One of the nine principles addressed at the conference centered on banning initiatives from the ballot that do not have a stated funding mechanism. “It’s pay as you play,” noted Long.Term limits have greatly influenced the sinking ship that is state government as, said Long, incumbent lawmakers are looking ahead to their next elected office. In addition, the Sacramento turnover is eliminating the “institutional knowledge” required for effective governance.A matter of great conference discussion was a state Constitutional Congress to create a more effective state government “from the ground up,” substantial reform that Long said is to build a stronger foundation of community government.Long, a member of the Santa Paula Creek Task Force, also addressed the clean-out, an effort of the city, county and Army Corps of Engineers now fully funded and projected to start in early fall.Doing business with the county is undergoing some changes that Long noted include reducing the planning department application from a whopping 325 to “about 50 pages.... We’re doing that with all our agencies.”After the closure of the River Valley’s only hospital about six years ago, the reopened and county-run Santa Paula Hospital just celebrated its third anniversary. Long said hospital business continues to improve, and the acquisition by the county Health Care Agency has proven to be “well worth your investment.”
Supervisor Long: Dysfunctional state experiencing chaos, crisis, and challenges
July 29, 2009
Santa Paula News
Chaos, crisis, challenges and dysfunctional are not words one likes to hear, especially when it comes to state government, but Supervisor Kathy Long told Santa Paula Rotary Club members that’s what state government has sunk to.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesChaos, crisis, challenges and dysfunctional are not words one likes to hear, especially when it comes to state government, but Supervisor Kathy Long told Santa Paula Rotary Club members that’s what state government has sunk to. Long, who represents the Santa Clara River Valley and Camarillo, gave a government update to Rotarians at a recent meeting, noting that while Ventura County has a balanced budget it has come at a cost - and more state grabs are still likely.The county is required by law to adopt a balanced budget, and “We do live within our means,” although the $1.68 billion spending plan included appropriation cutbacks to all agencies. In addition, Long said the state does not have to abide by the Brown Act mandating that public business be conducted in public.The county budget included full-time 32 staffing cuts, some through layoff. “The approved reductions in full-time positions were in addition to the reduction of 100 jobs over the past year in attrition and retirement.” The county - like all others in California the “stepchild” of the cash hungry state - did build a reserve of 9 percent, up from zero, and “We want to get to 15 percent.”A recent New York business visit by Long and other county representatives resulted in the county being upgraded to an AA bond rating. “I begged them” not to judge state municipalities by the actions of the state.Long, as well as Santa Paula City Councilman Fred Robinson, attended the recent Summit on State Governance and Fiscal Reform, a two-day conference of county, city and education leaders centered on “Rebuilding California From the Ground Up” that focused on the widening fiscal woes and chaos in Sacramento and what counties and cities can do about it. “We started the discussion on how to make a system change permanent” that would protect local dollars and keep them from state grabs.
