The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon!
Today’s question:
Contra Costa Supervisors next week will discuss and possibly approve a plan to increase fines for businesses who violate the county’s COVID-19 health order. The fines should be as high as $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000, according to Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, who added, “it’s time to bring the hammer down.”
QUESTION: Do you believe fines should be increased for businesses who violate the health order?
Talk about it….
KAREN THINKS SO, HUH???
Asinine. Time for another recall attempt on this woman. Let’s not forget the Supervisors appoint the unelected idiots like Dr Faritano to make economic decisions that affect all of us.
I attended a county board of supervisors meeting months ago when businesses were fighting to reopen. The lack of empathy and basic economic understanding displayed by Mitchoff was amazing. Businesses and jobs are suffering and dying at a faster rate than anyone with Covid.
The cure is indeed worse than the disease and NO SCIENCE shows Covid spreads through most of the businesses they closed down. Recall these bums (up to an including Newsom) and reopen (safely) ASAP.
I’ve watched many of those Board of Supervisors meetings and your take is absolutely correct…it’s time we protested on her lawn! I hear she lives in Clayton, anyone want to join?
I think she lives in Pleasant Hill.
Send her an email
Karen.Mitchoff@bos.cccounty.us
That should apply to politicians also (retroactive)
They already have been fined, by these lockdowns.
So to answer this question … No they should not be fined any more-they have already paid enough.
NO..Mitchoff, Farnitano & the other one (The Three Stooges) should all be fined, removed from office and jailed.
“We Were Just Obeying Orders”. Where have we heard that before in history?
All LIES, and CONVID has eradicated all influenza….lol.
WAKE UP PEOPLE.
No. They need to review the safety of each type of business out there. I am a little tired of the abuse of power. Hey and I am a Democrat! So there.
Popcorn – while I disagree with you on a lot….
Right on!!!!!!
Bring the hammer down on all crime Karen!!! Sick of seeing broken car windows everywhere.
Oh no, they won’t do that! These crazy politicians love punishing the good law-abiding, tax paying citizens, while they give criminals and vagrants free passes on everything.
It’s time for Mitchoff to go! Time to bring the hammer down?!! You mean time to put them out of business! Progressive, socialist piece of garbage!!
Karen Mitchoff is a political grand stander who likes to bully (like her buddy Gioia) from the pulpit.If she doesn’t retire at the end of her term like she had previously promised to do when she was interested in being appointed temporary Clerk Recorder it is time for the voters of district 4 to step up and vote her out of office.
Has Karen Mitchoff ever read the US Constitution? She needs to take a look at the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment before acting on idiotic impulse. The Eighth Amendment says excessive fines may not be imposed, and the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees due process under the law. The Constitution is meaningless to them unless it’s in their favor, they get to pick and choose which Amendments they want to uphold.
That “hammer” comes with a complimentary sickle.
Bring the hammer down, and the sickle around!
That’s awfully unifying and supportive of the citizens and small businesses…Karen needs to go and not let the door hit her on the way out.
@bdml
WRONG. Let the door hit her backside so she can’t sit down for a week.
Well they certainly hired the right person for the job-Karen!
Just absurd.
No fines. Let businesses operate if they can do so safely. These people are horrible.
How much will government officials get fined for not following rules?
Ignorance and Lunacy is rampant in CCC !
Early Outpatient Treatment: An Essential Part of a COVID-19 Solution, Part II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2fzoF3qB3k
NO, instead Karen Mitchoff should be fired. Businesses should refuse any kind of service to her. But then again, she is a KAREN…
no way in Hell should this be approved or should she have the authority to approve this. Nobody should have the right to determine what business is essential or non-essential, everyone needs to make an income to be able to provide for a family. she should be fined for stupidity…………….
It’s TOTAL hypocrisy……with all of their “equitable” speak they have the gall to tell people that they or their jobs are Non-essential.
It’s a good thing there’s no public meetings, I would be using all of George Carlin’s forbidden words!!!
