Earlier this week Ventura City Councilman Neal Andrews penned an opinion piece about the scandal in Bell and the problem with public employee over-compensation.
It's not Councilman Andrews that is confused. He says that elected officials have a duty to the taxpayer to pay public employees a wage that is consistent with the PRIVATE sector, not what other cities pay.
A 33-year public employee responded in an editorial of his own, writing that Andrews "tarnished" public employees.
He insults all hard-working municipal employees when he suggests that the corruption of top officials in the city of Bell is even remotely associated with the struggles of public sector union members to maintain livable wages and modest pensions.
OK, "livable wages" is a total BS phrase, as if the author is going to starve to death if he gets a 7 percent pay cut. He may have to give up some comforts, but his wage not being livable? Come on. But it gets worse from here.
But, the salaries and benefits of Ventura employees are already below the labor market, and Andrews knows this.
Wait a minute...the labor market (in this sense) is pretty much defined as what other cities are paying for the same work, correct? But the author JUST SAID that overcompensation in cities like Bell is not relevant. It almost sounds like the author wants to take into consideration what other cities are paying employees when it benefits him, and conveniently ignoring that when it doesn't!
What is often overlooked in all the political posturing is that the recent increases in pension costs are not the result of benefit increases. They are the fallout of the market crash of 2008-09 from which the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and other public pension funds are still recovering.Andrews should be advocating stricter regulations of Wall Street financial institutions that damaged our economy rather than scape-goating public employees, who, like the vast majority of American workers, are struggling to make ends meet.
Like the vast majority of American workers? The vast majority of American workers do not have cushy defined benefit retirement plans. For you private sector workers that don't know what that is, defined benefit means that the taxpayers chip into the pension fund to make up for any loss in market value of their retirement investments. Does that sound like YOUR 401K?
No, that's only for spoiled public employees, not "the vast majority of American workers."
The councilman is confused. On the one hand, he states that "elected officials have a duty to the taxpayer to assure that what we pay is consistent with the labor market." But, he then proceeds to rail against "the error of leaders who argue that public agencies must offer pay equal to other cities to stay competitive." Which is it?
Of course, the author is a chapter president of SEIU, so maybe he has to say these things. I doubt by bringing his gripes to the public he'll engender much sympathy from regular Joe private sector workers. He certainly won't from this one.
Eric Ingemunson's commentary has been featured on Hannity, CNN, NBC, Inside Edition, and KFI's The John and Ken Show.
Eric was born and raised in Ventura County and currently resides in Moorpark. He earned a master's degree in Public Policy and Administration from California Lutheran University. As a conservative, Eric supports smaller government, less taxation, more individual freedom, the rule of law, and a strict adherence to the Constitution.
Neal Andrews is right on the mark. SEIU is going to say whatever it has to say to keep its members from losing one penny in pension benefits. Its all a big smokescreen and Eric is correct. They're not going to find a very sympathetic public out there, especially those who have lost their jobs in the private sector.
Eric,
Can you post all of the benefits for a Ventura City Council Member?
Yes please post the pers on pers and the pars you get then the stipen for each and every committee you sit on and do not forget the perdiums and free plane fare in all it should come to about 60 thousand a year for a part time benchseat warmer.
The government workers when they leave to work outside they start at a higher rate, and do not have to put up with the politician's friends coming in and demanding favors others can not have.
Quote:By SEIU is Part of the Problem on August 6, 2010 5:56 PM
Neal Andrews is right on the mark. SEIU is going to say whatever it has to say to keep its members from losing one penny in pension benefits. Its all a big smokescreen and Eric is correct. They're not going to find a very sympathetic public out there, especially those who have lost their jobs in the private sector. quote;
The City managers of these Cities have control of the money, not the unions or the lower employees that take care of the public. Police get mostly lifetime benefits and their partners are covered, some fire fighters get the same, and most of the budgets go to them. Most police can not qualify at the range with their service weapon; just ask the Range Marshal, if they are hurt while making a call on your property they will bring legal action at you. Fire Fighters today do less and less because the Fire Codes are mandating fire sprinklers in all buildings everywhere that is why they do the Para-Medic stuff now. The City managers are hiring as many management staff at high pay and stiffing the common worker, if you made the manager work as on the out side you would have a manager for every 10 workers., not around here all top heavy, reminds me of Bell.
The City of Bell Crash on pay scales, look where most of them people came from, follow their path, Ventura County Cities, is where they learned the game, check the management level in the cities.
Ventura City Council members make $7,200/year, with the exception of the Mayor, who makes a whopping $8,400/year. Some of them are retired or semi-retired, like Mike Tracy, Carl Morehouse, Neal Andrews, and Jim Monahan. But others, like Mayor Bill Fulton, Christy Weir, and Brian Brennan, actually hold other full-time jobs. So, they have to squeeze their City Council meetings, committee meetings, and all the other time they spend on City business in between their work life and family life.
This is not a glamorous or financially rewarding life, folks. It's mostly about serving the community they love. They certainly don't have the generous pension plans that most City employees receive.
You had better check all the benifits and committees fee's, Pers on Pers and Pars on top of that, if they are not getting that then they are the only ones in Ventura County not getting the fat cat benifits and committee fees and stipens. Wake up you are part of the problem if you trust all they say. The local employees so not have the control of the money. If you want to see those Quote; generous pension plans that most City employees receive Quotye; then you had better check those figures again, but this time check the upper managements retirement. Not the worker sweeping the streets but the departmentheads, CM, and so on. Go look at what a cop makes while on W/C limited duty and sitting at the dispatchers seat making all that overtime. Go where the money really is dude!
108K a year turns into 200K with over time. Stay off the clerks backs that answer the phones and the guys down at the sewer plant making sure your crap does not stink, stay off their backs also.
I just told you what they make. You cannot dispute that because it's the facts. Check yourself and let me know if I missed anything, but I doubt I did.
Yet you continue to whine about the poor public employees. Well, let me tell you something, buster. All of these guys, from the top executives down to the sewer plant operators and street sweepers, have a job - a good job with good retirement benefits, health care, and vacation and sick leave. We in the private sector don't get that. All we get when the economy tanks is a notice that the company can't afford to keep us on the payroll any longer.
I suggest you stop your whining and count your blessings. Like I said before, you won't find too many sympathetic ears out there when you start complaining that your benefits are being reduced. Thank your lucky stars you still have a job!
I hate dealing with the Government, It is a thankless job but someone has to do it and I'm thankful&greatful they do it. Any time I go into a government office I get service and pay what ever fees I have to. I'm not complaining about my stuff, you are complaining what others have that you did not and are not going to get because you did not want to work for the Government and make those low wages at that time, you most likey did not save your money either jobs are tight and very hard to come by. Now you want to slam others that are good workers that have have put up with the likes of you and Me, they are working and you are now, Not?.
By the way, councils get way more than that posted little fee you think they get. By the time the benifits are paid out the amount is mostly up around the SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS,upper case was used so you could see it and I wanted to be sure I wrote it correctly.