Sunday, April 20, 2014

Public Unions: Taking Your Living

File:Our Trade Union Brothers in the Forces are Giving their All to Rid the World of Fascism Art.IWMPST15517.jpglaura cipollari April 04, 2014 at 11:09 AM            
Are any of these public sector employees part of the 1%? They're your neighbors trying to make a middle class living. Try questioning the cities that have robbed their pension funds for a variety of reasons. -- Comment from El Segundo: Say "No!" to Measure A
 
Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi issued a similar attack ad against his opponent Craig Huey in 2012:
 
"Craig Huey thinks that police officers are a special interest."
 
This line or argument from public sector unions has attempted to shame opponents of big pensions and tax increases.
 
First of all, Huey was endorsed by the Torrance Police Officers Association because they trusted his character, did not think that he would lie to get ahead.
 
Second, public sector unions do not necessarily speak for every individual member. I know current and retired public safety officials who are Republicans, conservatives, who support low taxes and limited government whether at the city or state level. They object to their coerced membership in public unions. They further object t paying forced dues and endure their union leaders spend the funds on candidates and causes which they do not support.
 
Now, Ms. Cipollari's comment offers another argument to smear critics of  public sector employee excessive pensions and  benefits, as though the police, fire, and other public works personnel are just down-on-their-luck working-class or struggling middle-class employees.
 
This assessment is completely flawed.
 
Consider these payouts in Torrance:
 
      
NameJob titleBase payOvertime payOther pay Total
benefits
Total pay &
benefits
DUMAIS, DAVID A. Deputy Fire Chief
Torrance, 2012
$166,730.98$0.00$127,568.03$133,858.46$428,157.47
NEU, JOHN J. Police Chief
Torrance, 2012
$236,516.80$0.00$22,889.25$154,280.58$413,686.63
RACOWSCHI, WILLIAM FIre Chief
Torrance, 2012
$223,745.61$0.00$48,297.81$132,780.21$404,823.63
KREAGER, KEVIN W. Police Captain
Torrance, 2012
$164,606.40$0.00$91,684.65$140,913.04$397,204.09
MATSUDA, MARK A. Police Captain
Torrance, 2012
$157,206.40$0.00$90,734.47$134,769.21$382,710.08
JEZULIN, MICHAEL C. Police Lieutenant
Torrance, 2012
$123,281.68$51,946.28$84,199.35$123,049.93$382,477.24
JACKSON, LEROY J. Manager, City
Torrance, 2012
$268,382.41$0.00$38,986.80$66,896.73$374,265.94
HANSEN, MICHAEL A. Fire Chief, Battalion
Torrance, 2012
$103,405.12$50,740.35$100,680.76$109,984.18$364,810.41
FELLOWS III, JOHN L. Attorney, City
Torrance, 2012
$259,209.60$0.00$29,976.19$65,267.94$354,453.73
KOZAK, CHRISTOPHER L. Police Sergeant
Torrance, 2012
$107,619.20$54,785.14$76,649.92$109,869.35$348,923.61
 
$400k + is a substantial sum.

The counterargument ensues -- these individuals fulfill widespread administrative responsibilities. Of course they receive such large salaries.

Then consider these numbers:

MAESTRI, HAROLD A. Police Officer
Torrance, 2012
$94,140.80$44,871.06$68,504.11$91,747.14$299,263.11
RASNICK, RYAN W. Fire Fighter
Torrance, 2012
$63,073.92$84,309.05$56,847.67$75,548.50$279,779.14

STEWART, RODNEY B. Fire Fighter
Torrance, 2012
$63,073.92$63,762.45$52,829.49$70,767.04$250,432.90

When reviewing the six figure total compensation which public sector employees take in every year, including lower ranking fire fighters and police officers, one finds that these public sector employees have plunged into 1% status.
 
Here's Redondo Beach:
 
NameJob titleBase payOvertime payOther pay Total
benefits
Total pay &
benefits
DAN MADRIGAL Fire Chief
Redondo Beach, 2012
$158,976.95$0.00$128,940.09$100,373.45$388,290.49
MICHAEL WEBB City Attorney
Redondo Beach, 2012
$241,374.02$0.00$51,942.09$74,266.02$367,582.13
ERIC BAKER Fire Captain
Redondo Beach, 2012
$89,951.93$42,103.83$89,770.06$94,047.96$315,873.78
KEVIN COFFELT Firefighter/Paramedic
Redondo Beach, 2012
$75,684.01$135,815.21$36,380.94$66,045.84$313,926.00
STEVEN HYINK Fire Division Chief
Redondo Beach, 2012
$127,168.25$26,473.32$52,643.27$101,522.43$307,807.27
PAUL LEPORE Fire Division Chief
Redondo Beach, 2012
$126,068.37$25,298.81$48,734.68$106,689.09$306,790.95
WILLIAM LEONARDI Chief Of Police
Redondo Beach, 2012
$168,579.67$0.00$23,707.17$113,953.42$306,240.26
WILLIAM WORKMAN City Manager
Redondo Beach, 2012
$200,248.29$0.00$36,848.47$63,030.06$300,126.82
JAMES ACQUARELLI Police Lieutenant
Redondo Beach, 2012
$96,426.99$0.00$98,196.07$87,464.20$282,087.26
GREGORY ALLEN Firefighter/Paramedic
Redondo Beach, 2012
$75,683.95$124,534.41$25,047.76$54,740.94$280,007.06
 
Wow! Redondo Beach is half the size of Torrance, yet the pay is comparable. "But those are administrators!"

FERNANDO MATA Police Officer
Redondo Beach, 2012
$64,079.40$75,223.05$50,056.78$59,137.21$248,496.44
 

CURT MAHONEY Firefighter/Paramedic
Redondo Beach, 2012
$75,684.11$80,697.01$10,406.22$50,158.75$216,946.09


STEVE FERNANDEZ Firefighter/Paramedic
Redondo Beach, 2012
$78,802.90$52,291.48$22,507.94$62,856.94$216,459.26
 
 
They're your neighbors trying to make a middle class living.
 
No. I have spoken with local city activists, who confirm that many of the public sector employees in the South Bay do not  live in the cities they serve. They may work in the city, but they do not live there, and therefore they do not pay city taxes nor will they suffer under any rising burden. Anyone whose salary accumulates $300k per year is not trying to make a living, but is vying to take the living from thousands of other taxpayers, while diminishing the proper disbursement of city funds to city services.
 
Public employees rake in huge amounts off "neighbors trying to make a middle class living". The reason so many property owners are struggling to make ends meet in South Bay homes, or why they find that their local leaders
 
Try questioning the cities that have robbed their pension funds for a variety of reasons.
 
Cities are getting robbed throughout the state of California because of excessive salaries, benefits, and pensions, approved by short-term minded city council leaders endorsed and funded by public sector unions. The long-term financial turmoil of these enormous payouts have pushed large municipalities such as San Jose and San Diego to issue voter-approved pension reforms. Four cities have sought bankruptcy protection because of these entitlement demands, including Stockton, which may face bankruptcy again because the city leaders and union officials restricted the first restructuring plan from reforming and limiting the public employee liabilities.
 
If there have been any robberies, it would be the union hall -- city hall corruption collusion in which public sector unions endorse accommodating candidates, who upon election approve lavish salaries, benefits, and pensions for the public employees, at the private citizens' expense.

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