Huckelberry's Abrupt About-Face

We've been saying for some time that there are many good reasons why Pima County should stop accepting federal grants like Operation Stonegarden (OPSG) that require our sheriff's deputies to collaborate with Border Patrol and ICE on immigration enforcement. Now County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry has finally found a reason he likes.

As we reported last month, Chuck's plan to repurpose some of the grant money for humanitarian aid to refugees has apparently stalled in the federal bureaucracy, surprising exactly no one. Now he's released a memo to the Board of Supervisors where he confirms that what had previously been merely a long-held "inkling" is actually a fact, and a bigger fact than previously imagined: For every dollar of OPSG money earmarked for overtime pay, county taxpayers are liable for at least six additional dollars in pension costs.

Now suddenly Huckelberry opposes accepting any such grants unless significant changes are made in the formula. Can you see the feds agreeing to pay 600% above and beyond the overtime grant for pension costs? Didn't think so. Neither can we.

We couldn't summarize the current state of affairs any better than Daily Kos member General Hubbub. See his recent article for more details.