This is not as simple as some are making it out to be.
Police are a top priority, but money voted for parks years ago cannot just be given to police. Even if the council could give that money to the police, they would be breaking rules doing it and be in trouble.
From what I understand a contract was made a few years ago and agreed upon. So it has to be negotiated and agreed upon again before more money can be diverted to police.
All the Council and Mayor live in Martinez and also depend on Police. And not that they do not care about others, they do, and the city to be safe etc., but even politically they are working on it.
I do not think it is fair to lay the blame on the council or Mayor for this issue. It is important and I hope it is worked out ASAP and we stop losing officers and hire enough to police our city.
Also I hope we can pay them what they deserve and also have competitive pay for them compared to other cities. But this has been spun politically to make it look like all they care about a ball field and park more than police, which is not true.
If they could have seen into the future how ever many years ago it was and made their pay etc more back then when the contract was signed to have avoided this situation they would have. How could we have known what other cities would do the following year or whenever when they made new contracts with their police department?
So suddenly some other cities can out bid us for police and even take our newly trained police for better pay and benefits .. I just hope Martinez can compete and find the money to at least equal what some other cities are now able to pay. Or beat them. Then in a year or two the other cities will up the pay and so it goes.
But in my opinion making this political is hurting your cause and crying wolf in an election year people are smart enough I think to see through this also and when you have a legitimate gripe or criticism you will lose the trust of a lot of voters and once again this will backfire, because again it is not as simple as some are saying and I see so much concern and interest motivated more by politics than on actual facts and legitimate concerns.
– Chris Kapsalis
Prepping us to ask for more taxes.
Well, Mike, if citizen activists did not quash every other tool at the city’s disposal to increase ongoing revenues then they’ve made that decision for us all.
If MPD is demanding a mid-contract pay increase and our current revenue forecasts do not support that increase, the money will have to come from somewhere. Blame the anti redevelopment, North Pacheco/Valley annexation, infill housing projects on our flat – 2% revenue projections.
Well Linda I believe those decisions were made by the voters. To me it is saying what voters want.
Well, then, I believe you have your answer regarding whether or not the citizens of Martinez should pony up for a cop tax… unless there is another Mike (B####) who had a vested interest in seeing to the failure of the Pine Meadow project coming to fruition. I find it rich for some to complain about government applying a broad based tax when every other avenue of revenue generation has been blocked by a vocal minority well versed in the art of deception.
You’re right Chris, bond money for capital can not be used for general fund expenditures, the city couldn’t even ask the voters to do that. It’s the law surrounding obligation bonds in California.
Most people want to take a narrow view on what has caused budget problems for their cities in this state. They like to blame individuals or city council but the picture is much bigger than that.
I can give everyone a much better picture of it with regard to our school district, but it’s the same for our cities, counties and some special districts.
Seven and a half years ago when I left the school board the district received about $30 million in revenue, most of which comes from the state. The state’s revenue was right about $100 billion annually. Today, the school district receives about $41 million, about a 32% increase in funds over that time. In the same period, the state’s revenue has increased to $178 billion, a 78% increase. When the state was cutting budgets they cut across the board at a near equal percentage to their revenue reduction. So as revenue has returned, why have state funded budgets been increased at less than half of the rate of state’s? Now apply the same situation to every district, every county and every city in California and you have to ask yourself the same question I have been asking since even before I left the school board, where has our money gone? California has a proposed budget for next year of $181 billion, one seventh of the total federal budget and is by far the highest of any other state. So why are our schools, cities and counties struggling financially? Most of the newest taxes enacted within the past 5 years have come with the promise to better finance education and transportation, yet this year districts are once again laying off staff and cutting budgets while projected state revenue grows.
The state blames Proposition 13, yet state revenue has seen an increase that will equal 81% over the last 8 years.
Every year, more and more of our money is staying in Sacramento. I have not only said this and watched it over the last seven and a half years, I said this forteen years ago when school funding began what were some of the largest cuts since the depression of the 1930’s.
The same is happening with transportation funds and fuel taxes.
Sacramento is getting fatter by the minute and local government is getting skinnyer and nobody seems to care. Tax payers should be revolting, not simply at the amount of taxes we are paying, but about how much fat the state is feeding with or money in the way of spending on itself. When you look at the state budget, there is no longer any accounting for the cost of doing government, there hasn’t been for years. But I’ll bet anyone dinner that in this year’s elections voters will elect the business as usual politicians who thrive off of the tax and spend mentality that is sending California into the financial abyss. Instead we should be circling the Capitol asking where our money has gone.
Well Linda the only vested interest I have is how my tax dollars are being spent. I do have a problem with theaters & baseball teams being funded over basic services.
Well apparently, and according to you, in 2008 that’s where Martinez voters let their voice be heard. I realize 10 years is a long time, but we had a few parks we needed to improve. http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/11/04/ca/cc/meas/H/
One last, since I really can’t allow the disinformation being spread to stand unchallenged, tax dollars did not “fund” a baseball team. Those are private dollars. An additional 400k was added to the park improvement dollars from the unreserved fund balance (rainy day fund). The dollars in that fund can clearly be used for capital improvement projects.
However, since those dollars are not recurring revenues they should not be budgeted into and spent on recurring debt, like salary expense. Its no different from a household budget that receives unexpected windfall monies. You don’t go out and finance a Winnebago based on Aunt Suzie leaving you $1,000 in her will.
I do have a problem with theaters & baseball teams being funded by basic services.
Well Linda I was referring to the cities spending priorities. I did not say anything about the parks.
Didn’t the team require an upgraded playing field to play here & not the standard field?
This , like most important issues, is being used for politics. And of course one side will always leave out some important information that sometimes makes it all make sense. Why I could never be a politician or on a council.. It would drive me crazy. Just try to hear all sides of an issue and make or form your opinion. I am too the point where I hold back any judgement until I hear all sides and then make my opinion. Which is often in the middle somewhere and inevitably pisses off both sides of the fence. lol. Oh well, I just can’t leave out details if I know them to be true, I will present them in my opinion. Why? because I feel the truth is the most important thing, and not giving the whole truth only does your cause a disservice in the end. If you do only give your side and leave out details, most intelligent people will question what your belief is in the future, even if it is legitimate and true. They will wonder what you are leaving out this time. Just give the truth. That’s all. Then people can decide.
Unless someone has undergone a radical and shattering enlightenment, I have hard evidence that there are those above that do NOT “feel the truth is the most important thing”–in my opinion–this letter is ingratiation. Here is one–in my opinion–who has gotten great favor from these cops–who yes, do act according to politics the higher up in the chain of command you go. The cops get paid more and the vulnerable or unfavored protected less. I have a complaint to the District Attorney if anyone wants to read it.