Monday, January 23, 2012

The Contract




There is a contract you enter into with society when you become a police officer.  You sign up for the job with the full understanding that you will never be wealthy.  You accept the fact that you will work nights, weekends, and holidays.  You will work in the blistering heat of the summer and the Arctic chill of the winter. You understand that there will be family events cancelled at the last minute due to a chaotic work schedule.  Little League games and piano recitals will be missed.  You will consistently see the worst that human existence has to offer.  You know that, statistically, you will die younger due to heart disease and stress-related illnesses than the average person (the most generous study has police officers surviving to an average age of 66, compared with 73 for the average US male population).


Finally, you understand fully that your spouse or partner may at some point receive a visit from very somber people in the middle of the night, a visit which starts with the words "we have some bad news."

This is not a theoretical risk.  In 2011, 173 police officers were killed in the line of duty.  That number represents a 14% increase from the year before.  For the first time in 14 years, more police officers were killed by gunfire than by on-duty auto accidents.  Firearms related fatalities for officers, in fact, rose 70% from 2008 to 2011.  In one 24 hour period in January of 2011, 11 officers were shot in 5 states.  Last year was open season on cops.

The deal with a contract, though, is that obligations extend to both parties.  In return for the sacrifices listed above, police officers have a right to expect certain things.  A wage that allows you to raise a family in modest surroundings.  Patrol cars that don't explode when rear-ended.  Body armor that stops bullets most of the time.  The ability to take your child to the doctor when she is sick.

And if fate determines that we don't return home one evening, we expect a big funeral.  Really big, with scores of squad cars, officers in their dress uniforms, and citizens lining the streets.  This may sound shallow or trite, but trust me, it isn't.  I didn't understand the importance of this ritual before I became a cop, and even then I didn't truly understand it until I became a father.  It simply boils down to this:  if I am killed in the  line of duty, I want my wife and children to see that my community appreciates the sacrifice they had to make.

However, the contract does not end after the funeral.  It used to be that we could count on society to take care of our families to some degree:  A ceremony every year.  A name etched into a memorial.  A politician praising the sacrifice of a profession undervalued by society. Special death benefits for the families of officers killed in the line of duty.  Not enough to make our families wealthy, but enough to keep them out of poverty.  Maybe reduced or free state college tuition for our kids.  

The contract.

I had the sad honor of attending the memorial service for one of my fallen brothers last year.  Police Officer Craig Birkholz, age 28, was shot to death on March 20, 2011 in the City of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.  Craig was responding to a domestic violence incident gone bad, and officers on scene were calling for help. Craig was gunned down as he approached the residence to help his coworkers.  Another responding officer, Ryan Williams, and his canine partner were also shot and seriously injured.

There were several unbearably bitter ironies to this incident.  The first was that Craig was a decorated veteran of the United States Army who had survived combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.  He survived in a war zone only to be killed on the soil of his own nation.  This is almost too heartbreaking to think about.  The other bitter irony is that Craig was murdered by another combat veteran.

This incident devastated those of us in Wisconsin's law enforcement community.  It is remarkable how much you can grieve for a man you never met.  I and my coworkers cried freely at Craig's memorial service.  He was, by every single account, an absolutely extraordinary young man, a fact that makes the pain of this loss even more pronounced.  A wonderful, happy, committed, compassionate, and principled young man cut down in the prime of his life.

The other tragedy is that Craig left behind the love of his life, Ashley.  I can't even begin to fathom the depth of her loss.  A young couple with hopes, plans, and dreams,  all cut short on March 20, 2011.

Nothing can take that pain away.  Nothing can soothe that ache.  There are, however, things society can do to try to hold up its end of the contract.

In the Wisconsin Legislative session of 2009-2010, a bill passed both the Senate and Assembly providing health insurance to the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty.  For reasons unknown to me, police officers were not included in this legislation.  However, in May of 2011, a bipartisan effort led by Republican Senator Van Wanggaard and Democratic Senator Bob Jauch sought to remedy this.  Senate Bill 18 added the health insurance protection to the surviving spouses and children of Wisconsin's fallen law enforcement officers, retroactively.  The bill passed the Senate on May 17, 2011 by unanimous vote.

In August of 2011, Ashley Birkholz attended a hearing in front of the Wisconsin Assembly to discuss SB 18.  She wrote a letter to the legislators, read by  Fond Du Lac officer Jeff Harbridge on her behalf.  She told them about what the legislation meant to her and the families of other fallen officers.  She was joined by Charlette Nennig, whose husband LeRoy was killed in the line of duty with the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office in 2004.  Also testifying that day was Jenny Van Handel, whose husband Heath, a DNR pilot, was killed in 2009 in a plane crash while assisting in fighting a forest fire near Marshfield.  On multiple occasions, Jim Palmer, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, explained to the Wisconsin Legislature how much this bill meant to the brave men and women of Wisconsin law enforcement.  Nobody can claim that the Assembly members didn't know the importance of this legislation, because they heard about it first hand from the very people who need the assistance this bill would provide.

