We Make Mitt’s Home Happen

Mitt Romney doesn’t believe in public services. He should tell that to the AFSCME brothers and sisters who keep his town safe and clean.

America is a we’re-all-in-this-together-nation, not a you’re-on-your-own nation. But you won’t hear Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney acknowledge the thousands of public service workers behind every thriving community and business. In fact, Romney likes to brag on the campaign trail about firing people who provide him services. He’s a former corporate raider who supports privatization of public services. He supports politicians like Ohio Gov. John Kasich for attacking collective bargaining. And he says that we need fewer public service workers, including firefighters, public safety personnel and educators. But Romney need look no further than the doorstep of his own La Jolla, Calif., oceanfront home, part of the San Diego municipality, to see that public service employees – in particular the proud sisters and brothers of AFSCME – are the very people who make this country happen every day. Let’s meet a few.

Richard Hayes

Picks up the trash at Romney’s house

I am a sanitation driver, and my shift starts at 7 in the morning. My area includes the neighborhood where Mitt Romney lives, but I’m sure he doesn’t think about what I do at all.

I feel proud that I supply an important service in this city, even though most of the time, it doesn’t get noticed. But think about it: Even if you live in the very best part of town, you can’t really be comfortable without the services we provide. That tells me that the work we do should be considered a priority. But a lot of times, when it comes to the decisions politicians make, it’s not.

People always talk about contracting out our services but they are way too important to be handed over to private companies. 

Cornel de Graaf

Repairs the streets in Romney’s neighborhood

I am an equipment operator with the San Diego Streets Department. I run a crew that repairs and replaces asphalt citywide.

For me, no matter where we are sent, it’s a job and we do the best we can. It doesn’t matter where it is. Wherever our orders are, that’s where we go.

It’s frustrating when some of these people don’t respect what we do and understand how valuable it is. We’re just here to do a good job. We’re public service workers, so we’re out to do what’s best for the city – not to make a profit for a company. It would be great if people like Mitt Romney would appreciate that.

Cuauhtemoc“Temo”Fuentes

Maintains the firetrucks dispatched to Romney’s neighborhood

I am an equipment mechanic with the fire repair facility.

We maintain all the vehicles. Not just the ladder trucks and the pumpers, but also urban rescue, hazmat and bomb squad vehicles. We maintain the frontline vehicles that are currently in use and also all of our reserve vehicles. Our schedules rotate so a mechanic is on call 24 hours a day for any issue that comes up. We also have state-owned fire vehicles we work on. When there is a major fire and the firefighters go out, when they return, we have to fully inspect before any equipment goes back out on the road.

We’re always in the background. We provide a service that no one sees. We provide services for the whole city – rich and poor alike.

Glenda Evans

Monitors the safety of the drinking water in Romney’s neighborhood

I’m a water treatment plant operator, and we make sure Mitt Romney and his neighbors have high-quality, safe, potable water to drink. It’s a job that’s 24-7 and sometimes, we have to pull 16-hour shifts. We have to test the water constantly and dose it with chemicals throughout the day. Depending on the status of the treatment plants and how much water we need to produce, we can make anywhere from three to five changes a day, and we have to make sure the dosage of chemicals is correct for the amount of water we’re treating. My job involves a lot of calculations and knowledge about the chemicals we use, such as chlorine gas and ammonia.

No matter how rich you are, you still need city water. But the people who want to outsource our work see us as wasting taxpayer money instead of providing everyone with important services.

Mitt Romney should come down and see what we do. Maybe he’d have a greater appreciation for public service workers, once he sees the sacrifices we make.

Carl Stanley

Water systems technician for Romney’s neighborhood

People like Romney, I’m sure they never even think about what people like me do for a living – even though water is a lifeline. Romney takes our work for granted, and you can hear it in what he says, bragging about firing people and saying we need fewer cops and teachers.