Get out the pitchforks
You're probably familiar with the story of Bell, Callifornia. That's the poor Los Angeles County town that was paying some of the highest salaries in the nation, including nearly $800,000 a year for its city manager. This leader of the community recently blew .28 after crashing into a neighbor's mailbox. He's resigned but in just a few years, his pension will grow to some $1,000,000 a year.
Four of the five city council members make $100,000 a year for part-time positions that similar communities compensate with around $400/month. They're being investigated. And the town folk -- one of six who live in poverty -- aren't pleased:
Several hundred angry residents from a modest blue-collar Los Angeles suburb marched Sunday to call for the resignation of the mayor and some City Council members in a protest sparked by the sky-high salaries of three recently departed administrators.
The residents of the city of Bell marched to Oscar's Korner Market and Carniceria, owned by Mayor Oscar Hernandez, then to his home, demanding that he reduce his own six-figure compensation or quit.
They then did the same with some members of the City Council, with many marchers wearing T-shirts that read "My city is more corrupt than your city."
Well, not mine -- I live in D.C.! But seriously, is this a positive sign that people are wising up to outrageous public employee compensation? I hope so.
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Jul '10
Re: Get out the pitchforks
Oh sure, but what does it mean? Probably not much. I expect that we'll divest ourselves of most of the millionaire-per-annum pensioners. Bravo.
What good will that do, however, when dealing with millions of 50+K-per-annum pensioners who retire in their fifties and don't smoke?
Re: Get out the pitchforks
It's like these city officials read about Lynwood, California, and said, "Hey, what if we did that, but without breaking any laws."
Jun '10
Re: Get out the pitchforks
Mollie, you are probably familiar with Greenbelt, Maryland. I nearly bought into the community back in the early 1980's. The mortgage payment was modest enough, but the condo fees would have doubled my monthly payment. I asked a friend of mine who lived there about the situation. His answer: "Well, we elect a board of directors. They immediately vote themselves huge salaries, then raise the condo fees to cover their compensation."
"Power does not necessarily corrupt, but the corruptible are certainly drawn to power."
May '10
Re: Get out the pitchforks
Allow me to provide some background.
There are a number of small, poor, highly industrialized cities in the south-east Los Angeles County: Bell, Maywood, Vernon, Cudahy, Huntington Park, and South Gate. Carved out of unincorporated Los Angeles County in the early 20th century, each has a continuous history of corrupt government. They were effectively company towns; each dominated by a few large factories that employed most of the citizens.
Between the 20s and the late 60s, they were typical American suburbs full of lower middle class factory workers, mostly but not exclusively white. Proximity to the South-Central (Watts) area triggered a slow "white flight" to places like the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys. Then, the early 70s recession hit these cities very hard, as factories closed and the industrial (and tax) base eroded. They have not recovered.
Re: Get out the pitchforks
Thanks, tomjedrz, for the background. I live in southern California, and have always wondered about the maze of incorporated and unincorporated towns.
The strange thing is, there really isn't much outrage out there. I think, frankly, it's because there isn't a tradition of brash, muckraking journalism. If LA had a working-class tabloid, like, say the New York Post, I think a lot of this stuff would be revealed a lot more often.
Re: Get out the pitchforks
Rob Long: Thanks, tomjedrz, for the background. I live in southern California, and have always wondered about the maze of incorporated and unincorporated towns.
The strange thing is, there really isn't much outrage out there. I think, frankly, it's because there isn't a tradition of brash, muckraking journalism. If LA had a working-class tabloid, like, say the New York Post, I think a lot of this stuff would be revealed a lot more often. · Jul 26 at 10:47am
Mickey Kaus talks about the lack of an LA tabloid too. I didn't read the New York Post much when I lived in NYC, but I'd definitely subscribe to a Rob Long and Mickey Kaus run muckraking tabloid.