Ihateliz Thanks for the post...not only are our state reps crooks but apparently so are a few flagmen!!! I just read an article that states a certified baystate flagger with over 65 arrests was charged with 7 bank robberies also know as the U30 bandit! This same flagman had the b@##s to tell a STATE TROOPER who pulled him over for speeding "it's ok I am on the job" LOL and then pulled out his flagman union card! What a joke! We need police officers on details it has been shown time and again these officers are extra eyes and ears on our streets! We need to stand up to this BOS and tell our Police Officers that we support them!!!! I hope the next time you see an officer on the street or in a car you stop and tell them how much you care and support them!  I have and I really think it they appreciate it! They need all the help they can get!

Its great flag men,
went by one the other day ,
holding a sign .
wow , traffic jam,
no idea to direct traffic?
good news ,you could fly by at 45 mph,
when if the police were there  you would be at 25 mph.
what a great idea.

I TALKED TO ONE OF THE FAGMEN , THE FLAGMAN GETS 40  DOLLARSAN HR, AND THE COMPANY WHO HIRED HIM GETS 40 DOLLARD AN HR , WHERE  AS THE PRESENT POLICEMEN GET 40 DOLLARS AN HR BUT THERE IS NO MIDDLEMEN,AND  HE SAID THE TREE CO WHO WAS DOING THE WORK LIKES THE POLICE DETAILS BECAUSE  THEY COST THEM  HALF AS MUCH , AND REMEMBER THEY ARE A SECOND PAIR OF EYES AND EARS OUT THERE WATCHING OUT FOR US.

IHATESLAGER wrote:

Born the prevailing wage for a laborer in mass is 37 an hour, you would at least have to pay a flagman that and now you have to pay for insurance and liability . You did not have to do this with the cops since they were covered by the town or city. Much cheaper

Yes, I understand that cops would be cheaper, ins. and liability included.  What laborer makes $37.00 hour in Ma..  I'm sure this is written in as an average, but not in the Wareham.  Bristol County and Plymouth County machine operators are around $30.oo an hour and non union construction companies are limiting their operators to 40 hours allowing them to keep them all working.  G.Lopes has put operators with years of experience back to driving truck at an even lower rate.  Last winter they only worked three days a week and were not given any raises, in fact they haven't raised any pay rates in two years.  So if operators get $30, how are laborers making $37 per hour.  Not arguing with you, but how do they come up with these figures.  A federal or state job pays more, understandably, calling them rate jobs, but those are far and few between and must be bid on.  So in order to bid the job and win, you must include $80.00 for every hour a flag man is needed.  Outright rediculous.     I think we need some normal, every day folks that deal with paying personal bills every week to be running our state.  The homemakers/breadwinners are on a strict budget.  As of Onset said yesterday, these people need to see a dime as a dime, not as $1,000.  What a mess we are in.

TBL wrote:

bornofwareham, I don't know exactly why flagmen make so much money and cost more than police officers, but I do know that the public has been duped by politicians with pledges of detail reform that they flat out lied would save everyone money. When you have a police officer working a detail you literally have an extra cop on the street. Multiply that by a few details a day and you have cops scattered around town supplementing the on duty cops.

Another lie is that Massachusetts is the only state that uses police officers for road work. They may use police officers to less of an extent but it is a complete lie that Massachusetts is the only state that uses police for roadwork.

You know, I don't lie and when I hear about a liar, especially one in office, it makes me sick.  That's probably why the selectmen and ITA and TM Donahue make me sick.               Oh, yes I heard the detail man chase on the scanner
and was cheering for him.  We have a really good bunch of officers in Wareham.   Very observant and radio ready!

IHATESLAGER wrote:

The laborers in town have been making 37 hr. Operators 50 plus. It the mass prevailing wage

That must be for either town employees or state.