Category Archives: Union Corruption

News and information about union corruption.

Video – Shows Scott Houston and Bryan Partlow urging the El Segundo City Council to enact Measure P into law without an election



This is a very short version video shows excerpts of City Council candidate Scott Houston and El Segundo firefighters’ union member and Measure P proponent Bryan Partlow reading nearly identical scripts at the February 15, 2011 El Segundo City Council meeting.


Both Houston and Partlow strongly urged the El Segundo City Council to immediately enact Measure P directly into law, without letting the voters vote on it. Then they had the nerve to say that if the City Council would not enact Measure P directly into law and thereby deny the voters their right to vote on it, as their second choice, they wanted a special election as early as possible because the voters had a right to vote on it!

What dishonesty!

An early election in May, June, or July, 2011, as Houston and Partlow requested, as opposed to putting Measure P on the ballot for the April 10, 2012 regular election, would have given the firefighters’ union a huge unfair advantage in winning because the firefighters’ union has much more money to spend and many more campaign workers. The firefighters are on 48-hours shifts and work only two out of every six days. They have four out of every six days off from work, and they get paid to sleep a third of the time during their two work days. This gives the firefighters plenty of time to work on their union’s Measure P initiative campaign.

Scott Houston may claim he changed his mind on Measure P, but he cannot change history and gloss over the fact that he very actively tried to deny El Segundo voters their right to vote on Measure P, the most important item on the April 10, 2012 ballot. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo Election Coverage, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Video – Shows Scott Houston and Bryan Partlow urging the El Segundo City Council to enact Measure P into law without an election

Scott Houston – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Illeen Joscha

Scott Houston

Even if a majority votes “NO” on measure P, as they must to save lives and money, it will take only three union-aligned Council members to unilaterally vote to implement Measure P against the will of the voters.

This is not far-fetched. Candidate Scott Houston spoke at the 2/15/11 City Council meeting, during public communications, urging the City Council to enact Measure P as an ordinance and implement it without allowing the voters to vote on it! Houston read a script closely resembling the script read by Bryan Partlow, the firefighter union member who sponsored Measure P because he is the only union member living in town.

Watch the video at the city web site at ElSegundo.org. Under Links, click on “Video”, then on “City Council Archives”, then on the 2/15/2011 Council Meeting View Video link. Or watch the Houston video at http://www.youtube.com/user/PublicSafetyProject.

Houston has campaigned as a pro-business conservative, yet he is a progressive leftist (ultra-liberal, big tax and spender). Houston was endorsed by … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, Firefighter Union Corruption, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Scott Houston – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Illeen Joscha

“NO” on P – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Marianne Fong

“NO” on P

The firefighters’ union has financed a propaganda poll with many false claims to deceive voters into voting for Measure P. The pollsters falsely claimed firefighters are paid $100,000 annually.

The firefighters had average total annual compensation of $211,000 (maximum was $342,000), and average annual pension contributions paid by the taxpayers of $42,000 (maximum was $80,000). These figures don’t include Fire Chief Kevin Smith, who had total annual compensation of $358,000 including total annual pension contributions paid by the taxpayers of $84,000.

If Measure P passes, El Segundo will no longer have a Fire Department. L.A. County will provide our fire and paramedic services at a reduced level, without ambulances. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “NO” on P – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Marianne Fong

Save Our City – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

SAVE OUR CITY

The El Segundo firefighter and police unions are putting our city at risk for their Royal Family sized paychecks and pensions. At the Feb. 7 City Council meeting, City Manager Doug Willmore explained how City Hall will be sold and leased back for twenty years, as collateral for a $10.3 million loan to pay for street resurfacing, other routine infrastructure maintenance and capital improvements.

El Segundo used to be a pay-as-you-go city, paying for infrastructure maintenance and capital improvements with General Fund revenues. But that was before the safety unions became very active in City Council campaigns, hired their own bosses, and ratcheted up their salaries, benefits, and pensions to ridiculous and unsustainable levels. … Continue reading

Posted in Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Save Our City – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Measure P Costs More For Less – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Measure P Costs More For Less

Voters must reject Measure P this April, or we will lose our local fire department, including firefighters, apparatus, and equipment; and we’ll pay more for less emergency services.

