I was quite upset when I heard about the recent furniture expenditures by a few of our O.C. Supervisors. The Times reported that the three new Supervisors, and the new O.C. Treasurer, had purchased expensive desks, televisions and chairs to the tune of $1.1 million.
I did not bother blogging about this story because it came up as a reader response on one of my recent posts, and our readers ended up hashing it out. However, today my fellow bloggers, Ron and Anna Winship, emailed O.C. Supervisor John Moorlach about the purchases, and they copied me.
Well, I could not help but respond – and to my surprise Moorlach did too.
Here is his reply:
Art and Ron,
Thanks for jumping in. It
LOL Art. Ok #1 I am not a Union person nor am I a liberal and I think $5k is too much for a TV. Hell, Target & Costco have some decent TV’s for much less and why do they need a 52″ plazma anyway? I also think $9k is too much for a work station or desk….period. $1200 for a chair….come on!
I can not believe you of all people are falling for that explanation. Each supervisor spent well over $100k – Moorlach almost $200k.
The county hall of administration, built in the 1970’s, was inadequately engineered and found to be structurally unsafe a few years after completion. It has been modified to supposedly make it structurally sound, but some of us who have been around since those days have our doubts about that building’s safety. By now, it is also worn out and shabby. It should be torn down and replaced, but that takes money the county does not have. Looks like the county faces many years ahead of having to continue putting lipstick on this pig, such as furniture and freshened decor. Personally, I would not want to be in that structure when the next major quake hits —
The county could always move into Harrah’s One Broadway Plaza.
😉
“We are here from the Government
and we are going to save you money,
protect your children, prepare our
society for any emergency, dedicate
ourselves to a new birth of freedom
and of course….pay for OUR kids
to go to college on your dime!
Sometimes it may take a limo, or
a big screen TV, or a double sided refrigerator in our offices to get the job done….but we will accept these sacrifices and what we could get in the private sector – to do our duty for God and Country! Except our Direct TV…of course!”
*Unnamed elected politicians talking to their analyst!
As a taxpayer who is watching TV which I bought from Goodwill store for $25, I found it outrageous. If the Sup need to watch TV why don’t they buy a 27″ for less than $300.
Art, I agree with you about the excessive cost. But I have a hunch it has something to do with the county requiring excessive amounts of liability insurance from their furniture vendors.
Anyway, I disagree with you on the relevance of TV news. When there is a disaster, nothing beats the live footage from news helicopters. While television is a dying media for political commentary, it is alive and kicking for anything visual.
In the event of an OC disaster only a battery operated radio will suffice. Wouldn’t it be a kick if Moorlach’s office doesn’t have its very own working battery operated radio. And ifMoorlach authorized more than $50 on such an item, we’ve been fleeced.
Anyone who tries to defend this outrageous display of tax payer waste for personal gain is dumb.
$1,000 flat screens can be bought all day long.
Plus, I never heard Moorlach really deny anything. He was rather coy.
He was sophmoric, not political or professional in hs response. Not to mention stupid enough to take the bait!
In their comments, Ron and Anna Winship state: and of course….pay for OUR kids
to go to college on your dime!
I read your postings from time to time and I seriously wonder just how impoverished, depraved and publicly cheap you want those who lead/run this county to be. I mean really, we saw in the early nineties how very frugal but barely competent supervisors drove the county into backruptcy.
Why in the world would anyone want to run for office when they have the responsibility for billions of $$ but have you, Art and the host of God’s gift to cheap as constituents?
And now, these folks have the nerve to hope to make enough money to actually afford college for their kids! The nerve! If they wanted to be supervisors, don’t they know they shouldn’t even have kids, they are just a drain on the taxpayer. Maybe you can add childlessness to tin cup, then you can get real quality folks to run.
Enjoy your race to the bottom of the talent pool with your viewpoints of cheapness.
Yes, I am going anonymous, just to not have to deal with your attitude.
Anon #8 – Ahhh, I see you’ve met Moorlach before. He is pretty much a pompous ass!
Anon #9 – What?????? Firstly, I believe Ron & Anna’s comment was a joke and secondly, you are saying that people with children should not fun for office? Don;t get your point at all.
I work for a corporate firm that has been redoing all offices, as the furniture is up to 20 years old. A small office, with desk, credenza, bookshelves, a desk chair and two guest chairs. The cost? $35,000. Quality furniture is extremely expensive. Quality desk chairs routinely run $1000. Any smart company makes the investment in quality furniture because it LASTS – often up to 20 years. If the Sup’s office furniture is truly 30 years old, then the cost is warranted.
Consider this: The County gets a Supervisor in Moorlach who’s time in the private sector is valued at $250K+ per year, but receives compensation of roughly half that amount. This savings to the County should cover the entire cost of the re-model within a couple years.