MOOK1987 comment-59208 2011-10-27T17:07:52Z 2011-10-27T17:07:52Z why is the communications director for the ELK GROVE UNIFIED married to him? THAT IS BULLSH>>>>>>>>>>> SHE IS NOT FOR THE TEACHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OR THE STUDENTS!!!!!!!!! AND THE DIRECTOR OF MEDIA IS WHO SHE IS MARRIED TO???? THIS IS AKIN TO FIXING AN ELECTION.. WRONG ON MANY LEVELS MOOK1987 2011-10-27T17:07:52Z Deborah J Nichols comment-58286 2011-10-06T16:39:00Z 2011-10-06T16:39:00Z I am looking forward to see this area developed. What a Great Asset to West Sacramento!, and the Sacramento Region! Deborah J Nichols 2011-10-06T16:39:00Z miahmdparash comment-57674 2011-09-22T19:46:51Z 2011-09-22T19:46:51Z Hello It's a nice article it will help my research. Thanks miahmdparash 2011-09-22T19:46:51Z TheTaxPayer comment-57503 2011-09-20T02:16:33Z 2011-09-20T02:16:33Z City Code Enforcement Officers have very difficult jobs! Hats Off and keep up the good work Guys and thanks for saving my neighborhood!!!! TheTaxPayer 2011-09-20T02:16:33Z WikiLeaks comment-56983 2011-09-10T01:54:55Z 2011-09-10T01:54:55Z It may take a strong mayor to get rid of management and bring back the workers that does the work. All the budget cut it is the same thing of laying off the front-line-work force and adding more management. The crocked city management are closing your pools and cutting your services while H.R. and mangement hires more one hundred thousand dollar plus a year managers. Also someone claimed that their was labor reps at the city council meeting which was a lie, they are to incompetent to do anything and never show up. Local 39 are crocks in action for they take their members money and do not represent them. WikiLeaks 2011-09-10T01:54:55Z WikiLeaks comment-56982 2011-09-10T01:26:53Z 2011-09-10T01:26:53Z trhjr WikiLeaks 2011-09-10T01:26:53Z peer blank comment-54496 2011-08-04T17:50:02Z 2011-08-04T17:50:02Z We all,(accept the homeless)essentially, have that Utopia, where we have a bathroom to pee and pooh in w/out getting cited and/or arrested for indecent exposure, a place where we can go to sleep w/out being awoken to a police officer moving us along by citing us a,trespassing, loitering, or illegal camping ticket that we will never be able to pay because we are too poor, therefore becoming a warrant for arrest. A place to shower, prepare food etc...etc...And what makes us feel more entitled to those things than the homeless and poor? Why do we have a safe ground and they do not? because we supposedly work harder than they? And who measures who works hard and who doesn't? How does one gauge that people with 'jobs' work harder than the homeless and poor? I hear a lot of rubbish from people who like to talk about things they have little understanding of...very interesting indeed peer blank 2011-08-04T17:50:02Z peer blank comment-54495 2011-08-04T17:32:06Z 2011-08-04T17:32:06Z To Cogmeyer, I consider where you are cogmeyer, is a safe ground. A place where you can be, eat sleep, etc...without the threat of police arresting you or siting you for illegal camping, trespassing, loitering etc..'SafeGround' is no more of a scam than the safe ground that you live in yourself. Only you don't call it safeground, but thats what it is..SORRY peer blank 2011-08-04T17:32:06Z peer blank comment-54068 2011-07-29T01:19:20Z 2011-07-29T01:19:20Z Grow a large plantation of money trees and start distributing it freely to the poor and homeless!!! ;) peer blank 2011-07-29T01:19:20Z peer blank comment-54067 2011-07-29T01:18:14Z 2011-07-29T01:18:14Z In response to Kathleen Haley's 2nd submission (above); Please refer to my response to fellow TB1's comment... peer blank 2011-07-29T01:18:14Z peer blank comment-54065 2011-07-29T01:16:10Z 2011-07-29T01:16:10Z I'm still a skeptic...Sacramento is too concerned about redeveloping K st. and building a King's basketball Arena to care about the homeless. Only when homelessness hits home will those who don't care for the homeless have a change of heart, seemingly peer blank 2011-07-29T01:16:10Z peer blank comment-54064 2011-07-29T01:12:15Z 2011-07-29T01:12:15Z Tim Brown, Whats up??!!! :) Miss you buddy!! w/due respect; I did the count this year, and found it more disorganized than previous years. I guess I am a skeptic. I feel that Sac Steps Forward did an excellent job considering. I think if Sac Steps Forward had run the count from the beginning, it likely would have been more of an overall success. It seems to me, that because of the CA budget crisis, Dept of Human Assistance stepping down from responsibility to facilitate the homeless and count was a way for Sacramento to save money. And though I feel SSF did a great job and I love the organization, the trainers that Sacramento hired in previous years were consigned, professional trainers whose sole purpose was to make sure that counters knew exactly who and how to count. It was in the city's budget at that time to pay for such... I feel a lot of corners/expenses were cut and I blame our government for avoiding paying these costs.. I feel that the city and state is, overall, more concerned about redeveloping downtown, building a basketball arena, and filling their own pockets, than they are in addressing the homeless issue in Sacramento. I think all considered, SSF kicked ass, but our city and state officials, sucked it... ..I don't believe the homeless count has decreased, and feel that change is needed. There is a huge gap in services for transition age youth in Sacramento, and the longer that lack of services exists here, the more increase there will be in Sacramento's homeless population in years to come. I always appreciated your work and it was an honor to work with you Tim. I dont mean to discredit SSF at all,and I hope it is not perceived I am. much love, SI peer blank 2011-07-29T01:12:15Z peer blank comment-54062 2011-07-29T00:46:07Z 2011-07-29T00:46:07Z You may be right about the accuracy, I dont know. I participated in the count 3 years, and this last count was totally different. The previous counts provided a somewhat extensive training on how to count, who to count, where to count, etc...and it was made very clear..These previous counts were run by Dept of Human Assistance by the city and/or state govt. They paid these trainers to provide very explicit directions on what and how to go about the count. Though I wasn't required because of previous training to be trained, I coincidentally sat through the training this year; This year was the first year it was not run by Dept of Human Assistance, and was the first year passed on to '10year plan to end homelessness committee', of which is a great program. Despite this program's fine reputation and standing among the community, they were somewhat unprepared, and ill-equiped to take this on. The training was clumsy, unclear, and poorly executed in comparison, and most who do the count are new, have no street-wisdom or experience, and need clear, specific instructions. Because of this lack of needed preparation, and the organizations lack of facilitating experience, as well as a complete lack of planning on the city/state, and possibly federal govt', this count seemed a disaster in comparison to previous years... though I know little in regards to math, statistics, etc... peer blank 2011-07-29T00:46:07Z peer blank comment-54061 2011-07-29T00:33:35Z 2011-07-29T00:33:35Z When I was homeless, Sacramento was one of the few cities where I was really forced to hide, as opposed to SF, Seattle, Portland, and many other cities where there wasnt as much energy by the city to 'hide' its homeless problem. Sacramento seems to have a great sense of shame surrounding the homeless issue, and resorted to herding homeless out of Sacramento by whatever means necessary. The solution Sacramento utilizes is to drive the homeless out of Sacramento, which is not a solution at all. peer blank 2011-07-29T00:33:35Z peer blank comment-54060 2011-07-29T00:26:49Z 2011-07-29T00:26:49Z I was a part of the count, and this was my 2nd