El Segundo Public Safety Project - El Segundo Firefighters Association - El Segundo Police Officers Association - Union contracts with excessive pay are bankrupting the City of El Segundo, California and other cities. Firefighter and police unions exchange endorsements and campaign support for huge raises and pensions at taxpayer expense.

Welcome to the El Segundo Public Safety Project
PublicSafetyProject.org

Shocking El Segundo City
Employee Compensation Data

Check this page regularly for updates.
Last updated: June 2, 2011 at 8:25 a.m. PT.

An El Segundo City Fire Engine driving north on Center Street near the school.

An El Segundo Police Car and officers facing north on Sepulveda Blvd. in front of the Ralphs Grocery Store during the 141-day United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Strike and Store Lockout in 2003-2004.

NOTE: THIS WEBSITE IS BEING UPDATED AND WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW WEBSITE SOON.

The El Segundo Firefighters Association (Union)
and Police Officers Association (Union)
have been burning your tax money!

PAGE CONTENTS

KEY:
$$$ = Earnings and compensation related data
NEW = Recently added content
UPDATED = Recently updated content

(click to go to section)

CALL TO ACTION
Introduction
Aren't the Firefighters and Police Officers "Associations" really just labor unions?
California Laws Allowing Local Government Employee Unions and Collective Bargaining
NEW Could Firefighter's Arrest be the Result of a Culture of Entitlement?
Eye-Popping El Segundo 2009 City Employee Compensation Data

Public Safety Employees
$$$ Sworn Firefighters - Generally the highest paid city employees
$$$ Sworn Police Officers - The highest paid city employee

$$$ The Highest Paid El Segundo City Employee and His Compensation Break-Down
El Segundo Police Officer Applicant Requirements and Compensation
El Segundo Entry Level Police Officer Applicant Qualification Requirements
$$$ El Segundo Entry Level Police Officer Compensation

$$$ All City Employees

$$$ Public Records Act Requests - Download El Segundo 2009 city employee earnings data files
$$$ El Segundo City Employee Compensation Data Posted on Official City Web Site
$$$ Eye-Popping Public Employee Pension Data

$$$ CalPERS $100K Pension Club for El Segundo, California city employees
$$$ El Segundo City Councilman Donald Brann's $186,002 Per Year Public Employee Pension

$$$ El Segundo Public Employee Union Contracts - BIG Raises and Other Surprises!

$$$ El Segundo Firefighters Association (ESFFA) union contract - MOU No. 3928 was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E11)
$$$ El Segundo Police Officers Association (ESPOA) union contract - MOU No. 3929 was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E12)
$$$ El Segundo Police Managers Association (ESPMA) union contract - MOU No. ____ was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E8)
$$$ El Segundo Public Safety Management employee raises - Resolution No. ____ was approved at the December 2, 2008 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E8)

City contract with the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
Firefighter Union Voter Initiative
Feasibility study for Los Angeles County takeover of El Segundo City Fire Department
Senior Citizen Scare Letter Sent By El Segundo Firefighters Association (Union)
$$$ Other Useful Resources

Blogs and Newspaper Web Sites
$$$ Public Employee Salary and Pension Databases
Public Employee Union Abuse, Compensation, and Pension Reform Resources
$$$ City of Bell Employee Salary Data for Comparison Purposes
California Laws that Allowed Public Employee Unions and Collective Bargaining

Mike Robbins on Fox Business Network, Varney & Co TV Show
Mike Robbins on the Charles Payne talk radio show on KFI AM 640
Mike Robbins featured in a full-page LA Weekly news article
Mike Robbins on the John and Ken talk radio show on KFI AM 640
Mike Robbins on the Tim Conway, Jr. talk radio show on KFI AM 640
NEW Mike Robbins featured in a second full-page LA Weekly news article
NEW LA Weekly reporter Paul Teetor on the Peter Tilden talk radio show on KABC AM 790
Fire Hero Gets Schooled Video (G-Rated - No Profanity) - Illustrates some of the current problems with the firefighters union, their unsustainable compensation packages, and their sense of entitlement and refusal to accept necessary reforms.
El Segundo Firefighter and Police Unions supported radical liberal politicians and candidates

The Firefighters Union contributed money to the corrupt Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who threatened to nationalize the American oil companies
The Firefighters Union contributed money to the anti-military Senator Barbara Boxer
The Firefighters Union endorsed the liberal tax-and-spend assemblyman Alberto Torrico, who introduced AB 656 to increase taxes in California by $2 Billion
The Police and Firefighters Union endorsed the liberal tax-and-spend assemblyman George Nakano
The Police Union endorsed the liberal, soft-on-crime Redondo Beach City Councilman Bob Pinzler for State Assembly

Historical news articles documenting the firefighter, police, and school teacher union political campaigns
Union bosses and outside special interests tried in 2008 to take over small town El Segundo
Read Mike Robbins' flyer distributed city-wide for the 2008 City Council election
Union bosses and outside special interests tried in 2004 to take over small town El Segundo
Read Mike Robbins' flyer distributed city-wide for the 2004 City Council election
Senior Citizen Scare Letter Sent By El Segundo Firefighters Association (Union)

CALL TO ACTION

The citizens of El Segundo need your help.

They are about to lose their city fire department and paramedic transport service as a result of excessive and unsustainable labor union contracts - especially the fire and police union contracts.

Here is what you can do to help:

First, email this web page URL to everyone you know who may be interested and may want to help:

http://PublicSafetyProject.org/elsegundo/elsegundo_payroll.html

Second, if you want to help in other ways, send an email to the Public Safety Project using the following email address, and provide your name, contact information, and your offer to help. Put "WANT TO HELP" in the subject line. Thank you very much.

Third, if you live or work in El Segundo, and you want to save our fire department from a takeover by Los Angeles County, and loss of our Paramedic Transport service, then please send an email to the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and each of the other Councilmembers.

Their email address appear below, followed by a sample email message. If you click on each of the email links, it should open up your email client program and pre-fill the email address, subject field, and message body field with a sample email, which you can change using information from this web site or other information or thoughts you may have.

Mayor Eric Busch
EBusch@ElSegundo.org

Mayor Pro Tem Bill Fisher
BFisher@ElSegundo.org

Councilwoman Suzanne Fuentes
SFuentes@ElSegundo.org

Councilman Carl Jacobson
CJacobson@ElSegundo.org

Councilman Dr. Don Brann
DBrann@ElSegundo.org

SAMPLE EMAIL:

To: EBusch@ElSegundo.org
Subject: Keep our local fire department and cut the union pay

Dear Mayor Busch,

Please keep our local fire department and vote against any further action towards a Los Angeles County takeover of our fire services. We do not want to lose our locally controlled paramedic transport service.

The real problem is excessive and unsustainable city employee union contracts, especially the fire and police union contracts.

Also, vote against tax increases and new fees on residents or businesses, including a new trash tax or fee. The fire and police union pay, benefits, and pensions are the primary cause of our city's financial problems and that is where most of the spending cuts must come from.

Thank you for your consideration in this important matter.

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INTRODUCTION

The City of El Segundo, California is at risk of losing its City Fire Department and eventually its City Police Department as a result of greatly excessive and unsustainable salaries, benefits, and pensions for its public employees, especially its fire and police union members. The fire and police unions obtained their excessive and unsustainable labor contracts from mayors and City Council members who received thousands of dollars of their campaign support.

The fire and police union members are the primary cause of El Segundo's financial problems, yet they refuse to take reasonable and necessary pay cuts of at least 20 to 25 percent. These cuts are necessary for the firefighters and police unions to stop doing harm to the city, its residents, and its businesses. And these cuts are reasonable given the excessive firefighter and police pay, benefits, and pensions, and given their excessive raises during the current recession. The police union members received a 15 percent increase and the firefighters union members received an 11.25 percent increase during the recession that they never should have received.

The firefighters and police unions are only considering a small 5 percent reduction in the scheduled pay increases provided by their current union contract. Instead of reasonable and necessary pay cuts to stop doing harm to the city, they demand that the city increase business taxes, create new fees for residents, eliminate and reduce city services, and contract with Los Angeles County for a reduced level of fire and paramedic services, including a loss of paramedic transport services. This takeover of the El Segundo city fire department by the county would protect the firefighter union members' jobs, pay, and benefits.

The firefighters and police unions demand that all city employees take equal pay cuts. This is extremely unfair to the other city employees, who are paid less than one-fourth to one-half what the firefighters and police are paid, and who, unlike the firefighters and police union members, are not the primary cause of the city's financial problems.

The El Segundo Firefighters Association (a fancy name for the firefighters labor union) reminds its members, on its official web site, "Remember, the Local 3682 Board of Directors, work to represent the collective interest of our general membership."

Thus, the firefighters union admits what we already know, that it does not represent the interests of the residents and businesses in El Segundo when it endorses political candidates at election time, advocates public policy, and sponsors a voter initiative to force our city to lose our city fire department and paramedic transport services, and have to contract with Los Angeles County for inferior fire and paramedic services for a minimum of ten years under state law.

The union only represents the interests of the union members - primarily to maximize their pay, benefits, and pensions at all cost, using every possible union trick to extort more money from the taxpayers, even if it bankrupts the city. Their union contracts have been loaded with such tricks that have bloated their pay, benefits, and pensions, putting the city at risk of losing its fire department and possibly also its police department.

The same is true of the El Segundo Police Officers Association (a fancy name for the police officers labor union).

Furthermore, both the firefighters union and the police union bosses almost always endorse the worst political candidates for public safety, who are also the most liberal tax-and-spend candidates with the worst records. They do not let the union members meet the candidates and vote on whom to endorse and support with the campaign contributions taken from union dues deducted from their paychecks. The union bosses unilaterally endorse candidates, and contribute thousands of dollars of their union members' money, based on their own political partisanship, and on which candidates will give the biggest increases in pay, benefits, and pensions at taxpayer expense, no matter how excessive and unsustainable.

However, the union members are to blame for the corruption and misconduct of their unions and union bosses, because the union members actively support their union bosses and contribute money and time to the political campaigns supported by their union bosses.

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"Associations" or Labor Unions?

Aren't the Firefighters and Police Officers "Associations" really just labor unions?

Updated December 7, 2010

The El Segundo police officers and firefighters "associations" pretend they are not unions because most people know how corrupt the public safety unions have become. These "associations" avoid using the word "union" in their name and their publicity. And at least some of their members argue vociferously that they are not a labor union. Below is one such example, in a Letter to the Editor published in the September 23, 2010 edition of the El Segundo Herald newspaper, on page 12, signed by El Segundo Police Sergeant and union member Rex Fowler. Too bad he did not sign under penalty of perjury! He deceptively titled his letter, "FACT CHECK".

El Segundo Police Sergeant Rex Fowler made multiple false statements, including false claims that the El Segundo Police Officers Association is not a union.

El Segundo Police Sergeant
Rex Fowler made multiple false
statements, including that the
El Segundo Police Officer's
Association is not a union.

El Segundo Police Sergeant Rex J. Fowler's 2009 total compensation was about $226,196 before recent raises, including $165,162 total earnings, about $49,839 for both the CalPERS pension Employee Contribution and the Employer Contribution paid by the City (taxpayers), and another $11,195 in insurance benefits. Given his 12/22/1988 hire date, he is well on his way to retiring at age 55 and raking in more than $4 Million plus COLA increases, at 90% of his single highest paid year annually, from his CalPERS pension.

CalPERS pensions are DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS that are GUARANTEED by the taxpayers against poor investment performance and losses, as well as longer than predicted lifespan. Private sector employers typically offer the more affordable and sustainable DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS, such as 401(k) plans, which have no such guarantees from the employer, are funded primarily by the employee rather than the employer, and provide a much smaller benefit amount.

It appears that Sergeant Fowler is arguing they are not a labor union to divert attention away from the corrupt practices they use to get their hugely excessive salaries, benefits, and pensions. Here is the excerpt from his Letter to the Editor:

"The police officers have an association, not a union. We have no shop-steward and are not part of SEIU or Teamsters. Once a year, the 57 (or so) of us vote for five peers to represent us in good faith negotiations. They are cops, not union bosses, and all have donated numerous hours to participate in association programs benefitting the city."

However, the labor law firm that represents them during their labor contract negotiations and in litigation, Silver, Hadden, Silver, Wexler + Levin (SHSW+L) in Santa Monica, California, lists all of their clients on their website (SHSLaborLaw.com) - 64 police "associations" and 38 firefighter "associations", including the "El Segundo Police Officers' Association" and the "El Segundo Firefighters' Association". This law firm refers to all of their clients as "public safety employee unions". See this reference at http://www.shslaborlaw.com/about, and see their client list at http://www.shslaborlaw.com/clients.

I pointed this out in my rebuttal Letter to the Editor, published in the September 30, 2010 El Segundo Herald newspaper on page 5.

Also, this labor law firm has an upcoming seminar titled, "How to Run a Police and Fire Union", taught by one of their lawyers, Robert M. Wexler, scheduled for 02/16/2011 - 02/18/2011 at The Flamingo Las Vegas in Las Vegas NV. See the "Upcoming Seminars" list on their "Training & Seminars" web page at http://www.shslaborlaw.com/training_and_seminars, and their list of attorneys at http://www.shslaborlaw.com/attorneys. See the biography for Robert M. Wexler at http://www.shslaborlaw.com/robert_wexler. His biography states, "Robert also represents employees and labor unions":

"Widely regarded as a creative and successful negotiator who has bargained a myriad of innovative agreements on behalf of his clients, Robert also represents employees and labor unions in prosecuting grievances of unfair labor practices, litigating employment disputes, defending individuals during disciplinary investigations and prosecuting and defending writs and appeals. His clients include some of the largest municipal police and firefighters associations in California.

"Mr. Wexler is frequently invited to speak to both labor and management about collective bargaining ... ."

Clearly, you don't have to have a "shop-steward" or be "part of SEIU or Teamsters" to be a union.

The El Segundo police and firefighters "associations" perform the usual functions that labor unions perform. They engage in collective bargaining and political organizing/campaigning, and give endorsements and shovel money to the most liberal tax-and-spend politicians. They effectively hire their own bosses with whom they "negotiate" their pay increases. They get favorable labor laws passed that allow them to extort even more money from the taxpayers. And they harass those who exercise their First Amendment right to disagree with them at their workplaces.

The police and firefighters unions participate in local community events as a public relations ploy. But what good is it if the police and firefighters unions put a happy face on their "associations" by participating in local events, and then bankrupt our city as the police and firefighters unions did in Vallejo, California?

City Employees Associates Labor Law Firm Weighs In

December 7, 2010

The City Employees Associates labor law firm represents 81 public employee "associations", which are the same as unions, that are listed as clients on their web site (CityEmployeesAssociates.com). The labor law firm states that there is no legal difference between a "public employee association" and a "public employee union".

Here is an excerpt from their web site at http://CityEmployeesAssociates.com/Assoc_1.html:

Are we a Union or an Employees Association?
What IS the Difference Between a Union and an Association?

Legally speaking, there is NO difference between a Union and an Employees Association. They are both Labor Organizations, established under the California Government Code, and charged with two primary responsibilities: to "collectively bargain" a Contract, and to enforce members' rights under that contract. They are BOTH unions with the right to collect dues, retain legal staff, conduct business on members' behalf and be "recognized" by the public employer for whom their members work. An employees association IS an independent, local union.

Most City and Water District employees in California are represented by their own Employees Associations -- NOT by international unions. This is partly because of California labor law and partly because of structural differences between the two kinds of organizations.

. . .

With an independent, local union the members decide these things for themselves -- including managing their own dues money and hiring their own staff. Staff DOES the work, rather than assisting stewards -- and they do this under the direction of your elected Board of Directors.

The international unions ... usually do not allow you to vote on any of the issues that affect you, at your workplace. (They) point to the "steward system" as an example of Democracy, but stewards do not have any real authority. They are essentially, unpaid grievance reps; they relieve the Unions of the cost of providing professional legal assistance to members with problems. And, if members are not happy with their representation -- or the way any of their bargaining is handled -- their only recourse it to "file a complaint with the international."

