PAC

Welcome to the Orange County Attorneys Association - Political Action Committee Webpage. The Orange County Attorneys Association - Political Action Committee (OCAA - PAC) was established to give the Association and its membership a voice in the political affairs of the county. The PAC is the political arm of the Orange County Attorneys Association.

The mission of the PAC is to support, promote and elect candidates for state, county and/or local office who are sympathetic to the Association's goals. The PAC is non-partisan; endorsements are not made on the basis of party affiliation but on the basis of a candidate's record, political philosophy and pledge of future action.

The objective of the PAC is to be an effective resource for this stated mission.

Membership in the PAC is strictly voluntary; OCAA members are not required to be members of the PAC. The PAC is funded through voluntary contributions made by OCAA members. This money is then used to help pay for lobbying efforts and to endorse candidates that support our agenda. We have formed a Political Action Committee because the use of general treasury funds to support or oppose a candidate can have significant adverse tax consequences to the association

The PAC supports a number of activities:

Using voluntary contributions from our members, the PAC helps support political and non-political candidates from any parties who champion legislative issues that assist the Association's membership.
The PAC monitors and lobbies elected officials in Orange County to make sure that legislation important to our membership receives the necessary support and that harmful legislation is defeated.
The PAC holds meetings with candidates for public office to evaluate their positions on issues important to our membership.
The PAC encourages members and their families to vote through voter registration drives.

We receive much of our information from members, family and friends familiar with particular candidates, or from the candidates themselves. If you know of a political candidate(s) (you may also submit yourself if you are running for a political office) who is deserving of our endorsement, please contact us via e-mail at ocaapac@ocaa.net and we will do the research. If the candidate(s) is selected as a worthy candidate, he or she will receive our full support, which may include Internet exposure, 'get out the vote' efforts, canvassing, endorsement and possibly financial support.

Orange County Attorneys Association
P.O. Box 1749 Santa Ana, CA 92702

November 10, 2004

NOTICE TO OCAA MEMBERS

Dear OCAA member,

For the past year, OCAA has been a member of the United Employee Organizations of Orange County (UEOOC), a super coalition of the five major county employee associations – Orange County Employees Association (OCEA), Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and International Union of Engineers (IUOE), Local 501. We have met on a biweekly basis to discuss issues effecting all county employees, to develop joint strategies to workplace issues, and to meet with the Board of Supervisors and the CEO to present our unified approach. Our joint efforts have resulted in a revised cell phone policy, Human Resources Department reorganization input, Human Resources Director selection, vacation cashout restoration, and hopefully an equitable retirement benefit.

To ensure our voice is heard, UEOOC has also formed two Political Action Committees to ensure the local political process takes our issues and problems to heart. Included in these expenditures is a massive build up to confront the firefighter association’s March ballot attempt to usurp Proposition 172 money from the Sheriff and District Attorney’s budgets, which will have a dramatic consequences on all county departments who will be forced to make up the budget shortfall.

Believing in its benefits, the OCAA Board, on July 22, 2004, adopted a resolution to contribute to the UEOOC PACs effective with employee pay for work after January 1 2005. By this letter, OCAA provides its members notice that one dollar per month for each member’s dues which would otherwise be allocated to the OCAA General Treasury have been allocated to the UEOOC Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee (Independent Expenditure PAC) and the UEOOC Political Action Committee (United Employee PAC). If you do not wish to help contribute to this fund, then please check the box, print your name, and return this letter to any OCAA Board member no later than December 15, 2004. Otherwise, please note that this $12 per year is NOT deductible for income tax purposes. Accordingly, if you deduct your dues as an unreimbursed business expense, you must exclude the $12 per year to the Independent Expenditure PAC and the United Employee PAC from your deductions. For further tax advice, please consult your tax advisor.

Board of Directors

Child Support Services County Counsel Alternate Defender Public Defender District Attorney

Guy Ormes Wendy Phillips Randy Ladisky Bernadette Cemore Steve Bickel

Linda Hewitt Bill Overtoom

Don Landis Chris Kralick

Seth Bank Rick Welsh

Back to Newsletter

Cost Estimates for Contra Costa County to Implement SB1018

[The following Cost Estimate was prepared by Brian Hast, OCAA does not represent nor endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information.]

