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12/30/10 SF Examiner - Editorial: unions must share
pain of budget cutbacks. Letter to Editor.
Dear Editor:
Speaking the truth about public
unions is not the same thing as union bashing. One day
after Michael Bernardo characterized your editorializing
about unions as "misinformed ranting", you presented the
perfect example in Michigan of reflexive opposition of
unions to helping improve their state economy. San
Francisco must be leading Michigan by example. Union
officials here full well understand the logical
necessity of public employees reducing their benefits
(which should include salaries, too). They know that the
private sector can often do the job cheaper and better
than government, and that rather than raise taxes or cut
back needed programs, it saves money to ensure that
government workers, well, actually "work" and are held
accountable for results. But union officials always end
up opposed to any sacrifice and doing more with less, or
remain mysteriously 'unreachable' or silent when asked
to comment. Recently Gary Delagnes, police union
President, said he understood that the privately-paid
Patrol Special Police provide a useful additional set of
eyes and ears to help the SFPD on the streets, but
doesn't want them acting like police, apparently because
he feels threatened that they might do the job better at
lower cost to taxpayers? He invented a reason to oppose
the Police Chief's trial program using lower-paid
unsworn civilian investigators by arguing that evidence
collected by civilians might not stand up in court. In
February, once the SFPD gave up 2% of their anticipated
4% salary increase and sacrificed a few of their paid
days off, the union vice president said that officers
had done enough and had been assured that the contract
would not be renegotiated. When will the union become
part of the solution, shoulder the burden equally with
those of us in the private sector, and come up with
something creative that benefits all, rather than just
protect the lining of their own pockets?
Ann Grogan, J.D.
Management Consultant
2912 Diamond St., Ste. 239
San Francisco, CA 94131
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