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Real leadership for mosquito district

Editor, Index-Tribune:

 

Recently I sent the following letter to Jim Wanderscheid, District Manager of the Sonoma-Marin Mosquito District:

Jim, we are writing to express our disappointment with the budget planning process underway at the district. As recently reported, the district, under your leadership, is proposing to include "employee benefits, solar panels, computers and new trucks" among the spoils of a 6 percent budget increase. Our reaction:

1. California rate and taxpayers have no appetite for more lucrative and generous public employee benefits, pay or pensions. It's time that you, as district leadership, submit to taxpayer sentiment and consider abandoning the time-honored unsustainable tradition of fattening up the public employee at taxpayer's expense.

2. As Sonoma residents, we are amazed at the quality and quantity of high-end Ford SUV's with district markings plying the roads of Sonoma and Marin counties. How on earth you might consider wasting taxpayer dollars for the purpose of "pimping" the district's ride is beyond us.

3. Do the math; Solar Panels will not show a positive return to recover the investment in 10 years at best. But, at the risk of sounding sarcastic, we are confident that you use the same specious "green" logic for upgrading your fleet of vehicles.

In summary Jim, we suggest you demonstrate real leadership and create a reserve account the purpose of which is to cover the financial risk that accompanies hard times, like your ratepayers are suffering with today.

Richard and Susan Powers,

Sonoma