In most counties, I honestly think they try to spend every last cent in there budget, in order to ask for more the following year.
I live in a pretty good county (Marin County), but I am astonished over the waste of tax money.
I am too young to remember pre-prop 13, but waste was so much. Every year, no matter how much they took in in taxes, it was spent the following year, according to my father. (That's why Jarvis wrote a book called, I'm Mad as Hell. I have an autographed copy someone threw away.)
During the drought in the 70's ranchers were trucked in water, as a political favor. (I actually don't mind this one). Politicians were bought off legally with county tax money. Every night was a big hootenanny at Marin Joes. My point is there was a huge amount of waste.
O.k.--today is much better? Yea--you would think? I used to work at a county beach while in college. One day the maintance guts were throwing tools into a dumptster. Perfectly good chainsaws, hand tools, etc. I asked what's up? They told me if they didn't throw away the "broken tools", their budget would not be the same. I went back there at night and took three chain saws I still have to this day.
There's a department in my county called Open Space. They literally fill in their huge white trucks in the morning, throw some grass/litter in the back, and joy ride in the open space. They could nix this department, and cut back on police funds, and that money could go to a homeless fund. My county has no real crime. The cops are basically Revenue Collectors at this point.
My point is they will never claim to have extra money, unless we demand it.
I would like to see every bit of free County, federal, and state opened up to free camping.
Homelessness is beyond debate.
We need to act yesterday.
Sorry about sounding so preachy, but I know too many people getting ticked for sleeping because they don't have a home.
(Keep an eye on Sausalito, Ca. The authorities decided to get tough on anchor-outs. They decided to vigorously enforce a three day anchorage muni code.
They went beyond enforcement. They broke laws, but It's hard to prove because their is no video evidence. For instance, they towed boats for no reason. It's the city worker's word against a boater. It's like our version against a cop's version. A code that everyone has disregarded for years, including luxury yacht owners, like Allen from Microsoft. He would spend weeks docked in the same spot. (He had a beautiful yacht though.)
They wanted the low income boats out of their view. Rich people find poor people an eye sore. They were dirty homeless shiftless bums after all. Many older ladies were out there to. Probally druggies, or prostitutes? Just scummy people. Why should those wealthy residents have to look at that? (Ironically, every person who I have overheard saying, "Eye sore" has been genetically challenged aesthetically, but monetarily fit.)
Well the boaters having nowhere to go, set up tents in Dunphy Park. They are neat, and only had one provoked criminal arrest. (There brilliant plan of homeless harassment backfired for now?). Oh yea, Richardson Bay has had Anchor Outs since before the 50's. (Yes--Homeless Harassment is alive an well. You can call it Broken Window whatever, but it's nothing more than harassing peopke until they move on.)
The city told them to move to a toxic site, with a bunch of regulations, like early morning tent take down. One woman is disabled, and said she needed help setting up her tent, and needed somewhere to lie down during the day. Plus--a major symptom of depression is sleep reversal. Don't ask me how I know.
The homeless fought back. A kind advocacy group sued the city, and got a temporary restraining order.
In the USA, the Supreme court ruled you can't force homeless people to move, unless you have a bed for them. One win I love!
Right now the situation is up in the air. I heard there is ongoing harrasement from authorities, but I don't know for sure.
I'm getting tired. Just had the second vaccine dose, and it hit he hard. Flu symptoms for a day, and a half.)