Pension Reform Focus is on Cities
Despite Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s success in negotiating some concessions from state unions on the pension front, heated action in the battle for pension reform is happening in California’s cities.
Yesterday, initiative petition signatures were filed in San Francisco to require thousands of city employees to contribute 9% of their salaries towards their pensions and health care plans. Currently, many (but not all) contribute nothing. The initiative would also boost public safety workers contributions to 10% of salaries. Police and firefighters just saw their contributions increased to 9% by voters in the June election.
Interestingly, the initiative’s proponent is an outspoken liberal public defender. Jeff Adachi is leading the petition drive because his office has been cut 40% in recent years.
Memo to Meg: Your Own Recall
To: Meg Whitman
From: One of those Media Guys You Mostly Ignore
Re: How to Show You’re Serious About What You Say
It must be starting to get to you. The millions and millions spent, and still you trail the Old Guy in the polls. You talk about cutting spending and targeted tax rates and about how determined you are to not let California fail. And the state’s voters yawn as though they’ve heard it all before.
Because they have.
How to show you really mean it when you say you’ll fix the state?
Does Brown Still Have the “Eye of the Tiger?”
Attorney General Jerry Brown is one of those politicians who have been
a fixture on our political mantle for 35-plus years. Soon he may be
both the youngest governor in California history and also the oldest
come November 2nd.
The questions remains, however, is how much gas is
left is the old blue Plymouth Satellite? Brown definitely has the experience and
the name recognition. Does he have, to use a song hugely popular in
his last year as governor, the "Eye of the Tiger"?
Brown faces the monied juggernaut of Meg Whitman, the Republican
nominee who has spent almost $100 million of her own money thus far in
an attempt to secure the brass ring of California politics: the
governorship. He brings experience at running state government, a
record of problem-solving and an ability-to use an idiom popularized by
Brown himself during his presidential runs-to live off the land.
The Revolt Against Project Labor Agreements
The uprising is growing.
Voters
in California have made it clear that fair competition and the
betterment of local communities is more important than guaranteeing
work to unions, regardless of value or quality.
Voters in Oceanside and Chula Vista are the most recent cities to place bans on project labor agreements (PLAs).