The news of Texas covered today includes:
Our Lone Star story of the day: Campaign and political stories including three stories (1, 2 & 3) regarding A.G. Ken Paxton; update on the defamation lawsuit against Beto Pancho O’Rourke; Democrat Congressman in the Valley facing a huge election in November turns out to have been getting homestead property tax exemptions on two house, cheating taxpayers, and more.
Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.
July 2022 Marks Lowest Unemployment Rate (4.0%) Since Pre-Pandemic, State Adds 72,800 Jobs: The Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded July’s lowest unemployment rates among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 3.1 percent each, followed by College Station-Bryan and Midland both at 3.5 percent, then Abilene and San Angelo each at 3.6 percent.
Abilene leaders make a big deal, and much criticism of concerned citizens, over a city charter change they claim is a “non-issue” and had no “outside group” recommending the gender language changes. If it’s no big deal then drop it!
And, other news of Texas.
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Your main argument, that we ran for the job and knew what it paid, was the 1st thing addressed in my presentation. When I took the job, the position had a poor salary, but I was optimistic that I could initiate changes to improve the position. The job has changed in the last couple of years however. Mandated duties have increased drastically and all efforts to make improvements through the Commissioners Court have been blocked.
You claim that the job comes with “a lot of compensating factors”. Like what? A vehicle, a gun, a ballistic vest? These aren’t benefits, they are tools necessary for the job. We did point out the negatives of no staff and no overtime but that’s because we compared our positions to other positions within the Lubbock County organization. Despite the same administrative responsibilities as every other department, we have no staff to assist in these required duties. Despite all the mandated duties, both operational and administrative, that are extending us past 40 hours per week, we get no overtime. There are other positions in LubCo that are exempt from OT, but they make salaries at least $15,000 more than us.
Then you claim we have this rare thing: to be like a self-employed person with the freedom in our jobs to do whatever we want. If that’s the premise, then we’re like a self-employed person with a mandated workload, no ability to hire assistants, and no ability to adjust their prices to increase compensation for heavier workloads. How about you put me in charge of your show. I’ll extend it to 4 hours a day, collect the advertising revenue and pay you a minimum wage. Be sure and complete those FCC reports – it’s just part of your job. But you can call it Pratt on Texas, that what you signed up for.
The only ‘freedom’ we enjoy in this job is the freedom to be our own boss – set our own business hours, choose our uniform, make our own policy. Those advantages are outweighed by the responsibilities: a heavy and drastically increasing load of civil process that must be served within deadlines, bailiff service for the JP courts, processing incoming fees, make budgets, get quotes, do requisitions, purchase orders, track and pay bills, vehicle maintenance, equipment maintenance, training, reviewing contracts, making reports to inter-county and state agencies, answering phone and email messages.
After months of contacting various members of the Commissioners Court individually and collectively, after providing information they requested, after justifying each item we asked for, there was no relief provided. They recognized the problem, talked about possible solutions, but did NOTHING. Going to the salary grievance board was the only recourse to address the issue beyond resignation.
Your claim that there are plenty of other officers on various forces that will be happy to run for the job is hyperbole. None of them are going to leave LSO, LPD, or any of the ISD PD’s because of the pay. I can find no officers ready to retire that will consider the position after seeing how much work is required. “Market” salaries are what I used to argue for the raise – LubCo isn’t paying the constables a “market” salary. They aren’t even paying a comparable salary to other officers within their organization. The current salary has, and will, produce no candidates for the position. Moreover, it dissuades candidates. I was attracted to this job as a change of pace after retiring from LPD after 26 years. I thought my work record, knowledge and experience would garner enough respect from you, the CC, and others to consider my well researched suggestions for enhancements to the position. I’ve learned otherwise.
The JP court are treated like the bottom of the shoe? Are you kidding me? Some of the JP courts have more staff than they need, considering how little their judges are in the office. And despite NO experience in legal matters and/or showing up 30 minutes late for the hearings THEY set, they are getting the best salary of any LubCo elected official. But that’s a separate argument because Pratt doesn’t have a logical rebuttal.
So we’re just like the Austin city council members that voted THEMSELVES a $33,000 pay raise? Negative. We don’t have the power to set our salary and only appealed to the grievance board after all other avenues had failed.
“The only ‘freedom’ we enjoy in this job is the freedom to be our own boss – set our own business hours, choose our uniform, make our own policy.” – Those are huge compensating factors, absolutely huge.
Nothing in your statement changes the point that the job paid what it paid each time someone decided to run for it. There is nothing on the ballot about getting paid more if you do the job well. Maybe that would be nice but it doesn’t exist. (I did not say constables were like the Austin council members.)
Every time I was involved in recruiting constable candidates, the be-your-own-boss issue was the single biggest reason for people to choose that route – and that was at a time when pay was much lower relative to others and there were even fewer benefits.