Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: CUTTING THE MAYOR’S BUDGET IN HALF & THE BANKRUPTCY PREVENTION PLAN.

Posted: July 20, 2012 in Uncategorized
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Today Mayoral Candidate Ed Adkison presented a press conference in order to reveal his vision for Riverside, his pledge to cut the Mayor’s budget in half and present his Bankruptcy Prevention Plan.  It all began with Adkison stating that the current Mayor’s budget needs to be cut, specifically in half.  According to Adkison the Mayor’s office pulls a yearly budget of $900,000.00, and in the past 10 years has not been cut a single time. The current budget has tripled, states Adkison since he came to the council in 2000.  To Adkison, “this is simply unacceptable”.  According to Mayoral Candidate opponent William “Rusty” Bailey, while Adkison served as council, he voted to increase the City Council pay and to increase the Mayor’s budget.  Further, Rusty states that Ed’s approach to the budget is “ nothing but smoke and mirrors”.  Ed went on to state the following, that unemployment is at a record high, job creation is at record lows, the homeless population is continuing to grow, and not to mention low risk inmates being release from the jails is continuing to grow, there are more state budget cuts on the way and new debt service payments on the horizon; Riverside will face new budget challenges more than ever before.  This I believe was his reasoning for pledging to cut the Mayor’s budget in half, to the tune of $450,000.00.   Ed also said that current Mayor Loveridge approached him more than once and told him, that “If elected, not to cut the budget”.  But Ed continued, “I will create a culture of fiscal responsibility and transparency” and “ I would use the cuts to help struggling city services”.

The monies can be used for the homeless, for early release low risk prisoners and for programs such as the Youth Intervention Programs.  He mentioned to help against “predatory gangs” in regards to the recent killings of three in the east side.  Many residents on the east side have stated we are having more of a ‘race war’ between black and hispanic, that’s been going on and escalating for years.

He went on to hit Rusty on his campaign platform.  Today Rusty it’s your call!  Today I ask my opponent, Rusty Bailey to join with me to sign the Bankruptcy Prevention Plan, so we can begin a responsible future for Riverside.  Rusty states he is an independent voice for Riverside, now it is chance to prove it .. independent from the status quo, and independent from the government bureaucracy.  But I’m sorry to say, there is no plan, in the Bankruptcy Prevention Plan…

What seems to be a very small part of the picture when it comes to proposed budget cutbacks, Adkison proposed the Mayor’s budget should drastically be cutback, in fact by 50%, which would mean the mayor’s budget would be cut to about $450,000.00 from the current $900,000.00.  That means $450,000.00 will be left to be used for other city services, which appears to be a small chunk of change compared to what the city really spends.  Rusty also used the “50%”  in a different campaign strategy of cutting the unemployment problem by 50%, and this is how he’ll do it.  Rusty’s “hire one program” states if each business hires one employee, that would cut the unemployment by 50%.  There we are folks, it’s just that simple.  Anyway, the Adkison signed pledge is as follows:

I, Ed Adkison, pledge to stand with the people of Riverside. I will cut the Mayor’s office budget by 50% and redirect city funds to protect core city services the taxpayers expect and depend on.  As Mayor, I will call for a thorough assessment of potential funding gaps and establish fiscally responsible priorities in spending based on the needs of the residents.  Signed, Ed Adkison.

Questions asked from reporters in the audience of of approximately ten:

Q: Are you talking about job cuts regards the cutting the mayor’s budget?  A: It would be more for poltical appointees.

Q: What is the bankruptcy plan?  A: Didn’t answer directly, but mentioned the many expenses that can have an effect on the city such as the current 218 law suit filed against the City of Riverside and the Department of Finance rejection of payments to to City redevelopment debt.  We need to look at the budget and work with the City Manager (Scott Barber).  “The City of Riverside is in good shape”, says Adkison.   So I ask myself, “then, why the plan”?

Q: Do you think that the City of Riverside is at risk of filing bankruptcy?  A: Not at this point..but that’s the way those other cities thought at the same time.  So are we? Or aren’t we, Ed?

Q: Did you vote for increases in that Mayor’s budget while you were in office?  A: ..I don’t have that information..

Adkison campaign staff member says, “last question”.  Which means, we are calling this press conference to a close.

Q: Who would take a pay cut?   A: everybody on top needs to take a pay cut.  My last year in office I didn’t take a salary.

Q: The mayor is on his way to Vietnam for another sister city issue. Should the mayor be here addressing city issue instead out of town?  A: It’s about economic development and fiscal responsibility.  If those delegations generate an economic opportunities for the city, I’m in favor of it, if not, I’m not in favor…  There could be opportunities in sister city relationships.