The City Employees Associates labor law firm explains on their web site how the primary purpose of public employee associations (unions) is to ratchet-up public employee salaries, benefits, and pensions as high as possible, without any other considerations:

Welcome to the Association

The primary purpose of an Association is to improve the standard of living of you, the members. An association enforces your legal rights, negotiates a Labor Agreement (MOU) with the City. The MOU details year-to-year improvements in your "wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment." The Association's functions go on year-round and are conducted by your elected Board of Directors and Professional Staff.

The legal and professional staff not only assist the Association as a whole, but also provide direct services to individual members. You have the right to representation on any work-related issue, whether it's help with a disciplinary appeal, the enforcement of your rights under the MOU, or a simple answer to your legal questions.

. . .

With experience, however, most groups have come to some accepted agreements about the best way to operate so they could get on with their larger mission: improving and sustaining their members' share of the public pie.

. . .

The Mission

The fundamental purpose of any labor organization is to protect its members' rights on the job and improve their wages and benefits. It does this by negotiating an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and enforcing the MOU, year-round. Most MOU's contain a Grievance Procedure, which is its legal enforcement mechanism.

The City Employees Associates labor law firm explains on their web site the history and evolution of employee associations in California:

How Does Our Association Work?

Forty years ago, most employees associations in California were little more than social clubs or benevolent groups, meeting to support employees, celebrate holidays, send flowers to bereaved members, and occasionally, try to resolve workplace problems.

With the passage of the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act in 1968 and Court-created "Skelly Rights" (public employees' pre-disciplinary due process rights) some larger organizations began testing the waters via collective bargaining and arbitration procedures, but progress was slow. Since the late 80's, however -- after two major recessions, huge crises in state funding and huge advances in labor and employment law -- most public employees organizations have begun taking their legal role seriously. Today even the smallest city or water district associations are regularly negotiating MOU's (labor contracts) and enforcing an ever-widening array of employee rights.

This evolution from social group to labor union (yes, legally-speaking, labor union...) didn't always occur evenly. Sometimes, there's been confusion about the role of the organization or how it should be governed. Sometimes there are internal conflicts or interference from management. Sometimes there is legitimate misunderstanding about the legal obligation of the Association to its members -- or vice versa. With experience, however, most groups have come to some accepted agreements about the best way to operate so they could get on with their larger mission: improving and sustaining their members' share of the public pie.

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Laws Allowing Local Government Employee Unions and Collective Bargaining

Public Employee Unions and Corruption

The laws that allow public employees to form unions and engage in collective bargaining have created an unavoidable conflict of interest and massive political corruption that is driving cities, counties, and states towards bankruptcy. Public employee labor unions, especially firefighters, police, school teachers, and nurses, provide campaign support to help elect the politicians who will be their bosses and determine the terms of their labor contracts, including salaries, benefits, and pensions, and/or determine the laws that govern their labor contracts.

The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) of 1968

The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) of 1968 allows local government employee unions and collective bargaining. It established collective bargaining for California's municipal, county, and local special district employers and employees. It is administered by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). It was brought under PERB's jurisdiction pursuant to Senate Bill 739 (Chapter 901, Statutes of 2000), effective July 1, 2001. PERB's jurisdiction over the MMBA excludes peace officers, management employees and the City and County of Los Angeles. PERB is a quasi-judicial agency which oversees public sector collective bargaining in California. PERB administers seven California collective bargaining statutes, ensures their consistent implementation and application, and adjudicates disputes between the parties subject to them.

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Could Firefighter's Arrest be the Result of a Culture of Entitlement?

El Segundo firefighter
Michael Joseph Archambault
was arrested by Torrance
police for violating California
Penal Code Section 484(a).

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATON:

Click HERE to download or view the Los Angeles County Superior Court Criminal Defendant Index search result. (17.2 KB HTML file)

Click HERE to download or view the Los Angeles County Superior Court Criminal Defendant Index search result. (92.0 KB PDF file)

Click HERE to download or view the Torrance, CA Police Department response to the Notice of Violation of the California Public Records Act sent by Mike Robbins. (130 KB PDF file)

CULTURE OF ENTITLEMENT

El Segundo firefighters and police officers have developed a culture of entitlement that has been fomented by their unions since at least the early 1990's, if not earlier. This sense of entitlement appears even stronger among the firefighters than the police officers, although both the firefighters and police officers feel entitled to wildly excessive and unsustainable salaries, benefits, and pensions unheard of in the real world of the private sector, all on the backs of the overburdened taxpayers.

The firefighter and police unions aggressively campaign for the City Council candidates who will give them the largest salary, benefits, and pension increases in their union contracts, no matter how excessive and unsustainable, and they aggressively campaign against the candidates who support fiscal responsibility.
The El Segundo Firefighters Association (the firefighter union) has even used fear and intimidation to pressure voters into supporting their endorsed candidates. They sent out a Senior Scare Letter to elderly voters, threatening them with "the possibility of our paramedics not being available when you need them" if the three candidates they endorsed were not elected!

FIREFIGHTER ARRESTED FOR SHOPLIFTING

El Segundo firefighter Michael Joseph Archambault was arrested by city of Torrance police on April 12, 2011, for allegedly shoplifting $354.95 worth of merchandise ($389.56 if you include $34.64 sales tax at 9.75%) from the Costco warehouse store in Torrance, California. He allegedly concealed five products including four computer/electronic items and a Waterpik Flosser in a trash can that was inside a box, while Costco loss prevention officers were watching, paid only $47.99 for the trash can inside the box without disclosing the five concealed items, and then exited the store where he was detained and arrested.

This arrest was reported in the excellent May 26, 2011 LA Weekly article by Paul Teetor, titled "Rich Fireman Named in Shoplifting". It was also reported in the Daily Breeze newspaper, but the article disappeared rather quickly.

Michael Archambault is fully entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, and I hope he is truly not guilty. However, the information against him appears quite damning, and if he is in fact guilty, then he should not be given a "professional courtesy" that is not available to every other citizen in similar circumstances. Shoplifting is a crime of moral turpitude, a disqualification for many government jobs and positions of authority and public trust. If he is guilty, then the circumstances beg the question, how many times has he shoplifted or stolen hundreds of dollars worth of property at a time and gotten away with it?

It is troubling that, if guilty, he targeted Costco, a store with a business model of being extremely fair to its customers by providing good to excellent quality products at very competitive prices, combined with a superior return policy. Shoplifting is wrong regardless of the victim, but to victimize a very fair business adds insult to injury. Furthermore, if guilty, was he planning on returning the trash can for a refund after emptying all the booty from it?

Even more troubling is the fact that Michael Archambault is a lavishly overpaid El Segundo firefighter with 2009 total compensation of about $208,902 and a home in the very affluent South Bay city of Rolling Hills Estates, California, 90274. His home is in the "Rolling Hills Country Club" neighborhood, according to BlockShopper.com.

Given Michael Archambault's hire date of 9/13/1987 and his birth date of 10/06/1958, he should be eligible to retire at age 55 on 10/6/2013 with a lavish CalPERS defined benefit plan pension of about 78% of his single highest year earnings (3% per year of service), guaranteed by the taxpayers, with COLAs, and city-paid medical insurance for himself and one dependent, all for life. He should be eligible to retire with the maximum CalPERS pension benefit of 90% of his single highest year earnings at about age 59 on 9/13/2017. However, if he claims a disability retirement, whether or not he is disabled, then half his pension income will be free of state and federal income tax, and there are or may be rules that allow an earlier than normal retirement. Over the last ten years, about 55 percent of El Segundo firefighters and police officers have claimed disability retirements, which seems excessive given the fact that El Segundo is a city with few fires and little crime.

El Segundo is a small city of about 16,000 residents, 60,000 daytime population due to businesses in the city, and 5.5 square miles. El Segundo has few fires and even fewer structure fires. Most of the fire department calls are paramedic calls. Out of a total of 2,170 incidents in 2010, there were only seven structure fires, and only one or two had damage estimated at more than $35,000. Thus, all structure fires combined made up only 0.32% of all incidents. Firefighters have a cushy job where they are paid to work for 48 hours, including paid sleeping time, meal time, exercise time, and time waiting for calls to come in. And then they are off duty for the next four days, allowing them plenty of time to work other jobs and run their own businesses.

So why would a lavishly overpaid firefighter, in a position of authority and public trust, with access to citizens' homes, cash, gold, jewelry, and other valuables in the course of his normal job duties, who gets a lavish defined benefit plan pension guaranteed by the taxpayers at age 55 and a full pension after only 30 years of service, and medical insurance for life, and who owns a million dollar plus home, risk his career and possibly a significant portion of his pension to steal $389.56 in merchandise that he could have paid for with only about eight or nine hours of work including paid sleeping time?

If he did the crime, what was he thinking?

The answer may be quite simple. This may be another example of the culture of entitlement that is prevalent among El Segundo firefighters. This culture is fostered by both the firefighters union and by the City Council members who give them wildly excessive and unsustainable salaries, benefits, and pensions in return for their campaign endorsements, monetary contributions, and other campaign support. The more excessively and lavishly they are compensated, the more entitled they become, until they reach their present state - where they act as a royal family entitled to everything they want, and they treat everyone else as peasants who must provide it for them.

CASE INFORMATION

The arrest of Michael Archambault is Torrance Police Department case number 110020483, and Los Angeles County Superior Court case number SBA1SY03435-01. According to a check of the Los Angeles County Superior Court Criminal Defendant Index made on Monday, May 23, 2011 at 11:42:23 AM, a charge of one count of violating California Penal Code Section 484(a) was filed against Michael Joseph Archambault with Date Of Birth 10/06/58 in Superior Court at the Torrance Courthouse on 05/11/2011, and there was no disposition of the court case at that time.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court Criminal Defendant Index can be searched online for criminal charges and disposition by first and last name, or by first and last name and date of birth for greater accuracy, for a fee of $4.75 per search (whether or not any records are found), at the following web site pages:

WITH WEB PAGE FRAMES:
https://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/OnlineServices/criminalindex/

WITHOUT WEB PAGE FRAMES:
https://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/onlineservices/criminalIndex/publicmain.aspx

ARREST INFORMATION

Mike Robbins made a California Public Records Act request for the public record arrest information from the city of Torrance, California Police Department under the California Public Records Act, California Government Code Sections 6250 et seq. The Torrance Police Department refused to release any arrest information, in what may have been an inappropriate "professional courtesy" extended to a sworn public safety employee of another South Bay agency.

However, the following arrest information was provided by the Torrance Police Department in response to a follow-up Notice of Violation of the California Public Records Act sent to the Torrance Police Department, the entire City Council including the Mayor, the City Clerk, the City Attorney, the City Manager, and the Police Chief, which explicitly cited the California Government Code sections that required release of the arrest information and the legal recourse available for failure to comply with the law. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 6254(f), all of the following information is public record, "except to the extent that disclosure of a particular item of information would endanger the safety of a person involved in an investigation or would endanger the successful completion of the investigation or a related investigation." The Torrance Police department could not reasonably make a claim for such an exemption.

Arrest Information for El Segundo Firefighter Michael Joseph Archambault:

The time of complaint: 16:44:11
Substance of complaint: In Custody
Location of complaint: 2751 Skypark Dr; Costco
Time of response: 16:59:18
Nature of response: Law enforcement, Priority 3
Time of report: 16:44:11
Date of report: 04/12/11
Name of victim: Costco, Inc.
Age of victim: N/A
Factual circumstances surrounding the crime or incident: During daytime hours, a subject enters Costco retail store, conceals merchandise inside a trash can, pays for the trash can and exits the store without paying for the concealed merchandise.
Description of injuries: No injuries were reported
Description of property:

One (1) Philips Ear Phones $29.99

One (1) at one (1) HP Ink Cartridge $82.99

One (1) Belkin Router $89.99

One (1) Motorola Modem $74.99

One (1) Waterpik Flosser $76.99
Description of weapons: No weapons were reported
The full name of every individual arrested by Torrance Police Department: Michael Joseph Archambault
Occupation of every individual arrested by the Torrance Police Department: Firefighter
Individual's date of birth: 10/06/58
Individual's color of eyes: Brown
Individual's color of eyes: Brown
Individual's sex: Male
Individuals height: 6'02"
Individuals weight:175 lbs.
Time and date of arrest: 17:29:00 04/12/11
Time and date of booking: 18:13:00 04/12/11
Location of arrest: 2751 Skypark Dr; Costco
Factual circumstances surrounding the arrest: Costco store security detained a subject outside the exit door and made a citizen's arrest of the subject.
Amount of bail set: One thousand dollars.
The time and manner of release or the location where the individual is currently being held: The individual was released at 20:00 on his own recognizance.
Charges, holds, or warrants held on 04/13/11: Penal Code Section 484(a)

California Penal Code Section 484(a)

You may search for California Penal Code Section 484(a) on the official California state government web site at the link below. Check the Penal Code box, enter 484 in the text search box, and click the Search button.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html

CALIFORNIA CODES
PENAL CODE
SECTION 484(a)

484. (a) Every person who shall feloniously steal, take, carry, lead, or drive away the personal property of another, or who shall fraudulently appropriate property which has been entrusted to him or her, or who shall knowingly and designedly, by any false or fraudulent representation or pretense, defraud any other person of money, labor or real or personal property, or who causes or procures others to report falsely of his or her wealth or mercantile character and by thus imposing upon any person, obtains credit and thereby fraudulently gets or obtains possession of money, or property or obtains the labor or service of another, is guilty of theft. In determining the value of the property obtained, for the purposes of this section, the reasonable and fair market value shall be the test, and in determining the value of services received the contract price shall be the test. If there be no contract price, the reasonable and going wage for the service rendered shall govern. For the purposes of this section, any false or fraudulent representation or pretense made shall be treated as continuing, so as to cover any money, property or service received as a result thereof, and the complaint, information or indictment may charge that the crime was committed on any date during the particular period in question. The hiring of any additional employee or employees without advising each of them of every labor claim due and unpaid and every judgment that the employer has been unable to meet shall be prima facie evidence of intent to defraud.

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Eye-Popping El Segundo 2009 City Employee Compensation Data Now Available

PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES

Sworn firefighters, from the lowest level Firefighter up to the Fire Chief, and sworn police officers, from the lowest level Police Officer up to the Police Chief, are by far the highest paid city employees, with the best pay, benefits, and pensions. Generally, the firefighters earn somewhat more than the police officers.

Firefighters can retire at age 55 and police officers can retire at age 50 with up to 90% of their single highest (spiked) year of pay as their annual pension (3% per year of service). Retired firefighters and police officers live just as long as everyone else, and upon death, the surviving spouses assume the full pension as their own. Therefore, many or most of the firefighter and police pensions will be paid out for more years than the employee worked. Also, the pensions include free medical insurance for the employee and one dependent for life.

If the employee claims a disability upon retirement, or even up to five years after retirement, whether real or not, and whether caused on the job or not, half the pension income is tax-free. Many common health ailments that are caused by heredity or poor health habits are presumed to be job related under laws lobbied for by the firefighter and police unions.

The ultra-high compensation for public safety union employees is primarily the result of their very politically active labor unions, which provide "Firefighter Association" and "Police Officer Association" endorsements, thousands of dollars in campaign support, and many hours of volunteer support to the City Council candidates who will give them the biggest increases in pay, benefits, and pensions.

Also, the firefighters have plenty of time off duty to work on political campaigns, due to their work schedules, and they can get away with working on political campaigns while they are on duty but not responding to emergency calls. In fact, the firefighters union contract explicitly states that a BA or MA Political Science college degree qualifies for the additional Education Incentive Pay. Thus, the taxpayers are paying extra money to firefighter union members who learn Political Science to campaign and help elect their new bosses on the City Council with whom they will "negotiate" their raises. And to make matters worse, this extra "incentive" pay falls under the category of Special Compensation and spikes the firefighters' pensions for the life of the firefighters, the surviving spouses' lives, and the surviving minor children until they become 18 years old. How does it benefit the city, before and after a firefighter retires, if the firefighter has a Political Science degree? (See the MOU, page 10, Section 4.01 INCENTIVE PAY, paragraphs 2c and 2d.)

