The Irvine Republican Council majority did two things last night — they repealed the city’s Living Wage ordinance and they eliminated the city’s already cheaper than cheap Business Tax license fee of $51 per business. The Voice of OC does a nice job of summarizing the meeting here.
It was a big night for Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Lalloway but perhaps not in the way he intended. Lalloway’s (and Shea’s) defense of the council’s move to effectively save a few dollars flies in the face of movements to raise minimum wage standards; Irvine’s living wage standard set right years ago placed the city in a leadership position that helped the working poor who were employed by city contractors pay their bills and pump money into the economy. There was no taxpayer demand for this move other than pure partisan politics.
Lalloway also finally got his wish and repealed Irvine’s $51 Business License Fee. The fee isn’t a problem for any business in town — what is a problem is the high cost of office space that increases in double digits every year. Want to know why some of your favorite restaurants in town closed? High rents, not a lack of business.
Still, Lalloway touted his efforts saving Irvine taxpayers “a million dollars” on his Facebook page. Two things wrong with this; not every business owner lives in Irvine so the tax savings went to an unknown percentage of people who don’t live here, and with a population of 250,000, Irvine residents “save” $4 a person which can’t buy you a Happy Meal in Irvine. But as Voice of OC points out, its not a savings at all.
From the Voice of OC story: “Lalloway wanted to also dismantle the data collection efforts that are part of the business license program, but his colleagues said the information was useful. Because the program is still in tact but the tax is eliminated, there is a nearly $605,000 hit to the city budget, according to a staff report.”
So Lalloway’s move is costing you money; what program will be cut to make up a program that doesn’t hurt business just to say “I cut taxes”? Let’s see Lalloway and his buddies repeal the bed tax in Irvine that primarily funded the right wing Chamber of Commerce. Safe money is that will never happen. (And Jeff, you can delete my comment on your Facebook page all you want; more people will see this post than yours).
Councilman Jeffrey Lalloway reiterated his position that the “living wage” ordinance is a misnomer because $10.83 per-hour isn’t enough money for someone to make a decent living in a city that is mostly an upper middle-class, suburban enclave.
Lalloway referred to last week’s meeting, when he challenged City Manager Sean Joyce to explain some “economic basis or fact” that shows why wages should be at their current levels. Joyce said the wages simply mirrored the lowest pay for city employees.
“We should be encouraging as Ronald Reagan said, allowing a rising tide to lift all boats,” Lalloway said. “Instead of trying to impose a wage, a feel-good wage, we should all be seeking ways to have our economy grow.”
I love when Republicans invoke Ronald Reagan’s economic policies as a justification for voting on economic policy. There’s this myth that President Reagan’s created a fantastic economic boom that helped all Americans. That’s baloney. Reagan disproportionately taxed the poor and middle class, and the economic growth of the 1980s which transformed America into the world’s largest debtor nation from the world’s largest creditor nation did little to help the poor and the middle class. Refer to the Clinton administration for the president who did that.
The notion that the Earned Income Tax Credit is the best way to help the working poor isn’t something a city council has the power to do. Teenagers making minimum wage in Irvine still live at home, drive nice cars and the money they earn doesn’t have to pay for rent or groceries or utility bills or child care. Half of all minimum wage workers are women. A considerable percentage are married and have kids.
I’m now actually rooting for Lynn Schott to run for Congress in Loretta Sanchez’s district. I’d like to see her explain why she voted to tell Latino voters that “if we could pay you less than minimum wage, we would.”
At the next council meeting, I hope our friends in the Irvine Democratic Club present the four Republican council members with a copy of the book, “Nickled and Dimed” — the Republican council won’t read it, but the book is an excellent case study in what its like to work hard and not make ends meet.
We finally got a number on what the city pays Aleshire & Wynder: it’s $250 an hour for partners, and $120 an hour for a paralegal/law clerk (and you know those paralegals and law clerks don’t bring home that kind of money). All on a sole source contract, that this council so hated when Democrats were in charge.
One man’s moving backwards (Yours) is another man’s moving forward (Mine) . Face it Dan, the good old days of your BFF Larry Agran are H2O under the bridge and his socialist and government intrusion practices are going with him.
