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Taxpayers to fund $2.4 million giveaway to county employees

November 30, 2014

christmas moneyBy KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County Supervisors are slated to vote Tuesday on a $2.4 million payment to employees described as an offset to rising health care costs. The proposal comes a week after the board voted to raise a variety of public fees.

In the consent agenda item (items to be passed without discussion), county staff requests that every full-time county employee receive a $1,000 payment while part-time employees will receive a prorated amount. The county employs between 2,400 and 2,500 employees.

In the staff report, Human Resources Director Tami Douglas-Schatz says that department savings have led to reserves which can be passed to the employees through the proposed one-time payment.

If approved, the taxable but non-pensionable funds will be dispersed to county employees regardless of whether they utilize county provided health care plans or when they began working for the county. The employee can then use the funds for whatever they want including travel and Christmas gifts.

The proposed giveaway was brought forward by Douglas-Schatz before receiving approval by Board Chair Bruce Gibson. County Counsel Rita Neal also vetted the expenditure which was added to the agenda the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Nevertheless, the California Constitution forbids gifts of public funds by state, county or city governments except to orphans, abandoned children, families with a disabled unemployable father, blind, handicapped, and the institutions serving them, according to Article XVI, Section 6. The law bans governments from dispensing money without receiving a public benefit.

In several cases, government funded cash bonuses to 10 year or longer employees have been deemed in court a public benefit as the bonuses incentivize seasoned employees to continue working for the government.

If Tuesday’s resolution is passed, county taxpayers could file a suit to recover the funds spent or to block the county controller from disbursing the funds.

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These so called elected leaders of our county are nothing but thieves. The public has spoken, wait for the new board. They sure are generous with other people’s money. Shame on the coasties for re-electing that scumbag Gibson.


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What the **CK?


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Can anyone imagine what it would be like to manage a family and your personal living expenses the same way the government does? You wouldn’t have a savings account, or a budget. If you had children, you would reward them for bad behavior. You would do the minimum, and complain the loudest…while demanding the most.

Why is that? How have we gotten to this point?

Review the behavior of the city and county leadership and subordinate staff over the past three years and it will become abundantly clear…we are getting screwed.


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Non government employees healthcare has also increased, along with taxes and every nickel and dime fee the government can dream up to fund government.


People need to learn that it’s us against them. Hatred, disgust and disdain must be the attitude toward all elected officials, from the piece of crap in the whitehouse sown to the supervisors in slo.


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get elected feel the love


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Wait, it’s OK, Pelosi said for every $1 printed and given away brings back $100 dollars in economic growth!


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A last gift before Ms. Ray is shown the door. This certainly could wait for the new board to be seated, but not with Mr. Gibson in charge.


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It is only $2M, the fed prints that every minute out of thin air.


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do you know a better way to create money?


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Yeah. Don’t pay privately owned banks interest $ for every dollar printed. The media likes to blame our nation’s money problems on social welfare and corporate handouts, but they never come close to bringing up the single most significant factor for why we are in so much debt: for every dollar made, the tax payer owes more than a dollar in debt to private financial institutions. The debt curve grows exponentially, and of course it is impossible to payoff what is owed.


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I like the idea of publicly owned banks,how is new money new currency created?


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I don’t have an issue with fractional reserve banking per se. It is probably possible to come up with a better means of money creation, but no superior alternative exists at this point. Paying interest to private institutions to print money makes no real practical sense though, and has left us with quite a bit of debt. So, keep the FR but drop the hustle to create and redistribute profits to private institutions? Doesn’t seem like a bad option for the interim at least.


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the Federal Reserve was originally created because JP Morgan refused to be the lender of last resort for the federal government, so a consortium of regional banks was used to create the original Federal Reserve system. Federal Reserve does a pretty good job of keeping us going down the middle of the road and out of the ditch.


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“Federal Reserve does a pretty good job of keeping us going down the middle of the road and out of the ditch.” – Yes. I’m not debating the usefulness of current monetary tools (though I do think they could be improved upon). I’m simply saying that there’s no legitimate practical reason why taxpayers should owe private institutions $1+ for every $1 printed – especially since we are no longer on the gold standard, and $ can essentially be printed at no investment on the part of the private institutions who benefit.


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A gift from Caren Ray to herself, as a parting of the ways?


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So as a result of having excess funds in the coffers, let’s just give it to the county employees!! It should be refunded to the taxpayers, or at least reduce the taxes we already pay.


No one is helping me with my heath premiums, which doubled thanks to Obamacare! It does not pay to be self employed!


We need a more accountable board of supervisors. Let’s hope Lynn Compton can talk some sense into the current crew.


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No government agency ever reduce their annual budget. They must use all the funds to justify the forthcoming budget. This is why government budget/spending & funding is NEVER reduced but ALWAYS increased in past, present & FUTURE.


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