Hey, I’m sorry I missed you at the budget hearings. The county’s hearings were held during the day and except for those with an immediate financial interest, like keeping their jobs, the meetings were sparsely attended. It’s certainly understandable. After all people are working – well, a few people are working – and others have more important things to do. Naturally, all those whose jobs or departments were under the layoff gun were there to defend their interests and/or themselves and some family members came by too. The union rep was there to say his piece as well, as was the small contingent of head-nodding regulars in the Peanut Gallery (I consider myself a member). Up and down means yes, side-to-side means no.
I expected a much larger public turnout at the city budget hearings, which were held in the early evenings, but it was worse; even the Peanut Gallery stayed home. I suppose some of that is because the city simply doesn’t have any money to give away. It was my observation that arguments over spay and neuter and, as the city manager noted, the motorcycle rally, can usually fill the place up. One might think that a chance to see the budget is all its gory details would be at least as interesting – not so.
Let’s face it; what most politics boil down to anymore is who’s going to get the money, that’s all. The government’s real power is in collecting and redistributing money or making it possible for someone else to get the money. Oh, we like to dress it all up in arguments about principles and noble causes, but the truth is the primary motivator is money – who has it, who keeps it, who has it taken away, and who gets it. Redistribution is not a dirty word; it’s what goes on every day in Washington, Sacramento and Hollister. When the money is gone – as it is now – much of the interest is gone too.
We used to manage a pile of money at almost every level of government. Now the pile is gone and we are trying to manage a negative amount – a hole where the pile used to be. There is a certain sadness about the city government that’s $3.5 million a year short looking to save a buck in bulk purchases of toilet paper while its citizens stare down $150 monthly sewer/water bills. When it comes to the cost of government, there is the touchable and untouchable – at least politically.
Some of the facial expressions and things not said always reinforce my personal cynicism. Several of the council members did eye rolling when it was explained that the city needed another $15,000 to modify a diesel vehicle to comply with the California air quality rules. Luckily, they could do it with public funds, but no one bothered to ask how those same costs were affecting the private businesses in the local area.
After a while, it becomes obvious that the single overriding theme at the city and the county to keep government running in its ever-expanding mode. It’s certainly not all their fault, the public keeps demanding more because it’s all free and the politicians, like doting parents, are there to give the public what they demand.
I know some of you who did not attend the budget hearings will be back later when you see how decisions that were made affect you personally. Sorry, I missed you the first time around, but I’m sure I’ll catch you when you come to complain.
Marty Richman is a Hollister resident whose column runs Tuesdays.
