Letter: On closing the Correctional Camp (Aug. 26)
Concerning the closure of the Correctional Camp, the supervisors have deducted $750,000 from the camp budget. The camp operates on a little over $2.29 million a year.
If you haven’t already, watch the archived video of the meeting on Aug. 20. Mr. Moss, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Dominici prior to the meeting met with union reps, and it was a consensus among those four that they would postpone voting on the issue. The idea behind the delay was to let the department try and create an alternate plan to save employees.
A few days before the hearings, the MPPOA decided to do a press release on the proposed closing. Several of the supervisors advised them not to. They didn’t feel that a “fire storm” was necessary before we even or they knew the outcome.
The MPPOA has actively supported Max Rodriguez for many years with donations to his campaigns. Last year, many of the members went door to door to speak with voters to help support him. When the Probation Department ended their presentation for the board, Mr. Dupree asked for questions or comment. The four previously mentioned declined to say a word. When it was time to vote, barely a word was said, unanimously decided, the camp would take the cuts.
It has also been brought to attention that CAO Stell Manfredi will be retiring this year in September, his salary around 128,000. He will return and work part time for the county, as well as the director of human resources, Kathi Taylor. I guess double dipping doesn’t just apply to ice cream! At one point a community member asked the CAO what cuts administration had made, and he stated that they had let an executive secretary of 46 years go.
The administration is proposing a cut of 12-14 employees for the Probation Department. Yet they are calling for increased consequences for Taggers? Most likely that charge will result in a book-and-release on the legal basis of a misdemeanor crime because the Juvenile Hall will be too full to house the offenders. Wonder if they will feel the same if it happens to their homes. Something is not quite right here.
Katherine Rojas,
Madera
