1  1

These choices exclude being positions of any trust.

Sure, the pension system looks bad. I never thought anyone should get more in retirement than when working. When presented with a choice to quit and take your money or retire and receive a monthly payment, what would you choose? Quit and walk away from 30 years with a savings account? Their is no other option. Please, take it to a vote. I know how Sonoma County votes. I see who they have elected over and over and over.

0  3

Sounds like it’s harder to become a Deputy than a Supreme Court Justice.

Perhaps the Department has manufactured a mind numbing selection process to create an artificial shortage to justify their obscene pay and bennies.

Certainly when it comes retirement time these carefully selected Public Safety members lose all their ethics and dive into the public trough like pelicans in order to spike their pensions to the detriment of the taxpayer.

Yeah, they’re so special and “better” than your average bear.

2  2

2  2

You should really try to get your news somewhere beside the Press Democrat. :)

4  0

Share with us on this board, John, why council members sometimes spend more on their electioneering than they get in return through stipends once elected.

Stated another way, share with us why someone would spend more money than a job pays in return.

I know that to be the case in at least one person’s election.

You seem to know.

4  2

Just imagine that if the BOS (and BOB Deis) really solved the top heavy management issue back in 2008 how much money (pension obligation too) would have been saved if those excess managers were laid off too.

The BOS has again given the responsibility to the managers. Guess what, more layoffs. The BOS can’t be trusted and the only reason they put this “fair” offer out to the PD is because they know the public wants to evicerate public employees. The employees really harmed will be those at the bottom AS ALWAYS. The managers will remain AND NOTHING WILL BE SAVED.

5  10

3  7

The links I posted, provided insight into the pension crisis and what is being done by
other Municipal Governments to remedy the situation. This is the likely outcome if the
current course is followed. It’s not political, its bottom line financial.

My apologies for upsetting you with Fox news links, I however, believe the reporting was
to the point and well done. Did you listen to them?

Please tell me your opinions on remedies for fixing the County pension crisis? Simply
laying off a handful of middle managers does not make $2 Billion plus interest.

Now that the Bond market has been made aware that funding was not used for
infrastructure, but for ever increasing debt, what do you think will happen???

I do not want anyone financially hurt by this crisis. I want to see a win/win situation. This
is best addressed in the now. The wake-up call has come to the taxpayer, that is always
followed by hell to pay. I am concerned that not only will there be local measures limiting
pensions, but also collective bargaining limits and State Propositions that will have far
reaching limits that will change the expected outcome of current municipal employees.

I believe, making a stand on entitlement will fail. The County by all reasonable measures is
bankrupt.

The employees and Unions have the unique opportunity to lead to a sustainable outcome.
This will take some amazing talent to reconcile the figures as well as heroic selflessness by
each individual. This truly is a once in a lifetime leadership opportunity.

I want to see you win and remedy this situation. A win /win for generations to come.

11  2

Why, look at the Mayor of Santa Rosa. A retired cop who has nothing better to do that to come on back!

Or, look to the US Supreme Court where the judges hang in there until they approach 90 years old.

Heck, Jerry Brown qualifies for three public pensions by his own admission… yet at age 72 (going on 73), he can’t resist the government lifestyle.

Swwwweeeeeeet !

Make you wonder why government people utter that falsity… “we could earn more in the private sector!” LOL.

10  4

I’d like to get my roof done. That’s local jobs. But I can’t afford it because of the cuts to my paycheck and the increases in my contribution to health care.
In ending this, THE COUNTY NEEDS TO LAYOFF MANAGERS AND BRING THE RANK AND FILE TO MANAGER RATIO (6:1) TO REASONABLE LEVELS. That alone will save millions in payroll costs AND MILLIONS IN PENSION COSTS POSSIBLY BILLIONS IN FUTURE PENSION COSTS.

7  14

Stop making guesses and vilifying government workers. They work FOR YOU and they do the best with what they have. You aren’t always a great bunch to work for, but they keep trying to please you. In return you want them to work for nothing. They are tax payers too and support this community with their paychecks.

11  13

Here’s their response to the proposals which essentially leave their pension formulas untouched for new hires.

“Clites said public safety employees will oppose the board’s demand that they take a 3 percent cut in total compensation, the equivalent of a 5 percent reduction in salary if benefits and other compensation are untouched.

“We’re going to ask for a pay raise because we don’t think we’re being paid enough compared to other counties,” Clites said.”

15  5

Vote “NO” on the November tax increases.

Why reward greedy local & state government for their destroying the fabric of our society i.e. cutting schools while they fund their public pensions.

14  7

And to the rest of you – County employees pay taxes just like you do. Maybe that’s why they are just as invested in seeing the County reduce unnecessary perks for the select few and eliminate redundant meddle-management – oops sorry I meant to say middle-management. My bad.

My point is the employees are the insiders in the system and see 1st hand how their tax dollars are being spent and they are as pissed off about the mis-management as everyone else out there.

This “Intent” by the Board isn’t worth the paper it’s written on until they actually start taking action to address the structural mismanagement of your tax dollars on golden parachutes for paper-pushers at the top of the food chain.

For 3 years the employees took cuts while top administrators kept $4.2 million in deferred comp, vehicle allowances,and other perks.

What you don’t see in the “Intent” is that, of the % that management and administration is claiming they are giving up, there is a hidden “claw-back” of 2.5% they will get back in the form of non-pensionable contribution to a health reimbursement account.

No other county workers have been offered this deal. Just the Big Fish.

Ask your Board of Supervisors about this “claw-back”. I wonder if they even know about this sweet backroom deal. If they do know and they still think we should all jump up and kiss their rings because they “intend” to reduce their overall compensation then they are really out of touch and have no business saying they ran for office to serve the people of this County.

18  2

You should really try to get your news and opinion elsewhere than FOX.

7  15

“The state has an unfunded liability (UNFUNDED!) of $500+ billion.”

This, of course, is baloney.

4  9

Leading is actually doing not intending.

17  1

19  0

They’ve increased Management and require them to work 80 plus hours in a two week pay period. Most of them do, but some bad apples take advantage and don’t.

They’ve reduced the working class employees, cut their pay and require them to do the jobs of two or more employees in their 40 hour work week. Most I know put in at least 50 hrs a week with no overtime compensation…Oh yeah, that’s because there is no budget for overtime…and they are still overloaded with work that can’t be completed in a timely manner which makes you the taxpaying public complain even more!

Taxpaying Public, here it is. YOU ARE JEALOUS that you don’t have the qualifications to get the County job! So you will complain instead.

10  9