The brouhaha over Councilmember Pete Constant refusing to hire a union receptionist at a $70,000 annual salary made its way to the airwaves this week. Constant sat down for an interview with Fox Business’s Stuart Varney.
The two men discussed a lawsuit filed against the city by the Confidential Employees Organization. The lawsuit has now gone to arbitration, the Mercury News reports.
Basically, Constant wants to use the $70,000 that would pay for a receptionist to go to outreach efforts and providing database information. He argues he can do his own copying and collating.
The union’s argument, as told to the Merc, is the receptionist position is protected by past agreements with the city and it’s important to maintain consistency in hiring practices.
The best (worst?) part of the TV interview would have to be when Varney asked Constant: “Are you allowed to answer your own phone?” (Sigh) Yes, this is what we’ve come to.
Constant answered that he is a big boy and is allowed to answer his own phone.
Hey Pete how about you give your BS, double dipping disability payments back in return for not having a receptionist??
Seriously? He should have to give up his disability payments in exchange for NOT having a receptionist. You must be spending a little too much time at those medicinal “collectives”.
We are fighting a war overseas, we all pay, except for those on disability retirement. Those who show every physical capability yet work the system to avoid Federal taxes are leaches and and a disgrace. Yet we vote them into office? This is the guy who said retirement age of 55 encourages older private sector workers to jump in late in their career to snatch City pensions. Really? How many 40 year plus do you see applying for Police work? Give me a break. Where does he come up with this crap.
I hope the City doesn’t settle because the truth needs to be seen and everything would come out in trial.
Sometimes people don’t care for other people because of how they dress or what their religion is, etc. and they are nasty to them.
Wow. This goof or a “cop” who lives off really good pay because his job was protected by a union won’t hire union labor.
HE SHOULD NOT TAKE THE FREE MONEY FROM UNION SOURCES THEN. PETE, GIVE UP THE FREE MONEY IF YOU ARE SO AGAINST UNION PROTECTION!
Funny Pete didn’t mention the real question like his “double Dipping” and fraudulent disability!
He is apparently able to defend his position on not having an assistant but why won’t he defend his taking a disability pension from the City of San Jose when he looks about as disabled as a decathlete?
This is an elected official that wrestles, throws out the first pitch at baseball games, rides a tandem bike, and is able to function just fine? So why did he abandon his fellow brothers and sisters on the police force and bug out on a disability pension?
He takes the 3% automatic cost of living raise every year, he has cashed every one of those ill gotten 13th checks (SRBR) and he pulls down a full time council salary and will be eligible for ANOTHER pension when he is done on the council….what does he pay for his new retirement scheme that pays him 2% at 55…NOTHING.
Pathetic, hypocritical and shameful. Pete Constant is not disabled he is a scammer.
Let the lawsuits began. Nyunk Nyunk.
Enlighten Fox News about Curlie’s double dipping. Too bad they didn’t have that knowledge at the time of that interview.
Can you say “ridiculous?!” A $70K/year receptionist is emblematic of why the voters, nationwide, have had it with public unions.
Couldn’t agree more.
Me too. California needs to become a ‘right to work’ State. The City would get plenty of applicants for that receptionist job who’d be willing to work for 35K and NO benefits.
Why stop at 35k? I bet there would be a ton of applicants for 15k a year? Hell, let’s drive this baby right into a third world country ASAP.
Let’s bring in H-1B immigrants, and put all Americans out of work. If it is good for private industry then it is good for public work.
More lunacy…
City janitors make approximately $55K a year plus a 250 percent pension match and free lifetime medical (minus co-payments) for themselves plus spouse/partner.
http://bit.ly/gpZ3Iw
Agreed. It’s also why their membership is so fanatical. It’s all about the benjamins!
“It’s all about the Benjamins” are you saying that employees should fight for better pay? It’s ok for corporations to profit but not employees?
I hope you enjoy the return to the era of the disposable worker.
Thank you for the Hat Tip.
The Merc should give you a hat tip for the 10 pot club limit story…
His choice wasn’t between a receptionist and more outreach to his constituents. When he fired his receptionist, Mayor Reed gave Pete the extra $70,000 so he could hire another Council staffer. Taxpayers didn’t save a dime or get an ounce of better customer service.
Pete is the most dishonest, disingenuous person in City Hall, and that’s saying a lot.
Bravo Pete,
Some unions have strong-armed the city for decades.,
This pragmatic approach to governing is refreshing and contrary to the business as usual, union dictated “San Jose Silly Council” style we are use to.
Howdy Pete!
You are entitled to run your office as efficiently as you run District 1.
Good job at Rules and Nieghborhood Services this week!
Actually, good work all around!
David S. Wall
Just think how much more money Porky Pete can save the city If he returned the fraudulent disability pention back to the city and not double dip!
I don’t get it.
Why are all the unionist lunkheads so upset by double dipping?
Democrats do it all the time.
Governor Jerry Brown is a bigtime double dipper.
The unionists must be trying to create some sort of distraction.
“Look over there! A shiny object!”
—Marlin to Dory in “Finding Nemo”
Because a disabilty retirement should go to employees with true and REAL disabilities! Pete complained of a bad back do to his over weight and lack of exercise! He claims he can’t work for the police any more but is shown on you tube video wrestling and has pictures of him holding heavy deep sea fish over his head! That’s not just double dipping, it’s FRAUD!
