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State trooper caught squatting on prime waterfront land
By adamg on Fri, 10/26/2012 - 8:12am
WBZ reports a state trooper with an annual salary upwards of $200,000 parked his camper on some waterfront Massport land (leased from the city) and set up housekeeping there. Story includes choice quotes from City Council President Steve Murphy on how this guy is worse than participants in Occupy Boston on the Greenway last year.
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Comments
Let me be the first to say
So what?
Do those WBZ guys really have nothing better to do? Aren't there real crimes happening out there somewhere, they gotta bust the chops of some trooper just trying to shorten his commute by parking in this completely unused spot?
Massport should officially retroactively grant him permission and give him the electricity for free as payment for "enhanced security services." And then go shove that contract down Steve Murphy's pie-hole.
Pete will tell you I'm perfectly willing to criticize a cop for behaving badly (see drunken bleacher bums in Revere or punk cop vs. skater), but for crying out loud. This is really the lowest possible rung on public officials behaving badly. Next we'll hear Dunkin's gave him a free cup of coffee - film at eleven.
He probably shouldn't be doing it but....
He could probably park that thing behind the barracks and legally do everything he was doing at MassPort (except for the electricity). I mean, the view is probably better from the barracks anyway and as long as he was working all the time the public is probably off better with him living on the Massport property.
In the end State taxpayers were saving money by him living on Massport property because of his gas on his commute from Norwell. Now state taxpayers will be paying more.
My employer doesn't pay for my gas to commute
So, explain how *we* were saving money while this clown stole electricity and didn't pay rent?
Because.....
His gasoline bill from a Norwell to Boston commute is going to cost more than an electricty bill from a MassPort building I assume. I'd guess that gass on a Sgt. for the state police a month is about $200-$400? (Many of the supervisors have SUVs so $200 for a vehicle, $400 for an SUV?)
Electricty probably runs $25 to $100a month depending on the battery hookup for the RV and what he actually uses it for?
Or you didn't know every trooper gets their gas paid for because every trooper gets a take home car?
Idling Law
It would also be cheaper for any cop, local or state, to recognize the idling law once in a blue moon. Especially love seeing this in the summer months. Ever try to suggest a cop kill the engine while he's just sitting there?
they are exempt.
as emergency vehicles which respond to emergencies and use laptops which need constant charging. Plus the radios do not work with the engines off.
ONLY if the vehicle is being used in an emergency capacity
Not for the convenience of the operator. MGL. And it's often pretty easy to see the difference.
I understand all the equipment sucks up a lot of juice but it seems like there would be a more economical/efficient/environmentally sound way to do this than keeping the engine running constantly. The radios don't run on battery power when the engine is off?
They respond to emergencies, and have to listen for calls.
I would be any clerk or judge would agree about that. The intent of that law wasn't meant for emergency vehicles.
And the radios and computers are just like the interior lights. They all run off the same battery.
So Staties
doing mid-night highway details need to keep the car running!
Yea, they do.
Those overhead lights use the most power of everything.
Bet if this was a Massport or MBTA
employee you wouldn't be defending him. Your bias is out of control.
Your bias is even worse.
Since I didn't defend him, I just pointed out that he is probably saving the state money in the long run by living there illegally. I even said he was doing the wrong thing.
This is an abuse of power on
This is an abuse of power on behalf of the Statie, plain and simple. Can I park an RV anywhere? Whats to stop anyone from squatting? As much as I dismissed the Occupy people, fair is fair - either squatting is allowed or not.
And, saying he provided 'free' security is a stretch.
Like I said.
He probably shouldn't be doing it. But he isn't parking it "anywhere". He is parking it in an area where he works. He works for the state, and he is parking his motorhome on state land. It is a little different. Taking the electricity is the bigger problem here imo./
"he is parking his motorhome
"he is parking his motorhome on state land", there's the problem, it's not public property. Hey, the Governer can't even do this, let alone a Statie.
