The Journal News

Re "Clarkstown wants consultant to study police, cut costs," Jan. 27 article:

Shame on us taxpayers!

Here we go again, another report on how much the Clarkstown Police Department is being paid — an average of $166,719 a year, with a current contract outlining 2.5 percent for five years. Are you kidding me?

How can 162 officers and 24 civilians consume 34 percent of the total Clarkstown budget? And, add another $7.2 million to the pension fund; that is another $70 million in10 years. Are you kidding me?

What crime do we have in Clarkstown to warrant this?

Let me see, I go to Germonds Park to listen to oldies music. Wow, four police officers there. For what, crowd control? Seniors getting out of hand? Crime in Clarkstown, are you kidding me?

Then we have a Rockland County corrections officers making $74,000 a year and there is so much crime he makes $158,000 with overtime ("Rockland sheriff charges jail union chief with 68 criminal counts," Jan. 13 column). Are you kidding me?

The police commissioner in New York City makes $205,108 a year. Let’s compare pressure on the job.

Next time the police officers want a raise they should come and see me and my wife and we will let them know how much of our $2,300 a month Social Security check they can have. Our increase this year was zero. Are you kidding me?

Keep up the good work, Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann.

Art Manion

Bardonia