The two actions last night on the Business License and the Living Wage, are steps in the right direction. Actually, Jeff Lalloway was right, the entire Business License should have been eliminated instead of only part of it. Bottom line is when was the last time you saw an elected official return part of an unneeded tax back to the people who paid it. It is unheard of and hopefully a sign of things to come in the future.
Irvine City government still has a lot of Agranista bureaucracy and intrusion to cut and with a little luck the Council will take on the challenge? Smaller, cheaper and less intrusive government is the thing of today and liberal government is all things to all people is a thing of the past, well at least in Irvine.
Wow, just wow. LtPar, your rant would be incredibly funny were it not so pathetic.
Given that you enjoyed a compensation package as a public servant that was determined by anything but “free market” capitalism.
Public safety such as yourself are heavily unionized and even those who promote beyond the member level have their wages driven by the collective bargaining agreements negotiated by the lower level rank and file.
The fact that you deride liberals so much in light of the current climate and attitude towards public servants by conservatives (while embracing them) is almost enough to make one do a Regan MacNeil impersonation.
Don’t think for a moment those conservatives you embrace would gut you (and your retirement) like a tuna given the opportunity.
“Thank God LtPar is out there making a very nice wage that includes a generous pension,” said no Irvine resident ever while they were writing those checks to the County Treasurer-Tax Collector.
I don’t begrudge you the salary you were paid or the retirement you earned. I have a problem with someone who derides someone else as a socialist while (and after) they enjoyed the fruits of what is by definition a socialist institution.
Ok Mr. Hackett, in case you hadn’t noticed salaries of public employees, including Cops are also driven by the marketplace. We go to salary negotiations just like any other group of employees and seek the best wages for our people which can be attained. Those results are driven by comparisons of positions in other jurisdictions, available resources and what elected officials representing the citizens are willing to pay for the service they receive. This is the Public Sector marketplace and it is very competitive.
In Irvine, we have always provided first class service (America’s Safest City/Community Oriented Policing) and the citizens willingly recognize and pay for that service. Safety for the family is one of the reasons many people move to Irvine. No, I do not believe the conservative majority on the City Council would gut our salary and benefits. That said, while no longer representing the men and women of the Police Department, I sense the Council today does not fully appreciate and reward the Officers for the quality job they are doing. That needs to change.
While you may see local government as a socialist venture, Police Officers see it as an opportunity to protect and serve the people of their community. None of us enter the profession to get rich. At the same time, had I applied the same level of dedication and effort to a career in the private sector, I would be a multi-millionaire.
In the end, I can surmise you are not a resident of Irvine or you would have already known the things I just entioned to you. Now you know.
I am sure the salaries of public employees are driven by a marketplace of similar types of individuals in other jurisdictions. Those groups are also driven by collective bargaining type of negotiations with their agencies. That is not the “free” market conservatives claim to embrace. For one thing the end user only has one choice for a provider. In free market economics the end user has a minimum of 10 choices. That is certainly not the case in how your compensation was delivered. The public sector marketplace is in no way considered the free market. The public sector marketplace is indeed competitive amongst its own self selecting group. Especially given the revenue stream to pay them is derived from the taxation of a group that doesn’t get a choice of whether or not to pay it. In summation, your socialist group derives its competition amongst its peers in other socialist groups.
You believe the current city council would not gut the salary or benefits. How have police officers faired in their salary negotiations since 2008? A quick Google search shows compensation has either been frozen or there are concessions being demanded.
I am sure police officers see their profession as an opportunity to protect and serve. That doesn’t change the fact that by definition the public sector is a socialist institution. The revenue is derived from the taxation of others for use in the community as a whole. The payee has no choice in paying those taxes without being penalized. That applies to all agencies, not just yours.
You claim that had you applied the same level of dedication that you would be a multi-millionaire. What do you base that premise upon? Do you believe there all private sector employees that are as dedicated as you are millionaires? Quite a statement that lacks any provable substance. By virtue of your pension payout amount listed on Transparent CA you retired from the city of Irvine as a multi-millionaire. Given that your benefit amount is in the six digit range (annually), one would need millions in a portfolio to pay that type of annual benefit. A benefit that pays you beyond your contributions if you live past actuarial estimates. You may have contributed to your pension. But that contribution was also paid with the dollars derived from the taxation of others for the benefit of yourself. I sincerely doubt you contributed millions during the course of your career to fund that benefit. You may know this type of activity by another name…….SOCIALISM!!
