This is the first year I have really followed the county budget. While I have a lot of concerns about how politicians spend tax dollars I narrowed it down to the top ten for Thursday night's final budget hearing. This is the message I delivered to the County Commission regarding my picks for wasting tax dollars:
10. $500,000 to study a rural section of Lithia Pinecrest which was not actually on any plans to be widened.
9. Cost of Pat Bean's double-digit clandestine raises to some of her faves without your knowledge, including one employee without a college degree pulling in six figures.
8. Pat Bean's raise to herself without your knowledge.
This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2000.