On November 1, 2011, the Wisconsin Assembly was supposed to take up this measure, and passage would have certainly resulted in Governor Walker signing the legislation.  On that same day, the Assembly was scheduled to pass a resolution honoring the sacrifice of Craig Birkholz.  The Birkholz family was supposed to go from the ceremony honoring Craig to watching the health insurance bill pass.  It would have been a positive day among many filled with sorrow for this family.

Few could have predicted what happened next.

At the last minute, the Republican legislators in control of the Assembly blocked the bill from being brought to a vote.  BLOCKED the bill that unanimously passed the Senate.  From what I have discovered, the Birkholz family was given the choice of coming to the Capitol for the resolution only, but understandably opted not to attend. In a horrendous display of partisan politics in what should have been a unifying issue, John Jagler, spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, called SB 18 an "unfunded mandate" on local governments that "isn't ready to become law."  "We're looking at a more fiscally responsible way of funding it," he added.

These officers, and their families, have given everything in service to the people of the State of Wisconsin.  I mean EVERYTHING.  Lives are lost, and countless others are shattered.  The least we could do for them, on behalf of a grateful public, is to give the survivors the peace of mind of health care.  It doesn't seem like a lot to ask, but the Assembly Republicans apparently believe it wouldn't be "fiscally responsible."

The contract broken.

To the people who blocked this bill:  It isn't enough to attend the funerals of fallen officers in your districts, or memorial services during Police Week.  It isn't enough to get teary-eyed when the bagpipes play, and to talk about how grateful the citizens of Wisconsin are for this ultimate sacrifice.  Your words are hollow, because your actions have broken the contract.  These families are trying to put their shattered lives back together, yet all you can talk about is fiscal responsibility.  For the sake of decency, please do not attend another officer's funeral, or another police memorial service, until you make this right.  You are not welcome to share in our grief until that happens.

To my readers here:  please share this with everyone you know.  Share it on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else you can post it.  Email it to your friends and family.  This situation is a disgrace to the citizens of the great state of Wisconsin, and dishonors the sacrifice of our fallen officers.

The following politicians are responsible for the failure to bring this bill to a vote.  Please send them emails on behalf of Ashley Birkholz and the families of Wisconsin's other fallen heroes, and ask everyone you know to do the same.  Please spend 5 minutes of your time serving those who sacrificed their lives serving us. Demand of these legislators that they bring this important piece of legislation to an immediate vote.


Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald: Rep.Fitzgerald@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Bill Kramer: Rep.Kramer@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Dan Knodl: Rep.Knodl@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Joan Ballweg: Rep.Ballweg@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Mary Williams: Rep.WilliamsM@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Samantha Kerkman: Rep.Kerkman@legis.wisconsin.gov


Tell them it's part of the contract.

Brian



44 comments:

  1. Well said Brian!!!!! While we are certainly being challenged by these trying times, never lose sight of who and what's important!!

    Keep the faith Brother!!

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    1. It is time that all your brothers, especially those in Milwaukee who supported Walker rise up and unite! When will the Milwaukee Police Association come out against Walker?

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  2. Disgusting. These mutts are a disgrace to humanity.

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  3. What a sad sad day when as a society we can't protect the people who we empower to protect and serve us!! Being fiscally responsible is one thing.. but this is negligence on the part of our government. Whether you are republican or democrat it doesn't matter, this is common sense legislation that we NEED to afford! Firefighters get the perk, then why not officers who in actuality put themselves in more danger on a day to day basis.. not dishing on firefighters as they are just as important but how many firefighters are met with hostility when they arrive on the scene--just saying!! It's bad enough the families have to deal with the loss of a loved one,, but then to scramble to take care of themselves after because of a tragedy they never had a chance to prevent that's just unjust! I see people getting government assistance all the time who in my opinion are non deserving of it..let's trim the fat there and start giving the hard working people of this state what they deserve...some Respect!!

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  4. Please LeaAnn, Let's work together and support each other in the fight for what is right. We don't need to put others down in the process. It works against us when we are pitted against each other. Firefighters & Police Officers all face profound danger daily. Last time I checked public assistance was an extremely small slice of the budget pie and I don't agree that most of those on public assistance don't "deserve" it. Everyone's situation is unique and there are more and more average Wisconsinites in need of the safety net while there is less net to offer. Let's work together to get the families of fallen officers what they need so they don't need to count on the decreasingly reliable safety net of public assistance.

