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Supervisors approve $2.4 million handout to county workers

December 3, 2014

christmas moneyThe San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a proposal to give county workers $1,000 each in what is described as a move to offset rising health care costs.

Each full-time county worker, including all five supervisors, will receive the full $1,000 payment, and part-time workers will get prorated amounts. The payments will cost the count about $2.4 million.

At Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting, about ten members of the public spoke out against the idea, saying it amounted to a gift of public funds. County officials defended the payments by saying they completed the previous fiscal year with a $30 million surplus in the budget and that employees accepted pay cuts over the course of the recent recession.

The California Constitution forbids gifts of public funds by state or local agencies, except to orphans, abandoned children, families with a disabled unemployable father, the blind, handicapped or institutions serving them. It also prohibits governments from dispensing money without the public benefiting.

But, courts have several times deemed cash bonuses to long-term employees to be incentives to continue working for their respective agencies.

Prior to Tuesday’s hearing, County Counsel Rita Neal vetted the proposed expenditure before placing it on the agenda. Still, some members of the public are considering filing a lawsuit against the county for approving the payments.

A successful lawsuit could block the county controller from disbursing the funds or recover funds that are spent.


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Merry f–king Christmas. Since when do government employees need “incentives” to continue working for their respective agencies? These are jobs with benefits and perks that are highly sought after positions. We always hear how much these public workers gave up during the recession like they were martyrs when most of America suffered much worse. Instead of being grateful that they kept their jobs the entitlement wave continues. The problem is only ten people showed up to speak against the latest payout in government in house welfare.


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Meanwhile we hit $18 T in national debt today……..and our government is awarding itself more money……meanwhile we have over $500M in unfunded pension liabilities………and our local government award itself more money today…..


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WHAT IS SO WRONG ABOUT RETURNING THIS MONEY TO THE TAXPAYERS SO THEY CAN PAY THEIR BILLS AND TAXES.

If they put it to a public vote they would easily see the people do not approve of these elected officials decisions and want i.e. “need” this money back to help pay bills!


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Willie, “they” DID put it to a public vote a month ago. The voters re-elected Bruce Gibson for yet another round of irresponsibility and cheating. No one should be even the slightest surprised at how this is going down. The voters got exactly what they requested–all shined up on a silver platter!


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So true, so true. The voters got exactly what they asked for. You can not keep

doing the same thing – and hope for new results.


The more shocking reality is that the BOS knows perfectly well that all of this, and

many other things, will be forgotten by the next election – and that those up for

re-election will be still allowed to do what they want with our money and rub our

noses in it.


Are not many members of the BOS not much different than the ex-mayor of AG?

Egotistical behavior in a politician is not good; but until, or unless the voters decide

to do something similar to what took place in AG -we will get more actions like this

one.


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And finally, given the current economic outlook for those in SLO county struggling to get by, I can’t think of a more selfish act. You people should be ashamed of yourselves!


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PS….You people have NO social conscience!


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What concerns me most, is that those who deserve the $1,000.00 the least, are making sure that they come before ALL others in much greater need in this county.

This is incredibly insulting.


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I want to know how this expenditure of OUR dollars benefits the public!

You supervisors have the obligation AND responsibility to explain to me and the citizens of this county!


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The only explanation we will ever get is as follows:


Nah, nah, nah – we got your money, honey and we will do with it whatever we want.


If anyone can get a more definitive explanation of how giving $1000 to each county

employee is of a benefit to the citizens – I would love to hear it.


And the BOS knows perfectly well that the ruckus raised over this issue will subside,

just like all the others; and life will go on.


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Allow me the opportunity to connect the dots in this nexus of corruption. First, allow the bureaucrats to unionize, despite missing the most important component of employer-employee negotiations. What missing component you ask? The market of course, because in the private sector the market keeps both sides within the acceptable margins of reason. Then, insure that the union funds the campaigns of “acceptable candidates”. Go ahead, research which party these unions fund. Ahhh don’t bother, I think we know the answer. In fact, they even provide a cheat sheet of ” acceptable candidates” for those members who don’t know the difference between a D and a R. Next up the justification for raising the legislated plunder (your money) required to pay lavish salaries, healthcare, and bloated retirement packages. Who do they enlist to provide the justification for their spider web of regulatory nonsense? Academia, of course. The bureaucrats fund the “academics” to do the studies of environmental “issues” that can be blamed on human beings, and in turn, provide the post on which the bureaucrats hang their hats when citing why you should be financially punished for your misdeeds. I like to call it the crisis du jour factor. Toss in some “social justice, fairness and feelings, and the game is afoot.


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What kind of people would approve of this…except of course, those who will be receiving the money?

This is an outrage.


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So, if there is a surplus, that could mean that the county has collected too many of our hard earned dollars. Rather than return those dollars to US, they’ve decided to give them to THEM.

Well, perhaps it’s time to pay THEM less. Question ANY tax bill, tax increase, county utility service bill, or any other county attempt to extort money until this county STOPS this outrageous waste fraud and abuse of OUR tax dollars. Pay ONLY what YOU think you owe.


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Eventually when your house is sold and before escrow closes the County will get what they deem you owe them in the form of liens on your property. Don’t want to pay now? Then they’ll get ya later and it will be even worse with added late fees and interest. One way or the other, you’re doomed.


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Precisely, and here’s an example. Our small sewer system (350 laterals) was recently “upgraded” because a cabal of academic pinheads from UC Davis performed a “study” and concluded they didn’t like the line crossing at Mill Creek bridge. They claimed a “possible” earthquake “might” rupture the pipe and poo would spill into the creek. Never mind the creek runs through thousands of acres of grazing land. Cow poo good, human poo bad, equation. Total cost 2.5 million. Sewer rates go from 20 bucks a month to seventy five. When I refused to pay they just stapled it to my property tax bill, and said pay up or pay the consequences. The corker, the system that services the reservation crosses the same creek in two different spots and was exempted. White Man poo bad, Native American poo good. I call it AcaCrat logic.


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Do I dare ask what the “study” cost?


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That’s a question to which nobody involved would answer. They were half a dozen in number, and “studied” for about three weeks.


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