or 3rd year... this year's count was not facilitated by the county, as it was in previous years, due to the budget cuts, budget crisis etc...essentially funding was cut, which VERY likely had a negative impact on how the homeless count was conducted this year. It was very unorganized, comparatively, and those who were in charge of this year's count, though they did a great job considering, were not experienced as those who conducted the count in previous years... I personally felt it was put together last minute, the training was vague and unclear to many inexperienced volunteers, and that among other issues caused for a most inaccurate count of homelessness in Sacramento. In a nut shell, cutting corners in the cost of facilitating an authentic count of homelessness in Sacramento has caused an inaccurate count. This is largely in part due to the ongoing issue that most do not care for the well being of the homeless, and would rather just sweep the issue under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist... Honestly, does that make sense that there is LESS homelessness this year than last year? With the increasing growth in poverty over the last few years and the possibility of another supposed 'depression' facing our country...no my friends, that does not seem to make sense at all... sorry peer blank 2011-07-29T00:26:49Z Walter comment-52494 2011-06-23T06:37:28Z 2011-06-23T06:37:28Z Janine Martindale has been a vital part of the Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association. Groups like ours rely heavily on Neighborhood Services Division reps like her. I would happily see the Maloofs and their faltering, parasitic business leave if it meant maintaining quality contributors to the community like Janine. Walter 2011-06-23T06:37:28Z JAT comment-52431 2011-06-21T19:55:40Z 2011-06-21T19:55:40Z A victory for open government! Kudos to the Bee for fighting the fight. JAT 2011-06-21T19:55:40Z YouWantWhat comment-52344 2011-06-20T15:03:45Z 2011-06-20T15:03:45Z Here's A little math for Lisa...that demonstartes the unsustainable aspect of not paying attention to budgets...in good times. http://cityofsacramento.org/hr/laborRelations/Labor_Agreements/documents/Police.pdf From The SPOA 2005-2010 agreement...Pgs. 7,8, 9 and Tables on 61-65, had they not taken that 5% defferal and additional step freeze in 2009-2010 listed in those LOU's. I did not use Police Sergeant, Dispatch II or III...those Equities listed on page 7 are on top of the 5% increases for those years. Pay Tables for the varios years are at the end of the document If you started as a Police Officer at step a in 2005/2006 your starting base salary was 48,186.32, without any add-ons. After six months of satisfactory performance you would receive a 1-step inc of 5% and that would then become your anniversary date for subsequent salary increases. At that time the top step was 58,570.72, so without any further adjustments you had a potential increase of ~ $10,300 over 4.5 years. However, while you were moving up a step, each year after your anniversary date, that 5% step increase was also doubling in value due to an agreed 5% salary adjustment, hence your compensation was actually increasing annually by 10%. So the officer starting in 2005 @ a base of $48,186, after 4 and 1/2 years would have been making $71,193.00/yr.....a 47.7% increase in their salary and also a similar effect on the city costs to their pensions. Thank God they froze that last step and additional 5% inc. that only led to a 34% increase in pay over those four years and impact to the city just in relation to pension cost. Step freezes were unfrozen as of 12AM 06/18/2011...that's 5% impact for those officers not at the top of their step. A 2% salary increase across the Board occurred 01/01/2011, another 1% will occurr 12/31/2011 and an additional 3 1/2% will occurr 06/30/2012. That will be approx a 50% increase over 7 year period that began July 1, 2005 from that base. Simple Math. Not so simple fiscal issues...especially in this economy...It's not about race to the bottom...It's about fiscal responsibility....EVERYONE doing their part...not just the resident paying more for less and less. This is what SPOA's president, Brent Meyer's, Op-Ed piece in the BEE is defending as Another View: Police have sacrificed plenty already. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/17/3707283/police-have-sacrificed-plenty.html YouWantWhat 2011-06-20T15:03:45Z StevieGee comment-52347 2011-06-20T04:03:45Z 2011-06-20T04:03:45Z I loved the Boy Scouts as a kid and as an adult. Years ago when my oldest son was in the Scouts the Supreme Court handed down a ruling saying that the BSA could discriminate against atheist kids. I quit my post as assistant scout master and was told that this ruling didn't apply to adult leaders. Troop 13 in Sacramento, which served poor urban boys, folded shortly afterward because of no parental participation. What about my kids? I was told that they should just lie if they are atheists. (I don't know. It's up to them and they're just kids right now like all boy scouts anyway) A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. This is the Scout Law and I live by it. When I'm living outside and look at the stars I am more reverent than the Pope. It's just a shame that the Scout Laws didn't include Honest. StevieGee 2011-06-20T04:03:45Z Melissa Corker comment-52329 2011-06-17T22:15:10Z 2011-06-17T22:15:10Z Hooray for Boy Scouts - and the dads (and moms) who give so much to their kids through this great program. Melissa Corker 2011-06-17T22:15:10Z cogmeyer comment-52291 2011-06-17T05:17:28Z 2011-06-17T05:17:28Z Lisa Right now, today, there is no shortage of qualifiied experienced officers. And there is no shortage of recruits either. The Police union is just as responsible for the situation as is our city council's fiscal mismanagement. The union's seniority based policy of laying off the most junior (and lowest cost) officers in a budget cut situation causes the loss of far more patrol officers then would be incurred in a merit based retention system. No venom here towards firefighters or police officers. You are making the classic strawman argument that if citizens demand some fiscal common sense be applied to public servants somehow we are anti-police or disloyal. cogmeyer 2011-06-17T05:17:28Z sactovlr comment-52286 2011-06-16T22:04:31Z 2011-06-16T22:04:31Z I live off of Riverside Blvd. and traffic is already a nightmare there especially from 5 - 6pm with the car commuters from Pocket/Greenhaven area cutting through to avoid I5 traffic. It can be bumper to bumper on Riverside between Broadway and Sutterville during major commute times, especially when there is an accident on I5. Crocker-Riverside school is in between there (a school, which by the way, has no parking lot) and during the morning hours causes even more traffic issues with cross walk guards, crazy parents double parking to let kids out, J walking and the like. I would be against a Sutterville vehicle crossing for this very reason. There must be some solution that can make both sides of the river happy. Although I am a Land Park resident now, I grew up in West Sacramento and love it there too. sactovlr 2011-06-16T22:04:31Z Kathleen Haley comment-52279 2011-06-16T18:51:42Z 2011-06-16T18:51:42Z Thanks, Hossana! Kathleen Haley 2011-06-16T18:51:42Z TWRL comment-52278 2011-06-16T18:01:00Z 2011-06-16T18:01:00Z "....When did public safety professionals become the enemy of the citizenry?..." They are not the enemy of the citizenry, they are the employees of the citizenry. They are required to join in with us during the greatest recession of our lifetimes. TWRL 2011-06-16T18:01:00Z LisaB23 comment-52274 2011-06-16T06:46:26Z 2011-06-16T06:46:26Z The venom toward PD & Fire exhibited in these comments is scary. When did public safety professionals become the enemy of the citizenry? As for Mr. Johnson, why is he diverting energy and resources to an arena when we can't afford to mow the grass in