The ultra-high pay of the public safety management employees is a direct result of the ultra-high pay of the public safety union employees, because the managers are given high pay raises to prevent "salary compaction", also known as "salary compression", a condition where managers or higher level employees make only a small percentage above or less than their subordinates or lower level employees due to the lower level employees receiving large pay increases.

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SWORN FIREFIGHTERS

As mentioned above, El Segundo sworn firefighters, from lowest level Firefighter up to the Fire Chief, are by far the highest paid city employees. Generally, sworn police officers from lowest level Police Officer up to Police Captain are a close second. As we shall see, the Police Chief was by far the highest paid city employee in 2009.

The current firefighters union contract, commencing on July 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2011, gave the firefighters an 11.25% raise over three years during the 2008-2010 recession, as follows:

A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, retroactively effective October 14, 2008.
A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, effective July 1, 2009.
A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, effective July 1, 2010.

The third 3.75% raise is not reflected in the 2009 Total Earnings. In addition, half of the second 3.75% raise is not reflected in the 2009 Regular Earnings and Overtime Earnings. This second 3.75% raise is not reflected in any vacation and sick leave hours cashed-out before July 1, 2009. Therefore, all of the 2009 firefighter compensation data is an under-representation of the current firefighter compensation under the current firefighters union contract.

The El Segundo, California sworn police employee total earnings statistics are given below for 57 full-time sworn firefighter employees in calendar year 2009. The 2009 total earnings includes Regular Earnings, Special Compensation, Overtime, and Leave Payout (vacation and sick leave combined), but excludes CalPERS pension contributions, 401(a) deferred compensation contributions, and city-paid health insurance, life insurance, and any CalPERS pension income received while working during the same year.

Out of the 57 full-time sworn firefighters in 2009:

The maximum, average, and median pay were:
$270,052; $161,704; and $157,682.

6 (11%) earned more than $250,000;
13 (23%) earned more than $200,000;
32 (56%) earned more than $150,000;
53 (93%) earned more than $100,000.

Earnings Distribution of El Segundo's 57 Full-Time Sworn Firefighters in 2009: Maximum Total Earnings = $270,052; Average Total Earnings = $161,704; Median Total Earnings = $157,682.

The sworn firefighter ranks, from lowest to highest, are: Firefighter, Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Fire Chief (position eliminated in 2010 with the early retirement of Deputy Fire Chief Eric Moore), and Fire Chief. Firefighters with Paramedic training and certification get additional pay whether or not they are assigned to Paramedic duty. Fire Captain and below are members of the El Segundo Firefighters Association, which is just a fancy name for the firefighters union. Battalion Chief and above are management.

The sworn firefighters work on duty on a 48-hour shift, and then are off-duty for 96 hours, i.e., for four full days. As a result, commuting to and from work is not an issue, and only a few firefighters live in the city. They can live far away where land and homes are considerably less expensive than in the city. Also, they have plenty of time off from work to have a second job or run their own business. Alternatively, if their buddies call in sick or take vacation leave, they can be called in to work and get paid the overtime rate, which is one and a half times their already excessive regular pay rate.

There are three 48-hours shifts: A-Shift, B-Shift, and C-Shift, with one Battalion Chief for each of the three shifts. There may be a fourth Battalion Chief, an Administrative Battalion Chief who works a regular 40-hour work week, or the administrative duties may instead be performed by an Deputy Fire Chief (position eliminated in 2010).

For each 24-hour day of a 48-hour shift, the firefighters are paid to sleep for 8 hours, but must respond to emergency calls, if any; they are paid to be on call for another 8 hours; and they are paid to work for 8 hours, where they perform equipment cleaning and maintenance, and other duties, when they are waiting for an emergency call.

Because firefighters have four days off at a time, i.e., a 6-day week including a 4-day weekend, they do not have to take much of their vacation or sick leave hours to have time off, and they are allowed to accrue, accumulate, and roll over from year to year huge numbers of leave hours that can be later cashed in after pay raises at a higher pay rate.

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David Cummings - El Segundo, California Police Chief Paid in Calendar Year 2009

Pay and Income for the first 41 weeks (289 days) of 2009 (1/1/09-10/16/09):

Regular Earnings	225,627
Special Compensation (Uniform Allowance)	480
Regular Earnings + Special Comp	226,107
Leave Payout (Vacation and Sick Leave Payout)	199,668
Total Earnings	425,775


CalPERS Pension - Employer Contribution - Paid by the Employer (City)	48,894
Percentage of Regular Earnings + Special Comp - Paid by the Employer (City)	21.6%

CalPERS Pension - Employee Contribution - Paid by the Employer (City)	16,755
Percentage of Regular Earnings + Special Comp - Paid by the Employer (City)	7.4%

CalPERS Pension - Employee Contribution - Paid by the Employee	0
Percentage of Regular Earnings + Special Comp - Paid by the Employee	0.0%

CalPERS Pension - Employee Contribution - Total Amount Paid	16,755
Percentage of Regular Earnings + Special Comp	7.4%

TOTAL CALPERS PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS PAID BY THE EMPLOYER (CITY)	65,649
Percentage of Regular Earnings + Special Comp - Total Paid by the Employer (City)	29.0%

NOTE: CalPERS pension contributions were made for the period 1/1/09-10/16/09 (41 weeks)


401(a) Deferred Compensation Plan
401(a) Deferred Compensation Plan - Amount Paid by Employer (City)	11,592
401(a) Deferred Compensation Plan - Amount Paid by the Employee	0
401(a) Deferred Compensation Plan - Total Amount Paid	11,592
Annual Regular Earnings + Special Comp for period 9/27/08-9/25/09	231,839
Percentage of Regular Earnings + Special Comp	5.0%

Total Insurance Benefits Paid by the Employer (City)
A D & D	17
Dental	853
Life Insurance	154
Long Term Disability	692
Executive Long Term Disability	1,031
Vision	168
TOTAL	2,915

Post-Employment Health Insurance for 11/09 & 12/09	2,302

2009 TOTAL EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION	508,233


Pay and Income for the last 11 weeks (76 days) of 2009 (10/17/09-12/31/09):

Estimated Contract Employee Pay	43,956
(At $111 per hour x 36 hours per week average x 11 weeks)

Estimated CalPERS Pension Double-Dipping Income	44,468
(At $210,213.36 per year for 11 weeks)

ESTIMATED TOTAL 2009 EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND PENSION INCOME	596,657
(All pension income was obtained while "double-dipping" by working as a contract employee El Segundo City Police Chief)

Regular Earnings, Leave Payout, and Pension Benefit Spike

Police Chief David Cummings received a 23% pay increase effective October 1, 2008, which spiked his 2009 total earnings and leave payout, and his annual pension. The raise spiked his regular earnings by $42,190 (from $183,437 to $225,627), and his accumulated vacation and sick leave payout (cash-out) value by $37,336 (from $162,332 to $199,668), for a total earnings spike of $79,527. His annual pension was spiked by an estimated $39,308 (from $170,905 to $210,213).

Police officers and firefighters are credited and allowed to accumulate and roll-over from year to year huge numbers of vacation and sick leave hours, which can be cashed out at a higher pay rate in later years and upon retirement. His total 2009 earnings was $425,775 - consisting of $225,627 Regular Earnings, $480 Special Compensation, and $199,668 Leave Payout. He retired in 2009 with a pension of $210,213.36 yearly ($17,517.78 monthly) according to CaliforniaPensionReform.com, plus medical insurance, for the rest of his life.

The following table summarizes Police Chief David Cummings' spikes resulting from his 23% raise.

	Regular Earnings	Special Comp.	Overtime	Leave Payout	Total Earnings	Yearly Pension
Before 23% Raise	183,437	480	0	162,332	346,248	170,905
After 23% Raise	225,627	480	0	199,668	425,775	210,213
Spike Amount	42,190	0	0	37,336	80,007	39,308

The reason given for his 23% pay increase that spiked his pay, leave payout, and pension was salary compaction, also known as salary compression, caused by (large) pay increases given to the police union members.

The current Police Officers Association union contract, commencing on July 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2011, gave the Police Officers and Police Sergeants an 15% raise over three years during the 2008-2010 recession, as follows:

A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, retroactively effective October 14, 2008.
A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, effective July 1, 2009.
A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, effective July 1, 2010.

The third 5% raise is not reflected in the 2009 Total Earnings. In addition, half of the second 5% raise is not reflected in the 2009 Regular Earnings and Overtime Earnings. This second 5% raise is not reflected in any vacation and sick leave hours cashed-out before July 1, 2009.

The current Police Managers Association union contract, commencing on July 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2011, gave the Police Captains a 23% raise and Police Lieutenants an 18% raise over three years during the 2008-2010 recession, as follows:

A 4% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, retroactively effective July 1, 2008.
A 9% salary increase for Police Captains and a 4% salary increase for Police Lieutenants, retroactively effective October 1, 2008.
A 5% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, effective October 1, 2009.
A 5% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, effective October 1, 2010.

The fourth (5%) raise is not reflected in the 2009 Total Earnings. In addition, part of the third (5%) raise is not reflected in the 2009 Regular Earnings and Overtime Earnings. This third (5%) raise is not reflected in any vacation and sick leave hours cashed-out before October 1, 2009.

Therefore, all of the 2009 Police Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain compensation data is an under-representation of the current compensation under the current police union contracts.

The El Segundo, California sworn police employee total earnings statistics are given below for 64 full-time sworn police employees in calendar year 2009. The 2009 total earnings includes Regular Earnings, Special Compensation, Overtime, and Leave Payout (vacation and sick leave combined), but excludes CalPERS pension contributions, 401(a) deferred compensation contributions, and city-paid health insurance, life insurance, and any CalPERS pension income received while working during the same year.

Out of the 64 full-time sworn police officers in 2009:

The maximum, average, and median pay were:
$425,775; $139,121; and $131,868.

1 (2%) earned more than $400,000
($425,775);

2 (3%) earned more than $300,000
($327,076 and the above);

8 (13%) earned more than $200,000;
21 (33%) earned more than $150,000;
51 (80%) earned more than $100,000;
53 (83%) earned more than $90,000;
57 (89%) earned more than $80,000.

Earnings Distribution of El Segundo's 64 Full-Time Sworn Police Officers in 2009: Maximum Total Earnings = $425,775; Average Total Earnings = $139,121; Median Total Earnings = $131,868.

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EL SEGUNDO POLICE OFFICER APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS AND COMPENSATION

February 3, 2011

Entry Level Police Officer Qualifications

Entry level police officer qualifications are fairly minimal, and basically amount to graduating high school or having a G.E.D. equivalent document, having a valid automobile driver's license, being in reasonably good physical condition, and having correctable vision. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, or even an assistant to a rocket scientist to get a job as a police officer with incredibly lucrative compensation from two to five times that of a highly skilled and talented professional with decades of experience and one or more advanced degrees in a difficult technical field from a competitive big-name university.

The following information was obtained from the official El Segundo Police Department web pages on the official City of El Segundo web site at:

http://www.ElSegundo.org/police/sworn_employment/entry_level_police_officer/default.asp

Entry Level Police Officers must meet the following qualification requirements.

This is a non-sworn entry level position.

All new hires are required to:

Successfully complete a full-time P.O.S.T. Certified Police Academy of about 26 weeks duration;
OR must have graduated from a P.O.S.T. certified police academy within the 1 year period prior to filing of application;
OR be currently enrolled in a full-time P.O.S.T. certified police academy with a ranking within the top 25% of your class.

Upon successful completion of the mandatory police academy, trainees may be elevated to the rank of Police Officer at the discretion of the Chief of Police.

In addition, candidates must meet the following criteria:

Minimum 20 1/2 years of age at time of written test.
U.S. high school diploma/G.E.D. equivalent. High school must be accredited. College related course work desired.
Must be United States Citizen at time of filing of application.
Possess a valid California Class "C" Driver's License.
Be of proportional height to weight.
Be physically able to handle all rigorous duties of police work.
Normal hearing and color perception. Minimum vision of 20/100 in each eye, correctable to 20/20.
Smoking and/or the use of tobacco products on or off duty are prohibited as a condition of employment.
Any visible tattoo(s), body art and/or body piercings are prohibited while performing department duties.

Entry Level Police Officer Compensation

Entry level police officer compensation is quite generous.

The following information was obtained from an El Segundo Police Department recruitment advertisement in the February 3, 2011 El Segundo Herald newspaper (on page 18, lower left corner), from the El Segundo Police Officers Association (union) contract, and from the official El Segundo Police Department web pages on the official City of El Segundo web site at:

http://www.ElSegundo.org/police/sworn_employment/entry_level_police_officer/salary.asp

Entry Level Police Officers receive the following compensation.

Salary Range:
$5,407.54 - $6,572.90 per month ($64,890.48 - $78,874.80 per year) with an additional 9% P.E.R.S. contribution paid by the city.
Initial salary placement based upon prior education, training and experience.
During academy training, salary is $4,326.03/month ($51,912.36/year).

(Note: The web ESPD web page listed "$5,150 - $6,259 per month" and "During academy training, salary is $4,120/month." The higher figures from the February 3, 2011 ESPD recruitment advertisement in the El Segundo Herald newspaper on page 18 are presumed to be correct.)

Retirement:
P.E.R.S. 3% at age 50 years based on single highest earning year.
P.E.R.S. pension is a defined benefit plan, not a defined contribution plan.
Pension provides a guaranteed amount of pension income, regardless of investment decisions and market cycles and fluctuations.
(Retire as early as age 50 with up to 90% of single highest earning year pay as the annual pension benefit - 3% per year of service up to a maximum of 90% after 30 years of service for the rest of your life).
9% of regular earnings plus special compensation Employee contribution paid by the City.
City pays Employer contribution on regular earnings plus special compensation plus the 9% Employee contribution paid by the City.
Surviving spouse can assume the entire pension as though s/he was the police employee for the rest of her/his life.
Surviving minor children can get pension benefits after death of employee and spouse.

Optional 401(a) deferred compensation plan with employer contributions in addition to P.E.R.S. pension.

Flex Plan:
Allows for payment of employee paid insurance, medical treatment and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

Medical:
$1,045 per month for employee & dependents' medical insurance programs. Employee Assistance Program available for employees and eligible dependents. Paid retiree medical at same coverage level as at time of retirement.

Optical, Dental & Term Life Insurance:
Maximum of $135 per month for employee and eligible dependents toward optical and dental. A $10,000 term life insurance policy provided by the City. Employee may purchase additional life insurance coverage at group rates for spouse and dependents.

Holidays:
Paid 120 holiday hours each December. City pays 100% of employee share of P.E.R.S. on holiday pay.

Paid Vacation:
96 hours a year with 1-5 years of service;
120 hours a year with 6-10 years of service;
144 hours a year with 11-15 years of service;
176 hours a year with 16 years of service; and
17-25 years, plus eight hours for each additional year through 25 years of service.
Can roll over and accumulate vacation leave hours and cash them out at a higher rank and pay rate.

Annual vacation accrual sell-back (up to 50%).

Paid Sick Leave:
8 hours a month (12 days a year) plus partial payment for accrual over 1,056 hours and a percentage of unused leave paid upon service retirement or separation.
Can roll over and accumulate sick leave hours and cash them out at a higher rank and pay rate.

Special Assignment Pay:
Special assignments $425/mo. ($5,100/yr.) and motor officer $511/mo. ($6,132/yr.).

Uniform Allowance:
$715 maximum paid annually for maintenance. Uniform, safety equipment and weapon are provided by the city.

