Workers this morning installing new cubicles and carpet at Treasurer/Tax Collector. Photo by: Orange County Employees Association.
County Treasurer/Tax Collector Chriss Street drew some attention this morning as new cubicles and carpet were being delivered for installation.
Loyal Buzz readers will remember the last time that we covered the Treasurer’s near million dollar remodel.
I tried for most of the day to get the details of the new furniture being delivered but didn’t get my calls returned by the treasurer flak, Keith Rodenhuis. By the end of the day, Street answered his phone and addressed my questions noting how open and transparent his office was.
Then, right after hanging up with me, the staff at the treasurer’s office threw out the Register’s photographer arguing that they couldn’t show him anything without the press flak being there…the same guy who didn’t answer his office or cell phone all day…
Yet thanks to some enterprising employees, we got our pictures anyway…here’s the details on the new digs…
Street said the cubicles and carpet - about $300,000 worth - were indeed delivered today. But he says that was part of the overall remodel that was done months ago. They just delayed delivery around tax paying time.
Street said his remodeling project at his office was actually a form of democracy in action.
“It’s very democratic here,” Street said. “Everybody knows we tore the walls down and asked the managers and staff to work together.”
Street said his remodel - which he doesn’t like it refered to as - was simply a reorganization that has actually saved money because everyone works together.
Yet the county’s union chief - Nick Berardino of the Orange County Employees Association - says employees around the building were so outraged that they took pictures of the effort just to show taxpayers who’s wasting money.
“The appearance to the public during these economic hardships is embarrassing. But the public should keep in mind who’s doing this,” he said.
Berardino said this kind of expense at a time when the economy is faltering, is just a waste of money and should have been canceled despite being ordered long ago.
He also didn’t hestitate to take a shot at County Supervisors’ Chairman John Moorlach noting that OCEA warned about Street’s tendencies and judgement before he was elected as Moorlach’s heir apparent.
Ironically, county officials are now counting on Street’s judgement to bail them out of several hundred million in bonds that are resetting and are facing problems in being resold.
I am constantly surprised by the disconnect between our elected officials and their constituency. Has our Treasurer not been paying attention to the financial crisis facing our nation? In what world would now be a good time to spend $300,000 for new carpet and cubicles? Maybe our Treasurer will spend the rest of the weekend developing his action plan for the rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic. Shame on Mr. Street and shame on us if he is reelected.
Street, Moorlach,Carona,(and the Board of Supervisors) when does this end. The depth of the corruption and lack of accountability in this County is amazing. The Board is asleep —–during an economic meltdown the County is remodeling in their finance center. Can you say AIG.
We’ve talked about leadership before, we can talk about it now and hopefully we will have an opportunity to speak of it in the near future. But regardless of how often we speak of it, it is desparately lacking in this county. People, the general public for those government officials so out of touch that they will actually defend this action, are dying on the vine as they spend………………Several weeks ago the county “leadership” refused to lend money to a women’s homeless shelter. An action they repeated again last week and now this. What would $300,000 do for those citizens in need? Heaven sakes alive. I am sick!
Here we go again. Our irresponsible government at work. First, failing the community by not providing some emergency support to the Women’s Transitional Living Center. Then attempting to appoint someone to the OCERS Board who had an obvious conflict of interest. Now this. Taxpayers should really be watching what their “government” is doing. While the Board of Supervisors carries on this public crusade against waste going out the front door, the real waste is going out the back door.
county buildings or county fair its all good
As I look at the picture of county officials moving new furniture in their offices I am reminded of my daily grind. Each day in my classroom I face budget cuts, ration construction paper, pencils and look for some organization to provide glasses for one of my students. What has this county come to? How have you, county officials, served the youth of the county? are you sitting on it in your new offices?
I have lived in Orange County for 40 years. This is the worst Board of Supervisors ever. They are worse than the Board which was in power during the bankruptcy; because this Board should have learned from past mistakes. The Board could have clipped Street’s wings; instead they sat back and did nothing.
As a small businessman it makes me sick to see that the union looks smarter than the County leaders.
