From bad to worse
Sam Liccardo is running for mayor of San Jose. Don’t let the Hollywood smile fool you. This guy’s on a mission to make cops’ jobs and lives a living hell.
In California, San Jose Police Officer’s Association President Jim Udland is warning voters and his members that things could go from bad to worse if voters pick Sam Liccardo as the new mayor. If Liccardo wins the city could be looking at another mass exodus of police officers – this time even worse than when current mayor Chuck Reed’s budget slashing led to experienced local officers looking for work elsewhere..
“If they wake up and the next mayor is Sam Liccardo, there’s going to be 200 cops that have a hard discussion with their families that say ‘I can’t do this. I can’t do eight more years of this,’” Jim Unland said.
Detective John Moutzouridis and Franco Vado, both 19 year veterans, say years of paycuts and 70 hour work weeks have taken their toll. If Liccardo plans more of the same they say they have to walk.
“It’s not fear-mongering. Every officer is going to have to say, ‘is this the place for me to work?” Moutzouridis told reporters.
Vado’s been working seven days a week and doesn’t want to miss out on any more time with his family than he has to.
“It’s not realistic. It’s not stable to have your family here. And I’m probably going to leave for the private sector if Sam Liccardo gets the mayorship,” says Vado.
San Jose has already lost more than 400 officers to layoffs. The cops still on the job in San Jose have been busting their humps to bridge the gap between what needs doing and available bodies.
Unland has seen this all before. He warned Mayor Chuck Reed that officers would bolt following massive cuts to pay and benefits in addition to so-called “pension reform.”
“When I’ve made a prediction, sadly, I’ve been dead on. I know hundreds are gonna wake up the following day, if it is Liccardo as the next mayor, and be ready to make a tough decision.”
Councilmember Liccardo said he’s “focused on restoring officer pay and rebuilding trust.” But that’s what he thinks San Jose cops want to hear. The truth is that Liccardo’s been one of Mayor Reed’s most reliable allies when it comes to balancing the budget on the backs of overworked, underpaid and under-appreciated police officers.
“I’m going to tell them (police officers) how we can restore morale, how we can restore pay, how we can ensure we have a department that’s the most innovative in the country. But we cannot promise them benefits that we can never pay for.”
That’s what’s referred to as talking out of both sides of your mouth.
The San Jose Police Officers Association has endorsed candidate Dave Cortese.
He’s no dream-boat but these days it’s a question of picking the guy that plans to do the least damage with regard to public safety and police professionals in San Jose.
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