Emotional flier from Modesto police union targets pension reform measures

The costs of public service pensions are a burden for taxpayers in California, and a personal issue for employees who rely on those benefits.

A political flier mailed last month injected raw emotion into the debate raging over three pension advisory measures in Modesto.

The flier displays a letter from the family of Modesto police Sgt. Steve May, who was critically injured in a vehicle pursuit in 2002 and died in July 2009 after being in a coma since the crash.

The letter, signed by his widow, Diana May, and daughter and son, Corinne and Michael, thanks the people of Modesto for supporting the family during the hospital care for Steve May and after his death.

But the flier suggests that the family would have been without support if Measure Q had been in force.

The measure seeks voter opinion on moving city employees from traditional pensions to the 401(k)-style plans common in the private sector.

"It concerns us that there are no provisions in Measure Q regarding what happens when employees die or are injured on the job," the Mays wrote.

The mailer, splashed with news clippings about Steve May, was paid for by the Modesto Police Officers Association, which formed a special committee to oppose Measures Q, R and S.

A union official said it's more than a gut-wrenching appeal to voters, but stresses that there is no simple way to reform the pension system.

"I don't think any council members intentionally want to take away a death benefit," said officer Tony Arguelles, president of the MPOA. "But when you move too quickly on an issue, some things are overlooked and those things can be very harmful."

Diana May did not return phone messages from The Bee seeking comment.

The police officers' benefits through the California Public Employees' Retirement System provide assistance to officers who are seriously injured on the job and financial support to the families of officers killed in the line of duty.

The MPOA charges that Measure Q is silent on disability and survivor benefits. A second union mailer claims that the three measures, written by Councilman and mayoral candidate Brad Hawn, also don't mention the city's cost of buying out of CalPERS or restoring Social Security benefits for employees.

Hawn said Wednesday he would not comment on the Steve May flier.

"It's never been my intention to deny any benefits to a slain police officer's family," Hawn said. "Of course, we would want survivor benefits in any kind of retirement plan for active-duty or retired police officers."

Mike Lynch, a consultant for the MPOA, said the union's opposition is justified because the city rushed to place misleading ballot measures before voters at taxpayers' expense.

Lynch has worked for pension reform as a member of the Stanislaus County retirement board, but Measure Q is too simplistic, he said. It doesn't explain how a 401(k) plan would provide survivor benefits to the families of police officers.

"Mrs. May's letter was very heart-felt," Lynch said. "It's real life. It shows that the language people use when they pass laws means something."

Hawn's decision to promote the nonbinding measures has exposed his mayoral campaign to attacks from public safety unions. As of Oct. 22, the MPOA committee had spent $18,000 opposing the measures in mailers critical of Hawn and had an additional $14,700 to spend before Tuesday's election.

Last week, the Modesto city firefighters political action committee reported spending $43,600 on pre-election activity, including opposition to Hawn's campaign for mayor and support for councilman and mayoral candidate Garrad Marsh. The committee also is supporting Councilman Dave Lopez for the District 3 seat.

Tim Tietjen, president of the Modesto City Firefighters Association, said survivor benefits are an important issue for fire personnel. "If we put our lives on the line, we want to know our families are taken care of if something happens to us."

Hawn said the ballot measures have stirred extensive debate about employee retirement benefits and Modesto's need to rein in pension costs, which threaten to cripple local government budgets throughout California.

He said he doesn't regret promoting the measures, even though it's made his campaign a lightning rod for criticism.

"It needs to be dealt with," he said. "If I am not the person who is elected, I still live in Modesto, and I will want to see this dealt with. It's a compensation issue. It's about the survival of our city."

Bee staff writer Ken Carlson can be reached at kcarlson@modbee.com or (209) 578-2321.