The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.
The matter has not been resolved
From the Editor's desk
Calaveras Enterprise
Buzz Eggleston
It took a little prodding, but now we know that two long-time employees
Calaveras County fired in 2007 were paid a combined $67,500 to drop
grievances they soon after brought against our government officials.
Do it now a call for action
The Ostrich and the Supervisors.
This is a must read people.
Whose government are they running?
By Buzz Eggleston Read the article. Leave a
comment.
The Law of Obfuscation (Or the County and the People.)
As the cost rises, the questions remain.
This is a good story.
Residents of the Gold Strike Heights subdivision in San Andreas say Community Development Director Stephanie Moreno should be fired, that the county counsel is incompetent and that the Board of Supervisors has betrayed them. Alleging that Moreno and other county staff members are in cahoots with the subdivision’s developer, Westwind Development, the homeowners association is now suing the county for $272,065.
That's what it says in the Calaveras Enterprise. (and more.) Homeowners sue county
We will have to see how this plays out. The county of course will claim they can't talk about it because it is under litigation. Read the story close.
Another interesting tidbit is found at The Pine Tree. It's a video of Tom Tryon and Lee Seaton. It's only about 7 minutes and the first part is hard to hear but listen through it. District 4 Candidates Night (about the 4 min. 45 sec mark)
Mr. Tryon explains in his opinion something about the Ray Waller issue. The truth is going to come out at some point. The question of why the money was paid will become clear.
And of course we have this...
Supervisors brace for $2.3 million budget shortfall
Does anybody remember this story?
Lode home buyers to catch big break
SACRAMENTO - Sixteen lucky first-time home buyers in Calaveras County will get a break on their mortgages while other homeowners will get cash to rehabilitate their existing homes thanks to a $1.6 million federal Housing and Urban Development grant the city of Angels Camp and the county won Wednesday.
HUD gives a block of cash to each state every year to help low-income home buyers, homeowners and even renters get a leg up on their housing costs. Most of that cash goes directly to larger cities and counties such as Stockton and San Joaquin, leaving the smaller cities and counties to compete for another chunk; that's what Calaveras County won.
The city of Angels Camp and the county will provide a total of roughly $100,000 for 14 needy first-time home buyers, money that those buyers will later repay if they sell the house. The cash is essentially a revolving loan: Once the first home buyer sells, the county or the city of Angels Camp will get it back and then use it for another needy home buyer.
Angels Camp also will be able to loan about $50,000 to two existing homeowners to spruce up their homes. Again, the city will recoup that money if the homeowner sells the property.
Tuolumne County received $800,000 in similar funds.
I just wonder if the money has been allocated yet or if people could apply? Going to be a raffle, a contest? How will it be determined who gets the help?
Haven't read anything since that story. One would think the county would make a big deal of this. Would make for some good PR. The county needs some good PR about now.
Mike
Getting a clue
You have to wonder when you read some of the stuff that gets printed.
A story in the Union Democrat on April 2nd
Pest vote nixed is a good example.
Basically the county spent $23,000 for a public opinion survey about another fee on property to create a mosquito and vector control district.
The survey said the people would go along with it. But the board didn't think it was a good idea. (It is never a good idea to levy more taxes on people).
The real question though is why did the board spend $23,000 of the peoples money for a survey they had no intention of agreeing with?
Just seems like a waste to me. I could be wrong.
Then in the Copper View, a little known but fast growing publication put out by CABA ( Copperopolis Area Business Association) you can read an article about the new Town Square. Good article, but District 2 Supervisor Russ Thomas has a comment in it that says, "By virtue of the Town Square property values in this area have grown immensely."
Is Russ talking about the same town we live in? Does he know what is really going on? Is he aware of the fact that one of the developments in this town is having an auction of about 15 homes because nothing is selling. Prices are going down.
Does anybody have time to give the man a clue?
The quest.
We all have one but often we get sidetracked and end up finding things we were not even looking for, things that have nothing to do with what we were trying to find in the first place.
The Ray Waller thing is one of them.