our city parks? LisaB23 2011-06-16T06:46:26Z LisaB23 comment-52273 2011-06-16T06:43:21Z 2011-06-16T06:43:21Z If PD is so darned desireable why are we consistently 400 officers short of the ratio needed to protect a city this size? Even when the budget was in decent shape and PD was actively recruiting, they could not fill all the vacant positions. But this discussion requires a little bit of math, and the complexity of labor market dynamics and police staffing ratios relative to population is beyond the scope of what most people can grasp - especially this crowd. LisaB23 2011-06-16T06:43:21Z LisaB23 comment-52270 2011-06-16T06:41:57Z 2011-06-16T06:41:57Z Yes - when push comes to shove, safety does come first. I don't live in a gated community with a private police force. I live in the city and we value and desperately need our public safety workers and first responders. So what you're saying is it's OK to let your house burn down or let my house burn down. And you are the same people who are the first to complain if you get hit by a car or get mugged or your house is broken into or on fire and no one comes to help you, or it takes a long time for help to come. And I don't see you or any of the other complainers here volunteering for a public safety career where your life is literally on the line every time you clock in to work. And why are you advocating the race to bottom for everyone instead of working for security and dignity for all workers public and private? LisaB23 2011-06-16T06:41:57Z Hossana Paida comment-52272 2011-06-16T06:32:14Z 2011-06-16T06:32:14Z Great piece Kathleen! I remember first hearing about this at my first City Council coverage with you there. Hossana Paida 2011-06-16T06:32:14Z YouWantWhat comment-52266 2011-06-16T06:18:28Z 2011-06-16T06:18:28Z Lisa, please read the following, appreciating the fact that as a citizen of this city, maintaining a realistic public safety force...is first and foremost. However, not at the expense of every other service we are paying for. Unfortunately this waiver, like the strings attached to the SFD SAFER grant is simply can kicking the problem down a dead end alley. According to the terms of the July 15, 2009 SPOA LOU While most everyone else's pay check is getting smaller, SPOA just got a 2% pay inc Jan 1st 2011, Step increases will resume in 3 days, meaning for officers who were not at the top of the step two years ago will advance 1 step...read 5% inc in pay, June 18, 2011 Come Dec 31, 2011 go up 1% and at the end of this coming fiscal year...increase another 3 and 1/2%Additionally, it's clearly stated that this agreement may be opened up 1,1,2011 if the dept rec'd stimulus funds....Isn't this grant...STIMULUS FUNDS? And they can't afford to pay into their retirement? From Jan 1 2011 to Dec 31, 2011 all post officers avoiding lay-offs will see a 3 % pay increase and some will see as much as an 8 % inc. That will inc overall to a 6 1/2 % for all and some will see an 11 1/2 % inc by this time next year. That will also have a trickle down effect on the pension cost going up. Nope, that annual 32% of Salary requirement is on the taxpayer....and go cut somebody else's job to pay for it, even some of your own less senior . And yes..there are similar issues with the Fire Dept....but that's another story. Here's an example of how Folsom dealt with the problem: FPOA 2010 MOU agreement about retirement benefits 1)Effective 7/1/2010 all police safety employees hired prior to 6/30/2010 get 3%@50, those hired after 7/1/2010 get 2%@50 . Now that was a pretty big change in the status quo! 2) Effective 7/1/2010 The city will pay the full cost of the employer contribution to CalPers However police safety and miscellaneous employees shall pay 5% of their required employee contribution. 3) Effective 7/1/2011 police safety and miscellaneous employees shall pay 7% of their required employee contribution. 4) Effective 7/1/2012 police safety employees shall pay 9% and miscellaneous police (non safety) employees shall pay 8% of their required employee contribution. CalPers has their formula just as the feds do for social security. Social Security is 50/50 based on about 15% of Salary with a cap. For Public Safety officers the combined current CalPers requirement is 32% and it is going up. The city of Sacramento paying 32% on top of an average $68K/ yr salary just for the Calpers benefits of 3% @ 50...without any employee participation...is NUTS....not to mention unsustainable Then to have Mark Tyndale standing before City Council last night....stating that if they contract out park maintenance the city could afford to not lay off the CSO's...was offensive to say the least. Had this discussion about employee contribution to Calpers occurred several years ago when the citizens of the city were being told to maintain services we needed those Utility Tax measures to pass...and now see where some of that "maintenance of service level" fees are going... Do you really think they would have stood a chance? Seriously! YouWantWhat 2011-06-16T06:18:28Z Lee Middleton comment-52262 2011-06-16T00:04:59Z 2011-06-16T00:04:59Z The lack of concessions from the SPD is indicative to their unwillingness to care or understand that the city as a whole is in a dire economic hole. It is no longer about the SPD. As for Kevin Johnson, enough with his generic comments that mean absolutely nothing! Lee Middleton 2011-06-16T00:04:59Z Kathleen Haley comment-52254 2011-06-15T19:57:31Z 2011-06-15T19:57:31Z Hi Cogmeyer, I responded to your question on the Fire Department article. Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-06-15T19:57:31Z Kathleen Haley comment-52253 2011-06-15T19:56:09Z 2011-06-15T19:56:09Z Hi Cogmeyer, Michael Stover, administrative officer for the Sacramento Fire Department, said he didn't have information on how much in dollars the city paid for retirements contributions for sworn members of the fire department. He referred me to the city's payroll and benefits staff for that question. Finance Director Leyne Milstein provided the following statistic: She said the city paid $25.3 million for all public safety retirement contributions (including police) for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-15T19:56:09Z cogmeyer comment-52246 2011-06-15T17:40:36Z 2011-06-15T17:40:36Z Lisa your message seems to indicate that SacPD is suffering or will suffer from a shortage of available, qualified police officer candidates willng to work for reduced wages and benefits. In fact, the exact opposite is the case. SacPD is a very desirable job despite the inherent risks, mainly due to the benefits package. There are tons of fresh recruits trying to get into the academy, and statewide police force reduction has made a lot of experienced candidates available as well. It is definitely an employers market right now. The penduluum has just started to swing and needs keep swinging! cogmeyer 2011-06-15T17:40:36Z LisaB23 comment-52181 2011-06-15T06:17:43Z 2011-06-15T06:17:43Z It's a start but we need to everything possible to keep our police and fire from being gutted while still maintaining a modicum of benefits for our first responders and those in the departments that support first responders. A reasonable health and retirement package is part of the deal for expecting reasonable people to put themselves in harms way every time they go to work. Many have already made labor concessions as the city budget has been in trouble for several years and to ask even more for the level of danger in these jobs is bordering on the absurd. Seriously, balancing the budget on the backs of the workforce year after year cannot be sustained. How do we expect to keep a qualified workforce in these dangerous professions if we aren't willing to compenseate for the level of danger and training required for these professions? The pendulum has swung too far on expecting budgets to be balanced on the backs of workers, especially those all citizens need and depend on. LisaB23 2011-06-15T06:17:43Z Bill Burgua