Litigation is eating away our tax dollars
The battle cry across every level of government is the same these days: "We don't have enough money." Our taxes have been raised statewide and we're constantly being threatened with even more tax increases. Cities and counties throughout California are working on ballot measures to take more of our tax money just to keep local governments afloat. The message we as taxpayers are being sent is clear -- our tax dollars are not providing enough revenue to effectively run government at the state and local levels.
Yet pick up the same newspaper and right next to an article about a city or county's budget woes, you will likely see one about a multi-million dollar lawsuit just settled with the very same city or county. In the midst of record budget deficits, how can our tax dollars keep going toward exorbitant litigation costs?
A new report by California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse looked at litigation costs paid by eight of California's largest cities and eight of its largest counties. The report found these cities and counties paid nearly $500 million in verdicts, settlements and outside counsel during the past two fiscal years. And that's only a portion of what the total amount would be if every city and county in the state were studied.
It is outrageous that people are losing their jobs and government services are being severely cut at the same time that nearly a half a billion dollars of our tax money is going toward litigation costs. The system is out of control.
In Kern County, we had to spend $2.4 million over fiscal years 2007 and 2008 just to handle litigation, while in the city of Bakersfield that total was $5.4 million paid out for verdicts, settlements and in some cases, outside counsel. Every dollar that taxpayers have to spend defending lawsuits is money lost for critical services such as public safety and infrastructure improvements.
At the end of the day it is our money paying these litigation costs, whether lawsuits are due to mistakes by our cities or counties or an effort to finance an easy payday for personal injury lawyers and greedy plaintiffs. I don't know about you, but I work too hard for my money to see it lining the pocket of a plaintiffs' attorney who targeted my city or county as a deep pocket.
We must demand that our local governments take steps to limit these litigation costs, whether it be through risk management or mediation programs or a more aggressive stance in dealing with litigation that may be without merit. I don't want to pay another cent in taxes unless I can be sure it is going to better the city or county that I live in. Paying such excessive money to deal with lawsuits is not accomplishing that goal.
Michael Turnipseed is the executive director of the Kern County Taxpayers Association.
