Danielson,
I think that you need to get your facts striaght before making a mockery of yourself and lonely followers who choose to disrupt the County budget meeting.
The County is responsible for the Jail and Sheriff staff, not the City police. Therefore any points you try to make relating City relations with County would be unfounded.
Did you know that most of the County Police or City Police revenues are grant funded? Yup, that's right the government provides grants for police vehicles, equipment, even officers.
The SCPRB, police review board for you, was a waste of money. They received pay for only taking part in a handful of complaints each year. Don't you think it would be better to have a volunteer group that conferred with the police on a case by case basis rather than spend $$ for nothing?
Blaming the budget cuts on "psuedoliberal Santa Cruz reps" is also a crock. Have you opened your eyes to anything other than your Huff news reading or indymedia forums? It's not just Santa Cruz going through these budget crunches, it's all over. Santa Cruz happens to have it badly becuase of misappropiations of funds. No, not people pocketing it. In the City, the council blows tons of money on artist galleries that will not earn them back revenue, social services that are widely abused by those not necessarily in need, beautifying Santa Cruz, and other non-essentials. The county does the same.
So, with all of your apparent expertise and overwhelming amounts of knowledge; I ask would you rather fight to reduce police funding (thus, eliminating jobs, equipment, abilities to service, etc) or reduce the needless spending? I am not for a "police state"; however, I think that if I called 911 and needed some help, I would want whomever to respond with the best equipment possible,in the fastest amount of time, and with as many people as needed. I know I would prefer more than not enough, if it came to saving my life. Maybe you don't.
Not that you'll take any of this information to heart before disrupting the County meeting and probably meeting a deputy or two, but I hope you will think about what you and lonely followers are arguing for/against. Do you rally think the police need less money? Do you think CDF (Fire) needs less money? Or do you see a need to refurbish stop signs that get damaged for ungodly amounts of money (materials and labor)?