“Kudos to the San Diego County Grand Jury for suggesting ways for the city of San Diego to become more fiscally responsible. The recommendation that employees should not be allowed to enter the DROP program if it is found to cost the city money makes a lot of sense. The problem is that there are opposing views as to the cost neutrality of DROP.
Public employee unions have been asking for a DROP cost study be done for the last five years, even volunteering to pay for a portion of the cost of the review. Eventually, council members said early last year that a study needed to be done. So, here we are about to enter another fiscal year, and still no DROP study has been completed.
Supposedly, a study is being worked on, but we have heard that before. Probably the most telling comment made about this topic was from a member of the city negotiating team this year when he said the San Diego Police Officers Association needed to understand the predicament the city was in. He said the program has been around for years. If it turns out not to be cost-neutral, the administration would look bad for not doing the study years ago and getting rid of the program. If DROP is deemed to be cost-neutral, city officials are going to look pretty foolish for making such a fuss about it for years.
It seems clear that politics has taken a front seat to fiscal responsibility in this matter. The citizens of San Diego deserve better for their tax dollars. It is time to do the study and be done with it.”
— Woody Dubois, San Diego Police Officers Association
