I wanted to get back to posting people’s letters to the papers, keeps them circulating, gives us a chance to talk about them. This letter from Stephanie Taber ran about a week ago in the Enterprise Record.
Chico Enterprise-Record
Posted: 03/26/2013 12:09:27 AM PDT
I’m not sure either of our two newest members, Tami Ritter and Randall Stone, have any inclination to curb the city’s incredibly generous benefit package. But then I don’t sit in on closed-door sessions so I don’t know what direction they have given to our still new city manager. After all, if the council does not bother to give direction, nor ask what the financial impact is of any proposed memorandum of understanding (contract) with any of the unions or contracts made with upper management, or ask where the funds to pay for that and our infrastructure too are, well you can see how personnel costs just kind of get way up there. And the potholes too.
It is the council’s responsibility to lead, to give direction. The city’s fiscal crisis is not the fault of the economic downturn, nor the current city manager, Brian Nakamura. If there is fault it lies with the former city management staff and a council unwilling to tackle hard fiscal issues instead of feel-good issues: nuclear bombs, human slavery, plastic bags and corporate personhood. You get what you vote for, plain and simple.
— Stephanie Taber, Chico
Chico Taxpayers Association 