TMC: Thirty Miles of Corruption

TMC exclusive: just in, RPU General Manager Girish Balachandran, a.k.a. Drunk Daddy, is headed out on a rail.  It seems that the City Council just had enough of the embarrassment.  City Manager John Russo has new, high-pay contract coming up, and will do just about anything the Council asks, so just like that, Balachandran sleeps with the fishes.

Does this have anything to do with the recent Governmental Affairs request for an audit of RPU’s involvement with SCPPA (Southern California Public Power Authority) or the allegations that Balachandran marked up so-called “independent” consultant reports to cast himself and in a better light?  The timing would seem so.  It has also been purported that Deputy General Manager Kevin Milligan will be taking a few days off.  Remember folks, TMC didn’t coin the term, ‘Drunk Daddy’; his staff did, and why was that?  Did it have anything to do with the toxic working environment? What we do know is that Silicon Valley just picked up our ‘Recycled Trash’ and for this we must give thanks.  Below is Balachandran’s swan song to his near mutinous staff.

Dear RPU Staff:

With sadness I announce I’m leaving Riverside Public Utilities as of January 19.  I’ve been offered a job to be the CEO of Silicon Valley Clean Energy.  Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities by acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of residents and businesses.  Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County.

I’ll meet with all of you before I leave and we’ll have a chance to talk.

But before that happens, I do want each of you to know that I will miss you very much.  In the four years I’ve been here, you have made me feel welcome and have worked hard to ensure that RPU continues to be a great water and electric utility.  I am proud to have been part of a team that has improved RPU even more over my four-year tenure.  There have been many firsts in the last four years that I’m very proud to have participated in.

RPU is an award-winning utility that has distinguished itself over the years.  The American Public Power Association (APPA) awarded Riverside its Diamond Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) designation in 2017 that signifies leadership in reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement.  It shows RPU’s commitment to keeping the lights on for our customers.  Only about 75 out of more than 1,500 public utilities across the country achieved this status.

The water utility is one of a handful of the more than 400 water suppliers in California that can pride itself on being independent of importing water and also having rates that are significantly lower than surrounding communities.

RPU also maintains high bond credit ratings, keeping its cost of borrowing low and thereby keeping utility rates low.  Standard & Poor’s rates RPU’s water utility AAA, and the electric utility AA-, among the highest ratings in the country.

This would not be possible without your hard and dedicated work.  The utility business is changing and I have full confidence that you will continue be part of solving problems and creating value for all our customers in the years to come.

Once I leave, Kevin Milligan will be appointed as Interim General Manager.  The City Manager has also retained a recruiter to initiate a nation wide search for a replacement General Manager and expects to fill the position not later than June 2018.

A press release announcing my departure will be sent out later today.

Please email or call me if you have any questions.

Thanks,  Girish Balachandran

Phil Pitchford, City of Riverside spokeshole, released the following:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

More to come with Drunk Daddy’s eulogy and the damage that he wrought on RPU in his short stay in the ole’ River City.  In the end, he did nothing to actually improve RPU while collecting his $250,000+ salary… just read his letter.

JUST IN: ALVORD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT SID SALAZAR OUT!

Alvord Board of Education took action in closed session to terminate the Superintendent’s employment contract. The vote was 3-2.  Ayes: Kaspereen, Wilson, Barragan  Noes: Schwandt, Moreno    More also to come on this story and Sid’s spending habits with taxpayer monies and his close ties to the Teachers Union President.  Good Job Ayes!  Sid is gone! Office empty! Sid has left the building…

        Sid Salazar, Alvord School Superintendent                      Sorry, Sid Salazar, Alvord School Superintendent

It isn’t often you clean out two turds from the punch bowl in one day.  The TMC crew is calling it a day and heading out to celebrate a win for both the taxpayer and ratepayer.

We’ll leave this entry with one particular thought in mind, and will continue to post this quote by our 33rd U.S. President because of its relevance to today’s political circus of do-nothing but get paid excessively politicians and bureaucrats, whom never seem to have enough of our money: if you have nothing to bring to the table except a forked tongue, don’t sign up to do the work of the people.

No man can get rich in politics unless he’s a crook. It cannot be done. – Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S REGIONAL COUNTIES MOST, “NEGATIVE,” “RAUNCHY,” “LOW CLASS,” “VISIONS OF GRANDEUR,” “FULL OF B.S.,” “REPREHENSIBLE,” “IGNORANT,” “MISGUIDED,” “BULLYISH,” “FILTHY,” “VILE,” “SICK,” “PERVERTED,” “DEFAMATORY,” “STUPID,” “PATHETIC,” “DESPICABLE,” “DISAPPOINTING,” “BELOW THE BELT,” “A NEW LOW,” “SHOCKING,” “OFFENSIVE,” “OBNOXIOUS,” “INAPPROPRIATE,” “HURTFUL,” “MEAN SPIRITED,” “DISTASTEFUL,” “EMBARRASSING,” HORIFFIC,” “SLANDEROUS” “FIT TO BE VIEWED FROM THE REAR” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE! YES WE ADMIT WE OUR ALL OF THAT AND MORE, WHICH IN CURRENT TERMS IS KNOWN AS “UNPOLITICALLY CORRECT.” TEMPORARILY BLOCKED BY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AT PUBLIC ACCESS SITES WITHIN THE CITY, THEN UNBLOCKED. I GUESS YOU CANNOT DO THAT ACCORDING TO THE ACLU. RATED ONE TWO ONE STAR OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS.. … AGAIN, THANK YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT! CONTACT US: thirtymilescorruption@hotmail.com