Measure P is not a merger of City and County fire departments, but a liquidation of the City fire department and a complete takeover by L.A. County. If Measure P passes, fire and paramedic services will be greatly reduced. El Segundo will permanently lose its three paramedic ambulances, because L.A. County does not operate paramedic ambulances, and El Segundo will lose its legal grandfathered status to operate them.

Residents will be forced to use and pay out-of-town ambulance companies, significantly increasing hospital transport times and costs in money and lives. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measure P Costs More For Less – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

A Holiday Prayer – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

A Holiday Prayer

For more than a year, I have written letters to inform residents about the wildly excessive and unsustainable city employee union compensation and pensions that threaten our city’s future. My facts and information come from official sources, mostly City Hall public records, and are independently verifiable.

One positive result has been the voters’ rejection of millions of dollars in new and unnecessary business taxes and residential trash fees. Another has been some, although greatly inadequate, city employee union concessions. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Holiday Prayer – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

$25 Million Claim Against City – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

The widow of Hawthorne police officer Andrew Garton filed a $25 million claim against El Segundo, as required before filing a lawsuit. Officer Garton was killed in the tragic accident where El Segundo Police Sergeant Rex Fowler collided with his motorcycle while both were escorting a funeral procession through Torrance for a Manhattan Beach police officer who died of cancer.

Despite my many warnings, Mayor Busch and Councilman Fisher enthusiastically voted to approve new three-year city union contracts guaranteeing raises and no layoffs, leaving the City dangerously vulnerable to large unbudgeted, uncontrollable expenses including lawsuit judgments and settlements.

I warned against new contracts lasting more than one year, and that give away their management authority over staffing decisions and layoffs. … Continue reading

Posted in Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on $25 Million Claim Against City – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Unions influencing El Segundo – Letter to the Daily Breeze by Michael D. Robbins

Unions influencing El Segundo

As I predicted last July, El Segundo Mayor Eric Busch and his City Council majority approved new city employee union contracts in secret, letting the new and unproven city manager do the negotiating, then rushed the contracts through a public City Council vote as a mere formality.

Busch tried to rush the official contract approval with less than 24 hours for the public to even see the contracts, because the contract terms are still excessive, unsustainable and almost entirely one-sided in favor of the fire and police unions.

The contracts give automatic longevity and annual step pay raises, and excessive and unsustainable six-figure compensation and pensions, including redundant special compensation and automatic overtime pay. They also guarantee no layoffs for three years, even if it bankrupts the city.

This bankruptcy trap ties the hands of the current and next City Council, taking away their most effective cost-control and bargaining tool. … Continue reading

Posted in Daily Breeze Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Unions influencing El Segundo – Letter to the Daily Breeze by Michael D. Robbins

Potential Bankruptcy Trap – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Exactly as I predicted last July, Mayor Busch and his City Council majority “negotiated” and approved new city employee union contracts in secret, letting the new and unproven city manager do the “negotiating”, then rushed the contracts through a public City Council vote as a mere formality.

Why did Busch try to rush the “official” contract approval with less than 24 hours for the public and Council members to even see the contracts? Obviously, Busch was trying to hide the contract terms, which are still excessive, unsustainable, and mostly one-sided in favor of the fire and police unions.

In some ways, the new contracts are worse than the old ones. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Potential Bankruptcy Trap – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Out of touch – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Last week’s letter from Neil Snow demonstrates how much government union members and their political supporters are out of touch with the real world where the rest of us work, produce things and pay taxes.

Snow presented ludicrous objections to, and gross misrepresentations of, Michael Robbins’ well-reasoned recommendations to reform El Segundo’s city employee union contracts to keep the city from having a financial catastrophe.

He objected to Mr. Robbins’ recommendation that city employees pay all of their pension “employee contribution,” and at least half the total contribution, which is common in private industry, instead of the city paying the entire “employee contribution” and “employer contribution.” Snow misrepresented that recommendation, claiming that Mr. Robbins wanted to make “employees pay their entire pension.”

Snow is out of touch to expect taxpayers to continue paying all of the government union members’ pension contributions, and to expect that union members should never have to contribute a single dollar into their own pensions. … Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, El Segundo, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Out of touch – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong