Local Control
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Volume 24 | No. 3 Third Quarter 2016 LOCAL CONTROL UNDER ATTACK Proposition 53 puts local control, a central tenant of California democracy, squarely in its crosshairs, which is why firefighters, law enforcement officers, business groups and local government have all made its defeat a priority for the 2016 election. Story on Page 3 PRESIDENT’S DIGITAL VOTER MESSAGE GUIDE CPF Page 2 Page 3 ENDORSEMENTS Page 6 Page 8 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE LOU PAULSON THE FIREFIGHTER VOICE good deal has already been said about If it doesn’t fall into one of those areas, it the importance of this upcoming doesn’t factor into our endorsement process. election cycle, and as candidates California Professional Firefighters makes Aenter the final stretches of races its recommendations on firefighter issues, that will decide offices from city councils to and firefighter issues alone. When CPF the highest in our nation, it’s important to makes the decision to become involved in a remember the massive role that elections contest, every credible candidate – Democrat have on our union. and Republican – is invited to an interview. As firefighters, and public employees, we In legislative races, CPF calls upon the local are all acutely aware that virtually every deci- unions in that district to help vet and inter- sion that affects our jobs and our livelihoods view candidates. More often than not, local is made by an elected official. Every few years, unions are the ones that have worked with we’re given the opportunity to weigh in on these candidates in the past, at the munic- who exactly will be tasked with making those ipal or county level, and their participation decisions, as well as who will be sitting across ensures that the issues closest to your heart from us at the bargaining table. are made known to everyone looking to go For this reason, elections – and all of to Sacramento. the campaign work that leads up to them In this newspaper, you’ll find CPF’s list of – are some of the most important times recommended candidates for the November for our union, and we treat the occasion as election, a list that includes both Democrats such. Months ago, California Professional and Republicans. We back up those recom- Firefighters began its usual process for iden- mendations with the promise we give all of tifying candidates that would be receiving our candidates: If you stand with us, we will the firefighter endorsement. stand with you. In making our recommendations, CPF Keep in mind that our recommendations judges candidates by just one, simple met- are just that - recommendations. They aren’t ric: Where do they stand on the issues that meant to be seen as direction on how to vote. matter to us? We’re simply offering information on fire- This means having candidates spell out fighter issues to help you make an informed their positions on things like public safety choice at the ballot box. funding, retirement security, employee These are the candidates that have stood rights, training, disability and survivor ben- by us, and it benefits our profession to stand efits, as well as any other issue that impacts by them. our lives on the job. Stay safe. CALIFORNIA A D M I N I S T R A T I O N Executive Board Chris Patterson Political Director Robbie Panco Senior Graphic Designer PROFESSIONAL Lou Paulson President Carroll Wills Communications Director Victor Jimenez Press Operator FIREFIGHTERS Lew Stone Secretary-Treasurer James Noonan Communications Specialist Todd Archer Digital Press Operator Tim Strack 1st District Vice President Kevin White EMS and Health & Safety Director Taylor de la Peña Bindery Tech/Delivery Clerk Chris Mahon 2nd District Vice President Pharris Treskunoff Assistant to the President Published Quarterly Bobby Weist 3rd District Vice President Rosalia Lopez Executive Assistant California Fire Foundation Jeff DelBono 4th District Vice President Apryl Swanberg PER Coordinator Hedi Jalon Executive Director Publication Office Michael Massone 5th District Vice President Irene Chu Finance Director Christine Harms Administrative Assistant California Professional Firefighters Mike Lopez 6th District Vice President Kathy Shipley Full-Charge Bookkeeper 1780 Creekside Oaks Dave Gillotte 7th District Vice President Ting Ting Hui Senior Accountant California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee Sacramento, CA 95833 Frank Lima 8th District Vice President Debbie George Administrative Assistant Yvonne de la Peña Executive Director (916) 921-9111 Stacy Smith Receptionist Web: www.cpf.org Trustees Firefighter Candidate Testing Center Erik Baskin CPF Callback Association Kelley Trujillo Program Director Email: [email protected] Tony Gamboa Cynthia Clark Projects Coordinator Paul Van Gerwen FireStar Studios