Holding Sierra Madre's Paramedics Hostage

I'm not exactly sure what the City of Sierra Madre's employees in the Paramedics think about it, but according to Mayor John Buchanan unless the voters here reconfirm the Utility Users Tax increases of 2008 this April, they are all out of a job. Something that might be causing some nervousness in our emergency medical corps. Especially when you consider that the voters here are also being asked to increase their UUT exposure to 12% by 2013, which means approving a rate that would be by far the highest in California. A dubious record befitting the accomplishments of a man whose only solution to this city's problems over the years has been to raise rates, fees and taxes.

Of course, this is big news for anyone living in this town, but what better a setting to kick off so cynical a hostage taking election strategy than in a room filled with seniors, the very people who would be most at risk should Paramedic services go away. Which is, of course, where Mayor John Buchanan set out to scare the bejeezus out of a lot of this City's vulnerable older citizens.

The venue for the deed was the Sierra Madre Woman's Club, where a full house got to witness the Mayor in action. As affable and engaging as any politician asking people to vote themselves a stiff tax hike can be, he came equipped with charts, friendly City Staff, a $9 lunch offer and a very frightening message. That message being unless you vote to renew the Utility User Tax, in the process giving your personal approval for a UUT hike to 12% by 2013, the Paramedic Services will go away. Simple as that. A service many in that room would be dependent upon during a medical emergency.

Like all well-deliverd demagoguery, Mayor Buchanan made his threatening little speech with a smile on his face. And what he had to say was well-received by those in attendance.

There was a chart shown during this presentation that was quite revealing. It detailed the portion of the General Funds budget that goes for what The Mayor referred to as "protective services." What he was talking about here is the over 51% of the budget that sustains the Sierra Madre Police Department. The inference being that this 51% percent of that budget cannot be touched, and there would be no way that Mayor Buchanan would ever consider doing so. No, should the vote to renew the UUT fail, he would instead get rid of the Paramedics and leave the SMPD (or any other portion of the budget) untouched.

Whether he would actually do this or not is doubtful, and his personal role in all this is moot since he will be out of office should it ever come to that. But you need to remember, John was delivering a threat here designed to frighten a lot of seniors into believing that of they don't cough up some more UUT money our ambulances will just go away. No need to let reality get in the way of City work as important as that.

The Tattler predicted this unkind strategy back on December 14 as part of our wrap up to that Tuesday's City Council meeting. The debate that evening had been how to word the ballot questions for the upcoming April 10 UUT vote. Mayor Buchanan seemed adamant that the ballot question include a specific reference to Paramedic Services. Something that would be deceptive since the UUT is actually a General Fund tax, and is no way specifically tied to Paramedic Services alone. UUT money can also be spent on anything from office supplies to a bottle of vodka and a room at the Hilton should those in charge so desire.

Here is what we said on the matter on Dec 14:

The deceptiveness of the proposed language for the UUT Advisory Measure came up for considerable discussion. The way this is written gives it the appearance of being a matter of raising taxes to help pay for emergency services such as paramedics alone. Which, of course, it is not. This will be spun by Buchanan and his ilk to read that if you vote against raising UUT rates to 12%, you will be responsible for Paramedic services being cut back or even abolished. Something that would put innocent lives in danger. All nonsense, of course. There are plenty of things that could be cut before the Paramedic budget. This is not out of line with the kinds of demagoguery employed by Buchanan-run campaigns in the past.

And that is what was trotted out at the Woman's Club this week.

It is never hard to predict what John Buchanan is going to do. When he wanted water rates raised, he told people it was for infrastructure repairs rather than what it was really for, to pay for service on some old bond debt. When he wanted to avoid a Measure V vote on the ALF, he helped to cook up some cock and bull story about units and suites. And now we have this tall tale about the UUT and Paramedics.

Sometimes you have to wonder if the man is capable of ever telling the truth at all.

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