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Politics & Government

Opinion: In Defense of City Employees

During tough financial times, the City Council needs to guide the city and protect its employees.

At the July 25, 2011 City Council meeting, I was shocked to see many familiar city employees and some of their family members in attendance.

The local labor representative talked about outsourcing city jobs (Editor's note: Jim is referring to language that the city wants to add to city employee contracts that would allow it to cease providing certain services, meaning it would outsource jobs). The only way for these city employees to fight for their jobs is to show up at City Council, pull a yellow slip to speak and explain to this council why this is such a bad idea. 

In my past dealing with the Public Works (Department) and city employees, I have found them to be courteous, very professional and willing to have me come out and explain to them why they were being called out for repairs. Outsourcing these important jobs will break the rapport the residents have with these hard working employees. 

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Our three veteran City Council members (Vreeland, DeJarnatt, Digre) sat on council during one of the biggest economic booms (2004 to 2008) in Post War history. In these days of free flowing capital into the markets, they neglected building a solid revenue producing city. Instead, they catered to a couple of the "Friends Of City Council". This has led the city into a very dark and uncertain financial future. They can only look at Vallejo, CA as a prime example. Vallejo is struggling to exit Chapter 9 Federal Bankruptcy . 

A few people around town critique city employees and state that the salaries they make are grand larceny. 99 percent of the public would not do a police officer's or firefighter's job. A few local blowhards grumble they get paid enough they can take a pay cut. 

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As a third-generation Pacifican, I can state these are the bleakest and darkest hours of Pacifica's History. If the veteran three City Council members want to lead the city into bankruptcy, keep doing what you are doing. I hope for Pacifica residents and city employees our City Council can guide us through these very uncertain financial times. 

James Alex

Point Reyes Way

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