Tag Archives: ESFA

CALL TO ACTION: The citizens of El Segundo need your help

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

January 2, 2011

This is an urgent 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 City Council members.

Their email address appear below, followed by a sample email message. … Continue reading

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Aren’t the Firefighters’ and Police Officers’ “Associations” really just labor unions?

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

September 27, 2010
(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”. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter Union Corruption, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Aren’t the Firefighters’ and Police Officers’ “Associations” really just labor unions?

An Introduction to El Segundo’s Fiscal Problems: The firefighter and police unions are the primary cause

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

August 25, 2010
(Updated March 15, 2012 – corrected police union raises from 15 percent to 15 to 23 percent.)

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 15 to 23 percent increases and the firefighters union members received an 11.25 percent increase during the recession that they never should have received.

The firefighters’ and police officers’ 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. … Continue reading

Posted in California, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption, Politics, Tax Policy and Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on An Introduction to El Segundo’s Fiscal Problems: The firefighter and police unions are the primary cause

Eye-Popping El Segundo 2009 Firefighter Compensation Data

SWORN FIREFIGHTERS

As mentioned previously, 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 … Continue reading

Posted in California, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo, El Segundo News, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

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 were 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. … Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Union bosses and well-funded outside special interests tried again in 2008 to take over small town El Segundo

What is a Fire or Police Union Endorsement Really Worth? by Michael D. Robbins

What is a Fire or Police Union Endorsement Really Worth ?

    El Segundo Fire and Police Union bosses have unilaterally endorsed candidates:

  • With the Worst public safety and spending records.

    In the last City Council election (2004), the El Segundo Fire and Police Union
    Bosses
    endorsed the candidates with the worst public safety records and failed to
    endorse the two candidates with outstanding public safety records – Jim
    Boulgarides, a firefighter and paramedic in another city and also an L.A. County
    Lifeguard – and former multi-term Mayor Carl Jacobson, who was instrumental in
    the successful relocation into El Segundo and modernization of our 911 emergency
    call/dispatch center and our public safety records management system.

    The Union bosses endorsed George Nakano for our State Assembly district 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, 9/14/2001).
    Nakano voted for dangerous laws and bloated budgets that led to the Governor
    Davis recall.

Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What is a Fire or Police Union Endorsement Really Worth? by Michael D. Robbins

El Segundo Firefighter Union Bosses used Threats and Intimidation in City Election

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.

Click HERE on the image of the Fire Union envelope that the Fire Union Senior Scare Letter was sent in to see an analysis and the text of the Senior Scare Letter (on the old website). Notice how the envelope also carries the fire Union logo.


Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, News, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo Firefighter Union Bosses used Threats and Intimidation in City Election

A History of Police and Firefighter Union Corruption in El Segundo

by Michael D. Robbins
Directory, Public Safety Project
El Segundo, California
PublicSafetyProject.org

– WORKING DRAFT –



April 13, 2004 El Segundo City Election


http://www.publicsafetyproject.org/elsegundo/index.html


Union bosses and well-funded outside special interests are trying to take over small town El Segundo for at least the next four years

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!


DOCUMENTS

Read Mike’s Flyer – It was distributed city-wide on Saturday, April 10, 2004 … Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter Union Corruption, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A History of Police and Firefighter Union Corruption in El Segundo

El Segundo Firefighters’ Union engaged in heavy-handed politics against fire chiefs

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. … Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo News, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Historical News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo Firefighters’ Union engaged in heavy-handed politics against fire chiefs

November 1991 Firefighter and Police Unions’ City Council Election Campaigns

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. … Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Historical News, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on November 1991 Firefighter and Police Unions’ City Council Election Campaigns