San Bernardino city attorney to citizens: “Lock your doors and load your guns”

[thereisnospoon]

The problems in San Bernadino are rampant everywhere across the country. Promises were made back when times were really good that simply cannot be kept. Cities and counties are going bankrupt because they cannot pay for pensions and HC benefits and keep their services operational. In some places the unions are working to arrive at an acceptable solution, but most are fighting tooth and nail to keep the good deal they got now. Reminds me of the recent Chicago teacher's union strike, these guys wanted a 30% pay increase and no teacher evaluations. Settled for 16% and a watered down evaluation system, I don't know how Chicago is going to do it.

The city government simply increases taxes or creates new ones. Meanwhile people continue to vote with their feet. They move out of the City or for some, outside of Cook County.
The tax base is depleted. Those who remain in the city are forced to pay more until the money runs out.
Frankly, in these more heavily unionized states it is tougher to convince people that when they vote for the same people that keep driving up their taxes, it won't stop until those politicians are out of office. But, the voters keep voting along party lines. In effect, they vote counter to their own interests.

 

[Mac1958]

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Self-inflicted wound.

No doubt Brown is angling for some kind of bailout.

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I agree. I'm sure Brown will try.

Hard to feel sympathy as the voters keep voting the assholes in to run their cities and State.

As far as I'm concerned Cali is on its own and I can't see the taxpayers in the rest of the country being forced to bail Cali out of its stupidity.

I swear, I just don't get it. The politicians there are just breathtakingly irresponsible on fiscal matters, yet they keep getting voted back in.

If they get bailed out, we're just begging for more.

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[thereisnospoon]

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Self-inflicted wound.

No doubt Brown is angling for some kind of bailout.

.

I agree. I'm sure Brown will try.

Hard to feel sympathy as the voters keep voting the assholes in to run their cities and State.

As far as I'm concerned Cali is on its own and I can't see the taxpayers in the rest of the country being forced to bail Cali out of its stupidity.

Just as the democrats bailed out Gm as a payoff for UAW support, so will they bail out California's state pension system for the same reason. That is to insure California's public workers do not go off the reservation.

 

[bodecea]

im sure after Christie is done here in Jersey the libs wil be back on track destroying our state too. I feel for whatever state you are in.

I actually lived in CA for 10 years (moved there from PA).

Currently in Texas. I think we are safe for a while.

good state to be in, glad you got out of CA? where at in PA? do you miss it,?

You guys are seceding soon, right? Hurry up.

 

[g5000]

Just sell a few golf courses to the Chinese.

And stop all pension payments to past and present elected officials.

Problem solved.

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[eflatminor]

California could easily fix this. Time to build a high speed train to nowhere. Duh...

 

[CrazedScotsman]

Will filing for bankruptcy help the city?

I don't see any way this city can help itself other than raising taxes on the citizens to pay these pensions. The city can just close up shop or change the name of the city and then negotiate new contracts with the workers, lol.

I don't know, lol.

 

[Darkwind]

I am glad I left California 14 years ago.

Its a shame that it has been mismanaged to this point, but this is what it looks like when you run out of other peoples money.

If California applies for a bail out, the other states should sue to block that action. The rest of the country simply cannot be held responsible for their lack of maturity.

 

[bodecea]

Just sell a few golf courses to the Chinese.

And stop all pension payments to past and present elected officials.

Problem solved.

.

I'd vote for the latter for sure.

 

[Wiseacre]

Will filing for bankruptcy help the city?

I don't see any way this city can help itself other than raising taxes on the citizens to pay these pensions. The city can just close up shop or change the name of the city and then negotiate new contracts with the workers, lol.

I don't know, lol.

If a city declares bankruptcy they can restructure contracts and their debts in court. I imagine it would be litigated for quite awhile though, the public unions would demand to keep their pensions and benefits. Some cities have already declared bankruptcy and are in the process of working through it. The laws for this are no doubt different from state to state, I dunno what would happen if the city disolved itself. I suppose all their contracts and obligations would either be picked up by the state or reworked.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Will filing for bankruptcy help the city?

I don't see any way this city can help itself other than raising taxes on the citizens to pay these pensions. The city can just close up shop or change the name of the city and then negotiate new contracts with the workers, lol.

I don't know, lol.

In the private sector bankruptcy usually terminates all current labor contracts.
I think that is why in some states, public worker unions may be fighting municipal bankruptcies.
Yeah, better to drain the city coffers into a black hole than give up those gold plated benefits.
The problem is two fold.
In most locations, not only do unionized public workers get these unrealistic benefits and pensions, the worker portion of the contribution is minuscule.
Three years ago, NJ Governor Chris Christie fulfilled a campaign promise to take on public worker unions in the state. He went first to the union representing teachers. He demanded the the teachers contribution increase by 5% for pensions and benefits. The teachers union and the rank and file acted as though the worked was going to come to an end. They accused Christie of being anti teacher, wanting to destroy public education, wanting to close schools....All kinds of nonsense.
This is the crap that public worker unions dump on the taxpayers and we're just to supposed to bend over and grab our ankles.

 

[Wiseacre]

Came across this while reading about the San Bernadino bankruptcy.

snippet:


SAN BERNARDINO -- Today is the deadline for any of the city's thousands of creditors to file papers arguing the city is not eligible for bankruptcy protection, a battle that added months and millions of dollars to the bankruptcy proceedings in Vallejo and is expected to do the same in Stockton.
City officials - and the judge handling the case, Meredith Jury - have said they expect objections.
But San Bernardino has convinced some of its most skeptical employee groups that the city is eligible for bankruptcy - and therefore eligible to avoid paying some of its debts to those groups.

