Another banner bashing Mayor de Blasio set to take to the skies over Hudson River

[LiberalElite]

Source: NY Daily News

The feud between Mayor de Blasio and the NYPD will take to the skies once again.

On Wednesday afternoon, a banner reading “De Blasio: Apologize to the NYPD!!” is set to fly up and down the Hudson River for millions of people to see.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/banner-bashing-mayor-de-blasio-fly-hudson-article-1.2062003

[FiveGoodMen]

1. NYPD: Fuck off!

[randys1]

2. Big time, I want every cop behind this to be fired.

NOW

[branford]

7. For supporting a banner expressing disapproval of the mayor?

First, the individual hired to fly the banner is a retired officer living in Florida. He can't be fired.

More importantly, you cannot fire a public employee for agreeing with a political message. Even if the unions or individual officers hired or funded the banner directly, they would still be protected by the First Amendment, various federal, state and local labor laws, and their collective bargaining agreement.

You are certainly free to disagree with the message, I certainly do, but no unionized public employee should, can or will be disciplined for political statements.

[lark]

25. No, don't fire because of the banner.

Fire as a result of the backturning, that's rank insubordination which is a firing offense anywhere.

[branford]

27. I would certainly be fired,

but your premise is not necessarily true for a unionized public employee with a strong collective bargaining agreement in a state and city with strong labor and free speech protections.

Apart from the legal prohibitions, any discipline would be politically impossible, as the current NYPD work slow-down evidently proves, and as the NYPD officers are quite aware.

[George II]

33. I'm not sure what the "code of conduct" is for NYPD officers, but here's a story....

....about a Palisades Park officer (captain) who was charged with insubordination. At least one, maybe two of the charges against him were similar to what Patrick Lynch and those behind the "back turning" did:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/palisades-park-police-captain-charged-with-insubordination-to-receive-29-day-unpaid-suspension-1.999254

Sadly and ironically, one of the incidents involved an officer named Ramos.

[branford]

37. There are a number of important nuances in the cited story

that greatly differentiate it from the issues in NYC.

The charged officer was a captain, not a rank-and-file officer, and the standards and expectation of conduct are quite different. His statements also occurred unquestionably while on duty and to another officer and his actual superior in the department and some relating to union activity, rather than against an elected official concerning matters relating to officer safety (and contract negotiations), and wasn't connected to more highly protected collective employment action as was the back-turning. Moreover, the union strength and contract are far more impressive for NYPD officers than the NJ palisades park police, providing officers with far greater legal and political protection. Lastly, even with all the allegations against the captain, the worst discipline he faces is less than a month suspension offset by vacation days and personal time and the town is clearly eager to not litigate case with all the attendant risk.

[RobinA]

59. Not To Mention

that just because someone was fired doesn't make it right.

[Ash_F]

43. The message that it is open season on Black people may be a political one

But one worthy of being fired over.

[branford]

44. “De Blasio: Apologize to the NYPD!!” is not in any way equivalent to open season on black people.

Such ludicrous and misleading hyperbole makes the police unions look moderate in comparison, and diminishes the credibility of reasonable protesters seeking reform of the department.

The banner is stupid and unhelpful, but certainly does not constitute a racial threat, and is actually fairly banal by the historic standards of communication between most public employees and their unions and the City, no less during labor negotiations.

In any event, the banner was purchased by a retired officer living in Florida. Therefore, who do you actually suggest should be disciplined, even terminated, for the banner? All officers, those who agree with it, those who refuse to condemn it, random officers to prove a point, etc.? Hint: no one can be legally disciplined.

[Sunlei]

10. Me too! I want all the back turners at the least, docked a couple weeks pay & that money donated-

[randys1]

12. We have a really really serious problem, we are moments away from a Koch owned

police force and then us white folks who think the Black people should stop complaining as if they are the only ones pushed around by cops, will be right, finally.

There is a reason the Koch bros I hear are on our side on this issue, because they want to kill the union and privatize, my position on the union is to kill it also, but NOT to privatize, allow the union to exist when the members are not killing Black people without consequence.

Many Americans will sit back and say "what is your problem, buddy, so cops want to protest"

No, cops want to shoot and kill people or strangle them and have no consequences, that is what they want

[Sunlei]

17. agree, the (state controlled) police are out of control for a longtime. prison guards too, public &

'private contracted.

I'm sick & tired of police getting away with general harassment, 'ticket spamming' a kick, a smack, a punch, a knock to the ground, outright lies, false made-up charges, torture with their electric shock devices and outright murders.

I think we need Federal help and direct federal oversight of police behavior.

[MADem]

19. I don't. But I do want the standards raised precipitously for getting a salary to "protect and

serve." I think they need to raise the IQ requirements, have much more rigorous psychological screening to cull out the hotheads and macho-morons, and mix in the negotiators and cool-headed thinkers. I think they need to implement fairly robust physical fitness standards, with an emphasis on flexibility and endurance--not weight lifting and bulky muscles.

We need smart cops, not posturing assholes. This constant berating of the father of mixed-raced children just has to cease--they should be ashamed of themselves. If anyone is to do any apologizing, it should be the cops apologizing for the unnecessary shit they've dished out to the Mayor, for no good reason.

[randys1]

20. All that is great and I agree... but you still have a problem even with all that...

As long as we have the highest per capita of guns per person, as long as we have

THREE HUNDRED MILLION GUNS

the police will have an excuse to be armed to the teeth and to shoot first, ask questions later.


That is a plain and simple fact.

