Hear hear. Watch out for your government or you will get the government you deserve....which is happening RIGHT NOW. Shame on this Board of Supervisors.....Shame on them.

Well said Maryann Moise Derwin.

One other little expense to run for Supervisor is the Candidate statement, in the last election there were 5 of us running the cost for 200 word statement $7960.00 I ran without one.

Shame on:
Mark Church, Rose Gibson, Adrienne Tissier and Carole Groom have consistently voted against what is best for the Voters of San Mateo County.

Mark Church recently violated his OATH to serve 4 year term as Supervisor and now starts his new job that pays $174,000 plus instead of $85,000 plus. He has refused to resign so the voters can fill his position and save $1,600,000. I have reason to believe the Supervisors are going to appoint again they have NO SHAME.

Google:
Service League of San Mateo County go to About Us look at the Advisory Board.
Mark, Rose, Adrienne and Carole are on it now go to SMC Website and see what Boards and Committees these 4 Supervisors list........No Service League

Welcome to San Mateo County

I've heard the supervisors' arguments for keeping the status quo, and they are laughable. This system of government by a political machine that chooses our supervisors for us has got to go. Voters should let their anger be known. Write the four supervisors who ignored the recommendation of the task force and tell them they need to reconsider this and do the right thing. Their resistence to a much needed change that supports the democratic process is unacceptable.

disgusted states:"Voters should let their anger be known."

That is why we have elections and NONE of thee current supervisors who voted against giving the citizens the right to decide on district elections should be re-elected. Now is the time to identify GOOD candidates who will serve the citizens and not simply pursue their selfish interests. To be elected Good candidates need to build networks of citizen support and to develop strong name recognition.

Yes, Peter, that's why we have elections. But a huge problem right now is that the system is rigged in a way that getting these folks out of office is almost impossible. Even though there are term limits, the power brokers who have controlled the process for decades hand-pick the successors to the termed-out supes, then throw the money behind them to make sure they're elected.

The public should demand that the supervisors put this issue on the agenda for reconsideration, and then demand that they abide by the recommendation of the charter committee and let the voters decide whether to change the system. It is broken and corrupt.

Tired of the status quo states:"The public should demand that the supervisors put this issue on the agenda for reconsideration"

IF the public really cares then they could put this on the ballot by a citizens' initiative.

Sadly, the County Supes' decision makes inevitable the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights' lawsuit against San Mateo COunty, as the last county in the State to have at large and not district elections. This is the same group that knocked down a similar practice in Madera Couty which was the second to last to deny district elections.

At a time of severe budget deficits for out County, this decision is an outrage not only to principles of democracy but also to every taxpayer. The Supes who voted to maintain the status quo should be forced to pay for costs related to the lawsuit from their own salaries since they were the ones who could and SHOULD have avoided such costs in the first place.

Mark Church, and Rich Gordon are moving on at the end of this year so what do they care about the taxpayers. That leaves Rose Gibson and Carole Groom who were APPOINTED and Adrienne Tissier who was recently quoted "Democracy is expensive." I think she meant campaigning and mailers are expensive.

Welcome to San Mateo County

Board of Supervisor meeting July 27, 2010 9:00 AM

Our vaunted system of "representative government"ha snot been that for a very long time. The two major parties collude in gerrymandering districts for Congress and the local organization are a closed system that selects candidates and backs them with enough funds to keep outsiders away from any position of government power. Congress is controlled by the army of lobbyists and local government is not immune from pressures of business and corporate donors. "The People" are not the power, and government "for the people, by the people" has been an illusion for a long time. - Cynical but true.
Truth in government is usually covered up unless complimentary. Just look at the upset over the Wikileaks on Afghanistan. Embarrassing and reality are never welcomed by those in charge, government or corporate. - Whistleblowers of the world unite and do your stuff.

Will someone please tell me what is wrong with County Supervisors being electe "at large"? Our U.S. President is elected by all the states and our Govornor by all the counties. That's certainly "at large. So why can't our supervisors be elected by all the districts within our county? Actually, it seems to me, this current method prevents some small faction from electing their own supervisor rather than one that would serve the entire county. Maybe that's the rub. Are all the at-large critics eager to inset their own fellow on our board? Let's hear it from the pro-at-large group!

Puzzled:

you are comparing apples and oranges. a more apt comparison is that of congress persons. They are elected by district. the governor is the apt comparison for the elction of the president. The governor is not elected by district. But, you knew that.