SANTA ANA — We had to wait till the very end of last night’s Santa Ana City Council meeting, but Santa Ana City Councilwoman Michele Martinez called it like she saw it when it comes to solving the City budget shortfall. Reminiscent of her early days on the Council in 2007, Martinez challenged management to put their recent pay 3% raise on the same chopping block that the rest of the city family is being asked to do. “Leadership starts at the top,” Martinez said.
Councilman Carlos Bustamante, himself an Executive Manager (on Administrative Leave), objected to Martinez’s proposal in his comments, pointing out that the 3% increase management received in July was to partially replace the 7% that they had previously lost. Well, Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez would have nothing of that pointing out that the 7% was a management bonus, that had been handed out like candy for years and was taken away because it was no longer being used as a bonus program but a de facto gift.
But the highlight was Martinez’s challenge to the Interim City Manager, Police Chief Paul Walters and her colleagues to be fair when it came to the issue of considering departments and services for outsourcing. She had the appropriate and correct suggestion that if the Fire Department was to be considered for outsourcing to the Orange County Fire Authority, that the city should solicit a proposal from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to handle the police services for Santa Ana.
Martinez made clear her fear that the city was on the verge of bankruptcy and that ALL OPTIONS had to be on the table to solve the problem. YOU GO GIRL!
All city employees know Walters has hated Santa Ana FD and tried to crumble them for years. No way he would take orders from The OC Sheriff. His ego is too big to fall under Command of a female and especially the one that beat him out for the job he has tried to get for years.
I can see outsourcing the SA fire dept – but not the SAPD. The PD needs to be closely aligned with the community, more so than the FD – especially in Santa Ana.
Thank You Michelle Martinez, what is good for the goose is goooood for the gander. The police are the big elephant in the room. I don’t think it will happen since Walters is Partial to the PD. Now that Chief of Police (Walters) is commingled with The City Manger (Walters) It best to seperate the two by out sourcing the Police Department.
Step #4 of LaRouche PAC’s “Seven Necessary Steps for Economic Recovery” is
“4. The Only Bailouts Will be Honest Bailouts for the Bankrupt Cities & States”.
Police and Fire Departments, First Responders, Schools, and Hospitals will be fully funded under the LaRouche plan.
The problem for Santa Ana and every other city is that steps #1, #2, and #3 must be accomplished first.
There is no ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for Cities; there’re at the bottom of the food chain. In better economic times Cities would receive funds from the State and County governments.
There’re also broke.
7 Necessary Steps (2 page flyer)
http://www.larouchepac.com/files/sevensteps_0.pdf
Good call by Martinez and Alvarez. Stop the bonus by outsourcing the services to OCSD.
YOU GO GIRL FINALLY A PERSON THAT BRINGS THE OBVIOUS OUT ON THE NEGOTIATION TABLE THE CITY NEEDS MORE FIREFIGHTERS BECAUSE THEY SERVE AS PARAMEDICS THEY R HELP THE SICK AND INJURED THE WAY PAUL WALTERS IS READY TO CHOP THE WHOLE FIRE DEPARTMENT UP AND YET NOT OFFER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ALSO BE OUTSOURCED IS A BIT SELF-SERVING AND IT’S CLEAR WHY HE IS MOTIVATED TO KEEP THE POLICE DEPARTMENT INTACT. I THINK PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO STAND UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF THESE FIREFIGHTERS AND APPRECIATE THIER 24 DAYS THEY R ON DUTY SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. THE QUALITY OF THE PUBLIC FIRST RESPONDER MEDICAL AID SYSTEM IS IN JEOPARDY THAT IS SCARY, MAKE THE TOP TIER OF MONEY HUNGRY ADMINISTRATIVE POLICE AND FIRE GIVE A LITTLE SO THAT THE LOWER GUYS DON’T LOOSE THIER JOBS THIS IS RIDICULOUS EVERYONE NEEDS TO GIVE UP SOMETHING ITS NOT RIGHT TO TAKE %100 OF A COUPLE OF PEOPLES LIVES AND NOT EVEN TAKE 25% OF THE TOP RANKING PEOPLES SALARIES WHEN THEY R THE ONES WHO CAN AFFORD TO GIVE A LITTLE. WHAT WE HAVE HERE ISNA CLASSIC CASE OF GREED AND MISMANAGEMENT OF FUNDS WITHIN THE CITY ADMINISTRATION HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE NOT THE PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS WHO ACTUALLY DO THIER JOBS LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO. GOD FORBID WE HAVE ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK ON US SOIL ALL THESE PEOPLE COMPLAINING THE FIREFIGHTERS MAKE TOO MUCH WOULD SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE.