It's likely that Kern County will declare a fiscal emergency Tuesday.

That will give supervisors the opportunity to re-open the 2008-2009 budget and cut $75 million in an effort to keep the county ship on the right course.

That level of cuts, supervisors say, is practically impossible without a reduction in payroll — that means thousands of county workers could be looking at furloughs or layoffs.

Nobody is putting numbers to the possibility of layoffs yet. Supervisors want to hear from their department heads about impacts to services before the start tapping people on the head.

But its a safe bet that the next few months are going to be hard for the county and its employees and clients — i.e. all of us. 

I think I understand why county supervisors did it.

On Monday they got a stark report calling for them to take immediate, dramatic action to slash county budgets just 24 hours before they were supposed to sit down in public and try to talk intelligently about the issue.

It put them in a bind.

They didn't have a lot of time to talk to county officials, come up with a lucid response to the information or talking points to explain why their response is the best option.

So all five county supervisors decided to do nothing — to delay discussion for a week while they got their feet underneath them.

I understand that. I can even appreciate the idea that moving too quickly can be risky.

But everyone agrees that decisive action is needed.

Tuesday's move leaves some county departments stuck in limbo — wondering what they can do to control costs. Do they plan for the 10 percent cut (which is more like 20 percent since they have to cut annual costs in only five months) or do they wait to see if supervisors are going to come up with a different plan?

Some departments will like the wait. They might be able to schedule some supervisor face time and lobby their way out of the drastic cuts.

But other departments say they are now struggling with that whole limbo thing.

Kern County has known that falling revenue and tax income would drain millions (around $27.3 million) from its coffers over the next 17 months.

But that wasn't what drove CAO Ron Errea to call for a 10 percent cut to all county spending and the negotiation of a furlough deal with county unions Monday.

It was state budget cuts that seem likely to hit in the next month or two and the expectation that the state will delay $136 million in funding until September.

That's a brewing cash flow crisis the county's $48 million "rainy day reserve" can't handle.

Do people really think the county can expect to be this hard hit? Are furloughs necessary?

Wednesday was the annual State of the County dinner at the Marriott in
downtown Bakersfield.

Jon McQuiston, new chairman of the Kern County Board of Supervisors,
delivered his take on the county¹s current situation, its past successes
and future opportunities.

Here are the things he talked about:

The economy and the county budget
He said board members and county officials, seeing the current financial
storm gathering, took action to build budget reserves, restrict hiring and
purchasing, plan a step-down plan to deal with state budget cuts and seek
federal funding for projects that could stimulate the local economy.

New programs and successes in 2008

• creation and implementation of the gang task force strategic plan
• construction of the new county emergency operations center
  
• a 13.5% decline in tobacco sales to minors.
  
• re-construction of the interchange at 7th Standard Road at State Route 99
  
• dedication of ³Merle Haggard Drive²
  
• hiring of a new county Compliance and Accountability Officer
  

Opportunities in the future
Wind power - The county has approved an additional 300 megawatts of wind
turbine and has 1500 megawatts of wind applications in the pipeline.
Solar power -There are applications for 1,000 megawatts of solar power
being processed or proposed in the county.

Oil companies (and an ice cream plant) say Kern County has over-billed them in recent years.

At risk is $6.2 million in Kern County tax revenues — part of $18 million in disputed property tax bills. That money may be critical to Kern County as it tries to keep services operating in a bad economy.

Check out the full story at bakersfield.com.

In the next six months these disputes may come before the Kern County Assessment Appeals Board and that money could disappear.

It's enough to hire 40 Sheriff's deputies or build a new fire station.

What do you think?  Should the county back off on these tax bills or should the oil companies understand that the county needs that money to keep services afloat and drop their appeals?

Rev. Wesley Crawford spoke before the Kern County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, asking them to find a way to help convicts released from jail get out from under the stigma attached to their criminal past.

As an aside, Crawford mentioned he plans to run for Bakersfield City Council again in 2010.

He also mentions that he has something in store for media outlets who report his own criminal record when covering his candidacy.

He seems to feel he's being treated unfairly.

I can only speak for myself and The Californian. We investigate the criminal record of ALL candidates for ALL offices and publish that information as a service to our readers so they can make an informed decision about who they want to lead them.

Crawford's record is decades old. It's common knowledge and Crawford has crafted a different life for himself as a faith leader and a voice in the African-American community. I believe we've reported that information as well.

There has been a lot of change at Kern County Animal Control since I first wrote about its high euthanisa rates in 2004.

But big changes — which would reverse the rising kill rates caused by animal overpopulation in Kern County — have not been enacted.

County Supervisors have been given suggestions for practical, achievable policies that would — over time — reverse the killing trend by holding animal owners accountable for caring for there pets and by reducing the number of pets who can reproduce.

They've known about most of the solutions for four years — since we printed solutions in 2004 at the height of the housing boom when county coffers were flush with cash.

But supervisors didn't act then and now, with economic crisis looming, they say they cannot afford to divert money from people to animals.

So, a couple of them have acknowledged, kill rates will go up unhindered by a coherent county plan to solve overpopulation.

