I've started grading the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. The decision to issue a yearly report card -- the first will be issued in January 2008 -- was their vote to each hire an analyst at an annual salary of up to $71,968 annually.

Some people think this is a colossal waste of money. I disagree. This is a big county with nearly one million people. The analysts should help the five supervisors and their aides keep pace with issues and constituent demands.

But I want a way to measure whether the analysts and their bosses are making good on my tax dollars or wasting them. That brings us to the report card.

This blog, from time to time, will enable you to help in the grading process. I need to know about your experiences. Does your supervisor return your phone calls? How are board decisions affecting you? Is the board moving in the direction you want?

Let's have a lively discussion that allows for humor but refrains from brain-dead rants.

Today's issue is jail crowding.

I'm giving the supervisors -- Susan Anderson, Judy Case, Phil Larson, Henry Perea and board chairman Bob Waterston -- all C's on their progress report.

Their decision to alleviate crowding by hiring 49 new employees for the district attorney, public defender and probation was a good one because cases -- and inmates -- are now moving faster through the legal system. But the supervisors ignored jail problems for too long and, thus, their tardiness turned a B into a C.

Now the supervisors are investigating whether to tear down and replace two of the county's four jails and whether to have separate lower-security facilities for women and mentally ill inmates. The supervisors need to stay on top of this -- not wait until they have to release inmates before getting busy again.