KAUFMAN: CITIES BUDGET DEFICIT

[SEIU721REFORMERS]

CITIES BUDGET DEFICIT

 Rafe

    I know I keep getting clobbered on this but let me remind all SEIU members that OUR pension is currently the ONLY option cited by the city to solve its budget crisis.  Meanwhile the cost of providing a "sanctuary" for citizens here illegally is the real "elephant" in the room.  It is estimated that the city alone spends 1 billion, that's "billion" dollars a year simply to provide medical care for this population.  Education accounts for about another $700,000 dollars.  that's $1.7 billion dollars a year to support a population which is not needed in the first place since unemployment stands at 10 to 12%  (and remember the average city laborer is an example of someone doing the job "no one else" wants to do!).

    Certainly the city can find $216 million dollars to cut from this expense before attacking OUR pensions.  Excuse me for being angry about this but how much more are we supposed to give up?!  Our numbers have been decimated and yet we are still being told to do more work for less money.  Why, so others can go about their business unscathed.  I don't care where they're from.  It's not O.K!  Even Obama says that everyone should pay his fair share.

    So I feel the union should be making this one demand before any more "takeaways" are given.  Implement E-Verify on all businesses before SEIU gives up any more.  If not we will file a lawsuit demanding that the city follow federal guidelines on employment.   This will not only reduce the cities financial debt but open up thousands of jobs which will be easier to unionize.  Someone tell me why this is wrong?

Ed Kaufman

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Ed,

I will let others respond to your concern.

However, I am responding with some comments and questions of my own.

Ed, let me make it perfectly clear.   I believe that immigration is a national issue and should be addressed.

However, I firmly believe, that all of us have a moral responsibility to uphold and protect the rights and dignity of all human beings on this planet to the best of our ability.   More so if the individual is planted on our hallow ground.

Rafe

 
    I know I keep getting clobbered on this but let me remind all SEIU members that OUR pension is currently the ONLY option cited by the city to solve its budget crisis.

I do not believe this statement is accurate.

Meanwhile the cost of providing a "sanctuary" for citizens here illegally is the real "elephant" in the room.  

The Justice system is forcing our prison systems to put criminals out on the street because of overcrowding and create a turn style criminal justice system whereby criminals walk in the court room and leave out the back before the arresting officers have completed their process.  By further encumbering our law enforcement agencies to provide the services that is the responsibility of "la migra" would only complicate the local municipalities ability to perform their normal duties.

The enormous contributions undocumented workers provide our community daily go unheralded.  Undocumented workers contribute an enormous amount of revenue to local economies, social security and other governmental generated revenues.

Undocumented workers are consumers which stimulates local, state and national economic engines.

We all take for granted the $ .99 hamburgers with iceberg lettuce and tomatoes that flow so inexpensively because of the "cheap" labor force that performs these painstaking jobs.

When your family purchases food at the market, you take for granted the competitive prices that undocumented workers allow merchants to offer lower prices.

Free labor marker where an individual is able to work for an agreed upon wage in a free market. 

Migrant workers, documented or otherwise, require regulations and oversight just as air controllers, truck drivers and dog catchers.  In the best interest of any particular work force, the consumer and the public.

Ed, you know, your kids ain't gonna pick no lettuce, tomatoes, oranges, onions, garlic, or weeds for minimum wage.

It is estimated that the city alone spends 1 billion, that's "billion" dollars a year simply to provide medical care for this population. 

Ed, I ain't from Missouri but, you gotta "show me" where you get these figures from.

 Education accounts for about another $700,000 dollars.  that's $1.7 billion dollars a year to support a population which is not needed in the first place since unemployment stands at 10 to 12%  (and remember the average city laborer is an example of someone doing the job "no one else" wants to do!).

Ed, in my opinion, you are totally wrong.  

First of all, if these workers were not needed, they would not come here to stand around if there were no employment opportunities available for them.

Undocumented workers pay their taxes and in turn are paying for social services such as schools, medical emergency, etc.  If this population were not needed, our social order would not be able to sustain them.  If this were a state regulated economy and social order, then no, the immigrants who race to come to our great land of plenty and opportunity would not be able to fit in. 

But because we are in a land of freedom, a free market and free enterprise, one of the many resulting complexities of our system is the abundance of immigrants flowing in.  Other complexities of our system are inflation, recession, stagnation, pollution, global warming, human trafficking, drugs, obesity, corruption, spiraling health care costs, Wall Street greed.

    Certainly the city can find $216 million dollars to cut from this expense before attacking OUR pensions.

Ed, I believe you will find that most will agree with you on this.

Excuse me for being angry about this but how much more are we supposed to give up?!  

Ed, you don't have to apologize to anyone for being upset about this debacle of a financial nightmare that threatens all of our futures. 

Our numbers have been decimated and yet we are still being told to do more work for less money.  Why, so others can go about their business unscathed.  I don't care where they're from.  It's not O.K!  Even Obama says that everyone should pay his fair share.

    So I feel the union should be making this one demand before any more "takeaways" are given.  Implement E-Verify on all businesses before SEIU gives up any more.  If not we will file a lawsuit demanding that the city follow federal guidelines on employment.   This will not only reduce the cities financial debt but open up thousands of jobs which will be easier to unionize.  Someone tell me why this is wrong?

Ed, I'm just a low life one cell amoeba in the food chain and I do not pretend to know or understand the complex nature of balancing the city of Los Angeles budget.  

However, it is my humble opinion that E-Verify and immigration is not and should not be a priority for SEIU 721 to address at all, let alone as a priority.   SEIU 721 has bigger fish to fry.  To thwart the efforts of an unorganized and unrepresented labor force anywhere by any organized labor organization is incomprehensible to me.

I believe the leadership of SEIU 721 would be serving the best interests of its members and the ethos of our union by reaching out to all workers, irregardless of their resident status, and offering a helping hand to another brother or sister in time of need.

But, Ed, that's just my opinion.

Rafe

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That's all folks!

 

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SEIU Local 721 Reformers is an email address attempting to share information with SEIU Local Members, Stewards, Officers, Staff and Officials.
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