Posted on 06/06/2012 12:52:25 PM PDT by SmithL
San Jose police officers Wednesday made good on promises to legally challenge San Jose's voter-approved pension reform with a lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
San Jose Police Officers' Association President Jim Unland said the lawsuit argues that the measure -- approved by almost 70 percent of voters Tuesday -- violates employees' "vested rights" to their pensions. He based that on a history of court rulings that effectively hold that government employers cannot cut back workers' retirement plans without offering a comparable benefit in return.
The officers asked the court to block implementation of the measure's provisions until the case is decided, Unland said.
"If we lose, so be it, but we'll at least try to fight it," Unland said, adding that the measure has poisoned any chance of cooperation between the city and its cops, who had offered pension cuts for new hires, which the city rejected as insufficient. "The days of trying to work with these folks are over. ... We'll see you in court."
The pension measure limits retirement benefits for new hires and requires current employees to either pay up to 16 percent of their salary more for their current pension plan or switch to one that is less generous. It also would allow the city to temporarily suspend cost-of-living pension increases for retirees in a fiscal emergency.
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, who urged approval of Measure B, said the city Tuesday asked a federal court to rule quickly on its legality.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Yep...they sure acted quickly. Like a bunch of vultures who were circling just waiting to tear apart the wounded victim.
As in "ruin"! ;^)
Who didn’t see this coming?
Unionized judges ruling...yes, that’s fair.
Federal courts have ruled that states, county legislatures and tribal councils are sovereign. A sovereign can nullify the actions of a previous legislature. I suspect the sovereignty ruling would apply to city councils as well.
If California is somehow a special case that’s immune to the concept of sovereignty, someone give me the facts.
Could bankruptcy vs higher taxes be a ballot issue in November?
I was an 19 y/o kid from Ohio living in Hollywood when the White Album came out. I still recall listening to KHJ who was playing the entire album. In between the songs, someone was introducing each new track and telling a background story on it or the recording session.
It was George Harrison.
On second thought, I think it was KRLA.
Or they make the govt. bigger and ruin everything else.
In addition to bankruptcy, what’s to stop the city council from waiting until current contracts expire and then simply telling the unions to take the new deal or leave it?
Voting is so UNFAIR...
Liberals ALWAYS proclaim the position of their victims when they attack. It's Rule #1 in their operations handbook.
The Romans said, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war."
The liberals say, "Cry victimization, and shoot the dog wagging it's tail on the porch."
The union government employees are supposed to be public servants however, they are in service to themselves and abuse the public.
We need to get rid of government employee unions. It is a conflict of interest.
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