Academy Graduates:
Eligible academy graduates may request to be reimbursed for up to $2,000 for their prior academy training.
Requires ranking in the top 25% of academy class, appropriate documentation and City approval.

Tuition Reimbursement:
100% tuition/books of U.C. costs with prior written approval and grade "C" or better.
80% outside the U.C./Cal State system.

Educational Incentive:
$270 - $467/mo. ($3,240 - $5,604/yr.) for A.A. degree and/or Intermediate POST plus 2 years;
$734 - $770/mo. ($8,808 - $9,240/yr.) for Advanced POST plus 3 years;
$917 - $963/mo. ($11,004 - $11,556/yr.) for B.A./B.S. degree plus 3 years; and
$1,353/mo. ($16,236/yr.) for M.A. degree plus 4 years of law enforcement experience.

Bi-lingual pay $283/mo. ($3,396/yr.) for conversational fluency.

Longevity Pay:
5 yrs. of service, $778/mo. ($9,336 /yr.);
10 yrs. of service, $974/mo. ($11,688/yr.);
15 yrs. of service, $1,135/mo. ($13,620/yr.);
20 yrs. of service, $1,353/mo. ($16,236/yr.); and
26 yrs. of service, $1,926/mo. ($23,112/yr.)

Compensatory/Overtime:
Up to 130 hours of compensatory time combined for physical fitness and overtime hours.
Overtime hours are compensated at time and a half.

Other Benefits:
Voluntary participation in Credit Union,
Deferred Compensation Programs - 401(a), etc.;
PERS Home Loan Program;
Direct Payroll Deposit Program;
Personal Computer Loan Program of up to $4,000 interest free; and
Mandatory Catastrophic Leave Program participation.

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ALL CITY EMPLOYEES

The El Segundo, California city employee total earnings statistics are given below for 273 full-time city employees in 2009, including 57 full-time sworn firefighters and 64 full-time sworn police officers. The 2009 total earnings includes Regular Earnings, Special Compensation, Overtime, and Leave Payout (vacation and sick leave combined), but excludes CalPERS pension contributions, 401(a) deferred compensation contributions, and city-paid health insurance, life insurance, and any CalPERS pension income received while working during the same year is also excluded.

The sworn firefighter and sworn police officer earnings shift the statistics for all full-time city employees upward because the fire and police union employees and their managers are by far the highest paid city employees.

Out of 273 full-time city employees in 2009 for whom data was released, including firefighter and police employees:

The maximum, average, and median pay were:
$425,775; $109,856; and $97,925.

  1 (0%) earned more than $400,000
         ($425,775);

  2 (1%) earned more than $300,000
             ($327,076 and the above);

10 (4%) earned more than $250,000;
22 (8%) earned more than $200,000;
60 (22%) earned more than $150,000;
134 (49%) earned more than $100,000;
149 (55%) earned more than $90,000;
171 (63%) earned more than $80,000;
191 (70%) earned more than $70,000;
218 (80%) earned more than $60,000;
239 (88%) earned more than $50,000.

Earnings Distribution of El Segundo's 273 Full-Time Employees in 2009: Maximum Total Earnings = $425,775; Average Total Earnings = $109,856; Median Total Earnings = $97,925.

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EL SEGUNDO CITY EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION DATA POSTED ON OFFICIAL CITY WEB SITE

The following City of El Segundo Employee Compensation Information was posted on the official City of El Segundo web site after former El Segundo City Councilman Mike Robbins made a Public Records Act request on June 24, 2010 for this and additional city employee compensation data, and asked the City Council to post the data on the city web site, including full employee names. The names and positions are necessary to correlate data across multiple years and to provide greater visibility and transparency into compensation of city employees at taxpayer expense.

Note that it is important to examine manager and labor union bargaining group contracts and Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) documents, which are public record documents.

City of El Segundo Compensation Data on Official City Web Site:

City of El Segundo - Total Staff Earnings for Calendar Year 2009 ( 29.4 KB PDF file)
Local cached copy of El Segundo - Total Staff Earnings for 2009 ( 29.4 KB PDF file)

City of El Segundo - 2009-2010 Budgeted Compensation Levels (29.9 KB PDF file)
Local cached copy of El Segundo - 2009-2010 Budgeted Compensation (29.9 KB PDF file)

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EYE-POPPING PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSION DATA

CalPERS is the California Public Employee Retirement System. It far exceeds pensions provided in the private sector in both pension benefits and in cost. It provides a defined pension benefits plan guaranteed against investment losses by the taxpayers.

View the CalPERS $100K Pension Club for El Segundo, California city employees:

El Segundo city employees' CalPERS $100K Pension Club from CaliforniaPensionReform.com

El Segundo city employees' CalPERS $100K Pension Club from CaliforniaPensionReform.com (19.5 KB PDF file)

El Segundo city employees' CalPERS $100K Pension Club from CaliforniaPensionReform.com (6.8 KB RTF file)

El Segundo city employees' CalPERS $100K Pension Club from CaliforniaPensionReform.com (4.7 KB TXT file)

El Segundo City Councilman Donald Brann's $186,002 Per Year Public Employee Pension

El Segundo City Councilman Donald Bran tried to impress us at the end of the September 21, 2010 City Council meeting, by stating that he is declining his City Council pay and benefits. He can certainly afford to do so, given his $186,002.52 per year ($15,500.21 monthly) public employee pension with medical benefits that he receives from El Segundo business taxpayers east of Sepulveda Blvd., for his employment with the Wiseburn Elementary School District.

http://database.CaliforniaPensionReform.com/database.asp?vtsearchname=Donald+Bran&vtsearchemploy=wiseburn+elementary&vtquery=1&vttable=calstrs

This highlights the problem of unsustainable and greatly excessive public employee pensions that are creating significant budget problems for states, counties, and cities, and will only get worse in the future unless the problem is addressed and fixed now.

Councilman Donald Bran wants to charge new trash collection fees to residents who have meager retirement incomes, so he can continue to enrich the police and firefighters union members at taxpayer expense.

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EL SEGUNDO PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNION CONTRACTS

BIG Raises and Other Surprises!

El Segundo Firefighters Association (ESFFA) union contract

El Segundo Police Officers Association (ESPOA) union contract

El Segundo Police Managers Association (ESPMA) union contract

El Segundo Public Safety Management employee raises

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April 7. 2009 El Segundo Firefighters Union IAFF Local 3682 and El Segundo Police Union Contract Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) labor agreement contract documents (2.08 MB PDF file)

The firefighters union contract MOU No. 3928 was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E11), well after the 2008 recession started. Look at the agenda item (E11) in the Agenda Packet to see the MOU. It covers the Firefighter, Fire Paramedic, Fire Engineer, and Fire Captain ranks (but not the Battalion Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, and Fire Chief ranks, which are management ranks).

According to the City Council meeting minutes, it was passed by the following 3-1 vote:
AYES: Mayor Kelly McDowell, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bush, Councilmember Carl Jacobson.
NOES: Council Member Don Brann.
ABSENT: Council Member Bill Fisher.

It provided an 11.25% raise during the recession, in the form of three consecutive 3.75% raises.

It included the following (and other) terms:

Three-year term, commencing on July 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2011.
A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, retroactively effective October 14, 2008.
A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, effective July 1, 2009.
A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, effective July 1, 2010.
Provision that the maximum future City contribution for medical insurance, for both active employees and retirees, shall be $1,800 per month.
Members will perform touch-up painting (small jobs handled with 1" brush and quart can). Such touch-up painting shall exclude painting of entire walls, rooms, or structures.
Members will perform minor, unskilled carpentry maintenance and repair. Such carpentry responsibilities shall not include maintenance or repairs requiring special skills, knowledge, or tools beyond household handyman level.

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The police officers union contract MOU No. 3929 was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E12), well after the 2008 recession started. Look at the agenda item (E12) in the Agenda Packet to see the MOU. It covers the Police Officer and Police Sergeant ranks (the two lowest ranks).

According to the City Council meeting minutes, it was passed by the following 3-1 vote:
AYES: Mayor Kelly McDowell, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bush, Councilmember Carl Jacobson.
NOES: Council Member Don Brann.
ABSENT: Council Member Bill Fisher.

It provided a 15% raise during the recession, in the form of three consecutive 5% raises.

It included the following (and other) terms:

Three-year term, commencing on July 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2011.
A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, retroactively effective October 14, 2008.
A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, effective July 1, 2009.
A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, effective July 1, 2010.
Provision that the maximum future City contribution for medical insurance, for both active employees and retirees, shall be $1,800 per month.
PERS Retirement Formula - The City has implemented the 3% at 50 PERS retirement formula for all affected employees. Thus, police union members can retire at age 50 with up to 90% of their single highest pay year as their annual pension for the rest of their lives (3% per year of service) (ARTICLE 18 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 18.01 PERS Retirement Formula).
PERS Pickup Reported as "Compensation Earnable" - The City shall pay on behalf of each employee his or her required 9% "employee contribution" to CalPERS. Additionally, the City shall report a set dollar amount equal to the nine percent (9%) "employee contribution" to the California Public Employees' Retirement System as compensation earnable. Said contributions will be paid on holiday pay received by eligible employees. (ARTICLE 18 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 18.02 PERS Pickup Reported as "Compensation Earnable")
Include Optional PERS Contract Provisions -
A. The City shall provide "Level 4" 1959 Survivors Benefits.
B. As soon as practicable, the City shall modify its PERS contract to provide for the Government Code section 21548 PRE-RETIREMENT OPTION 2W DEATH BENEFIT.
C. The City shall provide the Single Highest Year formula.
(ARTICLE 18 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 18.03, Optional Contract Provisions)
Minimum Service with City of El Segundo to Receive Retirement Benefits - Employees who retire must have been employed for a minimum of five (5) years with the City of El Segundo as a peace officer to receive the following benefits: pay for unused sick leave balance; the option of continuing to participate in the City's group insurance programs; and the right to receive a contribution toward medical insurance for the retiree and 1 dependent. (ARTICLE 18 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 18.04 Minimum Service with City of El Segundo to Receive Retirement Benefits)
Retiree Health Insurance Contribution Program - The City will contribute to a retiree health insurance contribution program for retirees who participate in the Public Employees' medical and Hospital Care Program. The program will provide for the following maximum contribution: The Average monthly dollar cost of the premium for an employee and 2 or more dependents for the HMO's available to employees under PEMHCA. (ARTICLE 18 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 18.05 Retiree Health Insurance Contribution Program)
Longevity Pay - Police union members who have satisfactory performance appraisals are given additional "longevity" pay based on their number of years of service, in accordance with Salary Schedule 2. (Section 3.03 Longevity Achievement on Merit)
Overtime Pay - Overtime hours are compensated at one and one-half times their regular rate of pay. (ARTICLE 7 OVERTIME COMPENSATION)
On-Call Pay - Off duty police union members who are placed in on-call status for court during either the morning or afternoon session receive 3 hours of paid overtime, and 6 hours of paid overtime if placed in on-call status for court during both the morning and afternoon session. (Section 7.02 Court On-Call Pay)
Call Backs - A minimum of 4 hours of work time at one and one-half the employee's regular rate of pay is credited for all police union member call backs. (Section 7.03)
Holiday Pay - Police union members who regularly work holidays are credited 120 hours (15 days) of paid holiday leave in their holiday bank. (ARTICLE 11 HOLIDAY PAY, Section 11.01)
Spanish Pay - Police union members who speak Spanish (or another language designated by the Police Chief) fluently are paid premium compensation of $3,406.80 (Police Officer) or $4,267.92 (Sergeant) yearly ($283.90 or $355.66 monthly). (Section 8.04)
Motorcycle Cleaning and Maintenance Pay - Police union members assigned to motorcycle duty are paid an additional $6,132.12 (Police Officer) or $7,682.28 (Sergeant) yearly stipend for off-duty time spent cleaning and maintaining their motorcycles ($511.01 or $640.19 monthly). (ARTICLE 8 DIFFERENTIAL PAY, Section 8.01)
Uniform Cleaning Allowance - The City shall provide required uniforms and safety equipment to eligible employees. Employees eligible for a uniform cleaning allowance shall receive $715.00 per year. (ARTICLE 17 UNIFORM AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT ALLOWANCE, Section 17.01 Provision & Annual Allowance)
$4,000 Interest-Free Computer Loan - All participants in the loan program will be eligible for an initial, interest free loan in the amount of $4,000 (four thousand dollars). (ARTICLE 20 COMPUTER LOAN PROGRAM, Section 20.01 Initial Loan)

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The Police Managers union contract MOU No. ____ was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E8), well after the 2008 recession started. Look at the agenda item (E8) in the Agenda Packet to see the MOU. It covers the Police Lieutenant and Police Captain ranks.

According to the City Council meeting minutes, it was passed by the following 3-1 vote:
AYES: Mayor Kelly McDowell, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bush, Councilmember Carl Jacobson.
NOES: Council Member Don Brann.
ABSENT: Council Member Bill Fisher.

It provided an 18% raise for Police Lieutenants and a 23% raise for Police Captains during the recession, in the form of four consecutive raises effective retroactively on July 1, 2008 and October 1, 2008, and also on October 1, 2009 and October 1, 2010. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75)

It included the following (and other) terms:

