Today I received a letter from City Councilman Dan Grausz, regarding MI budget shortfalls.

Highlighted was: “in 2010, our firefighters made sacrifices beyond what they were obligated to do under their contract and are expected to do similarly in 2011 — this is greatly appreciated. Our police were less obliging in 2010. We are in the middle of negotiations with the police union with respect to the 2011 contract as their current contract expires at the end of this year. Those negotiations will be difficult and could end up in binding arbitration…”

MI should take a hard line in negotiations with the Police Department. MI residents and business have been hit hard by the economy yet it appears the MI Police have an overabundance of officers on duty, more new cars, and always with the most expensive and distracting flashing light displays.

I have personally witnessed the police almost cause two accidents in the past two weeks with their blaring sirens, erratic U-turns, and racing speed with three police cars in a row. When reading the police blotter in the Reporter each week, there is never any mention of violent crime and rarely are there accidents which would necessitate this type of irresponsible police driving behavior. Unlike our fire department, several officers are downright hostile to the Mercer Island residents who pay their generous salaries, with future generous retirements, for the very low-risk work they do.

Laurie B. Wilson