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MarcLevine.org
What will our representatives do in the wake of the Janus Decision?
This Marin IJ coverage quotes reactions to the Supreme Court ruling by our representative to the State Assembly, Marc Levine. It is noteworthy that when Levine was first elected, by a very narrow margin, in the 2012 race against Michael Allen, Levine was heavily backed by corporate interests, not labor. Michael Allen was part of Speaker Perez's team, and described as
a "strong labor guy".
CLICK HERE TO READ THE MARIN IJ ARTICLE
During that campaign, Marc Levine actually sought and received the endorsement of Citizens for Sustainable Pension Plans. When we met with him, he assured us that he understood the pension crisis and would work to correct it. We also met with Michael Allen, who was trumpeting the Legislature's pension reform plans then under consideration.
Those "reforms" ended up being a much weakened version of Gov. Brown's proposed 12 Point Pension Reform Plans, stripped entirely of any meaningful changes to the system.
We soon learned that - as usual - campaign promises too often mean nothing.
His statements in the IJ article show that his primary interest is only with staying in office. His comments more clearly reflect those made by MAPE Chief Rollie Katz and just as clearly lack concern for tax burdened constituents.
It's painfully reminiscent of past - and the recent District 5 – Marin Supervisor campaigns. Once "ensconced", those supervisors receive financial backing from MAPE, and other public unions, to enable them to stay in office. Taxpayer interests appear to take a backseat, at best.
With the Janus ruling, however, this might ultimately backfire. Politicians throughout the state, including front-runner for Governor Gavin Newsom, are issuing statements very similar to Marc Levine's, vowing to continue to fight for public union interests. These are outlined in this article:
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article213923749.html
The strategy is somewhat confusing and only time will tell if it works.
Hopefully the ruling will prompt new candidates to emerge and no longer be buried in union-funded campaigns against them.
Please comment below the IJ article and read extensive coverage of the Janus ruling on our Facebook page.
Regards,
Jody
CSPP
www.marincountypensions.com