Poor county can't pay

San JoseMercury News ^ | Monday, Dec. 17, 2001 | BY JENNIFER COLEMAN

[sasquatch]

CRESCENT CITY -- By now, Del Norte County knows the language of layoffs. Timber
mills in the far northwest corner of California have closed, going from 50 to just a handful.
Commercial fishing in this coastal community has dried up. Today, even government employees
are threatened with layoffs, because Del Norte County is going broke.

County officials say they've cut as much as they can in their $34 million budget and now
need $1.7 million from the state to pay for increases in state-mandated programs,
such as foster care, to balance their books. California, with its own budget problems, won't help.

``We're in a bare-bones situation and they want us to go into the marrow,'' said Martha McClure,
a Del Norte County supervisor. Most of the county's budget pays for state-mandated programs.
The county's public safety, health and local government programs split the remaining $9 million.
Counties raise money through sales and property taxes and vehicle license fees, much of which goes to the state.
Del Norte, population 28,000, once supplemented its income with timber yield taxes,
which in the late 1970s brought in more than $1 million annually. But this year, those fees will bring in only $80,000.

Three-quarters of the rural county on the Oregon border is owned by the government, which doesn't pay property tax. A proposed sale of 26,000 acres of timber land to the state will further dent an already tight budget.

The Save the Redwoods League plans to buy the property, owned by Stimson Lumber, then transfer it to the state park system. Stimson stopped logging in November 2000, but paid about $55,000 a year in property taxes. Del Norte will miss the money, and county officials are scrambling to find money in its budget to cover county workers' salaries, including sheriff's deputies. Many California counties face similar problems, said Pat Leary, legislative representative for the California State Association of Counties.
``In a lot of ways,'' Leary said, Del Norte ``may be a harbinger of things to come.''

[cynicom]

Simple solution, raise taxes, problem solved. See now that was'nt difficult was it?

[cincinnati_Steve]

Ah, so. Well, like I said, I'm no repository of environmental information, but it seems to me that I heard/read that forests need to be harvested (or at least thinned out) for the health of the whole system to be optimal. I 'member a storm that came through east Texas and knocked down a dooload of pine trees, and the ecoterrorists raised hell over the lumber companies wanting to "harvest" the fallen timber. That particular issue went back and forth for quite some time, until somebody pointed out that the wood was going to rot if they didn't hurry up and get it out of there--and the additional fuel for fires--I believe they finally did allow the harvest to take place, but I never understood the argument against logging. Trees DO grow back...it's just not an exciting spectator sport. Now, chopping the tree down in which that sociopath Butterfly girl was roosting in...that would've been exciting.

[sasquatch]

I'll make you a deal. Go back to post #22 and check out The Book
or go here:LINK If you read the book and feel it was not worth it, I'll pay for it.

[sasquatch]

(there will be a test administered by the author; study up.It'll take several all-nighters.)

[I Know Jack]

The Japs,Koreans, Russians etc raped the seas! The japs streched nets miles long and harvested everything they could so point the fingers at them not the American fishermen who had restrictions on them for many many years. I fished in Alaska in the early 50's and I remember the restrictions we had then.

[SKI NOW]

"Then they'll burn it to take it off the market permanently"

Yeah, that to. But first they will burn it to drive out any private ownership.

[Carry_Okie]

You mean that you got tired of hook-fishing while those huge trawlers and long-liners were taking it ALL? Makes you feel really warm and fuzzy about the State Department, doesn't it?

[cincinnati_Steve]

Okay, I can't read it all now, but I bookmarked your link and will pursue it manana. I do like the guy's bio, though...sounds like he's done enough different things that he's not afflicted with tunnel vision. Thanks. I'll get back to you...