Commentary and Opinion by Samuel Strait – January 6, 2024 It would appear that December 29th "Special Meeting" of the Board of Supervisors was "special" indeed. No Board reports, no general public comment, just the "bare bones" of a meeting. Apparently, by calling it "special" the Board can avoid all those "Walmart shoppers" wishing to clog up their ability to get the tiresome business of the County over and done with as fast as possible. Mustn't interfere with the holiday cocktail hour in order to be some how an actual representative of your respective constituencies. Can't have government be unduly inconvenienced by having to hear from those you purport to represent. After an abbreviated Opening Ceremonies, our hapless Chair of the Board plunged head long into another loaded Consent Agenda, six items, two pulled for further discussion, 4-0. Tabled was item #7 after some concern over weapons in the County's Parks. More restrictions on permitted Conceal Carry was labored over by members of the Board, much of it failing in so many ways, but what is new. Item #9 passed 4-0 was a discussion of the recent increase of the minimum wage to $16.00 per hour for a few of the County's work force who will need a raise in order to comply. Not as though it wasn't going to pass, but another example of insanity at the State level. Of course the usual threats by the local SEIU president over what is to come in the Spring when the usual wars over wages and benefits will occur. Norma Williams, union president, felt it necessary to stake out the union's position well before the other shoe drops on March 1st when the fast food industry will be slammed by Sacramento's insistence that without any measurable improvement to the value of an employee to the company they are automatically entitled to a boost in pay to $20 per hour. Whoa Nellie! I will leave this insanity to be discussed in a future article, because it is but the continuing of California's slide into the destruction of small business, more inflation, and an increase of unemployment in the State. A guaranteed trifecta of the decline of a once great State. General government consisted of a change in the office of the County's Counsel, Joel Campbell-Blair out, Jacqueline Roberts in as of January 5, 2024. No explanation given, the usual "sorry that you are leaving, great job while you were here." Then on to the approval of a redundancy contract to house juvenile offenders in Shasta County should Humboldt be unable to accommodate. Continued lament by Supervisor Starkey over the closure of the Hall and concern over construction of the agreement, three Yeses, Starkey, No. A couple of presentations by the County's Assistant Administrative Officer regarding future potential federal earmarks, money, for the County. Wishing he would learn how to enunciate while reporting so one might actually understand what he is saying. And finally a second wish list fantasy of the County for the future, as well as "talk" of future Strategic planning by the County such that little problems do not become big expensive ones in the future. Not a chance that anything meaningful will come of this, but nice try. Apparently the Veterans Hall second floor is high on the list of future attention. Over the past year of attending Board meetings, it have become clear that this Board simply put, DOES NOT UNDERSTAND that when you represent a constituency, that means tiny insignificant portions of that larger constituency should not be the focus of governance. The Board is there to do the MOST good for a majority of who you "claim" to represent. Spending millions of dollars of taxpayer money to "Do Something" for 2% of the overall population that does not contribute anything to the overall welfare of the Community is NOT LEADERSHIP in any way. This Board has not the slightest idea of how to be functionally beneficial to a majority of the population it is supposed to be serving.