comment-52169 2011-06-15T01:16:52Z 2011-06-15T01:16:52Z This is more support for clean technology industry in the region. Let's hope the region can get behind the growth of clean technology. Make Sacramento known for using out abundant solar energy, having a large percentage of plug-in hybrid and electric cars and other uses of clean technology. Let's have a reason to work in the area besides government and ag. Perhaps the future is better than our curent stagnation. Bill Burgua 2011-06-15T01:16:52Z Kathleen Haley comment-52164 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z UPDATE: When talking about the proposed cuts at a May press conference, Jaymes Butler of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 said firefighters would be “laid off.” However, when pressed by reporters if there would be “out-the-door” layoffs, Butler said that 49 positions slated for cuts were not filled and no current workers would actually be laid off. http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/51130/Council_sets_new_hearing_on_parks_police_and_fire Kathleen Haley 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z Terre Johnson comment-52155 2011-06-14T21:55:38Z 2011-06-14T21:55:38Z it was great to hear her speak and her impressions of the City of Sacramento and the potential but her political answer about 'Fracking' and water contamination left me wondering about on what side of the fence she was located. Thank heaven for the CAL/EPA and their commitment! Terre Johnson 2011-06-14T21:55:38Z worker comment-52099 2011-06-14T17:21:17Z 2011-06-14T17:21:17Z Also, some cities require ALL firefighters to be paramedics, so listing base pay for just a firefighter is misleading since no one gets that "base" pay. Some fire employees make well over $200,000 a year, not including benefits! The city also pays their medical insurance when they retire at 50 (just as they do for police), but not for any other city employees. worker 2011-06-14T17:21:17Z worker comment-52098 2011-06-14T17:12:33Z 2011-06-14T17:12:33Z You need to ask how much they NORMALLY make since they have built-in mandatory overtime, and extra pay for many other things like speaking another language. worker 2011-06-14T17:12:33Z Kathleen Haley comment-52076 2011-06-13T23:30:02Z 2011-06-13T23:30:02Z Thanks for pointing that out. I will look for that piece of information and respond as soon as I can. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-13T23:30:02Z cogmeyer comment-52071 2011-06-13T22:38:29Z 2011-06-13T22:38:29Z Kathleen On your breakdown of police pay, Norm Leung noted that "benefits for police officers include the city’s payments of about $28,000 into CalPERS each year for each officer" So how much is the city's CalPERS contribution in the case of firefighters? cogmeyer 2011-06-13T22:38:29Z colonel455 comment-52063 2011-06-13T18:44:37Z 2011-06-13T18:44:37Z Please remember that the city negotiated the retirement pick up as a way to keep the base pay lower and put more $ in the employees pockets. You see, it was in the city's interest to pick up the 9% as opposed to giving the employees additional $ back in the 90's. All roll ups to salary, payroll taxes, retirement, overtime rates, etc are LOWER because the base pay is 9% lower than it otherwise would have been. It was a trade off proposed by the CITY to save them $$$. As far as not being willing to re-negotiate to save jobs, the city has never proposed anything to the employee groups to save jobs. However, the press is full of rhetoric that is unsubstantiated by fact. colonel455 2011-06-13T18:44:37Z jsteve comment-52029 2011-06-12T21:56:09Z 2011-06-12T21:56:09Z Why from the police and fireman budget? Why not from the elected officials pay. Oh i got a great idea how about for a whole year elected public(overpaid) officials do not get paid. One more thing anyone making over $110,000 should have pay cut to half for one year. jsteve 2011-06-12T21:56:09Z Top Cat 2808 comment-51857 2011-06-09T03:30:12Z 2011-06-09T03:30:12Z I think the public library is very much escaping the ax that is coming down on other public services in our county. A 2% cut is unlikely to impact library services at all. What is likely to happen is that all services will be provided with attempts made to provide them in a way that is just a tad more economical. This can be healthy for the library, or any organization, to see what it can do more efficiently. I have one suggestion where money can be saved [and, btw, I hate offering this up because I take advantage of this "flaw" in their system]: Right now, printing documents from their catalog computers is free if the document is 5 pages or less. Because it is easy to print any long document by a series of five-page print jobs, I never have to pay for catalog computer print jobs. And some documents I print can be long, if they are magazine articles or academic essays. I haven't felt bad about my "immoral" conduct because the Central library, unconscionably, makes it difficult NOT to overpay for use of their copier or printing pages using their microfiche machines. [There are long explanations for this, which I won't go into here -- but, hey, Ms. Sass: post a reply to this comment and I'll give YOU the skinny.] Top Cat 2808 2011-06-09T03:30:12Z Rhys02 comment-51854 2011-06-08T23:56:38Z 2011-06-08T23:56:38Z This so much theater... It is already obvious the city will find other taxpayers (i.e. the feds) to rehire a good number of the cops. When the city outsources ambulance services, the fire department goes to three man crews and the police stop sending half the shift to respond to a shooting that is over and done by the time 911 is called and BOTH departments fully fund their benefit and retirement benefits at least to the extent a low paid WalMart employee must... then I will start wringing my hands about potential layoffs. Fire and Police have watched for years as the city laid off every possible city employee, other than them and said nothing and made no labor concessions to save any of these jobs. They now account for 82% of the general budget...a percentage greater than what forced Vallejo into bankruptcy. If they don't watch out the city coffers will be the next cadaver... Rhys02 2011-06-08T23:56:38Z Ben Ilfeld comment-51847 2011-06-08T21:30:10Z 2011-06-08T21:30:10Z That is a good question. I always wonder what actions taken after the cuts really affect service. I think in this case it would be wise to follow the after-effects to learn what cutting or adding money in the future might do. Ben Ilfeld 2011-06-08T21:30:10Z Casey Kirk comment-51841 2011-06-08T18:41:45Z 2011-06-08T18:41:45Z You're right, PW. Many envision firefighters just sitting around at the fire houses eating and watching TV until the next fire comes along, sucking up tax dollars. Not true at all. In addition to there being more fires than the public may see or hear about, medical emergencies are the majority of calls they run. Some might not realize until one of their loved ones is being rushed to the hospital after a car accident, heart attack, near-drowning, etc. in the back of a medic truck. Then they might also realize how serious these cuts are! Casey Kirk 2011-06-08T18:41:45Z P W comment-51838 2011-06-08T17:16:10Z 2011-06-08T17:16:10Z "My question is why? How many fires are they out there fighting anyway?" Fires, auto accidents, medical emergencies, gas leaks, safety inspections at public buildings, nursing homes, private businesses and so on. The fire department does more than fight fires. The "need" is always present, simply because no one can predict the timing or extent of an emergency. Apologies to those readers to whom this seems rather obvious. P W 2011-06-08T17:16:10Z Kathy Farrales comment-51832 2011-06-08T09:15:29Z 2011-06-08T09:15:29Z "The city manager’s office is not proposing layoffs for the Fire Department" My question is why? How many fires are they out there fighting anyway? If you are going to make cuts from the departments that are suppose to keep us safe, shouldn't the