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minutes 02-09-00Page 2 of 41
<br />complaint because the moon is too bright. Yes, I can see why they wouldn’t need to investigate to dismiss that complaint. But
<br />other complaints of substance, they gave themselves the power to dismiss complaints, just get rid of it, with no investigation,
<br />and that went from a previous set of Rules and Regs that required investigation to all complaints unless they were more than
<br />30 days, or they obviously didn’t apply to the Police Commission. So these people have blamed Corp Counsel’s Office. Well,
<br />we can’t go against what Corp Counsel’s Office said. However, on one occasion when I was at a Police Commission
<br />meeting, and just prior to the Police Commission meeting, Ted Hong was there and gave a little seminar about the Sunshine
<br />Law. What you can do and what you can’t do, and what procedures you have to follow, including specifically procedures to
<br />set time limits on public testimony, and the Police Commission had not followed any procedure to set any official time on
<br />public testimony. And probably within 30 minutes of the time that Ted Hong gave that advice to the Police Commission,
<br />Sharon Scheele, acting as Chair, announced that there would be a three minute limit. And she was not scared of what Ted
<br />Hong had to say on that occasion, but what I read in the paper is, well, they say we can’t do this, but she wasn’t intimidated
<br />about that, so I think it’s ingenuous what we’re hearing from the people from the Police Commission. So, reform it, move it,
<br />or give the people a chance to just say no to the Police Commission. Maybe people would like to just say no. And then we
<br />could just hold the Mayor responsible because the County Charter already gives the Mayor responsibility for the ultimate
<br />oversight of the Police Department, and move his term to two years, so that the people could vote. If something went too
<br />wrong, they believe something went too wrong, at the Police Department then they wouldn’t have to wait more than two
<br />years to do something about it.
<br />Salary Commission. Give the people a chance to just say no to the Salary Commission. I listened in front of the County
<br />Council the other day as a perspective new member of the Salary Commission expressed how he wanted to serve because he
<br />thought people should do something for their community. Soon after that, he was talking about how people need to make
<br />good money, and really we need more money for these people, and good money will get us a better class of people. This
<br />particular individual did not mention which particular existing person that he would be regulating the salary of, could be
<br />replaced with someone if we paid more money. That didn’t get mentioned. So, just say no to that. The elected officials in this
<br />County, that would be the Council people, they should have the guts to do what they have to do. They really should have the
<br />guts. The Salary Commission is just a way for them to get out of it, and it’s removed from the people, and then they don’t
<br />have to take the heat, the County Council people. Give the people a chance and see what they say. Do we need this or don’t
<br />we need this.
<br />Managing Director. I’m not sure what you folks have proposed so far on that, but that and the Legislative Auditor, I strongly
<br />favor not putting in specific qualifications that limit these jobs to just people who have these qualifications. It’s always been
<br />interesting to me that, if you’re 35 years old, you don’t have to be a lawyer, or you don’t have to be an accountant, or
<br />anything else, if you want to run and be the President of the United States. And in that particular position, you’re over a lot of
<br />attorneys and you manage a lot of things, and you’ve got a fairly high position in the Military, and yet, there’s nothing for
<br />that. So, consider that, not restricting these things unduly. Let’s loosen these things up, if anything. And give the people a
<br />chance to loosen that up because that’s what you’re going to do is make proposals, and the people can decide whether they
<br />want to limit this just to certain individuals.
<br />Term Limits. We’ve been through that quite a few times, and the people have consistently said two years for County Council
<br />people, so I think it just about amounts to badgering if you want to give the people another chance to change their mind.
<br />Instead, give the people a chance to vote whether they like two years or four years for the Mayor. That’s something I’d
<br />appreciate. I think people already decided about the Council make-up. We don’t have floating Council members anymore.
<br />People already said what they like on that.
<br />Department Head Qualifications. Keep it simple. Don’t make it to where the Mayor’s favorite person cannot be in this
<br />position. But if we just have two-year terms for Mayor, the people can tell the Mayor what they think if Department Heads.
<br />I don’t see the Board of Ethics on here, but you folks could, if you so wished, make a statement about government people
<br />lying, okay, in the course of their official jobs. Not to their wives, friends, or enemies. You could put out something and let
<br />the voters decide whether lying should be one of the prohibited acts mentioned in the County Charter under the Board of
<br />Ethics, okay? Give the people a chance to say whether they want lying or they don’t want lying, and this is not to be confused
<br />with false information erroneously given. This is lying. This is when someone says something that is false, and they know it’s
<br />false, and they say it anyway. That’s lying, and that’s wrong.
<br />Thank you for the opportunity.
<br />RAY: Okay, thank you. Any questions? Next, Curtis Tyler.
<br />TYLER: Good afternoon Chairman Ray, members of the Commission, Mr. Yuen, and guests. Thank you very much for the
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