How many of you have gotten bonuses lately? IT seems like only those in government.

While on a self-righteous crusade to try to nail Ray Nutting to the wall over paperwork issues related to public funds actually used properly (visavis – fire protection), Vern Pierson and Joe Harn have been pocketing thousands, if not hundreds of thousands in slush fund money.

Here is some coverage on In El Dorado County.

We reported that a local watchdog groups has called on the BOS to payback the unjust bonuses and now we see the story has legs as two Taxpayer groups join the call and a prominent statewide political news reporter wrote, “This is another County out of control—and few knew about it until very recently.”

In the story by Stephen Frank of California Political News & Views, www.capoliticalnews.com, the author noted that:

Most counties have a deficit.  El Dorado County is no different.  Some give staff bonuses based on performance.  None that I know of give elected officials a bonus, just for serving, doing their job—except for El Dorado County.
http://capoliticalnews.com/2013/11/18/el-dorado-county-elected-officials-give-themselves-bonuses-citizens-want-money-paid-back/

Also we have learned that two Taxpayers advocacy groups have also joined the call for eliminating the bonuses that are said to be an abuse of taxpayers because they are paying bonuses for getting reelected, not for ANY job related performance.
Lewis Uhler, President, National Tax Limitation Committee wrote:

The National Tax Limitation Committee strongly believes the role of elected officials is to serve their constituents, not become a burden on them. The recently revealed practice of paying bonuses to elected county officials is outrageous. We strongly urge you to end this clandestine Waste of taxpayer money and look forward to your decision to support taxpayers.
Tom Hudson, Executive Director & Treasurer California Taxpayer Protection Committee wrote:

In our view, elected officials should not be paid for possessing the qualifications that are required for them to hold the offices to which they were elected. Paying elected officials bonuses because they were successfully re-elected makes even less sense. We find it scandalous that persons elected to public “watchdog” positions such as District Attorney, Auditor-Controller, or Tax Collector would take advantage of this program. On behalf of El Dorado County taxpayers, we strongly urge you to end the abusive practice of paying bonuses to elected officials.

This scandal was first acknowledged by Supervisor Ray Nutting when he told county Auditor Joe Harn that the bonuses that he, and others, were receiving were too much and out of line.  This was followed by a report of the Publius Group in May 2013 which documented the lavish pay bonuses that some El Dorado County elected officials were getting every year.

Vern Pierson has some explaining to do and I think a bag of Dog mess will be able to beat him at the ballot box next year. Resign Pierson, do it now.

Over the transom, this caught our attention:

NUTTING APPEAL RECEIVES RARE APPROVAL FROM THE THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT COURT. The Court generally rejects 95% of the appeals it receives. The Court will now review the issues of the District Attorney’s mis-instruction of the Grand Jury, The Deputy Attorney General’s misinterpretation of Penal Code Section 115, and the Deputy Attorney General’s failure to properly inform the Presiding Judge as to the correct source and nature of the grant funds.

The ElDorado County Newswire has been tracking Vern Pierson’s rampage against Ray Nutting.

It also appears that Vern Pierson is doubling down (like Obama is with the disastrous Health Care “Reform”)…

Additionally it has been learned the DA Vern Pierson, not satisfied with filing seven charges against Nutting, is now going on yet another expedition to see what more he can find. It is a good thing Pierson has unlimited taxpayer funds with which to finance his efforts. Nutting’s supporters say Ray is committed to not being intimidated by Pierson’s tactics, and will stand his ground.

We can only hope that this draws a strong opponent to Vern Pierson and that Mr. Pierson is humiliated by the 3rd Circuit at the end of the day.

Also note that not much has been heard from Ken Steers since his DUI and others involved in the attempted lynching of Ray Nutting have been awfully silent lately.