cut's be based on need? Kathy Farrales 2011-06-08T09:15:29Z Tony Sheppard comment-51831 2011-06-08T07:09:47Z 2011-06-08T07:09:47Z Salaries and pensions are negotiated together and how they're broken down is a wash that people seem to make an undue fuss about. If you started from scratch and paid one person $48k and paid their entire pension contribution and paid another person $50k and paid their pension contribution less 4% coming from the employee, both the employees and the employer would come out even. If you take somebody who already has a contract in which these things are defined and make them pay 4% to their pension plan, where they have previously paid nothing, all you have essentially done is reduced their overall compensation by 4%. The employer isn't making some magic savings based on some complicated pension liability formula, they're saving based on the simple fact that the overall compensation package is reduced by 4%. You could keep the pension contribution the same (at 100%) and simply cut the salary by 4% and the end result would be the same. Pensions aren't some weird and wonderful thing, they're just part of a bundle of compensation that could be divided any number of ways. Tony Sheppard 2011-06-08T07:09:47Z tired comment-51790 2011-06-07T15:47:47Z 2011-06-07T15:47:47Z I contribute 10% towards my retirement and the PD and FD fight against contributing 4% in order to keep people from being laid off. How selfish have people gotten. The most responsible and right thing to do is have the PD contribute the 4% in order to keep people employed. Currently, they contribute nothing, zero, the city contributes all their pension, yet the City is currently facing a huge budget deficit and prefers to contribute to the unemployment problem instead of making the PD pay 4%. And don't get me started on the Mayor proposal of taxing hotels and car rentals for his pet project. That money could be used to fund services for the City instead of cutting them. tired 2011-06-07T15:47:47Z RPH comment-51787 2011-06-07T05:13:07Z 2011-06-07T05:13:07Z > “If all employees contributed 4 percent to their pensions, Only 4%, what a deal. I'm a retired federal worker (CSRS) and I paid 10% for 41 yrs. With my active duty and national guard military service I qualified for a social security payment of $270 a month, but because a I get a government pension I only get $122 a month. RPH 2011-06-07T05:13:07Z Kathleen Haley comment-51783 2011-06-06T23:36:50Z 2011-06-06T23:36:50Z Thank you, Isaac. Best, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-06-06T23:36:50Z thsas comment-51782 2011-06-06T22:31:10Z 2011-06-06T22:31:10Z "....seem to assume that Social Security is a sufficient retirement plan for everyone....". No such assumption. I was asking for clarification. The bulk of Americans do not have proper savings. Social Security is a bottom safety net at best ponzi scheme, and at best there is a 50-50 chance of it being available in 10 years, so personal savings is needed. One of the big differences is that most Americans do not get a retirement plan, and certainly not one that is funded by the confiscation of others property under the threat of fines or imprisonment. What is the average age and income of just retired person who worked for the government and in the private sector? That would be interesting to look at. thsas 2011-06-06T22:31:10Z Michael Longstreet comment-51758 2011-06-06T21:07:23Z 2011-06-06T21:07:23Z @ tired. That's because having them pay toward their pension would have to be negoitated via their union. SPOA is a very powerful union and there's no way they would let that happen. Instead they'd rather see hundreds of non-safety people get laid off before they go to the table. Oh wait, they already did that. Michael Longstreet 2011-06-06T21:07:23Z Elizabeth Orfin comment-51754 2011-06-06T19:48:24Z 2011-06-06T19:48:24Z Libraries provide fundamental help in addition to their book, movie, and music services. Literacy Programs for adults, Tutorials for Internet use and Job Searching. How many of these additional services would feel the impact of cutting the budget? Elizabeth Orfin 2011-06-06T19:48:24Z William Burg comment-51752 2011-06-06T19:43:31Z 2011-06-06T19:43:31Z Lower than their income would be if they also received Social Security, which they do not. Both of you gentlemen seem to assume that Social Security is a sufficient retirement plan for everyone, but every financial planner I have spoken with considers Social Security fairly small potatoes, and recommends a retirement plan of some sort--either taking advantage of an employer-provided one, or, if not, an employee-funded plan of some sort. The problem is that individual investors typically aren't very savvy about the market, and tend to do things like cash out their 401K when the stock market tanks, after putting lots of money into it during boom times. William Burg 2011-06-06T19:43:31Z tired comment-51749 2011-06-06T17:24:24Z 2011-06-06T17:24:24Z If all employees contributed 4 percent to their pensions, the city would save about $39.7 million over the next five years – or about $7.9 million on average per year,” the audit states. So what exactly is the city waiting for. Isn't it obvious that perhaps they should start paying. Everybody else is required to pay into their retirement. By the police contributing into their retirement it would save many employees from being laid off. It's a no-brainer I think. tired 2011-06-06T17:24:24Z thsas comment-51742 2011-06-06T16:06:29Z 2011-06-06T16:06:29Z "...their retirement income is that much lower...". Lower than what? Lower than the bulk of retired Americans on Social Security alone? thsas 2011-06-06T16:06:29Z Curmudgeon comment-51739 2011-06-06T14:56:22Z 2011-06-06T14:56:22Z Well said. Of course library funding reductions are a bummer, but this is happening to everyone. Curmudgeon 2011-06-06T14:56:22Z cogmeyer comment-51737 2011-06-06T14:36:33Z 2011-06-06T14:36:33Z Isnt the typical employer social security contribution around 6%? On $70K average salary that is $4.2K. The city could make a very generous 401(k) match and pay the employer social security contribution and still come out far better than $28K. More importantly, that $28K is just what the city happens to be paying into CalPERS. It does not include any current or future unfunded liability, which can substantially increase the amount the city will be on the hook for. cogmeyer 2011-06-06T14:36:33Z Top Cat 2808 comment-51728 2011-06-06T04:47:12Z 2011-06-06T04:47:12Z C'mon, y'all! It's a cut of something just over 2%. Two percent! Right now, the library is refusing the help of volunteers in an effort to keep jobs. That is understandable. But next year, volunteers can do much of the work reshelving books and otherwise helping out to keep things running. Volunteers can easily keep the library functioning as it has been, until the economy bounces back. Also, it is not unjust to press the library to find efficiencies to perform better. Sacramento will continue to have a public library system that is remarkable and loved in a county that greatly supports the many branches of the Sacramento Public Library. Top Cat 2808 2011-06-06T04:47:12Z Isaac Gonzalez comment-51720 2011-06-05T22:43:53Z 2011-06-05T22:43:53Z It's nice to have one news site break this down to the actual numbers. I don't recall seeing this issue presented in such a detailed level anywhere within the other local media organizations. Isaac Gonzalez 2011-06-05T22:43:53Z William Burg comment-51719 2011-06-05T21:56:54Z 2011-06-05T21:56:54Z Do Sacramento police pay into Social Security? Many public safety workers do not--with the end result that their retirement income is that much lower, and the higher retirement salary makes up the difference. But switching them over to a lower pension and paying into Social Security could actually cost more. William Burg 2011-06-05T21:56:54Z JohnG comment-51715 2011-06-05T17:32:31Z 2011-06-05T17:32:31Z I agree with Councilmember Sheedy, we do not have be a full-service city. Reasonable trimming of some services needs to be done. I would suggest the elemination of paramedic units attached to the fire department. These are certainly used, but there are far more units in the private sector and they respond to the majority of ambalatory calls. Contracting with the private sector EMS units for this service will save money, eliminate euipment, maintenance, upkeep, and will ultimately eliminate manpower and payroll as well as a decrease in pension payouts in the future. The people who are displaced by this move will find employment in the private sector with no trouble. Institute 401k's for all city employees. Healthcare benefits should be on par with the private sector with city employee contributions in line with the private sector. Because the revenue stream is so undependable, which has been demonstrated for the past 5 years changes must be made to all employee union contracts. Any mention of pay and allowances should be removed from all city employee union contracts. There is no constant other than change. We cannot continue throwing the dice and hoping for a big payday. We must live within the means given to us and that means that we cannot be held to contracts that will place our citizens in peril due to unrealistic contracted obligations. All waste or trash should be in a bag or appropriate container. Nothing should be in the street to eventually plug our storm drains. Leaves, grass clippings, trimmings and other debris account for over 90% of our flooded streets during inclimate weather, placing homes in peril. Stop this practice and we will realize a savings in the dispatch of crews and the overtime associated with those events. Charge fees as indicated by LisaB23. I will even go so far as to say, charge fees for the responce of any and all emergency units involved if such responce was necessary because of an act of negligence. Make greater use of volunteers. Give volunteers greater responsibilty and expanded duties. Remove any limitations on the use of volunteers from all city employee union contracts. Increase the elgible age of retirement from 55 to 60 on for all city employees without exception. JohnG 2011-06-05T17:32:31Z Ilian Cervantes-Branum comment-51714 2011-06-05T17:20:26Z 2011-06-05T17:20:26Z Reality is saddening. Ilian Cervantes-Branum 2011-06-05T17:20:26Z LisaB23 comment-51692 2011-06-04T17:41:27Z 2011-06-04T17:41:27Z The city could start by reviewing how much police and fire services actually cost and start charging those who cost the most. In 2007 the police department proposed a small annual fee on bars and restaurants to fund a small team or 3 to 4 officers to work in heavily impacted areas like the central city to work collaboratively with business owners on training for their security and server staff to recognize and report and de-escalate problems before a shooting or stabbing or riot happened. And for PD to be a presence in heavily impacted areas to preempt serious problems before they happened, Instead of having to deal with the costly impacts after these events take place. Former City Manager Kerridge killed that immediately and no one has taken up the effort even though several cities have this model in place and have proven its cost effectiveness. This model works because it costs less to be proactive and preventative rather than reactive. And those who benefit from large events like Second Saturday and the various festivals put on throughought the year that cost a ton of money to ensure the peace and public safety...should pay for it - all of it - fully reimburse PD and Fire for their services not just a fraction of the actual costs through permit fees as is the case today. Cost it according to actual costs and charge accordingly. A special event in this city is a bargain - look at LA, Chicago etc and putting on an event costs way more. Why are we shortchanging ourselves and being the bargain basement city? LisaB23 2011-06-04T17:41:27Z Kathleen Haley comment-51635 2011-06-03T19:21:38Z 2011-06-03T19:21:38Z I checked in with Norm Leong today. I asked him for the "out-the-door" layoffs – the numbers of actual people (not positions) who would leave the Police Department if the proposal goes forward. He said the number was 147. That figure includes the 80 layoffs of sworn cops. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-03T19:21:38Z Kathleen Haley comment-51636 2011-06-03T19:18:42Z 2011-06-03T19:18:42Z I checked in with police spokesman Norm Leong today. I asked him for the "out-the-door" layoffs – the numbers of actual people (not positions) who would leave the Police Department if the proposal goes forward. He said the number was 147. That figure includes the 80 layoffs of sworn cops. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-03T19:18:42Z cogmeyer comment-51593 2011-06-03T15:46:34Z 2011-06-03T15:46:34Z “We need to look at how we deliver the services that our citizens have come to expect,” Fong said. “So, what I would ask is that we take a strong look with our best thinkers ... and say, ‘Shake the Etch A Sketch up ... erase the white board.’ ” ------------------------------- Rob, glad to hear you finally came out of your coma. Things have been happening in the news while you were away. Turns out Tiger Woods had a few girlfriends on the side, a guy named Obama got a job and then Nancy Pelosi lost hers, and Osama bin Laden was caught hanging out in Pakistan. Oh yeah. I should also mention that Sacramento City Council has been in perpetual budget crisis for 5 years now (even before the economic downturn). You didn't hear about this "economic downturn" either? ... well fyi, it is now approaching its 4th year soon. All the money that was wasted through city council inaction during the last 4-5 years has just made this years budget that much more difficult to balance. Now that you are back with us, please size city government to available revenues, take on the unions, and quit kicking the can down the road. I know LuxeLife lifestyle profiles, enhancing your gawdy tie collection, and bizarre Arizona boycotts are fun distractions from the humdrum of actually doing the people's business. But how about you focus on the budget for a few months while you are awake? cogmeyer 2011-06-03T15:46:34Z Kathleen Haley comment-51524 2011-06-02T19:56:16Z 2011-06-02T19:56:16Z Here is some information about salaries of workers in the new union. Most of the positions in the group of 103 workers are administrative analysts and program analysts, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams. The city provides salary range information for city jobs on its website: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/saccity/default.cfm?action=agencyspecs An administrative analyst earns a minimum monthly salary of $4,599.00. The maximum monthly salary for this job is $6,898.00. So, per year, the minimum salary would be $55,188. The maximum annual salary would be $82, 776. The program analyst salary range is exactly the same as the administrative analyst's range, according to the city's website. