Letter to the Editor: Is MB Akin to 'Blazing Saddles'?

Editor's Note: Tonight's 6:30 p.m. City Council meeting will include an agenda item in which staff recommends that Council approve and appropriate $108,808 from the city's general fund to cover increased medical costs for police, Teamsters, and non-represented management/confidential employees.

Dear Editor:

Are there analogies between the corrupt politicians in “Blazing Saddles” and the Manhattan Beach City Council (MBCC) in attempting to dupe the citizens of Manhattan Beach by rationalizing its failure to achieve sustainable labor agreements? Rather than define a viable public policy and allow public input, will it use meritless reasoning to extend labor negotiations with agreements from our unions who would rather the extensions over reductions in salary and benefits?  

Was it not the MBCC that approved budgets in both the present and prior fiscal years based adamantly on the absence of salary increases? Why, then, did it exclusively increase the salaries of police officers and sergeants?

In “Blazing Saddles,” a black lawman (Sheriff Bart) was sent to Rock Ridge by an Attorney General to distress the residents into leaving so that the AG could cheaply buy land along a new railroad route. Did the MBCC hire City Manager [David] Carmany to ostensibly bring law and order to our city’s labor relations or to cover up mishandling of personnel policies and procedures over the last 15 years by prior MBCCs?

How does the MBCC explain its micro-management of City Manager Carmany with its overly frequent performance evaluations behind closed doors? Why, then, does it appear that a law firm, serving as “hired guns” initially opposed by the city manager, is now in charge?

Sheriff Bart befriends Mongo (dumb-witted but philosophical), sent by the AG to kill him. Mongo, laments, “Mongo only pawn in the game of life.” Are we? 

Sincerely,

Edward C. Caprielian, Ph.D.

Manhattan Beach