Sam Liccardo must be kicking himself for sticking with an unconstitutional approach to public pensions that he knew, as a lawyer, could not withstand legal scrutiny. It was a political miscalculation based on the views of the electorate during a recession.
When the economy is suffering, the public has a tendency to look critically at public employee compensation and benefits because people are unemployed and resources are scarce. In a growing economy people do not begrudge cops and firefighters compensation. If fact, they are willing to over-pay for public safety so long as someone comes to their door when needed.
Politicians including Mayor Chuck Reed and his team, that includes Liccardo, have previously been the architects and chief supporters of such police and fire benefits. But when the recession hit, the Mayor and his teammates decided to make public employees the scapegoats for declining revenues and poor fiscal decisions made by previous administrators.
The scenario could have been different. Most cities and counties worked with their employees to solve cash-flow problems and restructure contracts. Public employees understood these dynamics and unions came to the table as needed. But when they are disrespected as human beings, the goodwill breaks down and any imposed solution is an anathema to dedicated civil servants.
Now San Jose has a public employee morale problem caused directly by a political calculus that was unconstitutional and had no public policy benefits. The biggest issue facing the city according to the polls is the increase in crime that is directly attributable to the misguided political calculation.
The poster child for the problem becomes Mayor aspirant Liccardo not the lame-duck Chuck Reed. And it only gets worse for him as the campaign develops.
Recently, four retired police chiefs in San Jose endorsed Dave Cortese. In fact, Cortese has all major law enforcement endorsements. In a race where the opinion of our public safety professionals will mean a great deal to our community, that is a losing hand for Liccardo.
Rich Robinson is a political strategist and communications consultant.
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