Category Archives: Measure P – Firefighters Union Initiative

Articles and information on Measure P, the firefighters’ union initiative on the city of El Segundo general municipal election ballot on April 10, 2012.

Measure P will disband the El Segundo local city Fire Department for a minimum of ten years, and force the city to contract with Los Angeles County for a greatly reduced level of fire and paramedic service.

Measure P will permanently eliminate the city’s three paramedic ambulances, and greatly increase hospital emergency transport times and fees for El Segundo residents.

The El Segundo Firefighters’ “Association” (union) put Measure P on the ballot to protect their wildly excessive salaries, benefits, and pensions, and their jobs, at the cost of money and lives for El Segundo residents.

Thank You to the 90 Percent of Voters who Voted Against El Segundo Measure P, the Firefighter Union’s Initiative

by Michael D. Robbins Director, Public Safety Project May 18, 2012 Thank you to the 90 percent of El Segundo voters who voted against Measure P, the firefighter union’s initiative, and to those who campaigned against it. I campaigned against … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Thank You to the 90 Percent of Voters who Voted Against El Segundo Measure P, the Firefighter Union’s Initiative

Thank You – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Helen Armstrong

Thank You

I am delighted that Carl Jacobson has been reelected to serve our community and has been selected by four of our five city council members to be our mayor. Only Marie Fellhauer voted “No.”

Carl has selflessly served our community with integrity and distinction for many years, giving much time out of his life for altruistic reasons. He has the experience and motivation, and now enough support on the council with Suzanne Fuentes and David Atkinson, to help get our city back on the right track.

I am also delighted that ninety percent of the voters rejected Measure P, and instead voted to keep our local fire department and paramedic ambulances.

Mike Robbins led an informative and persistent campaign against Measure P since mid-2010. It took much of his time and effort to educate and motivate our community on this important issue, and our city’s future will be better as a result of his efforts.

I am grateful that our community has good citizens who give so much of themselves and expect so little in return. I am also grateful for those in our community who cared and supported them and their efforts. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, Firefighter Union Corruption, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Thank You – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Helen Armstrong

Vents about Public Employee Unions – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Kip Haggerty

Vents about Public Employee Unions

I would like to congratulate the citizens of El Segundo on their stinging electoral rebuke to the public employee unions. To vote Carl Jacobson back in with the most votes after the vicious attack perpetrated upon him and then for the Council to elect him mayor speaks volumes. The shellacking that Measure P took is indicative of the mood that many shared, that the lies the Fire Department pollsters told in their early push poll were irrelevant, only local control mattered.

I saw Marie Fellhauer’s first act was supporting Bill Fisher for Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. This reminded me of Don Brann’s support for Eric Busch because it was “his turn” to be Mayor. She’ll be a one termer too. While I appreciate that Marie and Don have given up their time to serve, the mindset a public employee brings to the Council is inconsistent with fiscal responsibility and their natural tendency is to represent public employee unions instead of the citizens.

I hope that the public employee unions have learned their lesson. You can’t shake down your neighbors for excessive pay and benefits in a down economy. The money simply isn’t there. I also hope they will listen to Dave Atkinson on pension reform ideas because the same sad fate may befall them as many private sector union members. When their companies went bankrupt, they got only a fraction of their pension … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Vents about Public Employee Unions – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Kip Haggerty

Reelecting Jacobson – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Helen Armstrong

Reelecting Jacobson

I am delighted that El Segundo City Councilman Carl Jacobson has been re-elected to serve our community and has been selected by four of our five City Council members to be our mayor. Only Marie Fellhauer voted “No.”

Carl has selflessly served our community with integrity and distinction for many years, giving much time out of his life for altruistic reasons. He has the experience and motivation, and now enough support on the council with Suzanne Fuentes and David Atkinson, to help get our city back on the right track.

I am also delighted that 90 percent of the voters rejected Measure P, and instead voted to keep our local fire department and paramedic ambulances.

Mike Robbins led an informative and persistent campaign against Measure P since mid-2010. It took much of his time and effort to educate and motivate our community on this important issue, and our city’s future will be better as a result of his efforts.

I am grateful that our community has good citizens who give so much of themselves and expect so little in return. … Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Firefighter Union Corruption, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Reelecting Jacobson – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Helen Armstrong

Election recap – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Election recap

Thank you to the 90 percent of voters who voted against Measure P, the firefighter union’s initiative, and to those who campaigned against it. I campaigned against Measure P since at least August 2010, and the results are spectacular.

The firefighter union gave up campaigning when their professional polls determined it would lose by a wide margin, due to our early and sustained campaign against P. They did not give up as a favor to residents. We continuously campaigned against P to ensure success, because of the likely loss of life if it were to pass.

