Comments on: Sebastopol to cut general fund spending 2.3 percent

By: Phil Maher

Phil Maher — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:43:28 +0000

Thanks LbR-

That makes much more sense, and is what I was looking for. Still too much voodoo in the numbers that are being presented in too many budgets, but at least this one doesn’t reward people for not working, as do so many others.

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By: Lets be Reasonable

Lets be Reasonable — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:48:30 +0000

@Phil – Isn’t math fun! From what I got from the story, they are currently working a 9/80 schedule – M-F 9 hrs, Friday 8 hrs, every other Friday off. In two weeks, they work 80 hrs. It would go to M-F 9 hrs, all Fridays off. So, they are going from 40 hr week to 36 hr week. This is being done without a cut in take home pay by giving the workers a small raise. The workers are giving back by paying more of their medical and retirement costs. So, workers work less time and get less take home pay. The City lowers overall costs. The workers will either need to work more to cover the lost hours, or there will be less service to the public. This is really much like Santa Rosa did, except they just laid people off. Same result, but I bet the worker morale will be higher in Sebastopol.

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By: Phil Maher

Phil Maher — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:39:34 +0000

Did I miss something here? 9 working days per 2 week period, take away one more Friday, comes out to an 11% reduction in time worked. How does cutting 2.3% not equate to an actual increased cost to taxpayers of 7.7%? It appears that Sebastopol’s management needs to do a little work on their math and negotiation skills…reduced costs on paper…just not in reality. This is why failure will be the only actual solution these cities are ever going to understand.

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By: Dan Delgado

Dan Delgado — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:48:16 +0000

Too bad the citizens of Sebastopol were not represented at the table. Same pay for fewer hours means only continued reduction in services with no reduction in expense. And of course there will be no reduction in hourly rates when the hours are eventually bumped back up making this a win-win for the public employee unions and a loose-loose for the citizens of Sebastopol. Even if the extra pension and health costs picked up by the employees covers the cost of the hourly wage increases, you can bet that benefit will be gone as soon as the hours go back up. Looks like another short-term fix to a long-term problem.

Griffin’s comment that “these are fair and forward-thinking agreements” does even further harm. He obviously believes the citizens of Sebastopol are not smart enough to see what’s going on and will accept whatever clap-trap he feeds them. Such pandering only contributes to the further erosion of confidence in our government officials. And while Griffin further pats himself on the back for getting a “balanced” budget, only in his mind does drawing down the reserves equal a balanced budget. What happens next year, Mr. Griffin, when that reserve is gone?

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By: The Hammer

The Hammer — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 04:40:34 +0000

I’ll say it again for the deaf. Same job, less pay. This is the only solution.

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By: Partyfaithful@aol.com

Partyfaithful@aol.com — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 02:32:37 +0000

This general fund reduction in spending will be repeated year after year after year from now on. Everyone knows it. The party is over. Incomes are declining across the state. Housing values have fallen 18% over last year in much of CA and the property tax revenue will fall along with those property values.

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