Opinion Piece By Samuel Strait – December 17, 2021
Most of you that read the Crescent City Times may have noticed a lack of writing
from yours truly in the pages of the Times. As to that, I have been
traveling for most of the past month through Oregon, Western Washington,
with some brief visits to Northern California, and I don’t mean San
Francisco. While there have been plenty of things to write about here
locally and even state wide, what seems to be more important are
comments from Crescent City Times readers that ask what can be done about the state
of bureaucracy, representation, and several clear cases of malfeasance
from both. It has become very clear for some time that our local power
structure does not work for the benefit of those that live in Del Norte
County. Historically this country, which includes Del Norte County, was
supposed to be a government “of the people, for the people, and by the
people”, something that seems to have eluded those that currently occupy
most positions of power in this County.
What we seem to have operating in this County can be favorably
compared to that of eighteenth century’s King George over the American
Colonies. Those in power spend money frivolously not to address
problems that affect most of those that live here, but to benefit
themselves and their friends. Very similar to what royalty engaged for
centuries, until the American Revolution stood up for the people and
said there is a new form of governance in town. Seems that we have
clearly forgotten what the American Revolution was all about. Have the
people in Del Norte County gone to sleep and allowed what is happening
at the School District, the Board of Supervisors, the City Council, the
Harbor Commission, and the Crescent Fire Protection District? Have we
become cows in a pasture wearing masks with no concern for this County’s
welfare?
If you have been reading the articles in the Crescent City Times and not been
outraged by the behavior of these public and very changeable government
train wrecks, now is the time to wake up and do your part to rid the
County of the people involved. There is currently underway efforts to
repeal a series of taxes that have produced none of the promised
solutions to the taxpayer. The school district will soon be under
investigation over the lack of an independent oversight committee as
well a number of other issues. The Harbor District has received scrutiny
over lack of proper dredging, involvement with its RV parks and current
residents, and inappropriate behavior by the Commission towards the
public. The City and the Chamber’s recent efforts to continue the
Sister City idiocy by even thinking about a monument to the Sister City
travesty to be paid for with tax payer money. The Board of Supervisors,
clearly flush with cash attempted to pay for the failed Tri Agency’s
debt without first collecting from those that failed to pay back those
loans. And finally, the Crescent Fire Protection District’s very
questionable “voter” approved parcel tax which seemed to have great
difficulty getting ballots to all that were entitled to them.
The list of bureaucratic malfeasance in just the past month seems enough
to wake the population in this County to become involved in doing
something about this money being spent that does not benefit the
county’s residents. The roads might be a priority? But, No, Twenty five
million dollars of Bond money nearly all spent with no oversight at the
school district, five million dollars to dress up Front Street, a half
million for the black hole of the swimming pool, a million to bail out
locals in debt to the Tri Agency, paid captains at the Fire Protection
District to the tune of more than a half million dollars, and finally
money for solar panels at the harbor, but no attention paid to
dredging. Time for a bit of house cleaning in June? Maybe well past
time……
