Candidate for
Supervisor; County of Humboldt; District 1

The Board of Supervisors has two primary areas of responsibility. The first is the POWER TO ACT. The second is one of ADVOCACY.

The power to act covers the task of managing county government. While the Board has some legislative responsibility, its primary duty is one of oversight and budget control.

Effective government starts with the realization that governments are bureaucratic in nature, and that bureaucracies are ineffective by nature. Anyone who seeks to make government work better, but ignores this basic fact, is certain to be frustrated and disappointed.

The process of evaluating the various departments within the county can best be accomplished by asking two questions. Is that department DOING THINGS RIGHT? And more importantly, is it DOING THE RIGHT THINGS?

DOING THE RIGHT THINGS involves the laws, ordinances, plans, and policies which control each department's relationships with higher levels of government, other county departments and with the citizens of Humboldt County. Obviously, some of the rules come down from above (state and federal governments), but the Board has much to say about the rules by which county departments operate.

Effectiveness of county government requires that the right things be done. This should be the primary responsibility of the Board of Supervisors. It is especially critical now, as we anticipate the revision of the General Plan and the effect that revision may have on the business climate in Humboldt County. If we don't have the right plan in place, it doesn't matter how efficient we are at conducting county business.

Having said that, I'd wager that most citizen complaints involve the inability of the bureaucracy to DO THINGS RIGHT. Because of the nature of the beast, inefficiencies are bound to creep in. It's one thing to be told "no" by a bureaucrat; it's quite another if it takes weeks to be told "no," when it should have taken only days. The Board needs to be ever watchful (and prepared to act) to ensure that department heads and their staffs do things right by expediting the people's business.

In addition to the task of managing county government outlined above, the Board of Supervisors needs to speak up for Humboldt County. As we struggle with the maintenance of our economic base and work toward economic development and diversification, the Board must become this area's foremost advocate.

The biggest threat to our economy today comes from overzealous regulation, regulation driven by politics and emotion, not by science. If you can compare our economy to a house, our resource-based industries form the foundation -- and that foundation is rapidly being undermined. Environmental issues are paramount, with water quality and water diversion in the forefront.

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors needs to fight for the return of our water and for reasonable, science-based management of our wildlife and watersheds. Someone once said that "the world is run by people who show up." Whenever regulatory agencies are considering issues that impact Humboldt County the Supervisors need to show up.

Humboldt County needs an economy based on responsibly produced, renewable resources, to which value can be added, which can be exported out of the area, thereby generating jobs and new dollars to support out citizens. While we certainly need to look at technology, light manufacturing, and tourism as means to diversify our economy, we cannot lose sight of our economic foundation. We need to make protecting that foundation our first priority, while we work to expand and strengthen it through diversification.