US Representative Weiner: Wars In Iraq, Afghanistan Taking Costly Toll On New York City Taxpayers - Various Media Sources - June 23rd - Times Square

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NEWS: REPORT - CITY WORKERS HAVE MISSED 700,000 DAYS OF WORK IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN

New York City – City police officers, fire fighters, and municipal workers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have missed nearly 700,000 days of work since 2001, according to a new report released today by Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Brooklyn & Queens), co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Caucus on the Middle Class. The report, based on City payroll data and salary estimates for municipal workers, found that City taxpayers have paid more than $65 million in salaries for workers deployed overseas. The monetary costs and productivity losses – which come on top of 51 City residents who have tragically died for their country – result from 2,028 City employees who have taken military leave since September 11th, including 1,191 from the NYPD and 251 from the FDNY.

The loss of first responders poses a particular hardship to New York City’s ongoing effort to keep 8 million residents and 4 million daily mass transit riders safe. Rep. Weiner announced a new comprehensive revenue sharing bill, which will provide $40 billion in Federal aid to economically-challenged cities, including localities incurring costs when first responders are called to active duty.

Rep. Weiner said, “Dozens of New York families have lost loved ones in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But all New Yorkers have paid in economic price for this foreign policy folly.”

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

- Since September 11th, City employees have missed a total of 691,493 days of work while on military leave.

- Of the 691,493 missed work days, the NYPD has lost 405,927 days and the FDNY has lost 70,819 days due to military leave.

- In 2007, the NYPD had a total of 362 members deployed and the FDNY had a total of 76 members deployed. These first responders missed a total of 60,893 work days at an estimated cost of $3.3 million to the City.

- In total, the City has paid $123.3 million to City employees on military leave, including $79.4 million paid to NYPD employees and $13.2 million to FDNY.

- After salary reimbursements, the City has spent $65.6 million since September 11, 2001 to fill salary gaps between City pay and military pay, with $40.9 million specifically funding first responders.

- Of the $92.6 million paid to first responders, an estimated $43 million has been refunded to the City, leaving the City to pick up a $49.6 million tab.

- Currently, there are a total of 488 City employees on leave, including 281 NYPD employees and 59 FDNY employees.

Typically, when City employees are called up for active duty, they forfeit their regular paychecks, and take their new paychecks from the military. Under most circumstances, this amounts to taking a pay cut.

To honor the service of New York’s City employees, the City has set up a program to make up the difference in their salaries – so that the families of men and women deployed overseas are not put under additional financial hardship.

For example, if Mr. Smith makes $55,000 annually as an NYPD officer and his military salary is $45,000, serving in the military would normally mean taking a $10,000 pay cut. Instead, the City continues to pay Officer Smith $55,000 annually, the military pays him $45,000 and he must refund to the City the lesser of the two – in this case the military pay. In the end, Officer Smith gets paid $55,000 – his City salary – to serve in the military.

Under Weiner’s comprehensive revenue sharing proposal, the Federal government would provide cities and states with $40 billion in aid, part of which would reimburse the City for the $10,000 it expends to fill the gap between Officer Smith’s City pay and his lower military pay.

NY1-Weiner: Wars In Iraq, Afghanistan Taking Costly Toll On New York City Taxpayers

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The ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are taking a financial toll on city taxpayers, according to a study released Monday by Representative Anthony Weiner.

The study finds the city is owed more than $65 million in salary reimbursements for its workers deployed overseas.

According to the report, more than 2,000 city employees have taken military leave since September 11, 2001.

That number includes nearly 1,200 NYPD officers and 251 City firefighters.

The city has paid more than $123 million to fill the salary gaps between those first responders' civilian pay and military pay, which can be much less than what officers and firefighters typically earn.

"While it is important that we honor the patriotism of those that go to serve overseas, we should realize that for every police officer that is off the streets of New York City patrolling the streets of Fallujah or Baghdad, New York City taxpayers are footing the bill," said Weiner.

Weiner has introduced a new bill in the House that would provide $40 billion in federal aid to reimburse cities that incur costs when first responders are called to active duty.

NY Sun - Weiner: Reimburse Cities for Employees Deployed to War By Anna Phillips

US Armed Services Recruiting Station, Times Square, NYC

A newly released study by Rep. Anthony Weiner, a likely candidate for mayor in 2009, is calling on the federal government to reimburse New York City for the millions of dollars it has spent paying city employees who are serving in Iraq.

