iePolitics.com

Well, what an event-filled day! It’s taken forever tonight for me to update the blog. And on that subject, if there is anyone out there who would like to volunteer to help with the blog, i.e., adding newspaper stories and/or writing original pieces, let me know and I’ll set up an account for you. Right now I especially need help perusing the newspapers for interesting stories and my schedule is such that I’m having a hard time keeping up. “From a blogger” or original posts are always welcome.

I received a very nice email today from Senator John Benoit’s Communications Director Darin Schemmer asking if I would like to be added to their press release list. Of course my answer was “yes.” I’m only just starting to add Riverside County politics to the blog and it would be nice to have a better relationship with their elected leaders than I have with San Bernardino County’s where I have to beg and use fake email addresses and names just to get a hold of their information for the blog. So thank you Darin and Senator Benoit.
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When I took the part-time Christmas job working for the USPS many years ago it became quite apparent rather quickly why the act of killing one’s supervisors and co-workers in sudden act of frenzied violence was synonymous with working for the USPS. I used to marvel at their hiring and firing practices and the way in which they treated subordinates. And the sheer stupidity of management.
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I thought I’d be a bit presumptuous and make a few predictions for the New Year. Hopefully, the blog will be around a year from now and we can all see how far off I am.

Board of Supervisors — I predict that at least one, and as many as three, members of the Board of Supervisors will be implicated in a scandal that makes all previous scandals pale in comparison. Other elected officials including Sheriff Penrod and DA Ramos may also be implicated.
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The class action suit against the county got a huge boost yesterday as did the decertification of SBPEA. Just remember the slogan: Chicken Man has got to go; bring in the AFL-CIO.

I actually need to hear from the representatives from Professional, Supervisory and Management units regarding decertification. The other units are all on board. We need to get all the reps together in one place to meet with the new union. Please email me privately if you are still interested.

I am getting so many emails from employees about furloughs and layoffs that I cannot keep up with them. From everything I can tell there will be no furloughs or layoffs this fiscal year, although at least one supervisor, Brad Mitzelfelt, is apparently pushing for layoffs.

Here are the contributions by SBPEA to Brad:

05/22/2007 $5,000.00
06/19/2007 $2,500.00
10/15/2007 $1,500.00
12/20/2007 $2,500.00
04/01/2008 $3,750.00
05/16/2008 $1,177.20
07/31/2008 $750.00
10/17/2008 $2,500.00

As it turns out there is some truth to the rumors that Paula is spreading. Does anyone have any doubt Chicken Man is in bed with county officials to the detriment of county employees?

I am pushing the coordinators that are trying to bring in the new international union to replace SBPEA to announce it soon so that employees can see there is light at the end of the tunnel and make a decision about whether or not they want to keep SBPEA or go for a stronger, professional union.

Note in the following Press-Enterprise article on 12/12/08 in spite of paying for so-called union representative from SBPEA, the working conditions got so extremely bad 21 of 25 City of Colton Public Works signed a letter petitioning the city manager and council to start an investigation of their supervisor. It is so unusual to read that many workers, 84%, would openly identify themselves, because of the real threat of retaliation. In addition to their supervisor, his supervisor, supervisors in other departments, the Public Works Director, directors of other departments, the Human Resources Director, the city manager and members of the city council are all going to remember this incident. Those that perceive any criticism as a challenge to their authority will see it as a ‘Mutiny on the Bounty.’ If given an opportunity in the future, those cockroaches will misuse their authority by retaliating against any of the 21 of 25 employees who bravely signed the petition letter. You can count on SBPEA to again fail to adequately represent them.

City of Colton workers challenge supervisor

LETTER: Employees of the streets and parks divisions of public works file a petition against their supervisor.

BY CINDY MARTINEZ RHODES
THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE 12/12/2008

With complaints that include favoritism, nepotism and an abuse of power, workers in the Colton Public Works Department have signed a petition asking for an investigation of supervisor John Roque.
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I thought I would address this suggestion as a separate post. Those who don’t know what I’m talking about can read the comments on the Chicken Man/AFL-CIO post.
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I received an email from Mark Kirk this morning and he is more than willing to meet with us. I’m booked solid for the next two weeks so I’m thinking we’ll try to do something right after the first of the year.
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It seems that almost every day someone asks me about either decertification of SBPEA, the meeting with Mark Kirk, and/or the EAC not that any one of those issues has anything to do with the other. This is where we are at.

Decertification cannot take place for a little over a year. There are at least two international unions interested in six of the seven units — I don’t think anyone cares about Supervising Nurses. They are willing to provide the staff, etc., for the campaign. I expect the campaign to take many months as there will have to be several thousand cards signed in a 30-day period when that time comes. Some meetings have already taken place and we’re trying to get more going but no one has had time. We’ll provide the details either on the blog or through word of mouth when the time comes. Ridding ourselves of SBPEA is not a moot issue. As a matter of fact, it is very high on the priority list. (more…)

For those who don’t know, there are two retired employees groups in San Bernardino County. The first is the one with SBPEA. The second is this group. This group is very active. I will be publishing the minutes as I receive them. You need to let me know if this is a feature you want on the blog. I have the minutes for the past couple of months for the special meetings, the general meetings, and the board meetings.

RETIRED EMPLOYEES OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
GENERAL MEETING
MONDAY, October 20, 2008

The meeting is called to order by Vice President Lucille Abrams at 1:40 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the First Congregational Church, 3041 North Sierra Way, San Bernardino, California. A moment of slience was observed in honor of Rod Moers, President, who passed away and Lucille Abrams leads the Pledge of Allegiance. There were 41 members and 1 guest present.
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