A 4% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, retroactively effective July 1, 2008. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75, MOU page 3)
A 9% salary increase for Police Captains and a 4% salary increase for Police Lieutenants, retroactively effective October 1, 2008. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75, MOU page 3)
A 5% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, effective October 1, 2009. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75, MOU page 3)
A 5% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, effective October 1, 2010. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75, MOU page 3)
3% @ 50 CalPERS Retirement Formula - The City has implemented the 3% at 50 PERS retirement formula for all affected employees. Thus, police union members can retire at age 50 with up to 90% of their single highest pay year as their annual pension for the rest of their lives (3% per year of service). (ARTICLE 22 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 22.01 PERS Retirement Formula, Agenda Packet page 87, MOU page 15)
City pays employee's required nine percent (9%) CalPERS pension "Employee Contribution" and reports that amount of money to CalPERS as compensation earnable for pension credit as though it were employee income. (ARTICLE 22 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 22.02 PERS Pickup Reported as "Compensation Earnable", Agenda Packet page 87, MOU page 15)
City pays the CalPERS pension "Employer Contribution" on the amount of the required nine percent (9%) CalPERS retirement "Employee Contribution" and reports such contribution as an item of special compensation. (ARTICLE 22 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 22.03 Monetary Value of Employer-Paid Member Contributions (EPMC), Agenda Packet page 87, MOU page 15)
City provides "Level 4" 1959 Survivors Benefits. (ARTICLE 22 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 22.04 Optional Contract Provisions, Agenda Packet page 87, MOU page 15)
City provides the Single Highest Year formula, i.e., the employee will have the 3% at 50 CalPERS pension benefit formula where the employee will receive an annual pension benefit of up to 90% of the Single Highest Year income (3% of the single highest year income per year of service) as early as age 50. (ARTICLE 22 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 22.04 Optional Contract Provisions, Agenda Packet page 87, MOU page 15)
City provides the Military Service credit as public service option. (ARTICLE 22 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 22.04 Optional Contract Provisions, Agenda Packet page 87, MOU page 15)
City started providing the additional PERS Section 21548, "Pre-Retirement Option 2W Death Benefit". (ARTICLE 22 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 22.04 Optional Contract Provisions, Agenda Packet page 87, MOU page 15)
City will contribute to a retiree health insurance contribution program for retirees in the Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Program. (ARTICLE 22 RETIREMENT BENEFITS, Section 22.05 Retiree Health Insurance Contribution Program, Agenda Packet page 88, MOU page 16)
457 Deferred Compensation Plan has been established as a benefit for employee participation. (ARTICLE 25 DEFERRED COMPENSATION, Section 25.01 Deferred Compensation Plan (457), Agenda Packet page 88, MOU page 16)
401a Deferred Compensation Plan (match up to 1% of total pay) - City will pay an amount equal to the employee's contribution to deferred compensation up to a maximum of one percent (1%) of the employee's total pay. (ARTICLE 25 DEFERRED COMPENSATION, Section 25.02 Deferred Compensation Plan (401a), Agenda Packet page 88, MOU page 16)
Maximum future City contribution for medical insurance, for both active employees and retirees, is $1,800 per month. (ARTICLE 20 HEALTH BENEFITS, Section 20.02 City Medical Contribution, Agenda Packet page 86, MOU page 14)
Executive Leave days increased from five to seven; 28 hours may be carried over and accumulated from year to year, not to exceed a cap of 84 hours, and not eligible for pay out upon retirement of separation of employment. (ARTICLE 10 EXECUTIVE LEAVE, Section 10.01 Entitlement, Agenda Packet page 80, MOU page 8)
A maximum accrual of 80 hours of compensatory time may be accumulated. (ARTICLE 12 COMPENSATORY TIME, Section 12.01 Maximum Accrual, Agenda Packet page 81, MOU page 9)
Captains get 12 specified dates off with pay as holidays, plus one personal leave/floating holiday. (ARTICLE 13 HOLIDAY LEAVE, Section 13.01 Holiday Leave -- Captains, Section 13.02 Personal Leave/Floating Holiday -- Captains, Agenda Packet page 81-82, MOU page 9-10)
Lieutenants are paid for 104 hours in lieu of holiday pay once a year on or about December 10. (ARTICLE 13 HOLIDAY LEAVE, Section 13.03 Holiday Pay -- Lieutenants, Agenda Packet page 82, MOU page 10)
Vacation Days increased from a maximum number of 22 to 25 days (200 hours) per year, following completion of 14 years service.
96 hours per year with full salary for first 5 years of continuous service with the City;
120 hours per year with full salary after 5 years and until 10 years of continuous service;
144 hours per year with full salary after 11 years and until the completion of 14 years of continuous service;
200 hours per year with full salary after 14 years of continuous service.
(ARTICLE 15 VACATION LEAVE, Section 15.02 Vacation Accrual Schedule, Agenda Packet page 84, MOU page 12)
Vacation Accrual rate is based on total service time in a PERS or comparable agency after employees have successfully completed their initial probationary period and/or achieved E step placement in their assigned salary range. (ARTICLE 15 VACATION LEAVE, Section 15.03 Vacation Accrual Based on Total Service Time in a PERS or Comparable Agency, Agenda Packet page 84, MOU page 12)
Payment in lieu of vacation time accrual - Employees may receive payment in lieu of accrued vacation time up to a maximum of one hundred percent (100%) the annual accrual to which they are entitled by length of service, after completing one (1) year of service. (ARTICLE 15 VACATION LEAVE, Section 15.04 Vacation Time Accrual -- Payment in Lieu Of, Agenda Packet page 84, MOU page 12)
Affected employees shall accumulate sick leave at the rate of one (1) eight (8) hour day accumulation for each month's service not to exceed a maximum of 1056 hours (132 days). Hours worked in addition to a regular work week shall not entitle an employee to additional sick leave accumulation. (ARTICLE 14 SICK LEAVE, Section 14.01 Sick Leave -- Leave with Pay due to Illness, Agenda Packet page 82, MOU page 10)
Effective the first day of December of each year, affected employees who maintain a balance of 1056 hours (132 days) of sick leave accrual shall be paid for seventy-five percent (75%) of the sick leave accumulated and not used during the preceding twelve-month period. Payment shall be paid at the affected employee's regular rate of pay and be paid on or before December 10. (ARTICLE 14 SICK LEAVE, Section 14.03 Sick Leave -- Payment of Seventy-Five Percent (75%) of Accrual, Agenda Packet page 82, MOU page 10)
Affected employees who separate employment prior to the first day of December while maintaining a balance of more than 1056 hours (132 days) of sick leave shall be paid for seventy-five percent (75%) of their unused accrued sick leave accumulated since the preceding December 1. Payment shall be paid at the affected employee's regular rate of pay. (ARTICLE 14 SICK LEAVE, Section 14.04 Sick Leave Accrued -- Payment on Separation Prior to December 1, Agenda Packet page 83, MOU page 11)
Upon separation from service because of a disability retirement, affected employees with five (5) years of City service will be compensated for one-hundred percent (100%) of the affected employee's accumulated unused sick leave at the affected employee's regular rate of pay at separation. (ARTICLE 14 SICK LEAVE, Section 14.05 Payment of Sick Leave Accrual -- Disability Retirement, Agenda Packet page 83, MOU page 11)
Payment of sick leave accrual is 100% after 20 years of service - Upon separation from service, affected employees with (20) years of City service will be compensated for one-hundred percent (100%) of the employee's accumulated, unused sick leave at the affected employee's regular rate of pay at separation. (ARTICLE 14 SICK LEAVE, Section 14.06 Payment of Sick Leave Accrual -- After 20 Years of City Service, Agenda Packet page 83, MOU page 11)
"Regular rate of pay" (base pay rate) is defined as the hourly rate, including all remunerations paid to or on behalf of the employee, including Educational Incentive Pay and the City paid nine-percent (9%) CalPERS pension Employer Paid Member Contribution. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.02 Regular Rate of pay Defined, Agenda Packet page 76, MOU page 4)
Overtime Pay is paid at one and a half times their "regular rate of pay" for Police Lieutenants and at their "regular rate of pay" for Police Lieutenants. Thus, overtime pay for Lieutenants includes one and a half times the Educational Incentive Pay and the City paid nine-percent (9%) CalPERS pension Employer Paid Member Contribution. (ARTICLE 7 OVERTIME COMPENSATION, Section 7.01 Pay for Shift Schedule, Agenda Packet page 78, MOU page 6)
Educational Incentive Compensation - of $10,373.22 yearly ($398.97 per (bi-weekly) pay period) for Police Lieutenants holding any Master's Degree, and $11,736.40 yearly ($451.40 per (bi-weekly) pay period) for Police Captains holding any Master's Degree, effective retroactively back to July 1, 2008. Educational Incentive Pay qualifies as compensation earnable (counts towards the employee's CalPERS pension benefit) pursuant to Section 20636 of the California Government Code and Section 571(a)(I) of the California Code of Regulations. (ARTICLE 3 EDUCATIONAL INCENTIVE PAY, Section 3.01 Educational Incentive Pay, Agenda Packet pages 76-77, MOU pages 4-5)
100% Tuition and Books Reimbursement for undergraduate studies in pursuit of an Associate's or a Bachelor's Degree at any accredited college or university having its campus in the State of California, for classes approved pre-enrollment by the Chief of Police or his/her designee, and in which the employee attains a grade of "C" or better (or a "pass" grade where classes are taken "pass/fail"). (ARTICLE 4 TUITION AND BOOK REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, Section 4.02 Undergraduate Studies (Studies undertaken in pursuit of an Associate's or a Bachelor's degree), Agenda Packet page 77, MOU page 5)
100% Tuition and Books Reimbursement for post-graduate studies at the University of California or California State University (80% reimbursement for studies at other accredited institutions), for classes approved pre-enrollment by the Chief of Police or his/her designee, and in which the employee attains a grade of "C" or better (or a "pass" grade where classes are taken "pass/fail"). (ARTICLE 4 TUITION AND BOOK REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, Section 4.03 Post-Graduate Studies (Post-Graduate studies are defined as those undertaken in pursuit of a degree beyond a Bachelor's), Agenda Packet page 77, MOU page 5)
Uniform Allowance - $53 per month of active duty for patrol lieutenants, $40 per month of active duty for non-patrol lieutenants and captains. The Uniform Allowance qualifies as compensation earnable towards the CalPERS pension benefit pursuant to California Government Code Section 20636 and California Code of Regulations Section 571(a)(1). (ARTICLE 21 UNIFORMS AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT, Section 21.02 Uniform Allowance, Agenda Packet page 87, MOU page 15)
Physical fitness assessment is voluntary. (ARTICLE 8 PHYSICAL FITNESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM, Section 8.03 Program Components, B. Fitness Assessment, Agenda Packet page 79, MOU page 7)
Physical Fitness Incentive Program Pay per quarter of 16 hours ("Excellent" condition), 8 hours ("Good" condition), and 4 hours ("Fair" condition), where the pay qualifies as compensation earnable towards CalPERS pension benefit credit pursuant to California Government Code Section 20636 and California Code of Regulations Section 571(a)(1). (ARTICLE 8 PHYSICAL FITNESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM, Section 8.04 Physical Fitness Incentive Program Pay, Agenda Packet page 80, MOU page 8)
Fully paid annual comprehensive medical exam.
Fully paid dental, optical, and life insurance premiums for the employee and eligible dependents. The City shall make available any city-wide improvements to the dental benefit, to the Association. (ARTICLE 20 HEALTH BENEFITS, Section 20.03 Optical, Dental, and Life Insurance, Agenda Packet page 86, MOU page 14)
$4,000 Interest-Free Three (3) Year Computer Loan to purchase personal computer hardware and software. (ARTICLE 24 COMPUTER LOAN PROGRAM, Section 24.01 Initial Loan, Agenda Packet page 88, MOU page 16)
Employee layoffs are based on seniority, and not on job performance unless there is a tie in seniority (same hire date), making it difficult to improve the employee staff during layoffs by laying off incompetent and dishonest employees first.

A permanent employee in a classification affected by a reduction in force shall be laid off based on seniority in City service that is the employee with the least service shall be laid off first, followed by the employee with the second lease City service, etc. Seniority shall be determined by hire date. City seniority shall be used to effectuate the procedures set forth in this Article. Seniority for part-time employees shall be calculated as one-half (1/2) time from the date of hire with the City. (ARTICLE 27 LAYOFF PROCEDURES, Section 27.04 Procedures for Layoff, Agenda Packet page 90, MOU page 18)
Ties in layoffs between employees with same hire date (equal seniority) are broken based on job performance.

In cases where two (2) or more employees have the same date of hire (i.e. equal seniority), retention points for job performance shall be credited on the basis of the average of the overall evaluation for the last three (3) years, provided the last rating had been filed more than (30) days prior to the date of the layoff notice. Retention points are as follows:

Exceeds Standard - 24 points
Meets Standard - 12 points
Below Standard - 0 points

In the event of a tie in seniority, the employee with the lowest average of retention points shall be laid off first. In the event that one or more of the affected employees do not have overall evaluation ratings for the last three (3) years on file, ties shall be broken by a coin toss.
(ARTICLE 27 LAYOFF PROCEDURES, Section 27.05 Breaking Ties, Agenda Packet page 90, MOU page 18)
Assignment of employees to lower vacant positions in lieu of layoff will be based on seniority and not on job performance, unless there is a tie in seniority (same hire date).

An employee designated for layoff as a result of abolition of a position or classification may be offered appointment to a vacant position in a lower classification, if the employee is qualified by education and/or experience for such position. If there is more than one qualified employee to be offered such appointment(s), the offer(s) shall be based on seniority, etc. If the employees have the same seniority, then the procedure for breaking ties set forth above shall apply. An employee accepting such appointment shall be placed on the step for the lower classification most closely corresponding, but in no case higher, than the salary step of his/her previously held position, and the employee will be assigned a new salary anniversary date on the effective date of the appointment. (ARTICLE 27 LAYOFF PROCEDURES, Section 27.06 Reduction to a Vacant Position, Agenda Packet page 90, MOU page 18)
Displacement (Bumping) Rights based on seniority, not job performance -

A. An employee designated for layoff as a result of abolition of a position or classification may displace ("bump") an employee in a lower classification in which the employee has prior service, provided the laid off employee has greater seniority than the employee in the lower classification.

B. An employee designated for layoff with greater seniority may displace ("bump") a less senior employee in a lower classification, for which he/she is immediately qualified to perform.

(ARTICLE 27 LAYOFF PROCEDURES, Section 27.07 Displacement Rights, Agenda Packet page 90, MOU page 18)

Here is the City Council Meeting Agenda Packet staff report, with annotations by Mike Robbins from the Public Safety Project shown within parenthesis and in (bold italic type).

April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council Meeting

Consent Agenda item E8:

( Agenda Packet PDF file and stamped page numbers 65 to 66: )

EL SEGUNDO CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: April 7, 2009
AGENDA STATEMENT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Agenda

AGENDA DESCRIPTION

Consideration and possible action regarding approval of a comprehensive three-year Memorandum of Understanding (Labor Agreement) between the city of El Segundo and the El Segundo Police Managers' Association. (Fiscal Impact: $161,810 salary and benefit increases; plus $68,881 to resolve salary compaction in the Police Department, for a grand total of $230,691.)

RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:

Approve the Comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding.
Authorize the Mayor to execute the Memorandum of Understanding in a form approved by the City Attorney.
Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.

ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:

Comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding.

FISCAL IMPACT: ($230,691)

Amount Budgeted: $161,810
Additional Appropriation: $68,881
Account Number(s):

ORIGINATED BY: Bob Hyland, Director of Human Resources
REVIEWED BY: Bill Crowe, Assistant City Manager
APPROVED BY: Jack Wayt, City Manager

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:

In July 2008, staff and representatives of the El Segundo Police Managers' Association began meeting and conferring, pursuant to Sections 3500 et. seq. of the California Government Code, for the purposes of obtaining a labor agreement. Agreement was reached during the second week of December, 2008. On December 16, 2008, Council approved an Agreement between the city and the Association and adopted a Resolution approving the Memorandum of Understanding.

Council's action approved the changes in the terms and conditions of employment detailed in the Agreement, with the understanding that those changes shall then be incorporated into a Comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding which in itself would then be presented to the Council for approval.

The Agreement contains the following major provisions:

Three-year term, commencing on July 1, 2008 and ending on September 30, 2011.
A 4% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, effective (retroactively back to) July 5, 2008.
In order to address salary compaction issues between Management Job Classifications and Bargaining Unit Job Classifications, the following salary increases establish 5% compensation differentials between supervisors and subordinates:
- Lieutenant, 4% salary increase, effective (retroactively back to) October 1, 2008; and
- Police Captain, 9% salary increase, effective (retroactively back to) October 1, 2008.
Effective 10/1/2009 and 10/1/2010, an (5%) increase in compensation reportable to the Public Employment Retirement System (PERS) equivalent to that received by the El Segundo Police Officers Association. (NOTE: This agenda packet staff report omitted the 5%, concealing these two 5% raises and the total raise in this agenda item description. It was necessary to read the MOU to find this information.)
An increase in additional pay from $800 per month to $1,200. This compensation is used principally for the purchase of PERS medical insurance, was last increased July, 2003 and will be equivalent to that received by the City's unrepresented Management-Confidential Employees.
Effective 10/1/2009 and 10/1/2010, an (TBD%) increase in additional pay reportable to PERS equivalent to that received by Management-Confidential Employees. (NOTE: This agenda packet staff report omitted the TBD%, concealing these two TBD% raises and the total raise in this agenda item description. It was necessary to read the MOU to find this information.)
Conversion of 8% Masters Degree pay to an equivalent flat dollar amount.
Provision that the maximum future City contribution for medical insurance, for both active employees and retirees, shall be $1,800 per month.
Acceptance of the revised City of El Segundo Substance Abuse Policy and Drug-Free Workplace Statement, dated July 1, 2008.
Amendment to the City's contract with PERS to provide Section 21548, "Pre-Retirement Option 2W Death Benefit."
An increase in Executive Leave days from five to seven.
An increase in the maximum number of Vacation Days, following completion of 14 years service, from 22 days to 25 per year.
Physical fitness assessment is voluntary.
An agreement between the City and the Association to amend the Memorandum of Understanding to contain all rules, regulations, policies and procedures currently in effect that relate wages, hours, benefits and working conditions.

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December 2, 2008 El Segundo City Council Resolution-Management Raises (0.98 MB PDF file)

The City Council resolution providing Executive Management, Mid-Management/Confidential, and Public Safety Management city employee raises and benefits increases was approved at the December 2, 2008 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E8), well after the 2008 recession started. Look at the agenda item (E8) in the Agenda Packet to see the Resolution approving the raises. It covers the Battalion Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Fire Chief, and Police Chief ranks, which are all management ranks).