"We've been able to negotiate an agreement with the firefighter union not to file an objection," said City Attorney James F. Penman. "We've given them information that I think shows pretty clearly the financial situation we're in."

The union's review of the documents and earlier actions by city administrators didn't settle all the San Bernardino City Professional Firefighters' questions, according Corey Glave, their attorney.

"Nevertheless, the SBCPF does not believe it is in either the citizens' or the firefighters' best interest to tie up the city with years of bankruptcy litigation," Glave said. "It is clear that the city can better use this time and financial resources to right the ship and get their financial matters back in order."

The police union won't object, either, their attorney said.


It goes on to say that when the city of Vallejo declared bankruptcy in 2008 the unions fought long and hard to maintain their pensions and benefits. The process became protracted and expensive for all concerned, and turned out to be counter productive (my words). So, maybe the unions realize now that you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.


Read more: Deadline to object to San Bernardino bankruptcy is today - DailyBulletin.com

 

[thereisnospoon]

Another ingredient of the problem with these benefits is the part of the contracts that permits workers to "bank" unlimited sick time and vacation days. Workers can retire early and be paid their full wages for the amount of time saved up. Or they can take their cash settlement in a lump sum.

This can knock huge hole in the budgets of cash strapped municipalities.
For example in New Jersey, the Borough of Norwood's long police chief retired after 30 years of service. He saved up over 3 years of vacation and sick time. The Borough owed him over $300,000. The government simply did not have the money to write that check.

I favor a "use it or lose it" policy.
Similar to the private sector, employees can save up a few vacation days but they must be used and cannot be paid in cash.
Public workers should be subject to this as well.
I think the end of the status quo for public workers is coming to an end as governments can no longer treat the taxpayer's bank accounts as bottomless pits.
Now, there is the argument that public workers pay taxes too.
Ok, two things. First few towns and cities or even states have residency requirements for their workers. So a worker could live outside the town in which they work. As various towns have dissimilar tax rates, it is entirely possible for a worker in town A to live in town B which has a lower tax rate.
Second, While public workers do indeed pay taxes, the notion is nonsense because the workers are essentially paying themselves when the write the check for their tax bill.

 

[Harry Dresden]

CA and other mismanaged states will come to the feds for a bailout and should be told to piss up a rope. They can't strap the rest of us with their problems. It's not great for the folks affected, but they voted in the politicians that mismanaged their affairs, elections do matter, and some time you pay the price.

your right Tex......but the thing that pisses me off is even after they see how shitty some of these people are......they fucking vote for them AGAIN.....and AGAIN.....i think some of these people have the ...."its your Rep who sucks not mine" syndrome.....Gil Cedillo is called "one bill Gil".....all the guy cares about is getting Illegals Drivers Licenses....and he gets voted back year after year....

 

[Harry Dresden]

California, in general, seems to be running out of taxpayers. With more and more people retiring and expecting pensions, how can any state keep up if welfare rolls also grow and less people are paying taxes? It's a lot like social security. Unsustainable in the long run.

and a good portion of those Retirees,retire to another State.....cant afford to live here .....

 

[Harry Dresden]

CA and other mismanaged states will come to the feds for a bailout and should be told to piss up a rope. They can't strap the rest of us with their problems. It's not great for the folks affected, but they voted in the politicians that mismanaged their affairs, elections do matter, and some time you pay the price.

Each Democrat in California should be reduced to 1/2 of a full vote...

because they are 1/2 wits...just sayin.

The unions & politicians have killed the, "Golden Goose" ..they deserve zero benefits because of their greed.. now

there are Democrats out here Lump who cant stand the shit going on just like anyone else.............but there are just too many diehard Democrats who have a mindset like a Dean or a Chris ......and you know how that goes....

 

[Harry Dresden]

CA is done. It's a sinking ship. Another failed liberal experiment.

Just time now.

Problem: fucks are bailing and moving to other states and petitioning for the same policies that destroyed CA in their new state.

Look CA transplants. We welcome you. Just dont vote.

many of them are people who were against the shit going on here .....thats why they are leaving.....and lots of them have money......and when YOU FUCKS moved to our paradise years ago.....we did not tell you not to vote....

 

[Trajan]

I changed the thread title to reflect new developments and to prevent the creation create another thread on basically, what is follow on inforamtion on the same topic.

There it is, things are gonna get bad and we cannot help you, so, do whatcha you gotta do.... Wonderful, and it seems to me that in places like say- Chicago, NYC ( Manhattan only of course) how much worse can the murder rate get?

Well, it could start to effect white people, then it will get some attention ( hows that for a paradox) , because larger Urban areas are up for the reckoning next, 2-3 years max. But most of those blue utopias have very stringent hand gun laws, unless you're a celebrity or can hire someone to watch your back, the rest can eat cake, oops, I mean lead...


San Bernardino city attorney to citizens: “Lock your doors and load your guns”

In an interview Thursday, Penman said that he stands behind that advice, and he’s gotten nothing but positive responses from residents since then. He said the only criticism he’s received has been from the media…

“I can understand how people who don’t live or work in the City of San Bernardino and don’t hear the sirens every night, the gun shots, the helicopters overhead, as many San Bernardino residents do, might not understand the significance when you have people being killed in their homes,” he said.

Penman said he is only repeating what police officers have told him: that the city can provide only basic law enforcement services due to recent cuts.

“We need to stop giving people false hope,” Penman said. “We have to start encouraging people to protect themselves. The situation is that bad in San Bernardino.”

more at-
SAN BERNARDINO: Penman

and hat tip Hot Air.