“Okay no more questions..” came from a staff member.  That was thee end..

In response to this last question, aren’t people in Riverside capable of creating economic opportunities and jobs?  Maybe the mayor can travel with his delegation outside his front door of city hall and virtually see a city full of economic opportunity if they would let it happen and not be so restrictive to them.  It’s about regulation and high taxes.  The more money businesses can keep, the more they will reinvest in their business and hire new employees.  Why must we go to asia to see if economic opportunities exist for our city, when those opportunities are right outside our door?

It appeared to be a presidential candidate moment, Adkison’s staff found the need to quickly call for the end of the press conference with the “one more question” routine.  Frequently seen when high profile candidates need to be quickly whisked away from a crowd of pesky reporters and rushed off to another engagement or a plane flight.  It struck me strange, since the group listening was not more than ten, including PE’s Alicia Robinson, Dan Berstein and Five Before Midnight’s Blog Mary Shelton and a few others.  I wondered if Adkison was elected mayor would we see more of the same “one more” or even “no more questions please” type scenerio’s played out?  Most of the answers to the questions were not direct, but skirted the issues.  Can he be the “People’s Mayor”?  But again, I believe Riverside has much bigger issues than the Mayor’s budget.

What played out today was a familiar campaign in motion, some flash but no substance.  Riverside has big issues that need to be addressed.  When one city after another is falling into the clutches of bankruptcy, we have a problem.  Business as usual is just not going to cut it anymore, tossing the dirt around isn’t going to cut anymore.  We have to try something drastic, possible actually listening to what the community has to say, then make decisions based on that process.  We don’t need a city which will be dismissive of the opinions of the constituents, or downplay us or label us as ‘kooks’.  It’s time that people really understand what public service is about, it is about public service.  One should be there for only that reason, it’s not all about the paycheck.  Redemption is another character vice which attracts attention, admitting past failures in the decision making process which costed the taxpayers can be a new and refreshing beginning for all candidates.  Learn how to read the financial books, learn how to understand them, then give us plan; this is not a time to skirt the issues, people need details, people need someone to trust.  We need a vision which includes an assessment plan, an implementation plan, and purpose behind all of these in order to attain fiscal responsible goals.  Today, was an opportunity, an opportunity for a mayoral candidate to be different, but again the politician revealed itself, by allowing no more questions to be asked. He could have taken this a step further, to possibly assess what really happened to our city while he was on the dais, what he possibly learned from that experience and how he can now be a wiser leader, and now be the “People’s Mayor”.  Well, as for the opponent, Rusty Bailey…we need to see how this will all be played out….

Others who had their take on this is PE’s Alicia Robinson Blog Posting, Mayor’s Race: CutBudget In Half , Adkison Says and, of course, Riverside’s own, the incomparable Dan Berstein’s Blog Postings, Rah! Riverside: 2-4-6-8 Mayors Should Collaborate.

DON’T FORGET TO VIEW THE LATEST ON MARY SHELTON’S FIVE BEFORE MIDNIGHT BLOG.

IT’S ALL ABOUT BLOG BANNING..ARE WE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF CUBA?

IN A DRASTIC MEASURE, WHAT SHOULD BE THE PRIORITIES OF THE NEW MAYOR?  SHOULD HE CONVINCE THE COUNCIL TO CLEAN HOUSE?  MEANING THE OFFICE OF CITY ATTORNEY, THE CITY MANAGER, THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE?

UPDATE:07/21/2012:  WAS CITY HALL CURRENTLY BEING USED FOR COLLATERAL IN A CITY FINANCE TRANSACTION? AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE?  ALONG WITH RIVERSIDE’S NEW LINCOLN AVENUE POLICE STATION?

              

WHAT! RIVERSIDE’S CONVENTION CENTER AND THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY WERE ALSO USED AS COLLATERAL IN A CITY FINANCED TRANSACTION?

JUST FOR LAUGHS..

REMEMBER FOLKS THE 3 MINUTE RULE FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING, CURRENTLY CITY COUNCIL IS USING RONNY’S BOUNCER’S (RPD), NOW…YOU DON’T WANT CITY COUNCIL TO GET OTHER IDEAS..DO YOU?

