San Diego labor unions one step closer to invalidating the 2012 Prop B, pension cut measure

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – San Diego labor unions are one step closer to invalidating the 2012 Proposition B, Pension cut measure.

A judge has ruled that the measure is illegal.

“Today a Superior Court judge confirmed what we already knew; Proposition B was a disaster for our City long before it was invalidated,” Mayor Gloria said in a statement. Continuing, “Proposition B promised to save money and that cities throughout California would follow our example by ending pensions. Neither happened. Instead, the measure cost taxpayers millions of dollars and made it easy for other cities to hire away the talented public servants we need to provide critical services to our citizens.”

Proposition B was approved by more than 65% of the city voters in 2012. It replaced traditional pensions with 401(K) style retirement plans for all newly hired city workers, except police officers.

The California Supreme Court ruled the measure illegal in 2018, because San Diego skipped key legal steps when placing it on the ballot.

President of the Lincoln Club of San Diego County, Brian Pepin, responded with a statement saying, “In 2012, San Diego voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition B with 65% of the vote. Prop B was a much-needed reform of the City of San Diego’s pension system. 401(K) plans are fair, safe, and comparable with the retirement plans of the average taxpayer. It is insanity to undo Prop B in the midst of a fiscal crisis when elected officials should be making every effort to save tax dollars, not increasing costs and going back to the “bad old days” of San Diego’s pension scandals.”

So the city’s unions and many of our political leaders support the judge’s decision, but San Diego’s lone Republican city councilman, Chris Cate, does not.

Councilman Cate joined KUSI’s Good Evening San Diego to discuss why he believes the judge made the wrong decision, and what it means for the people of San Diego.

Furthermore, Chairman of Reform California, Carl DeMaio, has been highly critical of the judge’s ruling. DeMaio tweeted, “San Diego politicians are trying to overturn the will of the voters by invalidating our Prop B – Pension Reform Initiative. This fight is far from over – my statement:”