Hollywood civic activist and blogger extraordinaire Sara Case recently sent the following note out to folks to remind everyone in SE Broward about Monday night's HCCA meeting on the referendum taking place in two weeks.
From: Sara CaseSent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 4:23 PMSubject: HCCA's Public Education Meeting on Pension ReferendumHi All,Here are the details of HCCA's public education meeting on the Sept. 13 pension referendum election. Please notify your all your association members and friends as this meeting will provide a good opportunity for voters to learn the implications of this special election.Date: Monday, August 29, 7 PMPlace: Fred Lippman Multi-purpose Center, 2030 Polk Street (large meeting room)Purpose of Meeting: To provide fact-based information on how the referendum will affect city operations, city services and employees, and city taxpayers -- both if it passes and if it is defeated.The Interim City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark will make the presentation.The exact ballot language can be found at this link on the city website:Sara
See Sara's July 20th Balance Sheet Blog post titled Financial problems in Hollywood
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(For that, you have to go to where I live, Hallandale Beach, There, things are so upside-down in the logic and common sense dept., that a perfectly preposterous idea for putting TVs/monitors -that run nothing but local ads- in HB businesses and public areas of condos NOT even in the CRA zone, got approved 4-1, with little to show for it but money down a rat hole. Money that the city is NOT trying very hard to get back from some of the individuals involved, once it went kerplunk.)
Over-and-over for years I have heard whining from them and Hollywood beat cops about there being this magic pot of gold over the rainbow.
But showing in many cases the very poor value of a Florida public school education, many persist in ignoring the facts and constructing arguments that result in them getting more, more, more.
It's NOT your money!
Given that taxes in Hollywood will still go up 11% even if this is approved, I believe that if it is rejected, the City Commission should fire about 300 City of Hollywood employees, not the 170 or so suggested in the Herald article below by Carli Teproff that appeared in this morning's newspaper.
Consider the extra people fired both a margin of error and a shot across the broadside that there are far too many people in the city's employ who are NOT earning their paycheck.
I know, I see it every week with my own eyes and have experienced it many times.
The condescension is the worst part.
People with Masters Degrees who think they know everything and are NOT interested in what you say about something, even when you have photographs that show that THEY are doing something that is NOT appropriate or safe, and even likely to lead to injuries to the public.
Nope, they just can't be bothered with your facts, they have workshops to go to.
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Miami Herald
HOLLYWOOD
With YouTube video and city mailings, Hollywood residents are learning about upcoming pension referendum
The gloves are off and both sides are coming out swinging with their campaigns to educate Hollywood voters on why they should or shouldn’t vote to change the city’s pension system
By Carli Teproff
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Please be sure to read this excellent overview of the government employee pension situation by the Tallahasse Democrat's Senior Political Writer and Columnist Bill Cotterell.
I meant to mention it here weeks ago when the controversy over whether or not the City of Hollywood and the Police and Fire unions would work things out without a referendum being necessary.
Tallahassee Democrat
Things are tough all over
Government employees everywhere feel the pinch
Bill Cotterell
July 25, 2011
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Here's an interesting article from a year ago that I circulated at the time via an email.
New York Post
City taxpayers foot 90% of municipal pensions
By Susan Edelman
Last Updated: 10:31 AM, July 11, 2010
Posted: 2:10 AM, July 11, 2010
Taxpayers kick in an average $8.60 for every dollar that city employees contribute to their pensions, a sweet deal costing the Big Apple a bundle.Even though their own retirements are less secure, as private businesses have shifted from traditional pensions to riskier savings plans like 401(k)s, taxpayers' support for rock-solid public employee pension plans is growing. That's because pension funds are guaranteed to grow 8 percent a year -- and taxpayers have to make up the difference if they don't.Taxpayers' share of city pension costs has skyrocketed more than 900 percent in the last decade -- from $703.1 million in 2000 to $6.5 billion in 2009, according to the city comptroller's annual reports.The cost is expected to hit $7.6 billion this fiscal year and $8.7 billion next year."It's a double-whammy for taxpayers," said E.J. McMahon, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute."If they're privately employed, they shoulder the risks of saving for their own retirement. At the same time, they have to pay a steadily mounting cost of guaranteed pensions for government workers."Teachers get the biggest bang for their pension contributions -- the city puts in $15.50 for every $1 they contribute.Taxpayers pay $10 for every $1 firefighters put in, $9 for every $1 from cops and $5.60 for every $1 from transit, sanitation and other civil servants, the 2009 report shows."The cost has risen because employee benefits were dramatically increased in 2000, just as the [stock] market began to collapse," said John Murphy, former executive director of the New York City Employee Retirement System, NYCERS, the largest city pension fund."In retrospect, it was one of the most irresponsible things to have done," he said.Many private companies cut back or suspended matching contributions to employee 401(k) plans after the most recent dramatic market downturn in 2008. Some have begun to restore contributions, depending on profits.Teachers hired after 2008 contribute 4.85 percent of their salaries for their first 10 years, then 1.85 percent a year thereafter.Cops and firefighters make annual pension contributions depending on their age at swearing in, at most 8 percent at age 20. But in a benefit called "Increased Take Home Pay," the city subsidizes 5 percent of that.Cops and firefighters are guaranteed an 8.25 percent return on their contributions, and can take loans from the plans up to twice a year, interest-free.It's only fair, said Anthony Garvey, who recently retired as executive director of the Police Pension Fund.He said the benefits befit the Finest and Bravest who risk "getting shot or running into burning buildings."Retire it's on usTaxpayers kicked in $7.35 billion to the city pension funds last fiscal year, while employees contributed $853.5 million.An average of: $8.60 to $1TEACHERSAverage pension: $54,268Taxpayer contribution: $15.50 to $1FIREFIGHTERSAverage pension: $53,347Taxpayer contribution: $10 to $1POLICEAverage pension: $41,319Taxpayer contribution: $9.13 to $1SANIT., TRANSIT, OTHERAverage pension: $24,889Taxpayer contribution: $5.60 to $1Source: Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the NYC Comptroller for fiscal year 2009.
