Tag Archives: The Beach Reporter

Post-election Council meeting – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael Robbins

Post-election Council meeting

The El Segundo Council meeting after the election should have been a straightforward ceremonial passing of power from the old to the new Council. However, defeated Mayor Bill Fisher made the meeting all about himself, and then his ally, Marie Fellhauer, made it all about attacking newly elected Council members, Suzanne Fuentes and Mike Dugan.

Fisher used his bully pulpit for the last time. He gave a long-winded speech repeating his campaign material, taking credit for the work and accomplishments of others including Carl Jacobson and even myself. As usual, he stated numerous falsehoods and, without any proof, accused others of lying even though they backed up their statements with evidence.

Police union member Marie Fellhauer put an item on the agenda designed to achieve a political end. It read, “Consideration and possible action to discuss the salary and benefits that the City Council members receive and whether such should be reduced or eliminated either voluntarily or through formal action.”

Eliminating Council pay and benefits will make it difficult to attract honest, competent, independent candidates. This will help the police and fire unions elect their own candidates and pack the Council with union puppets. It will also help Fellhauer and Atkinson run for re-election with minimal or no competition.

The election might be canceled due to a lack of candidates, as in 2006, when Fisher was appointed after potential candidates were intimidated by the unprecedented 2004 union and special interest campaign spending. It would have happened this time, if not for Dugan.

Michael Robbins
El Segundo Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, 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, Letters to the Editor, News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Tax Policy and Issues, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Post-election Council meeting – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael Robbins

Council pay procedures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Council pay procedures

Marie Fellhauer ruined the April 15 El Segundo City Council meeting, which was supposed to be a peaceful transition for the newly elected Council. She put an item on the agenda to eliminate pay and benefits for elected Council members, but interestingly, not for the elected city clerk and treasurer who are paid significantly more.

Fellhauer falsely claimed the Council cannot cut union salaries and compensation and, therefore, Council member pay and benefits should be eliminated. Obviously, her real agenda is to punish newly elected Council members who support union compensation and pension reforms necessary to keep our city solvent and viable. Fellhauer is angry and vindictive because she lost her Council majority when Fisher lost the election.

Fellhauer demanded Suzanne Fuentes and Mike Dugan give up their $900 per month City Council pay and benefits if she gives up hers. She neglected to mention she is a highly paid police union member in Los Angeles with a lavish pension and benefits, and a cushy desk job, all at taxpayer expense.

El Segundo City Council pay is low. We are fortunate to have Suzanne Fuentes and Mike Dugan on Council. Both are experienced managers from major corporations. It is the overpaid police and fire unions that are causing serious financial problems, not City Council pay.

Fellhauer wants to punish honest, independent, more qualified Council members. Clearly, the police and fire union members who don’t even live in town have a representative in Marie Fellhauer, but the residents and taxpayers do not.

Marianne Fong
El Segundo Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, 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, Letters to the Editor, News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Council pay procedures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

State Ballot Measures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Please vote “yes” on Propositions 32 and 35, and “no” on all others, including all tax measures, all L.A. County measures (except B?) and El Camino Measure E. Taxes are unreasonably high. We’re forced to pay for massive welfare fraud (at least 25 percent, billions of dollars per year statewide) and K-12 education costs for illegal alien children who are not supposed to be in California (about 40 percent, $20 billion per year). … Continue reading

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No to Proposition 30 – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Kurt Schweter

It seems that The Beach Reporter has decided to jump into the political arena and into the deep end for that matter.

Proposition 30 is yet another shifty tax increase, disguised to “save the children” yet once again. The money will go to schools and nobody can touch it, just like Jerry Brown promises. (Anybody buying this one?) But where in the “schools” — classrooms, teachers, supplies, teacher benefits? … Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Elections, Letters to the Editor, Manhattan Beach, Politics, Tax Policy and Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No to Proposition 30 – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Kurt Schweter

Wrong Choice – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Bob White

No congratulations on your first endorsement of a proposition. The column has total emphasis on that old emotional manipulator, education. Voters should be aware that Proposition 30 has no guarantee of funds going exclusively to education. It will only provide more money to a state that is already spending too much in the wrong direction. Priorities are badly scrambled. Not many students are likely to be taking the “Bullet Train” to class. … Continue reading

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R.B. schools have received enough – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Mitch Kimball

The Redondo Beach School Board and Superintendent Keller should be ashamed of themselves. Putting another bond on the ballot four years after the last $140 million Measure C is a slap in the face to all the parents who constantly support the fundraisers, the never-ending cash requests and the Ed Foundation donations.

What’s worse are the deceptive glossy mailers coming to our homes. … Continue reading

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Don’t Support Measure E – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marilyn Montenegro

As a longtime, knee-jerk supporter of education, the decision to oppose Measure E was not easy. In making my decision I considered the following:

El Camino College is unable to provide instruction to meet the needs of current students. There is not enough money to pay operating expenses … Continue reading

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Not Another Bond – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Sanford Motte

Are you as exasperated with yet another school bond as I am? If Measure Q passes, it will be the third bond in the last 11 years totaling a quarter of a billion dollars in property tax hikes for homeowners in Redondo Beach. For people who purchased their homes in the late 90s or within the last 12 years, you will assume an abnormally large portion of this property tax increase. People who have homes valued between $600,000 and $1 million will see very noticeable increases to your already expensive tax bill. … Continue reading

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No New Taxes – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Please vote “yes” on Proposition 32 and “no” on all tax and bond measures, including 30 ($6 billion/year income and sales tax hike), 38 ($10 billion/year income tax hike), 39 ($1 billion/year tax hike); L.A. County Measure J (another 30 year sales tax hike), and El Camino Community College District Measure E ($350 million in new bond debt, probably costing about $700 million with interest).

Taxes are too high, and we also pay business taxes which are passed on to us as consumers. Bond measures create additional debt and require taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often cost double the amount borrowed with interest. … Continue reading

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Supporting Proposition 32 – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

South Bay and other California cities are at much greater risk of bankruptcy than residents are being told. Unrealistic optimistic revenue projections by city finance directors have not come to fruition, just as I warned would happen in El Segundo. City revenues actually declined.

Voters can and must help protect against city bankruptcies by voting “YES” on Proposition 32. It puts voters first by cutting the money tie between politicians and special interests and ensuring every individual contribution is made voluntarily.

Special interests have already contributed $43 million to defeat Proposition 32 with totally deceptive campaign ads. The same government employee unions that have been driving cities and school districts toward bankruptcy with astronomical and unsustainable salaries, benefits and pensions have contributed 98 percent of that campaign money ($42 million).

Proposition 32 will break the stranglehold government employee unions have on Sacramento and local government — that has blocked real and meaningful compensation and pension reform, and Senate Bill 1530, which would have made it easier to dismiss teachers who sexually abuse their students. … Continue reading

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