We defeated the two candidates endorsed and funded by the self-serving police union – progressive candidate Scott Houston, who falsely campaigned as a conservative, opposite his true record, and Cindy Mortesen. I wonder how the police officers and firefighters can be trusted on their jobs when they are blatantly dishonest in city election campaigns.

Carl Jacobson is vindicated and is mayor. Cindy Topar finished last. Topar and/or her campaign supporter, Peggy Boulgarides – wife of firefighter Jim Boulgarides – were responsible for the anonymous El Segundo Herald ad urging voters to watch the discredited KCET propaganda video attacking Chevron and Jacobson. Boulgarides called me on March 24 to take responsibility, but may have been covering for Topar.

I campaigned using facts, logical reasoning and proof including videos (at http://PublicSafetyProject.org/) for the best candidates, and against Measure P and the worst candidates. Bruce Meredith and other progressives may find that “dangerous,” but our community is safer as a result. … Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Firefighter Union Corruption, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Election recap – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Kudos to El Segundo voters – Letter to the Daily Breeze by Michael D. Robbins

Daily Breeze

dailybreeze.com

LAX TO L.A. HARBOR

Letters to the Editor for Monday, April 23, 2012

Posted: 04/22/2012 02:02:23 PM PDT
April 22, 2012 9:27 PM GMT
Updated: 04/22/2012 02:26:15 PM PDT

Kudos to El Segundo voters

Thank you to the 90 percent of El Segundo voters who rejected Measure P. We saved El Segundo City Fire Department from selfish firefighters only interested in maximizing their salaries and job security. Measure P would have disbanded our Fire Department, contracted with Los Angeles County for significantly reduced emergency services and endangered lives. The firefighter union quit campaigning when their professional polls determined it would lose by a wide margin because of our early and sustained campaign against P. They did not give up as a favor to residents. We defeated the two candidates endorsed and funded by the self-serving police union: Progressive candidate Scott Houston who falsely campaigned as a conservative and Cindy Mortesen.

— Michael D. Robbins, El Segundo


Note: This letter was edited down by the Daily Breeze from the original 150 word letter that was submitted. Here is the original letter as it was submitted:

El Segundo Election Victories

Thank you to the 90 percent of voters who voted against Measure P, the firefighter union’s initiative, and those who campaigned against it. We saved our city fire department from selfish firefighters only interested in maximizing their salaries and job security. Measure P would have disbanded our fire department, contracted with L.A. County for significantly reduced emergency services, and endangered lives.

The firefighter union quit campaigning when their professional polls determined it would lose by a wide margin, due to our early and sustained campaign against P. They did not give up as a favor to residents.

We defeated the two candidates endorsed and funded by the self-serving police union – Progressive candidate Scott Houston, who falsely campaigned as a Conservative, opposite his true record, and Cindy Mortesen.

I wonder how the police officers and firefighters can be trusted on their jobs when they are blatantly dishonest in city election campaigns. … Continue reading

Posted in Daily Breeze Letters, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, Firefighter Union Corruption, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Kudos to El Segundo voters – Letter to the Daily Breeze by Michael D. Robbins

Carl Jacobson selected as new El Segundo mayor, Suzanne Fuentes as Mayor Pro Tem – Marie Fellhauer and Bill Fisher lose first two key votes

by Michael D. Robbins April 18, 2012 The newly elected El Segundo City Council members, City Clerk, and City Treasurer were sworn in at the April 17, 2012 City Council meeting, one week after the April 10 El Segundo General … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Firefighter Union Corruption, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Carl Jacobson selected as new El Segundo mayor, Suzanne Fuentes as Mayor Pro Tem – Marie Fellhauer and Bill Fisher lose first two key votes

Vote “NO” on Measure P, the Fire Union’s Initiative

by Michael D. Robbins
Director, Public Safety Project, PublicSafetyProject.org

Below is the content from the front side of an information flyer distributed to residents city-wide in El Segundo, California, on April 8, 2014, the Sunday before the April 10, 2012 General Municipal Election. However, the actual flyer was titled: Vote “NO” on Measure P, and Against SCOTT HOUSTON !

The back side of the flyer provided information on Scott Houston’s true ideology, politics, and track record.

A list of information sources for this flyer and a summary of the election results and lack of union electoral success follow the flyer content below.