According to the City Council meeting minutes, it was passed by the following 4-1 vote:
AYES: Mayor Kelly McDowell, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bush, Councilmembers Bill Fisher and Carl Jacobson.
NOES: Council Member Don Brann.

It provided substantial raises to prevent salary compaction between management employees and their subordinate union member employees who received large pay increases. Thus, large union employee raises are used as justification for large management employee raises.

It included the following (and other) terms:

Salary Compaction (Compression) in the Police and Fire Departments

In order to address salary compaction (compression) issues between management job classifications and (labor union) bargaining unit job classifications, the following salary increases establish 5% compensation differentials between supervisors and subordinates, and result in the Police chief and Fire Chief being assigned to the same salary range. Salary Compaction Pay Adjustments, with the exception of the Fire Chief, effective July 1, 2008, will be effective October 1, 2008. The percentage increases listed below include the 4% salary increase provided to all Management/Confidential Employees.
1. An increase of 16.9% to the Salary Range for Battalion Chief (Salary Range 60f).
2. An increase of 14.9% to the Salary Range for Deputy Fire Chief (Salary Range 69f).
3. An increase of 32.3% to the Salary Range for Fire Chief (Salary Range 70f).
4. An increase of 23% to the Salary Range for Police Chief (Salary Range 60p).
  
  PAY - LEAVE PAYOUT - PENSION SPIKE:
  
  Police Chief David Cummings received a 23% pay increase effective October 1, 2008, which spiked his pay, his vacation and sick leave payout (cash-out) value (for his vacation and sick leave hours which were accrued, accumulated, and rolled-over from year to year), and his pension. His total 2009 earnings was $425,775 - consisting of $225,627 Regular Earnings, $480 Special Compensation, and $199,668 Leave Payout. He retired in 2009 with a pension of $210,213.36 yearly ($17,517.78 monthly) according to CaliforniaPensionReform.com, plus medical insurance, for the rest of his life.
  
  The reason given for his 23% pay increase that spiked his pay, leave payout, and pension was salary compaction, also known as salary compression, caused by (large) pay increases given to the police union members.
Amendment to the City's contract with the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) to provide Section 21548 (Pre-Retirement Option 2W Death Benefit) for the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief and Battalion Chiefs. This benefit provides the Retirement-Eligible Employees' spouse a monthly allowance equal to the highest possible allowance the employee would have been eligible to receive at the time of their death. This benefit has been available to the City's civilian, non-safety employees since April, 2008.
A 4.0% salary increase for all Executive Management, Mid-Management/Confidential Employees, with the exception of the City Manager, effective 7/5/2008.

For reference purposes, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) for the Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County area averaged 3.52% for the twelve month period from July 2007 - June 2008.
An increase in additional pay from $1,000 per month to $1,200 per month. This compensation is used principally for the purchase of PERS Medical Insurance and was last increased in July, 2004, from $900 to $1,000.
An increase in Executive Leave Days for Department Head Employees, from eight days to ten days per year.
An increase in Executive Leave Days for Mid-Management/Confidential Employees from five days to seven days per year.
An increase in the maximum number of Vacation Days, following completion of 14 years service, from 22 days to 25 days per year.
Updated language regarding Jury Duty Service, providing for two weeks paid Jury Duty Service, and a variety of new Administrative Procedures.
Provision that the maximum future City contribution for medical insurance, for both active employees and retirees, shall be $1,800 per month.

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Month DD, YYYY El Segundo City Contract with the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (X.XX MB PDF file)

The City contract with the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) specifies the city employee retirement benefits provided by the city. It will be posted here when available.

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FIREFIGHTER UNION VOTER INITIATIVE

2010 El Segundo Firefighters Union Initiative to force a Los Angeles County takeover of the El Segundo City Fire Department (241 KB PDF file)

2010 El Segundo Firefighters Union Initiative petition form (123 KB PDF file)

2010 El Segundo Firefighters Union Initiative petition receipt (25.2 KB PDF file)

2010 El Segundo Firefighters Union Initiative petition receipt (2.79 KB RTF file)

2010 El Segundo Firefighters Union Initiative petition receipt (2.32 KB TXT file)

The takeover will protect the firefighter union member jobs and obscenely excessive pay at the monetary and safety expense of the community. A county takeover will cost taxpayers more money than cutting firefighter pay back to reasonable levels, and reforming the union contract rules for special compensation, overtime, pensions, and vacation and sick leave accumulation and year-to-year rollover and cash-out.

The initiative proponent is Brian Partlow, the only El Segundo firefighter union member that actually lives in the city. He was one of the lowest paid El Segundo firefighters in 2009 - his total earnings were only $102,034!

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FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY TAKEOVER OF EL SEGUNDO FIRE DEPARTMENT

August 17, 2010 Los Angeles County Fire-El Segundo Feasibility Study approved by the LACBOS (35 Pages - 670 KB PDF file)

Feasibility study of a Los Angeles County takeover of the El Segundo City Fire Department, by the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County, approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, from the official City of El Segundo web site.

Here is a link to a local cached copy of the same approved study document from the official City of El Segundo web site.

July 23, 2010 Los Angeles County Fire-El Segundo Feasibility Study - Pre-Approval Copy (34 Pages - 630 KB PDF file)

Feasibility study of a Los Angeles County takeover of the El Segundo City Fire Department, by the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County, from the official City of El Segundo web site.

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SENIOR CITIZEN SCARE LETTER SENT BY FIREFIGHTERS UNION

View the El Segundo Firefighters Union "Senior Scare" Letter (dated April 9, 2004) sent to El Segundo Senior Citizens, threatening hospital closure and "the possibility of our paramedics not being available when you need them" if the City Council candidates they endorsed are not elected. The endorsements are given based on salary and benefit increases and politics, not public safety considerations.

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OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES

Blogs and Newspaper Web Sites:

The Gundo Blogger - elsegundoblog.blogspot.com

Daily Breeze newspaper - DailyBreeze.com - Torrance, CA and South Bay Cities.

The Beach Reporter weekly newspaper - TBRnews.com - South Bay Cities - El Segundo News.

L.A. Weekly newspaper - LAWeekly.com - Los Angeles metro area.

Public Employee Salary and Pension Databases - Search and Report:

California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
Pensions in excess of $100,000 per year - CalPERS $100K Pension Club from CaliforniaPensionReform.com

California State Teachers Retirement System (Cal STRS)
Pensions in excess of $100,000 per year - Cal STRS $100K Pension Club from CaliforniaPensionReform.com

El Segundo city employees' CalPERS $100K Pension Club from CaliforniaPensionReform.com

Links to California State, County, City and Municipal Employees Salaries
From PIbuzz.com, the "Official" Blog of PI Magazine.

City of Los Angeles Employee Salaries - Daily News Database - Search and Report
Los Angeles public pay records studied by the Daily News for a comprehensive look

State of California Employee Salaries - Sacramento Bee Newspaper Database - Search and Report

Public Employee Union Abuse, Compensation, and Pension Reform Resources:

California Public Employers Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA)
CalPELRA.org - calpelra@calpelra.org - Phone: 650-688-2700
Public Sector Management's Resource for Labor-Relations Leadership, Training, Information, and Support. CALPELRA is a professional, nonprofit California association established in 1975, comprised of public sector management representatives responsible for carrying out the labor relations / human resource programs for their jurisdictions.

CalPELRA Negotiations/Labor Relations News Clips
News stories on public employee union negotiations and labor relations, including compensation and pension reforms by cities and counties. Check this web page frequently and read or archive the many useful news stories if you are interested in ideas for preventing local government bankruptcies.

Pension Tsunami web site (PensionTsunami.com)
A project of the California Public Policy Center.
The oncoming wave of pension debt is even bigger than it seems. The purpose of the Pension Tsunami website is to provide an overview of the multiple pension crises that are about to drown America's taxpayers. Their primary focus is on California, but they also track other states, corporate pensions, social security and international trends.

Union Watch - UnionWatch.org
Learn about labor union corruption and coercion that effectively steals your money, your job, and your business.

California PERB Blog - caperb.BlogSpot.com
Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai LLP Public Law Group.

City of Bell, California

City of Bell, California official city web site - CityOfBell.org

City of Bell, California official City Clerk web site - BellCityClerk.org

City of Bell, California official city employee salaries - (165 KB PDF file) - complete or incomplete?

Local cached copy of City of Bell, California official city employee salaries (165 KB PDF file)

City of Bell, California Public Records Request Form (84.0 KB PDF file)

Local cached copy of City of Bell, California Public Records Request Form (84.0 KB PDF file)

Laws allowing public employees to form unions
and engage in collective bargaining

California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)

The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) is a quasi-judicial agency which oversees public sector collective bargaining in California. PERB administers seven California collective bargaining statutes, ensures their consistent implementation and application, and adjudicates disputes between the parties subject to them. The statutes administered by PERB include the following:

The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) of 1968 establishing collective bargaining for California's municipal, county, and local special district employers and employees was brought under PERB's jurisdiction pursuant to Senate Bill 739 (Chapter 901, Statutes of 2000), effective July 1, 2001 (PERB's jurisdiction over the MMBA excludes peace officers, management employees and the City and County of Los Angeles);
The Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA) of 1976 establishing collective bargaining in California's public schools (K-12) and community colleges;
The State Employer-Employee Relations Act of 1978, known as the Ralph C. Dills Act (Dills Act), establishing collective bargaining for state government employees;
The Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA) of 1979 extending the same coverage to the California State University System, the University of California System and Hastings College of Law;
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Transit Employer-Employee Relations Act (TEERA), covering supervisory employees of the transit agency;
The Trial Court Employment Protection and Governance Act (Trial Court Act) was brought under PERB's jurisdiction effective August 16, 2004, pursuant to Senate Bill 1102 (Chapter 227, Statutes of 2004);
The Trial Court Interpreter Employment and Labor Relations Act (Court Interpreter Act) was also brought under PERB's jurisdiction effective August 16, 2004, pursuant to Senate Bill 1102 (Chapter 227, Statutes of 2004).

The text of these statutes are at the following links. However, it is better to use the links above. Each link above points to a web page with an index into one of the statute web pages below.

http://www.perb.ca.gov/laws/statutes.asp
http://www.perb.ca.gov/laws/trial.asp
http://www.perb.ca.gov/laws/interpreter.asp

PERB DISCLAIMER:

The Public Employment Relations Board maintains the web site hosting the pages linked above, to enhance public access to PERB's information. This is a service that is continually under development. While they try to keep the information timely and accurate, they make no guarantees. They will make an effort to correct errors brought to their attention. Persons utilizing their site are encouraged to verify the text of statutes and regulations using official publications of the State of California.

Court Decisions Empowering Unions

Court decisions have given more rights to employees, taken more rights away from employers, and given more power to labor unions. For example, in 1975, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in a case referred to as The Skelly Decision that created "Skelly Rights" (public employees' pre-disciplinary due process rights). Skelly Rights protect permanent (career) public employees against unfair and abusive disciplinary actions. However, they also protect incompetent and dishonest employees by making it more difficult to discipline or fire problem employees for good cause.

As absurd as it may seem, The Skelly Decision held that all permanent (career) public employees have a property interest in their job, and therefore the employer cannot take away an employee's "property" without due process.

According to the U.C. Davis Employee and Labor Relations Department SKELLY PROTOCOL (revised June 16, 2009):

"In Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal. 3d 194, the California Supreme Court ruled that, as part of constitutionally guaranteed due process, public employees are entitled to certain procedural safeguards before discipline which is sufficiently severe to constitute a deprivation of a liberty or property right is imposed on them. A dismissal or a termination of a career employee, a suspension without pay for a period of more than five days, or an unpaid leave of ten days or more are property losses to which Skelly protections attach. The constitutionally protected liberty interests requiring Skelly protections arise whenever the allegations against an employee are sufficiently onerous to seriously impact the employee's ability to find future work in his/her chosen career.

"Since Skelly is a constitutionally required due process mandate, employees entitled to Skelly protections must be given proper notice of an intended disciplinary action and a fair chance to respond to the charges against them PRIOR to the implementation of the disciplinary action.

"Skelly involved an employment termination of a permanent civil service employee. Skelly rights were extended to permanent, career University employees in the Mendoza decision. Mendoza v. Regents of University of California (1978) 78 Cal. App. 3rd,168."

Federal Laws and Executive Orders

The landmark 1935 Wagner Act, authored by a prominent New Deal senator, imposed on private employers the legal duty to bargain collectively with the properly elected union representatives of their employees. This eliminated a significant amount of freedom and management rights for business owners and operators, and led to significant destruction in entire industries, including the U.S. steel and auto manufacturing industries.

President John F. Kennedy wanted to utilize public-sector workers as a new source of Democratic Party political support. On January 17, 1962, he issued Executive Order 10988, which gave federal workers the right to organize into unions, even though such a significant policy change should only be made with a vote by Congress.

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MIKE ROBBINS ON FOX BUSINESS NETWORK TV

Former El Segundo City Councilmember Mike Robbins was a guest on Fox Business Network, the Varney & Co show with host Charles Payne, on August 17, 2010. The subject was the excessive and unsustainable pay for El Segundo, California city employees, especially the firefighter and police union ("association") members who are the primary cause of El Segundo's budget shortfall. El Segundo is at risk of losing its fire department due to the budget shortfall.

Financial analyst Charles Payne and former El Segundo City Councilmember Mike Robbins discussed the excessive and unsustainable pay for El Segundo, California city employees, especially the firefighter and police union ("association") members, on Fox Business Network, the Varney & Co show, on August 17, 2010.

Click here to watch the video of this Fox Business Network discussion on YouTube (4:20 m:s).

Click here to watch the video of this discussion on Fox Business Network (4:20 m:s).

Click here to download a small size/low resolution video of this discussion (11.1 MB FLV file).

Click here to download a medium size/medium resolution video of this discussion (17.0 MB FLV file).

Click here to download a large size/high resolution video of this discussion (31.8 MB FLV file).

Click here to download a very large size/very high resolution video of this discussion (46.7 MB FLV file).

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MIKE ROBBINS ON KFI AM 640 TALK RADIO WITH CHARLES PAYNE

Charles Payne

Charles Payne is the Founder, CEO and Chief Analyst of Wall Street Strategies. He is a regular guest on KFI AM 640, Fox Business Network, and several well-respected finance-oriented radio and television programs. Charles is widely recognized in the media as a leader in the analyst community and recently authored his first book Be Smart, Act Fast, Get Rich. He is routinely sought after for his market opinions by prestigious organizations, and is featured and available for seminars and speeches. For more information, visit WStreet.com .

Mike Robbins was a guest on the Charles Payne financial talk radio show on KFI AM 640 in Southern California on Saturday, August 14, 2010, from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m., to discuss the excessive and unsustainable city employee pay, benefits, and pensions in the City of El Segundo, California.

Listen to the Charles Payne ("Rough Stocks") financial talk radio show
broadcast on KFI AM 640 on Saturday, August 14, 2010 from 2 to 4 p.m. PT, with Mike Robbins as a guest from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Listen to Mike Robbins' guest appearance on the Charles Payne financial talk radio show
broadcast on KFI AM 640 on Saturday, August 14, 2010 from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. PT.

Download the two-hour talk radio show podcast (16.7 MB MP3 file)
Excludes news and commercials (1:13:07 HMS length) - Mike Robbins' guest appearance is at 17:00 to 38:15 min:sec.

Charles Payne financial talk radio show blog on the KFI AM 640 web site.

KFI AM 640 Talk Radio Podcasting Web Page
Scroll down to Charles Payne and look for the Rough Stocks show on 8/14/2010.

Listen to or download Charles Payne's talk radio show audio podcast files.

