AFSCME 3090

$400 Million in Uncollected Taxes is Good Place for City to Start Looking for Savings

Feb. 5, 2010

Let’s be clear, our union as part of the Coalition for L.A. City Unions has done more than its fair share of sacrifice in this continuing budget crisis the City of Los Angeles faces. At this time, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana along with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other City officials seek to eliminate more than 1,500 city jobs to help close a $208 million budget gap. Santana issued a preliminary report and spreadsheet this past Jan. 20 claiming a catastrophic occurrence has taken place. Yet when the Coalition met with the CAO’s office on Jan. 22, his office couldn’t produce complete financial documentation to back up this claim.

There is no doubt the City is in financial trouble. But the City also has failed to meet its obligations under the agreement we hammered out with them last October. There has been a tremendous response to the Early Retirement Incentive Program, but the City has been slow to process these retirements; several departments have failed to implement the 76.5 hour per pay period work schedule; and in direct violation of the agreement and good sense, cash overtime payments which are supposed to be deferred, are in fact being paid out.

As a Jan. 20 editorial in the Los Angeles Times pointed out, mismanagement and the economic downturn have contributed to the problems and challenges the City must tackle. Further, our officials must show leadership and protect the City’s fiscal health – now and in the future.Yet somehow the CAO and Mayor interpret this to mean gutting the City’s workforce through layoffs without a broad and strategic examination of where real savings can take place. Shared sacrifice doesn’t mean we as union members bear the entire burden. We can’t. Are we really all in this together?

The Coalition continues to push to get our agreement fully implemented. Positions can be transferred from the General Fund to Proprietary and Special Fund Departments. There are some 600 positions that could be moved into vacant positions not affected by this budget debacle.

I want to thank our members who turned out and spoke up at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 3. As a result of testimony from us and many in the community, the City Council took several actions to move to close the gap while avoiding layoffs. The Personnel Department was directed to begin transfers and report back in 30 days. Council President Garcetti will hold budget meetings each Monday for the purpose of identifying sources of revenue.

It was alarming to find out that the City is owed $400 million in uncollected debt. On Tuesdays they will hear from the Coalition and take up the many cost saving suggestions you have made. We encourage you to take the time to come and voice your concerns directly to the City Council. Remember, you are your union. We are stronger together. And together we will prevail.

Alice Goff,
Local 3090 President