San Jose Voters Undecided On Measure F Restoring Police Benefits
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- New poll shows many voters in San Jose are undecided on a measure that would restore pensions and benefits for San Jose police.
The measure would reverse a 2012 voter-approved measure limiting pensions and benefits for San Jose police, which many say has led to the current staffing crisis.
In San Jose, John Lamantia didn't know what Measure F was, and he may be the typical voter.
Lamantia said, "There's a lot of measures. It gets kind of lost a little bit."
Measure F proposes an end to pension disputes between city hall and its labor unions that might help restore the police department.
Once Lamantia learned about the measure, he said he was all for it.
"We need a lot of policemen and they need their benefits," he said. "They need all of that, it's well deserved."
Our exclusive KPIX/SurveyUSA poll found Measure F is still not on the radar of many likely San Jose voters.
In fact, 46 percent say they are still uncertain or undecided on how they will vote on the measure, the poll found.
But the number of voters who say they support Measure F are ahead of opponents by more than two-to-one.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said he's not surprised there are a lot of undecided voters so close to the election.
Liccardo is leading the charge for Measure F by phone canvassing from a pizza place across the street from city hall during his lunch hour.
"It doesn't surprise me given the fact that there's 17 measures on the state ballot alone, before people even get to the local measures," Liccardo said.
San Jose's labor unions have paid for TV and Internet ads featuring Chief of Police Eddie Garcia pleading with voters to support Measure F.
Police officers are doing so much overtime work to compensate for a spike in retirements and resignations over pension cuts that many have been RV camping in city parking lots just to get enough sleep before the next shift.
San Jose Police Officers Association President Paul Kelly said, "It's catastrophe if Measure F doesn't pass for us."
The poll also found that people who have already voted favor Measure F by 49 percent.
Members of San Jose police and fire unions say they'll keep trying to build on that support.
President of San Jose Firefighters union Sean Kaldor said, "It will end the divisiveness, bring us back together, and help us recruit and retain people."
The Santa Clara County Taxpayers Association opposes Measure F and their president called it a repeal on pension reform.
