CARLSBAD: Blackburn's union ties debated
Carlsbad councilman-elect to quit police force before he is sworn in
By BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer | ∞
CARLSBAD ---- The man that voters elected Tuesday to Carlsbad's City Council may be the first city employee to win a council spot while still collecting a paycheck, city election records indicate.
Police Sgt. Keith Blackburn must under state law retire from his job before he can be sworn in as a councilman in December. In addition to being the first city employee to win a council election, Blackburn also set a city record for campaign spending.
While his nearly $100,000 campaign is widely considered to be part of a new trend in city politics, there is great debate about how much his two decades on the city's police force will influence his council decisions --- particularly when it comes to union issues.
Mayor Bud Lewis, whose most recent re-election bid was opposed by the firefighters union, said he thinks the union will expect Blackburn to be very responsive to its financial requests because it supported his campaign.
"Whenever a union supports you, they expect something in return," Lewis said.
Blackburn stressed Wednesday that he won the firefighters' endorsement because he agrees with their view that they need more equipment and a long-proposed training facility. It wasn't because he agreed to support them on wage or pension issues, he said.
However, he added, he is not keen on the mayor's proposal to reduce retirement benefits for new city employees. If the city reduces benefits for newly hired employees, he said, the best and brightest newly trained firefighters and police officers will quickly leave to take jobs in other towns.
Blackburn said Carlsbad can't be the first city to reduce those benefits "or we're going to get the leftovers in the county."
Danny Glessner, treasurer of the Carlsbad Firefighters Legislative Action Group, said firefighters do anticipate that Blackburn will be a strong advocate for buying new firefighting equipment and building a proposed city emergency training facility.
But, he said, Blackburn will be responsive because he agrees there's a need and not because the firefighters' political action group spent $35,000 supporting his and longtime incumbent Ann Kulchin's campaigns.
"There's a difference between candidates backing unions and candidates standing up for public safety, and Carlsbad has some shortcoming when it comes to public safety," Glessner said.
Firefighters have long argued that the city needs to buy a new fire engine, increase the number of firefighters and open a training facility.
Michael Babowal, director of government affairs for the city's Chamber of Commerce, said he believes Blackburn will strike a balance.
Blackburn may be sympathetic to union causes, but will "listen with an open mind," Babowal said, mentioning that Blackburn has a business background as well as experience in city government.
Blackburn manages a string of rental properties in the Los Angeles area, was one of the founding partners in Carlsbad's outlet shopping mall project, and runs a local family charitable foundation.
When it comes to city employees getting elected to the council, records kept by the city clerk's office indicate that Blackburn is likely the first.
In 1982, a city employee ---- then-Fire Chief Girard "Lefty" Anear --- was appointed to the council to fill out the remaining four months of an unexpired council term. But he wasn't elected to the spot.
Former City Manager John Mamaux was elected to the council in 1986, but he stopped working for the city decades before that vote.
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Encinitas Republican wrote on Nov 8, 2008 6:36 PM:He and Jerome Stocks are both bought tools for the Union. The public gets the shaft again.
sunnybrook wrote on Nov 8, 2008 7:24 PM:Kudos to the Firefighters Legislative Action Group and the Chamber of Commerce for recognizing Blackburn's ability to act with integrity and fairness! Let's hope our Mayor catches on sooner than later.
Beach Bum wrote on Nov 8, 2008 8:59 PM:The mayor's comment, "Whenever a union supports you, they expect something in return," is simply ludicrous. Oh, but Mayor Lewis may actually have a point. Seems that when the developers in town supported the mayor and council incumbents, they got darn well pretty much what they wanted, didn't they?
A little tit for tat? Hmmmm ... nope, don't think so with this councilman-elect. He has ethics, a six lettered word that hasn't been spoken or practiced since the former councilwoman Sigafoose had her short stint on council.
By the way, how is Ms. Sigafoose doing, anyway? Guess she's absolutely beside herself after her successful endorsement of Keith Blackburn. What do they say? Bird of a feather ... oh, you know the rest.