Time for the restaurants to OPEN with outdoor accommodations CASH ONLY.
Since the lockdown is driving small businesses out of business, a fine for doing any businesses is just icing on a bad cake.
Simply, no! Fine (once free) citizens trying to make a living, provide for their families because they did not listen to arbitrary orders given by a non-elected administrative hack? A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have. The government magnanimously /sarc-off has given them the right to earn a living (business license, permits for buildings, etc.) and is now, taking that away.
Hey, as long as she is willing to personally pay out damages when these forced closings are found to be unconstitutional and unlawful, she can spout off all she wants. I hope she saw with the LA court order to close down outdoor dining today. She’s a loser and needs to step down.
“Bring the hammer down?” Be careful what you wish for, because karma’s gonna be a b****.
This, followed by hiring a county administrator for $350k/year????? Since when does a county administrator get almost as much as POTUS for government work?????
“Your” government has gotten WAAAAY out of control….. at ALL levels.
Time to start taking things back. They no longer represent the people.
And every time a politician is caught violating their own orders they should forfeit one year’s salary. If they have no more salary to forfeit they are out of a job.
When business owners receive some sort of compensation so they can pay the bills and survive, I’ll listen. But until then, businesses that have spent literally thousands of dollars trying to stay afloat (heaters for outside dining, for example) have my complete sympathy. Yes, there’s a pandemic, and yes, we need safety, but you can’t just take away somebody’s source of income and then massively fine them if they are just trying to survive. What are they supposed to do?
P.S.- I’m a Democrat.
One thing they can do is stop voting for Democrats.
It’s ok to fine people when you are guaranteed your paycheck. Disgusting politicians.
Is there any kind of referendum process at the county level in which we can get proposed legislation on the ballot? There needs to be a provision in the law stating that any government official who forbids a lawful business or individual from engaging in their livelihood will receive no pay or compensation while those rules are in effect. This two-tiered garbage where our government overlords are comfortably maintaining their overplayed, taxpayer provided salaries while destroying the very taxpayers who provide those salaries has to have a cost to them.
From her website
“I am committed to better connecting the people of Contra Costa County with the vital services of government, and advocating for policies that will help our communities grow and prosper.”
If she really feels this way shouldn’t she be proposing the county work with business to keep them as open as possible vs. fining them.
“…help communities grow and prosper?…”
Right there, she is violating her claims.
And this from a CoCo county “admin analyst” that “monitors legislation.”
Speaking of a useless position….
I wonder if she might stand to gain financially from such an action? Say for example, a friend or relative owning a business in a neighboring county that might benefit from destroyed competition.
Communist Hag!
I say we fine the supervisors for supporting sanctuary cities. And how about cleaning up the river/creek off Willow Pass Road. Behind aqua tech and Sam Clar. There are Shanty towns, trash and garbage everywhere. I know that’s not part of the green new deal. And I’m pretty sure the Covid rules don’t apply to them. And I mean fine them big. 20k for turning a blind eye and wasting our money.
The kicker is this brilliant idea is coming from someone that makes over $190k and isn’t missing a paycheck during all of this while others are losing their livelihoods.
What a feel good story of the year to add to her resume.
Kick a horse when it’s down nice what is wrong with these people?
Small businesses should be receiving federal dollars so they can survive without having to violate any safety restrictions. Win-win.
@Chuq: What exactly is a “Federal dollar”?
Sorry Chuq…….you do no research, had you did you would have learned that the billions from that ‘CARES’ Act went to big businesses who did NOT need it.
Which is why I specified small businesses. Financial aid is crucial at this time.
What…an…Idiot
RECALL THEM ALL!!!! all of the KARENS!!
To pay for new county administrator found a way. Yeesssssss. ?
— Yoda
Used to we could tar and feather people like Karen and run them out of town on a rail.
I haven’t seen a lot of rails around lately, so tar and feathering will have to do.
Either that or start a recall petition and force her out.
