I was very surprised that Simi Valley Police Officers would picket outside the home of a city council member and I am not sure if it had the intended impact that the union wanted. If their goal was to attract media attention and to show they are willing to play hardball it worked. They have started a Youtube video channel to better communicate their message to the public.

Because the negotiations are done in private it is difficult to figure out what exactly the issues that are being confronted include. Most of us understand compensation negotiations but the rest of the disputes needs to be explained better by both sides if they want to rally the public.

The Simi Valley Police Officers Association ran an ad in The Acorn showing the cost of each council member to be around $50,000 once the city pays for their salary, healthcare, retirement, and other benefits. I have a press inquiry in with the city to see if that figure is accurate.

Overall, whose message do you think is resonating with the public more?