An estimation of costs resulting from implementation of SB1018 in Contra Costa County is as follows:

90 Deputy District Attorneys + 65 Deputy Public Defenders = 155 employees

155 Employees X $50,000 average retro-active cost per employee = $7,750,000

$7,750,000 / 18 year amortization period = $430,500 per year cost increase

155 employees X $5,000 per year social security savings = $775,000 employer savings per year
(the social security savings will increase each year as the rates and limitations increase)

$430,500 retro-active cost increase - $775,000 cost saving = $344,500 net savings per year

Increase in employer current contributions going from General to Safety would be approximately $500,000 per year.

$500,000 increased current cost per year - $344,500 savings per year = $155,500 increased cost per year.

These are estimates based on several assumptions. I believe that they are pretty accurate, but, without a full actuarial study, exact cost numbers are impossible to determine.

If you have any questions, give me a call at 925-260-8308.

Brian Hast

Cost Estimate for Santa Clara County to Implement SB1018

[The following Cost Estimate was prepared by Jim Shore, OCAA does not represent nor endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information.]

Cal Pers actuarial:

$7.8 million for a little over 200 attorneys
$400,000 (or so) per year for the 20 year amortization period
$2000 per year per attorney

Total Yearly DA Budget: over $50 million
% cost of bill: less than .08% of yearly budget

Retention cost to office: Office invests about $500,000 in an attorney who works for five years (including training, recruiting, salary and benefits). It takes eight years by the County's rules before an attorney can handle any case with minimal supervision. So while a fifth year attorney is producing he/she is still on the learning curve. Consequently if a fifth year attorney quits, the County has to invest another $500,000 to get another attorney to the fifth year level. Now they have invested $1,000,000 and only have an attorney of a fifth year level after their ten-year investment. In fairness to the County the $1,000,000 hasn't been thrown away; they got some productivity from it lets say half. The other half is wasted when an attorney leaves.

So for the 50 attorneys we lost (some more than five years, others less) the county lost a conservative $25,000,000 of their investment by their inability to retain.

When you compare the total cost of $7.8 million to the last two years of lost investment of $25,000,000 it pales in comparison. Even if you can't retain all 50 attorneys who left. By retaining 33% of them (good if you are a baseball player, shitty if your an employer) the two year savings will more than pay for the entire program.

You can make a straight faced argument that this legislation will do more to ensure the financial solvency of the Counties vis-avis their ability to combat crime than almost anything the legislature has done in a generation.

Any Questions about this cost estimates please phone Jim Shore 408.209.0702.

Back to Newsletter

SB1018 FACT SHEET

SB1018 is an acknowledgement of the inherent risk and danger local prosecutors, local public defenders and local public defender investigators find themselves in during the performance of their work. Each of these groups play an integral role in our criminal justice system yet there is a lack of understanding as to the great personal risk attributed to the adjudication of those charged with committing crime.

SB1018 would authorize those agencies, counties and districts that contract with PERS to include local prosecutors, local public defenders, and local public defender investigators to be included in the Public Safety classification of the Public Employees' Retirement System.

SB1018 would also authorize other city and county retirement systems, including those organized under the 1937 Retirement Act to provide local prosecutors, local public defenders, and local public defender investigators with benefits provided to safety members under their respective systems.

SB1018 would authorize eligible persons to elect not to become safety members and provide that prior service as a local prosecutor, local public defender, or local public defender investigator shall be deemed safety service at the employer's cost.

Back to Newsletter

SAMPLE TEMPLATE LETTER

THE HONORABLE (NAME OF LEGISLATOR)
CALIFORNIA STATE (ASSEMBLY OR SENATE)
ROOM _______
STATE CAPITOL
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814

Dear………..,

I (We) urge you to vote in favor of SB1018. A highly skilled, dedicated criminal justice workforce is a benefit to all Californians. Your support for this bill is an important acknowledgement of the inherent risk and danger (local prosecutors, local public defenders and local public defender investigators) find themselves in during the performance of their work.

