Dick Move, Santa Clara County

I'm not sure how Santa Clara County can get away with pulling $30 million earmarked for the new stadium off the table, but they sure as hell are going to try.

I get that the money could be better spent on teachers (which, in a perfect world, may happen, but I'm very pessimistic that teachers will see much of this money, as usual). Building facilities to support billionaires and big business shouldn't ever be a top priority for public funding.

What pisses me off is this quote from county tax collector George Putris: "Let’s be real: That stadium is going to get built whether or not you get this $30 million." Dick move, George.

Ummm, okay. So that's like me saying "let's be real - Safeway is going to continue to make money whether or not I pay for my groceries." I'd be five steps out the door with my unpaid food before the store manager would call the cops. Yet somehow, local government thinks they can use this logic to take back $30 million dollars after the stadium construction is already well underway, knowing the 49ers can't do anything about it (except hire lawyers, which they will certainly do).

Here's what I can't understand - without getting into specifics, I pay a SHITLOAD of property taxes to Putris' office in Santa Clara County. And there are probably a half-million or so other homeowners doing the same. Plus, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of new homes still being built around here that will be appraised for nearly a million bucks (or more) each. All will generate an endless source of revenue for a county that apparently can't get its shit together to keep the streets evenly paved.

So where's the money going? And how could county leaders fail to recognize this potential shortage of funds when they originally pledged this money not very long ago? Honor your commitments or don't make them at all.

In the grand scheme of things, the $30 million is just a drop in the barrel for the Yorks and NFL. The stadium will be built and (maybe) this money will be used to make improvements in the county. I just hate it when some dickhead public servant that I write several checks to every year decides to push his weight and make his own rules while the rest of us have to abide by those same rules he's breaking.