As the City Council gets closer to making a decision about dumping the Snohomish Police Department and contracting with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department for police services, I can’t help but think the discussion is about Apples and Oranges.
If the analysis was just about cost with the service being the same between the two vendors it would be difficult for the Sheriff’s office to offer a less expensive service since their officers are paid more money. That would suggest that the service won’t be the same.
I suspect that the service will be lower because the Sheriff will use city designated officers to patrol unincorporated areas as well as the city creating a longer response time when officers are needed. That looks like the city subsidizing the cost of patrolling unincorporated sections of the county at the expense of service in the city. What is that worth?
I do recognize that the Sheriff’s plan reduces management cost by substituting two sheriff mangers where the city currently has three; but that won’t save $375,000.
I don’t know the salaries and benefits for either department but it is generally known that the county pays better than small cities. Certainly cost is a factor in Council’s consideration so cutting nearly $400,000 from a police budget totaling $4 million will be challenging with those more expensive folks.
If we are asking the Sheriff’s office to submit a proposal to provide police services at a specified level of service measured by specific criteria we should also ask Chief Turner to do the same thing. If we outline service level expectations and work plans for both service providers let’s see if Chief Turner can compete on a level playing field. Let’s see what service cuts we might suffer through with Chief Turner that can be restored down the road before we make them permanent.
Abandoning our local police department is a “no-going-back” decision. Let’s make sure we have exhausted all our options before we are left with that most painful choice.
Three years from now I don’t want buyer’s remorse.
No Loss for Words 
Get Back in The Game!
by Steve DanaMy blog has been silent for a while now. It’s not that I haven’t had anything to say, much to the contrary; I had so much I wanted to say I felt I needed to hold my tongue lest I say things I would regret later. I have been overwhelmed with what was and is happening in our country today. What bothers me is the fact that everyone else is not bothered. What bothers me is the fact that our country is going into the tank because we are “too busy” to get involved.
For the most part, my ramblings have been politically driven. Occasionally I offer things of an entertainment nature, but my interest is in enlightening my readers with my take on current events. My old departed dad always told me “if you want to criticize, make sure you have alternative ideas to offer” and out of that came a forty year stream of criticisms and alternatives.
I got involved in local government because I criticized the status quo and thought I had a better idea. When I was elected to office, I found that my ideas were as good as the other ones on the table. I served eight years.
When I tried to run for higher office, I learned that politics is not about better ideas, it’s about amassing power. Only idealistic folks like me get involved to look out for the common folks and not special interests.
I said a couple years ago that I was running for County Council because I didn’t see anyone else stepping up who would advocate for the people the way I felt I would. When I lost that election the momentum for the TEA Party was just beginning to roll. I was disappointed that it was too late to make a difference in my race but excited that it carried over to huge gains in 2010.
There has never been a more important time for people in our country to get involved in the public process. The down-turn in the economy exposed the critical flaws in our government system that at the least allowed us to defer payment for public obligations without limits. Public debt is crippling our country; not just at the federal level, but right on down to the local level through bond indebtedness that erodes current revenue buying power. All so government can buy your silence. Add to that the crushing regulatory burdens being heaped on all of us and it’s not surprising were going down.
We are dangerously close to the point where it won’t matter. When we reach a point where current revenues are consumed by debt service costs there won’t be any services.
I guess we can party on as the Titanic goes down….. or we can get involved by supporting candidates that support the U.S Constitution and the concepts embodied therein.
I would recommend that anyone who wants to get involved in a meaningful campaign in this local government election cycle get connected with the MIKE HOPE for Snohomish County Executive committee. Mike has become a very accomplished elected official in a very short time period and is someone I support. Mike will be the first Republican County Executive inSnohomishCounty history. His election will change the tone of county government for the better.
I haven’t worked out my thoughts about the national political scene. I know our country has suffered since President Obama was elected. Unfortunately the entrenched Republicans have not demonstrated a willingness to do anything more than wring their hands. The people in the country want action and the politicians want to preserve their jobs.
Senator Jim DeMint from South Carolina seems to be on the right path. Rand Paul has some good things to offer as well. I like Michele Bachmann. Stay tuned.
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