News and Blog – Cassidy for San Leandro

Recently, the Los Angeles Times noted that the cost of public employee retirement packages is “an escalating financial burden that threatens to choke off funding for other government services.”  I have long advocated for pension reform and am the only candidate for San Leandro mayor to do so.

On April 29, 2010, San Leandro City Manager Stephen Hollister stated in the San Leandro Times his support for one of my top solutions to the city fiscal crisis, the need for reform of our city’s pension system.  Specifically, I have called for city employees to start contributing to the cost of their pensions.  ”We are advocating that change,” said Hollister. “I support the idea that employees pick up their share.”

In the article, I stated:

San Leandro can no longer afford to pay 100 percent of the pension costs of city employees.  City employees work hard and deserve our respect.  If they paid their share of  pension costs, they would still receive the same full pensions when they retire.  However, our city would also immediately save almost $3 million a  year.  With these savings, we could restore police officer positions cut last year and not layoff a single firefighter.

Asked if city staff should contribute to their pensions, just last year Mayor Santos told the San Leandro Times:  ”We don’t have any plans to change the way it is handled.”   When new city employee contracts were drafted this year, they included payment of the employee pension contribution.  Both Mayor Santos and council member Starosciak voted to ratify the contracts.

On Monday, April 27, 2010, at a joint meeting of the city council and San Leandro School Board,  I spoke in favor of the city council restoring funding for elementary school crossing guards for next school year.

Last year, numerous voices, including my own, expressed opposition to the elimination of school crossing guards.  When the school year commenced, many parents across San Leandro stepped forward to volunteer but this was not sustainable every morning and afternoon for the school year.   The issue created considerable, negative press coverage for our city, including a report on Channel 5 news.

The mayor initially stated that there was no money for school crossing guards.  At the same time, the city was spending $40,000 to survey the community on support for a new tax measure to fund city services, and later approved a $60,000 public information campaign to generate support for the measure.

Eventually, with enough public pressure, the mayor and city council reversed course, at a savings though to the city and a new cost for our schools to bear.  Previously, the city paid fully for the program. Under the deal worked out last year, the San Leandro and San Lorenzo school districts now pay for one half the cost of the program.

The charge to the city budget for half the school crossing guards program for next school year is about $35,000.

To put that amount in perspective, the mayor and city council have tentatively approved a general fund for fiscal year 2010-11 consisting of $69 million in expenditures.  The crossing guards program, if funded, would represent 0.0005 of the general fund expenditures.

Yes, I appreciate that with the city’s fiscal crisis some reductions are necessary.  Yet, school crossing guards do not have to be on the cut list.  The city budget is ultimately a reflection of the values and priorities of our community.  If the mayor and city council value the safety and well being of our children, they will continue to fund the school crossing guards program.

Out of a $69 million budget, the mayor and city council can surely identify $35,000 in savings to allow the crossing guards program to continue.  For example, the city continues to pay top managers a $750 cash payment each year for health club memberships, gym equipment for the home and other perks.  The cost of this program is more than $35,000.  The city manager also has a contingency reserve fund.  Monies from this fund could be used to save the crossing guards program.

In the end, if enough of us step forward and speak out, the mayor and city council will reverse course. Please speak out for the children of San Leandro.

Here are the email addresses of the mayor and city council:
tsantos@ci.san-leandro.ca.us; ureed@ci.san-leandro.ca.us; dsouza@ci.san-leandro.ca.us; jstarosciak@ci.san-leandro.ca.us; bstephens@ci.san-leandro.ca.us; mgregory@ci.san-leandro.ca.us; jprola@ci.san-leandro.ca.us

Please also consider attending and speaking at a city council meeting.  Showing up in person is the most effective way of influencing the decision-making of the city council.

At the April 19, 2010,  city council meeting, I spoke in favor of the use of Ranked Choice Voting (also known as instant runoff voting) for the November 2010 city elections.

San Leandro had already agreed to pay Alameda County for the cost of RCV in November regardless of whether or not it used RCV. The failure to use RCV combined with the likelihood of a separate runoff election in February 2011 if no candidate received 50% or more support would have cost the city as much as $340,000.  Accordingly, I said to the council members, whether or not they supported RCV when it originally came to the city council, it now would be fiscally irresponsible to vote against implementing RCV.  I also mentioned the merits of RCV aside from the financial impact of not using it.

