MWD RAISES RATES; NOW WANTS TO JACK UP PENSIONS
UPDATE: The MWD Board will take up this matter at its meeting on Sept 15.
The Metropolitan Water District, one of the shadowiest and least transparent agencies in California is contemplating raising its employees pension benefits. The Register opines about it here and makes reference to an original story by Teri Sforza here .
With bad news about how its own pension plan has been rocked by huge CalPERS investment losses, and with financially teetering state and municipal governments it seems like a poor time for the MWD to be grabbing for more tax-payer backed gravy to benefit a giant gaggle of water bureaucrats. Plus, the MWD just passed along a water commodity rate to its members that we are all paying for.
Fullerton is original member of the MWD and has been represented for a long time, some say way too long, by a fellow named Jim Blake – as we wrote about here .
UPDATE: The MWD is scheduled to take up this matter at its meeting on September 15.
Jim has been on the MWD Board for so long that almost nobody can remember when he went on back in the 80s (1980s, that is). The people who originally appointed him are all long gone. But Jim has well-managed his continual reappointment without anybody else getting a shot at the job. Well, now he’s got an issue that may just spell trouble for his lengthy tenure.
Blake has always been a big pro-staff drum-beater, and its hard to imagine that if, left to his own devises, he wouldn’t go for the pension jack. If he goes for it now, the people who appointed him may discover that it is they who are ultimately responsible for the actions of their appointees. Under ordinary circumstances this might not bother Fullerton’s own pension spiking gang too much. But 2010 is an election year, and we feel certain that this the pension increase will become an issue if it goes through. The city council needs to know that this continued fiscal recklessness will not be tolerated.
This will be an issue for Shawn Nelson. None of the other cowards will touch it. So, okay. Shawn, what about it? You voted to re-appoint this chucklehead, right?
No doubt about it, the MWD board is the biggest collection of useless losers since the U.S. Congress.
They all need to go!
“Why should a public agency squander public dollars in such an irresponsible way during a time of economic peril, public debt and rising taxes and fees?”, this should never happen period, whether economic times are good or bad these scams should be illegal.
Blake’s a tool.
when this nincompoop ran for City Council in 1992. He was the ultimate zero, the pre-Godfrey Godfrey. He seemed like a million years old back then – 17 years ago. He’s gotta be in his eighties now.
Isn’t there one person in this city of 140,000 people who couild do a better job? Let’s ask. The gerontocracy won’t let go without a little help.
I remember Blake held a rather large fundraiser at his house for Mike Cleseri. I believe he’s given thousands to Dick Jones & Bankhead, who else has he given money to?
Looks like it’s time for an inquiry.
Yup. He was a big Jan Flory supporter, too. Whatever it took to grease his skids.
Just let this fool hike more pensions. I have never seen voters this angry and aware. We will finally be able to get rid of him.
Two things:
1) There should be a reqirement that the photo of any politician be at least taken within the last 36 months;
2) This boob fails to actively attempt to prevent the pension spike and I say we storm city hall a demand his ouster
It’s not fair to the other Committee and or Commission members in Fullerton that Blake has no term limit. After all, he’s a citizen who was appointed to a Board which shouldn’t be any different than anyone appointed to the RDRC or Planning Commission.
All the other at large positions occupied by Fullerton residents have term limits. Blake’s in med term of his 6th (4) year term that’s 22 years! Why? Is he above the law because he has raised tens of thousands for Bankhead, Jones, Clesceri, Wilson. Let’s see who has the courage to remove Blake from the MWD.
Blake should be removed immediately.