tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039563145970308239.post8928661370318991658..comments2023-10-24T08:25:49.233-07:00Comments on Ojai Valley News Blog: Ojai Budget Forecasts Surplus DropUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039563145970308239.post-44303797527834964502008-05-31T10:47:00.000-07:002008-05-31T10:47:00.000-07:00We should have our own police department with a co...We should have our own police department with a community policing policy. Three officers dedicated to Ojai would be plenty. Contract for possible emergency calls only to the sheriffs, the same way most town police departments do. We would have a safer community, better policing, and do it at about 20-25% of the current expense.<BR/><BR/>Now, we suffer over-policing as far as citizen harassment and minor infractions and under-policing as far as real crime prevention. We are not getting value for our money.<BR/><BR/>Next, look at the Widders budget. We could hire a real in-house city attorney just for the $78,000 spent to date on Widders' folly in the SLAPP suit. A real in-house city attorney could be counted on to look out for the interests of Ojai, avoiding unnecessary lawsuits (without the current conflict of interest where every lawsuit gets farmed out to Widders own firm, lining his pockets), and serving Ojai full-time at a fixed cost. What is spent on Widders every year? How much if we include the costs of damages and settlements of his lawsuits? I would not be surprised to learn the Widders budget line item is over a million a year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039563145970308239.post-48175925843269440432008-05-30T09:53:00.000-07:002008-05-30T09:53:00.000-07:00Frivolous lawsuits by the city attorney and compli...Frivolous lawsuits by the city attorney and complicit council members against Ojai citizens, not withstanding? Two recent major<BR/>failures subtract from city funds. Legal expenses billed by city attorney for a suit against a citizen's ballot inniative, potential liability for damages for malicious prosecution for that ballot inniative, and damages for causing bodily harm to<BR/>a member of the public during a town forum- the second of which has aready been paid out of public funds. This expensive game has been running much too long.PLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com