I think it’s time to change Mr. Street’s name to Mr. Highway, as in Highway to the Fiscal abyss. $300 grand for cubicles Mr. Highway? Give me a break. Is this remodel II or the remodel of the remodel? Mr. Moorlach, I haven’t heard your outrage as with the first design upgrade. Is it time to change your name to Mr. Moor-government-waste?
I knew it! As soon as Chriss gets off the hook with the Supervisors, he goes back to his old ways of spend, spend, spend!
This guy doesn’t have any common sense or fiscal responsibility whatsoever, and he runs as a Republican?
He is so out of touch with what the average voter is going through right now.
If the Treasurer’s budget comes up short $300K, then the Treasurer needs to be the first to go! Just think how much that will save future taxpayers of Orange County.
Talk about the greed and corruption in Washington DC, proportionately we have more right here in our own backyard in the OC!
And I’m not forgetting Moorlach’s flat panel in his office, and I’m not forgetting that Moorlach brought Spendthrift Street in on his corrupt coattails! Inexcusable!
I’m with bendix. The battered womens shelter could use some new furniture. Or just some of the 300,000 so they can continue to help people in real need. Hey my place needs remodeling come to think of it.
I thought I read in the Register where the Board stopped all this and the DA was investigating the Treasurer. Where is the oversight by the Board of Supervisors? Cancel this and all unnecessary projects NOW!
I think Chriss Street is confused. This is not one of his Wall Street Hedge Fund buddies’ office, he doesn’t need it to be fancy, we the public are not better served by his seafoam green cubicles. I want Chriss to deduct a dollar from my property tax bill next year, because I don’t want to pay my share of his opulent digs.
No wonder he’s hiding in government, he probably got chased out of the private sector for such foolish spending. Bad Business!
True Republican - If I’m not mistaken, Moorlach never got the flat panel in his office.
I share ron’s thoughts exactly. Perhaps Mr. Street can donate the old office furniture to the women and children’s shelter that is on the brink of closing its doors.
It is amazing how our government and elected politicians have the money for new furniture, but I am sure in the coming months they will have cut jobs and services. I am sure the money was put to good use…hmmm.
To FREELOADER:
No wonder the homeowners are losing their houses. We can see where the money is going. Also who knows where else he is applying it. You should be embarrased. What can you say to people on the streets. Maybe you should think about feeding the poor or putting a roof over the battered women shelter. YES, I’m talking about you “Chriss Street”
How nice for Chriss Street that he is able to redecorate his office with taxpayers’s money to the tune of $300,000, when the State and Country’s budgets are in an all time horrible disaray. With the economy the way it is right now, I will be lucky to be able to replace a few pieces of furniture and the carpet in my house by the year 2020.
Excess, Blind folly, Infatuation. Politicians over time are apt to forget the ground they have travelled over and frequently neglect the common occurrences in life that occur to their constituents they represent, mortgage, rent, food and gas. The county refused to appropriate $90,000 for the woman’s homeless shelter where woman seek refuge from their partners who physically abuse them. County leadership obstinately moved forward to place $300,000 worth of exercise equipment in the tax collectors building. The board of supervisor’s great inattention to past occurrences at the tax collectors office distorts their brash judgment in everything. The leadership of the county should introspectively assess their own sordid cause from where their disaffection springs toward the weak and poor. Orange county government should stop trying to shelter themselves under the mask of hypocrisy. QED.
This guy has to go.
Spendy McThrifty Pants strikes again!!!
We have citizens in this county who can’t afford food and are seeking assistance from food banks. We have women’s shelters that are in desperate need of support. We have a Board of Supervisors telling us that the financial situation of the County is dire and that there may be layoffs. Yet, this Board spends taxpayer dollars on upgrades to their offices, on contractors who can’t perform under contract and on their own pet projects or lawsuits. They talk about financial and strategic priorities. Whose? Certainly not the citizens of Orange County.
How nice for Chriss Street that he is able to decorate his office to a tune of $300,000 with taxpayer’s money without a care, while the rest of the State of California and Country’s budget is in such historical disarray. With the way the economy looks right now, I will be lucky if I will be able to replace some pieces of furniture and get carpet in my house by the year 2020.
