Still a fan of Organized Police and Fire?

[daepp]

A local law firm that represents police and their unions had their playbook posted on their web page until last week. They are targeting a Costa Mesa City Councilman. They even had him followed home from a restaurant, where one of their operatives called 911 and said he was driving drunk. He was sober and also produced a receipt for his meal and soda. Check out their tactics - kinda scary! And I have no dog in this fight - but someone does!

"You do not want wage increases for yourselves, but simply to attract better qualified individuals and to keep more experienced officers from leaving.”

This primer goes on to list strategies for getting politicians, bureaucrats and the unwitting public to fall into line.

The lawyers advise union leaders to cozy up to decision-makers long before negotiations begin. Once impasse is reached, “now is the time when the political endorsements, favors and friendships come into play.”

Once at impasse, storm the city council, chastising members for their lack of concern for public safety.

Next, picket and make appearances at public functions, making sure everyone knows the association is upset.

If crime is up, use that to send the message that the city council could care less about public safety.

Send members to job fairs, having them apply at a large local agency. This will cause an influx of personnel file checks by background investigators. (Apparently, city hall will panic at the large number of police seeking outside work.)

Stage a work slowdown. “Do thorough investigations, such as canvassing an entire neighborhood when doing 459 (burglary) reports.” Ask for a back-up unit on most calls. And “of course exercising officer discretion in not issuing citations and making arrests is also encouraged.”

Make sure the public knows of “blunders” or wasteful spending by the city manager, mayor or city council members.

Create mailers with the emphasis on public safety and encourage residents to telephone council members, preferably at home.

If any council members are up for re-election, campaign against them, again for their lack of concern for public safety.

Focus on one public official and “keep the pressure up until that person assures you his loyalty and then move on to the next victim.”

Hold press conferences. “Every high profile crime that takes place should result in the association’s uproar at the governing body for not having enough officers on the street, which could have avoided the incident.”

The primer closes on a menacing note: “The idea is to show the decision-makers that the public favors public safety … and almost equally as important, to let them know that next time, they should agree with you much sooner.”

[Moses]

Wow. The operative who called 911 and the officer who stopped the councilman need to go to jail. Conspiracy.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Unions. What more can be said? 100 years ago they had their place, now they are just legalized extortion.

[Brando]

In before the PARF!

Yes, it is extortion, coercion, conspiracy. As stated before, Protect and Serve [Their Own Interests].

These are the unions and their practices/ideals apply to the officers as well.

[daepp]

There's nothing left/right here.

This is a local extortion issue that is spreading.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Unions. What more can be said? 100 years ago they had their place, now they are just legalized extortion.

I do not understand the need for unions in the public workplace.

[sammyg2]

Fire, police rack up workers' comp
By JON CASSIDY
The Orange County Register
updated 9/19/2011 2:17:50 PM ET 2011-09-19T18:17:50

A Costa Mesa firefighter got an award of $39,590 because his work boots hurt his feet one week.

Another firefighter twisted his knee in 1991 by walking downstairs and turning left. The bill: $96,919. The city is still paying for it.

A recreation leader who felt pain in the neck while shooting a basketball is costing the city $7,325.

Those are just three of the 1,000-plus workers' compensation claims filed by Costa Mesa's employees since Jan. 1, 2001. The city has paid on all but 136 of the claims, according to public city records. Workers' compensation cost the city around $2 million last year, which is in line with other local cities its size.

Newport Beach, for example, pays around $3 million a year, according to its annual financial statements.

Costa Mesa is currently paying 160 open workers' compensation claims, 133 of which were filed by police officers and firefighters, according to a city spreadsheet that tracks open claims and injury types. The spreadsheet, which has not been made public but was obtained by the Register, offers a rare glimpse at the sort of claims that get compensation and reimbursement, from uncomfortable boots to stump-grinder accidents to "cumulative trauma" that shows up at retirement time.

The City Council has a study session on the issue tentatively scheduled for Oct. 25.

There are 74 open workers compensation claims filed by members of the Police Department, which has around 139 officers. The Fire Department, which had 83 employees as of February, has 59 open claims.

New Police Chief Tom Gazsi and Interim Fire Chief Kirk Dominic did not return calls to comment on the number of disability claims in their departments. City CEO Tom Hatch also declined to comment.

We are frequently exposed to unhealthy products of combustion, unhealthy atmospheres, and borne pathogens from bodily fluids that put us at a higher risk to injury or illness than is the miscellaneous employees, Tim Vasin, the firefighter association president, said.

Two of the department's 59 claims are for respiratory problems and one involves a pathogen. Almost all of the rest claim heart and circulatory problems or various aches and pains.

Several of the open claims are for retired workers, although the exact number was unavailable; roughly a third are more than five years old.

In response to a Public Records Act request, Costa Mesa produced a list of all workers compensation claims since Jan. 1, 2001, a list of all the claims the city's claims adjuster contested, and the number of disability pensions and standard pensions retiring workers have taken over the last decade. The May 2011 spreadsheet tracking open claims includes descriptions of the injuries, from serious to questionable.

There are slip-and-falls: a maintenance worker was picking up trash on a slope with wet grass at a park when he slipped, straining his right knee, HR noted. The bill: $48,934.

There are claims (like the basketball-shooting rec leader's) that the city accepted:

A police officer with acid reflux and digestive problems got an award of $27,777.

