After reportedly spending nearly $2 million of taxpayer dollars to basically sue itself on the issue of the enhanced retirement benefits the Board of Supervisors approved several years ago for Sheriff’s Deputies and other safety employees of the County of Orange, the Board was poised on Tuesday to go into closed session to vote on whether to appeal their case. It seems the first court to hear the lawsuit threw it out, and the Board was faced with the dilemma of doubling down on the $2 million in legal expenses incurred to date and file an appeal, or not.
The Register editorialized on August 4 that the Board should vote to pursue the appeal, even though several law firms have advised the Board that they do not have a case. This itself is an interesting juxtaposition for a newspaper that is usually attacking government for a lack of frugality when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars, but what the heck – this is about showing one or more public employee unions who is boss, isn’t it?
On August 4 the Supervisors went into closed session to consider several legal matters, including whether or not to file an appeal on this lawsuit. Almost two hours after going into that session, the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors announced in the Supervisors hearing room that the Board was done with its closed session and that the Board “took no reportable action.” What they did or did not do is apparently a secret? Were there at least 3 votes to pursue the appeal, or not? If not, is it over? What does this silence mean? maybe it means they are like the Legislature in Sacramento – prone to pushing the tough decisions to another time.
Even if this particular retirement benefit battle is over (maybe it is, maybe it isn’t), on another front the retired employees of Orange County are pursuing an appeal on their retirement benefit reduction lawsuit against the County. You can read the County’s post on a recent court decision upholding the County’s position at the www.egov.OCgov.com web site – it is the June 25 post announcing the court’s decision supported the County’s position that the retirees’ argument was without legal merit . An update not mentioned in the County’s web site is that the retirees have decided to pursue an appeal, and a second suit – this one a class action – has been filed by several retired employees.
Legal costs are part of the game. Spending a couple million bucks to save potentially billions (this case would have statewide ramifications) seems like money well spent to this editorial writer. The money will also pay off because it gives the county leverage with a union that couldn’t care less about taxpayer dollars. The funny thing is reading union guys whine about spending a couple million, when you lobbied so hard for a retroactive pension increase that will cost many times that amount. Why the sudden concern for the taxpayer?
Steven,
What I find ironic is that many of the idiot Supervisors who voted for the pension spike are still favorites of the OC GOP.
The party got behind the truly moronic Jim Silva a couple years ago and sent him to Sacramento as an Assemblyman!
And Todd Spitzer found a job working for O.C. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. Spitzer may well succeed him!
Well, at least we got rid of Cynthia Coad…
Art,
You are so right. Todd Spitzer tripped all over himself spiking the pensions retroactively for the deputies union and he served in Sacramento as a representative mainly of the law enforcement unions, which is why I always referred to him as Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, R-Unions. Silva retroactively increased pensions in 2001 and then again in 2004. Bill Campbell voted for it in 2004 although he has tried to make amends. It is very frustrating. The board had 5-0 GOP majorities in 2001 and 2004.
Steven,
Exactly! Another reason to say adios to the GOP…
They had the White House for 8 years too and left us in quite a mess!
The movie High & Mighty with John “The Duke” Wayne said it all: “We have reached the point of no return!”
The Supervisors have gone so far…its like running half a Marathon and declaring they didn’t want to race in the first place…if they bail now!
“enhanced retirement benefits”
Now that’s gotta be the one of the great euphemisms of all time. It was a retroactive payout – a complete abdication of the Board’s responsibility to the public; a political money grab by a public emloyee union.