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Friends of the Fourth
District:
The October 7 Recall Election proved to be a decisive moment in
California history. An overwhelming majority of Californians sent a
message to the Governor’s Office. Voters clearly stated, “We will
not stand for poor leadership any longer,” and they used that
message to set a new direction for the state.
But as much as we would like to place the blame for the state’s many
crises squarely on Gray Davis’s lack of leadership, we must also
acknowledge the role of the state legislature. For years, counties
throughout California have been forced to implement unfunded
mandates handed down by state lawmakers. Many of these mandates have
no connection to our core responsibilities of health care, public
safety, and social welfare.
For example, the legislature requires feral cats to be housed in
Animal Control shelters for an extra three days hoping for last
minute adoptions. Cost to taxpayers: $2 million per year. The state
also requires the county to notify psychiatric patients, once they
have been released, about their rights to become qualified to
purchase a firearm. Annual cost: $6 million. These are just a few
examples of the dozens of unfunded mandates through which the state
legislature places a substantial burden on local governments.
These mandates may sound good in a sound bite, but they effectively
draw millions of dollars away from the vital services that serve the
community. The burden increases during tough budget times, when the
state passes on billions of dollars in program cuts to stabilize
their own fiscal crisis. Instead of suspending or eliminating many
of these outrageous mandates to allow local governments more
flexibility to keep hospitals open or put more cops on the street,
the legislature blindly insists that it’s not their problem.
I will be working with the new administration on many of these
issues facing the County of Los Angeles. The disconnect between
state lawmakers and local residents must be eliminated if we are to
succeed in improving our neighborhoods and communities. We must
continue to work toward streamlining government bureaucracy while
protecting the safety net and creating more jobs. That leadership
starts at the top and I am looking forward to working with the new
governor to make these goals a reality.
DON KNABE
Supervisor, Fourth District
County of Los Angeles
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