This originally ran as an
Op-Ed in the East Bay Times, Friday, August 12.
As the Legislature closes in on the end of this two-year
legislative cycle, we’d like to shed some light on a particularly
onerous bill that, if passed, will cost $350 million annually to
taxpayers without providing any discernible benefit to employees,
only the unions that represent them. AB 2835 by Assembly Member
Jim Cooper is a solution in search of a problem.
I am deeply honored and appreciative that my colleagues from
around the country have elected me Second Vice President of the
National Association of Counties (NACo). I am deeply honored and
appreciative that the two other trailblazers who had campaigned
for the same position ultimately endorsed me and presented
nominating speeches. And I am deeply honored and appreciative by
the amazing support I received from my California colleagues.
Taxes touch on every issue we face in California, from funding
education to addressing our growing transportation needs.
Developed more than eight decades ago during a
manufacturing-based economy, our tax system fails to generate
dependable revenues or to keep pace with changes in the state’s
economy. Our system leaves the state budget prey to boom-and-bust
cycles, in turn disrupting funding of essential public services.
As the state’s chief fiscal officer, I am responsible for
managing cash flow in a time of continued revenue volatility. I
know counties experience these dramatic revenue effects as well.
To watch a short video about the program, click here.
That noise you may have heard? That was Yuba County blowing up
the belief that the wheels of government turn slowly. In a
mere two-months’ time, the County – in collaboration with various
local partners – developed, built and opened a new temporary
housing program for the homeless.
CSAC is creating a domestic violence task force that will hold
its first conference call next week on July 18. The goal is
to convene a group of experts to look at the intervention
programs that offenders are required to attend. This is
important, because while some progress has been made in how we
treat victims of domestic violence, we have not done as well
dealing with the offenders.
The Institute for Local Government (ILG) Ethics
and Transparency Program aims to help local officials understand
the unique legal and ethical obligations of being a public
servant. In California, state and federal laws create a complex
set of requirements that guide elected officials and agency staff
in their service to their communities.
Wildfires occur year round in California. CAL FIRE has already
responded to more than 2,400 wildfires that have burned more than
98,000 acres since the beginning of the year. Despite the rain
over the past winter, several previous years of drought have
created the potential for a truly devastating fire season this
year. As we move into the summer months the risk for wildfires
grows. This week, with triple digit temperatures over much of the
state, several wildfires are burning in various locations.
This was originally printed as an opinion piece in the
Bakersfield Californian.
The recent confirmation that legally prescribed opioids caused
the death of the iconic musician Prince has become an all too
familiar tale for families across the nation. From the penthouse
to the pavement, from the superstar to our children, this
addiction can be deadly. Every 19 minutes we lose an American to
opioid overdose. We must respond aggressively to this epidemic.
After 20-plus years of lobbying for counties, quite often from
the perspective of a public infrastructure project proponent, I’m
astounded that any public projects are built or maintained given
the many hurdles thrown in their way on both sides of the
financial equation. State regulatory requirements and fees can
add dramatically to the cost of local public works projects. And
voter threshold requirements make it virtually impossible for
counties to pass local fees and charges that could help pay for
the added costs.
You may have read recently that California counties are
reportedly not doing enough to promote gender equality when it
comes to compensating employees. As a Solano County Supervisor
and one of the co-chairs for CSAC’s Women’s Leadership Forum, I
take this very seriously. And I speak for CSAC when I say that we
will work with our counties and the Legislature to address issues
identified recently in a report by the California State
Auditor. However, I think it’s also important to put the
report in context and acknowledge the progress that women have
made in the county workforce.
Everyone seems to agree that our roads and bridges are in a sorry
state, not to mention our rail and transit services. As the
State Legislature, Governor and transportation advocates continue
to debate the best way to repair California’s failing
transportation infrastructure, many continue to support
approaches that do not include new revenue or taxes and fees.
Seeing is believing as the old saying goes. Maybe that’s why tree
mortality isn’t a bigger issue for more people. If you haven’t
seen it for yourself, it’s hard to believe that 29 million trees
have already died in our foothill and mountain counties, and many
more will probably die. So, I urge you to watch the video that’s
linked to this blog posting. In stark footage, it shows how
drought and bark beetles are having a disastrous impact on our
forests—especially Ponderosa Pines.
We recently had the pleasure of spotlighting 12 county best
practices during National County Government Month. These
innovative programs were recipients of the 2015 CSAC Challenge
Awards.
For the past few months, CSAC communications staff has been on
the road to learn more about these programs for the videos and blogs we
produced. We traveled from San Diego to Amador, Los Angeles
to Mendocino.
Imagine going into the kitchen to make coffee in the morning,
turning on the faucet and nothing comes out? The shower? Dry.
Outside spigots? Nothing. For many people in Tuolumne County,
that is their reality. “It’s scary,” said Sue Hackett. She and
her husband Chris live on a small ranch outside of Sonora.
The well on their property ran dry several months ago. “It’s
like, what are we going to do with this house? Where are we going
to live? With no district water close by, it’s hard to know what
to do.”
To watch a short video of this program, click here.
Foster kids are just like any other kind of kids… except that
they aren’t. That’s confusing, I know – let me explain.
Foster kids are just like any other kind of kids – meaning they
have the same needs, wants, desires as any other kid their age.
They require basic human needs: love, attention, food and
shelter. Foster kids are different from other kids in that they
sometimes don’t know where those basic needs will come from. They
can bounce from home to home, year after year, never knowing
permanency. With luck, they will get adopted out of the foster
care system. Unfortunately some kids don’t have that kind of
luck.
“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely
bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares
for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same
cause.”
― Abraham Lincoln
To watch a short video about the program, click here.
Maybe it’s patriotism or pride. Maybe it’s the shared experiences
of being in the military but it seems like veterans — even those
who never served together — share a common bond. There is
a depth of understanding and camaraderie. Maybe that’s one
reason why in an ordinary government building in Orange County,
something very special is happening.
To watch a short video of the program, click here.
Located along a gritty street north of downtown, the Community
Transition Center in San Diego County is bustling with activity.
Only the locked gates remind you that the old motel now has a new
purpose. Inside, dozens of probationers talk and hang out in
small groups. Working among them is a social worker who has a
goal of getting as many signed up for Medi-Cal health care as she
can.
Please watch a short video about this program here.
As the defendant steps up for his court hearing, Judge Denine Guy
comments how he is wearing a different Star Wars T-shirt from his
last appearance. She asks him how many he has and he replies,
“Six or seven.” In a legal system where misdemeanors are often
looked at in terms of specific case numbers rather than the
individuals behind them, Judge Guy’s comments stand out. She
remembers this defendant; she knows his story and what it will
take to help him turn his life around.
Please watch a short video about this program here.
Not far from the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, there is
a beautifully restored old building that houses the Los Angeles
County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The Bob Hope
Patriotic Hall is even named for a man known for his service to
people in the military. But in Bob Hope’s day, the military was
almost exclusively male. These days, more women are choosing
military service and consequently, the number of female veterans
is increasing.