Charles Payne posted the following on his blog on the KFI AM 640 web site:

August 18, 2010 Morning Report

Wednesday 08-18-2010 4:11pm PT

Baby Bell

On Saturday I had Mike Robbins, former El Segundo city council member on my radio show and he came on as a guest on Varney & Co yesterday. He explained how El Segundo is on the verge of losing its fire department because of excessive pay and wild pension obligations. In a town of 16,000 more than 130 cleared $100,000 in 2009. At the top of the list was Police Chief David Cummings at $425,775. I'm pretty sure Police Commissioner Ray Kelly of NY only makes a couple hundred grand. Unlike Bell California where city officials pulled the wool over a population where half didn't speak or understand much English, El Segundo is largely professionals that work in management.

Yet, both cities have been taken by contracts that enrich government workers at the expense of the taxpayer. The sad thing is I don't know if this is actually happening in my town, is it happening in yours?

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MIKE ROBBINS FEATURED IN A FULL-PAGE LA WEEKLY NEWS ARTICLE

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Mike Robbins was featured together with Dave Burns, The Gundo Blogger, in an excellent LA Weekly full-page news article, "A Stink in El Segundo Over Cadillac Salaries - Cops earn $175,000, firefighters $210,000, in a town with few criminals or fires", by Paul Teetor, published on Thursday, October 14, 2010 .

LA Weekly article:
http://www.laweekly.com/2010-10-14/news/a-stink-in-el-segundo-over-cadillac-salaries/

LA Weekly article continuation web page:
http://www.laweekly.com/2010-10-14/news/a-stink-in-el-segundo-over-cadillac-salaries/2

Printer-friendly version:
http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/1089541

Article photo web page:
http://www.laweekly.com/photoGallery/index/1089541/0/

Mike Robbins and Dave Burns published El Segundo city employee compensation data on their web sites. The data was obtained by Robbins, who made Public Records Act requests for the city employee compensation data starting in June 2010, and provided a copy of the data to Burns.

Guess what happened next?

It turns out El Segundo Police Captain Robert Turnbull did not appreciate his total compensation being published on the Internet, together with commentary about why the city was facing financial problems. He was not singled out. The budgeted total compensation for each city employees was published, including CalPERS pension contributions and benefits costs paid by the City. Turnbull started harassing Burns at his workplace, demanding that he remove the total compensation data from his web site.

Burns blogged about the harassment, and Robbins took note.

Robbins immediately contacted the news media, and a number of newspapers published stories on the episode. The press does not take kindly to government efforts at censorship, especially of the type attempted by El Segundo Police Captain Robert Turnbull.

El Segundo Mayor Erich Bush, whose campaign was supported by the El Segundo police and firefighter unions with endorsements, contributions, and threats and scare tactics, issued a statement attempting to justify Turbull's actions.

In El Segundo, there are two police captains, and the police captain position is next in line to become police chief if the city manager does not hire a chief from outside the department. Captain Turnbull was considered for promotion to El Segundo Police Chief, but remained a police captain after he lost the competition to El Segundo Police Captain Mitch Tavera. Tavera had more experience than Turnbull, and apparently a more moderate temper as well.

Tavera was appointed El Segundo Police Chief by City Manager Jack Wayt, effective April 7, 2010, according to a March 31, 2010 Daily Breeze newspaper article. The police chief position became vacant when Police Chief David Cummings retired and his 6-month post-retirement contract to continue working as police chief ended. Cummings was limited on how many hours he could work in a one-year period and double-dip on his CalPERS pension. Jack Wayte was the El Segundo police chief before David Cummings, until he was was promoted to City Manager by the City Council. Jack Wayt had previously served as an El Segundo police captain under Police Chief Tim Grimmond, who was his brother-in-law.

Such is life in the small city, when most residents are preoccupied with making a living and paying their taxes.

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MIKE ROBBINS ON KFI AM 640 TALK RADIO WITH JOHN AND KEN

John and Ken

John Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou host The John and Ken Show on KFI AM 640 in the Southern California area. KFIAM640.com .

Mike Robbins was a guest on the John and Ken Tax Revolt talk radio show on KFI AM 640 in Southern California on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 from 5:00 to 5:30 PM PT, to discuss the excessive and unsustainable city employee compensation -- especially the firefighter and police pay, benefits, and pensions -- in the City of El Segundo, California. This interview starts at 2 minutes and 10 seconds after the start of the 5 to 6 PM hour podcast.

Listen to the John and Ken Tax Revolt talk radio show
broadcast on KFI AM 640 on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. PT, with Mike Robbins as a guest at 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. PT.

Download the one-hour talk radio show podcast (7.94 MB MP3 file)
Excludes news and commercials (34:43 min:sec length) - Mike Robbins' guest appearance is at 2:10 to 17:06 min:sec.

John and Ken talk radio show blog on the KFI AM 640 web site.

KFI AM 640 Talk Radio Podcasting Web Page
Scroll down and look for the John & Ken Tax Revolt 5PM (10/20) show on 10/20/2010.

Listen to or download John and Ken talk radio show audio podcast files.

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MIKE ROBBINS ON KFI AM 640 TALK RADIO WITH TIM CONWAY JR.

Tim Conway Jr.

Tim Conway, Jr. hosts the Tim Conway, Jr. Talk Radio Show on KFI AM 640 in the Southern California area. KFIAM640.com .

Mike Robbins was a guest on the Tim Conway, Jr. talk radio show on KFI AM 640 in Southern California on Monday, January 31, 2011 from about 8:05 to 8:15 PM, for the "Bell Segundo" segment, to discuss the excessive and unsustainable city employee compensation -- especially the firefighter and police pay, benefits, and pensions -- in the City of El Segundo, California. El Segundo has a city employee compensation and pension scandal similar to that of the City of Bell, California, hence, the nickname "Bell Segundo". This interview starts at 52 seconds after the start of the 8 to 9 PM hour podcast, and ends at 10 minutes and 45 seconds after the start of the podcast. However, you may want to start the podcast from the beginning to hear the show hour introduction and promos.

Listen to the Tim Conway, Jr. talk radio show
broadcast on KFI AM 640 on Monday, January 31, 2011 from 8 to 9 p.m. PT, with Mike Robbins as a guest at about 8:05 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. PT.

Download the one-hour talk radio show podcast (8.13 MB MP3 file)
Excludes news and commercials (35:31 min:sec length) - Mike Robbins' guest appearance is at 00:52 to 10:45 min:sec.

Tim Conway, Jr. talk radio show blog on the KFI AM 640 web site.

KFI AM 640 Talk Radio Podcasting Web Page
Scroll down and look for the "Bell Segundo/Egypt/Mail Bag 8p 1/31" show on 01/31/2011.

Bell Segundo/Egypt/Mail Bag 8p 1/31
El Segundo's financial and pension woes according to former El Seguno Councilman. Egypt prot...

Listen to or download Tim Conway, Jr. talk radio show audio podcast files.

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MIKE ROBBINS FEATURED IN A FULL-PAGE LA WEEKLY NEWS ARTICLE

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Photo by Ted Soqui for LA Weekly.
Michael Robbins, former El Segundo
councilman turned civic watchdog,
is fighting City Hall.

Mike Robbins was featured in an excellent LA Weekly full-page news article, "Rich Fireman Named in Shoplifting - In El Segundo, where firefighters make $210,000 a year, anger spills over", by Paul Teetor, published on Thursday, May 26, 2011.

LA Weekly article:
http://www.laweekly.com/2011-05-26/news/rich-fireman-named-in-shoplifting/

LA Weekly article continuation web page:
http://www.laweekly.com/2011-05-26/news/rich-fireman-named-in-shoplifting/2

Printer-friendly version:
http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/1280967

Article photo web page:
http://www.laweekly.com/photoGallery/index/1280967/0

For many years, Mike Robbins has been pointing out how the El Segundo firefighter and police unions have taken over City Hall by endorsing, contributing money to, and providing other forms of campaign support to the City Council candidates who will give them the biggest increases in their salaries, benefits, and pensions, no matter how excessive and unsustainable. But more recently, Mike Robbins has been pointing out how greed and a culture of entitlement has led the firefighters union to circulate a voter initiative petition to force the city of El Segundo to disband its local fire department and contract for an inferior level of service with the Los Angeles Fire Department, all to protect the union members' wildly excessive salaries.

The firefighter union's initiative, Measure P, will be on the April 10, 2012 El Segundo general municipal election ballot. If the firefighter union can deceive enough voters into voting for it, as they deceived enough voters into signing it, then El Segundo residents and businesses will permanently lose their city-operated paramedic ambulance service, and be forced to rely on out-of-town ambulance companies with significantly increased hospital transport times and fees. Only one firefighter union member lives in the city, so the union members will not suffer if their deceitful initiative becomes law.

The article touches on various aspects of the firefighters' culture of entitlement, including an El Segundo firefighter who was arrested for shoplifting nearly $400 in merchandise from a Costco warehouse store in the city of Torrance, and what appears to be some extreme abuse of disability retirements to avoid paying state and federal taxes on half their pension income, which runs as high as 90% of their single highest year earnings with retirement as early as age 55 after 30 years of service.

El Segundo Mayor Erich Bush, whose campaign was supported by the El Segundo police and firefighter unions with endorsements, contributions, and threats and scare tactics, tried to justify giving the firefighters union three raises totaling 11.25 percent during the current recession.

Be sure to read this excellent article to get a good feel for what has been going on in small town-El Segundo, "Mayberry-by-the-sea", and in many other California cities.

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LA WEEKLY NEWS REPORTER PAUL TEETOR ON KABC AM 790 TALK RADIO WITH PETER TILDEN

Peter Tilden Morning Show with Teresa Strasser on KABC AM 790 Talk Radio

Peter Tilden and Teresa Strasser

Peter Tilden hosts the Peter Tilden Morning Show with Teresa Strasser on KABC AM 790 in Los Angeles and the Southern California area. KABC.com .

LA Weekly news reporter Paul Teetor was a guest on the Peter Tilden Morning Show with Teresa Strasser on KABC AM 790 in Los Angeles and the Southern California area on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 from 8:39 to 8:45 AM PT, for the "It's A Damn Shame" segment. The subject of this segment was the excellent LA Weekly full page news article, "Rich Fireman Named in Shoplifting - In El Segundo, where firefighters make $210,000 a year, anger spills over", by Paul Teetor, published on Thursday, May 26, 2011.

This article can be read at the following linkis:

LA Weekly article:
http://www.laweekly.com/2011-05-26/news/rich-fireman-named-in-shoplifting/

LA Weekly article continuation web page:
http://www.laweekly.com/2011-05-26/news/rich-fireman-named-in-shoplifting/2

Printer-friendly version:
http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/1280967

Article photo web page:
http://www.laweekly.com/photoGallery/index/1280967/0

Peter Tilden and Paul Teetor Tilden discussed the arrest of the rich El Segundo firefighter Michael Archambault for allegedly shoplifting nearly $400 in computer and electronic products at Costco, the minimal education and training to become a firefighter, the incredibly high firefighter compensation which averaged more than $200,000 per year, the work shifts where they work only two out of every six days and get paid to sleep 16 hours during those two days, including some overtime pay for sleeping, and where they have only a few structure fires per year.

Listen to the Peter Tilden talk radio show
broadcast on KABC AM 790 on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 from 8:39 to 8:45 a.m. PT, with Paul Teetor as a guest.

Download the six and a half minute segment talk radio show podcast (11.5 MB MP3 file).
Excludes news and commercials (06:18 min:sec length).

Peter Tilden talk radio show blog on the KABC AM 790 web site.

KABC AM 790 Peter Tilden Morning Show Talk Radio Podcasting Web Page.
Scroll down and look for the "It's A Damn Shame" show segment on June 01, 2011 at 8:35AM

It's A Damn Shame - June 01, 2011 8:35AM
LA Weekly reporter Paul Teetor broke a story that seems to have been swept under the carpet. El Segundo firefighter Michael Archambault is allegedly accused of stealing $375 worth of electronics from a Costco.

Listen to or download Peter TIlden talk radio show audio podcast files.

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Fire Hero Gets Schooled Video (G-Rated - No Profanity)

This YouTube video illustrates the some of the current problems with the El Segundo firefighters union, their unsustainable compensation packages, and their sense of entitlement and refusal to accept necessary reforms.

The firefighter and police salaries, benefits, and pensions have become so excessive and extreme that they are no longer affordable or sustainable. Their salaries, benefits, pensions, and other job advantages are extraordinary compared to those of the private sector employees who pay for it all through their taxes and the time out of their finite lives that they traded in return for the money to pay those taxes.

The firefighter and police union members have set themselves up as a royal family, with everyone else as the peasants who have to pay for it all, and give in to their every demand. Well, not any more. It is time to tell the firefighters and police officers in no uncertain terms that the party is over, and it is time for them to stop drinking and to go home.

The El Segundo Firefighters Association (Union Local #3682), together with the El Segundo Police Officers Association (union) and the El Segundo Police Managers Association (union), have been effectively looting the public treasury of the city they are sworn to protect. As with most firefighter and police unions, the El Segundo firefighter and police unions have been very active in political election campaigns to effectively hire their own bosses with whom they "negotiate" their pay raises and benefits and pension increases. That is how their salaries, benefits, and pensions have become unaffordable and unsustainable.

Click on the picture below to play the Fire Hero Gets Schooled video.

NOTE THAT THE $125,000 SALARY STATED IN THE VIDEO IS MUCH LOWER THAN TYPICAL EL SEGUNDO FIREFIGHTER SALARIES.

ALSO, EL SEGUNDO FIREFIGHTERS USED TO WORK 24-HOURS SHIFTS AND HAVE TWO STRAIGHT DAYS OFF OF WORK AS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO, BUT THEY NOW WORK TWO BACK-TO-BACK 24-HOUR SHIFTS AND THEN HAVE FOUR STRAIGHT DAYS OFF OF WORK.

As mentioned above, for the 57 full-time sworn El Segundo firefighters in 2009, the maximum, average, and median pay were: $270,052; $161,704; and $157,682. This does not include benefits or pension contributions.

In 2009, the CalPERS pension contributions averaged 77% of regular earnings for both firefighters and police officers. This very large pension contribution allows them to retire as early as age 50 for police officers and age 55 for firefighters with up to 90% of their single highest year pay as their annual pension benefit (3% per year of service). It also allows their surviving spouse to assume their full pension as her own for the rest of her life.

As mentioned in the video, half of the firefighter and police pension income is tax-free if they claim a disability whether they have on or not, and the laws their unions lobbied for create a legal presumption that many common health ailments are job-related. In El Segundo over the last ten years (since about 2001), about half of all firefighters and police officers who retired claimed a disability retirement.

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Radical El Segundo Firefighter and Police Unions Endorsements and Campaign Contributions

The El Segundo Firefighter and Police Union repeatedly endorsed and contributed money to radical liberal politicians and candidates.

The El Segundo Firefighters Union (Local #3682) repeatedly contributed large sums of money to the political campaigns of radical liberals including Maxine Waters, Barbara Boxer, and others.

Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) threatened to nationalize the oil companies:

Below is a YouTube video of Maxine Waters in a Congressional hearing threatening the American oil company executives, who were present, that she was going to nationalize all the American oil companies and have the federal government take them over and run them. This would include nationalizing Chevron and the Chevron oil refinery in El Segundo, the city's namesake. El Segundo was named after the second Standard Oil Company oil refinery on the West Coast. The Standard Oil Company was broken up into separate companies, including Chevron. Chevron has contributed jobs and fuel to the economy, and money to the city and local schools.

Maxine Waters threatening to "socialize" (nationalize) all the American oil companies, where she used the word socialize, then realized it was not the correct word, hesitated, stumbled, and struggled to remember the word "nationalize" but could not, and then gave a description of nationalizing the American oil companies. She used the word "socialize" by mistake because she was thinking of socialism. However, her threat to have the government take over and run the oil companies is better described by Marxism or Communism, where the government owns the means of production.

