TMC: Thirty Miles of Corruption

When it comes to school bond measures of late, we know one thing: the bait & switch fad is in!  They tell the community one thing in order to get the measure passed, using half-truths, lies of omission, emotional arguments. astro-turfing, etc…typical conman stuff.  Then later you’ll find they have diverted those monies for other pet projects or expenses.  They’ll even offer phony oversight in the form of a Citizens’ Oversight Committee, and then stack it with their usually conflicted, kool-aid drinking buddies from the community – maybe even send their own lawyers to sway the proceedings in case there’s a couple troublemakers looking out for the taxpayers.

BUT FIRST: THE INFAMOUS CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S OWN SELF-APPOINTED CITIZEN AUDITOR, VIVIAN MORENO, AND HER TAKE ON THE NEW EDUCATIONAL MEASURES THAT FAILED ON MARCH 3RD, 2020, AND THE ARROGANCE OF THOSE BOLD ENOUGH TO MISAPPROPRIATE AND STEAL TAXPAYER MONEY.  UPDATE: 03.11.2020: Vivian Moreno right again!  Days after this posting, colleges go on-line, according to the Press Enterprise.  Is there really a need to expand expensive college campuses?  School and College as we know it, is it over?  If this is the new normal, what are these public servant elites going to do without the taxpayer gravy train?  Maybe, find a real job?

Let’s take a look at the one of the main players behind RCCD’s Measure A: the Chancellor of RCCD (Riverside Community College District- Norco, Moreno Valley, Riverside campuses).  According to Riverside Superior Court records filed February 18, 2020, Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac, PhD  is being accused by Plaintiff, Terri Hampton, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources & Employee Relations, of using taxpayer money to have RCC (Riverside Community College) facilities staff perform work at his personal residence.  Ms. Hampton also accuses Mr. Isaac of promoting employees to higher-level positions without following the legitimate process.  Hmmm….. what does that mean?  We know how that worked for Assistant City Manager Belinda Graham at the City of Riverside and soooo many others: they screwed more than the taxpayers if you know what I mean.  Former Presidential contender Kamala Harris also comes to mind.  Remember how she moved on up, with the help and affair of former San Francisco Mayor and Speaker of the California State Assembly, the incomparable Willie Brown.

In addition, Plaintiff Terri Hampton “observed a differential treatment by the Chancellor between male and female employees that have disagreements with him.  For example, the Chancellor consistently offers ‘golden parachutes‘ for male employees that the District has ’cause to terminate.'”  If that is true, Isaac is utilizing tax payer monies inappropriately.

Click This Link to View Full Complaint Filed Against Isaac

The suit states that when the Chancellor communicates a work need at his home, RCC Facilities contacts a vendor and sends the vendor to his home.  The vendor then faxes the bill to the Vice President of Administration, who then gives the invoice to the Chancellor for payment.  Vice President of Administration, Raymond “Chip” West stated he has the invoices faxed directly to him (West) because he did not want there to be an electronic trail via e-mail.

The Chancellor obviously likes his job, responding sometimes to Hampton, “I am the Chancellor and you will do what I say.”  And then adding, “You will do what I say, or you will find yourself looking for a job.” The Chancellor sound like a great boss to work for….if you like dictators…but more on that later.

We at TMC probably could’ve gone the whole rest of our lives without mentioning Dr. Isaac, but he got on our radar by running around the Inland Empire telling the community why Measure A was needed to the tune of $715 Million for the Riverside Community College District.  If these allegations turn out to be true, we think we can make a pretty good case as to why these kinds of shenanigans cause the community to feel ripped off when it comes down to how educational tax monies are spent.  You would think that good ol Ab-Wolde is perhpas not getting paid enough?  However, that’s not what we see according to Transparent California.  He has plenty of money to fix his house.  His paycheck from the taxpayers is almost $400,000 per year, so why does he feel its the taxpayers responsibility to pay for his alleged home repairs?

The following video gives you a whiff of who Isaac really is as he defends the need for the Educational Bond Measure A.  The Chancellor of RCCD (Riverside Community College District- Norco, Moreno Valley, Riverside) Wolde-Ab Isaac, Ph.D., debates community and taxpayer advocate Jason Hunter on College Facility Bond, Measure A.  Isaac insisted there was a master plan – a specific project list – that the taxpayer loot would be spent on.  Problem is Dr. Isaac, it wasn’t on the ballot proposition.  You wanted a blank check.  With Measure A’s inglorious defeat, we recommend that next time you need to let the taxpayers know what they are actually paying for!

But looking into Isaac’s past, he has quite a record as an authoritarian.  Makes you wonder if RCCD could have had a better vetting process.  According to the Harnnet, the Official Eritrean Peoples Democratic Party’s Web Site, Isaac’s past is…interesting.

“Students who came back from the war front lines found out that their government, the PFDJ, did not trust them despite the determination they showed in protecting the country with their lives. The memory of colleagues including fresh graduates, who died in the war, was very vivid at the time. But PFDJ officials and the likes, including Dr Wolde-ab Issak, did not bother about the effect of their policies on student moral and nationalism.” “While at the University of Asmara, Dr Wolde-ab did not care about academic issues.”

