Commentary By Samuel Strait – June 24, 2022 At this past Crescent City Council meeting, the agony of the possibility that the City's "slush fund" may be in jeopardy in the upcoming November election has the council in a spending frenzy. $2,352,112.00 to be on the books to be spent on "police, fire, road repair, and the swimming pool". More than the entire income received by the City in the past year from the Measure"S" sales tax scheme. If only those that oppose the tax were wise enough to discover all the "good works" that this endless revenue stream will "benefit" the City's residents. All the "dreamer" government projects with suitable highly paid staff to accomplish those "wonders". Crescent City will enter the world of modern marvel, that is if the local population sits still for this continued grift by City Councilmen whose dreams of a fantasy land outstrip the local population's ability to pay for such extravagance. The City's fathers are completely oblivious to the fact that many of those dollars are local and those that are not, do not reach the pockets of those that are local. This community cannot afford to entertain on such a lavish scale and must ask themselves is the Measure "S" money actually a benefit to the community which by the way consists of far more than those that live within the City boundaries, or is it a financial drain that only serves to boost the egos of those that serve on the City's council? The question might be asked, "when you vote to repeal Measure"S", how often do you really use the City's swimming pool and is it worth the half million dollars of restoration and nearly four hundred thousand in operating cost every year?" Understanding the true scope of necessary road repair in the City, "does five hundred thousand dollars really measure up to this task?" Does spending $362,000 to hire three paid fire captains truly represent a step forward towards a functional City Fire Department? How exactly will body cameras, tasers, two new inexperienced patrol officers, and a newly elevated lieutenant change anything at the City's Police Department? All this begs the question which plainly stated, why is it always police, fire, and emergency services that seem to be lacking funding whenever the City wants more money to spend? Why does it always seem that every time more money is wrestled from the public to "improve services" they never seem to improve? What about the City's pool that is so utterly vital that thousands of dollars must be spent for a facility most in the community will be paying for that they do not use? And finally, roads that are used by most in the community only appear to be getting the scraps and left overs of the Measure "S" income, not the amount that is needed to fix nearly every street in the City? Monuments to the arrogant are the luxuries of the wealthy, not most that live in Del Norte County. Our representatives and even those that voted for this extravagance, clearly do not understand that this does not benefit those that live, work and for the most part pay for something they do not use or need. Most have difficulty paying for the things they need in their own personal lives. A community swimming pool is not one of them. An inexperienced police force with tasers and body cameras does not satisfy. Three hired fire captains does not improve the City Fire Department. And $500,000 is well short of doing something positive about City roads and streets. Yet, that is not the worse aspect of this increase in sales tax. Those that have so little in their lives will have even less. Small business will lose even more to our neighbor to the North. Those that live outside the City's bounders and still local will be unable to have a say as to how the money was to be spent. That somehow sales tax is the fairest way to levy the public for what? A swimming pool? Services that government should be paying for out of its general fund? Road repairs that have been neglected for years? To cover for years of negligence by the City Council? To pay for the monstrosity that will grace Beach Front Park? Are we suddenly so wealthy in this County that something of so little worth to its citizens will dominate the City's budget? What happened to those that were elected to be so deficit in their understanding of what the local population has for "needs"? Where has common sense gone? And what is with all the whining from those that should be the adults in the community and not thoughtless three year old's who cannot live without their favorite toy?