I am a resident of a neighboring city. That is not relevant to the points I made earlier that you are the beneficiary of a socialist institution. Your disconnect is remarkable. Given the rhetoric I read every day coming from conservatives and their outlets complaining about the cost of public employees and their pension plans are being blamed for just about every ill plaguing local government. Irrespective of whether or not that is true.
Dan, you “Love when Republicans use Ronald Reagan’s policies as a justification…” Unfortunately you and the other Agranistas use Karl Marx’ policies as a justification. You are convicted by your own inane words. Larry, Beth, and Sukhee Kang blew $250,000,000 of pubic funds for an orange balloon, a Larry-Go-Round, and a big stack of plans. On top of this, they blew another $121,000,000 for empty iShuttles to drive all day, increasing traffic and pollution and carrying virtually nobody. So naturally you Agranistas get incensed over the “wasted” $1,500,000, on legal fees when your hero … is a LAWYER!
I don’t know how you people sleep at night after all you have done (and do) to ruin the future of our younger generations, with your reckless spending done by the reckless socialists you elect to office, from wannabe president Agran to the absolute worst president in history, Obama.
Today, Reagan would be DOA before the primaries. Signed (as governor) strong gun control law, legalized abortion, divorced, expanded government, former union member, took a public stand against discrimination against homosexuals, and used tax hikes to balance the budget. The only way he would get elected president today is if he were a democrat.
You lambast liberals for their socialist policies and the impact on future generations. You show a disconnect from reality on who has done the most damage to our nation’s fiscal health.
How do you sleep at night knowing that a conservative icon and his successor tripled the national debt? The democratic president that followed them greatly reduced that deficit with plans to continue getting America on its way to solvency. Then the GOP president that succeeded him doubled the national debt again and handed off an economic situation that was the worst since the Great Depression.
Republicans are terrible. They spend too much. They try to appeal to Democrat constituents who always accuse the Republican Party of being “greedy” and “mean-spirited” and “the party of the rich.” It is a fool’s errand, because Republicans can never ever spend and waste nearly as much as Democrats do.
Democrats were responsible for the financial meltdown. Here they brush it aside, in their own words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnSp4qEXNM
Democrats are racists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZtnICN1ePc
Democrats joined President Bush in saying Iraq had WMDs and Hussein had to go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwqh4wQPoQk
And despite all these facts, Democrats continue to lie to the public, again and again. It’s working, thanks to the deplorable state of American public education, commandeered by liberals of course, who brainwash their young charges.
“I will cut the federal deficit in half by the end of my first term.” – Barack Buffoon Obama, the communist, and pathological liar
Regardless of their motivations, republicans have done more than their share to burden future generations with onerous debt. That much is historical FACT.
The accusations of Democrats you cite are not relevant to that singular point. Nor does it contradict the reality that the conservative icon Ronald Reagan wouldn’t get passed a primary in today’s GOP.
Your claims about Democrats being racist are not relevant to the earlier point regarding fiscal policy.
Your claims about Democrats supporting the war against Hussein are not relevant to the original point regarding fiscal policy.
Your citations about your president or his psyche are not relevant to the earlier point regarding fiscal policy.
Your beliefs that democrats lie is not relevant to the earlier point regarding fiscal policy.
I’ve never had a discussion with a mosquito on crack. But reading your response is what it must be like. You can’t seem to stay on topic for more than two sentences.
John, I see your partisan videos and raise you mine; don’t play poker with me. I will clean your clock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmNiRKuee1A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCmVCiuNH0c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLH9cznMCSM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P74oHhU5MDk
“There was no taxpayer demand for this move other than pure partisan politics.”
That exact statement would apply to the original minimum wage ordinance. Ironic huh …
RHackett, you called another conservative a “moron.” You call me “a mosquito on crack.” What persuasive arguments you bring to every table. I’m sure all your liberal pals will agree with such persuasive arguments, and then wink and giggle right along with you. However there are several considerations at issue.
1. The socialist ideology of you and Dan and all your fellow comrades has been tried for many decades, all over the world. It has failed, and failed miserably.
To the extent that socialism has succeeded, why don’t you liberals move there immediately> Cuba isn’t far, and it is the only nation in the world designated as “sustainable.”
