EVERY VOTER SHOULD READ THESE FACTS

 

ABOUT REAL PUBLIC SAFETY IN EL SEGUNDO !

 

A public service of the El Segundo Public Safety Project – PublicSafetyProject.Org

 

For supporting documentation, additional and updated information,

and responses to any last-minute hit-pieces, be sure to visit our web site.

                                                                                                                                                                       

 

What is a Fire or Police Union Endorsement Really Worth ?

 

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

 

1.     With the Worst public safety and spending records.

 

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

 

The Union bosses endorsed George Nakano for our State Assembly district in 2002, even though Nakano voted only three days after the 9-11 Terrorist Attack to give official California driver licenses to Illegal Aliens, Identity Thieves, Drug Smugglers, and Terrorists using the identity of their choice (AB 60, 9/14/2001). Nakano voted for dangerous laws and bloated budgets that led to the Governor Davis recall.

 

2.     With the Worst integrity records.

 

In the last City Council election (2004), the police and fire Union bosses endorsed the three candidates supported with tens of thousands of dollars from outside special interests, including developers, a trash hauler, someone who tried to obtain a large city contract without competition, and others who may have expected something in return. One of these candidates was Eric Busch. Busch has received large contributions from someone who tried to rig the competition for a large city contract and have it awarded to a less qualified bidder at nearly twice the price.

 

The $50,000 plus election campaign with many $1,000 to $6,000 contributions was highly unusual for small town El Segundo. Campaigns used to cost less than $5,000 and a lot of shoe leather. Although the Union bosses and outside special interests out-spent the independent candidates by as much as ten to one, they won only one of three council seats – Eric Busch.

 

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  1. Without allowing the Union members to meet the candidates and vote on endorsements. The Union bosses decided amongst themselves, and then “flowed down” their decisions to the Union members.

 

POLITICAL CORRUPTION?

 

The police and fire Union bosses claimed in many election campaigns that we will get better and faster emergency service if we vote for their “approved” candidates, i.e., worse and slower service otherwise.

 

The fire Union bosses even claimed there was “the possibility of our paramedics not being available when you need them” if Eric Busch, Sandra Jacobs, and Bill Fisher were not elected to City Council in the last city election (2004). They made this claim in their disgraceful “Senior Scare” letter, which they sent to senior citizens throughout

El Segundo on official fire Union letterhead, and signed by all three Union bosses on behalf of El Segundo firefighters and paramedics, without allowing them to vote on it!

A scan of this letter can be viewed at PublicSafetyProject.org/elsegundo.

 

The El Segundo Union bosses met with at least some city council candidates for this Tuesday's election, to discuss their pay and benefit increases in the upcoming labor contract negotiations. We value our high quality police and fire services and personnel. However, salaries should be competitive, and based on the law of supply and demand and the true value of high quality personnel in a free economy. The El Segundo firefighter and police salaries are the highest in the region, and probably among the highest in the state and the country. Excessive salaries and benefits means less money for staffing, equipment, and training, reducing personnel and public safety.

 

POSSIBLE INTIMIDATION?

 

The police and fire Union boss endorsements are intimidating some residents and business owners who perceive an implied threat that emergency service may be delayed or absent, or they may be harassed, if they do not support the candidates approved by the Union bosses. These concerns are amplified by California Government Code section 845 which states, “Neither a public entity nor a public employee is liable for failure to ... provide police protection service or ... to provide sufficient police protection service.”

 

Is this the right direction for El Segundo?

 

Of course not! The first step to promote public safety in El Segundo is to elect honest and competent candidates who represent the residents and tax payers, and not the Union bosses and outside special interests. Only independent candidates who are not beholden to Union bosses can maintain quality and efficiency in our police and fire departments, and be fair to residents, tax payers, and city employees in all departments.

 

PLEASE NOTE:  The Union bosses do periodic fundraising to replenish their political campaign accounts. These are not charitable contributions. Get written evidence of tax deductibility before donating to any charity.

 

Authored and Paid for by Michael Robbins, El Segundo Public Safety Project, P.O. Box 2193,

El Segundo, CA 90245. Not authorized or endorsed by any candidate or committee. Rev. 04/02/08