Regrettably, people at the meeting were confused about why I was there and what the format was supposed to be for a presentation and a rebuttal. It was unclear to me while making my remarks what was happening in the audience, although I assumed — correctly — that union operatives were engaging in their customary antics to instigate chaos and suppress my comments.
I don't think many people heard or bothered to listen to my boring analysis of how the state determines government-mandated construction wage rates for the construction trades or why these rates have become so distorted since the state enacted the original prevailing wage law in 1931.
Nor did many people hear that the proposed charter would give the city the freedom to consider many diverse options for the calculation and coverage of prevailing wage laws on its own municipal projects.
I confirmed the political rule that losing your temper and accusing the people shouting you down of fascist tendencies gets a lot more public attention than pontificating on complicated, arcane laws.
Now that I've retreated back to Sacramento from Costa Mesa to resume tilting at windmills at the financially and morally bankrupt state capital, I wanted to send advice to the parties that witnessed or participated in the near riot.
To the council: You're wise to propose a city charter that would free your municipal affairs from the control of the fiscally irresponsible state legislators from Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. You'll never get community consensus on every item in a charter, and you are courageous to take a stand before the public with a specific proposal.
