Pension Reform & City of Phoenix Conflict of
Interest
The
faces of the anti-pension reform are clear: Mayor Stanton in his own words
ordered staff NOT to answer conflict of interest questions regarding biased
financial reports and the preparation of a key presentation. All done with hard
working taxpayer money -- yours. But, it gets worse. A lot worse ... the Arizona
Republic said the "Phoenix Council Betrays Voters, Dishonors Themselves" and
called their actions "dirty" when the Mayor/Council adopted "a wildly misleading
ballot description ..."
Read the full back story below and then you decide.
The conflict of interest by government staff has
been ignored by the local media. City Staff are direct beneficiaries of the current system that
THEY helped write reports
for, hire consultants for, hire attorneys for, and made
presentations for which blasted the citizens pension reform
initiative.
*You’ve been told pension spiking stopped. Not
true. It is still costing you $19 million per year.
*The co-chair of the anti-pension reform committee used
hard working taxpayer money to conduct a financial analysis of the
citizens pension reform initiative,
which excluded major savings the citizens initiative
gives taxpayers ... The anti-pension reform co-chair is also a direct
beneficiary of the city pension scheme.
*This same report was then used by city staff in
a prepared presentation. Again, using taxpayer money.
*The City of Phoenix Employees Retirement Board (COPERS), made up
of direct beneficiaries of the pension scheme include the anti-pension reform
co-chair, current city staff, City of Phoenix retirees, and one citizen not tied
to the system. They used your money to give the guidelines, prepare the reports
and then used those same reports in a public setting ... Again, all using
taxpayer money.
*8 of 9 of the COPERS board members are either current or
future beneficiaries of the pension system. Why would they want to
change it?
But here is the worst example of
all….. staff was involved in preparing, presenting, and justifying
alternative ballot proposals all meant to confuse the voters, and if passed
would have made any FUTURE reforms virtually impossible.
Bottom line, buried in all the legal
mumbo jumbo of section 43.1 is language that effectively cuts off all future pension
reform unless another ballot initiative includes “striker” the language
(a-c) which would repeal the entire plan. The other effect of section 43.1 is to
create direct legal conflict with EVERY section of the citizen’s initiative
- effectively voiding the entire citizens initiative. All ordered by
beneficiaries of the system and then used by the politicians to discredit the
initiative ... again, using your money.
I will continue to keep you apprised
and will continue to represent your interests at City Hall. The next report
will show you shenanigans that lead to
Phoenix spending over $2 million advertising your garbage. You will be more than
amused with how the politicians are spending your money.
Your
friend,
Sal
DiCiccio
Phoenix
City Council; District 6
See
Arizona Republic Story here
See
ballot description debate here
See
alternative ballot proposal here
See
alternative ballot debate here
