Fresno County budget: One step forward, two steps back
Fresno County's Board of Supervisors went through a painful budget process last month -- just like most local governments in this state of dysfunctional finance -- and we thought they did a pretty good job under trying circumstances. Part of their solution to a big shortfall was a hard freeze on hiring.
Turns out that hard freeze wasn't so frigid. The board decided Tuesday to let some departments start filling empty positions after all. District Attorney Elizabeth Egan will be permitted to fill up to 23 open jobs, and a couple dozen other positions may be filled by other county agencies. Here's our editorial on the subject today.
The fear, of course, is that the board is simply creating another shortfall that will result in layoffs down the road. But it gets some pesky department heads off their backs for a while, I guess.
Comments
The unbelievably huge numbers of public employees and their kith and kin elect and/or reelect the holders of the purse strings of public money. It's some sort of symbiosis. One feeding upon the other. But let the mistletoe get out of hand,it will eventually kill the strongest oak. Cynical? Perhaps a bit.
Posted by: Isabell Lawson | July 24, 2008 10:25 AM
AAAAAAAAAAAh, the power to abuse the 'public purse' gobsmacks MOI. 'Eat, drink and be Merry', the ablilty to con the common folks will always find a way to spend, spend, spend.
Posted by: RobDeFrees | July 24, 2008 10:37 AM
maybe it's all of these "gang roundups" that have the DA screaming, "help."
Posted by: swift | July 24, 2008 1:32 PM
The DA's office does need help more for the crime these gangsters are doing. The slap on the wrist is putting them back out to reoffend. I say bootcamp for all the punks.
Posted by: Jackie Krage | July 24, 2008 5:07 PM