Tag Archives: local government

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

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

Posted in El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 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

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

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

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Trash Tampering – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by J. R. Bob Siegel

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

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

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fix the City – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Marc Rener

Firefighters Union Empty Threats – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

Firefighters Union Empty Threats

The firefighters union used misinformation, deception, and intimidation to collect petition signatures. As one resident put it, “How do you say ‘no’ to firefighters who show up at your door wearing their association tee-shirts? They know where you live, and they can delay or deny emergency service when you need it.”

Two firefighter union members showed up at the January 18 City Council meeting, demanding their fire department takeover initiative go on a special election ballot. They are not entitled to a special election, because their petition did not contain required language requesting a special election. They threatened to circulate a new petition with the required language if their demands were not met.

This is an empty threat. … 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, Political Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Firefighters Union Empty Threats – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Michael D. Robbins

El Segundo Police Officer Applicant Requirements and Compensation

Entry Level Police Officer Qualifications

Entry level police officer qualifications are fairly minimal, and basically amount to graduating high school or having a G.E.D. equivalent document, having a valid automobile driver’s license, being in reasonably good physical condition, and having correctable vision. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, or even an assistant to a rocket scientist to get a job as a police officer with incredibly lucrative compensation from two to five times that of a highly skilled and talented professional with decades of experience and one or more advanced degrees in a difficult technical field from a competitive big-name university.
. . .
Entry level police officer compensation is quite generous. Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo Police Officer Applicant Requirements and Compensation

El Segundo residential trash collection fee is resolved

The El Segundo residential trash collection fee has been resolved with a 3-1 vote of the City Council to have the City continue collecting trash from residential properties with three or four units, in addition to those with one or two units. This decision departs from the current City practice of collecting trash at no fee from residential properties with one to four or more units if standard trash cans are used instead of a large rectangular trash bin. City Attorney Mark Hensley stated that it was not necessary to amend the City Municipal Code for the City to continue collecting trash for three and four unit properties. He said the City Municipal Code creates an exclusive franchise for the City to collect trash from residential properties with one or two units, all owners or tenants of those properties are required to use the City’s service, and no private trash haulers can provide this service. To amend the City municipal code to create an exclusive franchise for residential properties with three or four units is not necessary and is a five-year long process.

The affected residential properties with more than four units will have to contract with a private trash hauler and pay for the service Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo residential trash collection fee is resolved

El Segundo residential trash collection fee is not a dead issue

The El Segundo residential trash collection fee is back on the City Council agenda for the February 1, 2011 meeting. At issue is whether the City will stop collecting trash from residential properties with three or four units on a lot. It has been a long-standing City practice and tradition, going back at least to the early 1990’s, for the City to collect trash without fee from single family homes, and residential properties with two to four units on a lot, as long as standard trash cans are used instead of the large rectangular trash bins. Existing taxes pay for this service.

However, there is an inconsistency between the existing practice and the El Segundo Municipal Code, which provides only for City trash collection for single family homes and residential properties with two units on a lot. The logical solution is simply to amend the city’s municipal code to be consistent with the long-standing actual practice.

Please contact the El Segundo City Council members and urge them to amend the city’s municipal code to continue the long-standing City practice of collecting trash from all residential properties with one to four units on a lot that use standard trash cans. Remind them that the residents can use a voter initiative to amend the El Segundo Municipal Code for them if they won’t do it. … Continue reading

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Tax Policy and Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo residential trash collection fee is not a dead issue

Everyone in El Segundo must defeat the greatest threat facing our city – the firefighters union initiative

All El Segundo residents and business owners must work even harder to defeat the greatest threat facing our city and our safety – the firefighters union initiative. If their union initiative passes, we will permanently lose our Paramedic Transport Service, and depend on out-of-town ambulances with increased hospital transport times and fees. This is dangerous for everybody who lives, works, or does business in El Segundo, but it is especially dangerous for the elderly in our city. Almost all of the fire department calls are paramedic calls. El Segundo has few fire, and zero, one, or two major structure fires (with $100,000 in damage or more) per year.

The El Segundo City Council will decide at its February 15, 2011 meeting which election date the very dangerous firefighters union initiative will appear on the ballot for El Segundo voters. 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, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Everyone in El Segundo must defeat the greatest threat facing our city – the firefighters union initiative

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

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on CALL TO ACTION: The citizens of El Segundo need your help

1970-1972 Firefighter and Police Union City Council Campaigns

Former Mayors Reflect on Past Challenges

October 28, 2010

By Brian Simon

Mayor Gordon Stephens (1970-1972): Stephens sees a parallel between the current contentious labor talks between the City Council and local bargaining units and what he described as “difficulties negotiating with our safety employees” during his tenure. “They went door to door to gain sympathetic supporters,” he remembers, noting that attendance at the hearing was so large as to cause the meeting to move its location to the high school auditorium. “The council’s initial position was that after a survey of other cities’ pay and benefits, we offered the midpoint of the survey, realizing El Segundo did not have as much hazardous activity as any of the surveyed cities,” Stephens said. … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo News, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Historical News, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 1970-1972 Firefighter and Police Union City Council Campaigns