I was recently elected president of the AFSCME Local representing employees of the neighboring City of Artesia. I attended the Cerritos Council meeting on April 28 to show support to my fellow union brothers and sisters.
Cerritos employees felt they were already close to an end of negotiations, and wished to extend negotiations until they came to a mutual agreement. Three councilmembers, and management, did not want a mutual agreement and instead wished to seek a vague sense of "closure" and conclude the negotiations prematurely. In other words, a few people selfishly sought closure at the expense of everyone else's. Needless to say, the net gain of "closure" was exceedingly small.
Naturally, we were disappointed in the Council's decision to impose an impasse and conclude negotiations prematurely. Their decision to do so has made a clear statement to us all. Employees in Cerritos can expect from both management, and at least three councilmembers (Mayor Carol Chen, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Edwards, and Councilmember Bruce Barrows), a climate of cool indifference toward their own employees; and a willingness to make decisions without the counsel of their own workforce.
Whether intended or not, the April 28 council meeting felt like a power play. Employees, who had a personal stake in the Council's decision, showed up en masse. Some even brought their children, thinking that the council would conduct the meeting with the consideration of those attending. We were wrong. Even Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, who stood up for almost four hours waiting patiently for her turn, was wrong! If I didn't think people were inherently good, I'd almost be tempted to say the Council wanted to send a message that they didn't care.
Every public meeting that I've ever attended pushed controversial agenda items to the beginning of the meeting so people can have a chance to speak to their Council and leave. Instead, we waited almost four hours as the Council methodically plodded through their items!
At 10:30 p.m., when we were finally allowed to speak, Congresswoman Sanchez went first. Despite the thinly veiled look of disgust at the proceedings of the meeting, her words were utterly reasonable. She simply asked that the Council vote to finish the negotiations because they were so close, and she volunteered her services. She finally added that this particular council meeting was a poor display of democracy; as she watched many people (some with children) leave as the hours dragged on, unable to voice their opinion.
I'd like to thank Councilmembers Mark Pulido and Joseph Cho, who voted in favor of extending negotiations. I'm also grateful for the patience of Congresswoman Sanchez, and for her gracious words that reflected perfectly the thoughts of all who attended.
Sincerely,
Andrew Perry
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
An account of Larry's funeral procession
An Account of Larry R. Nelson's Funeral Procession - I've had a few requests asking about what transpired during Artesia Councilman Larry R. Nelson's funeral. First, I’d like to say that Larry was one of those councilmembers who touched a lot of people’s hearts because he was often seen working alongside staff and he was very honest and very loud, colorful, and funny.
When he passed it was a shock to everyone because no one knew he was sick. He had been keeping it a secret. Anyways, we were worried about him because he had missed a few council meetings over the past two months, and we did hear that he was in pain.
From Holy Family Church, I got into the vehicle that would be part of the procession to Artesia Cemetery. At the head of the column was the white horse-drawn carriage that carried Larry’s coffin. The column headed north on Clarkdale, west on 183rd, and north again on Pioneer Blvd.
In the vehicle I was in, a woman named Susie Gomes commented, “Wow, this is Larry’s last time going down Pioneer Blvd. As we passed the beautiful fountains under the palm trees, listening to the peaceful sound of the water, another woman in the car, Madalena Galindo, said, “Y’know … this is just how Larry would’ve wanted it.”
Both Galindo and Gomes worked with Larry for a very long time.
The column turned left (west) on Artesia Boulevard and shortly after the East West Ice Palace, we saw that the fire department had done something truly sentimental in honor of Larry.
First, a little back story. At almost every patriotic event the city had, Larry always asked the Fire Department to set up the flag, hanging from the top of a ladder from a fire truck. Well, at the funeral the Fire Department blocked off Artesia Blvd. and was diverting traffic elsewhere. And across the westbound section of Artesia Blvd. the Fire Department had probably their largest truck, with the ladder fully extended and hanging down from it was the biggest flag I had ever seen hanging from the ladder, much bigger than the flag pictured in the photo. Much bigger. This was at the entrance to the Artesia Cemetery.
So anyways, as we got closer and prepared to turn left into the cemetery, we saw there were probably about six or seven firefighers and sheriffs in a line, in front of the fire truck, at parade rest.
At the grave site itself, Dr. Ed Bloomfield gave the eulogy. It was funny and heartfelt. I remember a few things of what he said. “It wasn’t long after he was elected that the city staff began to realize they had a different sort of councilmember on their hands. This one wore overalls, came in with dusty boots, and sometimes some hay or straw would be poking out of his pocket.”
Bloomfield also said, “When Larry didn’t agree with something, he wasn’t afraid to call it out as b.s.” and Bloomfield also brought up the Greek philosopher Aristotle and his philosophy on the good life and the importance of participating in politics.