Whichever, this county would be a lot better off with out her and that whole lot of corrupt totalitarian renegades.
Vote some people into office who believe that fact that they work for us, not us for them.
I think this is the first post I have seen on Claycord where everyone agrees. Not one supporting KM. BTW I agree with everyone on this one.
I was just thinking that! I feel like this question was posted to bring us all together. Finally Claycordians all agreeing on something.
No way. Only the Karens think this is a good idea. Folks are just trying to make a living. NO ONE IS BEING FORCED TO GO ANYWHERE THEY ARE NOT COMFORTABLE GOING TO.
She’s drinking the Gavin kool-aid.
Combine this with his threat of withholding funds from individual counties and they will put their project bankruptcy into high gear.
If that doesn’t work: No Covid vaccines for offenders!
It’s interesting how socialists are really just frustrated dictators. It all goes back to something that happened on the playground in grammar school…….
While we are on the topic of business survival in this climate, did anyone else see the story in the news yesterday about how Companies our Governor founded allegedly received nearly $3 million in PPP loans amid COVID-19 pandemic?
Look it up on ABC7.
Be thankful she is only asking for the Hammer to come down. Soon, the likes of her will ask for the Sickle!
Bang, bang; Maxwell’s silver hammer came down upon her head?
All these communist running things should be in prison what gives them the right to say who can stay open and who needs to close you get to survive but your business must die. some serious consequences need to come down on these governors all the way down to the city councils maybe we put all of them out of work permanently you can take that any way you want. This is only the beginning Democrats are going to destroy this country you better learn to speak Chinese now
We need money to fund the poor especially during this crisis.
Perhaps each responder might like to hear what I actually said before making a judgment about “who” I might be after. We’re talking a VERY FEW folks who are making all of our lives harder because, unlike you and me, they choose not to follow the rules. You may still disagree with me, but these are the facts, not anecdotes you are reading/hearing.
It is unfortunate, and Mike Burkholder has acknowledged this, that his blog article did not include the entire context of my remarks. They were directed at the few (less than five) gyms – owned by the same individual – that continue to defy the health orders. Not only does the owner prefer to pay the small fine ($1,000) and continue operating, he does so to the detriment of other like businesses who are following the order and losing money. My comment about looking at a greater fine is twofold: 1) to get him to follow the order for health and safety’s sake, and 2) to make it “mean” something rather than a slap on the hand. The owner of whom I speak would rather pay the $1,000/day and stay open …. my thought is perhaps we (all of the rest of us) will get his attention when the fine might actually have an impact.
Anyone commenting here not think that we all should play by the same rules? Is it ok with you that one business owner continues to receive revenue while your neighbor/friend/family member is making the sacrifice?
Is fairness no longer a concept we value? What if you were the owner of another gym? How would you feel? I understand there are some restaurants in Danville who might be impacted by this …. anyone know of any restaurant in the Claycord area that is not playing by the rules? Why should business owners in our area not be treated fairly?
That is the CONTEXT of my remarks.
Now let’s put the context of your remarks into the context of the last 8 months.
Business are beaten down, and you guys pulled the rug out from under them.
You and your fellow supervisors allowed the health department to form this ridiculous pact with other Bay Area counties to prematurely shut us down again. The governor, himself wildly unpopular, said 85%, you guys shut it down even before that, at a time of year where occupancy is always near capacity.
As for the business you are talking about – I wish more businesses would do the same, and would tell YOU WHERE TO STICK IT KAREN.
I believe the British have a song for that….
Prove the justification and compensate. You have no right shutting down anything. The science is faulty, the data is flawed. We all know it.
“All laws which are repugnant to the constitution are null and void.”
Marbury vs. Madison (1803)
You are bullying free people out of their livelihood. It doesn’t matter what exactly you said. You are breaking your oath to the constitution.
I am fine with ‘the same rules`. Are you going to fine Newsom and every person who was caught in French Laundry? Or if no income for small businesses, no income for YOU Karen until every small business is open. How about that?
