‘Taxpayer Advocate’ in Name Only

“Taxpayer advocate” Jere Robings attacks Ventura County Federation of College Teachers’ behavior at the Sept. 9 Ventura County Community College District board meeting, likening faculty members to Teamster “thugs.”

Paywise, VCCCD faculty would like the clout of the Teamsters. Unlike United Parcel Service Teamster part-timers whose average salaries exceed $16,000 a year, no VCCCD part-time teaching faculty member earns more than $13,518 per academic year--without Social Security, health insurance, vacation or holiday pay, benefits granted UPS part-timers, as well as the majority of other employees in the industrialized world. As a taxpayer advocate, Robings should be glad the VCCCD is so “careful” with taxpayers’ money, instead of insulting those who work for such low wages when they vent their anger over what they see as attacks upon their professionalism by the VCCCD board and management during the current negotiations impasse.

As a taxpayer advocate, Robings should be encouraging management to increase incentives to increase faculty productivity instead of attacking teachers who generate all the district revenues through their classrooms. Does he know that district management wants to cut incentive pay, pay that rewards greater faculty productivity? The federation’s current and proposed contracts contain an incentive clause (Article 3) which assures faculty that a portion of new revenues generated through their working harder to attract students will come back to them as salary increases. With incentives, the faculty works harder, more students come and stay in classes, and more money comes to the district--a Republican like Robings should advocate further incentives like this.

As our taxpayer advocate, Robings should be questioning board members about the efficacy of granting extraordinary raises to the management team that precipitated a drop in faculty morale through the negotiations impasse. In a person-to-person businesslike education, high morale is essential for the continued quality of the district’s instructional programs, programs that generate all district revenues. Only a fool works harder if he is insulted by the likes of Robings, Vice Chancellor Gregoryk, or trustee Nagel.

As taxpayer advocate for Ventura County, Robings should be urging the board to end the tax-dollar-sucking negotiations impasse; he should be entreating the board to enhance contract articles with incentives for the further generation of funds for the district, and he should be calling for reasonable and customary pay and benefits for all district faculty so the students of Ventura County will continue to be served by a faculty with high morale.

A true taxpayer advocate wants his government’s agencies to provide the best services possible for the dollars allocated. Superior service will continue only if faculty members are treated professionally, paid fairly, and not insulted by the likes of Robings who seems to not have anything positive to say at any time, hardly fulfilling the definition of “advocate” as “one who speaks for.”

LYNN M. FAUTH

Oxnard College member, Ventura County Federation of College Teachers negotiation team

Thousand Oaks