[MADem]

31. Well, I'm no gun fan, but good luck grabbing 'em all from the people who love them.

It's just not going to happen.

We can still demand better "bang for our buck" in the selection of police officers. Right now any asshole with too much testosterone, regardless of brain power, is considered a viable candidate for the job. That needs to change.

[840high]

51. Free Speech. Remember?

[randys1]

58. Nothing to do with free speech, insubordination at a minimum...

[Dawson Leery]

3. The immaturity of the police unions is astounding.

Patrick Lynch is Eric Cartman grown up. This is extremely disturbing.

[Sunlei]

11. He gives Unions a bad name, a shame because todays Unions are already attacked by republicans.

[MADem]

32. I agree with your assessment. nt

[alp227]

38. Cartman? Exactly.

http://southpark.cc.com/clips/150368/you-will-respect-my-authoritah

[NOLALady]

4. This gang of child like men

are expected to protect and serve all New York citizens. Somehow, I doubt that they are capable. They really need to grow up!

[tridim]

5. SMH

Idiot cops acting like idiots, again. Shocking.

[Sunlei]

6. who paid the $900 or so it costs to fly the banner? Thats what I'd like to know.

[LiberalElite]

9. I wondered too - it's in article -

"Chalmers was hired to fly the banner by Michael Sheehan, a retired Westchester County Correction officer and the son of an NYPD detective, who accused de Blasio of aligning himself with “race baiter and proven liar Mr. Alfred Sharpton.”"

[Sunlei]

13. thanks who paid was "NYPD detective Sheehan (senior) interview him media, don't just spam viewers

with thousands of pics of the banner.

Media should get the coward who paid for the banner interviewed with his "Al Sharpton is the reason" stupidly exposed.

[ann---]

18. I'd like to know if any "good" cops tried to stop it

and if not, WHY not? Or, why not openly disagree with it publicly on TV.

[Sunlei]

22. anyone can hire a banner plane, I don't think they need permission from the 'police union'

[ann---]

48. I know, but why are not "good" cops condemning this?

[Sunlei]

57. They're enablers and embolden the brutal police to get worse. Gang behavior.

[SummerSnow]

26. probably the police union

[Sunlei]

28. the person who paid is is named in the article, Father of "NYPD detective Sheehan

[Hulk]

8. They are really boosting their "image"

Last edited Wed Dec 31, 2014, 04:22 PM - Edit history (1)

It isn't like we didn't already recognize they were a bunch of thugs, after years of stop and frisk, Occupy Wall Street thugs, and now this.

I can't believe heads aren't rolling at the police department. When are they going to "grow up"? Cowards, hiding behind a thug image; proud to be a NYC thug.

[Sunlei]

23. on the positive side, the banner plane owner made a fast thousand. Bully is a job provider :)

[uppityperson]

14. Apologize for calling them bullies or they will continue to bully you!!!

Wtf?

[C Moon]

15. I imagine there are rich De Blasio haters that aren't cops...

who are funding all this, as well.

[Sunlei]

21. about 900 for a banner flight. who paid was father of"NYPD detective Sheehan...

I know how much it costs because a couple years ago we paid for a banner about Salazar

[C Moon]

42. +1

[ann---]

16. NYPD is a bunch

of losers. Where are all those alleged "good" cops who keep silent while their peers make fools of themselves. Leads me to believe there ARE no "good" cops in NYC.

[Jackpine Radical]

24. I can get behind this campaign

if they permit one small edit so that it reads:

NYPD: Apologize to DiBlasio

[Iliyah]

29. Stink smell like the GOP immaturity

[kelliekat44]

30. Each day that they do this degrades their status in the eyes of many, many citizens. nt

[riversedge]

35. I think you are right. but baggers love it.

[riversedge]

34. bullies!

[DisgustipatedinCA]

36. I'm in for $20 for a counter-protest flight

Something like "We need jobs. Fire those who refuse to do theirs". We can negotiate the message.

[Jack Rabbit]

39. How much does it cost to advertise with a banner-towing plane?

Who is really behind this? It certainly isn't a rank-and-file cop unless he's on the take from some coke dealers. Or perhaps a union on the take from some Koch dealers?

[sakabatou]

40. Let me break out my planck-length violin to play for these butthurt cops

[olddots]

41. they can fly all the shit they want

Alot more people like this mayor than a bunch of crooked cops for hire to the highest bidder .

[branford]

45. Sadly, that's not true, and it's the reason why deBlasio

has been going far out of his way to play nice and prove his pro-NYPD bona fides, like just announcing that some street will be renamed for the murdered officers.

The sentiments expressed on DU are not necessarily representative of all of NYC.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/new-york-city/release-detail?ReleaseID=2120

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/new-yorkers-who-like-cops-dont-like-de-blasio/

[840high]

53. Thanks.

[blkmusclmachine]

46. Bullies are the biggest whiners.

[Orangepeel]

47. I'll be disappointed if this doesn't backfire

I can't always accurately predict how the public will respond to right wing buffoonery, but this is so petty and stupid that it seems like it can only backfire.

[question everything]

49. Who is paying for this?

Not the police, I hope

[840high]

54. read posts above

[Cha]

50. I'd like to see a banner flying over NYC saying..

"You immature little freaking hypocrites=NYPD"

[840high]

55. That banner would be

free speech, too.

[pangaia]

56. Why don't we take a collection

and hire a banner pilot to fly a banner saying, "NYPD - apologize to Mayor DeBlasio"