In response to San Bernardino City Councilman Tobin Brinker’s guest commentary (“SB leaders have `nothing to fear”‘, June 16): “You ain’t learnin’ nothin’ when you’re talkin’.” – Lyndon Johnson.

What a shock it must have been when “the usual suspects” voted against you, not once but twice. You talk about your concern for public safety through one side of your mouth, then attack the welfare of the public safety professionals who allow you to get a good night’s sleep out of the other.

The position taken by your fellow City Council members is unlikely related to fear. They have heard your ranting, as we all have, regarding the cost of public pensions. But you only speak of the dollars-and-cents costs. What are the relative costs, Mr. Brinker?

Across the nation, line-of-duty deaths are up 8 percent. Of those, officers killed by gunfire have increased 25 percent. In California alone, we have lost four officers this year ranking this state as No. 5 in line-of-duty deaths. It’s not like a council seat. When officers and firefighters go to work each day, we don’t know for a fact that we will make it home.

I did not know Kevin Sandoval from the South Pasadena Police Department whose “End of Watch” came on Tuesday, June 14, 2011; or Andrew Garton of the Hawthorne Police Department whose “End of Watch” was Thursday, May 26, 2011; or Jermaine Gibson who worked for the Cathedral City Police Department and faced his “End of Watch” on Saturday, March 19, 2011; or Thomas Adams of the California Highway Patrol, whose “End of Watch” came on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, but I would very much like to have known each of these brave officers.

My heart goes out the wives who have had to explain to their children why their lives were so suddenly and drastically torn apart. What can they tell the children? Daddy went to work? That’s not a normal response. Council members go to work, council members come home. Teachers go to work, teachers come home.

Those wives also have to provide as a sole parent while keeping their emotions and frustration in check. They must try to provide all the things that the “family” would have provided, but now have to do it on survivor’s benefits, savings accounts and whatever donations have been offered to assist.

It is true that we’ve suffered three years of deep cuts, but it has been the same people who have been cut. Often, our daily “calls for service” will top 1,000, but as you know, our pay is an “average.” We are not making money hand-over-fist, as you would have the public believe. We do not get paid enough to make up for the real costs of keeping your streets under control. Ask the courageous widows of those mentioned above. The benefits that have been extended to police and fire have been earned. Some will pay for those benefits with their lives, if called to do so.

Why don’t you start a bit closer to home? What have you personally given up, as a councilman, to benefit your community? Why would the city manager need an assistant (at $198,000)? Why has the city been allowed to forgive loans and remodel offices, if saving money is your prime concern? Why do you feel it necessary to keep beating the same people over and over?

Look at what is happening to the Police Department. The chief is a contract employee, on his way out, the assistant chief has left, probably close to 50 percent of your front line officers have less than five years on the job and all the positions are closed, so there is nothing available to backfill when the senior personnel retire.

People with your mindset are the problem. You are complicit in eliminating any possibility of attracting high-quality, proactive and dedicated officers to this city, and the state has been ordered to release thousands of convicts from our prisons.

The city of San Bernardino entered this recession in bad shape because of the sheep that are running the place. You choose to maintain the status quo, which was bad to begin with. Be pro-active and try thinking out of the box if you want to make this city a place that businesses want to move in to, not run from.

What about the revenue generation ideas that have been put forward over the past few years? Not one has been implemented, so don’t stand on your soap box and preach that you are concerned for the city. You are doing nothing to fix the problem.

I found your line “Perhaps fear isn’t the right word, since those who are opposed have received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the unions,” to be quite remarkable have you not accepted donations from unions during any of your campaigns? C’mon Tobin, nothing from the teachers union? Any other unions?

“The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted,” James Madison, the father of the U.S. Constitution need I say more?

Steve Desrochers is an officer in the San Bernardino Police Department.

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