Commentary And Opinion by Samuel Strait – December 21, 2023 I am away for a few months and the train wreck at the Board of Supervisors trundles on. They can't for a moment understand that "doing something" within the framework of government does not always include the best of results for the community. This is something that the five that currently represent the County have yet to learn. The December 12th meeting of that "brain trust" is case in point. While the basic framework lurches from topic to topic, the current tunnel vision and failure to critically think is not that hard to point out, as the December 12th meeting of the Del Norte County Board of Supervisor exceeded all expectations. The Opening Ceremonies as one would expect followed by the postponement of the normal Board reports to the end of the meeting. The Consent Agenda, loaded as usual 20 items of Bureaucratic fluffing without any serious consideration to its contents. 5-0 apparently just to keep the Board awake and on task, because the inmates in the insane asylum have got this one covered. Wouldn't want to ruffle the feathers of those that appear to be running the show. And on to the topic that the "Bread and Circuses" crowd are here for. Item #29, a budget transfer of $10,823,724.00. A lot of taxpayer money. While it is rare that anyone from the public appears in numbers at the BOS bimonthly meeting, you can always count on a crowd of "bleeding heart liberals" when there is virtue signaling to be done and another significant bite out the taxpayer's wallet. It just seems that every time it happens, the Board never can live up to their sworn duty of protecting the well being of EVERYONE they purport to represent. It is sad honestly, particularly when they have had the recent experience of Health And Human Services' debacle surrounding another County attempt to "do something" ABOUT THE HOMELESS CRISIS IN THE COUNTY. Of course learn they did not. To back up first and flesh out the story. It has only been a few years since DHHS went into the "house" the homeless mode and spent several million dollars through Project Home Key to temporarily house less than forty of the County's unfortunates. No one was supposed to notice the new residents at a former motel along L street in Crescent City when a revenue positive business was turned into a negative for the County's coffers. Nobody was supposed to notice when the "new" residents brought their old habits with them or when a nearby pharmacy closed its doors. Nobody noticed when it wasn't working as "temporary" housing and the motel is now undergoing renovation into "permanent" housing. The Board didn't seem interested that $4 to 5 million was expended on the first futile attempt at "doing something", nor did it notice the sharp increase in the over all numbers of homeless in the more recent (Point in Time) PIT's recorded in the County. Just to add to the story, it has been several years now since the Newsom administration noticed the Homeless problem in California. Since that time "Housing First" was adopted as the model for solving the crisis and billions of dollars have flowed into the pockets of the homeless complex. The initial numbers are beginning to appear and they aren't very good. In 2018 California had but 22% of the nation's homeless population. In seven years that number has gone up to near 30% of the nation's homeless that reside in California. $42,000 is the cost to the taxpayer for each bed allocated to the homeless population in California and the numbers keep climbing by double digit percentages each year. According to "studies" housing the homeless before dealing with the issues that got them to that state, run in the 70% success range; however, when examining these studies they appear long on promise, but short on follow up. It is indisputable that since California has adopted this model, homelessness numbers have shot up to the highest since first being recorded in 2007. Del Norte County's homeless population appears to mirror the State's. Much of the problem stems from the lack of affordable housing, sound familiar. This recent infusion of $10.8 million will have the same results as the previous attempt by the County and Supervisor Wilson assurances that this "will provide the tools" to address the encampments will go down in flames unless the County has $40 million lying around to address the entire homeless population. So on that front the County will have allowed $10.8 million dollars to be spent and still not solved anything except a future population that when the money runs out, Mission Possible will be back before the Board hat in hand. Unfortunately it does not end there. As we all know there are many that remain in Del Norte County on the edge of following those that currently man the ranks of the homeless. Inflation and County policies of growing government and correspondingly placing a heavier tax burden on the local population will certainly cause an increase in numbers of poor and the fixed income seniors to hand over their collective keys and go "camp out in the woods" hoping that when the weather turns foul in the fall a "garden shed" will be available. Others from nearby communities will also see the County's actions as an invitation to participate in a "free Housing" possibility. Members of the audience at the BOS meeting spoke to this as a real future for this program and the words went unheeded. Of course perhaps if the Board on their "field trip" to visit Rouge Retreats were to ask if the County might be of some assistance in closing a $2 million gap in their funding or have Supervisor Howard volunteer some of his acknowledged "trusted employees" to fill the vacancies left by the recent termination of twenty five employees of Rogue Retreats because the inhabitants felt "abused and disrespected". And so it goes in the world of the homeless. Other than that, more millions to be spent on the County's failure to keep its communication systems up to date. Kind of like most everything else that local government infrastructure is suffering through, plenty of money for social programs while the County's infrastructure disintegrates around us. Appears to be a common theme in Del Norte County, the City, the Harbor, the transfer station and just about every where in between. I would think that "wait until it is too late" should be an alternative moniker for this BOS. And on to more ordinances, the Board of Equalization, a new and pointless speed reduction on Boulder Avenue, more fluff for DHHS (will it never end), and finally a revisit to the taxing of Cannabis (not how this one was supposed to go). The end is near as the County, after several years is distributing Measure "R" money to the sheriff for equipment and vehicles like it will solve that Department's woes, DHHS to get another $340,000 to combat the "windmill" of homelessness, and a Howard initiated letter to the Feds to round out the business of the BOS. Four hours and twenty seven minutes later and is everybody still awake, No, Chair Short has forgotten "Board Reports". Well, it looks like the "Reports" are playing to a mostly empty house. Supervisor Starkey can't resist, and Supervisor Howard has "Good News"? Till next time…….. EDITOR'S NOTE: Know your supervisors. Supervisor and Chair 1st District – Darrin Short Supervisor 2nd District – Valerie Starkey Supervisor 3rd District – Chris Howard Supervisor 4th District – Joey Borges Supervisor 5th District – Dean Wilson