Consolidation of county services - outsourcing

 

Last of these thoughtful Pacifica Tribue, Letters-to-the-editor, 1/31/12, "City services" by Fran Larson

"Editor: Examining the results of the survey on services for Pacifica I was disappointed both in the level of responses (7 percent) from the citizens that were forwarded the "yellow cards" and the obvious lack of information of those 1,474 responding citizens. People normally respond emotionally when they are not furnished the facts. The task force did a terrific job of putting forth the valid questions on the survey but the public was not given enough detail of how passage or failure of each item would really effect the level of services for residents of Pacifica.

Didn't get our questions answered!

The public meeting unfortunately was not organized to furnish information to the citizens that did respond. Obviously, the task force did not expect the vast turnout and the result was a mulling crowd that had little or no opportunity to have discussion of the issues. The chosen impartial facilitator approach was not really effective in this case. Actually, impartial presentations do not result in an informed voter. The task force group took down the names of all citizens that turned out that cold night and I hope there is a plan to contact all those people with additional facts. Standing on the sidelines of the community center room and impartially answering questions was not done effectively nor was that the way to actually inform voters.

In my former southern California community the city forwarded a brochure to all residents explaining fully the effects of proposed changes in taxation policies and some real debate about each issue. Voters need all the facts in order to make informed decisions. I would hope that prior to making the final judgement our city council does make a real try to get more input from voters prior to their taking action on these important measures that will effect the welfare of all families in Pacifica and tries as well to get more information out to the public.

Is this our best answer?

Coming from my experience of living in Los Angeles County I know the value of "functional consolidation" of services. Los Angeles County has about 100 cities now with two large fire departments, Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County. Prior to the '60s there were 66 incorporated cities, all with their separate inefficient fire and police departments. The Bell city fire truck would stop at Bell Gardens city line and say, oops, that is their fire and return to their station. People had been taught that local control was the way to go and every Fire Chief wanted to be supreme in their "pond" and didn't want to consolidate with their next door neighbor and just be a little "frog." They had to be convinced that local control might actually be less effective and more expensive and it took some educating to get that job done.

The County Firefighters took on that battle and in a few years organizing on the Contract Cities was a reality and fire service in Los Angeles County was tremendously improved at less cost and more efficiency. The Sheriff of Los Angeles County followed that example and consolidated police services became a reality. "Outsourcing "is not the proper term for what is being proposed here and elsewhere. Currently that term is feared by our public. Regional services should be encouraged and the fable of "local control" should be dismissed. All citizens need efficiency in services and fairness in taxation."

Posted by Kathy Meeh