Time to Freeze County Salaries, Benefits, and Non-essential Hires (Cont...)

Here's the latest in the West County Gazzette Candidates Forum for Feb....thank you Vesta Copestakes:

The first debate for the 5th District Supervisorial seat was held at the Sebastopol Veterans Auditorium. Thank you for the fantastic job to Stephen Fuller-Rowell, Larry Hanson, Jane Stuppin, David Benefiel, and Maggie Briare with SOS Save Our Sonoma and Atascadero Green Valley Creek Assn.!! What strengthens me in our campaign for 5th district Supervisor is finally after 50 years on this planet and almost 30 years raising a ruckus in West County; I am seeing more clearly the task ahead. Disparate ideas, thoughts and issues are starting to connect and make sense. I said at the debate we are in the midst of what may be the largest transference of wealth from one generation to another in the history of mankind. It is too easy for one generation to burden another. The measure of all our challenges with respect to the environment, the economy and government services is sustainability. Since college when I majored in political science I have studied unfunded obligations and generational equity. When I ran for Congress in 1990 one of my positions was “entitlement programs should be based on need”. We have to reallocate our resources to address our most pressing needs and leverage our time, talent and treasure to greatest advantage. I see clearly that part of a local solution is we need to freeze County salaries, benefits, and non-essential hires. Money saved should be used to restore funds to our struggling non-profits, volunteer and faith based organizations, and improvements to roads and infrastructure. After months of efforts with Public Records Act requests, hundreds of hours of research and questions to staff, then to parse data from highest to lowest paid worker; finally last week we placed on our website all the “budgeted” salary and benefit totals for each of our 4037 public servants for 07-08 (names removed of course). An unprecedented occurrence that should be in the public record every year as part of an open and transparent government (www.TomLynch4Supervisor.com) . I love the internet; one 350kb file, the size of a small photo; with data that illustrates the reason we are so close to a fiscal disaster with our County government. I see in one of my fellow candidates monthly missives that he quotes data from our website; and proposes “an immediate 10-15% cutback” in salaries among some workers. Of course the problem with this is due to the fact that there are about 20 different “bargaining groups” of union and unrepresented employees, all with contracts, some which will not expire for several years. Unfortunately nothing is immediate when it comes to government. I will provide well thought out, intelligent and detailed positions; as your Supervisor I would work hard to reform the system with creative and innovative solutions like a spending freeze. I recently received from County administration 10,000 pages of detailed salary and benefit information from the 06-07 “actual payout”. I suspect with overtime, etc. instead of 112 staff with over 200K/year and 384 staff with over 150K/year the actual 06-07 payout will top 800 public servants earning over 150K/year in compensation!
Since the year 2000 the median household income in Sonoma County has declined by 2% while County salaries and benefits have increased by 70%. As arcane and boring these numbers are in the telling; there are real social consequences to these figures. I am writing more in depth on my website…check out my issues page, we also have a new Google video from the debate. Finally I just wanted to say in the ever expanding field of 5th District Supervisorial candidates I feel we are fortunate to have such a qualified group of dedicated individuals with a broad array of personal and professional skills and the courage to serve. I am honored to be in the political arena with such distinguished company. I sincerely respect each of my fellow candidates for their good deeds, and I look forward to us all working together toward a sustainable future in Sonoma County. Peace out...and again thank you Vesta for this wonderful “Forum for the Future.”