I have been reading about all of the public employee associations in Culver City and around the state endorsing political candidates for upcoming elections.
Several Culver City employee associations have made endorsements for City Council candidates in the past few weeks. All of these endorsements sounded the same; the employee association has decided to endorse this candidate because he/she supports public safety and a clean community.
It has been my experience in 35 years of public service that every candidate who has ever run for City Council has been very supportive of public safety and a clean community.
How does an employee association determine which candidate is more supportive of public safety/clean community ideals, to deserve the endorsement over another.
The answer is, they can’t.
I learned this lesson in the late1970s as a young police officer. I was the Culver City Police Officers Assn. Treasurer, and I attended a statewide Police Officer Assn. meeting in Sacramento.
The purpose was to endorse statewide candidates for the 1978 elections.
I was raised in a home where both of my parents voted for Sen. Barry Goldwater for President.
So you can imagine my surprise when the California Police Officers Assn. voted to endorse Jerry Brown for Governor.
I asked a senior member of the state association board, why would a police association endorse someone who was not a big supporter of public safety.
His answer I will never forget:
“You can get any elected official in the state to support public safety and crime prevention measures, but as a public employee association, you want to endorse the candidate who will give you the biggest pay raise and the best benefits.”
I never have been a supporter of public employees associations endorsing candidates for public office because the endorsement does not carry the real reason why that candidate is being endorsed.
Greg Smith, a retired Culver City police officer, may be contacted at scsinvest@sbcglobal.net
