PBA Letter Rips Santos

[Guest Guest]

Good letter printed in this week's Observer. Too bad they didn't follow up on it and make it a story:

Observer letter to the publisher

Way to negotiate Mr. mayor! How will the minions spin this one?

[Guest wikileaks]

Here is the Letter mentioned above preserved here at KOTW because the Observer deletes articles after their first week:

n an interview with local newspaper The Observer, published on November 16, 2010, Mayor Alberto Santos said, “It’s a train wreck. I can’t see how any municipality in New Jersey can make it work unless you can grow your sources of non-tax revenues.”

In defining non-tax revenues, Mayor Santos said, “…but in light of the current state law mandating a 2% cap on local tax levy and state aid being flat and revenues from municipal court fines, construction office fees and interest on town deposits being flat or less, we have no room for added expenses. This will result in more layoffs next year unless the cap law is addressed.”

Logically, the only ways to increase municipal court revenues are either to employ a judge who orders higher fines for guilty defendants or through stricter police enforcement.

As Kearny’s top elected official, statements from Mayor Alberto Santos carry considerable weight with the PBA membership. Out of concern for the message being sent by Mayor Santos by blaming impending layoffs and demotions, in part, on “revenues from municipal court fines… being flat or less,” PBA Local 21 called a special membership meeting to advise members on union policy concerning job actions. PBA Local 21’s attorney attended this meeting and explained to the membership that no job action concerning police enforcement was approved by PBA Local 21, or its Superior Officers Association offshoot.

Thus far, PBA Local 21 has proposed a number of givebacks and made a number of suggestions to prevent the layoffs of up to seventeen police officers and demotions of nineteen supervisors as proposed by town officials. Proposed givebacks have included foregoing contractual raises for 2011, accepting comp time in lieu of overtime for all of 2011, accepting comp time in lieu of overtime pay for attending state-mandated semi-annual firearms re-qualifications, paying into health insurance premiums, and guaranteeing retirements of a number of senior officers at top salary steps. To date, none of these giveback packages, or any of the union’s cost-saving suggestions, have been accepted by Mayor Santos. Mayor Santos has also refused PBA requests to meet face-to-face to negotiate in good faith.

In light of a reported statistical rise in parking summonses issued last week, PBA Local 21 renews its directive to its members that no job action concerning police enforcement is sanctioned by this union. Notwithstanding that PBA Local 21 has not been notified of any cases of parking summonses being issued other than for bonafide violations of the law, the union will not advise its members to view Mayor Santos’ comments about growth of non-tax revenues through municipal court fines as tantamount to a directive for stricter enforcement.

Glenn Reed, PBA Local 21 President, Scott MacFie, SOA Local 21 Bargaining Agent,

David Feldhan, PBA/SOA Spokesperson, Tim Wagner, PBA/SOA Spokesperson

Members of Kearny PBA Local 21

[Guest guest]

I guess the problems which face the entire have not sunk in with all unions in Kearny.

Layoffs Jersey City,Camden,Newark,Westfield,Hoboken and list keeps growning.

Maybe unions should do what the suppose to do and protect thier membership and no the union leaders.

[Guest Guest]

I guess the problems which face the entire have not sunk in with all unions in Kearny.

Layoffs Jersey City,Camden,Newark,Westfield,Hoboken and list keeps growning.

Maybe unions should do what the suppose to do and protect thier membership and no the union leaders.

Maybe the Mayor should look for cuts inside Town Hall. How much is Mr. Martello being paid for 3 jobs (Business Administrator - Construction dept. - Computor Programmer) Mrs.Torres (Secretary) Mrs. Decastro ********* ***** a ******** job. Two Recreation supervisors!! Mayor try working on REVITALIZING South Kearny!!!!

Edited December 3, 2010 by KOTW
Content.

[Guest KPDblue]

I guess the problems which face the entire have not sunk in with all unions in Kearny.

Layoffs Jersey City,Camden,Newark,Westfield,Hoboken and list keeps growning.

Maybe unions should do what the suppose to do and protect thier membership and no the union leaders.

The PBA President is a Patrolman, who works the Night Shift. Maybe you missed the part where we Offered to MEET OR EXCEED every cut the Mayor and Council asked for. In July they asked for $580,000 cut to stop the layoffs and Demotions. We sat down and came up with a plan that would have saved $610,000 THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS more than the Town asked for. Within a week, "They made a Mistake" and suddenly it was 1.6 Million Dollars that needed to be cut. So we sat down again, and came up with THAT amount..but have yet to hear from The Mayor and Council. YOUR mayor stood up in front of the Voters and stated that he wanted to work with the Unions to try and save jobs, and would accept any reasonable offer. So far, every reasonable offer has been rejected. From what I can tell, The Mayor and Council want the Layoffs to go through..the sad part is how many people will believe them when they lie about it. But then again..when has anything as trivial as the truth ever stopped a Politician or his/her lackey from spinning spinning spinning.