Tag Archives: El Segundo

El Segundo firefighter Michael Archambault arrested at Costco for allegedly shoplifting five products worth $354.95 (Booking Photo)

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Mike

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

May 25, 2011


Michael Archambault

El Segundo firefighter Michael Joseph Archambault was arrested on April 12, 2011, for allegedly shoplifting $354.95 worth of merchandise ($389.56 counting tax) from Costco. He allegedly concealed five products in a trash can that was inside a box, paid only for the trash can, and then exited the store where he was detained and arrested.

Michael Archambault is entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty. However, the information against him appears quite damning. As a sworn employee, will he 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. … Continue reading →

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

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Mike

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! Continue reading →

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We Already Have Mutual Aid – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Mike

We Already Have Mutual Aid

The March 13 emergency response to the helicopter crash into Raytheon Building E-1 in El Segundo proves two significant points. First, it proves our existing Fire Department mutual aid system works exceptionally well. El Segundo Fire Chief Kevin Smith answered questions during a press conference attended by ABC, KTLA, and FOX television news, and myself.

Chief Smith stated that 70 firefighters responded to this incident, including mutual aid from the L.A. County Fire Department and all South Bay fire departments, including Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance.

Second, the quick and effective emergency response by 70 firefighters proves that Measure P, the firefighter union’s initiative, is absolutely unnecessary because we already have effective mutual aid. It shows how deceptive the firefighters’ claims are. It debunks their fundamental ballot argument claim that Measure P will “put 72 firefighters on call” (including out-of-town stations). Interestingly, Chief Smith signed the ballot argument for Measure P … Continue reading →

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Helicopter crash into Raytheon Buillding E-1 in El Segundo on March 13, 2011 proves that El Segundo already has Mutual Aid and it works

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Mike

The emergency response to the helicopter crash into Raytheon Building E-1 in El Segundo last Sunday proves two significant points. First, it proves El Segundo’s existing Fire Department mutual aid system works exceptionally well. El Segundo Fire Chief Kevin Smith answered questions during a press conference attended by ABC, KTLA, and FOX television news, and myself.

Chief Smith stated that 70 firefighters responded to this incident, including mutual aid from the L.A. County Fire Department and all South Bay fire departments, including Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance (see photos at PublicSafetyProject.org).

Second, the quick and effective emergency response by 70 firefighters proves that Measure P, the firefighter union’s initiative, is absolutely unnecessary because we already have effective mutual aid. It shows how deceptive the firefighters’ claims are. It debunks their fundamental ballot argument claim that Measure P will “put 72 firefighters on call” (including out-of-town stations). Interestingly, Chief Smith signed the ballot argument for Measure P, along with the only (or one of two) firefighter union member who lives in El Segundo, and Councilman Don Brann, the most enthusiastic advocate of tax and fee increases on businesses and residents.

The other claims in their ballot argument are equally false. Continue reading →

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Firefighters Broke Their Promises – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Illeen Joscha

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike

Firefighters Broke Their Promises

The firefighters convinced voters to sign their initiative petition by promising that signing it would not make it law, but would only get it on the ballot so the people could vote on it. The firefighters also promised their initiative would save tax money and preserve our fire department.

But once voters trusted the firefighters and signed their petition, the firefighters broke their promises. They tried to have their initiative become law without letting people vote on it. At the Feb. 15 City Council meeting, Bryan Partlow, a firefighters’ union member and representative, and Scott Houston, a former and likely future City Council candidate, read similar prepared statements. They demanded the City Council enact Measure P, the firefighters’ union initiative, as an ordinance without letting the people vote on it, citing the signatures as justification. … Continue reading →

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Council Votes Save Money and Lives – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike

Council Votes Save Money and Lives

I want to thank City Council members Bill Fisher, Suzanne Fuentes, and Carl Jacobson for voting on February 15 to put the firefighter union’s Punitive Initiative, Measure P, on the latest possible ballot – in April 2012. Their votes will save taxpayer money by avoiding an unnecessary special election, and much more tax money indirectly. But more importantly, their votes may save lives – especially the lives of our seniors.

The latest election date postpones the time residents will permanently lose their City-operated paramedic transport service, and be forced to use out-of-town ambulance companies with increased hospital transport times and fees, if enough voters are misled into approving the Punitive Initiative.

The union’s Punitive Initiative cuts emergency services to lock-in and pay for their wildly excessive and unsustainable employee salaries, benefits, and pensions. The latest election date can save $90 million over ten years in excess “special compensation” and pension contributions by giving the City Council more time to implement real and superior alternatives that save twice as much money without cutting our emergency services.

I was disheartened when, after I explained these facts, the firefighter union and Council candidate Scott Houston urged the Council to enact the initiative without any election … Continue reading →

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Trash Tampering – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by J. R. Bob Siegel

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike

Trash Tampering

I was very happy to see (via a complaining letter-to-the editor in the ES Herald) that the ESPD mounted a targeted offensive against the proliferation of CRV bottle thieves who have been prowling our streets, digging for recycle profits.

I am glad to read that the ESPD apparently made arrests in the case, because in the past the offenders have generally been ‘advised and released’, to leave with their stolen property.

Sadly, the writer of the letter seemed surprised that the arrests were made even though his neighbor would not have pressed charges. It should be made clear that a complaining witness/victim is not needed, as long as the officer sees the theft act. … Continue reading →

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Recycle Bin Sting – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Jim Dutchess

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Mike

Recycle Bin Sting

The El Segundo Police Department is currently conducting an undercover sting operation targeting people who are getting recycle cans and bottles from the curbside bins. I was witness to an arrest made by two uniformed policemen in two undercover cars, with a third black & white vehicle and another officer to transport the man to jail. Why so many needed to cruise the streets? The man involved was removing about 40 cents worth of aluminum cans from my neighbor’s trash.

El Segundo is in the middle of a large deficit, causing city worker layoffs and furlough days. How much money is this undercover operation costing our city? … Continue reading →

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Fix the City – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Marc Rener

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Mike

Fix the City

Mayor Busch is so concerned about the current trash contract and the $123,000 that, he professes, “could” have been saved. Quit looking for spare change in the “city’s sofa cushions.” I would like to point out the fact that this mayor and others have continually skirted “other” serious costs to the city of El Segundo.

1) $197,000 a year: The parking structure (paid with 1.1 million taxpayers dollars), and a 34 year contract for parking places that still has over 25 years left to go. Reason? For a financial political payment to a politician.

2) Over 3 million dollars a year to the fire fighters union, not in wages, but special compensation, like the one that is continually paid year after year, even after retirement, just because at one time, in their past life, they received a diploma. Reason? Payment again for political support.

3) Over $225,000 a year, this is a “starting wage and benefits” for a person hired off the street as a director, who’s “qualifications” were to instruct the city to pay $80,000 dollars to hire a outside company to do a job “she” did not have time nor the “expertise” to do. … Continue reading →

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“Free” Trash Collection – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by George Hoopes

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Mike

“Free” Trash Collection

The Feb. 3 edition of the El Segundo Herald had a front-page article entitled “Free Trash (collection) to Continue…” Let’s get one thing straight! There is no such thing as free trash collection in El Segundo and your contributing writer, Brian Simon, fully knows that; so why does he use the front page of the newspaper to perpetuate his cockamamie lies by continuously repeating “free trash collection”?

It’s not free! It never has been free! It never will be free! El Segundo property owners pay and pay dearly-through ultra-high property taxes for this service. Thats one of the reasons we have property taxes. That’s why we pay property tax. … Continue reading →

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