One cannot even compare Irvine to La Habra! I bet Irvine's reserves are more than La Habra's entire budget.

Why should Irvine police take a cut in wages and in a benefit? So Irvine can continue to increase their already $100 million surplus stash to even higher levels? Reserve money is for a rainy day and they are ready for it. Irvine can easily take care of their greatest asset - their cops and still have mountains of money to spend on their riderless iShuttle, their failing Barclay theatre, a Legal Aid Society and a $1.6 million social services program.

If anyone is greedy, its the three majority on Irvine council and their selfish pet projects. Clearly, the police ARE NOT the top priority for these people and it shows.

Please get rid of these three council members and elect some real leadership who will make Public Safety a true priority.

The La Habra City Council considered itself ahead of the curve when they signed the L.A. Fire contract a few years ago. Contract services! The city is the customer and the customer is always right!

Right?

The L.A. contract has consistently cost more and more each year. And La Habra council and staff can't do anything about it because they obligated themselves to a 10 year contract. With another county who employ firefighters who are in a well funded and politically active union.

So every time the fire budget goes up, they tap the police budget to make the difference. Why do you think the police budget has been stripped of $700,000.00 + and fire was cut by only $20,000.00? The police department isn't that fat by a long shot. But council has local control of it. And no control over the fire contract.

So do the math La Habran's...

In simple terms, Council dorked up big time and staff / council doesn't want the public to know. They pillage the police budget to pay the fire contract off. A little smoke and mirrors and La Habran's will never know the difference.

Our luminaries even built a fire station in La Mirada using La Habra tax dollars as a result of that contract! Think I'm exagerating? The Freedom of Information Act is a powerful tool.

La Habrans voted Measure T in. It was a supplemental sales tax intended to preserve public safety and road repair. Staff and council have collected the money. No problem there. But haven't spend a dime on either despite the taxpayer's instructions. It's all gone into the general fund to finance pet projects. And Larry Dobkin was spot on right!!!!

Use the Public Information Act my friends. See what's being done with your taxes.

City staff is taking a bow for cutting personnel costs by 5%. Council is wiping their collective brow now that the furloughs have been inked. But the truth of the matter is that they threatened unnecessary layoffs and working folks with families blinked... This wasn't done with charismatic leadership by any means.

La Habra government has always stepped over a dollar to pick up a dime. And in this particular case, they decided "Why waste a perfectly good statewide financial crisis?" A chance to cut personnel costs by 5%? Whoo Hoo!!!!

Your police department handled about 48,000 police calls last year. Congratulations La Habra. You now have a part time police department. Think it's going to be able to handle another 48,000 calls with reduced man hours and resources?

Think another agency is going to want to contract to handle that volume of service? Can you say "diminishing return?" Not likely. La Habra ain't exactly Rancho Santa Mararita, San Clemente or Villa Park.

Think we had anything near 48,000 fires or paramedic emergencies last year?

Think again.