No. The issue is not over. Never will be until the truth comes out. We can skirt it, talk around it even throw in some items that have nothing to do with the issue and steam things up a bit, creating a fog that clouds your eyes so you loose sight of the original quest.
That seems to be the case now.
In the beginning the question was: Why were two people who were fired from county employment given $67,500. A simple question that no one can, or is willing to answer.
The claim is, it is privileged information. My contention is it is the publics money and the public has a right to know where the money goes and why it went where it did.
Trying to get that simple answer has led to a bigger mess and more questions.
The Calaveras Enterprise did a few stories on it but never did get an answer to the question.
Ray Waller, a former employee of the county created a web site with some insights to the inner working of the county. Coming from an individual that had 21 or more years with the county. It makes for some interesting reading.
Problem is it has become something that it need not be. A personal diatribe against a county supervisor and a department head.
Might be Ray has good reason for his words. Can’t say, because the settlement made over his dismissal is confidential information. A non disclosure non disparagement agreement exists in that settlement. Problem is, it looks like Ray has ripped up that agreement and thrown it away. At least that’s how I read his writings. And I must say that in reading those writings I get pulled away from my original quest.
I still want to know why two former employees were given $67,500 after being fired. I think the public has a right to know.
I also want to know what else was paid to who for what? How much has this county paid out to people or entities just to make them go away? I would like to know this without having to jump through all those hoops I am told the county makes a person go through just to get what should be public information.
If the county can put agendas and minutes on line for the people to see, they can certainly put up who was paid what for what reason.
Now, back to the Ray Waller site.
Ray should stay on target and get away from the personal stuff. The Board of Supervisors as a whole are responsible for what goes on. The CAO has the responsibility for the day to day operation of the county. Department heads do the job they are told to do.
If a department head is not doing the job as directed the board can fire that department head. The fact that a department head is still an employee of the county indicates that said person is doing the job that person was hired to do. If that person is not doing the job and the Board of Supervisors as a whole or by majority vote refuse to correct the problem, then go after the board, with a vengeance. They are fair game, employees are not.
Enough said on that.
This county has a lot of problems, many of them go back longer then most of us have been alive. The fact that the County Board of Supervisors has made no attempt to defend a department head that is doing a job the department head was instructed to do tells me a lot about the character of the board as a whole. Unless of course the board thinks that what is being written is true and just don’t know what to do about it. If that is the case the entire board should be replaced.
This is a time to look forward. This county is going to grow one way or the other. Yesterday is gone, crying over spilt milk and all that other garbage is just so much wasted time. Admit that their were past mistakes and explain what you are doing to ensure those mistakes are not repeated. Fix all those broken things that need fixing. Stand up for the employees that are doing the job they have been given to do, or admit that the county is a failure because the board has no clue how to turn it around.
And of course, most important, come clean with how you spend the peoples money. All the peoples money.
Mike Council
mcouncil@caltel.com
You can learn a lot just by reading community forums.
The new and improved forum (Click here for the Community Talk Forum) has a couple of discussions going on about Parks and Recreation in Copperopolis.
The talk is something about a 99 year lease to the county for a bit of property owned by Unit 8A. Something about $70,000.
http://coppercove8a.com///forum/viewtopic.php?t=15
Read these post
Further Evidence of Voting Requirement in the By-Laws
http://coppercove8a.com///forum/viewtopic.php?t=17
By-Laws with Directors' rights to lease with no votes
http://coppercove8a.com///forum/viewtopic.php?t=16
99 Year Lease of Common Properties to County for Park
http://coppercove8a.com///forum/viewtopic.php?t=15
See what you think.
Got an email from a viewer telling me that our County Supervisor contacted CCLTOA through a third party about a swimming pool for Black Creek, another piece of property owned by a homeowners association. It sounds like the county has $70,000 to invest in parks and recreation of some sort that it must use or return. A proposition 40 type of thing. At least that is what I get from it.
I would imagine that the Parks and Recreation committee that exists in Copperopolis could find a way to invest that money in a park for all the people as opposed to a park or improvements for homeowners associations.
