| Subject: Mason County Approves Cuts That Will Downsize Sheriff's Office |
Author:
Jackie Juntti
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Date Posted: 06:51:23 04/16/09 Thu
Folks,
I am sure there are going to be many differing opinions on this topic - so I am posting it to the messageboard. What everyone HAS TO KEEP IN MIND is the BLOAT ion government at ALL levels. How many agencies, how many departments, how many services are actually the responsibility of government to start with? We are inundated with having to pay taxes to support these things that have NO call for government to be involved in to begin with. Over the years the Feds have MANDATED things for the States to provide and the State has MANDATED things for the County and City to do. The higher level MANDATES to the lower levels but they have no money to support these MANDATED items. That is why so many have opposed the Stimulus Package - it mandates things that go on FAR beyond the time the Feds will provide money for.
And let us NOT FORGET that government at all levels have NO MONEY EXCEPT THAT WHICH THEY TAKE FROM THE PEOPLE. Yesterday was April 15th - how much did you have to pay to the Feds thru the income tax route? Add to that amount all the taxes you pay each day via all the other taxes and FEES (never forget all those FEES) when you purchase something or when you pay utility and phone bills. Take a GOOD look at the number and the amount of the hidden taxes in those things. This is ALL OLD FASHIONED THEFT - no different than those pirates off Somali.
What has happened in America is that folks have fallen into a bad habit of expecting and then demanding that *government* provide all this non-essential and, in most cases, UNCONSTITUTIONAL stuff. Most complain about the taxes but they also complain about any reduction in government. That my friends is a schizophrenic mind set.
I am in full agreement with Tim Sheldon on this matter but I would go further than he has at this point and that is to begin the dismantling of all those areas that are not the purview of government. If anyone thinks we can take America back from the Occupiers in out government offices then folks need to return to doing things for themselves. There are a few services that are needed but even those can be reduced from what they are today. If Americans would delete the idea that government must provide education, health care, even many of the emergency services we now have and go back to VOLUNTEERING for community services like it used to be - we would find our FREEDOM coming back. Also, when the criminal element finds out that citizens are going to deal with them immediately instead of how they are pampered now - the amount of crime WILL go down. Most of the crimes that are taking place now are due to the FACT that so few people are armed and able to DEFEND themselves from hoodlums. Hoodlums go after those they think are easy targets. When they have an idea that they may get shot and killed for trespassing - breaking & entry - theft - carjacking - rape - assault - they most likely will not do the crime.
Face it - cops can't sit on your door 24/7/365 and even if they could are you willing to pay for that? Times were when there was the Sheriff and maybe a couple deputies. When something big happened the Sheriff deputized citizens. That kept costs down and there was no MANDATES from the State of the Feds to do more. Stop and think of what 24/7/365 cops really amount to - that is SLAVERY - the citizen is *guarded* at all times by the government rulers. Is that really for your SAFETY - or - is it to ensure you don't rise up against the oppressors in government?
Instead of complaining about *reductions* in government - people should be complaining about any increases of any kind in government. Then they need to start pushing to have all those *MANDATES* removed and the tax funded expenses connected to those things.
How many of you would accept a cake that is beautifully decorated but you KNEW it was a cake made of life threatening ingredients? That is what all this government stuff is the minute it goes past the guidelines set forth in the Constitution. It is the *carrot* dangled as BAIT to ensnare those who are willing to take it. They ignore the chains of slavery that come with it.
If you are asking for government to do the *job* then you are asking - begging - to be a SLAVE and to relinquish FREEDOM. You are like the Israelites at the foot of Mt. Sinai tossing your gold into the melting pot and begging to return to Egypt to slavery as FREEDOM meant hard work and you have grown lazy.
Jackie Juntti
WGEN idzrus@earthlink.net
WGEN board: http://www.voy.com/19385/
www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/apr/14/mason-county-approves-cuts-that-will-downsize/?partner=RSS
Mason County Approves Cuts That Will Downsize Sheriff's Office
By Barbara Clark
April 14, 2009
SHELTON Before an overflow crowd and Seattle TV news cameras, Mason County commissioners voted Tuesday to make budget cuts that will eliminate about five deputies from the sheriff's office.
The rural county's financial woes became Seattle television news last week when Commissioner Tim Sheldon said armed citizens can help protect themselves. Sheriff Casey Salisbury responded that residents shouldn't be called on to take the law into their own hands.
A resident of Beard's Cove near Belfair agreed, saying during the meeting, "I don't want to live in the Old West. It would be a free-for-all."
About 15 people from the crowd testified at a 90-minute hearing on proposed cuts to 11 county departments. Most speakers including gun owners said keeping law enforcement intact is the most important county function.
Two other department heads joined the testimony, saying they can't continue to perform state-mandated services with more reductions to their staff.
Salisbury took the microphone late in the hearing, and he and Sheldon had a brief standoff.
Salisbury said he doesn't oppose "responsible gun ownership," but deputies have to respond even to incidents of self-protection. With the level of crime, he said, "why would anybody want to cut deputies?"
Sheldon fired back, "No one wants to cut deputies!"
Finance Director Ione Siegler said revenue is coming in below estimates, and it's unpredictable how much from one month to the next. March sales-tax revenue, for example, was 26 percent behind the same month a year ago after a 3 percent decline in February.
At the end of the hearing, commissioners Lynda Ring Erickson and Ross Gallagher voted with Sheldon to reduce the budget by $1.1 million. Salisbury's share is $382,000. The revision puts the general fund at about $27 million.
Other cuts were made last year during the county's budget process.
In all, the sheriff's office will see a 5.2 percent reduction from 2008, Sheldon noted, while other departments are down as much as 35 percent.
Salisbury also has the largest budget of any department, $9.5 million.