2. Liberals lie, about money, about race, about George Bush, about everything. I pointed out some of your more egregious and ongoing lies, and you don’t like it. They have bearing on what you say about “liveable wages.” Why don’t you get your liberal leaders to outlaw volunteering for free? Surely volunteering is a dying wage.
Dan, I tried to open your first link. One hour thirty-eight minutes. Brevity is the soul of wit, and like Beth Krom, like Larry Agran, you liberals are NEVER brief.
Proclaim your shrewdness all you wish, Dan. You’re a liberal. That is your ultimate designation. I listened to you liberals on Air America for a long time, until it failed. Here are a few of the books I have read recently which lay bare your bankrupt politics. You really need to read them, even with your closed mind.
100 People Who Are Screwing Up America
All the Trouble in the World
Answering the New Atheism
Arrogance
Bias: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth
Burden of Bad Ideas: How Modern Intellectuals Misshape Our Society
Conscience and Its Enemies: Confronting the Dogmas of Liberal Secularism
/
/
/
The Death of Right and Wrong
Exposing the Left’s Assault on our Culture and Values
It’s by Tammy Bruce, former president of the LA branch of National Organization of Women. She was sexually molested as a minor by a Hollywood soap opera actress, and deeply resents the left now, in the wisdom and fullness of her years. You leftists all defend homosexuals with militancy and anger and condescension. Homosexual is evil, and it hurt millions worldwide.
John, I referred to another conservative as a moron because a cursory review of his blog shows that he is a libertarian. That means one of two things. That he has a child-like view of the world or that he is a moron. I reach that conclusion based upon the fact that there are about 200 sovereign nations recognized by the U.N. Can you name one that embraces libertarianism as its governing philosophy? If so, are the people who live in that country better or worse off than we are in the U.S.? Reinforcing this position is that Allan Bartlett is not a child. I discovered that via a Google search. Being a moron is the only other logical conclusion.
I didn’t call you a “mosquito on crack.” I said you must be what discussing a topic with a mosquito on crack would be like. I drew that conclusion from your response to me regarding the fiscal policy of Ronald Reagan in particular and republicans in general. After you initial sentences criticizing republicans as “terrible” you launched into criticizing liberals; for being responsible for the financial meltdown (they aren’t solely responsible), for being racists, for supporting the war in Iraq, and that Democrats lie to the public again and again.
Given your own writing you are either not capable or willing to stay on the topic of the damage conservatives have done to the fiscal health of future generations. That means you either not able to debate that singular point or you are desperate to change the topic. Those are junior varsity debate tactics when the principal (that would be you) knows they are in a poor debate decision and facts don’t support them.
You state that I should move to Cuba. Yet another deflection tactic. Where have I advocated socialism? Especially Cuban socialism? This point is also not relevant to the discussion. If you can show where I have stated the U.S. should be more like Cuba feel free to point it out. I will readily admit that I am wrong. My only reference to socialism was to point out the hypocrisy of LtPar’s criticism about what he considers socialist policies when he was the recipient of a comfortable living via what is a socialist institution in the way it is funded, organized, and managed.
The topic is not about what liberals do. The topical points I have been making is that so called fiscal conservatives have done the most damage to the nation’s fiscal health when they have controlled the White House. Compounding that damage when they controlled the White House and both houses of congress. Those are facts.
As far as my liberal pals and their reactions. I have no idea. I’ll have to take your word for it.
Reading, it’s FUNdamental.
Homosexuality is evil? My gay friends would disagree as they are trying to live life as you and I do with their soulmate at their side.
Would you like a liberal reading list John? Happy to oblige. Oh, and check out that socialism in places like Sweden and Norway where high taxes and high public services mean happy people.
And Rush Limbaugh’s show is being pulled from many markets throughout America; does this mean conservative talk is failing?
I’ll just bet you have a bunch of “gay” friends, Dan. “Gay’ is a one-word oxymoron. They’re not at all “gay.” They’re angry and violent. I am currently listening to Mark Levin, a brilliant conservative radio talk show host. Another is Dennis Prager. Larry Elder. And on and on. Meanwhile your Air America went bankrupt years ago. I listened to the mall the time. They ranted, and raved, and lied JUST LIKE YOU! No facts, just spin. You couldn’t clean your own wristwatch, Mister Big Mouth.
Now on to Hack, who said this:
“I didn’t call you a “mosquito on crack.” I said you must be what discussing a topic with a mosquito on crack would be like.”
