Wally Reemelin wrote the opposition to measure R in the sample ballot for Placer County. The Ballot argument was not well constructed at all. Now, Wally takes a title of Bruce's column a week ago in the AJ and uses it this week.

I don't know if Wally was trying to help Bruce Kranz, but bombing Rocky Rockholm who endorsed Bruce Kranz at this time right before the election is crazy. My criticism of Reemelin is based on the fact that he bombs Kranz in the course of attacking Holmes and Weygandt.

I don't know where the $3200 in perks comes from, the supes don't get any benefits other than a mileage reimbursement. They don't even get evil per-diem.

I agree with both Dr. Campbell and Mr. Reemelin - Measure R should be torped. What I disagree with is the way Wally brought the 3 lane vs 4 lane issue back into the argument and at the same time just bombed everyone and everything. I makes it look like Bruce Kranz gave Wally the info about Rocky's charter flight, that would be campaign suicide by Kranz.

Ken Campbell blogged on this column earlier and his post has a link to it. I attached it here in its' entirety and it appeared in the Charlie Brown gazette. (the AJ)

Devil's in the details: Voters should reject supes pay increase

Editor's note: For an opposing view on this issue, see "Supervisors deserve pay consistent with full-time job" under Columnists at Auburnjournal.com.

Measure R proposes a supervisor pay increase on the November ballot, innocuous on the surface, but the "devil" is in the details. Measure R would increase the base of $30,000 to $48,000 plus the existing perks, $3,200.

The "devil" is the CPI (consumer price index) automatic increase included. That would raise pay to $54,000 in four years and, exponentially, to $61,000 or more in eight years -- and up.
In 1988-90 supervisors were setting their own pay and cockily spending tax money freely, feathering their own special interests and projects -- some of which has been happening recently -- and not addressing basic needs of county residents. Supervisors were raking-in $80,000 annually.

In 1992 the League of Placer County Taxpayers submitted Amendment Sec. 207 to the County Charter, which had voters set supervisor pay at $30,000 and require voter approval for increases. Voters approved Sec. 207 by over 60 percent.

Sec. 207 says "Voters are in charge of supervisor pay" and not some CPI automatically ratcheting upward yearly, whether supervisors really are serving the public needs or, again as in the 1980s, serving special interests. Sec. 207 is a "report card to the people" of performance by the supervisors.

You, the voter, are in charge.

In 1998 supervisors requested a 17 percent pay raise. Voters turned it down. The taxpayers league remained neutral on the issue.

Raising supervisor pay would apply to each officeholder, some who may be more deserving than others in serving the public.

Recent board activities raise such an issue:

• At the supervisors meeting in Tahoe on July 22, three members, Jim Holmes, Robert Weygant, and Rocky Rockholm, persuaded the county CEO to pay nearly $10,000 of your tax money to fly Rocky by charter jet from Utah to Truckee and back so he could cast the deciding vote for a three-lane with round-abouts improvement versus four-lanes on Highway 28 at Kings Beach, Tahoe. Voters should be outraged at this flagrant expenditure!

Caltrans, CHP, local fire department, and sheriffs of Placer and Douglas (Nevada) counties, who were concerned about public safety, favored the 4-lane design. Supervisor Bruce Kranz voted for the four-lane road.

• Each year Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has advised Placer supervisors that small, rural fire districts, ineligible for Prop. 172 funding, are in financial trouble and need steady funding support. Boards of supervisors have consistently turned a deaf ear to this issue, including the present board.

• While ignoring LAFCO'S report, since 1987, supervisors have doled-out $1,500,000 of "earmarks" -- revenue sharing funds to county groups and organizations, some of dubious public interest. Revenue sharing is a vote-getting ploy.

Voters, keep yoru say on supervisor pay. Vote No on R.

Wally Reemelin is the president of the League of Placer County Taxpayers.