[sanjuro]

Both liberals and conservatives say Costa Mesa could be the harbinger of what's ahead for hundreds of California communities in an era of Tea Party politics, tough fiscal times and calls for pension reform.

"Where Costa Mesa is today is where a lot of California cities are headed," said Jon Fleischman, a conservative Republican strategist from Orange County and publisher of the popular Flashreport.org website. "How this resolves itself could set a trend statewide."

In March, the Costa Mesa City Council voted 4-1 to issue the layoff notices, citing a projected $15 million deficit in the city's $114 million budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Last week, a state appeals court blocked the city's request to lift a court order barring it from outsourcing employee work, signaling what could be a months-long legal battle between political leaders and organized labor.

Supporters of public employees say Costa Mesa's civil war already has its casualties.

Huy Pham, 29, a maintenance worker who was about to be laid off, committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the five-story City Hall in March. Veteran police officers are resigning at the rate of one a week, critics say - after the police chief quit in anger.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/02/MNRD1KUVU5.DTL#ixzz1WutvF5Ih

Can there be compromise? A reduction in benefits without layoffs?

 

[Silver]

In California? Hell no.

You could pay a guy 1 cent a day, if he's a union worker and you vote GOP, you're still going to spit on him.

I am finding it slightly funny that the cops and firefighters are getting it now too. Whose side are you on boys?

I look forward to seeing the ranks of the Costa Mesa police filled with illegal Mexicans. Surely the narcos have some surplus firearms enthusiasts they can send our way, right?

 

[stevew]

cops and firefighters

union...yes....but doing the lords work.

see the difference?