TRANSCRIPT:

Maxine Waters (D-CA):
"What guarantees are you going to give this liberal about how that will reduce the cost of a, of a, gasoline at the pump if we let your drill where you say you want to drill?"

Shell Oil President John Hofmeister:
"I can guarantee to the American people because of the inaction of the United States Congress ever increasing prices unless the demand comes down, and the five dollars will look like a very low price in the years to come if we are prohibited from finding new reserves, new opportunities to increase supplies."

Maxine Waters (D-CA):
"And guess what this liberal will be all about? This liberal will be all about socializing, uh, uh, will be about, basically, taking over, and government running all of your companies."

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) rudely and arrogantly disrespecting the American military and Army Brigadier General Michael Walsh:

Below are two YouTube videos ( 1 and 2 ) of Senator Barbara Boxer on June 16, 2009 in a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meeting or hearing (SD-406), showing her disrespect for the American military. She rudely and arrogantly admonishing Brigadier General Michael Walsh to call her "Senator" instead of "Ma'am", saying that she "worked so hard to get that title". According to the U.S. Army's own policy, Members of U.S. Senate should be addressed as Sir, Ma'am or Senator.

Listen to this exchange between Senator Barbara Boxer and Army Brigadier General Michael Walsh. It's obvious that Barbara Boxer has a real issue with the military.

These video clips are brought to you by California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, Republican primary election candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010.

TRANSCRIPT:

Army Brigadier General Michael Walsh:
"Ma'am, at the LACPR"

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), rudely interrupting the Brigadier General:
"You know, do me a favor. Could you say Senator instead of Ma'am?"

Army Brigadier General Michael Walsh:
"Yes."

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA):
"It's just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title, so I'd appreciate it. Yes. Thank you."

Alberto Torrico introduced AB 656 on 02/25/2009 to create a new 12.5% tax on oil and natural gas costing California taxpayers $2 Billion per year:

The El Segundo firefighters union (Local #3682), the Redondo Beach fire union (Local #2787), and the Hermosa Beach fire union (Local #3371), all endorsed Alberto Torrico (Democrat, 20th AD) for California Attorney General even though he introduced and lobbied feverishly for passage of AB 656, which creates a new 12.5% tax on oil and natural gas, for a total of about $2 Billion in new taxes per year. This tax will be collected from oil and gas companies, but will be passed on to the consumers.

They made this endorsement through their parent union organization, the California Professional Firefighters Union, which represents them as local affiliates, according to the endorsement listing on Alberto Torrico's campaign web site.

Torrico wants to use the $2 Billion in new taxes to pay for Latinos to go to college, which undoubtedly includes many illegal aliens and children of illegal alien parents who are not supposed to be here placing a tax burden on those of us who are legally here.

Torrico said in a written statement, "By taxing Big Oil 12.5%, we can raise $2 billion a year for higher education." AB 656 states, "Latinos will make up 40 percent of the state's labor force by 2020, but only 12 percent of Latinos are on pace to hold a bachelor's degree by that date".

In fact, the average cost per student per year in grades K-12 in California public schools is $13,000 when you include the federal tax money spent per student. Thus, an illegal alien family with three children in public school is costing taxpayers $39,000 per year for education alone, which is much more than the taxes paid by the illegal alien family. College costs significantly more per year.

George Nakano voted only three days after the 9-11 Terrorist Attack for a law to help criminals and terrorists:

The El Segundo police and firefighter unions endorsed George Nakano (Democrat) for our State Assembly district (53rd AD) in 2002, even though Nakano voted only three days after the 9-11 Terrorist Attack to give official California driver licenses to Illegal Aliens, Identity Thieves, Drug Smugglers, and Terrorists using the identity of their choice (AB 60 by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, "One Bill Gil", 9/14/2001). Nakano voted for dangerous laws and bloated budgets that led to the Governor Davis recall.

Bob Pinzler supported dangerous, soft-on-crime policies and laws:

The El Segundo police union also endorsed Bob Pinzler, a liberal Redondo Beach City Councilman, for State Assembly in our 53rd Assembly District. He was another supporter of dangerous, soft-on-crime policies and laws opposed by more than 80% of rank and file police officers (nationwide surveys by the National Association of Chiefs of Police).

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HISTORICAL NEWS ARTICLES

Documenting the Firefighter, Police, and School Teacher Unions' Political Campaigns

1970-1972 Firefighters and Police Union City Council Campaigns

El Segundo Herald newspaper web site
http://www.heraldpublications.com/herald/el-segundo-herald

October 28, 2010 El Segundo Herald newspaper
http://www.heraldpublications.com/herald/sites/default/files/publications/elsegundo/Herald_102810/index.html

El Segundo Herald

Page 5, column 3 in the print edition

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. "The matter was settled by compromise, much like today's predicament."

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.

HERMOSA BEACH

Hermosa Beach police approached the crowded race for two City Council seats with intensity this year because the current council had considered replacing police officers with Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies. And, although that plan had been abandoned by Election Day, its significance was not lost on the council candidates--all 10 of whom made it clear they opposed the dismantling of the city's police force.

During the campaigning, the Hermosa Beach Police Officers' Assn. commissioned a cost analysis of the two departments, sponsored a candidates' forum and donated $100 to all 10 candidates.

Sgt. Wally Moore, the police union spokesman, said officers donated money to all the candidates instead of offering selected endorsements because all of them spoke out against bringing sheriff's deputies to town. He also said endorsements can be the "kiss of death" in campaigns if they create a perception among voters that a candidate is beholden to special-interest groups.

The fire union--hoping to preempt any thought at City Hall of disbanding the department--was also active in this year's campaigning but used a different approach than city police officers. Forgoing dollar donations, the firefighters instead issued public endorsements of two candidates and campaigned against a third. They also offered to drive any voters who were interested to the polls, but no one took them up on the offer.

One fire union-backed candidate, Sam Edgerton, beat out all other contenders for the council, but Mike D'Amico, the other candidate backed by firefighters, was unsuccessful. Robert Benz, who won the second seat, did not receive the union's endorsement, but firefighters said after the election that they did not object to Benz being on the council.

Merna Marshall, whom the firefighters had campaigned against, said the fire union had a "small impact" on her unsuccessful bid for council.

"I didn't even want their endorsement because I didn't want the public thinking these guys have me wrapped around their finger," Marshall said.

HAWTHORNE

In Hawthorne, the police and fire unions were inspired to unprecedented levels of political campaigning by a clash over whether the city should pay for a study comparing the cost of its emergency services with those available from Los Angeles County.

For years, City Councilwoman Ginny Lambert has favored getting a cost survey from the county. But she has always been overruled by her colleagues, who have argued that the survey is unnecessary because the city's services are superior.

When Lambert announced her mayoral bid this summer, the Hawthorne Firefighters Assn. and the Hawthorne Police Officers Assn. decided to lobby against her and two other council candidates--Martha Bails and Ray Sulser--who also favored the study.

The firefighters contributed $1,000 to council candidates Jimmie L. Williams Jr. and Larry Guidi, as well as mayoral candidate Steve Andersen, whereas the police officers group favored Guidi and current Mayor Betty Ainsworth for council and Andersen for mayor. Although the police union initially said it would not contribute to any candidate's campaign, it did give $1,000 to Guidi's campaign, according to a late contribution report.

In addition to contributions, members of both political groups spent hundreds of off-duty hours sponsoring picnics, canvassing neighborhoods and distributing flyers.

Hawthorne police officer Greg Chidley, vice president of the police union, said members previously were reluctant to get involved in politics because a candidate they backed several years ago "turned out not to be a real supporter of the police after all." But they decided to take their chances this election, he said, "because the issues are so great and have such a lasting impact on the future of the Police Department . . ."

The unions' efforts, however, were only partly successful.

Guidi and Ainsworth won seats on the City Council, but Williams, who was supported by the firefighters, placed second to last among six candidates. And, despite the groups' vigorous lobbying against Lambert, she is leading Andersen in the race for mayor by eight votes. Her victory, however, remains uncertain until county officials tally uncounted absentee ballots.

Lambert said Thursday that her margin probably would have been larger if the unions had not poured so much money into Andersen's campaign. She charged that many of the unions' flyers "twisted her words" and cost her votes.

Although Chidley and Kenneth Baker, president of the fire union, expressed surprise at Lambert's showing, they nevertheless vowed to become increasingly involved in city politics in future races.

"It's the first time we ever tried to do anything like that, to try to get into a campaign like that," Baker said. "I think we'll continue until we do it right."

The El Segundo Firefighters Union engaged in heavy-handed politics against fire chiefs, including "votes of no confidence"

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-01-27/news/cb-15787_1_el-segundo

Los Angeles Times

ARTICLE COLLECTIONS

News

El Segundo

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.

"I had originally planned to leave after five years, and it will be five years next month," said Sloan, who plans to work with his son, a real estate appraiser in Seal Beach.

Sloan, who came to El Segundo after 29 years in the Los Angeles Fire Department, believes he has improved fire service in the city.

He pointed to his accomplishments, including ordering three state-of-the-art fire engines, creating a position for an environmental safety officer and streamlining the way the department checks building plans.

But firefighters accused him of being a "totalitarian" who did not listen to them, and indicated that they had no confidence in his management style in a September vote.

El Segundo School Teachers Union members were caught having students make City Council campaign yard signs for Democrat candidate Mike Gordon in the El Segundo High School Wood Shop - Mike Gordon was backed by the El Segundo firefighter, police, and school teachers unions

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-03-06/local/me-43726_1_school-district

Los Angeles Times

ARTICLE COLLECTIONS

Political Campaigns

South Bay

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. "I paid for the signs and the materials and I'm paying the students," he said.

But Bill Monahan, superintendent of El Segundo Unified School District, is appalled and is investigating the matter. "The school district has a policy to keep a nonpartisan position [on elections] and prohibit school employees, particularly during working hours, from using equipment, resources or anything regarding political campaigns."

Monahan said neither he nor high school Principal Billie Jean Knight knew anything about the signs until he began receiving calls Sunday afternoon.

The school district confiscated the 246 campaign signs Monday and is holding them until it decides whether anything illegal occurred.

But City Council candidates are angry. "These irregularities violate the basic American principle of democracy, as well as the legal principle that government agencies do not engage in political activities or get involved in political campaigns and certainly do not use public facilities," said Mike Robbins, a City Council member running for reelection.

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2008 EL SEGUNDO CITY ELECTION

Union bosses and well-funded outside special interests tried again in 2008 to take over small town El Segundo

Former City Councilmember Mike Robbins fought against a big city-style political machine in small town El Segundo

"El Segundo Fire and Police Union bosses unilaterally endorsed candidates with the worst public safety, spending, and integrity records."

candidates supported with tens of thousands of dollars from outside special interests, including developers, a trash hauler, someone who tried to obtain a large city contract without competition, and others who may have expected something in return. One of these candidates was Eric Busch.

Busch has received large contributions from someone who tried to rig the competition for a large city contract and have it awarded to a less qualified bidder at nearly twice the price ($120,000 versus $65,000 for a Golf Course construction management contract). Busch was so arrogant that he continued to take the money from this person after he was confronted with this relationship.

The $50,000 plus election campaign with many $1,000 to $6,000 contributions was highly unusual for small town El Segundo. Campaigns used to cost less than $5,000 and a lot of shoe leather. Although the Union bosses and outside special interests out-spent the independent candidates by as much as ten to one, they won only one of three council seats - Eric Busch.

Michael D. Robbins, 4/2/2008
Founder, El Segundo Public Safety Project
Former El Segundo City Councilmember (1992-1996)

Read all about it and see more pages, documents, and images posted throughout the week!

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DOCUMENTS

Read
Mike's
Flyer - It was distributed city-wide on Sunday, April 6, 2008

Read, Save, Email, Print, and Distribute Mike's flyer		PDF file (24 KB, 2 pages, B&W)
Read Mike's flyer		HTML file (19 KB, 2 pages, B&W)
Supporting Documentation for flyer		HTML file (9 KB)
El Segundo Fire and Police Union Campaign Mailer (4/13/2004 City Election)		HTML file (8 KB)

Click here to see the pictures of the campaign signs with Fire Union President Kevin Rehm's cellular phone number (310-422-9411) on them as the sign placement and maintenance coordinator. His phone number sticker is on all the signs for Eric Busch, Sandra Jacobs, and Bill Fisher (4/13/2004 City Election).

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All graphs and data are copyright © 2010 by Michael D. Robbins.
Permission is granted to download, reprint, and distribute the graphs and data with attribution.
Contact us for additional reproduction or distribution rights.

2004 EL SEGUNDO CITY ELECTION

Union bosses and well-funded outside special interests tried again to take over small town El Segundo

Former City Councilmember Mike Robbins fights against big city-style political machine in small town El Segundo

"El Segundo Fire and Police Union bosses unilaterally endorsed candidates with the worst public safety and spending records."

"The $50,000 plus election campaign with many $1,000 to $6,000 contributions is highly unusual for small town El Segundo.

"Campaigns used to cost less than $5,000 and a lot of shoe leather. We are at risk of having all future Mayors and Councilmembers selected before the election by Union bosses and outside special interests. We may lose our Democratic elections."

Michael D. Robbins, 4/9/2004
Founder, El Segundo Public Safety Project
Former El Segundo City Councilmember (1992-1996)
Read all about it and see more pages, documents, and images posted throughout the week!

return to contents

DOCUMENTS

Read
Mike's
Flyer - It was distributed city-wide on Saturday, April 10, 2004

Read, Save, and Email Mike's flyer		PDF file (9 KB, 2 pages, B&W)
Print and Distribute Mike's flyer		PDF file (38 KB, 2 pages, B&W)
Read Mike's flyer		HTML file (9 KB, 2 pages, B&W)
Supporting Documentation for flyer		HTML file (9 KB)
El Segundo Fire and Police Union Campaign Mailer		HTML file (8 KB)

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BREAKING NEWS:

Saturday, April 10, 2004 7:27 am:

FIRE UNION BOSS'S SENIOR SCARE LETTER

Firefighter Union bosses use scare tactics against El Segundo senior citizens.

They sent a letter on Union letterhead dated 4/9/04, signed by all three fire Union bosses, to El Segundo seniors threatening that if they don't vote for Eric Busch, Sandy Jacobs, and Bill Fisher for City Council, hospitals may be closed and there may not be emergency service in El Segundo when needed!

Click on the letter to the left to see a larger readable image of the complete letter (150 KB).

Click on the envelope below to see the text of the letter.

The Fire Union bosses who signed the letter are:

Kevin Rehm, President
Breck Slover, 1st Vice President
John Bilbee, 2nd Vice President
El Segundo Firefighters' Association

Click on the envelope below to see an analysis and the text of the Senior Scare Letter. Notice how the envelope also carries the fire Union logo.

Or, click here for an analysis and the text of the Senior Scare Letter.

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All images and photographs are copyright © 2004 and 2008 by Michael D. Robbins.
Permission is granted to download, reprint, and distribute the flyers in complete and unaltered form. Contact us for additional reproduction or distribution rights.

For information or to support the
El Segundo Public Safety Project, contact:

Mike Robbins
P.O. Box 2193
El Segundo, CA 90245
310-322-7244

Shocking El Segundo CityEmployee Compensation Data

The El Segundo Firefighters Association (Union) and Police Officers Association (Union) have been burning your tax money!

"Associations" or Labor Unions?

Laws Allowing Local Government Employee Unions and Collective Bargaining

Could Firefighter's Arrest be the Result of a Culture of Entitlement?

Eye-Popping El Segundo 2009 City Employee Compensation Data Now Available

Laws allowing public employees to form unions and engage in collective bargaining

Charles Payne posted the following on his blog on the KFI AM 640 web site:

Shocking El Segundo City
Employee Compensation Data

The El Segundo Firefighters Association (Union)
and Police Officers Association (Union)
have been burning your tax money!

Laws allowing public employees to form unions
and engage in collective bargaining