According to the World Socialist Web Site, Eritrea, Two Students Die In Government Clampdown!  Two students have died and up to 2,000 others are being detained in a detention camp following protests against the government.  Yirga Yosef and Yemane Tekee, who both died of heat stroke, were students at Asmara University in the country’s capital. 

After the mass arrests, police broke up a meeting outside Asmara University of anxious parents who had gathered to demand the release of their children. One woman whose son and daughter are being detained desperately pleaded, “They have taken them to a very hot place, with no food, no water. It is 49 degrees there. More will die. They must take them out of that place—that’s what we’re begging”.  Another mother said, “My son is there. I have nephews and nieces there. They are being punished just because they asked for their rights. The government just wants to show its strength.”

The president of Asmara University, Wolde-Ab Isaak, condemned the action taken by the students and called it “illegal.”  Wow, sounds like a nice guy, good job RCCD.

According to another article in the Harnnet, The Official Eritrean Peoples Democratic Party Web Site, we see the following article: The Sarcasm, Denial and Lies of the Eritrean Authorities: A Personal Account On The National Service, The Closure Of The University of Asmara and the Scholarship Program In South Africa.

As stated by writer Zekarias Ginbot, “I did not know where Dr. Wolde-Ab Isaac has been since he left the University of Asmara. But last year, I found out that he was working for a certain US college in California, and as I expected, as an acting president. This power hungry person always goes for administrative posts despite his qualification in science. I do not mean this is a taboo but from my experience, Dr Wolde-ab does not have administrative qualities. He would be better suited for a military general than an academician or administrator. He was an arrogant person who did not have any relationship with his staff or the students and was better known for intimidation of staff at the University and demobilization of government employees without compensation in other government institutions.”

While at the University of Asmara, Dr Wolde-ab did not care about academic issues. I don’t remember him chairing a discussion on academic issues during the time I worked as a lecturer but only PFDJ sponsored functions. Every time someone approaches him with a question, he does his best in belittling the individual by going into side issue instead of addressing the concerns raised. No one denies that he is an excellent orator but he uses his talent only to intimidate others. When I spoke about him to people who knew him while he was at the Uppsala University in Sweden, their response was, “…well, what do you expect from Wolde-ab”, no surprise at all.

According to the BBC NEWS REPORT: Eritrean Student Leaders Released, By Alex Last in Asmara.  A total of 2,700 (students) were returned to Asmara in September, except the members of the student union executive, who were detained.  It had been reported that the student leaders were questioned about links with the group of leading dissidents, who have been detained without charge since September.  There has been no official confirmation of the reports.  The President of the University, Dr. Wolde-Ab Isaac, has not been available for comment.  The University has remained quiet and there has not been further protest since the students returned from the desert.  Hmmm…. It appears that Isaac is some how working in conjunction with his Eritrean Government cronies and working against a contained people who appear to be freedom fighters as a oppose to being Socialist.  So why is Wolde-Ab Isaac in America?  That is my question.

This is a question TMC is being asked, because many in our community feel they will be retaliated against for asking this simple question. We are asking Riverside Community College District for a response on this issue?  Again, I simply don’t get it, but if you know anything out there, please correct us, or add to the debate,  otherwise that’s what people are telling us.

The PFDJ, known as the Peoples Front For Democracy and Justice, is the founding and ruling political party of the State of Eritrea.  The successor to the formerly left-wing nationalist and Marxist–Leninist Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF), the PFDJ holds itself open to nationalists of any political affiliation.  The leader of the PFDJ party and current President of Eritrea is Isaias Afewerki.  The country has been widely accused of totalitarianism.

“Under the current regime, where Eritrea is being ruled without any constitution, the PFDJ Party dominates all cultural and academic activities. Moreover, in Eritrea’s political system, academic activities are monitored regularly not only by PFDJ’s propaganda departments, but also by Dr Woldeab Isaac, the President of the University, who works very closely with government officials.”

The PFDJ government’s brutal action against the students is part of a national clampdown that has also led to the arrest of journalists and oppositionists.

“… Dr Wolde-Ab does not have administrative qualities. He would be better suited for a military general than an academician or administrator.” He was an arrogant person who did not have any relationship with his staff or the students and was better known for intimidation of staff at the University and demobilization of government employees without compensation in other government institutions.

Does this fit of the RCCD culture?  Further, is this the eventual indoctrination agenda for the educational system within the State of California?  More in Part II coming up soon, here is Part II:

When those who are entrusted to promote academic freedom are the same ones who are restricting it, as is the case with Dr Wolde-Ab Isaac, then the university is not a place of learning and does not possess transcendent value anymore.  The tragedy is that those very people who benefited from such institutions of higher education are now aiding those who are abating such fundamental freedoms.

