Category Archives: Historical News

Historical news articles and information.

1970-1972 Firefighter and Police Union City Council Campaigns

Former Mayors Reflect on Past Challenges

October 28, 2010

By Brian Simon

Mayor Gordon Stephens (1970-1972): Stephens sees a parallel between the current contentious labor talks between the City Council and local bargaining units and what he described as “difficulties negotiating with our safety employees” during his tenure. “They went door to door to gain sympathetic supporters,” he remembers, noting that attendance at the hearing was so large as to cause the meeting to move its location to the high school auditorium. “The council’s initial position was that after a survey of other cities’ pay and benefits, we offered the midpoint of the survey, realizing El Segundo did not have as much hazardous activity as any of the surveyed cities,” Stephens said. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo News, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Historical News, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 1970-1972 Firefighter and Police Union City Council Campaigns

Mayor Carl Jacobson provided leadership to resolve 1988 revenue crisis

Former Mayors Reflect on Past Challenges

October 28, 2010

By Brian Simon

Mayor Carl Jacobson (1988-1996):

Though he is now back on the Council and dealing with the City’s current financial crisis, Jacobson also had a major budget dilemma to contend with when he became Mayor in 1988. Two-thirds of the City’s revenue base had previously come from use taxes collected from Chevron’s sale of fuel oil to Edison. But when the Public Utilities Commission ordered Edison to switch to the cleaner-burning natural gas, all that revenue went bye-bye.

To address the issue, Jacobson and the Council revamped the business license and utility user tax structure to provide replacement revenue streams. The tax increases were phased in over time. “It was an absolute necessity and done during a decent economy that was nothing like the condition we are in right now,” said Jacobson, who added that the Council even lowered the business license tax by the end of his tenure.

Jacobson also successfully lobbied to increase the City’s share of local property taxes from five percent to seven (since lowered by the State to 6.25). … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Historical News | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mayor Carl Jacobson provided leadership to resolve 1988 revenue crisis

U.S. Domestic Terrorism – Labor Union Bombings and Mass-Murders in the early 1900’s

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

Eighty-seven labor union bombings of non-unionized construction projects and businesses were recorded between 1906 and 1911. The Los Angeles Times and its owner and publisher, Harrison Gray Otis, were outspoken opponents of the labor movement and the closed shop. The Los Angeles Times downtown plant was bombed early in the morning of October 1, 1910, murdering 20 people. On the same day, a bomb exploded just outside a bedroom window at Otis’s home. Another bomb consisting of 15 sticks of dynamite was planted at the house of F. J. Zeehandelaar, the secretary of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association (M&M), but did not go off.

Labor union leaders denied that these bombings were union related, even while the union headquarters contained “100 pounds of dynamite, several yards of fuse and twelve clocks similar to those with which bombs are discharged.” … Continue reading

Posted in Bombings, Crimes, Historical News, Mass Murders, News, Terrorism, Union Corruption, Violent Crime | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on U.S. Domestic Terrorism – Labor Union Bombings and Mass-Murders in the early 1900’s

El Segundo School Teachers may be disciplined for having students make campaign signs in high school wood shop

Campaign Controversy

April 9, 1996

Two teachers at El Segundo High School may be disciplined for their involvement in helping a City Council candidate get hundreds of campaign signs made in the school’s wood shop. El Segundo Unified School District Supt. William Manahan said he will make a decision before April 23.

Peter MacDonald, attorney for the school district, launched an investigation after 246 signs for council candidate Mike Gordon were found in the wood shop early last month. Gordon, running in today’s city election, said he was paying the students to assemble the signs after class. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo News, Historical News, Political Corruption, School Teachers Union Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo School Teachers may be disciplined for having students make campaign signs in high school wood shop

El Segundo School Teachers Union had students make campaign signs in high school wood shop

District Seizes Political Signs Made at School

March 06, 1996

A little extracurricular activity in a high school woodworking shop has some El Segundo City Council candidates fuming.

Until Monday, nearly 250 campaign yard signs for one of their opponents, Michael Gordon, were being assembled after class by students being paid $4.25 an hour at El Segundo High School.

Gordon, who is one of six candidates running for three City Council seats in the April 9 election, said he was approached by two El Segundo High School teachers about putting the signs together. One of the teachers was woodworking teacher Anthony Hawkesworth, he said. Gordon saw nothing wrong. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo News, Historical News, School Teachers Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo School Teachers Union had students make campaign signs in high school wood shop

El Segundo Firefighters’ Union engaged in heavy-handed politics against fire chiefs

Fire Chief Sloan Says He Will Retire in April

January 27, 1994

El Segundo Fire Chief David Sloan will retire April 15 and take a job in the private sector, he said last week.

Sloan, 55, said his retirement is not related to a no-confidence vote from El Segundo firefighters last fall. … Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo News, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Historical News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo Firefighters’ Union engaged in heavy-handed politics against fire chiefs

November 1991 Firefighter and Police Unions’ City Council Election Campaigns

November 1991 Firefighters and Police Union City Council Election Campaigns

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-11-08/local/me-994_1_police-officers


Los Angeles Times

ARTICLE COLLECTIONS

California | Local

New Players Enter Political Scene

Elections: Police officers and firefighters threw themselves into the local campaigns. Their efforts got mixed results.

November 08, 1991

KIM KOWSKY and MARC LACEY
TIMES STAFF WRITERS

In an unprecedented level of political activity, South Bay firefighters feverishly put out flyers and police officers enthusiastically pursued voters before Tuesday’s election. But the results of their efforts were mixed.

In Hermosa Beach, firefighters endorsed two City Council candidates for the first time in the department’s 85-year history. In El Segundo, the fire union jumped into its first campaign in years. And in Hawthorne, emergency workers said they campaigned in the city’s election with more intensity than ever before.

“It’s a very big trend for fire departments to get involved in politics,” said Michael Lines, president of the Hermosa Beach Firefighters’ Assn. “It’s sweeping across California. You will see more and more political action and involvement by firefighters.”

Behind the politicking was a fear that an unfriendly City Hall might meddle in department affairs or even abolish the department.

EL SEGUNDO

South Bay firefighter groups were most successful in El Segundo, where their favored council candidate, Janice Cruikshank, swept into office with a solid 44% of the vote in a four-way race.

El Segundo Fire Capt. Tom Kennedy, who serves as vice president of the El Segundo Firefighters Assn., said the group became politically involved in response to a bitter contract dispute that reduced benefits for firefighters.

Cruikshank could not say enough about the firefighters group, whose members spent scores of hours walking precincts, distributing flyers, and even transporting some voters to the polls. They also contributed $249 to her campaign–$1 under the maximum allowed by city ordinance. It was the largest single contribution she received.

“They were always there, no matter what we needed,” Cruikshank said. “Without the support from these young men, a lot of times I would have thrown up my hands and said, ‘That’s it.’ ”

Although some critics said the contributions would make Cruikshank beholden to the firefighters’ demands, both she and Kennedy denied they made any deals.

“I didn’t promise them anything except that I would listen to them,” Cruikshank said.

In response to Cruikshank’s victory, Kennedy said candidates will probably court the firefighters in future races. And the firefighters, he predicted, will greatly increase their involvement in political campaigns.

“The main thing we learned is we are a very, very viable (and) powerful force within this community,” he said. … Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Historical News, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on November 1991 Firefighter and Police Unions’ City Council Election Campaigns