Vote “NO” on Measure P, the Fire Union’s Initiative

Background

  • Measure P is the Fire Union’s Initiative – They put it on the ballot to maximize their salaries and job security at our expense in lives and money
  • Disbands our Local City Fire Department for at least ten years under state law
  • Forces our City to contract with L.A. County for significantly reduced fire & paramedic services in a One-Sided Contract that gives L.A. County ALL of the Bargaining Power
  • L.A. County will Unilaterally set the Contract Price, Terms, and Service Level

Service Cuts

  • Cuts number of on-duty Firefighters by 31%, from 16 to 11 – a staffing level even Fire Union President Christopher Thomason admitted was unsafe (on 1/18/11)
  • Eliminates TWO of our THREE Paramedic Rescue Squads
  • Permanently eliminates ALL three of our City-operated Paramedic Ambulances – The L.A. County Fire Dept. DOES NOT operate Paramedic Ambulances
  • Forces residents to use Out-of-Town Private Ambulance Companies – with Significantly Increased Hospital Transport Times and Patient Fees
  • We Need Our Paramedic Ambulances Most – Each year there are 0 or 1 major structure fires, but an average of 758 Paramedic Ambulance Hospital Transports
  • Delays Emergency Response – Routes 911 calls through TWO Dispatch Centers
  • Firefighters serving El Segundo will routinely be sent Out of Town to other L.A. County cities, far more often than out-of-town firefighters will come to El Segundo

Other Issues

  • We already have 70 plus Firefighters Available under Existing Mutual Aid Agreements with L.A. County and South Bay cities
  • 70 Firefighters Responded to the 3/13/11 helicopter crash at Raytheon Bldg. E1
  • No Accountability – Insulates Firefighters and Paramedics from Accountability to any City Official – they will Report to a Remote L.A. County Fire Chief in Gardena
  • Lose Ability to Control Costs – Prevents reduction of Fire Union Excessive and Unsustainable Salaries and Benefits costing $150,000 to $335,000 per employee
  • All El Segundo Fire Dept. Vehicles and Equipment become L.A. County Property
  • Any Cost Savings from Measure P will be Temporary, will result from Drastic Emergency Service Cuts, and will go to Pay for More Big Police Union Pay Raises

This flyer is a response to late campaign mailers and late campaign contribution reports.
Check the PublicSafetyProject.org web site for documentation & responses to any last-minute hit pieces.
Authored by Michael D. Robbins. Not authorized or endorsed by any candidate or committee.
Paid for by Michael D. Robbins, P.O. Box 2193, El Segundo, CA 90245. 4/6/2012 Rev. 4


Information sources for this flyer include:

  • Results from Public Records Act requests by Michael D. Robbins;
  • Text of the Measure P voter initiative petition circulated by the El Segundo Firefighters’ Association (union) members;
  • City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis of Measure P written for the Sample Ballot/Voter Information Guide;
  • The Feasibility Study for the Provision of Fire Protection, Paramedic and Incidental Services for the City of El Segundo by the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County, approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 8-17-2010;
  • A press conference held by El Segundo Fire Chief Kevin Smith on March 13, 2011, across the street from the helicopter crash site at Raytheon Company (legacy Hughes Aircraft Company) Building E1 on El Segundo Blvd., attended by Michael D. Robbins;
  • Answers to questions asked by Michael D. Robbins of El Segundo City officials including City Council Members Carl Jacobson and Suzanne Fuentes;
  • Direct observation and photographic and video documentation of Los Angeles County paramedic service operations by Michael D. Robbins; and
  • Analysis by Michael D. Robbins and David Burns.

Election Results:

Measure P, the Fire Union’s Initiative, was defeated with 90.1% voting “NO”. Also, the two City Council candidates endorsed and funded by the El Segundo Police Officers’ Association (the police union) – Scott Houston and former City Clerk Cindy Mortesen – were defeated.

The El Segundo Fire Union probably spent more than $100,000 on their Measure P campaign. The union membership voted on December 6, 2011 to provide their professional campaign consultant Frank Caterinicchio with a $75,000 campaign budget. The union hired an attorney to draft the Measure P initiative and petition, and to file a lawsuit against the City and appear in court in an attempt to change wording in the City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis. The union spent money sending out Measure P campaign mailers. And the union hired a professional polling company to do an initial telephone push-poll and two tracking push-polls of El Segundo voters, with numerous questions related to Measure P and public perception of the fire union and the various City Council candidates. The cost of polling increases as the number and complexity of the poll questions increase.

The union even offered to pay for the cost of an early Special Election within a few months in May or June of 2011, that would have given the union a significant unfair electoral advantage, but after much public pressure was applied, the City Council voted 3-2 to put Measure P on the ballot for the regularly scheduled April 10, 2012 General Municipal Election, allowing sufficient time to run an effective low-cost grassroots campaign against Measure P. The cost of the grassroots campaign against Measure P was insignificant. Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Vote “NO” on Measure P, the Fire Union’s Initiative

Video – El Segundo City Payroll Gone Mad, featuring Charles Payne and Mike Robbins on Fox Business Network



El Segundo City Payroll Gone Mad, featuring Charles Payne and Mike Robbins on Fox Business Network


El Segundo City Payroll Gone Mad, featuring Charles Payne and Mike Robbins on Fox-T1155

This video features a segment from the Fox Business Network Varney & Co. show that was broadcast on August 17, 2010. The segment is an interview of former El Segundo City Councilman Mike Robbins about the wildly excessive and unsustainable city employee salaries, especially those for the firefighter and police employees.

