Comments by RHS
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Posted on June 11 at 9:24 a.m.
Here is another example of the grotesqueness of California politics today. Money is set aside in different "pots" and those who "manage" these pots are driven to spend them for fear that they won't get more until its gone. No sensible prioritization of needs is undertaken if one of the needs is for something outside the fiefdom of the pot guardian. Thus the idea that this money would be better spent, and save more lives, by providing mental health support is not even in the picture. CalTrans is not about to donate money (even if it were legal) from its pot to another. The voters are often to blame for these state of affairs as they continue to pass legislation creating these restricted uses. programs.
On Caltrans Gives Public Glimpse of Cold Spring Suicide Barrier
Posted on June 2 at 3:19 p.m.
ADMHS (isn't that a mouthful?) is a good part of the problem that has been known and still has persisted for DECADES in this county. ADMHS has refused to take on the hard work, filling PHF with the tame and calm and easily handled and shipping the difficult work out of county. The expense of this had long been known but the passive agressive ADMHS administration, while promising to do something, has never been willing to do what counts--spend money and their own political capital on this problem. And then there's the gross budgetary incompetence of ADMHS which has created big budget problems for their clients (but somehow, not for their administrators staffing level). This group deserves to be scrapped and "reinvented" big time. Because of this it would be folly to give significant funds to these wastrels. And don't look to Mike Brown for help--he has already managed this problem to its present impasse.
Posted on May 23 at 11:54 a.m.
So stop with the disinformation that Measure V is only about protecting the status quo at SBCC. Measure V is an attempt to find money to expand the role of SBCC into programs that are of questionable value to locals but will attract more out of state and out of area students to clog our streets and raise our rents. Right now 30% of the SBCC student body is from out of state (including out of the US) or out of area. Why can't SBCC accept its designated role as a provider of solid, basic and appropriate education to enable locals to improve their lives is the question. Too plebian? Give up this pretense that SBCC is or should be a "world class" institution.
On Down With V
Posted on May 21 at 11:11 a.m.
This apology for MacKinnon's 'robeitis' is unfortunate. He is running almost solely out of ego and has arrrogance for the concept that a judge should serve all the people and as the law requires.
Ready shares some of the same ego problems.
Beebe is blahful but not awful and is the best of a poor group of candidates.
(Cutler is beyond bad and his decision to get out of the race was wise in that it saved him an embarrassing reality check on his standing and respect in the legal community.)
Posted on April 18 at 11:21 a.m.
It is interesting to see how offended people can be when they find out that laws enacted by "their" legislature can be used to arbitrarily inflict pain on them. The decision of the Commissioner (not Judge) is completely consistent with the Vehicle Code's permission established for these street sweeping laws. If you don't like the law ask your state official to change it. But most people don't object to the law when it applies only to others. My My.
By the way, the idea that parking enforcement is an appropriate revenue stream should chill us all. Still the City of SB relies on it heavily.
Posted on March 24 at 11:10 a.m.
The Poodle has it wrong this time. Too close to the action to see the public policy issues? And why the attack on the public defender? She isn't the "state." Those defending the reluctance to aid the defense would probably have no problem if the photos were sought by the prosecution to find a "gang banger." Aren't we interested in a fair trial and justice for the defendant? Would you really prefer the teenager be convicted without a defense that would work to get the evidence that might acquit? Or should they simply take your word for it that the photos wouldn't help? Think it over.
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Posted on June 12 at 1:49 p.m.
Your implication that retirement cost increases are the result of the independent County Retirement Board's action shows the difficulty folks have with the complicated funding issues facing government. Certainly the County Retirement Board is responsible for setting rates to meet the retirement obligations. However the increase in retirement obligations is almost entirely due to the willingness, one might even say joyousness, with which the Board of Supervisors and the County Executive Office have been giving benefits to "safety personnel" over the past decade or so. A cynic might suggest that this is because these same groups have extremely effective political operations to support candidates who give such benefits and to defeat candidates who would follow a more prudent course.
At the same time Mike Brown has been outrageously willing to up pay of county employees from clerical to department heads. One hears rumors that this is the cost he pays for not getting bounced for his many expensive transgressions over the years. In any event, these increases translate in higher retirement obligations for the future and despite good investment decisions and very good returns on these investments, the long term obligations have to be actuarialized and money has to be set aside to meet the costs that such studies indicate will be engendered. Of course these problems are decades in the future and the present incumbents will be gone or moved on to other political positions by that time.
On County Budget Bludgeoning