Interesting how unethical unions politically traded cash or pensions with either “dumb as rock” politicians or unethical politicians like Grey Davis thought it was both legal and alright since everyone was doing it to take $1-2 million from unethical unions and give them billions in higher pay package:
a) 75-90% pensions,
b) many get $100,000 starting pension with 3% cost of living raises go to $180,000 in 20 years
c) made 75-90% pensions retroactive so taxpayers had to make up billions in contributions
d) taxpayers also have to make up 100% any investment losses
Unions get billions, Politicians get millions to get elected and taxpayers get screwed for years
Paying Campaign millions for pension billions somehow in California is legal but is morally wrong and should be illegal
Time for 2 California Reform Propositions
1) to roll back excessive pension and
2) require voter approval for any increase in government benefits and pensions since taxpayers will either suffer lower government services or non voter government imposed fees, charges etc called some name other than taxes to pay for increases
Careful everyone, Pete might start posting here under his pen-name Anonymously.
http://www.sanjoseoutsider.com/the-frogg/44-the-frogg/54-pete-constant-astroturfing#comments
God i’d love to be a
tail -f /var/logs/apache2/sanjoseinsider.com
I wonder if the city has Council on fixed IP’s or DHCP? Either way, I’d love to see the address assignment sheet or DHCP log too.
Pete the local “Great White Republican Tea Party Political Whale ” doesn’t want any more spies leaking embarrassing political stuff or tell who is helping him scheme as he runs for better paid higher reformer politician
So what political job does ambitious Pete dream big about – Mayor, County Supervisor, California state Assembly or Senate or gasp ! ! ! say it isn’t so, Pete – maybe US House of Representative replacing Zoe since Lorie will be sitting in Sheriff’s job for years
I hear Jim Beall isn’t running for re-election next year, so I suspect that Constant will be the GOP nominee for that Assembly seat. But if, as widely expected, Ken Yeager is the Democratic nominee, it seems unlikely to be a very competitive race.
When Cortese runs for Mayor, that seat on the Board of Supervisor would make a good objective. Since local elections (by law in California) are supposed to be non-partisan, a non-democrat can still attain elective office up to that level before the machine destroys them. No hopes on assembly, state senate or congress as demographic shifts and reapportionment have left no competitive seats in this area.
Just a thought
Why would anyone work for Constant? Pro-union or not?
Why are you two unionist trough feeders trying to be so cute?
Why don’t you just say: “I don’t like Pete Constant because he took money out of my supperdish”?
Watching this interview with Pete Constant made me want to vomit. How convenient that it was never mentioned that Constant gets a lifetime, TAXFREE, disability retirement, after working just a few years at the police department, while making another $100,000 a year from the same employer. Where else in either the public or private sector does an employee get a paycheck and a disability pension FROM THE SAME EMPLOYER???? What a hypocrite. He gets a lifetime pension paid for by the very people he goes on national tv to rip, many of whom are still working after injuries much more serious than he claimed. Pete has a way of stabbing people in the back, just as he did with his fellow council members a few weeks back (aside from Luigi, of course). This guy should be ashamed of himself.
Gluttony is not a secret vice.
-Orson Welles
San Jose city budget costs are bloated with unneeded
management costs
Budget can reduced with little or no impact on city services by reducing 100’s excessive management and command jobs
100’s excessive management jobs are costing San Jose $ 20 – 50 million or more in unnecessary employee and pensions costs
1) Not paying any overtime for all city management, police and fire command jobs (Lieutenant, Captain and above )
ALL Management and command jobs should NOT have overtime by definition like most government and industry management jobs
2) Cutting 100’s unnecessary high paid excessive management jobs
a0 which are not needed because of less workers
b) consolidating department, division etc
c) all positions that do not directly supervise or manage at least 6-10 people
3) Reduce all management jobs pensions not covered by labor contracts pension back to 60% for city and 75% for public safety over $150,000 ( 150 x 60 = $ 90 rather than $112,500 or 150 x 75 = $112,500 rather than $ 135,000 ) and negotiate labor contracts to reduce or cap remaining management job pensions
This is the Silly-Con-Valley Pete. Take them down one brick at a time.
Target Police and Fire Command Staff overtime and the budget crisis will end.
This is the safest city for both departments Pete. Looking at the city pay chart for last year the ranks above the front line killed the budget with overtime.
Keep up the good work. Overtime reform, Demote, Layoff
They don’t think you’ll do it.
have antisocial disorders and do not feel emotion like normal people do. No heart or soul. A couple of examples are OJ Simpson and Scott Peterson. Only humans feel emotions or shame.
So I’m hearing you say that there are subhumans within city government?
Moving a business to profit from retirement desirability pay and avoid taxes is a felony.
What would they do if I moved portions of my income into my kids accounts to avoid paying taxes ?
What about lying about my ability to work which would effect my rating?
I guess when your elected you join a club that does not have to follow the rules.
I don’t know if any of this is true but the Feds should investigate this and forget about Barry bonds. Barry did not steal tax dollars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28aK7lOTVYY