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"We've all heard the tale of that wise old owl,
Who lived on the limb of an oak.
He listened, and watched, and heard, and saw,
But seldom ever spoke.
When things got so bad, his wisdom he shared,
And to City Watch he invoked.
It's time, he said, for your group to be heard,
So people will know there is hope!"
-Anonymous
ABOUT CITY WATCH...
City Watch, Inc. is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, volunteer operated & membership supported educational organization established in 1989. It's mission includes local government education with a focus on fiscal issues affecting the Salinas & Monterey areas.
All content on this official website is for the benefit of City Watch, Inc. and is for educational non-commercial use only.
Anyone can become a City Watch volunteer and membership is open to persons 18 years of age or older. Annual dues are $20 a member or $35 for a couple.
Send dues, charitable donations & correspondence to:
City Watch, Inc.
PO Box 3954
Salinas, CA 93912
Email:
contact@joincitywatch.org
Chairman of the Board:
Gene Lee
Phone: (831) 275-0695
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Editorial: 'Major contributor to Salinas City downfall'
Posted on Tuesday, May 24 @ 18:06:49 EDT by Webmaster
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 by Mark Carbonaro for City Watch
For some years now the social-welfare special interest groups have been running Salinas. They have shown themselves to have zero ability to manage a city of Salinas' size. Council members with obvious conflicts of interest rule the roost. And of course the only solution preferred by any of these folks for Salinas' problems is: raise taxes!
Once voters give them more tax dollars, don't be surprised a couple of years later if they want still more tax dollars! You can never have too many tax dollars when you're in the business of doing "good deeds" with other people's money.
In my opinion Salinas' downfall has occurred largely as a result of district elections. Council district elections replacing citywide elections changed the balance of power in Salinas: of course this was what they were supposed to do. Unfortunately, the level of competence and business acumen among new Council members has been sadly lacking since that big change in 1989.
Prior to district elections Salinas was a well-run city and had adequate reserves to take care of its most basic needs. Never a rich city, Salinas was at the very least well-managed. You can complain about how it was the "business elite" and the "good-old boys" that ran Salinas, but at least these folks knew what they were doing and could balance a budget while delivering adequate levels of service.
Going to district elections has been a major contributor to Salinas' downfall and can't be passed off as "the way it's always been."
*Published May 24, 2005
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Average Score: 3.6
Votes: 10
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Associated Topics
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