1981-03-04 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • Minutes - Regular Meeting, March 4, 1981, Page 9 Hudgens: Let me say this, first of all, I talked to Ed last year, about the time we were doing the census for the consolidation. At that time the request was never made to bring this before the Council.. In addition, I think it is important to understand, the position that's stated on the Resolution is not a statement of non-support for the Police De- partment. It is not that at all. You must under- stand from the other side of the coin that, number one, every 2 years the State Legislature meets. This is something that continues to concern me. It's not just this particular thing. We have lost control of State Government and Federal Government. Local Government is the only one left where indi- vidual citizens have very much impact on what goes on. Every time the State Legislature meets, whether it's the Peveto Bill, 1269M or what, every time the State Legislature meets the Legislature chips away more of local control of government. They pass legislation every two years that have financial impact on local government that the tax payers pay for. It is totally out of control of the local • elected official. With 1269M what we are talking about is not non-support of the police department; I'm totally supportive of the police department. I appreciate our police department. There is a basic philosophical difference of who should establish personnel policy for the City of La Porte. Whether it should be this City Council to decide how many days vacation an employee gets, how many sick days he gets, whether or not they all get paid the same or whether they get paid in steps. That's a decision this City Council should make. How much longevity any employee should get or how many days off they get. Those things are the things that rightfully belong in the policy formulation of the City Council of the City. They do not belong to the State Legislature. It in- censes me greatly that every time the State Legislature meets they pass some kind of law that adversly affects local government and removes local control from the people that are elected by the people of this com- munity. The State Legislature does not know what is best for the City of La Porte, and that includes 1269M. I personally do not believe that unionization of public service employees is proper. I'm not knodk- ing unions. I'm saying that when it comes to the point of public safety in a community, to se a strike • of police officers as in New Orleans., or that you hear in some other areas, is not appropriate and I have