WATERBOARDING, DON PEDRO STYLE

Attending CSD Board meetings for the last 8 months has been a form of torture for any citizen who expects to see their elected officials to go about the community’s business in a professional and businesslike manner.

Three members of the current board have spent half their time criticizing the previous board for its alleged mistakes and the other half arguing with each other. Very little has been accomplished in the job they were elected to do: solve the District’s problems in the current economic climate.

The only potential solutions to the District’s financial situation to come from this Board have been offered by Director Barton, who has spent an enormous amount of time poring over the numbers. While I believe there are significant differences between running a small business and funding a public agency, I very much appreciate Barton’s efforts. The Board’s censure of him is ludicrous.

At one meeting there was a lengthy argument over whether or not to pursue grant or federal stimulus money. Director Ross said he didn’t believe in seeking grant money. Finance Officer Charise Reeves strongly advised the Board to do so, and she did develop and submit proposals. This is a poor attitude by Mr. Ross at a time when no stone should be left unturned.

More disturbing has been the development of a three member power bloc consisting of Directors Marquette, Ross and Kinsella, who seem to have outright contempt for the ideas of their colleagues, Barton and Punte. President Marquette allows the public ample opportunity to speak at meetings, which is good. But he also controls the agenda, not allowing anything to come before the board (and therefore the public) he doesn’t approve of. This practice stifles debate and creative thinking. Every idea deserves to be heard and considered; all five Board members are equal under the law and should be allowed to place items on any meeting agenda.

The Brown Act prohibition against ‘serial meetings’ has been violated repeatedly by these three who have obviously made plans behind the scenes to further their own agenda, particularly regarding the hiring of a new General Manager. Go ahead; ask them about their flip flopping plans for GM.

And what has happened to the concept of Public Relations? Emory Ross is the PR chairman, yet no newsletter has been produced and no articles have been published to inform the public of the Board’s thoughts, plans and activities, with the exception of a paid item in which Directors Kinsella and Ross commended themselves for directing traffic for the work crew (and I shudder to think of the liability risk to the District).

The message board sign reminding people of public meetings at the District office has been taken down, even after Supervisor Lyle Turpin, working with the county Public Works Dept. presented a possible solution to the sign violation problem.

Bottom line, this Board cares more about kicking sand in each other’s faces than the public interest. Though they may not believe it, I want this Board to succeed, as I would any Board, no matter which individuals won an election. I want them to educate themselves, do their homework, use the District engineers and attorney as resources, see the bigger picture, be more tolerant, learn the art of compromise, stop the childishness and get to work. If they don’t they should be recalled.

Ellie Duste