(22 Jul 2010) HEADLINE: CA city seeks resignations of high-paid officials
NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOTLIST
CAPTION: The City Council in Bell, California, a small, blue-collar suburb of Los Angeles intends to ask three administrators whose salaries total more than $1.6 million to resign or face possible firing. (July 22)
BELL, Calif. (AP) - CA city seeks resignations of high-paid officials
SUGGESTED CAPTION: The City Council in this small, blue-collar suburb of Los Angeles intends to ask three administrators whose salaries total more than $1.6 million to resign Thursday or face possible firing. The AP's John Mone reports.
IN BELL, CALIFORNIA PEOPLE ARE ANGRY--
ALL BECAUSE THREE CITY OFFICIALS IN THIS INDUSTRIAL TOWN EARN SALARIES WHICH TOTAL MORE THAN ONE-POINT-SIX MILLION DOLLARS.
"so stick around pay attention. This meeting was gonna be closed. They didn't expect you to be here!"
THE OFFICIALS INCLUDE THE POLICE CHIEF, -- WHO EARNS MORE THAN THE LOS ANGELES POLICE CHIEF-- THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND MOST GLARINGLY THE CHIEF ADMINSTRATIVE OFFICER, ROBERT RIZZO, WHO EARNS $787,637 A YEAR.
ALMOST DOUBLE PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SALARY...ALL FOR RUNNING A SMALL BLUE COLLAR L-A SUBURB WHOSE POPULATION IS ABOUT 40-THOUSAND.
SO WHY IS EVERYONE UP IN ARMS? THEY DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL LOCAL REPORTS UNEARTHED PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED SALARIES.
ON THURSDAY BELL CITY COUNCIL HELD A MEETING TO DECIDE THE FATE OF THESE CITY EMPLOYEES AND EMOTIONS RAN HIGH. RIZZO WASN'T THERE...THE CITY ATTORNEY SAYS HE'S ON SICK LEAVE.
THE COUNCIL WENT INTO CLOSED SESSION...AND THAT MADE UPSET RESIDENTS BOIL OVER... AND EVEN ONE COUNCIL MEMBER...
"the situation is not going to be diffused. It's priority number one in this city."
THE HOSTILITY IS ON THE STREETS TOO..
"oh i'm very mad"
ROSE ESTELLA MARTINEZ AND HER HUSBAND HAVE RUN A FURNITURE STORE CLOSE BY FOR 34 YEARS--
"the president earns 50 percent of mr. rizzo. And this is a small city with working people."
SHE SHOWED US HER CITY PROPERTY TAX BILLS, WHICH SHE SAYS SHOT UP 50% OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
"I looked at the salaries and I said what is that...and then the increments on my taxes...and I saw oh that's where it's going."
THE MARTINEZ' SAY IF THOSE CITY OFFICIALS ARE WORTH THEIR HIGH SALARIES WHY AREN'T THINGS IN BELL LOOKING SUNNIER...AND WHY WASN'T THE SUN SHINING IN ON WHAT SHOULD BE A TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT. THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS NOW INVESTIGATING. JOHN MONE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BELL CALIFORNIA.
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