Because Larry was a Navy veteran, there was a 21-gun salute and a flag-folding ceremony. There was also a dove release, and one gentleman sang “Happy Trails”, which is an old country song from Roy Rogers. Afterward, everyone went to the Albert O. Little Community Center at 18750 Clarkdale Avenue, for the reception. They watched a video tribute to Larry, reminisced, and ate lunch.
When he passed it was a shock to everyone because no one knew he was sick. He had been keeping it a secret. Anyways, we were worried about him because he had missed a few council meetings over the past two months, and we did hear that he was in pain.
From Holy Family Church, I got into the vehicle that would be part of the procession to Artesia Cemetery. At the head of the column was the white horse-drawn carriage that carried Larry’s coffin. The column headed north on Clarkdale, west on 183rd, and north again on Pioneer Blvd.
In the vehicle I was in, a woman named Susie Gomes commented, “Wow, this is Larry’s last time going down Pioneer Blvd. As we passed the beautiful fountains under the palm trees, listening to the peaceful sound of the water, another woman in the car, Madalena Galindo, said, “Y’know … this is just how Larry would’ve wanted it.”
Both Galindo and Gomes worked with Larry for a very long time.
The column turned left (west) on Artesia Boulevard and shortly after the East West Ice Palace, we saw that the fire department had done something truly sentimental in honor of Larry.
First, a little back story. At almost every patriotic event the city had, Larry always asked the Fire Department to set up the flag, hanging from the top of a ladder from a fire truck. Well, at the funeral the Fire Department blocked off Artesia Blvd. and was diverting traffic elsewhere. And across the westbound section of Artesia Blvd. the Fire Department had probably their largest truck, with the ladder fully extended and hanging down from it was the biggest flag I had ever seen hanging from the ladder, much bigger than the flag pictured in the photo. Much bigger. This was at the entrance to the Artesia Cemetery.
So anyways, as we got closer and prepared to turn left into the cemetery, we saw there were probably about six or seven firefighers and sheriffs in a line, in front of the fire truck, at parade rest.
At the grave site itself, Dr. Ed Bloomfield gave the eulogy. It was funny and heartfelt. I remember a few things of what he said. “It wasn’t long after he was elected that the city staff began to realize they had a different sort of councilmember on their hands. This one wore overalls, came in with dusty boots, and sometimes some hay or straw would be poking out of his pocket.”
Bloomfield also said, “When Larry didn’t agree with something, he wasn’t afraid to call it out as b.s.” and Bloomfield also brought up the Greek philosopher Aristotle and his philosophy on the good life and the importance of participating in politics.
Because Larry was a Navy veteran, there was a 21-gun salute and a flag-folding ceremony. There was also a dove release, and one gentleman sang “Happy Trails”, which is an old country song from Roy Rogers. Afterward, everyone went to the Albert O. Little Community Center at 18750 Clarkdale Avenue, for the reception. They watched a video tribute to Larry, reminisced, and ate lunch.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Friday, December 18, 2009
What's happening in Artesia?
It's been a while since I've last posted. I've been focusing too much on my other blog, "The Partially Informed Philosopher".
Anyways, it's a little late but I thought I'd offer some analysis on the results of the November election and its effect on Artesia. And I do this largely because Artesia is one of those little towns that just kind grew on me, so I'm genuinely worried about it. For Artesia, the most important things in those elections were the two measures, S and Y. Measure S passed. That's a hotel tax. But Measure Y, the business license fee increase, didn't.
From what I've "heard" through the Grapevine, a lot of people voted "No" because they thought it would be a tax increase on them. It wasn't. But what's done is done, and now the City must figure out what to do.
Even though they've got one of the measures, the loss of Measure Y will still be detrimental to the City. Even if both of the measures passed, the City was still going to be facing a huge problem.
So what is the City facing this fiscal year; an $800,000+ deficit! That's probably small change for bigger cities like Lakewood and Cerritos; but $800,000 is huge for a tiny 1.6 square mile town with 17,000 residents.
A lot of folks don't know this, but Artesia is funded largely on sales tax. And with the economy the way it is, the City has been hurting for sales tax.
"What about all those capital projects?" any observant passersby might ask. Those capital projects are the results of grants, which are restricted funds meant specifically for those projects.
But still, despite the financial crisis in Artesia, the City still wants to maintain its essential services: public safety, road maintenance, tree trimming, and all the other stuff cities do. Artesia's not sure how it's going to pull it off, and it might even lose a few employees (hopefully not) in the process, but right now it's main goal is to create a sustainable budget.
Anyways, it's a little late but I thought I'd offer some analysis on the results of the November election and its effect on Artesia. And I do this largely because Artesia is one of those little towns that just kind grew on me, so I'm genuinely worried about it. For Artesia, the most important things in those elections were the two measures, S and Y. Measure S passed. That's a hotel tax. But Measure Y, the business license fee increase, didn't.
From what I've "heard" through the Grapevine, a lot of people voted "No" because they thought it would be a tax increase on them. It wasn't. But what's done is done, and now the City must figure out what to do.
