Notes from: COJ Committee 12/8/2012 and Vote No on the impasse bill

[Patricia M. McBride]

 

We are sharing our committee meeting report with our whole mailing list (and on this blog) in an effort to share the information about the special city council meeting on the pensions. We ask that anyone, within Duval County, who can come to city hall on Thursday at 9:30 AM, please come. We also are hoping you will either send the councilmen and women an Email or call them just in case they do not allow comments at the council meeting Thursday. Please feel free to use any of the information or suggestions made below as talking points if you wish to do so (it is the reason we are sharing this). Please forward this to your mailing lists and ask others to do the same. This is a very important issue as it will impact the financial well being of our city.  You can also call me if you have an interest in joining us to walk precinct 01A on Wednesday or Friday afternoon with with Wanda's Group or Louis Rose's Group (745-0741).

Hello all,

I wanted to take a minute to let everyone know what the topics of discussion were yesterday and thoughts we all had for solutions or actions to take.

We discussed the Special City Council meeting for the pension plan coming up on Thursday of this week 12/12/2012. We have decided Mr. Joost decides not to allow comments, we must seriously consider finding a replacement and initiating a recall. Ted has offered to look up the parameters for recalling someone and will share that information as soon as it is available (and you will all receive a copy).

Ted provided us all with copies of the letter exchanges between himself and state officials about the pension as well as the white paper written by himself for the TRUE commission.

We also discussed what we felt were appropriate comments to make, should comments be allowed, as you will get the hook if you go off subject and try to talk about anything but the matter at hand. Here are our ideas for matters that could be used by anyone not overly familiar, but planning to attend the special meeting Thursday (or writing a letter or calling their city councilman/woman).

VOTE NO ON PENSION IMPASSE

1. The 3 issues under consideration (2% pay cut, step inc changes, benefits changes) would end up requiring a tax increase which is not feasible at this time due to the poor economy. Recommendation: Sent this back to the mayor for re-negotiation as it is not acceptable.

2. A well run, efficient, and realistic city government will naturally attract potential industry to the "bold new city of the South". Address the problem and fix it rather than kick the can down the road again.

3. Reject impasse you have and go back to negotiations. The impasse bill does not even begin to touch the real problem. Go back to the transition report and determine how to implement what has been recommended.

4. If you do not vote no, our liability will be perpetuated.

5. We can't afford to pass this bill, and truthfully, we couldn't afford this contract when Mayor Austin negotiated it and his city council approved it. Send this back to the mayor and begin by reading the mayor's transition report on pensions aloud for everyone to hear. Then, find a way to do what the report says must be done to save the pension of our police and firemen (so everyone will get one).

6. The contract is currently under litigation as it is well past the 3 year state mandated limit for union contracts and needs to be renegotiated in it's entirety. Again, start by reading the mayor's transition report on pensions aloud before beginning negotiations.

(you can find the mayor's transition report on pensions here: http://www.coj.net/Mayor/Docs/Transition/Transition-Reports-Portfol... First click "get started", go to left side of pay and scroll down to "pensions transition", click on "pensions transition" and read what they have told our mayor about the pensions).

We discussed organizing precinct 01A-0, -1, and -2. Louis Rose, Wanda, Jim, Elizabeth and I (Pat) will be going into the district to knock on republican doors on Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 PM and on Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. Louis will be going out from 6 to 8 PM on those same days. Tom Wing will be going either with Wanda's Group or Louis's Group (I still have to call him and find out what his preference is). I will put together a handout with the info on the card back and the early voting locations and hours as the small card handout will be too costly at over $80.00 to print enough to cover everyone we need to cover. The handout will be ready by walk time on Wednesday.

There were several private discussions among group members. and we closed our meeting with an agreement to meet again in 2 weeks.

Very productive meeting and good to see all of you!

Pat

[Caryl R Stevens]

Thanks Pat for this post and the good meeting on Monday night at Players'. What can we do to get like-minded people energized? !!! Is it wise for Louis' group to be going out so late after dark to knock on doors? 

[Carole McManus]

Pat

Great presentation at the San Marco/Lakewood meeting tonight.  You kept the group engaged and

explained this week's CC meetings in a helpful manner.   Helpful to show the "how to" on the COJ website.......an interesting approach.  Will try to get some recruits to join your "walking team" this Wed. and Friday.  

[CJ]

If you find you cant make to the Thursday morning meeting please come tomorrow night to the Council meeting and say your piece there telling them no!