Letter - THEODORE X. GARCIA

Adam Schiff is once again showing his true colors by casting a vote to

significantly reduce our city government’s control over, and its ability

to negotiate contracts with, city fire and police departments.

Schiff cast a key vote to a bill (SB 402) opposed by local city

councils, mayors and many law enforcement and fire organizations. This

bill abolishes a long-standing California law and sinks Schiff deeper

into the deep pockets of labor union bosses. Schiff’s support of SB 402

is most likely a payback for the more than $100,000 that labor unions

have contributed to his campaign.

This bill takes power away from cities to negotiate contracts with

their own fire and police departments and could force them to submit to

binding, independent arbitration. I’m sure that the California Federation

of Labor lobbyists spent quite a bit of time in the state senator’s

office promising to help quench his political thirst. Their mother’s milk

comes in the form of union special interest money and resources.

Adam Schiff can talk about local control all he wants, but in

Sacramento he consistently votes against giving authority back to our

local communities.

More than 43 cities in California, and the League of California Cities

strongly opposed Schiff’s support of this effort to strip cities of local

control. Well-respected law enforcement and fire organizations like the

California Peace Officers Assn., the California Police Chiefs Assns., the

California Fire Chiefs and the Assn. of Los Angeles County Deputy

Sheriffs all opposed Schiff on this bill.

Do we really need power stripped away from local governments like

Schiff is intending to do by voting for this legislation? Even Gov. Gray

Davis, who considers himself a middle-of-the-road Democrat opposes this

Schiff-supported legislation.

If labor unions and local governments are to resolve their disputes it

seems to me that government should have the legal authority to negotiate

in good faith, and do what is best interest of the citizens they

represent. They should not be hampered in their legitimate role, as

Schiff’s bill would have it.

Imagine the disaster if he gets elected to Congress. Schiff is

probably salivating, just thinking about writing bills like this on the

national level, bypassing the city, county and state governments for the

sake of the unions!

Schiff’s support of this bill should be called out for being

anti-local control and bad for our cities. Schiff needs to be held

accountable for voting against the interest of our local communities.

Theodore X. Garcia

Burbank