(Local prosecutors, local public defenders and local public defender investigators) work every day to ensure safe streets and healthy neighborhoods yet they are increasingly coming under attack for doing their job. For instance (INSERT LOCAL STORY OF THREATS OR ATTACKS HERE, WITH THIS LETTER IS A LISTING OF SEVERAL OF THESE INCIDENTS-LIST ONE OR TWO, ATTACH ANY NEWS CLIPPINGS IF POSSIBLE)

With a salary and retirement benefit package commensurate with the level of danger and risk associated with the adjudication of those accused of crimes counties will be able to recruit, train and most importantly retain the best and brightest for our criminal justice system. Our criminal justice system is a cornerstone of our society that helps to ensure safe and healthy neighborhoods.

I (We) hope to count you as a supporter of SB1018 and look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Back to Newsletter

BILL NUMBER: SB 1018 INTRODUCED

BILL TEXT

INTRODUCED BY Senator Perata

FEBRUARY 23, 2001

An act to amend Section 20370 of, and to add Sections 20050.5,

20384, 20890.5, 21353.1, 21353.2, 21623.7, 31469.2, and 31676.2 to,

the Government Code, relating to public employees' retirement.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1018, as introduced, Perata. Public retirement systems: local

prosecutors and public defenders.

City and county prosecutors and public defenders are local

miscellaneous members of the Public Employees' Retirement System and

general members of retirement systems established pursuant to the

County Employees Retirement Law of 1937.

This bill would establish the "local prosecutor and local public

defender member" category in both retirement plans. Local prosecutor

and local public defender members of the Public Employees'

Retirement System would be eligible for an alternative 2% at age 50

service retirement formula and for continuance of a portion of their

retirement allowance to survivors without modification of their

service retirement allowance. Local prosecutor and local public

defender members employed by contracting agencies that have elected

the 2% at age 50 retirement formula or the 3% at age 50 retirement

formula for local safety members would also be eligible for that

formula.

Local prosecutor and local public defender members of county

retirement systems would be eligible for the 2% at age 50 retirement

formula, the 3% at age 50 retirement formula, or the 3% at age 55

retirement formula if any of those formulae are applicable to safety

members in the county.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.

State-mandated local program: no.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Section 20050.5 is added to the Government Code, to

read:

20050.5. "Local prosecutor and local public defender member

service" means service rendered as a local prosecutor and local

public defender member only while receiving compensation for that

service and service rendered in positions that have been reclassified

as positions within the definition of "local prosecutor and local

public defender member."

SEC. 2. Section 20370 of the Government Code is amended to read:

20370. (a) "Member" means an employee who has qualified for

membership in this system and on whose behalf an employer has become

obligated to pay contributions.

(b) "State member" includes:

(1) State miscellaneous members.

(2) University members.

(3) Patrol members.

(4) State safety members.

(5) State industrial members.

(6) State peace officer/firefighter members.

(1) Local miscellaneous members.

(2) Local safety members.

(3) Local prosecutor and local public defender members.

(d) "School member" includes all employees within the jurisdiction

of a school employer, other than local policemen and school safety

members.

SEC. 3. Section 20384 is added to the Government Code, to read:

20384. (a) "Local prosecutor and local public defender member"

means city or county employees who are primarily engaged in the

active enforcement of, or defense of indigents charged with

violations of, criminal laws within any court operating in a county,

and whose job classification is district attorney, deputy district

attorney, chief deputy district attorney, assistant district

attorney, chief assistant district attorney, city attorney, deputy

city attorney, chief deputy city attorney, assistant city attorney,

chief assistant city attorney, public defender, deputy public

defender, chief deputy public defender, assistant public defender,

chief assistant public defender, chief trial attorney, alternate

public defender, deputy alternate public defender, assistant

alternate public defender, chief alternate public defender, conflict

public defender, chief conflict public defender, deputy conflict

public defender, assistant conflict public defender, or any similar

classification or title.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any member

who files an election with the board to be a miscellaneous member

before February 1, 2002, or within 30 days after employment in that

position.

part applicable to local miscellaneous members shall apply to local

prosecutor and local public defender members.