Note that all the salary figures quoted in the Fox interview are Total Earnings only, and DO NOT include the cost of benefits and CalPERS pension contributions. The much larger Total Compensation figures, which DO include benefits and pension contributions, are available from Mike Robbins at PublicSafetyProject.org.

This video is in part an answer to the totally discredited KCET SoCal Connected propaganda video by producer Karen Foshay titled, “Small Town, Big Oil” produced by Karen Foshay. That KCET video dishonestly and unfairly attacked Chevron and the very honorable City Councilman Carl Jacobson in a very classical news media hatchet-job.

Note that the Fox show was broadcast long before the KCET SoCal Connected propaganda video. The KCET video was based almost entirely on false statements made by fired El Segundo city manager Doug Willmore, whom I have learned is very likely a pathological liar and an unreliable person to use as a basis for any news report or video. In fact, I am quite certain that that Willmore’s habitual lying was one of multiple good cause reasons for which he was fired. The KCET video was also based in part on statements made by an out-of-town, anti-oil political activist that nobody in town has heard of before.

The Fox interview helps explain why the fire and police unions endorse candidates for City Council, and contribute thousands of dollars in cash, campaign mailers, and other campaign support to their approved candidates. The police and fire unions endorse and campaign for the candidates who will give them the biggest pay raises, no matter how excessive and unsustainable, and who will raise your taxes and fees to pay for it.

The fire and police unions are the primary cause of our financial problems in El Segundo, not Chevron, as the fire and police unions want us to believe.

Chevron is a taxpayer, and the fire and police unions are tax takers. Chevron pays plenty of taxes, and the fire and police unions take plenty of taxes – about $8 Million extra per year in wildly excessive and unsustainable salaries, benefits, and pensions. The city does not pay to provide city infrastructure and services on the massive 951-acre Chevron property that it pays a fortune to provide and maintain in the residential and other commercial and industrial areas of the city. In fact, for that reason Chevron’s taxes may actually be too high.


VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Video – El Segundo City Payroll Gone Mad, featuring Charles Payne and Mike Robbins on Fox Business Network

Video – Vote NO on Measure P Cartoon featuring FIRE HERO and SMART LADY



Vote NO on Measure P Cartoon featuring FIRE HERO and SMART LADY


This very funny cartoon was created by one of our Public Safety Project supporters on February 9, 2011. He took a few liberties in making the video, but it is basically correct. All the title slides containing text information are Mike Robbins’ work and contain correct information.


Measure P will permanently eliminate El Segundo’s three city-operated paramedic ambulances forever, because the Los Angeles County Fire Department does not operate paramedic ambulances, and El Segundo will permanently lose its legal grandfathered status to operate them.

This will force city residents to use out-of-town private ambulance companies with significantly increased hospital transport times and ambulance fees. The City currently only charges residents what their insurance will pay.

The following data shows that El Segundo residents rely far more on their city-operated paramedic ambulances than on firefighters putting out fires. There were zero major residential structure fires (defined as having $100,000 or more in damage) in El Segundo from January 1, 2008 through April 30 2011.

During that same period, there was an average of 828 paramedic ambulance transports of victims to a hospital per year (city-wide).

El Segundo residents will be far worse off if Measure P passes and as a result they lose their three city-operated paramedic ambulances.

This data is from public record documents obtained from the El Segundo Fire Department in May, 2011 by Mike Robbins, former El Segundo City Councilman and director of the El Segundo Public Safety Project.

If measure P passes, residents will suffer reduced paramedic services and reduced fire protection services.

Number of Major Structure Fires per Year ( > $100,000 damage ):
2008: 1 (129 Arena St. – Commercial Building fire)
2009: 0
2010: 1 (1970 E Imperial Hwy. / Raytheon Bldg. R1 – Commercial Building fire)
2011: 1* (2000 E El Segundo Blvd. / Raytheon Bldg. E1 – Commercial Building fire due to Helicopter Crash)
*Through April 30

Number of Paramedic Hospital Transports per year:
2008: 777
2009: 737
2010: 674
2011: 281*
*Through April 30


Video Transcript:

VOTE “NO” ON MEASURE P featuring FIRE HERO & SMART LADY

This is a special presentation of the Public Safety Project
PublicSafetyProject.org
YouTube.com/user/PublicSafetyProject

( Watch the cartoon. ) … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Video – Vote NO on Measure P Cartoon featuring FIRE HERO and SMART LADY