Editor: Carroll Wills Firefighters Print & Design Lara Popyack Manager Managing Editor: James Noonan Staff Mariena De Anda Director Graphic Designer: Robbie Panco Teresa Ortiz Managing Director Natalie Mercado Assistant Manager Christy Bouma Governmental Advocate Cynthia Clark Promotional Products Representative Amy Howard Legislative Director Nat Nguyen Admin/Marketing Assistant Official publication of the California Professional Firefighters, organized October 12, 1938. Incorporated as not-for-profit May 27, 1958. Member of the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO. All unsolicited articles, manuscripts, letters and photographs sent to California Professional Firefighters are sent at the owner's CALIFORNIArisk, and California ProfessionalPROFESSIONAL Firefighters expresslyFIREFIGHTERS disclaims any liability or responsibility for their safe custody or return. Signed articles express the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the editors of CaliforniaFIRST Professional QUARTER Firefighters. | VOLUME Send all 23 correspondence NO .1 2 and photographs to 2 FIRST QUARTER | VOLUME 24 NO. 1 California Professional Firefighters, Publication Office, 1780 Creekside Oaks, Sacramento 95833. We reserve the right to edit submitted materials. © 2015 California Professional Firefighters.CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS COVER STORY If Proposition 53 were to pass, the nightmare scenario described above – allowing voters in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego to kill projects in Sacramento or the Bay Area, and vice-versa – would become a reality.” To make matters worse, Proposition 53 about $4.5 million to have attorneys write a includes no exemption for emergencies or ballot initiative, conduct research, and pay disasters, which means that local commu- signature gatherers and political consultants or a minute, try to envision the ing such a vote, even on projects that impact nities would have to wait until Election Day to qualify and promote the measure. political bedlam that would ensue only an individual county of specific region, to fix crumbling bridges, roads and water As Cortopassi continues to pump mil- from telling residents in San Fran- Proposition 53 would end California’s long systems following major earthquakes or wild- lions into his political pet project, working Fcisco that voters in Los Angeles would and successful history of letting communi- fires. In some cases, that wait could be up to men and women up and down the state have be deciding the fate of their next major infra- ties make their own decisions about how to two years, leaving millions of Californians been speaking with one unified voice – “No structure project. Or that commuters in San invest in their public infrastructure. without vital public services. on Prop 53.” Diego would have to forgo a fix for crum- California Professional Firefighters has “Proposition 53 irresponsibly fails to con- “Californians must not lose the ability to bling roadways until voters in Stockton had come out strongly in opposition of Prop- tain an exemption for natural disasters or support essential infrastructure projects a chance to weigh in on the project. osition 53, and has made its defeat one of major emergencies,” said Lou Paulson, Pres- because one wealthy farmer got upset,” Paul- It’s difficult to imagine, isn’t it? the union’s top political priorities for 2016. ident of California Professional Firefighters. son said. “We can’t let one multimillionaire’s Such scenarios are almost impossible to In opposing Proposition 53, CPF has been “It could impair our state’s ability to rebuild spending spree succeed in eroding local con- picture because they violate a central tenet joined by the State Building & Construction critical infrastructure following earthquakes, trol in our communities. Proposition 53 must of California democracy, something vital to Trades Council, the California Chamber of wildfires, floods or other natural or man- be defeated.” the governance of a state as large and diverse Commerce, the League of California Cities made disasters.” as this one – the principle of local control. California State Sheriffs’ and many more. Proposition 53 is entirely That’s exactly what’s at stake thanks to The breadth and depth of this coalition funded by a wealthy Stockton Proposition 53, which would drastically alone should illustrate just how damaging farmer named Dean Cortopassi. erode local control and leave Californians this measure would be for the Golden State. He’s trying to stop one single up and down the state helpless in the event If Proposition 53 were to pass, the night- infrastructure project near his of fire or other natural disaster. Specifically, mare scenario described above – allowing property, the plans to upgrade Proposition 53 would require a statewide voters