Sheldon said 72 cents of every county dollar goes to criminal justice, including the sheriff, courts and other services.
"A lot of people came a long way and spoke from the heart," Sheldon said before the vote. But, "It's a time of unprecedented financial difficulties... (and) we cannot escape what's going on right now."
Salisbury was disappointed in the outcome but not surprised. Deputies laid off will be the ones hired over the last two years as commissioners enjoyed good economic times, he said.
"The newest are the best trained. They wanted to be in Mason County. A number are Mason County kids, ones who grew up here." But he's not sure they'll come back when the department is able to rebuild.
Some speakers at the hearing offered solutions. One was to encourage cooperation between all law enforcement agencies in the county, including tribal police. Salisbury said later he has made progress on that front already.
Margie Benson of Tahuya River Valley said her neighborhood isn't close enough to other agencies.
"You get all this help over here, but what about North Mason?"
"I'm not hearing the partnership," said Steve VanDenover of Allyn, a former county employee who suggested closing county offices one day a week rather than cutting staff.
Part of the budget uncertainty is ongoing contract negotiations with nearly all 11 county unions.
COMMENTS
Posted by summercoho on April 14, 2009 at 6:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kitsap's next. Seven fewer deputies for the second most understaffed Sheriff's Office in the state? Is THE most understaffed SO coming soon? Hope the commissioners sleep well at night.
Posted by dennybop on April 14, 2009 at 7:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If local jurisdictions believe cutting law enforcement is the way to cure fiscal deficits they are sorely mistaken. Less enforcement will lead to higher crime rates and cost all of us more money-and lives-in the end.
We'll also end up paying for the jugheads who believe the answer to criminal justice is to take it into their own hands.
Posted by crazy_politics on April 14, 2009 at 8:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Unlike other County departments, the Sheriff must maintain "24/7/365" staffing. That's why the Sheriff has the largest budget-DUH! In recent years taxpayers have invested SIGNIFICANT funds in training and equipping additional deputies. It appears the commissioners have squandered that investment. Cutting an already tight budget means fewer Deputies available to defend us, lower morale with the deputies, and individuals becoming our own first line of defense.
Instead of further cutting the law enforcement budget, the commissioners could have reduced the subsidies from the General Fund to "enterprise" departments such as Public Health. They could have reduced the charges made by Public Works to the Sheriff's Office. That would have gone a long way toward mitigating reductions to the Sheriff's budget. But the commissioners had already made up their minds-the public hearing was merely perfunctory.
The PRIMARY function of government is public safety. Law enforcement is a "got-to-have" and should be at the top of the food chain for funding. Functions within other county departments are far lower priority than public safety, with less adverse impact on the public, especially in an economic down-cycle!
My grateful thanks to Sheriff Salisbury and his staff. He has done a marvelous job in improving community law enforcement in the past few years while using his funds wisely. I guess his reward will be the posting of a sign at the county line saying it's open season on criminals in Mason County.
Mrs.S
Posted by Ace on April 14, 2009 at 8:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe make this Lot, a small Pikes Market, it would attract, artists (music, painting...), farmers goods, fishermen catches...hmmm affordable sea food, like to see something fun for all the city/county, that we all like to use and visit. Heck I can see most of the ferry riders buying Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners there as well as pick up a book and gifts for families.
Built it and they will come
Posted by TomRosendale on April 14, 2009 at 9:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ace,
We have had several opportunities where others were willing to "build it and they will come". Some selfish locals nixed the plans because it would 'presumably' disturb their life style. We are living in the wake of NIMBYism.
Sometimes you have to give a little for the betterment of others around you. We are dealing with the results if you don't.
Now is a great time for volunteering to support your sheriff's department in any way you can.
Posted by JWyH on April 15, 2009 at 1:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Recently, Boss Sheldon made some insane statements, advocating vigilantism as a solution to extreme cuts to the Sheriff’s Departments budget, making inflammatory statements like “it’s open season on criminals”, and “criminals will get lead enemas”, which the Sheriff’s Department condemned. On the surface, this appears to be the remarks of a politician who is under a lot of pressure and is losing it, but in reality, as it turns out, this strategy was a very calculated maneuver. Before these statements were made, Tim Sheldon was under pressure for some of his actions, such as, why the commissioners were receiving a salary increase from $71,716.00 to $73,867.00; and, why the commissioners were increasing their benefits from $52,708.00 to $61,216.00. When asked why the commissioners were not taking a pay cut during this budget crisis, Tim Sheldon explained to the Sheldon Journal that the commissioners had a constitutional and statutory obligation to accept these inflated salaries. State law only requires a minimum salary based on county size, for Mason County it's around 13 Thousand dollars. His response to the question of why the Sheriff’s Department cuts were disproportionate to other county department cuts was to change the focus from the budget and his actions to gun rights. It has horribly divided the county. If this sounds familiar, it is probably because we just went through 8 years of this “divide and conquer“tactics, straight out of Carl Roves Play Book.
Posted by kidnapcounty on April 15, 2009 at 4:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
this is just part of their plan to raise more taxes to fund these officers, which will end up happening with no other cuts in the budget just wait and see
Posted by belfairdave on April 15, 2009 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The budget cut for the Sheriff's office is 5%! The other departments were cut as much as 35%! Do the math! This is not a plot to raise taxes, this is local gov't making hard choices in bad economic times.
Mason County did not provide bailout funds to anyone. I support the Sheriff's office 100% and I wish they did not have to cut any staff but the economic realities that we have here in Mason County has forced this action.
Posted by summercoho on April 15, 2009 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thing is...the criminals budget and crime won't be cut or even decrease. In fact as they now get wind of the cuts to enforcement, they are rallying the predatory troops. The only other thing on the rise? Victims of crime.
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