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California Highway Patrol salaries

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Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#161
post #131

I know the local chief of police for a UC school, I will try to ask him about "other" pay. I know that University of California, police get paid very well. But i've been told that you need to be recommended into the selection process and it's also a very small group, about a dozen officers covering 20K-30K campus. Most I know are 10-15 year vets. These salaries have always been public, and they get criticized all the…

A feel-good story about the UC Berkeley police... I was playing basketball at the Cal rec center and someone stole my iPhone from my sweatshirt. Later that night I texted the phone from my roommate's hoping that I could convince the thief of some kind of trade. I went to work the following day during which my roommate, who was a grad student at Berkeley (EECS!), received a text a from said thief. The thief tried to c…

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Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#162
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, the skill level is fairly high. The CHP academy is around 7 months long. Training is similar to boot camp. They train physically, high speed and safe driving techniques, weapons training, and of course they have to learn the vehicle code (it's a LOT bigger than you might think), and how to write reports. Getting into the academy is fairly difficult, and many cadets washout before finishing. There are so man…

> Training is similar to boot camp I somehow doubt it's harder than real boot camp in the marines, and their base pay is at least 5 times less!

I pulled my first pay stub from the Marines (2001-2005). $350 bi-weekly after taxes. 4-years/4-promotions later, I was sitting around $650 bi-weekly when I left to head to college.

We're both trained for completely different purposes. Without a doubt, sending a CHP officer into Marine Corps boot camp would be quite the whirl wind for the guy/gal.

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're worth every cent. Teaching and research medicine improves patient outcomes and is ultimately for generations other than our own.

What is your opinion on the massive college tuition bills people have to pay for them to be able to dish out salaries anywhere near this? Teaching staff scale badly, sure some would be benefiting greatly from this professors expertise, but others would have little contact paying the same hefty tuition to support this kind of salary.

My opinion is that the compensation burden on the state is regularly offset by the distribution of grant funds.

Top talent attracts research funding that the state can't otherwise provide and guarantees future generations of doctors and scientists are trained using the most advanced technique and technology.

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#164

It's funny, one thing led to another earlier today and we found ourselves looking at the salaries for county workers in our area. Most of our county positions -- down to the road workers and clerical staff -- make more than I ever have. I'm struggling every month, growing a business, working a ton of hours, and these goons are drawing at least $50/month from every taxpayer in our county. I had to go outside and play…

And you should see how slowly they move when they do move. Some city workers were behind my condo complex reinforcing the levee. Took 2 vehicles and employees to spread stones out. One truck for 2 to take a perpetual break and the other to occasionally spread some stones around to look busy. I guarantee you a private levee gets fixed in 1/10 the time and for 1/20 the cost.

oops. that should read "2 vehicles and 3 employees".

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#165
post #61
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't trade jobs with a CHP officer either but I do have to wonder about the skill level. I'm sure it's harder than I think but the job still boils down to parking on the side of the freeway, spotting violators, chasing them for about a minute and then writing them a ticket. Is that really worth $48+ an hour? Because that seems to be around the average pay (The CHP has a very powerful union so their base pay hou…

Actually, the skill level is fairly high. The CHP academy is around 7 months long. Training is similar to boot camp. They train physically, high speed and safe driving techniques, weapons training, and of course they have to learn the vehicle code (it's a LOT bigger than you might think), and how to write reports. Getting into the academy is fairly difficult, and many cadets washout before finishing. There are so man…

Do so many highway stops involve those skills that all officers must have them? Seems like highways should have a "parking enforcer" level instead/too sometimes.

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Popular wisdom in California is that the budget problem is happening because it's too hard to raise taxes.

Bunk. Spending doubled in Cali between 1996 and 2006, up $100 billion. I read somewhere that when Prop 13 passed, revenue from property taxes was $5 billion and now its over $40 billion. The real problem is that our interests are not represented in Sacramento.

"I read somewhere that when Prop 13 passed, revenue from property taxes was $5 billion and now its over $40 billion"

So? Prop 13 passed in 1978. How much has the value of the property increased in that time? Have property tax revenues even kept up with inflation?

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It also includes being a first responder to accidents. And watching over the cleanup of said accidents. People burned alive in cars. Children strewn across highways. And knowing every violation stop is a potential end to your life. Who knows who that driver is and what they're going to do? Do I want the job? No thanks. They're more than welcome to those salaries for what they deal with.

> Who knows who that driver is and what they're going to do? They're in much greater danger of being killed in an ordinary car accident than by a driver with murderous intent.

Standing on the side of the road next to a pulled-over car is a known way to get yourself hit by another car.

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#168
post #6

Wow this is weird, I went to elementary school with one of these guys and now I can look up his salary on the Internet. His 2009 pay is more than my base salary this year at Google, though I will probably make more with my bonus. However, he's on a very steep upward trend so his 2010 pay will probably be more than mine again. I don't think I'd trade jobs, though, police work isn't for me. (Edit: also just noticed tha…

If you work at Google then you might not be eligible. A lot of police departments have a maximum IQ cap that would rule out most Google employees.

Not so much an 'IQ cap' but they don't want to hire people who will leave soon for better jobs.

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bunk. Spending doubled in Cali between 1996 and 2006, up $100 billion. I read somewhere that when Prop 13 passed, revenue from property taxes was $5 billion and now its over $40 billion. The real problem is that our interests are not represented in Sacramento.

"I read somewhere that when Prop 13 passed, revenue from property taxes was $5 billion and now its over $40 billion" So? Prop 13 passed in 1978. How much has the value of the property increased in that time? Have property tax revenues even kept up with inflation?

There is also more property being taxed than in the '70s. My father loves to drive around California and point out all the homes and businesses that weren't around when he lived here in the mid-'70s.
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