Another story coming up is that road some are talking about that would go to New Melones. Some have said it would take some of the pressure off of Lake Tulloch. The following story might change that a bit
Anyway, check out the forum and see what you think. Add your two cents or a dime.
|
|
President John F Kennedy Secret Society Speech All elected officials should have to recite this speech from memory. |
County Chronicles
Okay people here is the deal.
You can make it clear to the Board of Supervisors that you want an open and honest government or you can just accept whatever it is they do.
This opinion piece by Buzz Egleston the Editor of the Calaveras Enterprise
The matter has not been resolved is well worth the read. It makes it clear that something is wrong and the county has no intention of making it right.
The county is betting that the people will just read these things and go about their business mumbling to themselves about how the county is such a mess.
You can give them a wake up call by simply sending an email to each of the Supervisors with this link copied and pasted in the body of the note.
The matter has not been resolved
You can add some comments if you like but the link itself will deliver the message.
mailto:ttryon@co.calaveras.ca.us
mailto:claudino@sbcglobal.net
mailto:sph@volcano.net
mailto:merita9@comcast.net
mailto:rthos2020@caltel.com
You could also call or fax.
Phone: (209)-754-6370
FAX: (209)-754-6733
A note to the new CAO would be good.
Bob Lawton
County Administrative Officer
Don’t be one of those people who just stands around waiting for the other guy to deal with the problem. Become the other guy.
Do it now.
Mike Council
www.copperonline.commcouncil@caltel.com
HIGH COURT AFFIRMS PUBLIC SALARIES: The salaries of government employees in California, including police officers, are a public record and must be available upon request to "ensure transparency," the state Supreme Court ruled recently.
"Openness in government is essential to the functioning of a democracy," Chief Justice Ronald George wrote in a 30-page opinion, ending a lawsuit the Contra Costa Times filed more than three years ago against the city of Oakland.
Justices found that government employees should not have an expectation of privacy about their gross salaries even if disclosure of the information "may cause discomfort or embarrassment."
The justices wrote that police salaries must also be made public except in narrow circumstances "where an officer's anonymity is essential to his or her safety," the decision states. The justices affirmed that police cannot use broad claims of officer safety to make blanket denials of salary information.
The above is interesting in that it shows some Judges are serious about public disclosure.
As I looked at the county site, particularly the Human Resources page of Salary Grade it occurred to me that what was listed was hourly wages. I wondered what the total compensation was for the year. Any year. Overtime and all.
I also recall reading in the minutes something to the effect of $30,000 for an upgrade of the Human Resources web site. (Those minutes do not seem to be posted any longer.) Made me curious because the Salary Grade page shows a Web Page Designer I, Web Page Designer II Web Page Designer III being paid from $18.28 to $24.99 per hour. So what is the $30,000 for? (When the minutes that contain this information is posted again I will post a link for reference.) (http://www.co.calaveras.ca.us/departments/bos/archive/061106m.pdf bottom Study Session.)
It has become clear to me as I speak with people that getting information from the county is not as simple a process as it should be. Reading some of the news articles reaffirms that. (The Waller Case.) I'm thinking if the people wanted it to happen this information that the public has a right to know could be posted to the county website and the people could have easy access. It would also cut down on the request that may be coming in thus freeing up the county workers to deal with other matters.
I am also thinking that the County Board of Supervisors can make this happen. Question is... Do they want to?
I myself would send a note to the Board but when I do, the only response I get is from my district supervisor and one of the last things he wrote was to refer me to County Counsel. Other board members might not respond because they feel I am not a constituent so they have no need to respond to me. I like to think that when the Board of Supervisors sit together at that raised platform podium desk thing and collectively make decisions that affect the entire county, I become a secondary constituent, at least a tertiary constituent.
Somebody told me the other day that if you took the combined wisdom of the Board of Supervisors and converted it to electricity it would not be enough to light a 15 watt bulb. I told him he should not be so harsh. He assured me he was only getting started.
Anybody out there wanting to stomp their foot? Maybe we can get together and do that Jericho thing. Bring down that wall some in government have put up.
Mike
All actions taken and all votes in closed session must be publicly reported orally or in writing within 24 hours (§54957.1), and copies of any contract or settlements approved must be made available promptly (§54957.1(c)).