SEC. 4. Section 20890.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:

20890.5. Past local miscellaneous service shall be converted to

local prosecutor and local public defender service if the past

service:

(a) Was rendered by a current employee of the same agency for

which the miscellaneous service was performed; and

(b) Was rendered in a position that has subsequently been

reclassified as a local prosecutor and local public defender

position; and

local public defender service credit for service performed with the

agency.

SEC. 5. Section 21353.1 is added to the Government Code, to read:

21353.1. (a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 21353.2, the

combined prior and current service pension for a local prosecutor

and local public defender member with respect to service to a

contracting agency subject to this section, upon retirement after

attaining the age of 50 years, is a pension derived from

contributions of an employer sufficient, when added to that portion

of the service retirement annuity that is derived from the

accumulated normal contributions of the member at the date of his or

her retirement, to equal one-fiftieth of his or her final

compensation multiplied by that number of years of local prosecutor

and local public defender service that is credited to him or her as a

local prosecutor and local public defender member subject to this

section at retirement.

(b) In no event shall the total pension for all service under this

section exceed an amount that, when added to the service retirement

annuity related to that service, equals 85 percent of final

compensation. If the pension relates to service to more than one

employer and would otherwise exceed that maximum, the pension payable

with respect to each employer shall be reduced in the same

proportion as the allowance based on service to that employer bears

to the total allowance computed as though there were no limit, so

that the total of those pensions equals the maximum.

of retirement is prior to January 1, 2002.

(d) The Legislature reserves, with respect to any member subject

to this section, the right to provide for the adjustment of

industrial disability retirement allowances because of earnings of a

retired person and modification of the conditions and qualifications

required for retirement for disability as it may find appropriate

because of the earlier age of service retirement made possible by the

benefits under this section.

(e) The percentage of final compensation provided in this section

shall be reduced by one-third as applied to that part of the member's

final compensation that does not exceed four hundred dollars ($400)

per month for service after the effective date of coverage of a

member under the federal system. This subdivision shall not apply to

a member who retires after the date upon which coverage under the

federal system of persons in his or her employment terminates.

SEC. 6. Section 21353.2 is added to the Government Code, to read:

21353.2. (a) A contracting agency may elect to make Section 21362

applicable to local prosecutor and local public defender members if

that section is applicable to the agency's local safety members.

(b) A contracting agency may elect to make Section 21362.2

applicable to local prosecutor and local public defender members if

that section is applicable to the agency's local safety members.

SEC. 7. Section 21623.7 is added to the Government Code, to read:

21623.7. (a) In lieu of benefits provided by Sections 21620,

21622, and 21623.5, upon the death of a local prosecutor and local

public defender member whose retirement for service or disability is

effective on or after January 1, 2002, a monthly allowance derived

from employer contributions equal to a percentage of the amount of

his or her retirement allowance as it was at his or her death based

on service credited to him or her as a member subject to this

section, but excluding any portion of the retirement allowance

derived from additional contributions of the member, shall be paid to

the surviving spouse throughout life. That percentage shall be 25

percent for an allowance based on service for which the allowance is

reduced because the service was also covered under the federal system

and 50 percent for an allowance based on any other service.

(b) If at the time of the retired member's death there is no

surviving spouse, or upon death of the spouse before every child of

the deceased member attains the age of 18 years, the allowance under

this section shall be paid to his or her child or children under that

age, collectively, until every child dies or attains that age. No

child shall receive any allowance after marrying or attaining the age

of 18 years.

surviving spouse or children under the age of 18 years, the allowance

under this section shall be paid to a parent or collectively to

parents of the deceased member dependent upon him or her for support.

(d) If on the effective date of his or her retirement, the member

has no surviving spouse, eligible children, or dependent parents and

elected an optional settlement, no allowance under this section shall

be paid.

(e) "Surviving spouse," for purposes of this section, means a

husband or wife who was married to the member for a continuous period

beginning at least one year prior to his or her retirement and

ending on the date of the member's death.

SEC. 8. Section 31469.2 is added to the Government Code, to read:

31469.2. (a) "Local prosecutor and local public defender member"

means all city or county officers and employees who are primarily

engaged in the active enforcement of, or defense of indigents charged

with violations of, criminal laws within any court operating in a

county, and whose job classification is district attorney, deputy

district attorney, chief deputy district attorney, assistant district