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    1. Well written piece, followed by this wise response. You have my total support in reinstating "the contract"! Thank you and others for your service.

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  5. And thank you Brian for your service as well as speaking up for us all. You are brave and articulate.

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  6. It's not like the legislature would be paying to cover thousands of survivors' benefits. Politics these days really stinks. I'd like the next election to really clear the house of the "good ole boys" and get some people in there who aren't afraid to stand up for the people who elected them.

    Merry

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  7. Was not trying to pit people against firefighters if you read my comment I made the point to say I was not putting them down,, just trying to say that most people look forward when they see a firefighter come to their residence, not always the case when an officer is called to the scene. As for the public assistance please re-read above, I mentioned that I see people who are non deserving of receiving assistance. I certainly know and am aware that there are many situations where it is necessary and people have hard times- that's what it's there for. If we can assist our society, then we certainly should be able to assist our families of fallen officers! Just saying.

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    1. LeaAnn maybe you need to spend some time on an ambulance running calls 24 hours straight with firefighters in some less than desirable neighborhood. They are often sent into unknown situations stemming from violence, drug & alcohol abuse and outright neglect with nothing but a radio to defend themselves. Many of these 'customers' do not want their assistance and often put the firefighters in at risk situations. So instead of saying firefighters don't often face dangers maybe you should first understand what their job truly entails and once you understand that maybe you could ask them to help support this bill for law enforcement officers.

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  8. This should be surprising to *NO ONE* given the current state of politics in Wisconsin.

    This will be par for the course until these Republicans are GONE.

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    1. Including the Republican senator that co-sponsored the bill?

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    2. Whatever it takes, jdk. I don't remember Van Wineguard talking to Fitzy about this bill and why it must pass. It will pass eventually, once we boot 'em all out. Fitz can't even speak for himself. He needs Jagler to step in. These heartless animals do not have any respect for officers . I hope they get some time to think about what this means. "Isn't ready to become law" means Screw You! These animals have got to go before it takes us a generation to repair their damage.

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    3. Walker and other Republicans are betting against their recall with ads that claim they balanced the budget, and we know now that their "repair bill" has done no such thing and we have a $148 million deficit. At the time, the fear of any action that might reveal the truth probably scared them into making their foolish decision.

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  9. Sharing. Thank you for your service.

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  10. Reposted on Blogging Blue. http://bloggingblue.com/2012/01/23/the-contract-by-brian/

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  11. Some people are just evil and we elected a governor who is.

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  12. Brian, as a Union Firefighter from Illinois, I say this: To all my Brother's and Sister's in Blue, we stand toe to to with you any day, any time, in any legislative field of battle as well. Fight the good fight, because those who EXPECT our services should RESPECT when those services causes one of our families to be without us. STAND UP and PROTECT those who PROTECT YOU!

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  13. Very well said Brian. Thank you for posting and thank you for your service, from your sister in brown :)

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  14. As usual Brian, you hit the mark dead on! I am very proud to know how hard you are working on behalf of all of our families in uniform!

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  15. Outrageous! I sent an email in support of SB 18.

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  16. Well said, Brian - keep doing what you do. Know that we appreciate it.

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  17. A truly selfless act would be to wish for this kind of coverage for everyone. The story is compelling, but may people get killed for many reasons, many preventable. I'm not trying to discount your sacrifice, but getting these kind of benefits should be about all of us, not some.

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    1. Dear Anonymous,
      True as that is, when you are required to put on a kevlar vest to go to work, then lets talk! When you move toward dangerous situations to prevent innocent people from getting hurt, instead of just saving yourself lets talk. When you have a fraction of a millisecond to make a decision to save your life or take that of someone elses, lets talk. Until then let us be realistic. The risks that Police Officer's take on a daily basis is generally much greater than the rest of the population.

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  18. I griped to Gov. Doyle when this passed for the hosers, but not for cops. Obviously nothing changed. Hopefully these legislators will be a little more receptive.

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  19. You guys have a good Gov. Not sure about the rest of them. Keep fighting for your rights, but don't forget who you serve. In the game of collective barganing there has to be give and take. Det. Jerry Keith El Paso County Texas (Ret)

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  20. How is the health coverage for the State representative paid for? & for how long?

