Any analysis of San Mateo County’s governmental spending habits in this decade has to come to one conclusion: The times have been very, very good for public employees. From 1999-00 through 2007-08, the per worker cost increase for the county was 7.7 percent on an annual basis. That’s more than double the rate of inflation during that time. In fact, in the past fiscal year, the county’s taxpayers were providing an all-time record average of $116,607 per employee, according to the county’s own figures. A significant portion of that number goes toward paying for retirement, health insurance and other benefits. The county’s ongoing gravy train shows some recent signs of slowing down as the Peninsula’s housing market and overall economy begin to throttle back. But the past nine years have been so generous for the county’s public employee unions and others in government in the halls of Redwood City and elsewhere that the bulk of the county’s spending requirements well into the future are locked in. That’s why county officials are wary of what may be coming down the line. If their tax haul is seriously impaired, all of those long-term commitments come home to roost without sufficient dollars to pay for them. Then the you-know-what will really hit the proverbial fan.

Recent breathless accounts of new U.S. Census data and accompanying projections have indicated that, goodness gracious, whites will not be a majority of the American population within a generation. No kidding. In San Mateo County and the rest of California, that’s been the case for awhile when it comes to those of school age. In fact, whites aren’t even the biggest ethnic group anymore. Here on the Peninsula, Hispanic children made up 33.9 percent of the total public kindergarten-through-grade 12 student body in 2006-07, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the California state Department of Education. White pupils represented 33.7 percent. Asian and Filipino kids were next at 11.9 and 9.9 percent respectively. Black youngsters were 4.2 percent. It is fully anticipated that these trends will persist. That is due mainly to a continuing flow of immigrants (legal and illegal) to the area and higher birth rates among those newcomers, especially Hispanics.

It may not be fair, but, when a longtime English or math teacher with sterling credentials retires, there is rarely an outpouring of affection replete with a sold-out testimonial dinner, a scholarship in his or her name and standing ovations that rock the house. With certain coaches, however, it’s an entirely different matter. Tom Martinez is one of those notable exceptions. Nearly 300 of his former athletes, fellow coaches, family members and friends showed up to honor him Aug. 9 at the San Mateo Elks Lodge. They did so because Martinez, who taught physical education and coached at the College of San Mateo for the better part of four decades, is unique. At CSM, his detailed and demanding style produced 1,300 victories in football, women’s softball and women’s basketball. His teams never had a losing season, no matter their level of talent. It is legendary how hard he pushed his players and coaches. He was tough on everyone, especially himself. But it is a testament to his dedication, fairness and devotion to his profession when so many people he influenced returned to fete him at a time when his health is faltering. The Elks Lodge event, which was MC’d by San Mateo County Community College District Chancellor Ron Galatolo, lasted six hours. There were 29 speakers. It was a very long evening. In the end, it took its toll on the coach himself. Battling the effects of diabetes, heart and lung problems and other serious issues, he experienced a bout of dizziness as he wrapped up his remarks at about 11 p.m. He persisted and managed to finish his statement. It was a poignant performance and a reminder that we almost certainly won’t see the likes of him again.

In San Mateo County these days, there is nothing quite so out of place as a politician who opposes the notion of raising taxes _ and then acts on it. From Daly City south to the Palo Alto border, it is simply routine to listen to elected officials moan about the state of their budgets. Their solution, more often than not, is to propose some sort of new and creative tax hike, whether on commercial sales or on property. Not so Matt Grocott in San Carlos. He’s just feisty enough to say no. And, naturally, he is regarded as a Peninsula pariah for taking that stand. Branded as a lone wolf, an impediment, an obstacle to progress and what is purported to be “good government,” Grocott, a member of the San Carlos City Council, is bristling at a plan to take the easy path to a sales tax boost in that pleasant community. His four council peers reportedly prefer a ballot measure that would require a simple majority for passage, courtesy of the declaration of a “fiscal emergency.” Grocott, always eager to cut expenses in lieu of mandated revenue increases wherever possible, is holding out for a two-thirds threshold combined with appropriate and necessary economies. It is his view that passing taxes ought to be difficult. He’s not a happy camper right now. Then again, he is well known for bucking the tide, for refusing to be a yes man. He takes the consistent position that he represents the public, not the city staff, not the bureaucracy, not the labor unions, not the entrenched interests that dictate policies and practices all along the Peninsula. What a novel concept. Grocott is not going to win any popularity contests among his colleagues. He doesn’t seem to care. And maybe that’s a very good thing in this day and age.