This is the third year in a row that I have written a critique of the annual grand jury report. In the past two years I have not been kind and have been critical of the grand jury members.
This will not happen this year as the problem is really with the system itself.
With the items that were addressed for the 2014-2015 year, the grand jury did a credible investigation with notably addressing the corrections to be made.
I would ask if those items they investigated were what they were supposed to be doing. Below is a description taken from the Humboldt County grand jury web site of what the grand jury is all about and the duties and responsibilities:
“The civil grand jury is an investigative body having for its objective the detection and correction of flaws in government.
“The primary function of the grand jury is to examine all aspects of county and city government (including special districts and joint powers agencies), to see that the monies are handled judiciously, and that all accounts are properly audited. In general, the grand jury seeks to assure honest, efficient government in the best interest of the people.
“The grand jury serves as an ombudsman for citizens of the county. It may receive and investigate complaints by individuals concerning the actions and performances of county or public officials.”
It is mainly about funds and numbers. In the past three years, outside of a few items, the main items were not addressed, which are, the departmental budgets, the expenditures from those budgets, the annual audit. One of the main expenditures is personnel and pensions. This is administered by the county union contract that they call the Memorandum of Understanding and is 108 pages and covers everything to do with personnel. The union contract has never been investigated by the grand jury to verify the validity and honesty of the contract. It appears to be off limits. Self-investigation has never worked to the benefit of the people. Nothing that has to do with the workings of the county should be off limits to investigate.
One of the biggest problems is the selection process of grand jury members. Names are drawn at random out of those that apply. The result is that most of the members do not have the skills to investigate what the grand jury is there for. Skills like accounting skills, budget skills, auditing skills, management skills and investigative skills. What usually happens is that they investigate what I call “feel good” items. Such as when a person is taken into custody and transported to Eureka and then released, the person is not informed of their right to claim travel expense to transport them back to were they were taken into custody. This is hardly a major expenditure item. There are other picky items that don’t amount to much.
The one thing I object to personally is that people volunteer for this position. It is not a job. As such there should be no compensation for the time or travel to and from the position. If compensation is accepted then you become a government employee. This again is self-investigation. I have been volunteering at a thrift store for nine years and have not accepted a penny for my time or transportation. It is from the heart.
For those of you who doubt my ability to make an assessment of the grand jury report, I submit that I was a grand jury member a few years ago.
By Alfred Parodi, who resides in McKinleyville.
Published in the Eureka Times Standard, August 27, 2015
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