Jeff Adachi Lawyers Up

• Wait...is this the same Jeff Adachi who is exempt from making any contributions to his own pension? He has never made any wage concession like other city workers and has had a budget increase of nearly 48% over the last 6 years. Not to mention his measure also jeopardizes nearly 23 million dollars a year in federal subsidies for health care and will result in increased costs to the Healthy SF medical program, with more lower paid works opting out of paid health care and into the City's free program. Do you really think Jeff Adachi cares? NO. Jeff Adachi has a mansion is St. Francis Woods, drives a luxury mercedes, and doesn't plan on taking any of the cuts that he's proposing for all other city workers. JEFF ADACHI IS A HYPOCRITE.

• I forgot the survey link: www.irle.berkeley.edu/cwed/wp/healthbenefits10.pdf.

• I wonder why the "public defender" didn't write in any protections for the low paid city workers, especially for health care? If the problem is six-figure pensions and/or those making no pension contributions, then why not write a carefully crafted proposition to address these "fat cats?" Contrary to delusional posters like Seej, there are many city workers making $50 & under, and some supporting families on that amount. If Adachi really cared about the vulnerable as he preaches, he would have done this. It would have been easy to avoid the "collateral damage" of hurting those at the bottom that many proponents, like Jamie Whitaker, say is necessary to reform those those at the top. He could also have separated pension reform proposition from health care. If you vote for it, you will be hurting lower-income families while you also "get" retirees with large pensions. It's not propaganda, it's the truth. It's your karma.

• Does the angry mob know that teachers are included in this and that they don't have a city pension and that they already pay 46% of their health care premiums? A teacher with two dependents pays $628 for Kaiser and $950 for Blue shield. Prop B adds $130 to the Kaiser fee. Whenever I mention this sum to private sector friend they gape at how much it costs. I would like if someone posted any factual information to backup "city employees get better benefits than private sector." I found this UC survey of Bay Area private firms & nonprofits, which shows that teachers pay DOUBLE the premiums than the private sector for family coverage. My husband is a teacher, and frankly, the public villification is demoralizing I would love to see any of you finger pointers get up in front of a class of 30 12 year-olds, let's add that 3 of them are from housing projects, and see how well you do. A 9-year teacher with a master degree earns $62K. My husband works 55 hours a week, did his own bike-at-thon fundraiser to pay for classroom technology--very dedicated. It's not an outrageous salary, and we're not whining, we're just defending ourselves YET AGAIN, from the torch-bearing "taxpayer" who imagines this gold-plated taxpayer funded wonderland that they are cut out of. It doesn't exist.

• Um Seej, you are full of it. First of all the city salarys are public info, you dont have to "sunshine" the information. If you had, the city they would have told you, you just go to this website and type in gardener. you can see there is no gardener class in the city that makes 85,000, so this is not an average. the 130,000 is not accurate either, I have heard 55,000 is the average. here is the hss city of sf human resource website for the classifications. http://mission.sfgov.org/cgi-bin/dhr/findClass.cgi?MyID=3417 The range for a full gardener by the way is 50 to 65 k (after 5 years). what this doesnt tell you its that there are not that many full gardeners and this is a supervisor, most of the gardening is done by laborer classes which range from 20 to 40k a year approx.

• Although, not all city workers live in SF, but they should have families, friends, associates and yes, the clients. Why associates, because, us city workers volunteer(free labor, unpaid) to events like Homeless Project Connect from 7:00am to 4:40pm. Yes, we work with homeless clients, we provide free meals and services to them. We also provide free of charge income tax filing services weeknights after until either 7:00 or later after our regular schedule and even on Saturday from 9:00 to 3:00pm free labor. Also, on Election day, some of us volunteer at voting site from 6:00am till about 10:pm. We also need to take more of our personal time to be trained and certified other than The Homeless Project Connect. Do you work for free at your job at all? Remember the 7.2 earthquake? I was among my non SF resident co-workers servicing the public that lost their home and running errand, hauling meals and bottle water with a mask. Where were you and what were you doing? If there's going to be another earthquake tomorrow, we, the city workers including non SF residents will be providing services to you, your private sector co-workers, families, friends and relatives. Have you ever done homeless headcount in the middle of the middle of some cold night, and walk around place like vacant lots, dead end streets and under freeways like the 101S/Bay Bridge. Do you do any of these? That way we don't contribute as much as the private sectors. I think we earned it by doing more than we job duties. I work in a non-air conditioned building and we pay for our own Alhambra drinking water, we have to pay union dues without option, we use old furnitures that were donated corm private sectors. We don't have over-time nor do we get free meals or holiday parties.

