and other recent civic meetings.
| Pacifica Index |
City council meeting of March 11, 2013
"Sewer charges, Recology agreement, and police contracts"
With permission from Chris Fogel, Editor & Publisher
Posted by Kathy Meeh
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
21 comments:
This is great! Cut 3% from cops and I was surprised to read Len Stone said he's sorry that the cops are targets and it won't happen again. Really?
Just a few weeks ago Mary Ann was quoted saying that her heart breaks at the thought of cutting city jobs or wages.
He guys, we elected you to represent the city and it's citizens NOT your co-worker buddies.
These statements by Mary Ann and Len (who I like) seem highly inappropriete and possibly illegal. I thought you weren't allowed to comment on future negotiations?
The council is supposed to be the company. The company should never tell the union that it's not going after more concessions in the future.
I'm very disappointed.
People running government and government unions comment on negotiations all the time. There's nothing inappropriate or illegal about it.
I believe it's a violation of Ca open meeting laws to discuss union negotiations in public.
Our city council is supposed to be on the side negotiating against the unions. It's a conflict of interest for them to be telling the unions "oh we're not going to try and negotiate more concessions next time.
Len is full of it. He clearly stated to some PD that "we are going to outsource you anyway".
He has become so transparent on what his agenda is. Can anyone say
County Supervisor in two years?
Unions mean votes and endorsements and the campaign donations that go with. Do you really believe our elected officials, or any others, would genuinely put city finances above future votes? Not for long. Wake up people! These little nips simply are not going to keep us afloat. And they don't signal any tough new attitude towards city employee compensation. Not at all. Council is tossing us a bone and hoping we'll applaud.
More accurately, they're praying we'll be so moved by their belt-tightening and mastery of the unions that we'll trust them with more tax dollars. Same old crap.
If, and it's a big if, that is really Mr. Stone's position on outsourcing then bravo! Let's get on with it. There is no white knight coming to save us. There is no economic development around the corner. Outsourcing remains the only big bucks real solution and at this point even that may not be enough. Play games long enough and nothing will be enough.
After 5 years of financial crisis, I would love to see just a simple comparison of total payroll costs in 2010, 2011 and 2012. I think that would tell a very scary story. Surely they have all these numbers ready since they're claiming some vague slight overall improvement. Show us the numbers!
I think that this city has never seen the control and reduction of payroll and benefits as a key element to making Pacifica solvent. It's just too tough and politically too risky.
5 years of financial crisis? Try more like 25+.
Back off of Stone you imbeciles. As soon as someone takes the risk to solve problems you nic pic them and their every fn move and breath they take. I am sick of all of you and you should be arrested for obstruction. This is how serious our debt problems have become. You want to eat? Then help out and quit complaining.
At least according to the comments in this thread, Len Stone has said that the cops won't be targets again AND he has told the cops "we're going to outsource you anyway." Did he say both things? If so, that's not taking a risk to solve a problem, that's making things worse.
@ Anon 859, I don't think it's "nitpicking" to call our council people out when they say they won't be tough on the unions in the future.
They "say" they cut some imaginary money in negotiations and we're supposed to go wow we must bend over now?
Me thinks not.
I don't really believe this conflict of interest is about votes from the 200 city workers and families. It's more about that they know and work with these people. They talk with the police, thefiremen the Parks and Rec people everyday. Do you think it's easy for them to look them in the eye? That's why Mary Ann said her heart breaks at the thought of making cuts to city workers. And that's why Len just said he won't target the police anymore for cuts.
Tasa:
Pardon, Lenny, your pardon,
For we have sacrificed much
And do hope to be remembered
For all we have done
And all given for the city.
Mary A.:
O, Pacifica!
Lenny:
Hence! Wilt thou lift up our revenue!
Mary A.:
Great Pacifica!
Tasa:
Doth not Lenny make promise fair
To the faces of my brothers?
Lenny:
Speak, hands, for me! [they stab Tasa]
Tasa:
Et tu, Lenny? Then fall, Tasa! [dies]
Mary A.:
Liberty! Freedom! Pacifica is dead!
10:50
Sneaky Pete says. Lenny will never be half the Mayor I was.
The saving are not from wages but rather perks like buy back programs for sick/vacation days and a holiday. Nothing was given up but "princess perks" by either of the three associations. Much ado about nothing.
Can we get rid of council members and have county take over.
I am sorry but unfortunately there is no solution. We the citizen are paying them salaries for nothing.
They are going to get more and more from our pockets. Getting work is difficult,small business are suffering the most.
We need to get unity and do something.
Enough is enough.
Council had warning and opportunities from 2008 forward to stop the meltdown but they failed to act responsibly. Nothing they've done has changed our course.
Revenue? No new sources and some of the old ones are ending. Solutions? New taxes. Cuts to a bloated payroll? Not even to their own pay. The city payroll is flat at best--if you believe the very carefully crafted city statement. Flat for how long? And of course when we say none of them wants to piss off the unions we're not talking about only the votes of the 200 employees and fams but about the Labor endorsement that still means something to union members and which you usually need to get elected in SMC. None of them will screw with that.
And I don't buy the overwrought politician's "it breaks my heart" crap. The only 5 people in this town who could have prevented layoffs were completely ineffective, they made the situation worse, and are now crying about it. Save your sympathy for people who deserve it.
What next? Full-tilt, Hollywood-worthy campaign for a new tax measure. It'll pass because there is no other choice. Then we can wonder what happened to that money which was never enough. We've all seen this movie before, right?
Bray is right about the so-called cuts. Council is playing word games with the public. Half-assed, half-hearted, incompetent effort by this council to cut wages and benefits. Not a surprise, not at all. Expect loopholes in the agreements. What did O'Neill, who has the most extensive labor experience of anyone on council, and thinks for himself, find so objectionable that he voted against the 3 police contracts?
@1254 Pacifica has proven it can't manage it's own house. Too bad we're too big to unincorporate. How about a merger with DC or HMB?Not perfectly run but jeezlaweez no matter who we elect in pacifica they are inert, not transparent, and soon forget who they work for.
Bankruptcy.
The county doesn't want Pacifica cause they would have take on the debt.
Bankruptcy is out because that would be a solution to our problems and council doesn't solve problems. They spin them.
We'll scrape along the bottom, definitely vote for more taxes, the town will become even more rundown looking, we'll watch as council squanders more money, wait for that knight in shining armor who will probably again be driven off by the new and improved hippies.
Meanwhile, the simple passage of time-- every politician's best friend--will bury old problems and bring us new ones. Pathetica never changes.
This council is just like the councils of old.
Tax and spend.
Post a Comment