I’m not sure about the “transparency,” when they didn’t let The Register take photographs. Chriss’s explanation is in need of a remodel of its own!
Treasurer Chri$$ $treet spending again. What a shocker!
I am up to my ears in hypocracy! Wally George does not approve…
I can’t believe it! What in th eworld was he thinking? Well it sure was not about conserving…about the budget crunch….about conserving…apparently about anything of importance! This is a REPEAT of the poor judgment exhibited by Street in the past! How can the Board of Supervisors continue to support him????? WELL, NOW WE KNOW WHY THEY DONT HAVE TIME OR “MONEY” TO HELP THOSE POOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHO HUMBLY APPLIED FOR FUNDS TO STAY OPEN!!! This is so outragious! Democracy in action? I SAY THE ONLY DEMOCRACY IN ACTION STREET NEEDS IS THE ONE THE VOTERS AUGHT TO SEND BY RECALLING HIM AND VOTING HIM OUT OF HERE! THAT MU FRIENDS IS TRUE DEMOCRACY!
Knowing someone with some history with Chriss Street before he ever surfaced at the County, his motivation in “tearing down walls” probably has more to do with his propensity toward intimidation, not any spirit of “transparency.” “Transparency” is a funny word for him to use, though (funny strange, not funny “ha-ha”), considering the glass wall he installed as part of an earlier remodel, that allows him to watch everything that’s going-on in the office.
Another embarrassing example of ignoring “headline risk” and rough financial times for many people. Moorlach’s hand-picked successor is just as bad a leader as Moorlach himself. Both of them should pack their things and move somewhere else. Darfur comes to mind.
This is an outrage. I work hard and pay my taxes. Our elected officials are constantly losing the public trust. I keep hearing that our state might claim bankruptcy. This is definitely not the time to remodel. We need to look into a new direction. Mr. Street is a product of Wall Street and should not be trusted.
Let’s have a little compassion for OC’s very own Mr. Wall Street. My bet is he really wanted to be around to watch the lavish remodel work being done. After all, his friends likely scored nice contracts to do it and he wanted to be there to personally accept their thanks for allowing them to feed further at the government trough. But Street probably couldn’t schedule the work earlier because it would have conflicted with the AIG retreats he wanted to attend at the St. Regis and the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay. If there’s a more corrupt, insensitive, soulless government entity in the country than the County of Orange, I’ll eat Chriss Street’s tasting menu.
Once again we have John Moorlach to blame for more waste in the County. While Moorlach claims to be on the side of the taxpayer he and his handpicked successor are involved in wasteful after wasteful incidents time and time again.
Recall Moorlach and Street
Homeowners look at your property tax bills.Renters look at your paycheck stub deductions.Everyone-income tax season is here.Look how much money is taken in the form of all taxes everyone pays each day,including phone,cable,auto registration,food,sales,on and on. These fools that run the state,county have more money than they need.Thats why we are treated to the same old stories day in and day out. BFD we elect these people so enjoy the fruits of your labor cuz they sure do…
300,000 on cubicles, not to surprising given Street’s past. What is happening to our County? As an Orange Count tax payer I am repulsed at the actions of our elected officials. Is anyone held accountable in our County anymore?
Why are you all surprised? This has been happening for years…
My god, hasn’t he heard of IKEA? I know government is used to paying retail for everything but as everyone is tightening their belts shouldn’t government be doing the same? Maybe Street can get a good deal on his remodel by buying from the defunct businesses in his County…..
$300,000? There must have been a sale, doesn’t Street normally only go for the good stuff over a million? Stock market was up today, so let’s spend spend spend.
$300k-I’m on the verge of losing my house - everyone around me is losing their jobs and homes and this guy has the nerve to spend 300k on furniture!!! get him out!
In the Know- Well the last we heard he was trying to have the County buy a flat screen for him, and if not for the efforts of the Register, it would have gone in under the radar. It gets exposed and shamefully he changes his mind. Typical double standard, just like the heads of AIG!
We don’t need another thief in the Assessor’s office. Why doesn’t the Board of Supervisors learn from past mistakes? Get rid of Street. This is not Wall Street, but Ross Street. The Assessor’s office is not his kingdom.
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