Commentary and Opinion by Samuel Strait – May 26, 2024 The local Republicans may as well join the Democratic Party for all the marginal differences that currently exist. The local version of Republicans tore the band aide off at the most recent Board of Supervisor's (BOS) meeting by being "all for Big Government and Higher Taxes". The only odd thing that came out of it was it was the Democrat that put the brakes on one of Supervisor Howard's more memorable lapses seeking support to make it harder for citizens, you know them as the people he is supposed to represent, to slow the ability of government institutions to pass tax increases at the drop of a hat. More on that later, just keep reading. The most recent version of the train wreck also known as the Board of Supervisors meeting on last Tuesday May 14,2024 included some revealing activities pulling back the drapery and exposing the failure of Representative Republican government at the local level. Although this is something that has been evident for some time, it is time to call it for what it is, endless government expansion at a growing cost to the taxpayer's wallet for no appreciable gain for those that are to be represented by local government. The Department of Health and Human Services, which represents half the County's workforce and 60% of the County's budget can't retain employees, or fill the 30% vacancies in its budgeted stable of workers. At the beginning of most recent BOS meetings we have introduced for the most part new hires for DHHS, two in the current session, yet it continues to bleed those already working and can't seem to hire replacements fast enough. The endless repeat of the "County doesn't pay enough" is a refrain that no longer can account for the deplorable state of affairs. Ineffective leadership and toxic work environment are never mentioned as a more likely cause of the issue. When it is mentioned that as the DHHS grows, so follows the number of vulnerable people in the department's care and any suggestion that this is a larger problem is met with silence and incredulity. At what point will this Board realize that they contribute to that growing population of dysfunctional people at every meeting. It has become obvious the actions this BOS takes is directly responsible for a growing catastrophe and it is being played out before their eyes at every meeting. Increasing salaries and employing more people will not end with any sort of success. Time for a new approach by reducing government and its expense to see if the vulnerable population decreases as well. The Consent Agenda is composed of twenty five items proposed by the County's departments. Eleven are from DHHS requesting for the most part additional services. The remainder are spread among the remaining of the County's departments many asking for promotions coupled with raises or the creation of entirely new departments in County government. You will recall at the last mention of the 5-0 club that on a future Consent Agenda item would consist of the formation of a "Human Resources and Risk Management Department", and Voila Item #24 has such. Formed with the merest suggestion of transparency. What will they do? Who really knows? The Consent Agenda has become a real growth segment of County government where it can grow unchecked with very little vetting from the public. Scheduled items consist of the Public Comment section and a Public Hearing over a Use Permit for a cell Tower. The item was discussed at length, tabled and Verizon was asked to find a more suitable site then come back. Apparently, the Board missed the part that the Company had already searched for sites and this one was the best of the choices. Case of NIMBY was reason enough for the Board to come to its decision no listening involved. A dip into the Board of Equalization then on to yet another effort to resurrect the Tri Agency, something that was thought to be dead and buried, but not so. The three governing agencies will get together for another bite at an apple that the public does not wish to occur. This continued obsession has become another reason why the trust in local government continues to erode. Legislative and Budget Issues for the most part consist of a series of letters requested by Supervisor Howard that support or oppose various legislative items currently being acted upon at the State Legislature. Only two items refer to other bits of County Business, that of a letter of appreciation for funding for Pyke's Field and the reclassification of a Cook's position at the Sheriff's Office. The remaining letters are a support letter for Constitutional Amendment 1 (ACA1) which allows for governing bodies to pass tax and fee increases with a lower voter thresh hold, making a mockery of why two thirds vote should be the standard for passing such increases, and three letters of opposition to an initiative and two assembly bills which removes various items from local control. None of which should have made space on the Board's Agenda. The problem being that all items except for the letter in support of ACA1 were passed with little discussion other than the items would take local control away from this Board which has given no evidence that it can be trusted to act in accordance with the best interests of the people they are supposed to be representing. While the letter in support of ACA1 failed lacking a motion. It clearly shows that Supervisor Howard does not understand that as a Republican, small government and less taxation should be his calling, not making it easier for government to grow and milk the tax payer for increased funding because the State wishes to enshrine a lower thresh hold for voting in more taxes. The stunner was it was the Board's only Democrat that put a halt to this travesty. The idea of two thirds voting for tax measures was not so a small group of malcontents could stall the government's business, but to make sure that the government made it's case for the vital nature of raising taxes to a super majority and not to be able to do so when ever it felt like it. Fifty percent plus one is simply another word for Anarchy where the government doesn't have to make the effort to prove its need. And we are adjourned at two hours a forty five minutes. Til next time.