Tag Archives: El Segundo Herald

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

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Mike

Thank You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Mike

Vents about Public Employee Unions

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

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

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

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

Progressives Don’t Like Facts – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Mary Olinick

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Mike

Progressives Don’t Like Facts

Meredith, an admitted progressive, made an attack against Robbins in your April 19 issue. It was typical progressive diatribe, in which he used personal attacks with no basis in facts. But then it’s difficult to argue against factual evidence showing progressives in YouTube videos demonstrating their true beliefs.

He goes too far in his suggestion that those he disagrees with indulge in cannibalism. Is he really saying that the majority of voters in El Segundo would “eat our young” here? Based on his letter, he’s the one who really needs professional help.

Fortunately, the voters were intelligent enough to have rejected Meredith’s beliefs. Since he doesn’t like El Segundo’s choices, I would invite him to leave and settle in a more “progressive” city such as San Francisco, West Hollywood, or Santa Monica, which would be more to his liking. … Continue reading →

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Progressives Don’t Like Facts – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Mary Olinick

Invites Houston Back – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Rich Negrete

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Mike

Invites Houston Back

Economic decisions, fire department status and three council positions loom large. Of the latter, I’m giving each candidate equal weight, even to one who’s a friend.

I found candidate Houston’s current position on retaining our fire department curious, assuming that it is indeed him that addressed the city council on February [15,] 2011, imploring them to immediately forgo our own stations to county control and then expressing his disappointment in their “kicking the can down the road”. I’m trying to reconcile the words and demeanor of the man from 2011 (video courtesy of You Tube) with his new claim of “unequivocal support” in the opposite direction. His letter in last week’s Herald not only shed no light, but accused opponents of misrepresentation. How so? … Continue reading →

Posted in El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Invites Houston Back – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Rich Negrete

Candidate Ranking – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Mike

Here’s my candidate ranking from best to worst:

1. Carl Jacobson – Extremely intelligent, honest, experienced, dedicated. Independent of city unions, special interests. Votes what is best for city. City’s organizational memory.

2. Dave Atkinson – Intelligent, valuable experience turning around businesses, independent of city unions, special interests. Fiscal conservative.

3. Dave Burns – Intelligent. Early critic of Measure P and unsustainable safety union contracts. Open on issues.

4. Mike Dugan – Intelligent, valuable engineering and business experience, understands city must live within its means. But not committed to any specific city union contract reform. …
Continue reading →

Posted in El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Candidate Ranking – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Herald didn’t validate comments – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Richard Lundquist

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Mike

Note that the following conspicuous correction in response to that letter was published on page 2:

Correction
In the February 16 article, “Split Council Fires City Manager Willmore,” we reported that according to Ron Swanson, Continental Development Corporation’s Richard Lundquist called him on February 9 and exclaimed, “What are they doing?” in response to Willmore’s possible termination. For the record, Mr. Lundquist clarified that Swanson called him that day and that he never said, “What are they doing?” We regret the error.

This correction was necessary because the Herald news reporter mistakenly trusted local resident Ron Swanson when he made statements to influence the El Segundo City Council at their special meeting on February 9, 2012, called to fire new city manager Doug Willmore. Swanson, a friend and ally of Willmore, claimed that Richard Lundquist, a wealthy and influential real estate developer and philanthropist with Continental Development in El Segundo, called him and was upset the City Council was going to fire Willmore. Local residents seem to recall this was not the first time Swanson made false statements to the City Council to influence them to help a friend of his to public funds.

Herald didn’t validate comments

While reading an article in the February 16, 2012, edition of the El Segundo Herald entitled “Split Council Fires City Manager Willmore,” I was quite disappointed to see my name mentioned. The article states that I called Ron Swanson to discuss the issue. I did not call Ron Swanson; he called me. It continues to say that I exclaimed “What are they doing?”[Italics original]. I said no such thing.

I am surprised that your paper made no attempt to contact me to corroborate or validate my participation in the assertions made by Mr. Swanson at the City Council meeting. … Continue reading →

Posted in Doug Willmore’s Great City Shakedown, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Herald didn’t validate comments – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Richard Lundquist

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

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Mike

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

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Mike

“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

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Mike

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

El Segundo making Chevron’s taxes too high – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Mike

El Segundo making Chevron’s taxes too high

The city manager’s Chevron Shakedown must stop, including efforts to extort large “gifts” of money under threat of a $10 million annual tax hike. The city will suffer long-term damage to its reputation as a good city to locate a business.

Doug Willmore used false premises to construct a deceptive one-sided analysis for the Chevron property, rather than a true cost-versus-benefits analysis. It is unfair and dishonest to compare tax revenues generated per acre by the Chevron refinery with that of other local businesses. Land use in other South Bay cities is mostly residential and not three-quarters commercial/industrial as in El Segundo.

In his one-sided analysis, Willmore ignored the cost for the city to provide and maintain infrastructure and services for residents and businesses that would otherwise exist on the massive Chevron refinery property.

If the refinery never existed, that land would be mostly residential and some commercial. Tax revenues would be much less, and the city would have to provide and maintain infrastructure and services for twice as many residents at great expense that Willmore failed to include in his seriously flawed and biased analysis. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo making Chevron’s taxes too high – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins