Some facts about BFLO
I don't know where Adrian Moore, in his recent Community Voices article, got his facts. ("Get real about Bakersfield city pensions," June 19.) I sure hope it wasn't from Zack Scrivner or Ken Weir or Alan Tandy. Hopefully I can clear up his mistakes.
The Bakersfield Fire Fighters Labor Organization has already agreed for all new hires to pay 9 percent for the duration of their employment towards their retirement. But the Bakersfield City Council, with the blessing of City Manager Tandy, dithered.
With current workers, the BFLO had already agreed to cut their proposed raise (as they have done in the past) to help fund their retirements. But the city council still dithered.
"Pension spiking" does not exist for the fire department. They can work "a ton of overtime" forever and it does not raise their retirement benefit a penny. That's called fact-checking. He is correct to state that pension obligations are a promise to pay money in the future.
Bakersfield police have been working without a raise for longer then two years and their negotiations are at impasse. BFLO began negotiations 17 months ago and all proposals have been rebuffed by city council, along with Alan Tandy.
Meanwhile, the city manager collected an 8 percent raise for himself and management and yet continues to dither where our front line defenders are concerned.
Since Moore is not a current city resident, maybe he should stick to his knitting in Tehachapi.
MARGARET MANN
Bakersfield
