Sunday, June 18, 2012 – 10:00 a.m.
Why would the political advisor to the San Bernardino County District Attorney be communicating via e-mail with the county’s convicted former Assessor?
Why would the political advisor to the San Bernardino County District Attorney be communicating via e-mail with Bill Postmus over an issue such as the qualification by the San Bernardino County Safety Employees’ Benefit Association (SEBA) of an initiative to make the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors a part-time body, and also gut their salary and benefits package?
Orange County-based political consultant David Ellis simultaneously communicating with Bill Postmus and SEBA over hammering the board.
It’s no secret that Postmus played a part in talking Wrightwood businessman Eric Steinmann into funding the initial signature gathering campaign that was later completed by SEBA.
But, this new triad is a bizarre connection to say the least.
What isn’t widely-known was the behind-the-scenes involvement of Ellis, who has been working with the union in a limited capacity for some time now.
Playing into this oddball relationship is information starting to surface that strong-arming is taking place between county management officials, at least one member of the board, and SEBA.
The focal point being the expired collective bargaining agreements for the Safety and Safety Management & Supervisory Units, which expired last March.
Talks in which county management has been seeking concessions equaling 12%.
So far the unions membership has rejected any such deal. Even though union management has been, and apparently still is, trying to ram a deal down their throats.
The James Ramos for supervisor campaign is even playing a roll in this dialogue.
In a story in today’s Press-Enterprise, SEBA President Laren Leichleiter says the unions endorsement went to Ramos over incumbent Neil Derry because of a misdemeanor plea by Derry related to a campaign finance charge.
Not a chance.
The only mistake? Making certain people who can’t keep their mouths shut aware of the backdoor hardball tactics being employed.
Information is still flowing, and by no way is this issue going away.
Instead, what is happening is likely to be another ugly chapter in county government.
This time involving SEBA. An organization that has definitely lost its way over the past several years.
The problem? SEBA picked a poorly-conceived political fight with the board of supervisors and now doesn’t have the stomach to see it through.
Adding to the problem is no one, and I mean no one, in the organization has the political insight to affect the situation.
At SEBA, it’s 1995-96 all over again!
The county has the union’s executive board under a steam roller and the groups membership is clueless to that fact.
A steam roller that has gone as far as to dictate who the union endorses.
A little more than a week ago, the SEBA negotiation committee was told that maybe a new voting block on the board would preserve their salary and benefit levels.
Not a chance!
The hammer is coming down one way or the other.
The union is going to be on the receiving end of concessions period. Be it a new agreed-to contract or an imposed contract, it will happen.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where the $8.9 million in union concessions factored into the county’s 2012-13 fiscal year budget is coming from.
It’s the amount the county will save on an ongoing basis as a result of the two aforementioned SEBA bargaining units surrendering their county-paid retirement pick-ups. Meaning employees, for the first time, will be paying 100% of the employee retirement contribution rate.
An amount only equal to roughly 4.5% of the 12% the county is seeking.
Now SEBA is looking for a way out.
Though, in reality, employees should pay more into the system. The current economy and investment climate dictate as much.
The only problem is the union can’t figure out how to explain it to its members in any cogent fashion.
One can expect a resolution as soon as the advisory arbitration process between the county and SEBA is concluded.
It is also likely SEBA will sit on its hands when the time comes to promote the aforementioned part-time board of supervisors measure that will appear on the November ballot.
Developing……
How can San Bernardino County, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN OUR NATION, function smoothly on a part-time basis?
* “Unlike the separation of powers that characterizes the federal and state governments, the Board of Supervisors is both the legislative and the executive authority of the county. It also has quasi-judicial authorities.”
* “The California Constitution authorizes a county to make and enforce local ordinances that do not conflict with general laws. A county also has the power to sue and be sued, purchase and hold land, manage or dispose of its properties, and levy and collect taxes authorized by law. Many additional powers have been granted to counties by the Legislature. The powers of a county can only be exercised by the Board of Supervisors or through officers acting under the authority of the Board or authority conferred by law. In addition, the Board must follow the procedural requirements in the statutes or its actions will not be valid. For example, if the Legislature has provided a method by which a county may abandon a road, that method must be followed. Also, where state law requires land use zoning by an ordinance, this statutorily prescribed method is binding on the county. On the other hand, where the law does not specifically prescribe a method for accomplishing a task, the county may adopt any reasonably suitable means.”
