Opinion: San Diego County supervisors have made their slush funds worse than ever [Opinion]
This history was why The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board welcomed the departures of Horn and Roberts in 2018 and Cox and Jacobs in 2020 because of term limitsin 2010. Just as hoped, the arrival of new supervisors since then has led to fresh thinking, most on display with a newly proactive approach to mental health care, addiction treatment and homelessness.
While the behests almost always go to good causes, there is no escaping the fact that they provide supervisors with a blunt taxpayer-funded tool to buy support from community leaders. Board members used to bristle at the idea that they had been given slush funds — until the Union-Tribune reported beginning in 2010 on how Slater-Price had receivedin gifts from the county arts groups she had provided with millions of dollars in county funds.
But now that safeguard is gone. The board has embraced a proposal by Anderson to have supervisors’ grants be reviewed by county staffers to ensure their legality, bypassing a legislative process involving open meetings. While Desmond did not respond to a request from an editorial writer for an explanation of his vote, Anderson, Lawson-Remer and Vargas did. They contend that the new process has appropriate checks and balances, is more efficient and is more likely to flag dubious proposals.
Sorry, but we can say without fear of legitimate contradiction that most county residents would still rather have supervisors’ attempts to buy favor go through the legislative process and be subject to both public discussion and public votes — if they thought supervisors should have slush funds at all.
We look forward to hearing what the four candidates to replace Fletcher in an Aug. 15 District 4 special election say about this. It will be revealing.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
San Diego County Announces Second Hepatitis A DeathA 55-year-old homeless man has died from hepatitis A, according to San Diego County officials.
Read more »
A self-guided tour of 12 meaningful murals in San Diego CountyCheck out these 12 San Diego County murals you may have missed in the last two years and learn the stories behind them.
Read more »
San Diego County unemployment rises slightly to 3.5% -SAN DIEGO (CNS) – San Diego County’s unemployment rate increased to 3.5% in May, up from 3.3% in April, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. May’s unemployment rate was more than May 2022’s rate of 2.9%. Last month’s rates compare with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 4.5% for California and 3.4% for the nation during...
Read more »
Supervisors approve expansion of North San Diego County natural habitat, protecting sensitive speciesThe addition will expand the Mount Olympus County Preserve to over 1,200 acres and provide large shrubland habitat for deer, mountain lions and other sensitive species.
Read more »
Popular South County park, North County preserve to grow with 2 new county land purchasesMore than 600 acres of new open space would expand Sweetwater Regional Park and Mount Olympus County Preserve
Read more »
Opinion: San Diego has mixed feelings about Sport Arena plans with Stan Kroenke on boardOpinion: San Diego has mixed feelings about Sport Arena plans with Stan Kroenke on board [Opinion]
Read more »