To Reduce Police Violence, Address Police Unions: Protests over the killing of George Floyd rocked cities throughout the state and country this week. CPC President Will Swaim explains in a National Review op-ed that reforming police unions is a necessary prerequisite to addressing police violence. He highlights the inherent conflict of interest that occurs between elected officials who are supposed to police the police and the police unions that fund their elections campaigns:
Here in Southern California — 1,924 miles from the place where a Minneapolis policeman killed George Floyd — police unions finance the campaigns for the state and local politicians who, if elected, will be called upon to supervise police. That’s a conflict of interest with sometimes fatal consequences.
Like most states, California’s police unions have won special protections, usually called a “law enforcement bill of rights.” The “sole purpose” of such laws, writes Mike Riggs, their best historian, “is to shield cops from the laws they’re paid to enforce,” and they explain how bad cops stay on the job.
Read the op-ed HERE. Listen to Will and CPC Board Member David Bahnsen discuss the issue further on the latest episode of National Review’s Radio Free California HERE.
An issue that cuts across partisan lines: San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and other state prosecutors called on the State Bar this week to prevent police union campaign contributions to district attorney races. The LA Times has also backed this reform. Now, if only liberal politicians and media could take this position to its logical conclusion and recognize how public-sector union money infects governance beyond just the criminal justice system.
Even pop culture is recognizing the police union problem: This week, the Netflix show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, highlighted the correlation between police unions and police violence. (Skip to the 12:50 mark, unless you’re looking for a Friday distraction.)
Cal Legislature can’t even curtail public compensation during a crisis: California’s Legislative leaders on Wednesday rejected minor public-sector budget cuts that Gov. Gavin Newsom had proposed to address the $54.3 billion budget deficit. As I toldThe Center Square:
By opposing minor pandemic-induced pay cuts for public employees, California politicians are putting their union paymasters' priorities above their constituents. Moving the compensation of public-sector employees slightly in the direction of their private-sector counterparts should not be a controversial response to this economic crisis. Until the state can take on union special interests, it won't be able to emerge from it.
The May budget revise is also bad news for pension solvency. As Marc Joffe, former CPC colleague, now at Reason,explains, “It reverses previous state initiatives to pay down unfunded pension liabilities, which are already estimated to total $167 billion and almost certainly will rise further due to this year’s stock market performance.”
Don’t forget about other post-employment benefits (OPEB): David Crane explains in City Journal this week that the state’s public-sector liability concerns go beyond just pensions:
California’s pension problems are well known, but the OPEB crisis is almost as bad. California pays 100 percent of the health-insurance premiums for retired state employees and 90 percent of the premiums for retirees’ family members. As a result, the state incurs annual OPEB expenses of more than $7 billion. Because the state covers that cost with a combination of cash ($2.7 billion this year) and debt, California’s OPEB deficit is $85 billion, exceeding the amount of the state’s outstanding General Obligation Bonds, which—unlike OPEB debt—were approved by voters.
Teachers unions vs doctors: While teachers unions demand more money to reopen schools, pediatricians say kids should be back in class. As the LA Times reports, “The damage done by keeping children out of school might outweigh the risks of COVID-19 transmission, a regional organization of pediatricians said Tuesday, pushing back against educators who have cautioned against reopening campuses too soon.”
The homeschool silver lining: As CPC contributor Larry Sandexplains, “A Real Clear Opinion Research poll showed that 40 percent of families are more likely to homeschool or virtual school after experiencing the lockdown. Also, an EdChoice survey found that 52 percent of parents have a more favorable opinion of homeschooling since their child’s school was shuttered.”
Public “service” in Santa Ana: CPC knows first-hand the power of police unions, which spent roughly $500,000 to recall Santa Ana city councilmember and CPC education director Cecilia Iglesias, who opposed police pay increases. CPC contributor Edward Ring explores the political difficulties associated with taking on the unions and offers a strategy for reformers moving forward:
Normal voters are unlikely to understand the significance of pension storms on the horizon when the sun is shining on their front lawn. And politicians know that by the time the hailstorms arrive, they’ll be long retired. Maybe for a change, just shine a light on the compensation profiles in Santa Ana, a city where the median household income in 2018 was $65,313…. [In contrast,] working for the City of Santa Ana turns out to be a very rewarding profession. During 2018, the average pay and benefit package was worth $166,203.
Liberals say dumb things on social media, too: Mary Nichols, California Air Resources Board Chair, tweeted this week: “’I can’t breathe,’ speaks to police violence, but it also applies to the struggle for clean air. Environmental racism is just one form of racism. It’s all toxic.” Talk about polluting the discourse!
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