The following letter to the editor was published in the El Segundo Herald newspaper (HeraldPublications.com) on Thursday, November 17, 2011 in the Letters section on page 2.
Salary and Pension Increases
The City of El Segundo is celebrating its centennial next year. The question remains: will there still be a viable city in the years to come?
With the public safety officers in El Segundo still taking in huge salary and pension increases, there is growing concern among residents whether the city can serve and protect those who are sworn to serve and protect the city and its inhabitants.
I respect the work that police officers and firefighters do on behalf of their communities. However, if individual taxpayers have to be on the hook for exorbitant pay raises that lead to outrageous, ongoing pension and medical benefits, then perhaps the citizens of El Segundo and the surrounding beach cities would be better off buying their own firearms and putting out their own fires.
Arthur Christopher Schaper
El Segundo Police Officers' Association (ESPOA) Exposed