The report, "Taking a Toll: The Cost of War on New York City," states that police officers, firefighters, and other civil servants who are paid less by the military than by the city continue to receive their larger city salaries and are supposed to send their smaller, military-issued checks to City Hall. But they often don't, and have cost the city $65.6 million since September 11, 2001 — "a historic loss of revenue," according to Mr. Weiner.

He has proposed that city employees be required to send the city these refunds and that the federal government give a total of $40 billion to certain cities and states that have suffered financially because their police and firefighters have been sent to Iraq.

The deployment of civil servants overseas has especially affected the city's police department, according to the study. Of the department's 38,000 employees, 281 are currently deployed overseas.

"Last month, the NYPD chose to end its policy of guarding the entrances to subway tunnels under the East River. Why? Because the cost of paying officers overtime was too high — in large part because so many members of New York's finest are on duty in Iraq," the study says.

A police department spokesman, Assistant Chief Michael Collins, said no such decision had been made and that officers are currently guarding the tunnels. "The present coverage hasn't changed in two years and that has nothing to do with anyone serving overseas," he said.

The report compiled by Mr. Weiner's office states that in the last seven years, New York has lost nearly 700,000 workdays as a result of city employees being deployed overseas.

"While it is important that we honor the patriotism of those who go to serve overseas, we should realize that for every police officer that is off the streets here in New York City patrolling the streets of Fallujah or Baghdad, taxpayers are footing the bill," Mr. Weiner said at a news conference yesterday.

Commissioner Raymond Kelly "has not seen the report, but he would not be against reimbursements for the officers now serving in the Armed Forces," Mr. Collins said.

Metro - Weiner Eyes Federal Cash for Soldiers by S. Spencer Scott

Chart detailing Day Missed by NYC Personnel - High Cost of War to NYC Taxpayers

City municipal employees have missed nearly 700,000 days of work on military deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, a report released yesterday said.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, 1,191 police officers and 251

firefighters have been called from their posts to serve in National Guard and Reserve units overseas. The report, released by the office of Congressman Anthony D. Weiner (D – Brooklyn & Queens), noted that 488 city workers are currently on military leave, including 288 employees from the NYPD and 59 from the FDNY.

In addition to the loss of what Weiner called, “boots on the ground,” the report highlighted the $65 million that overseas deployment of municipal workers has cost New York City taxpayers.

The hefty price tag is tied to a program where the city makes up the difference between a worker’s city salary and typically lower military pay.

Weiner has introduced a revenue sharing bill to provide $40 billion in federal aid to municipalities incurring costs when first responders are called to active duty.

NY Post - Reservistss' Duty Costs City $65M by Rebecca Rosenberg

Representative Weiner Presenting His Case to the Media in Times Square

More than 2,000 city workers have been called up to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan since 9/11, costing the city $65 million, Rep. Anthony Weiner said yesterday.

When municipal workers who are military reservists are called up for active duty, the city makes up the difference in salary.

Since 2001, city workers on military leave missed a total of 700,000 days of work, said Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens).

"For every police officer taken off the streets of New York to serve in Fallujah, New York taxpayers are footing the bill," he said.

He proposed a $40 billion federal revenue-sharing bill that would include aid for US cities that lose manpower due to military leaves.

Some city 1,191 cops and 251 firefighters are among the 2,082 municipal workers have been called up since 2001, Weiner said.

Currently there are 488 city workers on military leave.

"It's time that the military reimburse New York for its sacrifice," Weiner said.

Gothamist - Weiner Wants Reimbursement for War Costs By Jen Chung

The Assembled Press Corps

Congressman Anthony Weiner sounded the call for cities to be reimbursed for employees fighting in the Iraq War. Like he did last year, Weiner cites the fact that civil servants, like cops and firefighters, still get paid by the city when their military salaries are less. And since many don't send their military salaries to the city, Weiner says NYC has lost "$65.6 million since September 11, 2001," per the Sun. Weiner said, "While it is important that we honor the patriotism of those who go to serve overseas, we should realize that for every police officer that is off the streets here in New York City patrolling the streets of Fallujah or Baghdad, taxpayers are footing the bill." More info here at Weiner's website.