WHAT? SAY IT ISNT SO Commentary and Opinion by Linda Sutter – February 9, 2024 Pictures from Valerie Starkey's Facebook Page What is just as bad as the Board of Supervisors using public funds to take 10 day vacations to Japan? Using public funds for a trip to Sacramento to party at an inauguration of Senator Mike McGuire under the guise of "travel and training"? On the February 13, 2024 agenda as item #28, Supervisor Chris Howard submitted to get reimbursements for him, Darren Short, and Valerie Starkey who posed and took numerous pictures on February 5, 2024 of the party they attended for Senator Mike McGuire as he was sworn in as 49th President Pro Tem, someone who was not voted in by Del Norte County. The Agenda item did not provide the supporting documentation to demonstrate what taxpayers are paying for with this excursion. Each Supervisor makes more than $40,000.00 dollars a year to sit on their fannies for a couple of meetings a month. Not to mention their personal incomes that they receive from their pensions or other jobs. And they want to party off the backs of the taxpayers? Disconnected and greedy. With 46 to 62% of Del Norte County on some form of Assistance and WHEREAS a lot of Del Norte County children who go to bed hungry at night and whose families can hardly afford clothing; how many families in Del Norte County can afford to spend $200-300.00 for a night in a fancy Hotel? How many Del Norte County families can afford to take their families out to a fancy dinner? Lastly, where do these people get off intentionally lying to the public by stating the public funds would be used for training? I suppose the training was on how to misuse public funds. Darren Short is running unopposed for District one Supervisor; caused by an apathetic public. Valery Starkey has an opponent Rivers Drown. (Yes, that's a real name). Lastly, If this was so important than it is my opinion they pay for it out of their own pockets instead of taxpayers paying for an unknown amount otherwise called a blank check. There was no training here, just another abuse of spending other people's money.