Daley: Bad economy makes wave of police retirements 'very questionable'
Mayor Daley said Monday he does not share his police superintendent's extreme case of nerves about a wave of police retirements next year because the economy stinks and there are "no jobs out there."
"Retirement is very questionable because of the economy outside. You can't get jobs," the mayor told reporters at an unrelated event.
"Usually when people retire, they'll be able to get a second job. That's very, very difficult today. Very difficult. ... There's no jobs out there."
Police Supt. Jody Weis told aldermen last week he is "extremely nervous" that a wave of police retirements next year -- after an arbitrator rules on the new police contract -- will stretch a burgeoning manpower shortage beyond levels he considers safe.
Roughly 1,000 officers are eligible to retire, now that Daley has promised to extend premium health benefits to officers who call it quits at 55. But, many are waiting until the contract is settled in hopes that a raise will lock in a higher rate of retirement pay.
Even before the arbitrator's ruling, the Police Department has 600 sworn vacancies and is 2,000 officers short of authorized strength counting those on medical leave and limited desk duty each day.
"Sure everybody's concerned about any type [of mass exodus]. We just had a huge retirement in the Fire Department. So, you start putting in classes right away. ... You start replacing them," the mayor said.
Daley was reminded that his 2010 budget uses federal stimulus money to add just 86 officers, 30 of them for the CTA, after hiring only 46 police officers this year.
"That's why we're going through arbitration on the whole increase [for police officers]. There was 16 percent on the table over five years. They said it wasn't enough. They want 25 or 30 [percent]. That's a lot of money. Taxpayers have to pay it," he said.
"If you go to the private sector, people are getting laid off. People are not getting pay increases. People have to pay more for their health care. ... Everybody has to realize we're all in the same boat together. If people don't realize that, they become very selfish."
Daley also commented on the financial crisis that has forced McCormick Place to dip into the state sales tax after tourism taxes fell short of the amount needed to pay debt obligations.
"You can't keep a workforce on, and no one is showing up. How do you pay for it?" the mayor said.
Noting that "non-union cities" have "under-cut" Chicago's convention business, Daley said, "There has to be a re-organization at McCormick Place because it deals with less and less shows coming in town, less and less people traveling. ... Someone used to stay at some of the better hotels. And now, they're told they can't stay at these hotels."
The mayor was asked what should become of McCormick Place East, the costly lakefront hulk of a building that's under-utilized and needs $100 million worth of renovations and repairs.
"They have to figure that out," he said.
What about the original McCormick Place building as the site for a land-based Chicago casino?
"Everybody's been talking about a casino for about, let's see -- since about 1992. They keep talking and talking and nothing really happens in Springfield," the mayor said.