Miami seeks $40 million in union concessions - “financial urgency” needed to balance budget

Miami Herald ^ | July 13, 2012 | KATHLEEN McGRORY

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Miami city administrators say they can balance the city’s $485 million operating budget without raising taxes, but it involves winning $40 million in union concessions.

That may be easier said than done. Negotiations with the police union are stalling, Fraternal Order of Police President Armando Aguilar said.

“I didn’t close the door, but I told them my ultimatum: I’m not willing to give up what we gave last year, and not what they want this year,” Aguilar said.

Mayor Tomás Regalado said the city will likely have to declare financial urgency, a provision in state law that allows municipal leaders to unilaterally change employee contracts.

“It seems that they don’t have the appetite to even consider the concessions,” Regalado said. “That leaves no choice for us.”

Either way, the proposed budget is far more complete than it was last July, when staffers were still scrambling to crunch the numbers. Budget director Danny Alfonso plans to have this year’s proposal ready for city commissioners early next week, he said Friday.

The financial picture is brighter than a year ago. Revenues are up, thanks to an increase in property tax values and the number of people seeking building permits and other services from the city. The $485 million proposed budget represents a $2 million increase over last year.

Regalado won’t be recommending an increase in the overall tax rate.

Should the commission accept his proposal, the new rate would be $8.47 for every $1,000 of taxable assessed property value, down from $8.50 last year. The average homeowner would see a savings of $3.54.

[onemiddleamerican]

I just feel that it is totally unjust to make blanket statements lumping everyone in a group or organization together because of a few dirt bags (parasites), is all.

Then it is your (husband's) duty to rid his union of the dirt bags. They are the cause of the mess. They are sleeping in the den with you; you all end up with fleas because of them. Do something about it.

Difficulties, I might add, are generally due to fiscal malfeasance.

Exactly! Fraudulently claiming disability, demanding that the taxpayers pay all of their retirement contributions, demanding that the taxpayer pay all (or the great majority of) their health insurance.

Sorry; not much sympathy from me. I've had two raises (<3% each) in 4 years, my boss cut their contribution to my retirement to less than 20% of the 10% I contribute, and my health insurance contribution nearly doubled. I'm lucky to still have a job.

Oh, and my property taxes have gone up every one of those four years to pay for the police, fire, city and county unions' contract demands.

Clean up your unions, get rid of the crooks in leadership, and get rid of the cheaters in the rank and file, and make some concessions yourselves, and maybe then I will believe that you're not parasites. Until then, I remain unconvinced.

[Uncle Chip]

it's the unions fault this country is in the toilet.

If the union label fits, wear it!!!

[Uncle Chip]

I believe it was an executive order so he bypassed Congress on this one.

[onemiddleamerican]

BTW, you need to get your own screen name. "KoolAidForMe" may be available.

just sayin'

[NoKoolAidforMe]

Thanks, I’ll look into it.

[rollo tomasi]

"Look around you, America has a middle class largely due to the “unions.”

I am looking around me and seeing the middle class in non-union jobs because I currently reside in a right to work State. What I see in general is an artificially inflated economy partially due to an wage imbalance fueled by organized labor. The 20th century bill is coming due, sorry but that is the nature of the beast you are defending.

Look at the history of labor unions since the colonial times, how they were admonished by people who actually built this Country up from actual risk/reward capital, and then spare me your mythical middle-class union hero worship. You are operating out of emotion not reason because historically and empirically you are flat out wrong.

[Safetgiver]

“But it seams to me that you are buying the MSM’s attack on all the unions.”....NOT all the unions. PUBLIC UNIONS. Even FDR said public unions are not sustainable, but Kennedy, as one of his generally stupid moves, OK’d them. Where was the paying public at the negotiating table? Oh, that’s right, the politician, who was looking for votes from the public union. What could go wrong with that? EXACTLY WHAT YOU SEE, NOW.

[Safetgiver]

America has a middle class largely due to the “unions.”...America has an organized crime class (which does a hell of a lot better than you and me) largely due to unions.

