Message from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer

NYSTPBA Newsletter Message from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer Our thoughts and prayers are with the Troopers who were involved in the critical incident on the RFK Bridge on Sunday. We must always remember to stay vigilant. It also underscores the importance of the establishment of a Legal Defense Fund. As noted in an earlier newsletter, the entire NYSTPBA membership will have a chance to vote either for or against this important concept in the coming weeks. Ballots will be mailed on Dec. 30 and counted on Jan. 27, 2022. Hazardous Duty Pay It’s that time of year when NYSTPBA members once again receive the Uniformed Members Hazardous Duty Pay that was negotiated as part of the 2007 – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement. As per contract Section 10.8(B) “Such Uniformed Members Hazardous Duty pay shall be paid on an annual basis during the pay period that includes December first for those members who were on the payroll on November first of such year…” This payment of $4,734 will be in the Dec. 8, 2021 paycheck. State Trooper Surgeons Group We are sad to announce that Michael Brooks, Director of the State Trooper Surgeons Group, has decided to leave the NYSTPBA to pursue other opportunities. Mike has helped the Surgeons Group attain a lofty status over the past eight years and has helped scores of our members and their families in the process. We wish him the best in the future. In the interim, the Surgeons Group is operating at 100% under the watchful eye of Virginia Kolner, who will oversee the day-to-day operations. Any calls requesting medical referrals should be directed to Executive Care Coordinator Emily Dixon at edixon@nystpba.org or 518-462-7448 ext. 140. 2022 Gubernatorial Race Things got a little more interesting in the Democratic primary as Long Islander Tom Suozzi has announced his candidacy for the position. Even though Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a commanding lead in every poll conducted thus far, the entrance of a fellow moderate Democrat like Suozzi has to cause her some consternation as they will be vying for the same votes in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Meanwhile, Suozzi heaped praise upon former Governor Cuomo when earlier this week he stated, “I think Governor Cuomo accomplished a tremendous amount for the state of New York, there’s no question about that. He’s got his flaws, he’s got problems, he’s got very serious allegations about his conduct which should be concerning to all of us, but you can’t take away the fact that during COVID he was there every single day laying out a comprehensive plan and coordinating the state on these issues.” I wonder who he wants to be his lieutenant governor? On a side note, Attorney General Letitia James is demanding that a statewide mask mandate be implemented. As with everything that she does, there are no politics at work here, citizen. Please move along. There is nothing to see. Drunk Tweets Former Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa took a swipe at Governor Hochul’s COVID response last Friday evening on Twitter and then quickly deleted it. “Time to shift with the times - ribbon cuttings and photo ops drinking beers in UES bars maskless won’t get this job done,” tweeted DeRosa. Sounds like someone was sitting around drinking when they sent that out to distract from the recent public revelations of the micromanaging and self-promotion that went on behind the scenes of last year’s daily COVID briefing circus, of which DeRosa played the part of ringmaster. Advice: Drunk tweets (texts, emails, web postings, etc.) = bad. (I should follow my own advice.) Omicron The winner of the variant of the month club is…Omicron. Since omicron is the 15th character in the Greek alphabet, we have room for 9 more variants. Good Lyrics, Bad Lyrics Senators Brad Hoylman and Jamaal Bailey have introduced a bill that they claim will enhance the free speech protections of New Yorkers by banning the use of art created by a defendant as evidence against them at a trial. Their “Rap Music on Trial” legislation (S.7527) would protect all artists and content creators, including artists from other genres, from having their lyrics used against them by prosecutors, if they should ever appear in court. Now thanks to Senators Hoylman and Bailey, every artist - including a country music singer who broke someone’s heart and every heavy metal band with veiled satanic references in their music - can rest easy now. Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time All day long I think of things, nothing seems to satisfy Think I'll lose my mind if I don't find something to pacify Can you help me, occupy my brain? Oh, yeah “Paranoid” – Black Sabbath, 1970 Note - This really has nothing to do with the above topic. I’m just trying to redeem myself for the inclusion of the Beatles lyrics a few weeks ago. Quote of the Week There are a lot of people roaming the streets who should be in jail. Liberals want a different justice system where no one’s going to jail…liberal prosecutors are not putting people in jail like they should. They are letting people out, and it’s very unfortunate for the person who is a victim of a crime. - Milwaukee Police Association (MPA) President Dale Bormann in response to a report that Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm refused to prosecute more than 60 percent of the felony charges police forwarded for prosecution last year, the same county in which a career criminal is accused of hitting 53 people, killing five, during a Christmas parade in Waukesha. Orwellian Quote of the Week I didn’t pull the trigger. - Alec Baldwin Then who did??? Tennessee Highway Patrol Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee recently made a pitch for other members of law enforcement nationwide to join the Tennessee Highway Patrol, even offering to cover their moving expenses. “We believe that you would be a great fit for our state,” he said, before outlining some of the reasons he believed the state would appeal to them. Those include its beauty, low cost of living, lack of income tax and full support of law enforcement. “I’ll work to make sure your freedoms are protected,” he added. “We stand with our law enforcement, and we’ll stand with you, too.” The highway patrol is offering full benefits, a car, free uniforms and free training to qualified applicants. You can expect to start at $44,280 after training and “with regular pay increases, a Trooper can earn $65,808.00 per year after 10 years of service.” Finis Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish members. Twenty-two shopping days until Christmas. Put that Hazardous Duty money to work! 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The Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers 120 State St. Albany, New York 12207 (518) 462-7448 http://www.nystpba.org