The Cookie Jar is Empty Lake Worth

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Prior to the meeting last night on the Second Reading of the Police Pension Plan Division 1, I had an opportunity to briefly chat with the attorney for the Pension Boards. I bluntly asked him “What are you all trying to achieve here?” I further went into the simple fact that Unions have been sucking cities and corporations dry all over the country…industry no longer can compete—corporations are off-shoring in order to turn a profit because of high wages and benefits that they no longer can afford and cities are near bankruptcy.

He said it was management’s problem, management's fault. They are the ones that caused this…it was not the Union members. I agree with that. We have allowed Unions to get away with everything that they ask for…have allowed them to have too much power...there is little negotiation if any. They are literally running our City; they have been pulling all of the strings. When it comes to government, management is playing with taxpayer money. It has been a cookie jar that always was filled. Now there are no more cookies and Union members cry foul.

Even Social Security has been changed. You have to pay into it longer. You have to work longer. There has been NO COLA for the past several years. When times are tough, tough actions must be taken. Seniors are a big voting block in this country and we understand. We also realize that it was "management" that got us into the mess we are in. We have had to bite the bullet and live on less because of horrendous management decisions.

And that is why the management of the City of Lake Worth has finally done what it has needed to do--take action and stand up to the Unions. We have a City manager who has said, “Enough-- things must change--no ifs, ands, buts about it.” But even with that, management buckled under last night by presenting new Options saying “it’s a tough and difficult thing to do." (when making decisions that affect people's lives)

The Budget has already been approved. Not only was it approved by the Finance Advisory Board but also the City Commission. And what was approved then was a reduction of $370,000 in benefits to the Police Pension Plan and adopting a Defined Contribution Plan. This was to be in effect by October 1. That did not happen last night. In fact, that was not on the table. Management and the City Commission allowed themselves to be manipulated once again and approved an option saving $305,021 to the City, a shortfall of $65,000 and said there would still be “collaborative discussion” between them and the Union.

In spite of the moaning from some Deputies, one even saying that the City might have blood on its shoulders (for making them work 5 years longer) and another threatening that Sheriff deputies will leave Lake Worth if it makes adjustments to its Pension Plan, Mayor Varela handled the situation very well and was correct when he said that we have to live within the means that we have.

This Police Pension Plan was passed on a 4/1 vote with Commissioner Scott Maxwell dissenting. He hasn't approved of one thing in the Budget, which I might add is about the most responsible Budget in years. The Police Plan comes back to the Commission on November 8 and hopefully it will be in effect on December 1.