• Most of us agree that the city is in debt. This debt is not from funding city employee's pension funds. It is due to the economy. I am a nurse and our pension (from 2008) was 97% funded, meaning the city put in 3%. Keep in mind these numbers are from 2008. The economy has since improved but Jeff Adachi is utilizing those numbers to calculate a future deficit. It is not accurate. I would have no compliant in giving 10% of my salary toward my pension. I currently put in 7.5% as the majority of city employees do. But... Proposition B is anti-family. I pay $445/month for health benefits for my children, $121 for 1 dependent. To increase my cost for 1 dependent to $473/month.. (I have 3 dependents) would force me to make the choice between paying a mortage, child care or keeping my children insured. I as well as most city workers, can not afford health benefits for our dependents under Adachi's proposition. Health care was one reason I chose to work for a county hospital. I pay more than most mother's that work in corporate jobs...and now to have my health care costs jump to over $1000/month really hurts. We don't need proposition B, we need to sit down with city officials and discuss a plan, not force something on workers and their families.

• Dean Baker Article/Blog Pls. read on. http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/10/economists_the_missing_heroes_of_the_state_and_loc_1/#more Economists: The Missing Heroes of the State and Local Government Pension Crisis The latest cool thing for the Washington elite is to beat up on school teachers and firefighters for their overly generous pensions. It turns out that some of these public sector employees get enough money in their pensions that they can actually enjoy a decent retirement. This is an outrage in modern America. After all, the Wall Street boys have made it so the vast majority of private sector workers can't get by in their old age, and they plan to cut Social Security and Medicare to make it even harder. So given that factory workers and retail clerks can't count on a decent standard of living in retirement, where does a school teacher get off earning a pension of $3,000 a month? The media want the public to be outraged over this incredible injustice. Of course, the men and women behind the curtain are saying: "pay no attention to the Wall Street people earning millions of dollars a year." The attempt to provoke anger has momentum because most state and local pension funds are hugely underfunded. This is blamed on corrupt politicians who concealed pension fund expenses and used dubious accounting...(article goes on and concludes:) So let's give credit where credit is due. The media want us to beat school teachers and firefighters, but the real reason that more tax dollars might be needed to meet pension commitments is that the economists were clueless.

• City employees... seriously this complaining needs to END! You aren't going to "lose" your health benefits, give be a break. All that the Adachi measure will do is bring healthcare contributions of city employees inline with private sector... do city employees believe that they deserve better? If so, please tell me why...? As for pension reform, there isn't even room for argument there, hence why the unions haven't been able to say anything on that front, because pensions for city employees are SOOOOOOO much better than the private sector that there is no logic in them. Public employee unions should not be allowed to exist, in the private sector there is a limit on the power that a union can have, as if they push too hard the company collapses. In the public sector there is no check, unions have realized that city governments have a basically unlimited supply of cash as they can just continue to issue bonds... this needs to end. City employees, just stop, its time for you to contribute like the rest of us, stop hiding behind your unions!

• SF Local- All my numbers are factually correct and were obtained from the City Controller's office via Sunshine Law- something you could do as well. Your lack of diligence (not a problem- you may have other priorities) on this topic is not my problem. I realize it is easier to be lazy and slash at your opponents than actually do your own research and verify the numbers... The exact number for City gardeners is $83,057.05- so you can say I rounded high I guess... Best- Seej

• As I said before Seej, you post no link or data to back up your misinformation. . .

• SFlocal- I have never posted the $92,000 figure which I assume is the average wages only of a City employee. Do me a small favor and don't make stuff up. It is a fact that the averages wages and benefits of a City employee is $130,000 a year in the current budget. I realize it weakens the argument that City employees can't afford to pay more for their benefits but you can 't undo the math that you are allergic to... You are also trying to perpetuate the myth that there are all these low paid employees on the City payroll. Relative to the $130,000, the average compensation of City gardeners is $85,000....So yes, gardeners should contribute more for their benefits when gardeners in the private sector make half that and are having their City services cut... Take 5 minutes today and call the Controller's office and get your own education instead of trying to misinform....

