Cornered: November
From November 2004
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Outspoken Sheriff Blanas Battles
Bad Guys and the County Budget
By Jeff HudsonDon’t blame Sheriff Lou Blanas for hogging headlines. It’s just a consequence of Sacramento County’s top law enforcement officer speaking his mind on topics he thinks matter most.
Is it out of the box for a cop to broker an arena deal for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings that just might work? Or brazenly co-author a state proposition (68) that insists Indian gaming casinos pay taxes?
Is it appropriate for the sheriff to endorse some candidates and snub others? Or go on national television and bemoan Sacramento’s lower-tiered status as a terrorist target? Blanas says it’s all in a day’s work and if he had it his way, he would do more policing and less politicking.
Ask Blanas what he wants for Christmas and you’re likely to get a plainspoken answer: more personnel in his department.
The county’s population is growing, including the unincorporated areas the sheriff’s department serves. But owing to county budget cuts across the board, “We’re down to our lowest level of staffing since the early ‘90s,” Blanas complains, his deep voice underscoring his concern and frustration. “We’ve lost more than 130 positions the past two years.”
Continued...
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