The past couple of weeks, I’ve covered the fiscal crisis that has been the main topic under discussion at Board of Supervisors meetings for the last year.
I’ve called for the County to stop talking about the County’s fiscal crisis and start doing something, get to the bottom of the root cause(s), and then take decisive action to solve it.
I’ve shared with you public dialog between Supervisor Ted Williams and myself over our different opinions/solutions to these financial troubles
Now it’s time to hear from the public and what their thoughts and insights are on this issue:
“Regarding the fiscal mess and Williams saying “hard decisions” needing to be made: Let us start by keeping all of the employees that we need to preserve the infrastructure of the county and necessary services, the actual front line workers (and pay them well). And then weed out as many administrators and assistant paper pushers as needed to balance the budget. We obviously do not need all of these administrators/paper-pushers as they apparently do not under stand what they are pushing as evidenced by the current Fiscal Mess. If they can’t explain or correct the mess we don’t need to be paying them. Additionally, getting rid of the unnecessary administrators/paper-pushers and their assistants should also reduce a lot of office space and expenses related there to.” — Joseph Turri
“Jim, I’m sure the supervisors are all good people but some sort of change happens to them once they actually walk into their meeting room to start ‘representing’ the people of this county. They seem to forget what their jobs are and wander all over the map talking and making decisions that have very little to do with the lives of ‘real people.’ Millions of dollars for pay raises of all the executives and consultants while they tell the employees ‘sorry no money for you because we have this crisis that we don’t know the cause of.’ Ditto for road repairs, the always growing homeless situation, and the mental health tax approved by voters that spends so far all the money on buildings but not the people who are mentally ill, etc. This is the real crisis but they just don’t get it. Thank for your leadership on this ‘real crisis’ we’re in, I know many others feel the same way.” — Barbara Miller
“If the BOS knows that their CEO leadership is bad, then why don’t they do something to correct it vs. letting these lunatics keep on doing bad things? I JUST DON”T GET IT! Former CEO) Angelo governed on her feelings, you never knew what to expect from her. Yet the BOS bowed down to her. Now look where we are! The empress had no clothes, never did, and you are now seeing the truth. These people should be held accountable. If they aren’t doing the job, toss them out. My god, grow a pair and do your damn jobs Board. You have placed this county where it is and continues to be. Put your selfish agendas and egos aside and do your damn jobs, to represent your people. Listen to those who have knowledge and accept the fact that you don’t know everything.” — M.E.
“As a retired front line County staff, I can attest that over the years I watched the administrative bureaucracy grow and grow. If staffing reduction is necessary, that is where the cuts should come.” — Chuck Dunbar
“For example, I get the distinct impression Ted Williams is trying to blame Prop 13 for our economic woes LOL!!! Even though he criticizes past administration, he doesn’t cite specific examples of where the rotten spots are now, just that we’re short on cash for infrastructure, etc. Sounds fishy to me, like he would like to raise taxes to solve ‘our’ (actually the BOS’s, present and past, and other entities, not the public’s) habit of overspending, as well as effective oversight of performance by our many public servants.
Actually that’s not quite fair, as Ted WIlliams does mention we need to see if mental health services are effective enough to reduce the burden on police and sheriff. However, no clear picture on the logistics of that. Could also turn the tables and ask if all of the “interference” by police and sheriff with the mentally ill/homeless has anything to do with the actual need for that interference …” — Sarah Kennedy Owen
Geiger’s Market Owners Announce Grand Opening Of New Hopland Store
A few days ago, the owners of Geiger’s Market, Laytonville-Hopland, announced on Facebook the grand opening of their new Hopland store.
“Opening day at Geiger’s Market!! We truly appreciate the community support and excitement celebrating opening weekend. We were overwhelmed to see so many familiar faces and made lots of new friends. We continue adding more great product choices and expanding our fresh deli, meat and seafood (coming soon!) offerings. More to come at Geiger’s Market!! HOPLAND HAS A GROCERY STORE!!”
As you all know, for nearly two years now the Laytonville Geiger’s Store has been a grocery store in name only, as evidenced by all the empty shelves, little to no vegetable produce, mostly empty cold storage cases, almost no beer, wine, liquor, etc.
Novel idea to operate a grocery without groceries.
Last Spring, the owners put out a letter-statement to the Laytonville community, essentially laying the blame of the store’s decline on the collapsed weed industry.
While I have certainly spoken and written thousands of words about the failed County Cannabis Ordinance’s adverse impact in our rural areas, most of us business owners are surviving, albeit with reduced revenues.
Local people are doing their best to support local businesses.
Laytonville area folks would have continued supporting Geiger’s if they had not been driven away by an empty store and owners who seemingly don’t give a damn.
People here in Laytonville supported Geiger’s Store for 80 years. They made it an institution. A place where everybody shopped, stopped and talked to neighbors, renewed old acquaintances, and met new folks. It was kind of a happening place.
None of that is happening anymore.
The owners don’t same to be aware of any of that.
But the people in Hopland got themselves a brand new grocery store that actually has groceries in it.
Imagine that. What a novel concept.
(Jim Shields is the Mendocino County Observer’s editor and publisher, observer@pacific.net, the long-time district manager of the Laytonville County Water District, and is also chairman of the Laytonville Area Municipal Advisory Council. Listen to his radio program “This and That” every Saturday at 12 noon on KPFN 105.1 FM, also streamed live: http://www.kpfn.org.)
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