Just knock it off already and open up. You know the science you stand behind is subjective and garbage at best. You have no soul and care for yourself only it is obvious in your actions and words. People should protest you wherever you are at all day all week all month all year…
@Mitchoff~I just watched your meeting and it was a hard watch.. Claycord was not off with what they summarized. When you state above about increased fines to 10k, 15k or 20k for noncompliance:
“Anyone commenting here not think that we all should play by the same rules?”
Well, when you said “I don’t care about receiving angry letters…quit bitching about liquor stores!”…you’ve arbitrarily chosen liquor stores more important than gyms, salons, eating outside restaurants…can you not see that none of this is fair? You’ve chosen to bring down the hammer on the last nail in the coffin for certain businesses. And I don’t think City Code Enforcement will be your police like you all discussed…
What is the survival rate for this Plandemic Scamdemic Karen? CDC says it’s somewhere in the 99% range and these tests are horse crap throwing false positives left and right. Look at Elon Musk, he took 4 tests, 2 came back positive, 2 negative. You are a scumbag tyrant!
My goodness. Karen Mitchoff. You sound like a flustered schoolteacher who just cannot get one child to submit to your will, and it’s making you desperately mad! I don’t mean disrespect, but even your defense above sounds like a whiny attempt to show this gym owner a thing or two! You ask, don’t we want things to be fair? We sure do!! This is America! Let businesses be open and let the consumer weigh the risk! Fairness is expecting that you yourself should be able to earn an income while unduly taking away another’s right to do so. My family is patronizing businesses that are staying open against the silly “mandates” as much as we possibly can. We are proud of each one that’s doing so, including Diablo Gym. We think they are courageous and noble. Karen, Karen, Karen, I encourage you to find a new passion! Put the personal vendetta to rest.
Our Governor has set the example for playing by the rules. Perhaps you should have a conversation with him, if he will take your call.
@KARENMITCHOFF
Wow, you have no sympathy and zero business knowledge.
1) What makes you think the gyms/businesses that choose to defy the order are actually making money by staying open? Some businesses are actually minimizing losses by closing entirely (hibernating).
Here’s a real story. A hairsalon in your county chose to defy your order and rather pay the $250 fine. Why? Because the hairdressers renting the stations are about to be homeless and they have small kids to support. One of them is my hairdresser who is on the brink of losing her home. Just think that maybe there’s more to the story than just an act of defiance.
2) Just for once put yourselves in their shoes:
– they have been shutdown since March. That’s eight months. Who’s here has enough cash flows to survive on no income for 8 months?
– these businesses have tried to re-invent themselves i.e. investing in outdoor seating, creating outdoor exercise programs, e.t. Why? Because to begin with, they WANT to follow the rule. But you guys make it harder and harder by by ever changing rules that are NOT supported by science.
3) You brought up FAIRNESS (you mean “equality”?) – madam, when you determined which business are/not considered “essentials”, you already create unfairness/inequality. So stop taking about being “FAIR”.
Btw, feel free to move to China to expand on your socialism ideas. Nothing unite Claycordian most other than rebuking corrupt government like you.
We all understood the context of your remarks. You seem to think perhaps we are just not smart enough to understand. Play by the same rules? The “rules” you mean are an order imposed by an unelected official. Punishing citizens who are trying to make a living, feed their families, in spite of barriers to such “ordered” by yet another government agent. Because he/she is able to still make a living in spite of the ridiculous fine, the suggestion is to make the fine hurt? We got it. No thank you.
You should be ashamed. Looks like most have already put your fat butt in your place, so I won’t waste any of my time reiterating how dumb you sound. Don’t go away mad, just go away. You’re a useless politician.
Will these same fines be applied to Contra Costa County departments that violate the health order rules? Maybe take a look at your own house before you start doling out fines to small business owners.