• Seej, your continued use of average salary for a city employee shows that you are purposely using misleading information. I don't know how many times I need to give this math lesson. An average salary is figured by selecting a group of people, adding up their salaries, then dividing this number by the total number of people in the group. Average salary = Sum of all salaries/total # of people Example: 9 city workers make $10,000 a year and 1 city manager makes $500,000. The total salary made is $590,000 divided by the 10 city employees = $59,000 a year average salary. That obviously does not give a good picture of what the vast majority of the 10 city workers actually earn per year($10,000) because the one large salary skewed the average salary much higher. Your figure is a average salary includes the figures of all the highest paid directors, mayoral appointees, etc. When you mix them in you hide the fact that the majority of city employees do not make nearly that much money. Also your figures seems to change from post to post and now it went up to $130,000 from $92,000. And again with no link or data to back it up.

• The more I read from city employees, the more I want to vote for Prop B. The employees who have posted here portray themselves as suffering, but in fact, they get paid more and have much better benefits than private sector persons in equivalent positions with equivalent educational qualifications. Their give-backs are temporary and minor (about 5% for the next two years, that's all). Long gone are the days when one took a civil service position mostly for job security and defined hours, while a private sector job got one more money but more risk. Now civil service jobs are the only ones that are 7.5 hours a day, no firings for poor performance, great benefits, and higher salaries than the private sector.

• City worker says: "I am shocked and actually offended by Mr. Adachi;s proposal. First, taking away employee benefits hasn't yet become an indiustry standard so you can't argue it is happening to many people across the country. Second, after all consessions are taken into consideration and I have to figure out my family budget, I'd have to ask myself: should I go work elsewhere when economy improves? I believe if Prop B passes, the City will over time suffer a decrease in quality workers thus doing a disservice to the City. Who would want to work for the company that doesn't take care of its employees." Well we tax paying RESIDENTS of SF are offended by the fact that City employee benefits are gutting vital City services and City employees don't seem to care. THANK YOU Jeff Adachi....The posts here from City employees residiing in places unknown are quite illuminating. No one is "taking away your benefits." 49,000 City residents are asking you to pay more for them. Have any of you read a newspaper in the last three months? Five state employee unions agreed to contribute more for their benefits, including the CHP agreeing to pay more for both their pension and health plans. Ten of San Jose's 11 unions agreed to across- the-board 10 percent reductions in wages and benefits (fire did not and rec'd layoffs). So yes, if you do not want to contribute more in the face of staggering deficits unlike your brethren working for the state, the City of San Jose and the City of Oakland, please free to consider your other employment options... I am a City resident- are you? I am offended that City employees who average $130,000 a year in wages qand benefits, don't give a damn that their benefits are gutting the General Fund....

• defends people like OJ Simpson. Defends the woman that killed poor little Sandra Canto. No personal attacks. We just want readers to understand prop b is only telling u what it wants u to know. It will hurt all of us the low pay working families.

• No mud thrown by unions is going to undo the math that City employee benefits are gutting the General Fund and most City employees do not live in SF and they can't vote...

• I recognize that the City Workers are trying to flood the board with their comments, but most of these comments don't make much sense. Literally. The writing is so poor I can barely follow it. For example, I don't know what "Public defenders=defends???" is supposed to mean. As another example, "missed informed" is not a word (I assume you mean misinformed.) Can someone opposing the measure please write a cogent, persuasive comment please? Otherwise, they're just non-sensical rants that aren't helping your cause.

• Actually, the union works for us, the city employees. Public Defenders=defends???

• Geez, I wonder how many PR people the unions have trolling the net now? And, without a single alternative solution or path towards same. Insiders at DCCC meet last night were saying this thing has polled in the 60's. To turn that around Haaland and his brigade of poison pens are gonna have to spend money on a PG&E level. They're certainly starting at the bottom. I mean, we're 1 week in and I'm hearing 'rape', 'murder', 'Nazi'? How do you get below that? Giants win again and Burrell hits a pair! h.

• don't forget that the hurting workers and their families are still working. the ones get big pensions are the big shots like Adachi himself and needing to pick up any pension or health care that makes $196,000.00 annually.

• I am so sure if Mr Adachi will get them easier access to tax write-offs...

• None of the City workers opposing the pension reform charter amendment are answering a simple question: how do you solve the math problem arising from pensions and benefits? The City doesn't have the money to afford them. It's not a small math problem, but a problem of hundreds of millions of dollars (based on the City's own data). Meanwhile, services are getting slashed while pension and benefits suck the money away.

• So now Jeff Adachi will use the funds of his multi-millionaire Republican funders to argue in court about his tea-party-like Proposition B! I wonder if Mr. Adachi will be relying on these same millionaire Republicans to fund his run for Mayor???

