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laura cipollari April 04, 2014 at 11:09 AM
Are any of these public sector employees part of the 1%? They're your neighbors trying to make a middle class living. Try questioning the cities that have robbed their pension funds for a variety of reasons. — Comment from El Segundo: Say "No!" to Measure A
Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi issued a similar attack ad against his opponent Craig Huey in 2012:
"Craig Huey thinks that police officers are a special interest."
This line or argument from public sector unions has attempted to shame opponents of big pensions and tax increases.
First of all, Huey was endorsed by the Torrance Police Officers Association because they trusted his character, did not think that he would lie to get ahead.
Second, public sector unions do not necessarily speak for every individual member. I know current and retired public safety officials who are Republicans, conservatives, who support low taxes and limited government whether at the city or state level. They object to their coerced membership in public unions. They further object t paying forced dues and endure their union leaders spend the funds on candidates and causes which they do not support.
Now, Ms. Cipollari's comment offers another argument to smear critics of public sector employee excessive pensions and benefits, as though the police, fire, and other public works personnel are just down-on-their-luck working-class or struggling middle-class employees.
This assessment is completely flawed.
Consider these payouts in Torrance:
| Name | Job title | Base pay | Overtime pay | Other pay | Total benefits |
Total pay & benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUMAIS, DAVID A. | Deputy Fire Chief Torrance, 2012 |
$166,730.98 | $0.00 | $127,568.03 | $133,858.46 | $428,157.47 |
| NEU, JOHN J. | Police Chief Torrance, 2012 |
$236,516.80 | $0.00 | $22,889.25 | $154,280.58 | $413,686.63 |
| RACOWSCHI, WILLIAM | FIre Chief Torrance, 2012 |
$223,745.61 | $0.00 | $48,297.81 | $132,780.21 | $404,823.63 |
| KREAGER, KEVIN W. | Police Captain Torrance, 2012 |
$164,606.40 | $0.00 | $91,684.65 | $140,913.04 | $397,204.09 |
| MATSUDA, MARK A. | Police Captain Torrance, 2012 |
$157,206.40 | $0.00 | $90,734.47 | $134,769.21 | $382,710.08 |
| JEZULIN, MICHAEL C. | Police Lieutenant Torrance, 2012 |
$123,281.68 | $51,946.28 | $84,199.35 | $123,049.93 | $382,477.24 |
| JACKSON, LEROY J. | Manager, City Torrance, 2012 |
$268,382.41 | $0.00 | $38,986.80 | $66,896.73 | $374,265.94 |
| HANSEN, MICHAEL A. | Fire Chief, Battalion Torrance, 2012 |
$103,405.12 | $50,740.35 | $100,680.76 | $109,984.18 | $364,810.41 |
| FELLOWS III, JOHN L. | Attorney, City Torrance, 2012 |
$259,209.60 | $0.00 | $29,976.19 | $65,267.94 | $354,453.73 |
| KOZAK, CHRISTOPHER L. | Police Sergeant Torrance, 2012 |
$107,619.20 | $54,785.14 | $76,649.92 | $109,869.35 | $348,923.61 |
$400k + is a substantial sum.
The counterargument ensues — these individuals fulfill widespread administrative responsibilities. Of course they receive such large salaries.
Then consider these numbers:
| MAESTRI, HAROLD A. | Police Officer Torrance, 2012 |
$94,140.80 | $44,871.06 | $68,504.11 | $91,747.14 | $299,263.11 |
| RASNICK, RYAN W. | Fire Fighter Torrance, 2012 |
$63,073.92 | $84,309.05 | $56,847.67 | $75,548.50 | $279,779.14 |
| STEWART, RODNEY B. | Fire Fighter Torrance, 2012 |
$63,073.92 | $63,762.45 | $52,829.49 | $70,767.04 | $250,432.90 |
When reviewing the six figure total compensation which public sector employees take in every year, including lower ranking fire fighters and police officers, one finds that these public sector employees have plunged into 1% status.
Here's Redondo Beach:
| Name | Job title | Base pay | Overtime pay | Other pay | Total benefits |
Total pay & benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAN MADRIGAL | Fire Chief Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$158,976.95 | $0.00 | $128,940.09 | $100,373.45 | $388,290.49 |
| MICHAEL WEBB | City Attorney Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$241,374.02 | $0.00 | $51,942.09 | $74,266.02 | $367,582.13 |
| ERIC BAKER | Fire Captain Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$89,951.93 | $42,103.83 | $89,770.06 | $94,047.96 | $315,873.78 |
| KEVIN COFFELT | Firefighter/Paramedic Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$75,684.01 | $135,815.21 | $36,380.94 | $66,045.84 | $313,926.00 |
| STEVEN HYINK | Fire Division Chief Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$127,168.25 | $26,473.32 | $52,643.27 | $101,522.43 | $307,807.27 |
| PAUL LEPORE | Fire Division Chief Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$126,068.37 | $25,298.81 | $48,734.68 | $106,689.09 | $306,790.95 |
| WILLIAM LEONARDI | Chief Of Police Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$168,579.67 | $0.00 | $23,707.17 | $113,953.42 | $306,240.26 |
| WILLIAM WORKMAN | City Manager Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$200,248.29 | $0.00 | $36,848.47 | $63,030.06 | $300,126.82 |
| JAMES ACQUARELLI | Police Lieutenant Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$96,426.99 | $0.00 | $98,196.07 | $87,464.20 | $282,087.26 |
| GREGORY ALLEN | Firefighter/Paramedic Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$75,683.95 | $124,534.41 | $25,047.76 | $54,740.94 | $280,007.06 |
Wow! Redondo Beach is half the size of Torrance, yet the pay is comparable. "But those are administrators!"
| FERNANDO MATA | Police Officer Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$64,079.40 | $75,223.05 | $50,056.78 | $59,137.21 | $248,496.44 |
| CURT MAHONEY | Firefighter/Paramedic Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$75,684.11 | $80,697.01 | $10,406.22 | $50,158.75 | $216,946.09 |
| STEVE FERNANDEZ | Firefighter/Paramedic Redondo Beach, 2012 |
$78,802.90 | $52,291.48 | $22,507.94 | $62,856.94 | $216,459.26 |
They're your neighbors trying to make a middle class living.
No. I have spoken with local city activists, who confirm that many of the public sector employees in the South Bay do not live in the cities they serve. They may work in the city, but they do not live there, and therefore they do not pay city taxes nor will they suffer under any rising burden. Anyone whose salary accumulates $300k per year is not trying to make a living, but is vying to take the living from thousands of other taxpayers, while diminishing the proper disbursement of city funds to city services.
Public employees rake in huge amounts off "neighbors trying to make a middle class living". The reason so many property owners are struggling to make ends meet in South Bay homes, or why they find that their local leaders
Try questioning the cities that have robbed their pension funds for a variety of reasons.
Cities are getting robbed throughout the state of California because of excessive salaries, benefits, and pensions, approved by short-term minded city council leaders endorsed and funded by public sector unions. The long-term financial turmoil of these enormous payouts have pushed large municipalities such as San Jose and San Diego to issue voter-approved pension reforms. Four cities have sought bankruptcy protection because of these entitlement demands, including Stockton, which may face bankruptcy again because the city leaders and union officials restricted the first restructuring plan from reforming and limiting the public employee liabilities.
If there have been any robberies, it would be the union hall — city hall corruption collusion in which public sector unions endorse accommodating candidates, who upon election approve lavish salaries, benefits, and pensions for the public employees, at the private citizens' expense.