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When gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown incorrectly hung up the phone and left an inadvertent conversation on the voicemail of the LAPD's union director last month, it a smoking message of sorts. An unidentified associate called his opponent Meg Whitman a "whore" when talking about pension reform. That comment appears to be based on the fact that Brown believed Whitman has promised not to reform public safety pensions to get union endorsements.
But the Los Angeles Police Protective League shot back Sunday in a blog post, once again slamming Brown. "Brown was clearly uninformed as to how the pension system in Los Angeles works. As a charter city, Los Angeles has its own pension system and enacts its own pension formulas. Any changes in police pensions, such as the tier increase in 1998 that was actively supported by former Mayor Richard Riordan, have to be approved by voters in the City of Los Angeles," they said. "Meg Whitman is not a resident of Los Angeles or a member of any governing body in the City of Los Angeles. If elected Governor, she would have no say in any changes to the pension formulas in the City of Los Angeles."
And for any local measure that would reduce public safety pensions in L.A, which could drastically help solve the city's long term budget crisis? She's not taking a position, says the LA Weekly.
The union did endorse Whitman. "She has stated that she is committed to fully fund public safety and she is a lifelong supporter of the death penalty," they continued. "When we endorsed her, we clearly stated that Whitman understands that jobs, the economy and budgets are the key issues affecting the future of the California. We have serious concerns about Attorney General Jerry Brown’s budgetary management skills and believe Whitman is better suited for the economic challenges facing California now."
