Keep those calls rolling in as the new year rolls around. Start the year off right by getting your gripes off your shoulder by contacting the Red Phone at 779-4106 ext. 206 or by e-mail at
re******@mo*************.com
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What’s his background?
“Hey Red Phone. I’m calling about your story on Pete Kutras (Nov. 26). The guy rakes in $232,500 plus … what education or work experience, for example an accounting background, does this man have to qualify him to handle the budget in a responsible way? Was his educational background an oversight? Also I heard recently that it was ordered 120 plus vacant job eliminations, 40 to 60 were people who had been hurt at work and were on medical leave. They were all fired. Can you check into that? Lastly, those product line employees he refers to are firefighters, paramedics, nurses, sheriff’s deputies, 911 dispatchers and so on. Perhaps the voters would not approve of an arrogant man like him and that’s why he played his political cards to get into the position that he’s in with no real accountability to the voters.”
Red Phone
Check into it, it did – and here’s what Red Phone found:
Pete Kutras has nine years of experience in the Santa Clara County Executive’s office and has worked in personnel and labor relations for more than 25 years, all in the public sector. He studied political science and economics at San Jose State University and received government executive training at Harvard University.
Where the job eliminations are concerned, last year the county slashed about 200 vacant positions to close its budget deficit. Kutras said that “injured workers are not targeted for elimination. They have statutory legal rights to rehabilitation, job accommodations to have work that does not aggravate their injuries and if needed a disability retirement.”
Messy Mexican Restaurant
“This is the second time I’ve called. I’m calling to kind of complain about the property on the corner of Monterey Road and Ciolino. It is behind Albertson’s there. It is a mess. I don’t know if the city has a policy for blighted land if they come in to take care of it. It is a real eyesore. It was a Mexican restaurant at one time, but it has been closed for a long time.”
Red Phone
The Crimson Crusader couldn’t contact the city about this problem because offices were closed this week, but the Red Phone will file a complaint and report back next week.
