Re “Why Don’t Union Leaders Give All Facts on City and Schools?”
Thank you so much, Ms. Cole, for your thoughts on my thoughts, which were titled “Paspalis Was Wrong to Correct Mielke” by the editor of The Front Page Online.
I will try to clear up your confusion. First, I agree that the schools should focus on teaching children and the city should focus on serving its citizens.
But since you did not attend the Democratic Club meeting of April 13, I am not sure if your opinions would be quite the same as expressed in your letter if you had.
I would never refer to anyone on a dais as “a babbling fool.” But the invitees were being judged by how they expressed themselves in general as well as how they answered the questions posed.
There is little doubt some expressed themselves more specifically than others. As I’m sure you can agree, when sitting in an audience listening to that kind of exchange, there are certain points of view with which you will personally relate better than others.
It was not my intention to mislead anyone by referring to the amount that either entity pays their employees as the “majority” of their budget.
However, without having the city budget and school budget at my fingertips when I wrote my letter, I was not in position to name specific percentages. I am not even sure if the percentages you have quoted are accurate. I have no way of knowing where you got your information.
Let’s assume you are correct. The devil is in the priorities, and since we, as employees of the School District, can see on a daily basis where money is being spent, the only point we are trying to make is that there are other places to cut back before asking employees to make more sacrifices.
I’m sure you are aware that at the state and federal levels there is pork spending. Believe it or not, this happens in local government and school districts, too.
I am not putting my members in front of the students by providing the community with my point of view.
I am trying to inform and give the community a different perspective to consider.
There has been hyperbole from both sides, even though the union is always being accused of it. I realize there is a lot of anti-union sentiment out there. You hear about it, read about it and see it played across the nation on TV.
Before you demonize the members of either the city or School District unions, I would urge you to consider we aren’t just members of our respective unions; many of us live in this community and have children who attend our schools.
Any decisions made by the City Council or the School Board affect us in the same ways they affect you.
Please think about this: We pay the same increased property taxes you do. As a result of Measure EE, we pay the same additional $96 that you pay. On top of that, we are asked to make additional sacrifices as employees.
You’ve made a $96 contribution. But this year in taking 5 furlough days, I’ve done not only that, but taken a 2.5 percent pay cut on my salary. I am clearly affected more significantly in this example.
With regard to the continued level of services that may or may not be expected, I would respectfully suggest that maybe you do not “get it.”
I am expected to give the same level of service and get the same amount of work done (and more, as layoffs continue), whether I am taking a pay cut or not.
You will still expect your trash cans to be emptied once a week whether or not there are city cutbacks. You will expect the same prompt response times from the police and fire departments, and will expect a prompt pick-up to the phone call you may make to City Hall for information instead of having to wait through 20 rings.
I think everyone expects the same level of service; they just don’t want to pay for it through increased taxation.
Now each of us may have a different perspective on the events that took place at the Democratic Club meeting, and we are entitled to our own opinions. I respect yours.
But, the Teachers Union President did not give incorrect information; he made a statement of fact. That you feel he left out information is something entirely different.
With regard to step-and-column increases, if the School Board wants to suggest freezing step-and-column increases as a cost saving measure, that is something that can be presented to us at the bargaining table.
The unions only are saying that there are other options available to the District to cut costs. Let’s talk about those other options before imposing salary cuts, furlough days or the like.
That doesn’t sound reasonable to you?
This shouldn’t be a “credibility” contest. All of us should be working together during this crisis to find solutions, and not be at each other’s throats.
Members of the community, such as yourself, should never assume that only Board members know what they’re talking about or that Board members are the only group concerned about the students.
Union members, as employees of this District, are also privy to information. Their thoughts on many issues should be sought out, not automatically discounted.
I would like to see School Board members speak to a variety of stakeholders before deciding on important issues.
Cuts that affect our students are important issues.
Have the School Board members ever reached out to the employees who appear on cut lists to ask them what it is they do each day, how it is important to the students they serve, and what the ramifications may be of the elimination of their position?
My members tell me this isn’t happening, but it should be.
You feel that School Board members always have the best interests of the students in mind, but that union presidents only have the best interests of their members in mind.
That statement is neither true nor fair.
I know how detrimental the elimination of my unit member’s positions will be to the students in our District — maybe more so than the Board members. That is why I am constantly trying to fight cuts when there are other areas of saving money that have yet to be thoroughly investigated.
With regard to your comment about automatic raises in this day and age, let me clarify something about your statement about a 15 percent increase by 2013.
Many of my members earn about $15 per hour, on average. That 3 percent increase equals 45 cents an hour. Considering that the majority of my members have worked for the District for many years, they no longer qualify for those automatic increases.
Now compare that to the roughly $1,000 per day we are paying our new superintendent.
Can you see the concern?
That’s what we mean when we say it’s all about priorities.
One more thing: Let me assure you that I am, indeed from planet earth.
But you apparently misread my remarks as they related to my medical benefits. I stated that I recently absorbed a $174 PER MONTH increase in my medical benefit premium, not that I only paid $174 for full medical benefits.
Please note the difference.
I am glad that you felt my first letter “cleared up a lot” for you. I hope my response to your letter will as well. Thank you for weighing in.
Sincerely,
Debbie Hamme
Ms. Hamme, President of the Assn.
of Classified Employees — Culver City, may be contacted at antiquer01@aol.com
