Taking their lead from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who ducked the issue rather than confront his IBEW union supporters, council members proved themselves once again to be gutless...
From the LA Daily News
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September 22, 2005
A deficit of courage
Taking their lead from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Council and the mayor show they're loyal to city unions, not the public
The most disappointing thing about the Los Angeles City Council's debate over giving Department of Water and Power workers raises was not that they caved in to a public-employee union again. It was that they pretended to grapple with the issue at all.
It was clear from the faux debate that the 10-3 vote to give the highest-paid workers in the city an unusually sweet, and likely precedent-setting, contract even while hiking customer rates had been decided in their minds a long time ago. Even the threat of a strike by the 8,000 members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18 appeared to be part of the show.
Typically, when a union official comes to the council and tells members to vote one way or another, they do, or risk losing their next election to a union-backed rival. This pattern has led to deteriorated neighborhoods, poor public services, rising taxes and fees and the steady disappearance of the middle class. Although the city's revenues increase every year, often sharply, payroll and benefit costs along with shortened work weeks eat up the city's wealth.
It's come to the point in recent years where the 40,000 or so in the municipal work force were the best paid in the country, and yet the city couldn't afford to hire more desperately needed police officers.
Instead, a majority of the council members put forth their lame arguments focusing on the dollars, and not on the sense of it.
Taking their lead from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who ducked the issue rather than confront his IBEW supporters, council members proved themselves once again to be gutless. When it comes to a choice of risking the wrath of the union or serving the public, the council chose to protect itself, its perks and its privileges.
Only the law enforcement cadre of the council - Greig Smith, Dennis Zine and Bernard Parks - dared to stand up to the DWP workers who turned up (hopefully not on city time) to stare down any detractors.
In the end, the controversy wasn't really about giving 3.25 percent to 6 percent raises to 8,000 employees. It wasn't about how a worker at the DWP might be paid as much as 60 percent more than workers holding similar jobs in other city departments. It wasn't even about how the raises were tied to the consumer price index, even though this structure will increase the raises for DWP workers when the city can least afford it.
It was about changing the priorities at City Hall. It was about standing up to the public-employee unions and saying the needs of the entire city must come first. It was about showing some political courage.
Sadly, none of those things happened Tuesday. It was back to the usual displays of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Nothing, at least, to the benefit of the public.
And now the 30,000 or so other city workers have their hands out, waiting for their share of taxpayer pie, so get ready to pay even higher taxes and higher rates. It's feeding time at City Hall.
(note that the Daily News endorsed Villaraigosa for Mayor)
Local 18 Business Manager Brian D’Arcy, LA Mayorial Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa and Local 11 Business Manager Marvin Kropke announcing Labor’s endorsement of the Assemblyman’s candidacy.