This is unbelievable. You, Karen, have a steady paycheck. You don’t need to worry about your income. Yet here you are, promoting HUGE fines for businesses that are remaining open, trying to survive. They should ALL be open. Who are you to demand these small businesses close, with a strong possibility of never opening again? Put yourselves in the shoes of a businesses owner for a minute or two. Your income stops cold, but you still have expenses. Now you want to hammer them with a fine if they DARE to operate anyway.
And yes, gyms should be open. You talk about people’s health. Gyms have been closed since March, with a brief shining month when they were open. Gyms are pretty important for the health of people like me, who are older, and need to do weight bearing exercises for bone health and retaining some muscle mass. We need the cardio equipment for weight and blood pressure control. I need the equipment to try to reduce my back pain. But you clearly have a monomania regarding Covid 19. Nothing else matters.
There is serious collateral damage being done in very many ways. You and the other super need to look into that, and factor the damage into your decisions. You are screwing with people’s lives in ways you apparently don’t even understand, or perhaps even care about.
Step up and open the county. People are suffering.
Claycord, I am unable to view the video. I get Permission Denied when I click on the link. Has it been made private now, so that we peasants can’t see what our glorious overlords are up to?
@KarenMitchoff –
People like YOU are the problem, not the small business owners trying to survive after 9 months of unnecessary lockdowns. Do yourself a favor and stop talking. It is better to be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. Which you have just accomplished.
ALL businesses and schools should be opened up, NOW. The virus has a 99.7% survival rate but the response to the virus – driven by people like you – has been far more damaging to residents of this county than any virus. You government types are completely clueless how private businesses work. Sit down and shut up.
Why would they change that link? Enquiring minds want to know!
Bwahahahahahahahaha!
lol
looks like we need to get out the pitch forks and torches
it appears the hunch back of CCCounty
is at it again
maybe we should pay her off
nah we all ready tried that
but as a reminder
you voted to have boards and councils so the jokes on you
even though the apparent likely hood of corrupted members was prevalent
dem voters approved it anyways
falling yet again for a political scam
just like the high speed warp futuristic scam train
that we now pay for the bond over the next 25 years
and those politicians that pushed it are now looking for a bigger mansion
when will the tools learn
apparently never …..
they just elected biden
and they said trump was unfit
lol
cant wait for kamala to smash down on everyone
yes everyone
she has no loyalty to anyone but herself
not like thats any news
you made this bed voters now sleep in it
your children will be carrying your burden as well so at least there is that
now that its legal for people to rape them …lol you spit on republicans and cheer dems ….why i dont know
please inform us how these dem laws are good for us ….please inform us all
Meanwhile, illegals make the streets of LA look like a third world country selling their food in the middle of the street with complete disregard for health and safety even during this pandemic. Newscum and other politicians are not making the illegals pack up and stop illegally selling their food in the middle of the street and reclaim the sidewalks. Illegals are not made to jump through hoops as much as these restaurant owners and other businesses owners are made to do.
Before board of supervisors make a rubber stamp, knee jerk, copy cat move they should seriously consult county’s mental health professionals as to possible outcomes from a fine on an already severely stressed business owner.
Business owners try hard to make viable business plans but it’s difficult and stressful when politicians and bureaucrats are continually changing the rules.
For each employee, of a closed business, out of work, 3 to 5 other workers are effected negatively.
This is serious, people can only take so much stress before they SNAP.
Perhaps the “M” needs to be replaced by a “B”.
Time to sue. Businesses need to go after CCC with a mass class action lawsuit. Totally illegal to shut down this state. Check out your rights, business owners! Don’t let tyranny happen! REVOLT!
There was a time when patriots knew how to deal with despots, but tar and feathers is too much work nowadays.
Someone is due their quarterly sensitivity training. Tar and feathers are now considered racist
I signed the Recall Newsom petition a month ago. Where do I sign the Recall Mitchoff petition?
NO !
