Friday, October 31, 2014
Page 7
IN MY OPINION (Column)
ADDA President Blasts Parent Union for Lying, Cheating, Duplicity
By DAVID BERGER
The shotgun marriage between the Association of Deputy District Attorneys and AFSCME (one of L.A.’s largest organized labor groups) is headed towards a much needed and long overdue divorce. ADDA President Marc Debbaudt has previously called on voting ADDA members to terminate AFSCME’s representation of the ADDA and his position appears to be fully justified in the light of AFSCME’s scandalous, disingenuous and misleading conduct; AFSCME falsely represented that the ADDA supported an attack on the Professional Peace Officers Association (PPOA).
The Dragnet has learned that on Oct. 6, 2014, Tris Carpenter, the ADDA’s so-called “Business Representative,” purported to represent the ADDA when he addressed a “secret” meeting at which he urged members of PPOA to leave that association and instead join AFSCME so that they would get better pay and benefits.
Carpenter is an AFSCME employee who is supposed to work for the ADDA; he is basically the only tangible “benefit” the ADDA receives from AFSCME in return for almost $365,000 that AFSCME steals takes from Deputy DAs in annual union dues.
According to Debbaudt, Carpenter did not inform the ADDA that the meeting was taking place, and most certainly was not authorized to suggest that the ADDA approved his statements. Debbaudt was apparently shocked when he was contacted by POPA President Brian Moriguchi who was apparently disgusted by Carpenter’s false and misleading statements, and shocked that the ADDA supported a blatant attempt to poach members.
Debbaudt has responded by demanding that AFSCME immediately send a letter of apology to PPOA members, making it clear that the ADDA does not support AFSCME’s underhanded and misleading conduct.
According to Debbaudt, AFSCME Executive Director, Cheryl Parsi, admitted that Carpenter was present at the meeting, however, Parsi maintained that Carpenter “did not identify himself to these PPOA members as the ADDA Business Representative.”
Debbaudt impeached Parsi by quoting from her email where she stated that Carpenter had told PPOA members “That he [Tris] had a full-time position as the Business Representative assigned to assist the ADDA and could not do anything more to assist them beyond the meeting at hand.” Clearly PPOA members were informed of Carpenter’s position with the ADDA, a fact supported by other PPOA members who related the contents of the secret meeting to their leadership, doubtless together with their disgust that deputy district attorneys were involved in this unholy enterprise.
Beyond misrepresenting the ADDA’s position regarding PPOA, AFSCME is a wholly inappropriate organization to represent the views and concerns of prosecutors. Despite AFSCME’s promise that they will not involve themselves (and thereby prosecutors) in political campaigns unless there is a “labor-related issue,” AFSCME has decided to support Proposition 47 in the upcoming Nov. 4, 2014 election. Prop 47 will decimate the criminal justice system by reducing most theft, fraud and narcotics offenses to misdemeanors - even for those with lengthy serious and violent criminal histories. The ADDA had previously announced its concerns with and opposition to Prop 47, yet AFSCME apparently chose to ignore those concerns as well as their promise, and support a proposition that only a lunatic would believe has a labor-related issue; unless that means more work for criminals.
It does appear that AFSCME may have an unduly sympathetic position toward criminals. According to California Statewide Law Enforcement Association President Alan Barcelona, AFSCME has more than its fair share of executives who have been convicted of corruption.
CSLEA President Barcelona urges people to “Google AFSCME and Corruption, you’ll see page after page after page of AFSCME officials being indicted, prosecuted and imprisoned all over the United States, including here in California.” he said. “CSLEA is comprised of public safety professionals, why anyone within this organization would want to be represented by those kind of people is beyond me.” Barcelona concluded.
The origins of the ADDA’s association with AFSCME are rooted in an unholy alliance brokered by disgraced former ADDA President Steve Ipsen, who was fired from the DA’s Office for “improper and egregious conduct.” It is, perhaps, no coincidence that the same kind of duplicitous, shameful and abhorrent behavior displayed by Ipsen is apparent in his choice of partner for the ADDA.
This writer, along with those brave enough to comment in this forum, have long expressed grave concerns about AFSCME. It is shameful that an organization of prosecutors should be associated with a shambolic and shameful group who clearly have an ethical base adverse to ours.
It needs to end, but it will only end if DDA’s get involved and vote to terminate AFSCME for their failure to represent DDAs fairly and effectively.
Copyright 2014, Metropolitan News Company