Santa Cruz County to reduce budget by $19 million - Santa Cruz ...

The county's Board of Supervisors signed off on a $381 million budget Thursday that will mean a $19 million reduction in spending over last year and virtually guarantee dozens of layoffs of county employees.

[Diane Rejman]

How many services will we lose, and how tragic that people will lose jobs!-

ALL FOR THE COST OF LESS THAN 2 HOURS OF THE IRAQ WAR.

(We are currently spending $8 billion on Iraq each month. This is just over $11 million per hour. All Santa Cruz County needs is $19 million.)

It's all OUR money (mine and yours). It's just in different bank accounts.

Is this the choice you would make if you controlled the check book? Would you purchase weapons for your neighbor's children if you had problems feeding your own?

And yet, this is the kind of decision governments are being forced to make in offices all across the United States. Except of course in the Pentagon.

[Harry Merkin]

Diane,

I also would prefer that OUR money is not spent on Dog Beaches or Illegal Immigrant Social Services that include Health/Education/Jobs for those who are breaking OUR laws.

Yes, I would buy weapons to keep my children safe. A lot of weapons. In fact I will be buying more weapons to protect my family next month (it is in the budget!).

I would like the Navy to come and Dock on the Santa Cruz Pier so I can say thanks to our Sailors but the Liberal Left has ruined that for me and my children.

Think how much money we would have if we did not spend it on those who break our laws. Also how much we would have if we could take care of the illegal gangsters/criminals like they did in the old west. There would be ZERO crime here and Great Schools too!

Think how fast this war would have ended if the Liberal Left was not involved and we allowed our boys to fight with their gloves off. Faluja who.

Flag Flying Proudly

Harry Merkin

[The Wasteland]

"The county's biggest cuts target health and human service programs for the poor, children and the elderly."
Oh yeah?
I was in the County Records office a few weeks ago, and watched as three employees did absolutely nothing at their desks for 40 minutes (they spun around on their chairs, fooled with stuff on their desks, joked with one another like children...). I had arrived there just before they opened after the lunch closure, so I saw these employees arrive. One of these goof-offs, a young woman, was heard to say to her superior, as they entered the office after their break, "Will you fire me?" And they both laughed.
I have a suggestion for cutting back expenses, SC County. Start at the County building, and lay off some of these useless people. My preference for where to start would be in the Planning Department, but dross exists throughout that wasteland.
Why do you always stick it to the neediest?

[The Wasteland]

Harry Merkin wrote:

Diane,
I also would prefer that OUR money is not spent on Dog Beaches or Illegal Immigrant Social Services that include Health/Education/Jobs for those who are breaking OUR laws.
Yes, I would buy weapons to keep my children safe. A lot of weapons. In fact I will be buying more weapons to protect my family next month (it is in the budget!).
I would like the Navy to come and Dock on the Santa Cruz Pier so I can say thanks to our Sailors but the Liberal Left has ruined that for me and my children.
Think how much money we would have if we did not spend it on those who break our laws. Also how much we would have if we could take care of the illegal gangsters/criminals like they did in the old west. There would be ZERO crime here and Great Schools too!
Think how fast this war would have ended if the Liberal Left was not involved and we allowed our boys to fight with their gloves off. Faluja who.
Flag Flying Proudly
Harry Merkin

Uh, that dog beach silliness is a Santa Cruz CITY mess, darlin. Not county.

[howmuch]

Weird cuts. "Nobody" likes the planning department, or so I hear. But "nobody" thinks we need less health services. So the article focuses on health services cuts.

[Class Struggle]

Instead of layoffs and reduction of services, I am for ACROSS-THE-BOARD DECREASES IN COMPENSATION.

[Ichabod Pennifflecorn]

I'd say cut Animal Services Authority, especially Todd Stosuy and his storm troopers

[Dave]

Based upon what I saw at the Budget Hearings on TV today, they are not really cutting anything. I do know this that there was a lot of cheering from the Health Workers in the crowd.

I wonder how many of the "laid off" workers are jobs that have never been filled. These people play games all of the time with your and my money.

As Ronald Reagan once said and I think that he was quoting JFK.

TRUST BUT VERIFY.

Don't believe a word these folks tell you watch what they do.

[jesus p krist]

but we have money to make a highway out of graham hill rd...

[daisy duke]

if they'd step up code compliance they could raise a chunk of change to pay for some of the planning staff...who, by the way, may chill from time to time, but when the **** hits the fan, you want some bureaucrats around who actually know the county and the issues that need addressing asap (can you say fire, earthquakes, floods, etc?)!