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-02T19:56:16Z cogmeyer comment-51522 2011-06-02T19:49:11Z 2011-06-02T19:49:11Z “The reality is, those people want to help the city,” Contreras said. “The goal is to do as much as they can to help the city, ....................... What a delicious quote. Kathleen, did Dee Contreras give any examples of how a management union might possibly "help" the city of Sacramento? cogmeyer 2011-06-02T19:49:11Z Jose Galvan comment-51521 2011-06-02T19:41:48Z 2011-06-02T19:41:48Z I can only imagine the horrific conditions those dozens of workers must be subjected to. I'm sure they are shackled and beaten in conditions that would make an Upton Sinclair novel seem idyllic by comparison. Thank you Senora Contreras for stepping up to make a change for the downtrodden! *raises fist in the air* Jose Galvan 2011-06-02T19:41:48Z newguyinsac comment-51508 2011-06-02T15:35:24Z 2011-06-02T15:35:24Z "Contreras, who is organizing city employees in the new union... is the former labor relations director for the city." Wow, can you say revolving door? Who's looking out for the taxpayers that provide the salaries for these employees? Apparently no one. No wonder Sacramento is going down the tubes. newguyinsac 2011-06-02T15:35:24Z Suzon comment-51501 2011-06-02T02:41:27Z 2011-06-02T02:41:27Z When all the country is struggling, it seems odd, and wrong to cut education. The libraries host a source to educate and illuminate. Shouldn't we cut federal funding to countries who oppose us first? Suzon 2011-06-02T02:41:27Z P W comment-51454 2011-06-01T15:55:39Z 2011-06-01T15:55:39Z Apples and oranges, Deb. The Mayor (and City Council) have to be able to "multi-task". Although I share your frustration about the public services you mention, it's not realistic for us to expect corporate sponsors to foot the bill for libraries, pools and police. Unless you want to visit the Power Balance Public Library, or take a dip in the Jiffy Lube Pool, or get a ride downtown in a police car wrapped in a Quizno's advertisement. --- Hey! Why not??? P W 2011-06-01T15:55:39Z deb belt comment-51453 2011-06-01T15:35:01Z 2011-06-01T15:35:01Z The Mayor is concocting a 60-member commission to figure out how to fund a $387 million arena. Why can't we figure out how to keep our libraries, parks and pools open and keep police patrolling neighborhoods? deb belt 2011-06-01T15:35:01Z Curmudgeon comment-51440 2011-06-01T03:34:13Z 2011-06-01T03:34:13Z Mark Merin--What a creep. Curmudgeon 2011-06-01T03:34:13Z cogmeyer comment-51418 2011-05-31T20:45:17Z 2011-05-31T20:45:17Z bingo! cogmeyer 2011-05-31T20:45:17Z Top Cat 2808 comment-51417 2011-05-31T20:34:14Z 2011-05-31T20:34:14Z Rhys02, I think I'm right in saying that Merin passed a part of his fee for the suit against the county to Loaves & Fishes, which got its own bundle of money out of the county suit, and, then, all that was received disappeared into the L&F black hole. Certainly, nothing was forthcoming for the homeless during the recent very cold and wet winter in the way of shelter -- which is, supposedly half of L&F's mission. SHOC also got $100,000 relating to administrative responsibilities, which is a joke. There is only one person identified as responsible for SHOC, and that person is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you catch my meaning. While it is excellent and appropriate that the homeless are compensated for city police/employee misadventures with people's property, how the money disappears and is distributed is, in large part,, a moral black hole. But some percentage will get to victims who deserve compensation. Top Cat 2808 2011-05-31T20:34:14Z MyQuest comment-51405 2011-05-31T19:44:00Z 2011-05-31T19:44:00Z There have been a number of comments to this issue that have convinced me that the homeless industry, of which Mr. Merin is a part, collapses if it doesn't have clients, eg, homeless. Seen through the cold prism of non-profit business realities Dale, Merin's goal, the entire industry's goal, is not to eliminate homelessness, but to attract it to within their sphere of influence. MyQuest 2011-05-31T19:44:00Z Dale Kooyman comment-51379 2011-05-31T16:56:36Z 2011-05-31T16:56:36Z Where were you, Merin, during the five years the Homeless Board was in existence? You could have really helped us all to implement a plan--yes, there was such a plan-- to enable homeless to get OFF the streets then. BUT you were no where to be found. Now these publicity seeking ego centered actions seem like a goal to keep homeless ON the streets. What help is that? Dale Kooyman 2011-05-31T16:56:36Z Rhys02 comment-51365 2011-05-31T00:01:13Z 2011-05-31T00:01:13Z This attorney' just successfully green-mailed the county for $450,000. Has anybody asked how much went back to the homeless he claims to fight for? How many tents has he bought with all this money he is taking from ordinary taxpayers? Rhys02 2011-05-31T00:01:13Z newguyinsac comment-51301 2011-05-27T16:38:43Z 2011-05-27T16:38:43Z Aw, Councilwoman Pannell is upset that she is losing her slush fund. newguyinsac 2011-05-27T16:38:43Z Imnobody comment-51262 2011-05-26T23:00:36Z 2011-05-26T23:00:36Z Good information about Detroit. Thanks. Cut pay and benefits 10% a year? Until everybody quits and no more qualified applicants show up? Show me where that has worked. Mcdonalds and Wal Mart don't even do that. They still pay a fair wage and give raises. Granted, some times their employees move on to better jobs.... Wait a minute? How could there be a better job with your model? I guess in your world every job pays the same no matter the training or education and employees stay until they can't take it anymore. But where do they go? To a better job that pays less? Or just quit and live off of their money tree? I don't see the logic. Garuanteed people will show up for those GM jobs at $14-$16 / hour. But I'm sure there will be increasing compensation in months and years to come until they reach the top level of their respective title after which they recieve a promotion which pays more and comes with raises. And - please don't assume that I am a fireman or which you never include, a cop. Imnobody 2011-05-26T23:00:36Z cogmeyer comment-51260 2011-05-26T21:28:53Z 2011-05-26T21:28:53Z To your question "what are the wages in the labor market?".... Answer: the "correct" firefighter wage is somewhere between the current wage and the wage that there are no qualified replacement applicants or existing firemen willing to work at that wage . Just as in every non-unionized other private sector job in every free market economy in the world. One way to find this "correct" wage is to cut pay + benefits 10% per year until retention / recruitment challenges are forecasted, then back off. Andt the fact that you already took a pay cut has absolutely nothing to do with the price of the cheese. Your formerly ridiculously bloated wage + benefits package was trimmed back to just simply bloated. Funny you should mention Detroit. I lived in Michigan myself for awhile and am familiar with some of the dynamics there. Detroit's industry was taken down by several factors, not the least of which is an outdated manufacturing model reliant on bloated union wage packages that was not competitive. It was not competitive with Asian manufacturers, and as it turns out it was not even competitive with non-union manufacturers that have all opened up in the South in the last decade or two. After running there business into the ground, the big3 are finally addressing this... I just saw that wages for new workers at the GM Hammtramick plant are in the $14-16 range, not the $25-35 previous wage. Meanwhile for decades the leadership of the City of Detroit was a pawn of the local public service labor unions, taking bribes and kickback and focusing on their own re-election while doing little to ensure the long term viability of their city. If Detroit would have started austerity measures back in the 1970's they could have responsibly managed the city through decreasing population and the changes in industry and would compete with the sprawling suburbs, instead of letting it all go to waste. cogmeyer 2011-05-26T21:28:53Z Imnobody comment-51255 2011-05-26T17:48:37Z 2011-05-26T17:48:37Z Yes, you are right. Labor is the most significant cost anywhere a person is utilised to do a job, not just a city. And to attract and recruit well educated and motivated employees, an employer must offer a competetive wage, good benefits and a good retirement. Then after the employee is hired, they must be trained, which is expensive. Then the employer should keep these well educated, motivated and well trained employees. To do that, morale and motivation should be kept up and that is usually done with raises and improvement in working conditions. Thanks to the unions of this country, union and non union jobs get the benefits of better working conditions with better pay. Cutting back the workforce or cutting back pay does no one any good. Look at Detroit. Look at Madoff, the Wall Street swindlers or the over inflated real estate of the late 90's and early 2000's. Can you still get a loan based on 125% of the value of your home? Look at the pet projects of the city of Sacramento. 