ATHERTON’S LAME DUCK COUNCIL

TAKES REVENGE

OnNovember28,2012,theWidmerMcKeithenDobbieCouncilwillmeet fortheirfinaltimeas

majority.It’slameduck Council.Theyshouldbemeetingtorecognizetheirachievements.Instead,

theCouncilwillusethemeetingtoimplement policybasedontheirdisconnectedviews.Widmer,

Dobbie,andMcKeithenwillusetheirlast majorityvotetoexact revengefortheirpoliticallossupon

Atherton’sresidentsanditsemployees.

At thisnext CouncilMeeting,Widmer,Dobbie,andMcKeithenwill considerresolutionthat 

fundamentallychangesthewayit compensatesTownworkers.Theresolution willalsoshut down

non-essentialservicesforweek.

ThevotersknowWidmer,Dobbie,andMcKeithenhavebeenpassionateabout theircauses.They

wantedtobuildat 13,000squarefoot libraryinHolbrook PalmerPark.Theyresistedattemptsby

residentstostoptheproject.At theelection,nearly70%of thevotersrejectedtheirplans.Voters

alsoelectedanoutsider,CaryWiest,whopromisedchangeintheCouncil’sdirection.

Yet,thelameduck majoritywasapparentlynot persuaded.Theycontinuetobelievetheir

principled viewsonotherissuesreflect thoseof thecommunity.Thisnewcompensation resolution

isyet anotherexampleof thelameduck majority’sarrogant perceptionof theirelectedauthority,

despitehavingbeenrecentlycheckedintheelection.

Similartotheirlibraryplans,Widmer,Dobbie,andMcKeithenhavedogmaticviewsregarding

California’s fiscalproblems.TheychampionedJoeNation,anadvocateforgovernment reform,and

hadhimspeak at Holbrook PalmerPark.Thislameduck majorityhasdeclaredpubliclytheir

disdainforGovernment workerswhotheyperceiveasoverlycompensated.ThoughAtherton

contributesminisculepercentagetotheState’sproblem,thesethreeplanoncorrectingthelarger

problemonthebacksof theirresidentsandemployees.

Tobesure,Atherton’scompensation andbenefit costshaveincreasedtremendouslyinthepast 

decade.Athertonhaskept pacewiththesurroundingcommunitiescompetingforgovernment 

workers.Thereisnowtrendamonglocalgovernmentstodialback thisspendingandshift the

benefit burdentotheiremployees.

It’sproblemcreatedoverperiodof yearsthat theAthertonCouncilseekstocorrect inmatter

of months.TheirdrasticchangeswillharmAtherton,not onlythroughthelossof employees,but 

alsothroughtheirinabilitytohirereplacements.Theywillbeuncompetitiveinthemarket.

AthertonresidentswillsufferfromtheTown’sinabilitytodeliverservicesforlack of employeesto

performthework.

 

Morebothersome,perhaps,isthevengefulnatureof thislast minuteresolution.TheMayorwill

evenattendbytelephonetoensuresufficient votes.That thisCouncilwouldrushtoimplement 

furloughthat shutsdownGovernment forweek certainlyappearstobepunishment forthe

votersnot approvingthelibraryandtheirpreferredcandidate(s).ThoughtheAthertonPolice

Officers’Association(APOA)causedthepoliticaldisruption,theCouncilwilltakeitsrevengeupon

PoliceDepartment’sChief,Lieutenant,andTrainingManager.It’sasif theywant tosendmessage

andquashfurtherpoliticalactivities.

TheTown’sfiscalproblemsdon’t risetothelevelof “fiscalemergency”.TheCouncilwouldnot be

abletodeclareonebasedonthefundstheyhaveintheGeneralFundormanyof theirother

reservedaccounts.Theyfiredmanyof theotherGovernment workerslast year,pocketinggreat 

dealinsavings.Theyhavealsobenefitedfromgrowthintheirtax base.Theseverepoliciesinthis

resolutionsimplycan’t beexplainedbyfiscalissuesalone.

TheCouncilmajorityof Widmer,McKeithen,andDobbiewillusetheirfinalsessiontoenact 

vengefulpolicythat alignswiththeirpersonalviews,but not necessarilywiththosewhoelected

themintooffice.Theirplanswillcausesignificant disruption toTownservices.Theresolution will

driveupemployeereplacement costs,offsetting whateversavingstheymight achieve.

Thislameduck majorityshouldheedtothewillof thevotersandallowthisresolutiontobe

consideredaftertheCouncil’snewest electedrepresentative isseated.