Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007 | City employees are required to pledge an oath of allegiance promising we wouldn’t walk off our jobs and leave citizens without basic services. We took our jobs knowing that if there were an event, such as the fire storm, we could be called to serve, or protect the city’s property from harm. If we were unfortunate and got caught downtown during an earthquake, we knew we would be assigned duties immediately, rather than go home and see about our families. We took these oaths sincerely to be loyal to the citizens of San Diego. And we have always been.
The mayor and citizens want a change. They no longer value their loyal employees. The mayor made it clear he will be eliminating/contracting out as many city jobs as possible eliminating need for a Civil Service Commission or Civil Service employees.
Soon we will be paying a private company for trash pick up. We will have a private company bringing us our drinking water, and the prices skyrocketing now will certainly go up. Of most concern is our police and fire departments. Hundreds have already gone to better paying jobs. They keep reaching back and pulling their friends away with them. The mayor is not negotiating in good faith with the police and many officers are leaving. The new charter amendment does not include safety but how will you respond when your mayor says: “We don’t have enough officers and cannot train them through the academy quickly enough to keep you safe. We need to hire some officers from elsewhere,” opening up the door to a hired police force.
If the citizens want a Wal-Mart style run city, then continue to back the mayor and city attorney’s relentless attempt to make city employees your enemy. We are not. We are your neighbors and friends. The employees don’t run the city, elected officials do. Who has the power? Not us! We just want what was promised us by our employers. It will be chicken feed compared to Sanders dishing out our jobs to his friends so they can charge you whatever they want. And there will be no oath of loyalty to the citizens then. Think about it.