He's gone from being a supporter of Mayor Bloomberg to a critic...
Police Union President Patrick J. Lynch today joined forces with Fire Fighters Union President Steve Cassidy to call New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg "a liar" and "a thief."
The union presidents are angry at the mayor for calling a portion of the pension received by members of the uniformed services "a Christmas bonus," saying it's something they're legally entitled to. The mayor made the remarks in testimony before the state legislature on Monday and reiterated it this morning.
"A lie is a lie no matter how many times you say it," said Lynch, whose union had endorsed Bloomberg in his 2009 reelection campaign. "It's almost as if Mayor Bloomberg believes that if he says it enough times it will be true, but it's not. This agreement has survived since 1878, it's been through two world wars and the great depression and now Mike Bloomberg is looking to tear it apart."
At issue is a $12,000 a year payment to retired police officers, actively used by the NYPD in promoting new recruits that is paid in addition to their pensions. The fund, known as the Variable Supplement Fund has been an established part of police officers and fire fighters' pensions for decades, but now Bloomberg wants to get rid of it.
"Nobody wants to get cut back," Bloomberg told reporters this morning. "I understand that. We have to make a decision. Do we want to send out Christmas bonuses or have more teachers? It's that kind of decision,"
Cassidy called the mayor "a serial liar," adding that this morning's press conference was just the beginning of an all out campaign to "expose the mayor's efforts to steal benefits from those who put their lives on the line every single day."
"This is just the beginning," he added. Cassidy noted that every City Council member represents police officers and fire fighters and they will be hearing from union members in the coming days. The union leaders also promised to launch a full scale public relations campaign, including editorials and full page ads aimed at exposing what they called the "mayor's deception campaign."
The NYPD recruiting website prominently promotes the benefit, but city officials say that like salaries "things change."
The city says that any change to the program would require an act by the state legislature, something that they're actively fighting for.
The announcement comes a week before Bloomberg presents his preliminary 2012 budget.
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Contact Michael A. Harris at mharris@examinerny.com
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