Salaries set off alarm
I noted with interest and some concern the chart published in the Sun titled “Seal Beach posts officials’ salaries” (Thursday, Aug. 25).
The city clearly has a significant number of highly compensated employees, a good number of which happen to be members of the Seal Beach Police Department.
The posted figures that are most alarming are the pension costs and especially those related to police officers where pension costs based on the posted chart run over 40 percent of base salary. These numbers as I understand them reflect what CalPERS believes will be required, based on its projected rate of return, to fund the pensions we have promised to our city employees. If any business promised its employees six figure, cost-of-living adjusted pensions, in the case of police officers often starting at 50 years of age, and were guaranteed regardless of how the stock market or economy performed, its stockholders would be in revolt. Yet this is what our city and many of the cities in California are doing.
Shouldn’t the city exit CalPers and remove the risk to taxpayers by implementing a defined-contribution, 401-k style plan for its employees, one that is fair and reasonable to both employees and to those taxpayers paying the bill?
If you agree, contact your councilperson.
Jack Dampman
Seal Beach
Pet owners, pick up ‘presents’
My mother and I have made a habit of strolling Main Street in Seal Beach every Sunday. However, most of my attention is spent looking at the ground wherever we go. That is because the sidewalks are covered in marks (dried chewing gum, etc.) that make it hard to notice the far more offensive-to-footwear sidewalk adornments.
I’m talking, of course, about the little presents our furry friends, that are so popular to the area, leave on their own excursions. Surely it can’t be too expensive to clean up these sidewalks, then perhaps I won’t have to be so vigilant for the aforementioned presents which they seem so apt to give, though we, the public, are less desiring to receive. On top of that, it would be nice if there was the same attention to cleanliness that occurs on Main Street in Huntington Beach, with their regular cleanings. But first someone needs to scour the streets of the marks (of gum and presents past deployed) that have been on Seal Beach Main Street for as long as we’ve been perambulating. Thank you.
Alfred Winsor Brown V
Huntington Beach
Los Alamitos stealing from Rossmoor
Now is the time to get involved if you are concerned about future quality of life in Rossmoor!
Those attending the Los Alamitos Planning Commission meeting last night (Monday, Aug. 22) heard the board of commissioners discuss the “Fourth Corner” (Rossmoor Village) being brought into city zoning compliance. We were shown a Powerpoint map with three overlapping rectangles representing the church, apartment complex and shopping area between Katella and Hedwig. Land use designations in alphanumeric code were employed to explain how the commercial and residential areas would be used should annexation by the city of Los Alamitos take place. Many residents voiced concern over lack of transparency in approaching Rossmoor residents about how the local community could be impacted.
Rossmoor resident Helene Halperin asked, “How is re-zoning going to effect property values and quality of life?” She further stated that citizens had not been presented with a list of pros and cons to consider and discuss in an open forum. Perhaps fearing (as I do) this could result in higher population density, she asked “What is the point of diminishing property value of Rossmoor? It’s a great neighborhood; why should everything be brought to the lowest common denominator?”
This Planning Commission meeting was not recorded on camera for future viewing. Although we were assured by Commission Chairman Daniel that Los Alamitos City Council “would hear the public input on audio recording,” this did not impart a sense of democratic decision making. Several in attendance noted that other residents of Rossmoor and Los Alamitos would not have an opportunity to view the informative exchange on cable.
Shawn Wilson admonished the commission to postpone the decision. He reminded us that instead of lower costs of utilities and services promised by annexation, “Los Alamitos’ utility taxes are 6 percent higher than the county charges Rossmoor.”
Dorothy Fitzgerald reiterated the history of Los Alamitos City Council’s attempts on Rossmoor’s boundaries. She stated that in 2009, the council discussed seeking $200,000 dollars annually to plug their deficit. (Over $350,000 is generated in annual sales tax revenue by Rossmoor Village making it a worthwhile acquisition.) Mayor Troy Edgar had spoken of “leveraging costs across jurisdictions,” (what some Rossmoor citizens openly called stealing). Fitzgerald asked the commission, “Is Los Alamitos looking to Rossmoor as its cash cow?”
Diane Rush
Rossmoor
Stop our state education plummet
California’s public higher education system, once regarded as the best in the nation, may soon lose that highly respected reputation. Turn on the TV, radio or read the print media and you will be sadly reminded that:
Salaries of university administrators are increasing; tuition/fees are skyrocketing; budget operating funds are being drastically reduced; fewer students can afford to go to the university/colleges; fewer classes/courses are being available; fewer library resources are available, etc; summer sessions are disappearing; & fewer educated/trained personnel are entering the private marketplace.
During the 10 proud/successful years I had the privilege of serving as the director of external affairs (lobbyist) for the California State University, I always reminded the members of the California Legislature of the findings continuously made by the Insurance Industry that the cost of public higher education is an investment that will always return significant economic benefits to the communities and the state.
These studies repeatedly found that the legislature needs to look beyond the costs as the analysis will show that having a bachelor of arts degree or better will result in higher lifetime earnings than the lifetime earnings of a high school graduate. The data clearly validates that a college degree will result in better jobs, produce greater purchasing power, increased revenue/taxes, etc to clearly benefit the local communities and the state of California.
I am confident the economics professors currently teaching in the university would be happy to update the foregoing and make the current findings available to the public statewide and the legislature. The legislature will adjourn the 2011 Session on Sept. 9 and with the revenues to the state falling short of the estimate used in the approved budget, the public higher education system may suffer further severe cuts in their operating budgets.
Those of us adults/readers whose quality of life benefitted from attending the Public University System owe it to their grandchildren and great grandchildren to fight to restore the greatness of what once was recognized/rated at the top of the list of public institutions of higher learning in the entire nation.
Les H. Cohen
Legislative Advocate Emeritus
Seal Beach
‘We duly elected “them”’
Duane Pickerell recently wrote an article “Power Still Intoxicates … ” berating “them” (the bad guys, the untouchables, the beast, etc.) to which I assume are the duly elected members of the various Mutuals and Golden Rain Foundation Board of Directors.
Last time I checked, we, the Leisure World shareholders elected them. And now that Mr. Pickerell has been elected as member of a mutual board, I have to assume he is one of “them” as well. But apparently being elected to the board is not enough for Mr. Pickerell.
Looks like we’re going to get another mailer from him with a “Pledge” that: “demands upholding the letter and spirit of the Davis-Stirling Act.” Interestingly, there was letter to the editor just below Mr. Pickerell’s column “Get the Facts” by Mr. Cohen where he discussed how the various directors do in fact comply with the D-S Act by “enforcing all the covenants, restrictions and procedures for the benefit of the shareholders, including the right to challenge decisions of the Board of Directors.”
Mr. Pickerell, at this present time, just when, where or how are the “bad guys” not complying with the “spirit” of the D-S Act?
You/we elected the board members to represent us.
For any proposed policy change there is a thirty day posting with opportunity for shareholder comment, but ultimately our representatives must make an informed vote for the benefit of all – not just a few vocal shareholders.
To suggest that shareholders vote on all the various decisions the board makes is inefficient—why have a board? Let the directors do the job they were elected to do.
There will always be new “issues” to debate, but for goodness sake, let our LW democratic process work.
Andrea Thresh
Seal Beach
