DiCiccio win adds nails to the ‘pension spike’ coffin

Recriminations and vindication in the middle of an off-year election season. » It’s amazing what a difference a $1.1 million election in one district of one city can make.

Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio kept his job despite an absolutely furious campaign to oust him by publicemployee unions, especially firefighters. He beat unionbacked (and Mayor Greg Stanton-endorsed) businesswoman Karlene Keogh Parks with 55 percent of the vote.

DiCiccio’s big issue has been pension and employeecompensation reform, of course. Which was what prompted the firefighters to take notice of him in the first place. Ousting DiCiccio became a religious mission for them. Not ousting him already is proving hellish.

On the lips of nearly everyone in Phoenix government suddenly is reform of “pension spiking,” the practice of larding up an employee’s salary with non-salary goodies like sick leave to fatten the retirement bottom line. It is financial foie gras that everyone seems to deplore, but no one has done anything to reform. For decades, it’s hung around.

Phoenix added pensionspiking elements for most city workers 10 years ago. And the last two Phoenix city managers to retire famously did so with their pensions spiked to the bursting point. But, in fact, the practice goes back at least as far as 1984, when the late Marvin Andrews’ contract included a provision allowing him to add half of his unused sick leave to his city manager salary base. They didn’t call it “spiking” then, I don’t think. But it was.

So, after all these years, ending spiking finally is gaining real momentum, especially for Mayor Stanton, for whom ending it was a campaign pledge two years ago. Now, he and Councilman Bill Gates have formed a committee to explore ending it citywide. And Stanton himself promises the 30-year-old practice as it applies to city manager contracts ends now.

City union leaders aren’t pleased. But that’s what happens when you’re on the losing side in a crusade.

» Phoenix District 2 council candidates Virgel Cain and Jim Waring came in one day for an

editorial board visit. The congenial, semiretired Mr. Cain introduced himself.

Me: “So ... Virgel Cain... is the name?”

There are, you see, these lyrics. In a famous song by the Band. I couldn’t resist. Sorry!

» Still puzzling over whether Phoenix District 4 council candidate Austin Head could be described as a “serious” candidate or not.

His main issue, expanding light-rail operating hours, was legitimate, if New Yorkish (Head recently relocated back to his home city from NYC.) But there was that “I Head” ad campaign.

Not to be overly explicit, but it wasn’t exactly what you would call a “political statement.” But clever? Well ... yeah. But it pretty much constituted a self-declaration that he ... wasn’t ... really ... serious.

» Laura Pastor and Justin Johnson are in the finals in District 4. Both Dems. Both young kin of Arizona Democratic icons. The mayor supports Pastor, which means the public-employee unions support Pastor. Just because they couldn’t do in DiCiccio doesn’t mean the unions have completely lost it. I’m figuring Pastor in District 4.

» Speaking of the DiCicciovs.-Keogh Parks race ...

Keogh Parks ran a clean, positive campaign. Because she could. The firefighter unions and their allies were the ones dumping the nasty stuff into the mail and onto the airwaves on her behalf.

But there was one negative issue that Keogh Parks used regularly against DiCiccio, but never effectively. The unions used it, too, also ineffectively.

It seems that if you are going to “go negative” on an opponent, it is not enough to simply toss out seemingly distasteful stuff about that opponent and call it disgraceful. Or a “conflict of interest.” You have to explain it is a disgraceful conflict.

DiCiccio holds a long-term lease on Gila River Indian Community property near where a Loop 202 extension adjacent to his district someday may (or may not) be built.

It seems unseemly, doesn’t it? Just on its face? But he bought into the deal years ago when he wasn’t on the council. As a council member, he has no say about a Loop 202 alignment. And, like nearly every elected official in the Valley who is not a member of the Gila River tribe, he always has backed the Ahwatukee Foothills-area extension anyway.

Still, Keogh Parks and allies decreed it a significant conflict of interest. Repeatedly. But never once could they say why. And, in the end, I don’t think district voters could figure out why, either.

» I know I’m the last person to discover this, but ...

So, “retiring” Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos played football on a college team, Eastern Illinois, that won a Division II national championship? And his offensive coach was a young firebrand named Mike Shanahan? I need to get out more.