Comments on: Contra Costa: McGill and Mitchoff duel over law

By: Mike F.

Mike F. — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:31:18 +0000

I was once a public employee, it’s easy to excel to a point. I managed a large office and budget at a State Agency, but still had to compensate for the established “raises, rights, respect” crowd that gave me 25% effort. Eventually many of those that excel get stifled by the system and the threat they pose to their bosses and co-workers. There is a lot of waste, and I mean public employees that do nothing while the hard-working ones make up the difference. The State is readying to have a layoff – the problem is that they’ll trim much of the “muscle” (young, motivated talent), but keep the a lot of “fat” (lazy, embedded non-talent). The State can chest beat that it lost weight, but they’ll have gotten rid of the wrong weight making the situation worse. Not everyone in public service is a poor employee, there are exceptional people, but there is a significant segment of waste. We could save funds by contracting out specific portions of the services to private industry without the long-term burdens of guaranteed pensions and benefits; this is called diversity too, just that single-minded public servants can’t realize it.

By: Sad state of affairs

Sad state of affairs — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:04:58 +0000

How sad is it that making a career choice to be a civil servant is “not popular” these days? These employees spend their lives serving the public in a variety of capacities. From firefighters and police to doctors in the trauma units in our County hospital. They serve the aged and young in our social services departments and make sure our roads and environment are safe and healthy through community development. The list of services goes on and on.

They don’t make this career choice because it’s going to make them rich. Granted in today’s economy, civil servants are for the most part, in a more secure work environment with decent benefits. During high economic times, private industry is the place to be. Along with this choice comes risk.

I guess the best analogy is the tale of the tortoise and the hare. Civil servants are the tortoise…steady and slow, responsibly planning for their future.

Shame on you Elwood for your comment above… public employees support our communities at the very core and provide many services that you are a benefactor of.

You may think it’s not be a popular choice these days but it certainly is a necessary one. God bless public employees. They work hard with little or no recognition.

By: Elwood

Elwood — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:07:05 +0000

Re: #5

It’s also called making a career of having your snout in the public trough.

Career public employees are not that popular these days.

By: D. M.

D. M. — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:07:41 +0000

I don’t get it…when did it become a bad thing to be a public servant? Ms. Mitchoff has worked many years in local government beginning her career in a clerical position and working up the ranks, going back to school, and bettering herself. She wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth and has worked hard to achieve her current status. As a single working woman, I applaud her guts and determination…she is an inspiration to other women to go after their dreams and step up to their potential.

By: Mike F.

Mike F. — Mon, 31 May 2010 22:55:23 +0000

I’ll take the guy who self-funded his campaign over the person who relied on union donations and machine politics. She thought it would be a cake-walk by declaring her candidacy with less than 6 months on the PH City Council, and then got anointed through so-called right of ascension within machine politics of Contra Costa (Torlakson, DeSaulnier, Bonilla and assumed is Mitchoff). Stop crying foul when the foul of union cronies happened long ago, as you’d trounce any little guy in the race. Turns out the little guy, McGill, may have made this the race to watch.

By: Arne

Arne — Mon, 31 May 2010 22:32:45 +0000

From my reading of the County ordinance, it just looks like Mike McGill will have to consider the amount he loaned his campaign over $25,000 to to a contribution.

Since Mike McGill isn’t beholding to the unions, he will be a Supervisor who will represent the people of Contra Costa and work to strip current employees of the spiking of their pensions. That is something Mitchoff won’t do.

By: Karen Eckerson

Karen Eckerson — Sat, 29 May 2010 21:14:42 +0000

Looks to me like McGill violated county law.

McGill challenged Mitchoff to work for a $1 a year, is he willing to do that? I doubt it. And if he was “confused” by conversations with county staff over the self-funding rules, how is he going to deal with the more complex issues that will face the next supervisor?

And isn’t it a little self-serving to point out that Mitchoff received contributions from the unions and then go on to say, “. . .but I don’t want to start throwing mud . . .”? I think the mud was already thrown, but he doesn’t want to make himself a target because he has accepted contributions from builders and contractors. I’m sure they have no ulterior motive . . .

By: Elwood

Elwood — Sat, 29 May 2010 03:36:48 +0000

Looks to me like a desperation move on the part of Mitchoff.

She thought she was marching smoothly to her coronation on the BofS just as she marched to be mayor of PH, and then along came McGill and the march wasn’t so smooth any more.