A recurring theme at the California Democrat Convention in Sacramento two weeks ago was the idea that the full weight of the state’s organized labor apparatus must come together to battle “Union Busting Wisconsin” tactics in the small Orange County City of Costa Mesa. You see, the Costa Mesa City Council has put labor on notice it intends to outsource city functions in an effort to dig out of their $221 million CalPERS pension deficit and avoid insolvency due to historic bloated pensions & benefits. Bloomberg News has even called Costa Mesa “Ground Zero on Costs of Pensions.”
Berardino”GATE” – Enter Nick Berardino, the AFL-CIO’s General Manager of the Orange County Employees Union; the stereotypical “thug” that speaks of his Italian heritage and jokes about showing up at Orange County Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh’s home’s when upset with him, “and I don’t want to go there to deliver cannoli and a little bit of wine.” Mr. Berardino it seems, not only likes to joke about these physical taunts but apparently likes to “intercept” other people’s email in an effort to know all the covert moves of his opponents. Also on the video below Art Pulaski, an Officer with the California Labor Federation, says “I have seen the memos from the leaders of Costa Mesa to the leaders of Orange County and beyond.” It appears Nick the thug and Art keep in communication.
Behold Berardino”GATE” at the California Democratic Convention ….
[youtube Jx0GxzIx7Uw AFL-CIO Intercepting Emails]
Costa Mesa like many municipalities in America are going through difficult fiscal times and hard decisions by elected officials must be made to prevent insolvency. What the citizens of Costa Mesa don’t need, and I dare say, the city workers of Costa Mesa don’t need, is Nick Berardino and Art Pulaski doing things that would make Nixon blush.
When asked about the “intercepted” emails comment made on video, Costa Mesa City Councilman Jim Righeimer said, “Someone gave me a copy of the video and I immediately gave it to the Orange County District Attorney’s office for investigation. People have a right to privacy that we need to ensure is not being violated here.”
My guess is the next move of the Democrat Party/Union (let’s face it they are the same entity now) is to call in THE PLUMBERS. Maybe they should flush Nick Berardino out of the system first.
For those who argue that the video was “selectively edited”, here is the full length uncut video of Nick Berardino admitting to “intercepting their emails” in a panel discussion at the California Democratic Convention last month.
Unedited Version….
[youtube 2Pu4O1cQExA Berardino”GATE”]
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