As of June 24, 2008

Rocky Rockholm: 16,565 spent

Robert Weygandt: 14,250 spent

Jim Holmes: 19,500 spent

Kirk Uhler: 6,750 spent

Bruce Kranz: 17,500 spent

This is a follow-up to past contraversy about the $20,000 per year slush fund that Ken Campbell was referencing. I had sat on this information pending the outcome of Bruce’s race with Jennifer Montgomery.

One could understand why – since Bruce is number two on the list of spenders, it would have been counter-productive to publish this list.

However, one could expect that Montgomery will spend her $20,000 just the same.

The final and obvious note is that Kirk Uhler lags the list by a large margin… (I have the source documents if anyone wants to see them.)

Last year there were three evil $1 per car fee/taxes proposed by Sherrif Ed Bonner and the Placer County Sherrif’s department. Around the same time was a debate about Landfill tipping fees.

To start off, the RINO supervisors voted to reduce the tipping fees at the landfill.As a result of the reduction that averaged $11 per person – it has cancelled almost all of the effect of increased costs of diesel fuel. Despite diesel fuel going up some 30%, trash collection fees have only gone up an average of $1.37 per address in Placer County.

That alone is a good case for the re-election of Bruce Kranz and Kirk Uhler. I like RINO’s like that.

Evil $1 tax/fee number three – the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program was withdrawan by Sheriff Bonner and the department after Kirk’s questioning. That is correct – when they could not justify the fee/tax increase to Kirk – they pulled the proposal and have not brought it back.

Evil $1 tax/fee number two – Fingerprinting Equipment in Police Cars. Kirk was the lone no vote in a 4-1 vote in favor. Kirk felt that the money could be found in the budget without having to increase the car fee/tax. At that, the effeciency of having the equipment has aided law enforcement considerably in the field.

Evil $1 tax/fee number one – Joint Vehicle Theft Task Force.

This passed 5-0, in the 11 months it has been in effect… the $300K that has been raised has resulted in $835,000 in recoveries in stolen vehicles. If government could produce those kinds of results with taxes/fees, our taxes/fees would be quite low all the way around.

Your Auto Insurance rates will also reflect this – since 7/1 of last year…

Safeco took a 14.5% reduction in Placer County
Oregon Mutual 20%
Unitrin Specialty 33%
Traveler’s twice, totalling about 12% – targeted sepcifically to Placer County
Hartford changed Placer into their least expensive territory effectively lowering rates 7%

These numbers reflect that Placer has received larger reductions in Comprehensive rates (that part that covers auto theft) than surrounding counties.

This compares to the Auto Insruance Market as a whole which has flattened out. (some carriers have raised rates)

Meantime – in Sacramento County, my car was vandalized recently and my wife’s car was broken into a month ago. The perps could have stolen either car if they wanted to.

Rates in Sacramento County are some 15% higher than Placer all things being the same.

Thanks to the RINO supervisors Bruce Kranz and Kirk Uhler – my wife and I are motivated to move back to Roseville so our cars stay in one piece.

In conclusion – while getting assailed over the two $1 fee/tax increases the Supervisors are denied any credit for policies that froze out alomst all of the effects of fuel costs on trash collection.

While getting assailed over the two $1 fee/tax increases, the Supervisors are denied any credit for the effects of said fees leading to Auto Insruance reductions. Reductions that are greater than all surrounding counties – suggesting that Placer has done something special to warrant that treatment… the Task Force?

Blogs are sometimes a very informative medium.

Recently, we uncovered a blog entry by a young man who wanted to run for Placer Democrat Central Committee. He sounds like he was getting his inspiration from Bob Mulholland when he wrote.

The Irony is that he did not answer the bell to run as the Placer elections website did not show his name on the results.

LINK

The answer to the above question is found in the middle of his rant:

We need a voice in Placer County that is willing to stand up to conservative extremist County Supervisors like Kirk Uhler and Bruce Kranz, who see Placer County as the next Los Angeles. We need a person to speak up when Assemblyman Ted Gaines tries to push outgoing Congressman John Doolittle’s agenda of corruption and cronyism on us. In short, we need to send the message that this county belongs to all of us, not just special interests and private developers.

1. He must have been asleep when Gaines pulled an exploratory committee against Doolittle.

2. Why is it that only Kranz and Uhler get the label – I thought Weygandt and Holmes are Republicans, too?

3. The Democrats that read this blog must think attacks they agree with are OK and the ones they disagree with are “Smears that everyone are tired of”.

4. Some of the Republicans that read this blog may find the above comments from a Democrat activist informative as to how the other side perceives our Supervisors. (As in who gets the label and who does not…)

I would like to thank the Placer Democrat Party for providing a valuable public service – reminding us all of why Uhler and Kranz deserve our support.