Mere semantics. There is no difference between your insult and your excuse.
Hack AGAIN: “Given your own writing you are either not capable or willing to stay on the topic of the damage conservatives have done to the fiscal health of future generations. That means you either not able to debate that singular point or you are desperate to change the topic. Those are junior varsity debate tactics when the principal (that would be you) knows they are in a poor debate decision and facts don’t support them.
————————–
1. I pointed out the PROFOUND HYPOCRISY of you liberals sniveling about $1,500,000 in legal fees while you dance around $250,000,000 squandered by Larry and Comrades on the Great Fraud. You dance around $121,000,000 for the iShuttle White Elephant. I created a website for your idiocy of pretend compassion for the poor. You kowtow to unions, which were of course created to exclude blacks from jobs. They have been declining in numbers for decades so naturally you continue to support them for campaign contributions and votes.
2. Liberal LIES are pervasive. They affect every discussion, every time any liberal opens his mouth. I cited very good evidence of liberal lies, liberal racism, and liberal squandering of public moneys. It does no good to expose you or Beth Krom or Larry Agran. You relentlessly lie, spin, and call people “morons” while you pretend to be so very intellectual and rational.
3. On the subject of “debate,” intellect is not in and of itself a virtue, for it can be used for evil purposes, and often is. The Unabomer is a liberal like you. Moreover, even if you WERE the intellectual you pretend to be (and you clearly are not), that does not make you right. You don’t even understand the Fallacy of the Argument from Authority.
So don’t you lecture me. Liberalism is evil. It has been for forty years, and continues to spiral downhill, taking America with it. Your pretend president is a perfect example of disastrous liberal politics.
Mere semantics. There is no difference between your insult and your excuse.
They may be mere semantics. You don’t deny the accuracy of the statement. How could you? It’s true.
————————–
1. I pointed out the PROFOUND HYPOCRISY of you liberals sniveling about $1,500,000 in legal fees while you dance around $250,000,000 squandered by Larry and Comrades on the Great Fraud. You dance around $121,000,000 for the iShuttle White Elephant. I created a website for your idiocy of pretend compassion for the poor. You kowtow to unions, which were of course created to exclude blacks from jobs. They have been declining in numbers for decades so naturally you continue to support them for campaign contributions and votes.
I have no idea what you are discussing. My point was about the damage done to the nation’s fiscal health when so called fiscal conservatives held the White House. They tripled the national debt before the Clinton Administration and doubled it again after the Clinton Administration. Those are FACTS!! I am completely unaware of the issues surrounding the Great Park since I don’t live in Irvine. I choose to live in a city where I have the freedom to paint my house any color I choose and not be subject to the tyranny of HOA boards.
—————–
2. Liberal LIES are pervasive. They affect every discussion, every time any liberal opens his mouth. I cited very good evidence of liberal lies, liberal racism, and liberal squandering of public moneys. It does no good to expose you or Beth Krom or Larry Agran. You relentlessly lie, spin, and call people “morons” while you pretend to be so very intellectual and rational.
Off topic again. You digress into your mosquito on crack mode. I made my point about a verifiable fact you refuse to address. Your claims about Agran and Krom may indeed be accurate. I don’t know enough about the issue to have an informed opinion. Since I don’t live in Irvine it isn’t something I choose to read about.
—————–
3. On the subject of “debate,” intellect is not in and of itself a virtue, for it can be used for evil purposes, and often is. The Unabomer is a liberal like you. Moreover, even if you WERE the intellectual you pretend to be (and you clearly are not), that does not make you right. You don’t even understand the Fallacy of the Argument from Authority.
So don’t you lecture me. Liberalism is evil. It has been for forty years, and continues to spiral downhill, taking America with it. Your pretend president is a perfect example of disastrous liberal politics.
Once again you go on a senseless and meaningless rant that is not the topic being discussed. Comparing me to the Unabomber is a false equivalency at best moronic at worst. I’ll let you decide.
—————–
Your pretend president is a perfect example of disastrous liberal politics.
Hate to break the news to you. Even though I’m sure you didn’t vote for him. He’s your president as well. Unless of course you live and are a citizen of a foreign country. You display the usual hypocrisy of faux patriotism exemplified by many contemporary conservatives. No surprises that you have a deep seated hatred of your country.