Hutchens Hit on Double Dipping
SafeOC just sent this mailer out across Orange County. The PAC is trying to put appointed OC Sheriff Sandra Hutchens squarely in front of the tsunami of public outrage over financial woes that stem from double-dipping, hyper-compensated public safety employees. Given all of the news coverage that pensions have been getting lately, it might resonate with more than a few voters.
SafeOC’s real focus is on the 2nd amendment and personal safety, so it’s no surprise that they call out Hutchen’s infamous “gun grabbing” tendencies as well.
And unopposed Supervisor John Moorlach, self-appointed pension problem pontificator, has supported Hutchens from Day One.
When you’re out shooting your mouth off, John, somehow this never comes up.
She deserves every penny of the 1/2 million per year, she puts her life on the line every day, you guys are just jealous.
A pension isn’t a gift, it’s part of a package of benefits that are offered to entice someone to take a job. If someone works enough to earn a pension, and still has the ability to get hired at another job, why shouldn’t they? Are you saying that if it is a govt job they should do it out of the kindness of their heart? “Double dipping” is an inflammatory description of a legal and reasonable situation.
What do you want her to do, work for free? She retired from a job with a pension, then got another one later that offered her another pension. Sweet deal, true, but what bearing does that have on the election? Should we cast our votes only for someone who does not already have a pension?
Also, please clarify the concealed permit issue for me. I thought that former sheriff Corona had been handing out CCW permits like candy to his cronies, and Hutchins had to rescind them in order to examine which were given to people who might not be qualified to have them. Is that it, or was there more to the story?
Actually Hunt, who barely lost the Sheriff election to Corona, should have been appointed to replace Corona (when Corona was convicted of “campaign related” crimes?), but instead of righting that obvious wrong, our Supervisors appointed the best woman, from outside the County, for the job. Huh?
What a pathetic ridiculous politically correct and needlessly hugely expensive decision.
And to partly highlight the ridiculously over compensation of these jobs, I recall that back when Fullerton Police Chief McKinley was making some $250,000 to run his department with 250 employees in one building, the Chariman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was being paid $125,000 to run our 3,000,000 member military forces operating worldwide.
Ling Cod, Carona did give CCW’s to his cronies but he also approved them for plenty of law abiding citizens who otherwise had no connection to the sheriff.
Hutchens came in and took permits away from just about everyone.
For people who take the 2nd amendment for exactly what it says, a sheriff acting to restrict permits is consciously violating her oath to protect the Constitution. That’s why the issue is so important to many of Hunt’s supporters.
I worked 32 years for the LA Sheriff’s Department and retired with my pension. LASD is NOT part of PERS or CALPERS, but rather our system requires we make significant payroll contributions each month for 30 years (and I mean significant). This is the same system Hutchens belongs to. The retirement system is managed by LACERA and has nothing to do with Los Angeles County, that is why our system is NOT broke. With that said, are you telling me it would be “wrong” to obtain a second career if I so choose (which I will not)? Are you telling me I have no business running for any elected office because I would obtain a second salary? I have no business working as a Wal-Mart “greeter” with would allow me to invest in a 401K or other IRA?
Get off the fact that public safety in Southern California has an excellent retirement system. While you (most folks) had every evening, weekend and holiday home with your family, I worked every crummy shift with Tues and Wed off for years. I faced the most dangerous and armed drug users, gang members and career criminals Los Angeles could offer. I have scars and life-long injuries to prove it. I have buried partners who took a bullet on “routine” traffic stops.
Southern California law enforcement has the most highly trained and best educated police officers anywhere in the nation. And yes, we are well paid for risking our lives and I make no excuse for that. You want discount cops who make 24K a year and no retirement plan? Take a look at the New Orleans Police Department or many of those in Florida, corruption is aplenty.
Or better yet, YOU put on the uniform and do the job for chump change. Oh, by the way, there is a drug crazed suspect with an AK-47 standing in the street. He just killed 4 innocent citizens walking down the street and he is waiting for you, go get him. If you survive, then let me ask you if you earned your money that day. And another by the way, that is only your first call of the day, you have another 7 hours to go.
If you don’t like Hutchens, bang her on performance, not because she is working a second job after paying her dues in Los Angeles.
OK. I will bite. She’s anti-Second Amendment (this is John Wayne Country BTW) and a former 10 year democrat. She’s “reorganized” the department 3 times and still can’t get it right. She never will either. The troops generally don’t like her and morale is in the toilet which equates to low work performance and zero proactive law enforcement. You go proactive you get a personnel investigation. She has paid her dues and is well past her prime both in energy and motivation. She should remain retired and let the younger folks turnover a new leaf instead of turning the Sheriff’s department into LA South.
Flip Flop, I will not debate your points becasue I do not have the inside knowledge you do. But you are identifying “performance” issues and that is what this race should be all about. I too am a OC resident and love JW Country. I was only making a stand on the retirement baggers talking about “double-dipping,” which is a bogus argument. I have always believed “demonstrated performance” at any level is what it is. I am (was) all for proactive police work and will always feel that way because I know it works, as long as the younger guys recognize this is 2010, not 1970, things were different then. Stay safe my friend and as far as this election is concerned, let the chips fall where they may and the best person win.
Fair enough.
Travis said: “For people who take the 2nd amendment for exactly what it says, a sheriff acting to restrict permits is consciously violating her oath to protect the Constitution.”
I say: “For people who take the 2nd amendment for exactly what it says, a sheriff acting to ISSUE permits is consciously violating her oath to protect the Constitution.”
We have the right to bear arms, what we GET is the right to apply to some far lesser authority than the constitution and MAYBE get the right to bear arms. The current system is wrong at the base level.
Nasty hit pieces by Bill Hunt and the unions against Sheriff Hutchens will not obscure the fact that she has cleaned up the mess in our Sheriff’s department and restored the morale of the troops on the streets. We need to continue her leadership!!
The hit piece was not from Hunt or the union. It was from an independent outfit unaffiliated with either. Look a little closer at the flyer. Morale is in the toilet. See above.
Flip Flop, are Democrats unsuitable for the office of sheriff?
Democrats are unsuitable for any office. See California.
What he said.
Looks like the peanut gall- eh I mean constitutional scholars are out in force. Good evening!
Chief McKinley NEVER made 250K a year, not even close.
Probably true -unless you count an earlier pension. By now he’s probably doing better than ever – in retirement!
Joe Sipowicz…no, McKinley isn’t doing “better” than ever. If you did the math, he took a big pay cut when he retired…rightly so, he got what he earned, but his pension from his 15 years at Fullerton PD earned him less than half of his yearly salary.
…and to Rain. No, Hunt didn’t “barely” lose to Carona. He did come in second, but still lost by a significant majority (50.6% to 26.5%) (http://www.ocvote.com/live/pri2006/results.htm#c-1059). Now, you can say he was the next highest vote getter, but “barely” lost is a huge overstatement.
15 years in Fullerton? Yeah, sure. And what came before that? He worked in another force, or forces for decades – and of course the way the scam works is your highest salary drives the pension – sweet deal.
That dude is drowning in dough.