A Deal for Perks

Any time a candidate for office receives endorsements from public employees before the filing date, voters can automatically assume that a deal has been made between the employees union officials and the candidates to support higher wages and perks for the employees in exchange for a voting block of city employees. Employee perks can include city-paid expense accounts of public officials such as bar bills and expensive dining clubs and restaurants, or deluxe health care benefits paid by the city long after the officials have left office. These perks are seldom revealed to the taxpaying public.

Peter Marva

Oxnard