Dozens of Montgomery County police officers took their ire over proposed benefit cuts to the doorstep of County Executive Isiah Leggett on Wednesday, staging a subdued protest on the street outside his house in Burtonsville.
Marching in a wide circle, the officers did not chant or shout, instead allowing their presence to send what they hoped was a strong message to the county executive.
“We are professionals in our job. We should act with professional decorum whether we’re protesting or doing our job,” said Resnik Boone, who patrols Silver Spring and said she was participating in her first protest.
“How much more can we take before we don’t have anything left?” asked Boone, who wore a “Running on Empty” police T-shirt.
A young girl planted herself in front of Leggett’s residence holding a sign that read: “Leave My Daddy Alone.”
In trying to close a $300 million budget gap, Leggett proposed sharp cuts in health-care benefits that could cost employees hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, depending on their insurance plans. He also proposed making employees pay more for their pensions. Union leaders say he broke the law by disregarding the results of the county’s collective-bargaining process, and his actions are being appealed.
“We’re bringing it home to Ike Leggett,” police union official Walt Bader said. “He brought it to our home,” added union president Marc Zifcak.
The late-day protest made for some discordant images amid the pine trees and large grassy lots, including a billboard truck slowly driving along Leggett’s quiet lane: “Tell Ike: Quit playing politics with public safety,” read the message.
Several firefighters also attended the march.
“In a jurisdiction where you have a $4.2 [billion] or $4.3 billion budget, when you have that amount of money available, it’s not truly a budget issue. It’s a political-priorities issue,” said Brock Cline, a captain who helped negotiate contract terms for firefighters that were endorsed by a labor arbitrator but pushed aside by Leggett. “What is the purpose of government if it isn’t to provide for the protection of your citizens?”
Leggett spokesman Patrick Lacefield said police, firefighters and other employees do vital work.
“This is not a question of whether we value their work. Of course we do,” he said. “It’s a question of what the county can afford to do.”
Lacefield said the $30 million in proposed cuts to employee benefits is only a fraction of the $300 million in total reductions that will affect crucial services for the public. Without the benefits reductions, hundreds more county positions could also be cut, he said. “Some of those would be police and firefighters,” he said.
The frustration was palpable, if quiet. “I thought we were egging it,” quipped one demonstrator. “That’s why I showed up.”
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