A large child jumped onto (a recreation leader) when he wasn't expecting it. Bill: $23,711.

A police officer felt fatigue between the shoulder blades at conclusion of training one day. Over the next few days it became stiff and sore. Bill: $64,623.

Then there are the cases (such as the captain with the uncomfortable boots) that the city contested but still had to pay:

A firefighter claims that he must lean forward and stretch in order to see out of the side mirrors. He claims that this awkward' repetitive movement has led to pain in his rib cage. Bill: $45,637.

A police officer who alleged exposure to bacteria and chemicals caused cancer and psychological damage won $665,898.

A civilian police employee claimed piriformis syndrome, a technical term for a pain in the butt. Bill: $52,493.

About 12 percent of all the city's claims go to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board after an initial rejection by the city's claims adjuster. When a case is appealed, the city usually has to pay at least something; five out of six appeals recognize awards of $1,000 or more.

Then there are cases that don't get appealed. There were two claims filed for March 17, the day the city sent out widespread layoff notices - a police officer who reported being unable to breathe during a panic attack, and a city worker who claimed that stress caused him to develop a hemorrhoid.

Both were rejected.

Under California law, police and firefighters have special rights when filing workers' compensation and disability claims. For police and firefighters who develop heart troubles or cancer, among other ailments, work is presumed to be the cause, unless the employer can prove that it wasn't. For police, even back pain is included as one of these presumptives.

Presumptive workers' compensation claims often form the backbone of the case for enhanced disability retirement pensions, also known as medical retirements, said Ryan Thomas, human resources analyst for Costa Mesa. Police and firefighters who go on disability before retiring can get half their pension free of state and federal taxes.
Disability pension tax breaks are especially valuable to those making more than $100,000, which is why this practice proliferates in larger bi-coastal cities where safety officers are higher-paid, public finance expert Girard Miller wrote in a recent column.

Since Jan. 1, 2001, 27 of 122 retiring public safety workers have been granted medical retirements. None of the city's other 179 retirees during that time got a disability pension.

A 2004 Los Angeles Times article reported that 61 percent of retired safety personnel in Los Angeles County are on disability pensions, compared to 40 percent in San Diego and 39 percent in Riverside.

The advantages that public safety workers get can be seen in how injury-related retirements are handled.

According to pension system records, of the 21 Costa Mesa City Hall workers who had injuries factor in their retirements, only two were granted medical retirement. Of the 40 ex-Costa Mesa police officers who had injuries factor into their retirements, all but one got medical retirement.

The Legislature may have envisioned disability pensions as a reward for public safety workers injured in the line of duty, Thomas said, but the reality is, it doesn't always work out like that. It's more of your typical workers comp scenario, with the presumptions, for back pain, heart trouble, or the like entitling a retiree to a better pension, he said.

Without absolute proof that someone is faking an intangible injury like a strain, it's almost impossible for the city to prevail, Thomas said.

Fire, police rack up workers' comp - Local News - Orange County, CA - Santa Ana, CA - msnbc.com[/QUOTE]

[sammyg2]

BTW, in the city of Costa Mesa, 77% OF IT'S CITY EMPLOYEES MAKE OVER $100,000 PER YEAR.

[daepp]

The police in my city sued for an extra 7 1/2 minutes pay before and after work in oder to don their gear. The city caved. Go figure.

[daepp]

Fire departements figured out decades ago they were going out of business. In most cities they managed to get ordinances passed that required two paramedic per engine.

Costa Mesa claims they had 9000 calls for service last year. 2500 ended before getting started. 200 were for fires. Less than $2M in property damage due to fires.

Can we as a society afford this?

[gtc]

I just had some quasi-cop cut me off, then ***** me out for following too closely. Funny how she knew how to use the red and blue flashers but not how to use her turn signals.

That's about all I'm willing to share publicly on my opinion of the police.

[Neilk]

sickening...

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Moses

Wow. The operative who called 911 and the officer who stopped the councilman need to go to jail. Conspiracy.

Google up what happened to the mayor of Oakland - think I saw some info in the NYT Sunday section

[daepp]

Average Costa Mesa police officer makes $174,000 per year salary and $43,000 in benefits!

http://www.righeimer2010.com/files/2008%20CM%20Full-Time%20Employees%20-%20Police.pdf

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

Average Costa Mesa police officer makes $174,000 per year salary and $43,000 in benefits!

http://www.righeimer2010.com/files/2008%20CM%20Full-Time%20Employees%20-%20Police.pdf

I have no problem with anybody making a good living wage, but $217K including benefits is way beyond what a public official should make, that included mayors etc. It looks like the entire police force figured out how to game the system.

[scottmandue]

Soooo, what is the other option? Private Police? You really want rent a cops running the force?

[Radioactive]

Placentia,Ca pays 56% of the salary to there retirement, when asked to pay 5%, they want a raise to cover the 5% WTF.

City, police, hit brick wall over pensions - OC Watchdog : The Orange County Register

[Head416]

My feelings exactly. If you choose "public service" that means you are choosing a life of SERVICE, not WEALTH. Don't like it? Go get paid by a private company.

[Radioactive]

This is a sweet deal, get paid to watch your kids game.

On-duty firefighter takes rig, crew, to ball game - OC Watchdog : The Orange County Register