6 million dollars to front a mermaid bar? The arena issue? Seriously? And there are no greener pastures right now. We are fortunate to have the job we have. Lastly, again, what are the wages in the labor market? And what are the wages of a firefighter and cop? What are the wages of the checker at your grocery store? What about the guy that delivers the bread to the grocery store? And - remember, the cops and firemen have already taken cuts and given back. Imnobody 2011-05-26T17:48:37Z TWRL comment-51253 2011-05-26T17:04:43Z 2011-05-26T17:04:43Z I have 3 firefighters in my family, all great guys. You could cut their pay in half and they would not quit, because they have a fantastic employment package, and they would still be doing better than the average hard worker. They also cringe at the thought of a free market solution to the budget problem. TWRL 2011-05-26T17:04:43Z TWRL comment-51252 2011-05-26T17:00:15Z 2011-05-26T17:00:15Z Cogmeyer-My comment is to Imnobody. Your position is correct. How has this sector decided to be immune from the fluctuations of the economy? (Do they not want increases during robust economic times? If you get that, then you also you get decreases in economy pull-backs). TWRL 2011-05-26T17:00:15Z Mark Urquhart comment-51251 2011-05-26T16:39:18Z 2011-05-26T16:39:18Z If you house the homeless population we have at present, within a week there will be twice as many. It's a big State in a big country. Sacramento already seems to be the favored spot for the homeless - let's not make it any worse by inviting more to come and enjoy the great benefits at Sacramento taxpayer's expense.... and don't forget two ongoing projects that aim to provide single occupancy homes for the astonishing price of just $300,000 each. Mark Urquhart 2011-05-26T16:39:18Z cogmeyer comment-51247 2011-05-26T16:21:18Z 2011-05-26T16:21:18Z No, I am not kidding. But actually a straight pay "cut" may not be the best way to reduce police and fire labor costs. The department should have the flexibility and discretion to layoff higher paid staff and replace them with lower cost replacements, as part of an overall payroll restructuring effort Along the same lines, outsourcing of certain roles should continue to be examined and compared to the current costs of these services. Outsourcing of ambulance services is one example. I know this all sounds really harsh, but this is exactly the same environment that us private sector workers are dealing with. And of course if any police or fireman doesn't like the sound of all this, they by all means should express their free will and go to those greener pastures for that better opportunity. There is always another young recruit waiting in the lobby who is more than happy to do your job for 1/2 the pay. cogmeyer 2011-05-26T16:21:18Z TWRL comment-51243 2011-05-26T15:33:11Z 2011-05-26T15:33:11Z "....Why should cops and firemen take a paycut?" You are kidding, right? TWRL 2011-05-26T15:33:11Z TWRL comment-51241 2011-05-26T15:30:11Z 2011-05-26T15:30:11Z "....how does a city make more money?" Confiscate it from the families of earners. TWRL 2011-05-26T15:30:11Z Rhonda Erwin comment-51203 2011-05-26T06:36:04Z 2011-05-26T06:36:04Z cogmeyer, I agree with all of your above comments. The truth is powerful. Rhonda Erwin 2011-05-26T06:36:04Z Rhonda Erwin comment-51178 2011-05-26T06:15:11Z 2011-05-26T06:15:11Z Darn good point William. Heck, instead of looking at the glass as half empty (looking at the cuts) they could look at it as half full ( look for ways to earn more money). The cuts have to be made- You can't drain blood from a turnip. But when will they generate a course of action for the city to earn more money. So many tasks forces lately but no generate city revenue task force.-lol Our mayor and city counsel have become dependent on grants. I guess you can say they are a government of welfare looking for hand outs (grants) not a hand up (generating revenue) Grants are temporary - sooner or later they run out not to mention they often come with strings attached. Seems like the way this city is going every year they will cut, cut, cut every year give employees pink slips, pink slips, pink slips and at the same time keeping their fingers crossed in hopes a grant will come from the sky to save one department or another. It’s a sad display of leadership. Rhonda Erwin 2011-05-26T06:15:11Z cogmeyer comment-51177 2011-05-26T05:19:46Z 2011-05-26T05:19:46Z To answer your first question, Yes. Labor represents the most significant cost for many city departments, incl fire. If not for restrictive union rules (which the city agreed to) wages would adjust to the new reality of the labor market. Again the simple truth is that SacFD personnel are not leaving en masse for greener pastures, and potential replacements are standing in line for those same great jobs. Now is the time to reduce city labor costs across the board. cogmeyer 2011-05-26T05:19:46Z William Burg comment-51170 2011-05-26T00:55:13Z 2011-05-26T00:55:13Z If my household budget was hit hard by unexpected decreases in income, and I couldn't find anything else to comfortably cut, I'd try to earn more money...how does a city make more money? William Burg 2011-05-26T00:55:13Z Imnobody comment-51163 2011-05-25T22:53:09Z 2011-05-25T22:53:09Z You really believe that public employees are the ones responsible for the"budget mess"? So they should be replaced by eager recruits for less pay? Would you take a job where you were getting paid less than your counterparts in other agencies? Sure you would. I would. I would like to recieve a raise occassionally though. What about a raise in the future? They shouldn't get a raise either? Ever? It's called retention. And with retention, an employer gains valuble, experienced employees. With your logic, they should hire frequently, lay off, then hire again? Hmm. Wonder why no other hiring agency ever thought of that? I think there are people lined up around the block for all jobs. Mcdonalds just did a nationwide recruitment and hired 62,000 people. As far as "negative impact", here is a quote off of News10.net Fire Captain Jeff Helvin, who was seriously burned on the second floor of a residential fire, made an eloquent plea for public and firefighter safety. "Delayed response time and inadequate staffing on the second due engine were the two leading contributing factors to that accident," Helvin told the council. That seems like a negative impact. Or should somone, firefighter, cop or civilian die? Lastly, what are the wages in the labor market? And what are the wages of a firefighter and cop? Imnobody 2011-05-25T22:53:09Z Ben Ilfeld comment-51162 2011-05-25T22:42:19Z 2011-05-25T22:42:19Z bizzare logic. I don't think a trip anywhere would solve these budget issues. I believe you are comparing apples to USB plugs. As for the cost of the trip to our taxpayers, it would have been negligible compared to the budget deficit if it was not already allocated for this kind of work. Mayors travel for many reasons. Keeping a large corporation in town makes some sense. As to public funds and the arena, until we know what the funding mechanism is there is no point comparing it to balancing this budget. We simply don't know where that money will come from or what form it will take. We could always speculate, but why? So I propose we all try to work on the problems at hand and talk about what may need to be cut and by how much. What are our priorities? At this point it is not about personalities, but about policy that affects our region. Ben Ilfeld 2011-05-25T22:42:19Z Ben Ilfeld comment-51161 2011-05-25T22:35:47Z 2011-05-25T22:35:47Z Sounds good. Nobody wants cuts. The problem is what is the alternative? How can we balance our local budget? Ben Ilfeld 2011-05-25T22:35:47Z