The competency hearing for accused animal abuser Cythia Gudger was continued in Kern County Superior Court Thursday morning.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Yraceburn said he believes that Gudger will eventually be ruled competent to stand trial. But, he said, the doctor  reviewing her mental competency has not finished his work and the hearing Thursday morning had to be postponed.

Gudger was found collecting animals in a Tehachapi warehouse and had allegedly kept the animals in horrific conditions, locked in cages filled with their own feces. Photos from inside the warehouse show it was filled with piles of trash, feces and the floor soaked with urine. Gudger — who was hiding out under the name of Anita Gilbert — was living with the animals.

After she was released on bail Gudger, who was also a fugitive from charges of horrible animal treatment in Riverside County, fled from Kern County in an attempt to escape charges of animal abuse and threats against public officials.

She was recaptured by a bail bondsman and brought back to Kern County.

County supervisors just reported that they plan to sue a Mental Health service provider for $763,000. County Counsel Bernard Barmann said that the county found Anne Sippi "and it's partners" submitted defective bills for services provided in the 03-04, 04-05 and 05-06 fiscal years — and possibly in subsequent years.

I put in a call to the Anne Sippi clinic on Highway 178 to get the corporation's side but didn't get an immediate call back. Will try again.

Also, supervisors agreed to a $200,000 settlement to a workers compensation case brought against the county by firefighter Albert Albair. The total aware is less $18,360 in permanent disability advances.

 Barmann also indicated that the county will begin releasing more of these reports out of closed-session — despite the fact that the county is not legally required to make them. Michael Turnipseed of the Kern County Taxpayers Association had recently argued that supervisors weren't doing enough reporting out of the secret sessions.

Ah....there was sooooo much Jon McQuiston could have done with the opportunity.

The new chairman of the board of supervisors presented the resolution honoring former chairman Michael Rubio for his year of service in the position during 2008.

He could have ribbed Rubio for his very formal stance on summer attire for the board of supervisors — a stance that the two men squabbled about good naturedly for months. (McQuiston is Oscar to Rubio's Felix Ungar)

He could have presented him with a loud hawaian shirt, tie and sport coat combo — for later this year.

He could have — at least — cracked a joke at Rubio's expense.

Instead he told Rubio, as the former chairman joined him nervously at the podium, "You don't have to be scared."

Then he recounted a long list of good things that have been done by the county in 2008, under Rubio's leadership!

Gang taskforce. 7th Standard Road overpass. Pediatric playroom remodel at KMC. County Compliance and Accountability Officer. Boooooring! (tongue in cheek here folks)

I got the following e-mail from a reader today following a story I did on the Boy Scouts of America seeking to recruit hispanics into their organization:

"The Boy Scouts are already screwed up (because of the 20% hispanic membership). If they accept a larger percentage of the low class mexicans and wet backs into the most wonderful organization for boys ever created, they will be doomed to failure anyway!
 
I would rather see the Boy Scouts close down than see them cater to the low class hispanics.
 
I am an Eagle Scout from days gone by. Makes me sick to hear of their latest plans for survival. With an influx of hispanics, the Boy Scouts want be worth belonging to. Their ideals, morals and Christen beliefs will go down the drain along with the increase in hispanic membership."
 
Sincerely ---- Johnnie Price

What do other people think about this topic?

I am constantly amused by the unpredictabilty of public meetings.

Take Tuesday's meeting of the Kern County Board of Supervisors for example. They're back from a lazy holiday schedule. On Monday they appoint a new chairman — it will be Supervisor Jon McQuiston.

No surprise there because the choice of the board chair — unlike Bakersfield's choice of vice mayor for instance — is ruled by long-standing tradition. McQuiston already has plans for the State of the County address.

On Tuesday the regular work of the board will take place.

At first glance there seems to be some interesting items — development fees? Always a hot topic with the powerful land development lobby opposed to anything that costs them more money.

But a closer look indicates all supervisors will hear is a report about how planners are working to make sure developers feel included in any decisions that affect them. No action. No controversy.

(In my experience local government treats no other industry with more respect, deferrence and consideration than they do developers)

However, I could be wrong. There could be controversy brewing. I've sometimes been surprised by heated exchanges on seemingly banal topics.

So...as I always do...I'll be at 1115 Truxtun Avenue at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday to listen in to the meetings.

I hope someone surprises me.

larger view

Like most of the stories I've written about animal overpopulation in Kern County, there is a tragic side to the story of Jeff Burgess and the abandoned dog pack he tried to rescue.

But there is a hopeful side too and that involvesHollywood Bikini designer Ashley Paige who operates a dog rescue Ruff Houzen in the time she can spare from her fashion work and her time filming the "Bikini or Bust" reality show for TLC.

Burgess battled sick-ups and multi-car pileups on the Grapevine to bring two of the four abandoned puppies that he found on Gage street to Paige on Wednesday.

He made it and the puppies have escaped the streets that killed their two litter-mates.

Thousands of other dogs and cats are abandoned on the streets of Bakersfield but if everyone in towndid what Burgess and Paige have done, there might be hope.