NOW HOW THE HECK IS ALL THIS TO BE PERFORMED ON A PART-TIME BASIS??
SEBA DID NOT DO IT’S HOMEWORK, OR IF SEBA “HIRED” A FIRM TO DO RESEARCH, THEY SHOULD GET THEIR MONEY BACK.
IT’S FOOLISH TO THINK A LARGE COUNTY LIKE THIS WILL PROSPER ON A PART-TIME BASIS!
Mr. Laren Leichleiter seriously needs to surround himself with more ethical and honest men, not to mention “knowledgeable”!!!
The County is a creature of the state; in 2012, with urbanization and most land resting in incorporated cities, it mostly serves to oversee health and welfare programs and provide safety.
The legislative part
can be done part-time.
Full-time, means a herd of staff, which are mostly political operatives. Staff that can advise on collective bargaining are valuable. Many just sit around finding places in the general fund to plunder.
Breaking News is correct.
But the Supervisor’s position should remain full-time given the vast areas covered by each district.
However, the staff should be limited to the bare bones.
If research or consulting is needed for a given project, outsourcing with the private sector is more cost effective…paying them on an hourly basis, or an agreed upon contract.
Annon#3 or should I just say MR Derry, It really doesn’t matter for you as you will not be coming back after November.
Anonymous # 3:
That’s a great idea, keep the do nothing supervisors on full time, fire the people that actually do something. Then hire your buddies as consultants. Sounds like something derry would do.
Red Anon, I’m NOT Mr. Derry, but I appreciate the compliment-thanks.
Repairman, you strike me as a man who wants things “repaired” or dealt with a the snap of your finger. So, why would you complain about a full time supervisor? A part timer would be backlogged, putting your complaint off for days or weeks, then you’d be the first to complain that the Supervisors need to be on a full time basis, that it is ridiculous that one of the largest counties in our Nation is run by part timers!
It’s the staff that needs to be outsourced, once a project is finished, the county is not stuck keeping them on payroll UNTIL the next project.
Anonymous #6:
Evidently my answer was to much for you to understand.
Anonymous No. 1. Read the CA Government Code Sections that relate to duties of the Board. 1) Perform procurement; 2)Approve payments; 3)Chair is the executive officer; 4)etc. Compare to San Bernardino County 1) Appointed/created Purchasing Officer performs/approves procurement for majority (qty not $); 2)Auditor-Controller approves payments for BOS;, 3) CEO not Chair runs County; 4) etc. see Auditor-Controller.
The Board is part-time as it performs minimal day to day business operations identified in Government Code. Some of that was written into the County Charter. So when they are not performing day to day operational oversight — they are spending their time “campaigning”.
BOY OH BOY, SEBA HAS REALLY SUNK THIS TIME!
Sorry Mr. Laren Leichleiter YOU HAVE BEEN SUCKERED INTO THE MIKE RAMOS AND DAVID ELLIS’ JUVENILE “POLITICAL” ARENA OF PLAYGROUND GAMES!
Instead of being in the court room our DA is running around ( on county time) trying to further politically bully Neil Derry and get as many people to hate him as he does before November. Is that the sort of personal foolish behavior you wish to engage SEBA in Mr. Laren Leichleiter?
Mr. Laren Leichleiter, I sure hope you were NOT star struck when Ramos approached you. The “DA” wow! -many fools and evil doers have had much more impressive titles. Let me put it this way, Political David Ellis is the equivalent of that wacko Sharon Gilbert from ie politic; both THINK THEY KNOW SBC POLITICS, but all they do is lie and bully and personally attack those they disagree with, both are looked down upon with disgust NOT respect. Ellis will never tell you that a part time board is not realistic…Ellis will stretch out his hand and for “money” he will even agree with you that black is red or that the county should abolish the board of supervisors once and for all!
Take a break on your own Leichleiter, you have been lead by the nose by Ramos and Ellis- how shameful, get some courage, pull that ring off your nose and show them the door!
Get SEBA out of the middle of Ramos’ obsessive personal hate for Derry- Derry is an honorable man. SEBA has been caught with their pants down engaging with non sense, pull them up and tell Ramos and Ellis (Laurel and Hardy ) to get LOST!
This article describes exactly how SEBA ran under Jim Erwin’s presidency> There were the same comments on his dealings. SEBA is going to back the future 3rd District Supervisor, not Derry. That’s a good investment.