We're in great hands with Keith Blackburn. Seems he could make a run for mayor in two years without putting his council seat in jeopardy.
gutter sweeper wrote on Nov 8, 2008 9:41 PM:BEACH BUM
Hey folks, Beach Bum is so right. Good observations.
Great Buy wrote on Nov 9, 2008 5:56 AM:The finest councilman city unions can buy. Now only if the Chargers paid off the referees, they would win more often like the unions do.
Zeus wrote on Nov 9, 2008 7:43 AM:You humans crack me up. You elect people who have the most and biggest signs. It doesn't matter whether they are supported by special interests like City Employee Unions or Developers. You get want you deserve for your lack of interest. Politicians like Bush, Duke Cunningham, and Blackburn, and Jerome Stocks. Aaaaa Haaaa haaaa too funny.
Mr Blackburn wrote on Nov 9, 2008 9:19 AM:The Unions are not Carlsbad. If you forget that I think your term will be limited to one.
Patricia wrote on Nov 9, 2008 10:00 AM:Keith Blackburn will be a fair Council Member. Hopefully, he will be supportive to the needs of public safety needs. Lay off some of the incompentent engineers and planners, stop so many "manager meetings and travel" and the City would be in better position to fund safety. Current miscellaneous employees making three percent in retirement is inapporpriate, people are making more in retirement than when they work. Police and Fire earn their three percent, not miscellaneous employees.
Apollo wrote on Nov 9, 2008 10:28 AM:The city unions buy the biggest signs.
Carlsbad Retiree wrote on Nov 9, 2008 2:24 PM:I am glad that I voted for Mr. (Sgt) Blackburn...it is time for the city to stop spending foolishly, allowing the true taxpayers to have an honest working class representing us! The Mayor...well I think that perhaps he may need to give up his seat soon to someone who cares about public safety. Carlsbad is by far one of the better places to live coastally due to the fact that we have great firefighters and peace officers! Mayor....get a grip and be thankful! The Unions are good for protecting working class people against the money hungry CEO's and corporations.
Informed Voter wrote on Nov 9, 2008 4:53 PM:I took the time to read the mail from the candidates, its obvious by some of the comments that some people did not. Mr. Blackburn has a grasp of what is important to me as a resident. The business experience to bring finacial stability to our city, first hand knowledge of public safety needs and a caring heart for our local charities. He is exactly what we need in Carlsbad.
A TeacherCoach..... wrote on Nov 9, 2008 8:56 PM:This City has always prided itself on it's upstanding and professional City Council. It has always claimed to shy away from "Oceanside" politics. (Mayor's words, not mine.) Why is the Mayor, an ex-teacher and coach with almost 40 years of Council experience challenging publicly a newly elected official based on his supporters? Shouldn't he be mentoring and passsing on all his knowledge to Keith so they can all five work together for the best interest of the City and its residents?
Rebecca wrote on Nov 10, 2008 6:57 AM:In a city where the mayor and several other council people have been in office for over twenty years, its not a surprise that a city employee has not been elected prior to this. Our current city council sees all groups other than developers and business as "special interests". Its time for the Council to listen to all the citizens that they put in all those new houses in all those new developments all over Carlsbad. Lets all work together...
chill out wrote on Nov 10, 2008 8:50 AM:Folks, give the good police officer a chance, OK? He hasn't cast one vote yet and you all have already painted him, pigeon-holed, psycho-analyzed him and shoe-horned him. Why not let Keith Blackburn speak for himself with his voting record? Take a pill and chill out for little bit....Good Lord.....
Meathead wrote on Nov 10, 2008 4:38 PM:In celebration of his election, I'm donating a couple phone books to Keith so that he can see over the dais during meetings.
Resident wrote on Nov 11, 2008 2:10 PM:Someone ask the mayor that if in the years past, when he sought their endorsement and accepted it if he was ever asked for by the firefighters for anything in return. He wasn't and he knows it.
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