<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div><br></div></blockquote>From: <a href="mailto:sako4@comcast.net">sako4@comcast.net</a> (John Sakowicz)<br>Date: Thu, April 25, 2013 8:26 pm <blockquote type="cite"><div><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Dear Editor:<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Recently, I got into a rather ugly email exchange with a county official<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">We seemed to disagree on a basis premise. We disagreed that contested<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">elections for County Treasurer and County Auditor -- at lease once in a<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">while -- is a good thing, a healthy thing for the government and its<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">people. I said yes. This public official wasn't so sure.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">But such is the nature of a democracy, correct? Contested elections.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Debates. Public discourse. At least, that's what I was taught in grade<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">school civics class. I was taught that no job in public office is a<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">lifetime appointment...not even t he jobs of County Treasurer and County<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Auditor.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Indeed, we should encourage contested elections, if for no other reason<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">than to have a public debate about the issues that most concern us.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">For the occasional citizen, highly committed to run for public office,<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">and<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">with the time and money to run for office, it is healthy for county<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">government to run against any incumbent, including Treasurer or Auditor.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">For most other citizens, it is healthy for county government to be<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">informed, to bring critical thinking to the issues of the day, to form<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">well-reasoned opinions, and to be public and outspoken about their<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">opinions.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">And be outspoken! Be outspoken in op-ed pieces at newspapers, at public<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">affairs shows on the radio , at community television in Ukiah and on the<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Coast, at the bi-monthly Board of Supervisor meetings, at the monthly<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">meetings of the Retirement Board, at the quarterly Treasury Pool<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">meetings,<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">which have finally opened up to the public, and at the various other,<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">often obscure board and commission meetings throughout the county, which<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">have always been open to the public but which are rarely well-attend,<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">i.e., Local Area Formation Commision (LAFCo), Mendocino Council of<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Governments (MCOG), school districts, water districts, the college<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">district, and other special districts.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">And what of my opinions?<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">This is what I believe: I am adamant in my belief that socially<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">responsible investing is a good thing . I am equally adamant that public<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">banking is a good thing . And I am adamant that a county-wide moratorium<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">on robo-foreclosures is a good thing.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Some may disagree with those beliefs, but would they disagree that a<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">public discussion on these issues and other issues of public finance is<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">a<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">good thing?<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Bear in mind, disagreement with public officials is not a public<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">referendum on them. They shouldn't take disagreement personally. Public<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">comments are almost always motivated to make our beloved Mendocino<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">County<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">a better place to live, work, and raise our kids.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Years ago, I, among other critics of county government, weighed in on<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">our<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">undocumented Teeter debt...very little was disclosed, and even less was<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">documented, not even a promissory note of Teeter debt.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">I also weighed in on the undisclosed and improper diversions of county<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">contributions from the pension system, and on the abuses of our excess<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">earnings policy...to the detriment of county workers and taxpayers,<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">alike.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Much has changed, of course. Things got better. But there's still more<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">work to do. I'll explain.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">We are a poor, rural county, with no population growth and no tax<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">revenue<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">growth. Our underground economy -- the engine of our economy -- is<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">collapsing as neighboring states decriminalize marijuana, and, hence,<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">the<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">wholesale price of that commodity is falling like any other commodity<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">where there is an over-supply. Our poverty is real. We live in a county<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">where one out of every two residents is eligible for Food Stamps, and<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">one<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">out of every four or five residents are Medi-Cal recipients.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">The health of our county suffers as a result of this poverty. There is a<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">direct link between our county's poor finances and our county's poor<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">health, particularly mental health, and drug and alcohol abuse.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">At the April 23 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, we heard that the<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">rate of substantiated child abuse or neglect here in Mendocino County is<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">19.1 kids per 1,000. This is twice the State of California average of<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">9.0<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">kids per 1,000. We heard that during the last year alone, five kids have<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">been either killed or seriously hurt while "in the system" at County<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Health and Human Services.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Indeed, it is my guess that in the closed session of the April 23<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">meeting<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">of the Board of Supervisors that the Board settled at least one of those<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">cases quietly out of court.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">What remains "unsettled"?<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">What remains unsettled is the direct link between our county's poor<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">finances and our county's poor health, particularly mental health, and<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">drug and alcohol abuse.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Hence, we need responsible, committed, civic-minded people to run in<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">what<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">would be otherwise uncontested elections.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Run to stimulate public debate. Run to bring the obscure workings of<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">government into the light of day.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Run to help relieve the poverty and suffering of Mendocino County<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">through<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">right-sizing government, containing rapidly escalating county pension<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">and<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">health costs, public banking (a county-owned bank), sustainable economic<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">development, transparency and accountability in financial disclosure,<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">socially responsible investing, a moratorium on robo-foreclosures, and<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">the<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">realignment of state and federal resources to the county, particularly<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">in<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">the areas of law enforcement, corrections, probation, drug and alcohol<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">treatment, child protective services, and other key health and human<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">services.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">I pray these candidates come forward.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">John Sakowicz<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">Ukiah<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><br><br><span><untitled-[2].html></span></div></blockquote></div><br></body></html>