ALAMEDA COUNTY
Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty says its purchasing policies, especially when it comes to big-ticket items such as automobiles, are undercutting its own ability to fund Measure BB, the countywide one-cent transportation sales tax used to rebuild the East Bay’s roads.
At issue was an item on the Board of Supervisor’s agenda Tuesday morning asking approval for the purchase of an electric car to be used by the county’s Building Maintenance Department. The cost of the vehicle, a Nissan Leaf, is $24,310.
When Haggerty asked a county staff member about the location of the dealership the county intended to buy the cars, they did not know, but did not believe it was Alameda County. Haggerty, though, noted the county has bought a number of vehicles of late from dealerships in Gilroy and Monterey.
“I really think that it is wrong that we are purchasing vehicles outside the county,” said Haggerty “Yet we then send sales tax to another county when in fact, we’re running these vehicles on our roads and our one-cent sales tax authorization gets nothing for this.”
He later called for a board policy on purchasing vehicles from dealers in Alameda County, in addition to buying American-made cars. “There’s just as many good electric vehicles that are being made here, creating American jobs, but having said that, there’s certainly a Nissan dealer here in Alameda County that could match the price, whatever price that you got,” said Haggerty.
The loss of sales tax from the county’s purchasing of vehicles had apparently irked Haggerty for some time. He prefaced his remarks Tuesday with “this is good time to get this before the public.” He added, “I don’t know if I’m the only one that it’s bothering, but it shouldn’t be happening. I think this county should be walking the walk and talking the talk.”
For the time being, though, Haggerty and board voted to approve the purchase of the electric vehicle, but they intend to look into the possibility of formulating a policy for keeping sales tax dollars within the county.
ebcitizen.com 
Anonymous, didn't you read the Board of Supes response to the Grand Jury report? Must not have. If you had, you would have learned that it was all just good government and constituent service. Although you, in you personal opinion, might think that good government and constituent service could be carried out by means that did not, by the Board of Supes own admission, trigger a realization that anti-bullying training was needed, that is only because you are not familiar with the rough and tumble world of good government and constituent service
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Occasionally the Grand Jury goes after the Sups but usually the continued mess in Oakland keeps the Grand Jury busy. But look at the 2014-2015 Grand Jury report on Haggerty. He helps out his friends.
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By MW:
Concerning the decisions the big boys in Alameda County government make as to which suppliers to buy from, it is very likely that a high percentage of the decisions, and especially in regard to automobile purchases, are influenced by one or more of the big boys receiving under the table bribes.
(Of course we could always have that “investigated” by the professional pathological liars and common criminals hiding behind law licenses in AC's DA's office and/or County Counsel's office, and who specialize in engaging in scripted, prearranged, and choreographed whitewashes, and although they call them “investigations,” and which are designed to protect their fellow big boys.)
In fact, a story that has been going around for decades, and which is probably true, is that one of the ways the big boys in AC government get their bribes is that when they buy a car from certain automobile dealers, is they only pay for a basic car and WITHOUT a lot of optional equipment, but that the car they receive is loaded with at least several thousand dollars worth of additional optional equipment.
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How does the math work out? I'm sure the Ala. Co. Assn of Auto Dealers was helpful in uncovering this scandal, but what if the County (by mistake or by design) saves more in buying out of county than it would gain by picking up the sales tax on in-county purchases?
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By MW:
The overwhelming majority of Alameda County's highest ranking officials are big windbags who regularly come up with all sorts of rules for the rest of us to follow, but they themselves almost always refuse to follow the same rules they want the rest of us to follow.
Still furthermore, most of them are small minded robots totally incapable of comprehending the big picture.
However, and even though they are total jokers and complete phonies, since they pretend to be great liberals and wonderful humanitarians, therefore anytime you get within one hundred yards of one of those creatures, get down on your hands and knees and kiss their feet.
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