From the Orange County Register yesterday is this story about public employee unions and their city working together to solve budget problems. Funny how when you ask nicely and in a collaborative spirit things work out so much better.
Mayor thanks unions for $1 million in concessions
HUNTINGTON BEACH – City leaders agreed to cut about $4.5 million from city departments and unions in an effort to close a budget gap for this fiscal year.
The cuts approved Monday night included suspending a police department physical fitness program, using police helicopters less, having firefighters forego raises for the next 18 months, and increasing employees’ contribution to retirement funds. No full-time city staff members were laid off.
Mayor Cathy Green thanked the labor groups for their voluntary concessions, which totaled about $1 million for the next six months.
“It almost brings tears to my eyes to tell you how much I really appreciate (the concessions),” she said. “I am certainly grateful for all of you.”
The City Council voted to accept concessions from all of the city’s labor groups except the middle-management union, which expects to bring their cuts before the council March 15. Colleen Keith, president of the Managers Employee Organization, said the group expects to put a cap on paid time off and to increase their retirement contributions.
“I can assure you that the managers group has, by a very large majority, voted to approve concessions that provide our share of the contributions,” Keith said. “MEO is not now nor have we ever been unwilling to help the city out in a time of need. … We know that we are all in this together.”
Read the rest of the story here.
The unions have been taken over by progressives whose goal is power and control. Obama’s appointee to deficit reduction, Andrew Stern, leader of the SEIU states, “workers of the world unite”. Stern wants global control and wants to increase his large union corporation coffers by adding global members and U.S. doctors to its membership. The old Soviet Union was a good example of what Stern’s vision is in regards to exploitatation of the workers on behalf of the elite political class. Unions exploit capitalism and eventually workers by ensuring spreading the wealth is equal, even to non performers. Eventually many of the good workers dumb down to the level of nonperformers in receiving equal work for equal pay, then the political system becomes totalatarian and doesn’t work for the people, much like Venzuela and electricity shortages, Cuba and food shortages, etc. Our country needs to return to its Judeo-Christian principles which allows for all religions to practice their faith. The MSM and PC suppression of religion and faith has morally bankrupted our nation and led to forgetting who we are. Americans want their freedom and with freedom, even corrupt politicians have their say, however that does not mean the majority has to go along with their ideas.
When will Clifornia turn on the water to the San Joaquin Valley?