More hot issues Issues of today we are keeping track of right now. Sutter County Taxpayers Association Honesty, Integrity and Cost Effectiveness in Government P. O. Box 1232, Yuba City, Ca 95992, 530-673-6562 May 13, 2011 Sutter County Board of Supervisors 1160 Civic Center Boulevard Yuba City, CA 95993 Dear Supervisors: The Sutter County Taxpayers Association strongly objects to the reorganization of the Health Department and the establishment of two new supervising nurse positions at a cost of more than a quarter of a million dollars a year. The addition of any positions at this time is unconscionable when: " the county is looking at a $13.4-million deficit for 2011-2012 " the county is looking at eliminating positions and potential layoffs " employees have been offered $10,000 to retire by the end of June to reduce staffing " the county owes a $134 million pension debt to CalPERS " there are 3 Public Health Nurses III who have been in their positions for a long time who could be given lead positions to help take the load off the director of nursing which is what the backup documentation says is the need for the new positions " adding two new positions would create another level of bureaucracy. " establishing two new positions could create a need to increase the director of nurses salary to maintain the correct level between staffing levels which could, in turn, trigger additional raises above the director of nurses in the future. This would also give the director of nurses, who is of retirement age, a higher salary before she retires, increasing her retirement and costing the taxpayers more for the rest of her life. Further, the reorganization will establish two new units to do work that has not previously been done using clinic employees. It appears this is being done to ensure that employees will not have to be laid off due to the contracting of the County Clinic to Peach Tree. While we don't like to see anyone loose their job, creating jobs merely to keep County employees on the payroll--especially during a recession--is unacceptable. The County made the decision to contract the clinic out and they need to eliminate the positions accordingly. The word from several Health Department employees indicates there are serious personnel problems in the department and that this proposal is bogus--there is no need for two new positions while other county employees are losing their jobs.  There is no need to create new work to avoid laying off employees whose jobs have been contracted out.  If the new work the Health Department is proposing is a priority, why wasn't the work programmed before and the positions established? Although about two years have elapsed since a decision was made by the BOS to contract out clinic work to the Peach Tree Clinic, the Health Department has not submitted a business plan with credible benchmarks or measurements for this proposed reorganization.  A mission statement has not even been developed.  We expect a professional approach to any reorganization and are awed by the lack thereof.  At the very least, management should have prepared a needs assessment before creating an organization chart with no defined duties and expectations. Please vote no on this reorganization and establishment of two new positions at a cost of over a quarter of a million dollars annually. And, yes, I know you will tell us that much of the funding is state and federal dollars and grant funding.  We remind you that these funds are also taxpayer money and that the federal government has a $14.3 TRILLION debt and the state has a $15+ BILLION budget deficit.  SCTA urges you to do the right thing and STOP THE SPENDING. Sincerely, Patricia A. Miller President __________________________________________ Pelosi Disses Obamacare Appear in the Territorial Dispatch May 25, 2011 by Elden Fowler: If you are in Nancy Pelosi’s California Congressional District you are more likely to avoid having to follow Obamacare rules. Nearly 20% of 204 recent waivers from following Obamacare rules and regulations given out throughout the United States have gone to businesses in former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s home turf. Matthew Boyle's Daily Caller piece last Tuesday said “….new Obamacare waivers are (given to) gourmet restaurants, nightclubs, fancy hotels in Nancy Pelosi's district." Obama’s administration approved 204 new Obamacare waivers in April. Thirtyeight of them went to upscale businesses including four-star hotels, gourmet restaurants, day spas and hip nightclubs in Pelosi’s district. That’s in addition to 27 new waivers for health care or drug companies and the 31 new union waivers approved by Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services. Blogs went viral last Tuesday over this revelation. But the mainstream media skipped the story as Tuesday morning went by and there was no mention on CBS, ABC, MSNBC or local California newspapers. There have been some 1350 waivers given by the Obama Administration exempting businesses from provisions of the health care law mandating certain benefits, thus allowing them to avoid increasing health care spending on employees. Other waiver recipients went to labor unions, large corporations, financial firms and local governments. But Pelosi's district's waivers are among the first examples of luxurious, gourmet restaurants and hotels getting a pass from Obamacare. The requests and granting of waivers appear in conflict with Pelosi’s huge gavel entrance to the Capital when Obamacare was passed when she expounded on how all Americans would be covered by the plan. She claimed the legislation was good for all. Restaurants are generally lower paying establishments which are not known for providing health care benefits to their employees. These waivers seem to confirm the feeling that the Obama Administration is using its power of political warfare to give favors to friends and contributors and punish enemies. Obamacare seems to being used to damage opponents rather than help hard-working Americans. And the percentage of waivers to Pelosi’s district looks like a major political payback and perverse cronyism. 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