Ask the PBA

[Matt Puckett]

Oklahoma just got approved for huge raises of more than twenty percent. Is there any chance we could get anything even close to that?

Define "even close to that"

All I can say is we are pushing for more raises this session. The legislature has not indicated how much is too much, but it is early.

Thanks Matt

[Matt Puckett]

Welcome

Are we going to get any type of raise or what? You guys also need to ask to better our benefits. Increase our annual leave, sick time, go back to the 40 hour work week......etc. you guys need to fight for stuff like that also.

Matt, I have heard recently on the news and elsewhere that a legislator or senator was talking about giving money back to the people of the state by means of lowering the drivers license and registration fee's now that the state is out of it's financial woes. Years ago somebody came up with a plan of raising those same fee's and DUI DL reinstatement fee's by $10 or $15 to go into a fund that would fund our pay raises, bring our pay up to where it needs to be and we would not have to ask the legislature for a raise again because we would be self sufficient. The legislature said they could not burden the public with that, but the following year they doubled those fee's due to the financial problems the state was in. I think that plan should be revisited, it would fix the pay issues and probably still lower the fee's some for the public. They had already been charging those higher fee's so it should'nt be that big of a deal since they want to give it back now? As far as the previous post, FHP has knocked down any type of so called perk we had (making us burn our special comp down, 40 hr vs. 80 week etc.). As far as the special comp goes we know that they will only pay us for 240 hours of it upon retirement, so if I have more in the special comp bank (hour wise) I know I'm going to loose that if I hadn't taken it. It was nice to have some extra time built up so if you wanted to take a longer vacation or just take some time off here and there to avoid burn out or stress from all the BS. They have taken everything away, no incentives.

Matt is the MAN!

Hi Matt, thanks for helping the troops. I know you are representing and asking for a raise for union members which is understandable, what about lieutenants with 13 years making 57,000? It will be nice to receive something, some of us still contribute to pba.

I'm not a Lieutenant but it annoys the heck out of me that an FHP Lieutenant makes what a road officer makes in any other department in this state. A topped out deputy in my county makes more than our lieutenants. Thats just crazy.

I am a taxpayer in the State of Florida and for the type and amount of work your department does, I believe that your pay is right in line. I drive thirty miles daily to and from work and for the past three weeks have not seen one trooper on the highway (Hillsborough and Pasco). I am not discruntled nor have I gotten any tickets in the past. I believe just writing tickets, handling the occasional DUI and working accidents, you are getting paid very well. Instead of giving you guys a raise, why doesn't the State of Florida just dissolve the Highway Patrol and let the sheriffs offices just hire one or two of you guys to work the highways in their jurisdiction. You guys would get paid better and we could save some taxpayers money by not having to pay a lieutenant 57K or any other command staff money for sitting around the office and not really doing anything.

I am a taxpayer in the State of Florida and for the type and amount of work your department does, I believe that your pay is right in line. I drive thirty miles daily to and from work and for the past three weeks have not seen one trooper on the highway (Hillsborough and Pasco). I am not discruntled nor have I gotten any tickets in the past. I believe just writing tickets, handling the occasional DUI and working accidents, you are getting paid very well. Instead of giving you guys a raise, why doesn't the State of Florida just dissolve the Highway Patrol and let the sheriffs offices just hire one or two of you guys to work the highways in their jurisdiction. You guys would get paid better and we could save some taxpayers money by not having to pay a lieutenant 57K or any other command staff money for sitting around the office and not really doing anything.

Shut the **** up and go away ex-trooper troll. You know a lot more than a regular citizen should know. You really sound like a stupid ignorant asshole.