Dear LPSF discuss...
You are probably aware that Jeff Adachi is gathering signatures to run another ballot measure to limit employee benefits or get larger contributions from the employees themselves. Sarosh and I are both supporters of Adachi and his measure and are starting to lay some plans of action.
Presuming it gets on the ballot, it is part of the strategy to start preparing ballot arguments in support of it. Introducing the idea that other possible solutions are far more onerous than what Adachi is proposing. We on the LPSF Activists list (initiated largely by Starchild) have largely endorsed the idea of limiting City Hall's average employee pay to something close to the average SF citizen pay. Starchild has suggested a top limit of $100K.
Sarosh is proposing some language like this
Average Sf city employees should not make more money than the citizens they serve. The average sf adult citizen earned x wages in 200x, according to the US census. Typical pvt sector benefits and pensions add 18-23%, for a total compensation package of z. Current sf city budget for personnel costs is a, with an employee count of b, for an average of c, almost double or d % more. We must cap the avg city employee personnel cost at no more than150% of c.
Do any of you have ideas about how we might word this in a ballot argument supporting the Adachi plan showing how incredibly "reasonable" it is and if we had our way, it would be much more severe. This is probably a pretty good strategy...one the left uses all the time to move the discussion left from the middle....showing just HOW LEFT it really could be if "reasonable" heads did not prevail. It might just be our place to be the "extremists" in the discussion to move the debate in the direction of freedom.
Thoughts please.
Mike