It has become obvious to me that our federal, state and local governments have been making their budgets in error. Some departments seem to be overfunded while other items and issues go unresolved and ignored. Forever.

The apparent game appears to be that each department goes out to increase their own portion of the proverbial pie of revenues to maintain their status quo.

The judicial branch, the courts, judges and prosecutors just keep handing out sentences without a thought about the overcrowding situation in the prison system while the penal system employees are overworked and overpaid.

The parks and recreation department, of Simi Valley anyway, appears to be driven by the desire to obtain its portion of the state funds available (while the state claims to be broke) to spend millions on increasing the bicycle paths in our city while there are many for bike riders to enjoy already.

It also developed a dog park where there apparently aren’t adequate access and egress paths to enter and exit with its charges.

The police department seems to be the worst offender, as its members always seem to be looking to increase their ranks and often complain about the lack of a contract and working conditions.

Our elected officials appear to be indifferent and more concerned with attending conferences which they have no effect on—consider the attendance of both our governor and the mayor of Los Angeles at the Global Warming Conference—when in only a few weeks upon return from said conference they announce that the city of Los Angeles and the state of California are in default and have no funds.

Our state will be resorting to issuance of IOUs and L.A. will be laying off thousands of workers which will, no doubt, result in longer delays in operations of our government and an increase in fees and licenses, permits and taxes.

When will we learn as we reelect these very same incompetent officials?
Leonard Samuel
Simi Valley