CDC’s survival rate by age
0-19 99.997%
20-49 99.98%
50-69 99.5%
70 + 94.6%
If this insanity doesn’t stop, and soon, someone is going to snap, Dan White style. These politicians must think everyone will just roll over for them. When you destroy peoples lives that just might be your undoing. The spores of violence and revenge are on the air.
Mitchoff – you’ve obviously forgotten for whom you work. And making excuses about the “context” is outright bullshit.
Many of us have already seen the video and heard your remarks, in context – and it was NOT limited to what you’re claiming above. trying to explain otherwise, blaming others for taking it out of context or “mis-speaking” are just poor excuses for your damn political power trips.
Who are you “after?” As someone posted above, you are NOT law enforcement or a prosecutor…. although you seem to be taking on the role of a damn DICTATOR!
You don’t “care” about receiving angry letters? Well, maybe you should understand that they can from those who you purportedly represent at the county level. And if you “don’t care” about those letters, then it appears you have lost touch with those whom you claim to represent. And if that’s the case ( as I’m sure it is), it’s time for you to resign.
You no longer have the interests of the people in mind….
Don’t bother trying to retract your statements. The rest of us are clear on your intentions and we’ve had it with your BS.
You want to fine people? Great! I’m sure there are hundreds of people who would love to help out by paying their fines….. and who would also be willing to start a recall .
You work for the people. Not the other way round….
Remember back in 2020 when democrats tried to take all our rights away for the common cold. Remember Sam was on Claycord calling it a hoax the whole time? Remember that. Remember Sam told you it was a complete hoax from day one.
They’ve been warned in the past, and there are “less than 10 businesses” that keep “flaunting the rules” while others comply. So, yes — they should be fined. I don’t think the fines should be that steep, but a warning is a slap on the wrist. A fine is a wake-up call. You play, you pay. It’s the way of the world.
@Karen Mitchoff
“who” I might be after.
You have no reason or right to be after anyone.
You are a servant of the people, not a prosecutor.
From what I’ve read here, you may want to rethink your verbiage at the very least and restrain your totalitarian dictates to your family.
No one else wants to hear them.
Why Fine the businesses that have stayed? Have we not learned anything from the ones that have already permanently closed or moved out of state after they followed previous county orders.
Let people make their own decisions and let them deal with any consequences later.
Agreed with you. It’s all about control. Do what you are told or be forced out of business for good.
Her name is Karen…imagine that! As far as the hammer, she can stick that where the sun don’t shine.
All businesses should stay open, let them fine you, never pay, make them arrest you, SUE the F out of every board member personally as well as the county, have your fines dismissed and collect your damages.
All laws which are repugnant to the constitution are null and void.
Of course she feels that way, it is not going to affect her. Easy to threaten businesses, no skin off her nose. If she had to struggle to make morgage payments and feed a family she would definitely feel differently.
Since she thinks she knows it all and “doesn’t care” how many nasty letters she gets, it’s obviously time for everyone to attend the next few meetings to let her know how we REALLY feel!
Public shaming just might work…. in place of tar and feathers.
To my mind, it’s beginning to resemble the Zimbardo experiment at Stanford in the early 1970.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-stanford-prison-experiment-and-its-relevance-today/ss-BB16EWsr
Bingo!
Time to start demonstrations at her house.
After all, nobody has shut down or fined the demonstrators.
I will speak to everyone I know, not to vote for her again. Her kind of thinking is ruining people. People I know. Damn her. I hope her career rots. She’ll enjoy a pension at my expense regardless.
Send her an email and let her know your thoughts. After all she is still working and collecting her full paycheck
Karen.Mitchoff@bos.cccounty.us
Suspend the pay of everyone on the Board of Supervisors until they acknowledge that every job and business is essential, and they protect all of them equally.
BTW- Has the Board laid off all non-essential employees, and all employees unable to perform their job under these Cower-in-Place restrictions? Asking for myself.
Yes. Cut off the pay of the government employees making the decisions to close businesses, and keep the pay cut off until businesses can reopen. It’s only fair. And Karen seems to be concerned about fairness.