Any effort to bring Hollister’s under-staffed police and fire
departments up to acceptable standards for protecting the community
was denied in the logic-free zone Council chamber of City Hall by a
Council intimidated and terrified of the union.
Dear Editor:
Any effort to bring Hollister’s under-staffed police and fire departments up to acceptable standards for protecting the community was denied in the logic-free zone Council chamber of City Hall by a Council intimidated and terrified of the union. The vote by the small-thinking minds of our Council members by caving to union demands to keep city union employee jobs took precedence over any thought of balancing a budget.
Alas, it was quite a scene when city union employees applauded after the Council cowered to the union’s demands and voted to keep city worker jobs. The Council’s vote, by definition, was a vote against safety for the community.
And, how hypocritical it was when Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia voted “no” for public health and safety against replacing an animal control officer saying to the effect “with the budget crisis, this is not the time,” but the budget crisis did not deter her vote of “yes” to keep her daughter employed with the city.
The other Council members who approved keeping the scheduled city employees to be laid off are hypocrites as well. For over three years, the community has heard about the financial cost to the city because the last Council passed the Award Homes Project to this Council and now this Council finds it fit to do the same thing to the new Council come November. Next year, the new Council will have to go through the same agonizing exercise because this Council was too inept in making the hard choices required to relieve Hollister’s future budget deficit.
However, credit must go to Mayor Bruscia for being the only Council member having the foresight and fortitude to vote “no” on destroying Hollister. Mayor Bruscia showed leadership above the rest and in the face of hostile union leaders and union workers he honored his oath of office, i.e. “defend and protect” by voting “no.”
Paul Grannis,
Hollister
