fresno elections 2008

As an experienced accountant, I will approach budget cuts with caution, fully aware of the political responsibility that comes with the position

First of all we should have never come to this point. But we forgot to save for a rainy day and kept spending like a drunken sailor, and now that the rainy day is here we ask the public to pay for the Supervisors’ mistakes. This is so disingenuous it is worth of an academy award. According to one department head, who asked to remain anonymous, the majority on this board has not “met an expense they did not like”. My campaign sign reads: “Stop Deficits and Save Jobs”. Being that we are in a severe deficit position—self inflicted with the multiyear budget busting double digit salary increases—we have to again look within and put our house in order before we ask the public for yet another bailout. Stop the micromanaging and manage by exception. Commission an outside consultant to conduct cost efficiency audits and take drastic austerity measures. Freeze any future salary increases. The Board of Supervisors should set the example by voluntarily cutting their salary to that of the City Council members. We may have to do with less and must understand that we cannot do everything for everybody. Our redirected priorities should be to use our resources efficiently so that at least we will be able to do something for everybody. This is my approach to dealing with the inevitable budget cuts. Hey, people have to wake up. It may come to laying off people. And guess what, in a county with a median per capita income of $25,000 (Fresno County’s 6/30/07 annual report), there are qualified people out there that are willing to work for less than what we presently pay.