Again, what is RCCD promoting?  Is it totalitarianism?  Is RCCD attempting to control the speech and thought process of their students through Isaac’s experience for a current contemporary political agenda?  Thank God we live in America, if Isaac had his way here, he would send TMC out to the desert.  The question is, “Does RCCD condone this behavior and politics?”  A politics of control, totalitarianism and socialism?  Evidently so, through their policies and employees hired to run our public educational college and school systems.

Why did Isaac allegedly do this?  Maybe because it was easy enough that he could?  Where’s the supposed oversight?

 

Next in line,  William Clarence Newberry, who was charged with two counts of grand theft and one count each of embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation of public funds.

Currently, according to the Press Enterprise, William Clarence Newberry, the former president of the Riverside County School Boards Association and former Corona-Norco Unified School District Board Member was charged with embezzlement to the tune of $40,000 June 19, 2019.   Two counts of grand theft and one count each of embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation of public funds, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said.

DA’s investigators found that between December 2013 and February 2017, Newberry used an association debit card without authorization to make personal purchases and pay medical bills totaling $17,000, the release said. Also, Newberry dipped into a checking account belonging to the Climate Booster Club at Eleanor Roosevelt High in Eastvale and stole $23,000 to pay his bills and make purchases for himself, the release said.

Why did Newberry allegedly do this?  Maybe because it was easy enough that he could? Where’s the supposed oversight?

 

Or what about Ted Eugene Rozzi the assistant superintendent of facilities at the Corona-Norco Unified School District?  Rozzi was charged with 30 felonies related to his work as the assistant superintendent of facilities at the Corona-Norco Unified School District, allegedly laundering approximately $1.17 million by depositing checks written by an Ontario contractor into his credit card accounts.

Ted Eugene Rozzi, 60, of Redlands, is accused of embezzling and laundering approximately $1.7 million by depositing checks written by an Ontario contractor into his credit card accounts.

Edward Curtis Mierau, 65, of Ladera Ranch, the head of school builder Neff Construction, is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 3 on charges that include money laundering and helping a public official financially benefit from a contract. Both men were charged Nov. 5.

Rozzi is accused of diverting such checks that should have gone to the district to his credit card accounts instead.  From 1992 to 2017, Rozzi supervised construction for the district. Cash-strapped districts will sometimes ask contractors to front the money to pay vendors before being reimbursed.

During the investigation, which began in May 2017, search warrants were served and it was determined there were emails between Rozzi and Mierau in which Rozzi asked for checks to be written from Neff to various financial institutions and not the school district, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said. Investigators said they determined that more than $1.1 million was stolen between December 2011 and May 2017.  That amount could by higher, possibly to the tune of of $2 Million according to a 62-page report by the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team.  This agency, created by state law, assists California schools with business operations and fiscal practices, and is headed by old RUSD friend, the curmudgeonly (a quality we kinda like in accountant-types) Mike Fine.

Again, why did Rozzi allegedly do this?  Maybe because it was easy enough that he could? Where’s the supposed oversight?

 

Voters approved Measure C in March 2004 to finance much-needed projects to accommodate the growing number of students in the RCCD (Riverside Community College District).  Proceeds from the bond were designated to help pay for the acquisition, construction, improvement, and renovation of various college facilities as outlined in the ballot measure.  A Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) keeps the public informed about how Measure C proceeds are used through annual reports to the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees and the public.​​

But according to the “Vote No On Measure A” site,  $3.5 Million of Measure C/ Proposition 39 monies was directed toward salaries and benefits over a period of time according to these records.

Report on Measure C/ Propostion 39 Funding Financial & Performance Audit 2015_2016

Were Measure C monies diverted to salaries and benefits?  That is the question, and we are still trying to bring forward the answer to the taxpayer…but we suspect we already know the answer…

What have government educational systems become?  Are they a gravy train for the those who know the system?  Are they an indoctrination mill of lower learning and one side partisan leaning?  We find that when it comes to the Riverside education system, it is usually a question of, “Dumb and Dumber?”.  TMC advocates for school choice: since when is competition such a bad thing?  The best person to make the decision for educating their child is you the parent, not the government or some union.

The moral of the story of March 3, 2020, is that the government stooges and their toadies better start taking care of the taxpayer, because the taxpayer is no longer going to take care of you.  The government belongs to John Q. Public: we certainly pay for it, so it needs to work for us.

ARE PUBLIC SERVICE TAX MEASURES BECOMING THE PUSHER MAN FOR WHAT RESIDENTS DON’T WANT?

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE REGIONAL COUNTIES MOST EVERYTHING, A.K.A “THIRTY MILES OF CR-P,” “SITE IS A JOKE,” “SCANDALOUS,” “NEGATIVE,” “WARPED,” “RAUNCHY,” “LOW CLASS,” “VISIONS OF GRANDEUR,” “FULL OF B.S.,” “REPREHENSIBLE,” “IGNORANT,” “MISGUIDED,” “BULLYISH,” “INDECENT,” “REPUGNANT,””IMMORAL,” “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 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