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  21. I'm a Deputy and the governor and county board have done something the bad guys haven't been able to do. My county board asked for 25 consessions this month. I'm not putting on a gunbelt and a bullet resistant vest for $3.39 and hour. I'm doing it because it needs to be done, for your children and mine. The disrespect by them as the representatives of my community have nearly broken my spirit. I get mad at myself when I do good work for them, and have to remind myself often I do it for the citizens, the victims. Because I got into this 24 years ago to make a difference. I had a near death moment recently, at least three in the past two years, and I mean near. Missed two hours work getting my uniform ready for the next shift. One county board member asked how I was doing after the t.v. made a deal of it. My response was, trying to figure out how to keep my wife from getting my death benifits if it comes to that, or just looking at hiring a rookie with out 160 hours of vaction built up. He didn't have much to say. If I bite the big one don't let one a one of them speak at the funeral. At least give me that! Nate

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    1. I'm with you Nate. We work for the citizens. It has become fashionable to care more about money than people. They are shirking their responsibility to their constituents, and to their employees.

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  22. A travesty against the men and women in blue! I'm a fire fighter and I know we banter and have rivalry's with the police about everything but I stand 100% behind them with this issue. I can't believe this! ALL emergency personnel (well, their survivors) should get this! Police Officers, D.N.R, Paramedic, Fire fighter, it doesn't matter. Fiscal responsibility my a@@!

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  23. Problems with funding I understand so raise the price of a citation by a buck or two. Let the law breaker pay for a benefit that is long over due and doesn't directly benefit the Police Officer issuing the citation. This way all will be happy since taxes are not being raised either on a local or state level. I hate to say it but the days of decent pay and benefits for public employees in Wisconsin with the current economic climate has ended. The next step is to turn Wisconsin into one of those States known to be in the South with low taxes but no government infrastructure. We will see!!

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  24. Very well written! As an individual with friends and family in both lines of protective service (Firefighters & Police Officers) I can't imagine that our governement would have even had to think twice about passing this bill! Goes to show you just how messed up our governing body really is! I wonder if any of their families had been directly impacted by an unfortunate situation like so many other families have gone through, if their "hesitiation" would still exist? Please keep fighting for what you believe in Brian, because it is the RIGHT thing to do! Thank you for all you do....and to all the men and women out there who so unselfishly put their lives on the line for our protection! God Bless You!

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  25. Always seems to be a double edged sword that shanks the good guy!

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  26. Absolutely disgraceful. And Speaker Fitzgerald wants to be the next United States Senator from Wisconsin? Are you kidding me? He should immediately resign his seat in the assembly...the man has no shame.

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  27. Thank you Brian for a wonderfully articulate synopsis of the world of a cop. Shame on the politicians! Perhaps they should offer to take cuts in their benefits to make up the difference, now that would be fiscally responsible! Eliminate the perks,the power lunches/dinners, etc all on the taxpayers' tab. Have them actually do their jobs in a business setting instead of a bar.

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  28. Politics???!!! Bunch of repetitive B.S. jargons by people who believe they know what our job consist of. It is a SAD government action. BUT then again, I'm NOT surprise our elected officials would do such. We can't even get support from our local government and head director/s. When I took my job as a law enforcement officer I didn't ask for a lot. Here I am today, injured in the line of duty and without a job because my department or local government can even come out and give me the courtesy. SAD SAD situation.

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  29. I support a single-payer system in which we eliminate profiting middle-man interests from our health care system-- as many first-world, economically successful countries do-- but I realize my desire for that falls on deaf ears at this time. Even so, to not provide health care for the fallen civil servants, those who take up dangerous jobs for the good of our entire community, is an insult and reminds me that we as a country do not have a set of values and priorities to provide for anyone but ourselves. And a selfish world is a terrible world in that regard.

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  30. Thank you Brian for how will you constructed this post and your service to our community.

    Reggie

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  31. Good job Brian. Don't quit. LE really needs to pull together on these issues to ever make any changes. I went throught the same battle in my state (WA) trying to get presumption for heart attacks for LE (something FF already have here). I got party lined by the republicans in our Senate.
    Vanessa Walsh, widow Ofcr. Brian Walsh FWPD, 3-21-10

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  32. Emails sent. Thank you for this excellent, though infuriating, post. I put your blog in my Google Reader today.

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  33. Public service is something to be PROUD of and REMEMBERED! THANK YOU.....ALL

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  34. Brian,
    My Dad is a WWII Vet, and a retired police officer. As a child I never truely understood what the possiblilites were for him every day that he went to work. As an adult your post has put tears in my eyes. I thank you for all of those unknowing, innocent children that face this possibility of having a mother or father that may not come home someday... I will be writing and sharing..Thank you for bringing this to the attention of the people of Wisconsin. Regardless of political affiliation I believe that the people of this state will make it happen!

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  35. When will the MPA come out against Walker? They endorsed him in 2010 and look what happened. Isn't it time?

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  36. Thank you from a teacher who is with you in this fight.

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