District 1 Supervisor John Gioia and the Contra Costa Deputy Sheriff’s Association have become great pals during the current election cycle. For years, Gioia has advocated a local “targeted” property tax to pay for “enhanced” Deputy Sheriff protection here in El Sobrante. To that end he sponsored Measure F in November 2008. Since that measure failed, like a bad penny, he is back with an expansion of the tax zone with Measure E!
A map of the “tax zone” (Zone 3111) the PSA would create shows five non-contiguous(!) areas gerrymandered to create enough tax revenue for another Deputy position. In return the Deputy Sheriff’s Association gratefully supports Gioia’s re-election campaign and makes no bones about their contempt for challenger Mister Phillips.
In a press release today Mister Phillips explained some of the background behind Gioia and the Deputies’ hostility toward him:
From: “Mister Phillips”
Subject: Gioia and the deputy sheriffsFriends -
I would like to publicly state why the Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs Association (DSA) really supports Supervisor John Gioia. The DSA supports Mr. Gioia, because:- He is trying to raise taxes in El Sobrante to pay deputies’ salaries;
- He has been using funds for residents of North Richmond to pay deputies’ salaries;
- He voted to let deputies retire at age 50 and receive monthly pension benefits equal to 90 percent of their salaries; and
- He supports the proposed casino at Point Molate, which the DSA believes will generate even more funds for deputies’ salaries.Now I would like to briefly respond to some of the false and inflammatory statements about me by DSA President Jim Bickert. First, on August 2, 2009, I was not at a crime scene. I was at the house next door. Second, I did not state I could be at the house, because I was a candidate. I was at the house by invitation of a resident of the house. Third, I did not disrespect “the law.” The involved deputy disrespected me.”
NOTE: at the recent election debate in El Sobrante on May 26, Gioia actually read the Times’ Editorial endorsing him. Then, in answer to a written question from the public, he stated he makes $97K/yr., and bemoaned it was far less than his Bay Area colleagues in similar positions but, shucks, he didn’t mind – he was in it to serve the public (and raise our taxes).
Unbecoming Conduct of Contra Costa Sheriff Department
Bill Gram-Reefer is Editor & Publisher of Halfway To Concord, founded in 2004. Halfway To Concord is the leading online source for community-driven political news, events, and opinion for Contra Costa County and the San Francisco East Bay.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
“RF”…does that stand for RupF??
Well, you aren’t me and I’m tired of getting nickeled and dimed for basic services….I hear the next thing the unincorporated areas will have to pay for is fire protection….kind of ironic, that one of the key people responsible for the County’s ‘dim picture’ is now trying to ‘target’ us with more taxes to make up the difference…at least Mister Phillips had the integrity to say he could never support a tax on property owners because he didn’t own property himself….
P-District taxes have really improved police protection throughout the county. If I was you, I’d support it because the picture at the county level is dim for another three years, which means more cuts, less services, more pain.
If you want better police services, you might have to pay for it. Choice, it’s the most beautiful aspect of ballot measures.
{ 2 trackbacks }