By Samuel Strait – Reporter at Large – April 13, 2022 With all the celebration of the swearing in of newly appointed Supervisor Fifth District, Susan Masten, the question became, "Would anything really change?" We have the answer to that, No! The Board of Supervisors remains firmly locked in the oh, so, bland state of uniformity, conformity, with no sign of life. Today's Board of Supervisor's meeting was another nod to the abject uselessness of the necessity of the Board to meet. Bureaucrats need only to propose ideas and the "rubber stamp" can descend. Plaques for "meritorious" service, back slapping, decorations called proclamations, and new hire introductions abound. If only something understandable would surface to claim the title of the rational for the Supervisor's to even be in attendance. After a mind numbing parade of Supervisor reports, the consent agenda of fifteen items went off without a hitch, 5-0, though not without the newest member of the Board, Ms. Masten's, attempting to be relevant immediately by requesting yet another committee be formed. Maybe she needs something to do on Saturday night. After Supervisor Hemmingsen and Matsen managed to fumble their way through that minor conundrum, the Supervisors managed to redirect their attention to the embarrassment of Public Comment exposing another failure of County Government to address a rather straight forward community complaint. That of dogs running loose in Fort Dick. None of these folks must have been around when even harmless dogs in Fort Dick were shot on sight with no consequences to the shooters. Times have most certainly changed. The Board then quickly addressed a zoning change, somebody who is obviously important in this case, and a long, likely very costly and pointless "Study" of the housing "element" for Community Development. Classic bit of government waste to tell someone else in government about property available for development and the projected needs for the community for housing over the next eight years. Oh, absolutely vital to the needs of the community, particularly when addressing the "needs" of the twenty five percent of the county residents that cannot afford to buy or rent a place to shelter themselves under any of the County's plans of development. An hour well spent. Relegated to "regular items" status, the Board took up the Report regarding the potential loss of Measure "R" funding for the County, and as expected it was the usual whine of inconsolable grief over the prospect. Public comment went much the same way with Candidate for Fifth District Supervisor, David Jones, coming out in favor of Measure "R", something to keep in mind fifth district voters, and a long lament by SEIU Union President, Norma Williams, exposing the Union's hypocrisy over what might happen should Measure "R" go down in November. The lament by the usual suspects was followed by a sad soliloquy by no other than Supervisor Howard of the Board's sincere attempt to address the community's "Whys" by being "proactive". Howard's "proactive" means expanding government with no intended success at the community's expense. What a guy! This was followed by yet another mechanism of evasion by the County when County Council Joel Campbell-Blair, indicated that should the November repeal be successful, it would in no way hinder the County's continued collection of Measure "R" funding. The wording of the repeal did not address the County's ordinance was his explanation and therefore, did not affect the County's ability to continue with taxpayer theft. This is but the protracted effort by County government to continue to evade having to address the promises made when the Measure was first proposed, no additional government employees to be paid for with Measure "R" funding. The Meeting concluded with more money being transferred to Health and Human Services for "a budget housing unit" of in excess of one million dollars and Measure "R" money to be spent on "vital" interior renovations to the Fireside Room of the Veterans Memorial Hall. This is likely not the end of "vital" expenditures of Measure"R" funds that voters approved in 2020 that the current Board members will grace with the "rubber stamp". And, Why it will become necessary to draft a new repeal measure for November to eliminate the County's slush fund before it sends us all into the mouth of government dependence and completely empties wallets…. Are you hearing this, those that currently work for County government and do not have the luxury of a six figure salary? Are you hearing this, those that voted for Measure "R"?