Dude, you sound like a Moron trying to rationalize this
The shoulder of the highway is state land too, so are the couches at the convention center. You're right he isn't parking "anywhere", he was on public land. If it were private land I don't think the news would give a crap. Entitlement much? Why does every statie have to drive their work vehicle home to begin with?
He might be allowed to park there.
He just isn't allowed to live there, and he wouldn't be allowed to park on the shoulder of the highway, but may be allowed to sit on the couches in the convention center at any hour of the day. So would the night custodian.
Again, I don't think the issue should be with him parking there, it should be with him living there and using electricity that the state has to pay for. He is allowed to live on other state land behind or in the barracks if he wanted to. He just isn't allowed to use the electricity there, unless of course he has an electric car or something, or agreed to give up his state paid for car and gas for the electric which I doubt he did.
Actually I just read that was City Land.
Rented to the State.
So as long as the trooper pays some of the rent and some of the electric bill, (and as much as the occupiers had to pay in fines or rent), there shouldn't be a problem.
Clearly you don't get why people are angry
about this, it's yet another example of how state workers (in particular the cops) get these special rights the rest of us don't enjoy because we don't have a cushy job that eats up the tax-payers money. Get a clue, guy.
Mooching is NOT a Protest
Guy gets a pretty hefty salary too. And he still gets all that taxpayer gas for his emergency vehicle when he decides to use it. He's a public employee, he can't live tax free on state land.
It's also interesting the news followed him home to Norton in his RV. Where is his cruiser or SUV? Why is it essential for every cop to drive home state or city vehicles every night on our dime, while this guy commutes in a 40 ft RV??!?
I don't think he was commuting in the RV.
He was probably staying there inbetween shifts and details at the airport and there wasn't enough room at the airport barracks for him.
Ask Deval Patrick about the cruisers. He had a chance to cut them from the budget, but decided to cut edcuational incentives for officers instead (not troopers, but municipal officers).
And wait until you see what every State trooper gets to drive on your dime this next year! You thought the regular cruisers were bad, wait till you see what comes next.
BullS*&^
"He is parking it in an area where he works. He works for the state, and he is parking his motorhome on state land."
You're making yourself look like an idiot on this one. By your logic, my buddy that works for the mayor's office can just park his truck on the plaza at city hall any time he wants? Maybe set up a tent to cut down on his commute?
If he had permission to be there, he could have easily explained that and directed the reporter to the person that could confirm the fact. You know, like a normal person doing something legit. Instead he tried to bullshit the reported and for some odd reason had to split after they called the State Police. Totally on the up and up! Oh I forgot, he has a badge, so he's above the rules that us regular people must abide.
This is why regular people have no respect nor trust for cops. They do sketchy shit like this and then clowns like you try to justify it or look the other way.
Thats your logic.
No one parks on city hall because there would be 1000 phone calls each day about it. If anyone wanted to call the state police HQ on this I bet this guy would have been gone after that call.
My quote above was in response to someone saying it was the same as parking anywhere, and then you bring up an even sillier example of parking on city hall.
Both examples are wrong, but one is going to be worse than the other.
Please
You're being willfully obtuse. I used to think you had a little dignity, but apparently not.
my recollection of Shawshank
is that when some tool calls you "obtuse", there are consequences. I guess we "obtuse" people are aware that there 1000 fewer troopers than in the past so that staties are working from the time they leave their driveways to the minute they return, plus being on call 24/7 for emergencies. THAT is the reason their cars go home with them (and the reason there is so much detail overtime for a limited pool of workers). They are audited for fuel use and every other dime spent on them by the the State Auditor. Don't like it? Have your rep file a bill.
Please.
I'm sorry, but my sympathy for a guy who makes 200k a year for being a glorified traffic cone is extremely limited. The bum should be thrown in jail.
Murph's Turf
What if it had been a Boston cop? What city official would have said anything?
I'll be the one to say it
State troopers are the only ones whose arrogance approaches that of the Boston police. Bunch OVERPAID of bums, all of 'em. This is the kind of stuff that happens in third world countries where the police are infallible, which is a status we are RAPIDLY approaching.