Dear Ed, can you please explain to me how the city of Trenton can afford to give the mayor’s cabinet a 3.5 percent raise across the board when the city is bankrupt? His cabinet’s contract wasn’t even up and there was no arbitration, however when it comes to the police officers’ contract, the city is refusing to settle. The Trenton police have been working without a contract for three years, and now an arbitrator had to get involved and the city is pulling the old “we are broke” and can’t afford to give the cops raises. The money for their raises was put into escrow years ago; the money is there, so pay these guys already! And the citizens wonder why the cops are so disgruntled and don’t want to do anything. Why does the city of Trenton treat its cops so unfairly, making them go to court for every penny and then appealing each decision for stall tactics?

Negotiator

This is one city that can’t run without its cops. —Ed. Note