[junta]

Here is the deal, the Dem hacks are putting up a good show for their union buddies but in the end when the bankruptcy goes thru they are going to get a haircut, no ifs ands or buts about it.

[going hot]

Those contracts were made by liberal politicians and union goons at the table. Votes were promised for bennies.No where was the citizen represented. Simply a matter of the interests of the few (politicians) and the union reps. The citizens got sold out, and continue to do so, every where there are public employee unions.

[RFEngineer]

“Look around you, America has a middle class largely due to the “unions.””

No. We have a middle class because we are a free people, free to engage in commerce with each other. To the extent the middle class is under threat it is because of government - and there is no greater tax amplifier than public sector unions.

Unions are under assault because they are contrary to freedom. That every state is not a “right to work” state is an unconstitutional assault on freedom.

Should someone freely decide to associate themselves without coercion with others and call it a “union”, I’ve got no comment.

Unions are nearly universally an assault on freedom and the constitution - and will be destroyed through the bankruptcy process - one city at a time.

Other than that, I’m “pro-union”.

[NoKoolAidforMe]

“and then spare me your mythical middle-class union hero worship”

Nothing “mythical” about this statement of middle class in my state.

There is no “hero worship” in any of my posts.

And I submit to you that you are posting out of emotion and you are starting to attack me and my statements.

We are getting off topic here. I simply stated that not all union members are “parasites.”

There are many problems with unions, and I understand what everyone is saying. I happen to agree more (than less) of what I am reading, however, I can only post what I know about me, my family, my experiences, etc, etc.

If the “unions” collapse tomorrow, it would not affect me (or my finances) one bit.

I just hate it when blanket statements are posted and everyone jumps on the wagon to vilify a group or organization.

[noinfringers2]

All public employee unions must be eliminated to stop this financial rape of available finances. The day is long past when unions were necessary to level the economic playing field. Today public unions serve to afford power and money for a few social thugs with their lemmings.

[Lurker]

50% is way more than “a few”, my friend. It’s even worse in IL. The firefighters and cops double dipping on pensions is literally bankrupting the entire State.

And the only disability most of them are suffering is morbid obesity. Yes, there are a very, very few who are genuinely disabled. But most of them are nebulous back and soft tissue injuries which can never be objectively diagnosed.

It’s a scam.

[rollo tomasi]

Give me a percentage of organized labor in the United States workforce each decade since 1790. You say the unions built the middle-class/prop that up, prove that premise with numbers.

Next, give me a cost per employee analysis between non-union businesses to union ones. Give me a projection of future earnings plus obligations while correlating why union shops DO NOT suppress the potential means of employing more individuals that would increase supply.

Next, give me a breakdown of obligations from taxpaying citizens in terms of pension funding along with other benefits in which public unions demand. Also, what are the sensible reasons why Active Duty members cannot organize. Why should other State/Federal workers be allowed to organize and military denied that "right" (Emphasis on quotations)? What are the positives to the taxpayers that fund public servants who then are allowed to organize while demanding the said taxpayers to subsidize their lives with the threats of blackmails and strikes? How is that good government?

Please do not give me anymore projections, makes you look childish.

[Uncle Chip]

You got that right. Did you realize that 70% of all firefighters are volunteer. They get paid nothing but do a great job putting out fires and cost the taxpayer nothing.

In order to pay for public union pensions cities are now eliminating fire and police and other services altogether and putting the onus on the backs of the residents -- all so they can continue to make outrageous retirement payments. That has to stop.

Orange County California firefighters are paid $150,000/yr and they seldom leave the station except to rescue the occasional cat from a drain. The only entity doing well in California is CALPERS -- the public employee retirement system. I wonder why???

[JPG]

The prevailing mindset in many public unions is on display when they are asked to delay a raise in order to prevent the layoffs of their fellow union members. Too often their reply has been, “Too bad for them but screw ‘em and give us our raise.”