The O.C. Register is reporting that the Santa Ana City Council voted to increase the salaries of their city managers for 2008. The increases total almost $150,000.
City Manager Dave Ream is now making $196,320. You can see a complete list of the salary increases at this link.
It is outrageous that these managers have received raises when the City is failing its residents in so many ways.
To add insult to injury, Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez and her cohorts on the Public Safety Committee are continuing to discuss raising our taxes to hire more cops.
When is the Public Safety Committee going to look at saving money by outsourcing our police department to the O.C. Sheriff’s Department?
My sources are telling me that we could save as much as 25% of what we currently spend on police. That would be a massive savings that could result in new parks, more street repairs and new libraries.
We need to keep the pressure up on our Council members. Don’t let them get away with wasting our tax money on unnecessary raises!
There are two separate issues here. The first is outsourcing police services. Yes, you can save $$ outsourcing, but that savings is all based on reducing the number of officers on duty each day. Not only do you save the salary/benefits, but you also save the operational costs like the number of squad cars used, etc. You need to learn more about where the savings come from before you tout this as a good idea. The last thing Santa Ana needs is less officers on duty each day!
The second issue is Caludia, and her pushing the public safety tax.
She knows that tax will not pass, but the Santa Ana POA wants the Council to put it on the ballot. They are prepared to spend $200,000, or more, and believe they can get it passed. She is making the case to other Council members that putting it on the ballot is ok, because the POA just might get it passed..and if it fails, so what? At least they tried.
In exchange for her help, the POA is hosting a fund raiser for her to help pay off her campaign debt from the Assembly race(s) and they will support her for Supervisor. They will also help her get the endorsement of the AOCDS and other law enforcement groups. Without that help, she won’t be able to win the BOS race. This is a win, win for Claudia. She has *nothing* to lose. All she has to do is say the voters have the right to vote on this issue. Who’s going to argue with that?
Please tell me this was not a unanimous vote.
Yes Art P.,
Please give us the voting results.
Who voted in favor and who against…
thanks
If the sheriff takes over Santa Ana, they can have ICE do checks on everyone they come into contact with and end up deporting lots of people.