Another Successful Failure & Masterful Deception

The City Charter that has been in place for years,§ 1602.
Using the following language in this part of the Fire Departments section...

"[The][Chief][shall]manage[..], control and [have] direction of the personnel of the Department and shall have charge of all property and equipment of such Department. "

(Amended Election 6/4/74 effective 8/21/74; Added Election 10/12/71 effective 12/6/71; Repealed Election 10/14/47 effective 3/3/48).



This part of the City Charter being in place for around 40 years? Now it becomes a problem?  But this was another masterful underhanded way for the City to get what it wanted, even though it had for many years without concern or issue, even admittedly the City HR Department acknowledge the practice of the authority, and agreements the fire department command structure and Chief had the final authority and the department was managed by trained department Officials.


We have made the wrong choice here, and have been duped once again by our undoubtedly irresponsible elected officials. We have given the City the full power to be able to use the same methods it did with the police department.  According to Stockton Fire Facts, the City after making all the cuts to public safety has earmarked 48 million on rebuilding City Hall, paid 33 million Howard Jarvis Taxpayers in a settlement for misuse of water utility fees, 22 million put into the Downtown Marina Project, with a 700,000 annual overhead cost, and according to the site there is more examples of mismanagement of funds by our wreck less City Council. The most recent example the City's inability to manage our money, for around fours months have " just voted to spend $20,000 a month to hire an outside firm", to operate as the CFO until a replacement can be found.

It is clear the City has failed to take ownership years of misplaced spending and being willing to take away police and other resources that we need more than ever, so they can now fix their errors! It is time to we made them accountable. We voted the same group right back in office so that they can continue to take us down this winding road, that we just do not seem to know where it might becoming t0 an end! It is also time that we wake up and understand that maybe were not getting the big picture.

 The one certainty in this whole situation is that both the Fire Department and City are clearly in a standoff that did not end when the passage of the Measure; This passage has only caused this issue to become more inflamed, with the real cuts the fire department used to warn against. Both the City and the Fire Department should remember one thing this is not about them, either of them, but it is about the us collectively of this City, of which they both have a duty to.  Final note I am willing to concede this issue is not only the City's fault, but is the Fire Departments, and all of the rest of us Citizens--each of us have ownership in this problem.