Just when I think these guys can't be more out of touch with the people and their responsibility as county commissioners, they lower the bar even lower.
First they vote for a gas tax that the people had turned down 2-3 times, later having to resend the tax under mounting public pressure which probably resulted in Bobby Greens replacement.
Now 3 of the 5 commissioners along with the rest of the Budget Committee have decided to not fund the needed jail beds and deputies but rather add to the counties bureaucracy.
Who says we need the jail space? Well there's Sheriff Russ Burger. There are all the Circuit Court judges. There's Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representative Peter DeFazio who all begged Congress for the money in the first place to salvage our deteriorating corrections facility. And there's Eugene City Councilman Mike Clark who made a passionate plea for the public to show up at the meeting and voice their concerns.
Led by Commissioner Pete Sorenson the board choose to:
Remove $3,237,695 for 84 jail beds.
ADD $250,000 FOR THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONER ASSISTANTS TO HELP PROVIDE BETTER CONSTITUENT SUPPORT AND IMPROVE PUBLIC TRUST.
ADD $82,618 FOR A "RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT ANALYST" TO HELP IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES AND INCREASED EFFICIENCIES IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
ADD $29,100 FOR "BOARD OF COMMISSIONER COMMUNITY MEETINGS" TO ENHANCE PUBLIC TRUST BY LISTENING AND LEARNING.
Just a suggestion guys, reduce the number of commissioners to three via recall. Rob Handy can't be recalled until he has been in office for 6 months. But Sorenson and Bill Fleenor can.
When you make choices like these I see no need for assistants, Resource Development Analysts, or meeting to enhance the public trust by listening and learning when you seem to be doing neither.
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