or Independent.
The reason for the switch? The association, which serves as the bargaining union for the county’s law enforcement officers, is unhappy with the leadership of Governor Rick Scott and the results of the past legislative session, including changes to the Florida Retirement System that will require the workers to pay more of their own wages into retirement savings.
The attack on the Florida Retirement System is the least of their worries. Here’s the letter the PBA sent out:
The Broward PBA wants to send a message to the Republican Party, the governor and the Republican-led legislature– those that are wreaking havoc on the lives of public employees–that we will not sit idly by and take it. Supporting the GOP means supporting those that are working hard against your interests and those who believe that labor unions are bent on destroying America.
On July 16, we want you, our members, your friends and your family, to leave the Republican Party. Law enforcement, firefighters, teachers and other public employees are invited to join us in switching from the Republican party to the party of their choice. Those who are not registered voters are welcome to come register so their voices can also be heard. Reg- istering or switching parties takes two minutes. All you need is a government-issued ID like a Florida Driver’s License or a Florida ID.
There is one more legislative session before the 2012 elections–let’s put them on notice.
A lot of Republican rhetoric is designed to appeal to the average firefighter or police officer, but when confronted with a stark reminder that the Republicans only serve the rich, even firefighters and police officers can react before the pot reaches a boiling temperature.
Ninety-nine percent of political wisdom in this country involves identifying who is trying to screw you and making alliances with anyone who is also getting screwed by the same people. That’s why cultural conservatives ally with Wall Street and why Wall Street allies with megachurches. It’s why police officers and firefighters should ally with women, gays, minorities, scientists, agnostics, and academia.
These alliances may seem unnatural. But they make perfect sense.