• Dear SF Weekly, I am shocked and actually offended by Mr. Adachi;s proposal. First, taking away employee benefits hasn't yet become an indiustry standard so you can't argue it is happening to many people across the country. Second, after all consessions are taken into consideration and I have to figure out my family budget, I'd have to ask myself: should I go work elsewhere when economy improves? I believe if Prop B passes, the City will over time suffer a decrease in quality workers thus doing a disservice to the City. Who would want to work for the company that doesn't take care of its employees?

• gdewar The difference is: you work for youself as your own boss and I work for the city recoup taxpayers' money. I raise my 16 years old son by myself with a gross annually salary of $62000.00. How much do you make a year? I am giving back a paycut of 5.77% to the city, what you about you? Are you giving anything to help?

• What is this thing called a "pension?" Or this thing you speak of called "employer paid health care?" I work in the private sector as an independent contractor. All I know is that taxes fees and fines go up, and city services are being slashed.

• Here's Jeff Adachi's agenda: in an era of shrinking budgets and large deficits, he's (rightfully so) concerned about the Public Defender's office getting its funding slashed. He chooses to fight it by attacking the means of people just as dedicated to their jobs as he is - who aren't as articulate as he is and who lack the forum he has. Now, SF Weekly chooses to jump into a what is already a fairly complex discussion of close-to-the-bone-issues for a lot of people, with a "Here's the Running Tally" of insinuation and unsupported suppositions - SHAME. SHAME. SHAME. What we need is for all sides on this issue to listen to each other and be persuasive. City Employee medical costs and pensions DID NOT CAUSE OUR TROUBLES. So why does Jeff Adachi want to solve the budget trouble by dumping it on someone else?

• Well SeanD, You seemed to be missed informed about "well-paid employees." Most of the well-paid employees have aready given back to the city 5.6% of their check. Most "well-paid employees" are already paying for their health care. Proposition B will increase their contribution by 300%. So when you say "well-paid employees" just what employee are you talking about?

• If Proposition B passes I will no longer be able to afford to carry my 19 year old college student daughter on my health insurance.

• Yes, Thrbynum, this is exactly like the Holocaust. I don't understand why people can't see the similarities between thousands of years of oppression and pogroms and making well-paid employees pony up for their healthcare. Thanks for sharing.

• Proposition B is deceptive it is not just about pension reform. It is about health care increases. Proposition B will increased the health care cost to your fellow human being by 300%. When BLUE SHEILD proposed to increase the premium to it members by 300% the city, the state, the federal government were outraged. With Proposition B doing the same exact thing to city employees "you" feel it is ok. Do the people of this city see their fellow working class citizens (city employees) as less than human? I guess the next thing is to make all city employees start wearing a yellow star.

• Hi Against PropB, If Adachi could defend rapists and murderers and proudly discredit victims to win a case...Would he care about low income working families and their children and unaffordable health care? Adachi would say, ah them? they at least have an 800 sq ft 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment for a family of six...

• Mr. Eskenazi, thank you for your continued coverage of this topic. Adachi said "I'm confident we'll prevail. Their arguments are highly technical and have no merit. Basically, they're saying the voters of San Francisco can't have a say in determining city employee compensation." Correction for Adachi: I believe the union is saying be TRUTHFUL to the voters so they can KNOW what they're voting on, or do not put it on the ballot at all. Notice that Adachi is using one of his responses that twists what is happening to appear 'minimal' much like he is 'minimizing' real working humans and their families with this initiative. But city workers are human. I don't want a Mayor or an initiative that minimizes humans. Remember Jeff Adachi, Prop B is your chosen foundation for becoming Mayor. Do you want that foundation to be human or inhuman??? in�hu�man Adjective 1. Lacking human qualities of compassion and mercy; cruel and barbaric. 2. Not human in nature or character. Years from now would you (Jeff Adachi) be proud to look in the mirror and say 'I took healthcare away from hard working families'. Oh wait; never mind... Jeff Adachi probably doesn't care about humans. There are other more important things to him on his agenda...

• Hey Weekly, The two high moments in the D Triple C meeting last evening were the victories of Adachi and Michael Nava. Jeff's was the more amazing. I expected lots of criticism of him on this pension reform thing and only Gabriel Haaland attacked him (he's kinda got to, Gabe's a paid political strategist for SEIU 1021). It was amazing that 200-300 people dependent upon union support to win office, sitting in a union hall (Janitors) in a union town and representing a union party chose not to follow Haaland's lead. Go Giants! h.

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