Even though they've got one of the measures, the loss of Measure Y will still be detrimental to the City. Even if both of the measures passed, the City was still going to be facing a huge problem.
So what is the City facing this fiscal year; an $800,000+ deficit! That's probably small change for bigger cities like Lakewood and Cerritos; but $800,000 is huge for a tiny 1.6 square mile town with 17,000 residents.
A lot of folks don't know this, but Artesia is funded largely on sales tax. And with the economy the way it is, the City has been hurting for sales tax.
"What about all those capital projects?" any observant passersby might ask. Those capital projects are the results of grants, which are restricted funds meant specifically for those projects.
But still, despite the financial crisis in Artesia, the City still wants to maintain its essential services: public safety, road maintenance, tree trimming, and all the other stuff cities do. Artesia's not sure how it's going to pull it off, and it might even lose a few employees (hopefully not) in the process, but right now it's main goal is to create a sustainable budget.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Norwalk Council mistakes 7-11's zealous community outreach for "strong-arm tactics"
I was a little bit dismayed when Norwalk's City Council went on a tangent about 7-11's bid to sell beer and wine. Who would've thought it would've turned into an hour-long conversation?
I try to be reasonable about these things. City councils in general have a very big responsibility when they're making decisions, and sometimes odd (but relevant) subjects come up during the ensuing discussion. But this time I saw no point.
By far, their biggest accusation had nothing to do with the sale of beer or wine. It was about 7-11's supposed "strong-arm" tactics that were somehow perceived to be forcing city councilmembers into voting yes.
I try to be reasonable about these things. City councils in general have a very big responsibility when they're making decisions, and sometimes odd (but relevant) subjects come up during the ensuing discussion. But this time I saw no point.
By far, their biggest accusation had nothing to do with the sale of beer or wine. It was about 7-11's supposed "strong-arm" tactics that were somehow perceived to be forcing city councilmembers into voting yes.
What were these strong-arm tactics?
- Filling out an application to join the Chamber of Commerce
- Telling a local softball league about 7-11’s donation program
- Giving two councilmembers (not all five) a bundle of papers supporting their business
- Surveying residents to make sure the business would be accepted by the community
- Having a sympathetic councilmember from Anaheim call in support of the business
- Showing up with an entourage of corporate and neighborhood supporters at the public hearing.
No doubt about it, 7-11 went above and beyond what one could expect for a measly public hearing. Their presentation at the public hearing was also a bit overbearing. When 10-plus people, from slimy corporate PR people, fellow franchisee owners, and just regular old citizens come out to support a business - you know that something's going on.
But "strong-arm" tactics? If anything, it's just community outreach. How is filing an application to join the Chamber of Commerce a "strong-arm tactic"?
Unfortunately, "strong-arm tactics" is a rather loose definition, but it implies actual threats and even violence, or simply being deceptive to put one's self in a better position. Here's some real strong-arm tactics:
- Firing employees merely to make a point
- Military invasion is always a strong-arm tactic
- Lying is a strong-arm tactic, esp. in the business world
- The cliche union boss forcing the regular employee to stay on strike
- In China, parents who unite to look for their kidnapped child are forced to disband, because it makes China look bad (nobody gets kidnapped in China!)
- Blackmail
None of the things that 7-11 did constitute a "strong-arm tactic" in the classical sense of the word. The closest is having the Anaheim councilmember call; but that's not a strong-arm tactic. That's just a bad tactic in general; a PR mistake. We're talking about politicians, after all. And having one politician from Anaheim suggest to a Norwalk politician about what they should do in Norwalk, is just going to piss off the Norwalk politician.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Norwalk City Council sets an example
Mayor Cheri Kelley and the Norwalk City Council is awesome! They actually rejected the agreement between the California Contract Cities and L.A. County to split the cost, via the Liability Trust Fund, to pay for criminal acts done by County Sheriffs.
Kelley said the City of Norwalk will not pay for criminal behavior of a deputy, especially one who raped a woman. She was referring to the case of a sheriff's deputy who was convicted of separate rapes in 2003 and 2004.
Their city attorney warned that such a vote would require a similar vote from other cities, otherwise "It's all or nothing."
Kelley acknowledged that the issue is largely an administrative issue. "But it's a costly administrative issue," she said.
I, for one, was quite moved to see the city council make such a bold decision.
Kelley said the City of Norwalk will not pay for criminal behavior of a deputy, especially one who raped a woman. She was referring to the case of a sheriff's deputy who was convicted of separate rapes in 2003 and 2004.
Their city attorney warned that such a vote would require a similar vote from other cities, otherwise "It's all or nothing."
Kelley acknowledged that the issue is largely an administrative issue. "But it's a costly administrative issue," she said.
I, for one, was quite moved to see the city council make such a bold decision.
Monday, July 20, 2009
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