The Sun-Times has run a cartoon and editorial (“City overtime pay out of whack” — Nov. 12) lambasting those city workers who dare to incur whatever is deemed too much overtime pay. I won’t deny there could be some I don’t know personally who are abusing the system. But how much do you really know about why any of them were paid any?
Officers and detectives, on any shift, are required to go to court whenever ordered, and courts are only open on the day shift. Many officers, regular Chicago police, devote a heroic effort to getting drunk drivers off the road. DUIs mean they are often in court, after their late-night shifts end, for many hours, days even, trying to help the judicial system make the charges stick. Sometimes they have to make an additional trip to pick up and bring in whatever evidence is needed from the storage facility at 1011 S. Homan.
I won’t say if you want to pay less overtime, just tell officers to stop doing their job, because the real police will never go along with that. If you don’t support this lawful work, show your true colors by saying so, and until then stop tarring everyone with the same brush.
Maja Ramirez, Chicago police officer
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OT comes with the territory
My rebuttal on the editorial “City overtime pay out of whack”: In short, the article commented about 10 city of Chicago employees making more than $100,000 a piece in overtime and one in three who are paid $100,000 a year or more.
A first class police officer today makes $95,544. Are we suppose to take a cut in salary so it looks more acceptable to the public? I became a police officer in 1970 with a salary of $9,000 a year and I worked my way up. Also, overtime is necessary, especially with the murder rate the way it is. Get used to it. We’re allowed to make money also.
Roger J. O’Brien, retired Chicago police officer
Edgebrook
Bring back lottery drawings to TV
Illinois Lottery sales have plummeted since prizes over $600 stopped being paid out until the budget gets passed. Several things have changed at the lottery. They no longer show the drawings on the WGN News at 9 and claim that the drawing is computer generated. Seriously, am I supposed to trust a computer behind the scenes?
What does the budget have to do with the Illinois Lottery? The lottery is supposed to be a separate entity with proceeds going to the school system. There are reports that the lottery is millions in the red. How does that happen?
So, let us wonder why the sales have tanked. I cannot trust a computer generating “the winning numbers.” Until they resume showing the lottery drawing on TV, the trust will not be restored. I am not spending any more money until things change.
Diane Rack, Hoffman Estates
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