Need for consensus with Monte Rio sewer...

Last night there was a meeting of the minds regarding possible solutions to Monte Rio's septic/sewer problems at a home in Villa Grande. I said I felt one of the reasons the design for the Monte Rio sewer failed was a lack of continuing involvement of the original CAC (citizen's advisory committee) to continue to educate those opposed. The County also arrived after a solution was made and "waterboarded" the solution down everybodies throat including threats of condemning a portion of a long time River familie's property. Further our public servants at the PRMD (Permit and Resource Management) and the SCWA (Sonoma County Water Agency) made no secret their lack of concern and outright opposition to doing the job of even getting the project out to bid.

Sun Tzu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Tzu) wrote in "The Art of War" 2500 years ago,
"...the acme of all skill is to avoid the battle and win an ally." Today diplomats work toward a third way between those opposed and those in favor, parties in conflict with each other; a path that tries to resolve and build consensus. We need peace makers, conciliators, leaders experienced in resolving issues without the polarization experienced in Monte Rio with the sewer issue that divided the community.

At the Friday night meeting all parties agreed to work toward consensus with each other to find another solution. Let's hope we can keep moving with an affordable plan that retains grant monies and is not as divisive as the previous solution.

Time for County Spending Freeze?

Hi friends and supporters...

Below is an opinion piece I just submitted to Vesta Copestakes at the West Couny Gazette. More to follow.

L.

Tom

Time for County Spending Freeze?

Thank you Vesta for making space in the Gazette available for Fifth District Supervisorial candidates. Not wanting to impose too much on your hospitality I will keep opinion pieces brief with longer in depth coverage on our website (www.TomLynch4Supervisor.com).

To me the environment includes ecology, economy and government services accounted for in the County budget. I know how arcane and confusing the use of our tax dollars can be, but it is an important issue that needs to be addressed and I promise to keep it simple.

The slogan of our campaign is “Together Toward a Sustainable Future” The measure of all our challenges with respect to the environment, the economy and government services is sustainability. Are we conducting ourselves in such a way that we do not compromise the future for ourselves, our children and other beings we share this planet with?

Regarding our County's government services I have spent hundreds of hours the last six months perusing myriad public records including past and present budgets. I have filed a couple “public records act requests” with Sonoma County Human Resources; the various personnel in those offices have been very helpful and cooperative. County staff knows full well that as public servants the books are open to anyone to review to see what is going on. My last request I received 1542 pages including the total salary and benefits for every single one of our 4279 employees (average salary and benefit is over $100,000). I have met with many department heads and staffers enlightening me through a very difficult learning curve as they explain why our roads and mental health services are deteriorating as the County revenues increase.

Since the year 2000 , the “median household income” in Sonoma County has declined by 2% , while the salary and benefits of county employees have increased by 70%; on average 10% per year. The County has taken a windfall of increased property taxes and given it to themselves; but even these monies have not been enough since during each of the last four years, there have been cuts in programs and services from the level of the previous year. Reviewing proposed “memorandums of understanding” that the County staff are negotiating with some of the unions representing employees it appears that the 10% annual raises in salaries and benefits will continue for many. Consequently the resources to sustain this will come from more reductions in programs and services and higher fees and taxes.

I am a pro-labor progressive environmentalist who believes in fiscal responsibility. We have a moral obligation to take care of the poor, the victimized, to educate our children and try to keep at-risk youth out of the criminal justice system. We rely upon our government to provide all of us with social programs, public safety, to protect the environment, and maintain our infrastructure including roads, sewers and water systems. Creative and innovative reforms are needed in order to avoid the loss of hundreds of County jobs and huge cuts in our essential services.

We are moving into a recession where jobs are being lost, pay cuts are being made, and businesses are reducing hours to avoid layoffs. The boomers, all 76 million of us, are starting to retire in an unprecedented demographic event with no money set aside in Social Security and Medicare except a bunch of phony I.O.U.’s. The era of “peak everything” approaches.

Should we consider a freeze on County spending with monies saved going to non-profits, volunteer and faith based groups, and outsourcing to private businesses if they are competitive?

Is it time we consider a re-allocation of some of our tax money toward other means of solving problems and fixing things that might be less wasteful and more economical?

These are just a couple of questions that must be addressed with respect to challenges with the environment, the economy and government services if we are to work together toward a sustainable future. I look forward to being part of developing a new vision. The change will come from the bottom up not the top down.