Apathetic Voters

The county I work for is in a dire financial state. There are rumors that in the next couple years, it may become insolvent. This is, as most things of this type are, due to a complicated set of circumstances. Not the least of which are the usual suspects - corruption, waste, pet projects, and political favor payouts.

I work for the chief law enforcement agency in the county. As such, we are responsible for not only patrol of the unicorporated areas of the county (heavily populated), but services such as the courts and jails.

My union is currently voting on a contract addendum that would restructure current employees retirement so that we pay more of the burden, as well as placing a greatly increased burden on any potential new hires (if we ever have any). We have laid off over 300 law enforcement officers in the last year, are in the process of laying off about 20 more right now, and if this addendum does not pass will be laying of about another 60.

As of now, we have two detectives assigned to theft, and two assigned to metro (crimes against persons, battery, etc). There are somewhere around 20-30 cases generated per day. As you can guess, if someone isn't dead, or nearly so, no one investigates. The loss threshold for having a detective assigned to a financial crime is 100K, and that is only if it has special circumstances like it is against the eldery.

This county also has fire stations on "rolling closures", reduced the district attorney to a level where there is no prosecution of misdemeanor crimes that are not specially funded (like DUI). Almost no thief in the county, even if caught right now, is prosecuted. The jail is so crowded that violent offenders are being released early, one of which raped a woman within a couple days of being released. The probation department has been decimated with only two field officers to supervise thousands and thousands of probationers.

In this county, the district attorney is elected, so is the sheriff, so is the board of supervisors who sets the budget for all the county departments. With the exception of the sheriff, who is retiring, they all got re-elected. What is wrong with the electorate?

No I am not inside the inner works of the budgeting process. How much of an insider do you have to be to know that less line level employees than we had ten years ago does need twice the superviors we had ten years ago?

The union did a public interest survey. They asked the citizen's if they would support a 1/4 cent sales tax earmarked specifically for law enforcement. The overwhelming answer - NO. They asked the same people if they would support a whole cent sales tax to be dedicated to "social programs". Nothing more specific than that, just social programs. The answer - YES. You have go to be kidding me! Let me get this straight; You want to give out more welfare, but after it is given out, you are ok with someone coming along and stealing it !?!

At the risk of being labeled a wacko or an extremeist, I have this unfortunate view. Until such time as we have a war on our domestic soil, or something similar that makes our fat, emotionally driven, gimme gimme gimme citizen's question if or when they or their children are going to be fed, it is not going to change. Everyone thinks they have no power. Everyone just accepts the status quo because it is easy. Why should I put in the effort? For myself, I do not now, nor would I ever again live in the county that I service. I question my continued residency in the state. If there was a new world to escape to that held the promise this country did 100 years or more ago, I would most likely being working towards going there.

In the mean time my family and I struggle to make ends meet. My two year old gets older. I wonder, how will I explain to him why he should struggle, work hard, try to provide for himself, take pride in what he accomplishes. Right now, this is easy. He manages to put the fork in his mouth and beams at me as if to say, "Look what I did daddy, did you see?" How do I tell him to go get a job when he could just go on social security for "stress" or "undetermined pain" at 20 years old as with so many of the "fine citizens" I see everyday.

I wish I could see a brighter future. I wish I could see another alternative. Maybe I am just blind. Can you help me? Am I missing it?

Well thats Cali for you man that state you live in has and will always be like that, a liberal welfare state. Not sure its much better anywhere else though thats the big diff this time around the economy is bad all over. The economy is good here but I'm guessing its good around any military base this size. Might be time for a move man just the cost of living diff is worth getting out of Cali. I guess even though they voted for it, it will be your fault when no one shows up when they dial 911.

Everyone is tired of paying taxes and not seeing anything for it. They may vote for an additional 1//4% tax, but see no results.
They see an out going of money, then the fire department still closes. The problem is all the flipping corruption. I have a love hate relationship with Unions.
They serve a purpose, a need, but they are just as corrupt as the government.

I think they should it sink, whatever "it" is. Our schools kept begging for money. They need this and that....and then everyone got raises and no repiars were made.
Then they wanted to build a new school. Funding didnt pass so they built it anyway. Then wanted everyone to pay for the school. Now there is an old empty school building. sitting......I think they should have let the school sink. flip'em.

People don't want to vote for funding, ok. sell guns.

Here is an idea, let the police department share in the revenues from tickets. Equipment, manpower, etc. Fire departments should receive some funding from the
income generated by charges paid by insurance companies for such services.

Quit hiring managers and hire people to do the damm work!!

I feel you pain... Last year our sworn personnel had to take 56 hours off without pay and they expect us to do it again this year. We are the only employees in our agency who have to take the time off with out pay (civilians and detention do not have too) as well as the only employees in the whole county payroll. When a sworn employees leaves the county eliminates the position so it cannot be filled later when the budget improves and they froze all promotions so I missed out on that too.