The city council voted 5 to 2 in favor of using RCV.  Council member Bill Stephens agreed with my reasoning and changed his vote from his earlier opposition to RCV.  Council members Starosciak and Souza dissented.  If their views had prevailed, San Leandro would have unnecessarily spent more than 15% of the proceeds this fiscal year from the city’s planned sales tax hike - before the measure was even placed on the November ballot.

I serve as a delegate to the annual California Democratic Party Convention, representing the 18th Assembly District.  Here are some photos from the convention in Los Angeles.  You can see more here.

With State Senator Ellen Corbett.

With former State Senator and Party Chairperson John Burton.

Banner in support of San Leandro Hospital.

With San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

The San Leandro Times today covered the positions of the mayoral candidates on the city fiscal crisis.  The “tax proposal would send sales tax to the 10-percent mark, highest in Northern California” was the subheadline of the article.

Stephen is the only candidate for mayor opposed to a sales tax hike.  Mayor Santos and council member Starosciak have voiced their support of the proposal.  Stephen stated that adding a 1/4 increase to the current 9.75% sales tax – resulting in a 10% sales tax, the highest in Northern California – would be disastrous for San Leandro.  ”We are not a resort town that people will visit and shop in no matter what.   [The tax increase] would be a significant disincentive for people to shop or do business in San Leandro,” Stephen commented.

“The city has run a deficit every single year Tony’s been mayor.  Tony Santos, Joyce Starosciak and the rest of the council — they’ve put the city on the path to bankruptcy.”  That’s what Stephen also said today in a Daily Review story on the city financial crisis.  The article further noted: “Cassidy, who is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, said he would balance the budget by seeking concessions on pay and pensions from city employees, including police and fire.”

Here is part of Stephen’s plan to restore San Leandro to fiscal health:

“City employees work hard and deserve our respect. Our fighters and police officers put their lives on the line every day they report to work. To resolve the budget crisis, however, city employees will have to do their part, starting at the top.

As mayor, I will not take a salary until the city budget deficit is eliminated. The city council should also take a pay cut. Free health club memberships and other perks for managers need to be eliminated.  Next, I will start asking questions the mayor and city council have long ignored. For example, this year the city is paying over $10 million to CalPERS, the employee pension plan. Of that amount, $2.8 million is for contributions owed by employees. The city payments to CalPERS will escalate in the coming years due to losses CalPERS suffered in the stock market last year.

Offering pensions helps attract and retain quality workers. Our city employees deserve good pensions. But in this economy and with millions in deficit spending by the city projected over the next six years, we can no longer afford to provide all that was offered in past.   To avoid a fiscal meltdown, city employees should start contributing to the cost of their pensions. This would substantially reduce the budget deficit.”

The latest campaign newsletter has now been published.

Stephen listens to physicians, nurses, lab workers and members of the community at a recent vigil held at San Leandro Hospital.

The first Wednesday of every month is Eat Out for Education, a program sponsored by the San Leandro Education Foundation.  Ten percent of your bill is donated to the foundation for the support of our public schools.  On April 7, 2010, my family enjoyed dinner at Sergio’s Pizzeria, one of the participating restaurants.

On April 15, 2010, the San Leandro Scholarship Foundation will be hosting its annual “Dollars for Scholars” dinner.  The SLSF is a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to graduating senior from San Leandro and Arroyo High Schools.  I serve on the foundation’s board of directors.  Please send an email message to slsf@douglas.com for further information on the dinner.

I congratulate the San Leandro school board, administrators and the San Leandro Teachers Association for reaching an amicable resolution of the teachers’ contract. The SLTA agreed to three furlough days and other contract modifications.  This is in addition to the teachers’ salaries having been frozen for the past two years.

As a result of this cooperation, and the sacrifices from all levels, our students will continue to be taught by art, music, and PE teachers and Kindergarten through 3rd Grade classes will have a 28-to-1 student teacher ratio, rather than higher numbers that had seemed inevitable just last month.

Sacramento has cut billions from education since 2008. One quarter of East Bay school districts are on the state’s watch list for insolvency and potential takeover. Fortunately, the San Leandro school district is not on this list. Sound fiscal management, necessary reductions, and, most of all, a willingness by all parties to contribute to the greater good of our students have enabled our school district to produce a balanced budget each year.

So I say thank you again to our teachers, support staff, administrators, and school board for their dedication to the education and welfare of our children and community.