Re “Answering My Critic with Iron Evidence”
George Laase and I have been going back and forth for several days, and I just read his latest.
George, your article was a bit disingenuous. You led the public to believe the City Council members are making 20K-plus in compensation.
In the eyes of the public, compensation equals salary.
This is just not the case.
Every city employee gets health insurance while they work. Are you stating that your City Council is not worthy of protecting the health and welfare of themselves and their families, just like every other city employee?
While the Council is composed of part-timers, their hours are full timers.
I would argue that the small-city Council member is well deserving of the benefits he or she gets.
Take away that stipend and see what you attract for your next election.
I completely disagree.
Serving 8 to 12 years, depending on the city and depending on the salary structure, it is not out of line for them to receive the benefits.
In Culver City, knowing what the Council members do on a daily basis for the city, and knowing the pittance of salary they receive, it is only right that the carrot at the end of the run is a compensation package equal to that of city workers who earn way more and work way less for the dollar, and end up with terrific health and pension benefits that the city can not afford.
Finally, it is not an insider perk.
It is open and transparent, voted on by Councils way back, known to the public forever, and in my opinion, as one who volunteers to the city of L.A. hundreds of hours a month for no compensation, it is due to those who take the constant barrage of media- driven hits like those you write, that I fully endorse their receiving the benefits that were duly voted on and approved.
And as for your comment that you are “investigating” Scott Malsin’s heritage, again you just go too far. Stop the personal attacks and maybe you could focus on real “Waste, Abuse and Corruption” in government.
It is obvious you have a passion about government running correctly, but it should not be personal.
A Closer Look
In your most recent article yesterday, George, you wrote:
I am glad that four of our present Council members have put an end to this practice.
I guess he doesn’t know that O’Leary, Weissman and Cooper all will be eligible for lifetime coverage if they are re-elected and serve a fifth year. Because Armenta works for the state, he is not; his main CalPERS employment defines his benefit package.
If the Councilmen become vested in the plan, they will also qualify to receive up to 60 percent of the cost for their spouses up through Medicare eligibility (20 percent per year for their 6th, 7th and 8th years on the Council).
Who knows? Maybe if this were made public, they’d say they don’t want it. But they didn’t “put an end to this practice.”
The current level of coverage will stop with this Council, though. Future Council members will get only a tiny “lifetime” benefit.
And that's the truth…
Check it out for yourself.
Mr. Handal may be contacted at sgrest@aol.com
