The outlines of a battle royale with wide implications are taking shape in Newport Beach next year, and hardly anyone outside NB city government and the Daily Pilot's Alicia Robinson (here and here) seem to be taking notice.
It's taking place against the backdrop of the county's likely legal challenge to the retroactive pension increase for members of the sheriff's deputies union, plus the ongoing struggle to contain the cost of public employee benefits that have grown ever more generous in recent years -- both in OC and across the country.
The idea is being proposed by Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry. It's part of the City and County of San Francisco's charter and Sup. Moorlach has spoken positively about the idea.
Predictably, the NB public safety union leaders aren't so hep to the idea:
"I'm philosophically opposed to it based on the fact that we have elected representatives that make those decisions, and it essentially takes away from our collective bargaining rights that we've worked hard to achieve," said Jeff Boyles, president of the Newport Beach Firefighters Assn.
Damon Psaros, president of the Newport Beach Police Employees Assn., agreed with Boyles. He added some of the current City Council members including Curry have opposed Greenlight, the slow-growth law that requires a vote on major developments, and he sees this as "basically the same thing — to me it's a little bit contradictory."
Supervisor candidate Cassie DeYoung called for such a policy on a county-wide basis during one of her rightward zigs. I initially embraced it, but I'm no longer completely sold on the idea. Not because I don't think it will put a brake on the relentless ratcheting up of government employee pensions. I think it would.
But as I age, I'm more distrustful of direct democracy and the growing habit of putting more issues that should be handled by elected officials into the hands of voters -- no-growth initiatives like the Greenlights being among the worst examples.
On one hand, putting pension increases to voters is more sensible than turning them into gigantic planning commissions and asking them to cast informed votes on voluminous EIRs and development plans. We are a nation of investors, and can render common sense judgments on whether a pension increase is merited or too big.
But if it does make the battle, you can bet government union money will fund a hail storm of mail, robocalls and cable ads. And not just from the NB employee unions. The last thing government employee unions want is for Curry's proposal to pass and start giving other cities ideas, so they'll have plenty of incentive to smother this baby in the cradle.
We'll keep you posted.
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