[Big Wheeled Wagon]

Make the cuts based on productivity. The worst is the Planning Department. Eliminate that department and you can save money and make people happy all at once.

[Kat Pittle]

Now, now people. It is no secret that most County employees productivity or lack thereof is a result of working for an employer whom is not required to turn a profit. Fortunately for Joe Tax Payer, like myself, times like these become the great equalizer and the government agencies have what is coming. I would not be surprised if worker productivity sky rockets at the mere mention of the new budget but it will be too late. If you get let go from your County job consider yourself even with the rest of us private sector people. That six paid weeks you took off last year would have been better spent earning some extra money on the side to get you through times like these. It is times like these that a real County leader may rise from the rubble and become King or Queen for a day.

[Kat Pittle]

If it is constitutional you could always double fines. If I **** up I'll pay the piper. It may even get some trash to move on out of town.

[wildman]

The government always plays the emotion card. If it's the city we will loose library and park funding, the schools will loose teachers, and with the county it is health services. It is County leadership making the choices. By playing the emotion card, they expect the public to contribute. Bad choices and poor leadership. Eliminate two Board of Supervisor positions, and cut management 10%.

[palmspringsbum]

Dave wrote:

Based upon what I saw at the Budget Hearings on TV today, they are not really cutting anything. I do know this that there was a lot of cheering from the Health Workers in the crowd.

It was all a Dog & Pony show, with the Sentinel participating.

The city contracts with the county for all it's services. And the only emergency & transitional housing in the county are drug treatment programs, none of which were cut.

It was all a dog & pony show.

[palmspringsbum]

mr maya wrote:

i'm tired of hearing about the mexi-cans go by the homeless shelter next to costco and what do you see standing around for hand outs?? and what ever else they can sponge up from you and myself whom support their lazy butts it's are fault for not making them do for themselves so zip it up and get a life this is cali-fornia where the one's whom don't deserve it get it all. dig it

If you think depending on Coral street is the Big Easy you must be from a New Guinea tribe of cannables.

[John]

But somehow the city comes up with $100,000 so dog owners can let their dogs run off-leash at Lighthouse Beach...? Santa Cruz, where stupid happens.

[ChrisF]

The Wasteland wrote:

"The county's biggest cuts target health and human service programs for the poor, children and the elderly."
Oh yeah?
I was in the County Records office a few weeks ago, and watched as three employees did absolutely nothing at their desks for 40 minutes (they spun around on their chairs, fooled with stuff on their desks, joked with one another like children...). I had arrived there just before they opened after the lunch closure, so I saw these employees arrive. One of these goof-offs, a young woman, was heard to say to her superior, as they entered the office after their break, "Will you fire me?" And they both laughed.
I have a suggestion for cutting back expenses, SC County. Start at the County building, and lay off some of these useless people. My preference for where to start would be in the Planning Department, but dross exists throughout that wasteland.
Why do you always stick it to the neediest?

The County Recorder's Office has gone from a friendly, helpful agency to one of the most aggravating places to have to deal with - try and get a public record from them and you'd think you'd asked for the clerk to hand over her first born. The office closes it's doors from 12:00 - 1:00, so no public access. And if you're in there at noon, they boot you out. Ditto with their 4:00 door closing hours. And don't get me started on their germ laden touch screens. Yuk. Civil Grand Jury, please consider this dept. for your next report.

[Scooter]

Given the lack of basic road maintenance performed, perhaps it's time to audit to political structure and subordinate management that has failed provide basic management of wildland vegetation management along county road flanks in the interior of the county. If more fires spread rapidly as a result of the county's malicious neglect of these interior roads, perhaps private landowners ought to organize recall campaigns, grand jury investigations and file class action suits against the county of Santa Cruz. Caltrans is clearly culpable in its neglect of Buena Vista Hill on Highway 1. If local and state government continue this theme of neglect, which has consequentially already burned people out of their homes, citizens need to recall and fire these morons who continue abdicate their public duties. Without a drastic, draconian accounting of public officials, including the county planning department for requiring homeowners to plant native plants adjacent to flammable structures, the government will invariably pay for more social services for those people displaced from their homes and businesses.

[Put up or shut up]

Who is the know nothing who keeps posting about making Graham Hill Rd a highway?

How about some solid facts behind these posts.

And Yea for Harry Merkin, a person with a brain.