RIVERSIDE FORGOTTEN…MISSION BLVD. BRIDGE, RIVERSIDE, CA (1938)

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S MOST “SLANDEROUS” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE!  TEMPORARILY BLOCKED BY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AT PUBLIC ACCESS SITES WITHIN THE CITY, THEN UNBLOCKED.  I GUESS YOU CANNOT DO THAT ACCORDING TO ACLU.  PROUDLY RATED ONE STAR (POSSIBLY DOWN TO ZERO FROM OUR LAST ACCOUNTS) OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS..  TMC IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE’S DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR GOOD REASON, AND PROSSIBLY POSSIBLY ON FILE WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S POTENTIAL SLAPP SUIT LIST, FOR GOOD REASON… WE WILL HAVE TO ASK GREGORY ABOUT THAT ONE ( OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO CONTACT HIS PEOPLE)… AGAIN, THANK-YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT!   COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY SPHALL SPELL CHECKERS!  EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY WITH YOUR DIRT OR CONTACT US BY THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS! CONTRIBUTORS WILL ALWAYS BE PROTECTED… YES, WE EXPECT THE JAIL TIME FOR THAT ONE…  THIRTYMILESCORRUPTION@HOTMAIL.COM 

BOMBSHELL! FORMER DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY RAYCHELE STERLING: CALL ME, I WILL REPRESENT YOU NO CHARGE! AND REDISTRICTING HYJNX FOR CINDY’S MARKETPLACE?

Posted: July 9, 2012 in Uncategorized
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At the June 26th City Council Meeting former deputy city attorney Raychele Sterling gave kudos to Councilman Paul Davis for calling City Attorney Gregory Priamos “out on his lies”  the prior week…it was nice to see that somebody would actually do that.

She went on to say that I’m here to talk about Employee issues, which appear to be on going.  People seem to be completely out of their minds, creating so much liability for you (referring to city management).  As I have said, over and over again, this stems not from personnel issue, but is a policy issue.  You continue to have employees sue you, you continue to have employees file claims, then your management comes back and says, geee.. maybe we should continue to retaliate against them because this will be great for our law suit and I’m sure the jury would really appreciate that. Well you might as well just add a couple more zeros to the check we have to pay out!  Well it not changing..and you have to change because the law suits will continue to come..

She went on to say, that if Tom Boyd, Public Works Director, calls any special meetings, or you believe he is harassing you, or retaliating against you, or if he writes a work performance evaluation that you don’t agree with..I want you to give me call, my number is 951-203-9952.  I will be happy to represent you pro bono, no charge!  Because this is going to stop!  TMC learned that a city employee who filed a civil lawsuit against the city a little more than a month ago was being set up for an administrative hearing with one day notice.  This was with Public Works Director Tom Boyd along with the usual suspects.  When Sterling contacted them, and said she would be representing this employee, the administrative hearing was called off, and business as usual was stopped for the moment.

She went on to talk about her grandparents who are absolutely disgusted with the council, with respect to her 87 year old grandmother who she said, “I never heard a cuss word come out of her mouth”.  Her grandmother said, ” you go there (to city council meetings) and they might as well give you the finger”.

“We have no government here”, Sterling said,  “you give all your power to Scott, your city manager, and you don’t monitor anything that he is doing, and he makes you end up looking like asses a lot of the times, and that’s really unfortunate, especially for people running for mayor.  You don’t want to be associated with that Rusty.  You said Jesus Christ is your inspiration.  I can’t ever think of an situation where Jesus Christ would ever under any circumstances permit employees to be just tortured the way that they are here at the City, and you have an obligation, not only as a Councilman and a Christian to make sure that stops immediately”

Public speaker Paul Chavez spoke prior to Sterling regarding an issue that occurred the prior week concerning workshop highlighting redistricting.  Mr. Chavez was surprised and disappointed in what the council did.  He said, “usually when you have a workshop, you don’t take a vote, because it is a workshop……you don’t make that type of a decision, you can have a concept of which way you want to go, or a direction of where you want to go, but you don’t make a decision”.  He went on to say that a vote was taken.. “I don’t know if it is legal or not… that’s why you have a city attorney”, (referencing City Attorney Gregory Priamos).   “The point that was very disturbing, was that the chamber (referencing the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce presided by CEO/ President Cindy Roth), came in and made a proposal.  I attended some of the other meetings for redistricting and nothing was mentioned.  Up to the last minute it was a ‘workshop’, you were all here (referencing the council), and you heard everybody talking about different things of what they like and disliked.”

“The chamber came in and told you that they wanted the ‘Market Place’”, (a district located in Councilman Andy Melendrez’s Ward).  And you said (the present council without Concilman Andy Melendrez present) “that’s a good idea, let’s all take it”!  Chavez said “the one that wasn’t spoken to was Mr. Melendrez (Councilman Melendrez), he was taken off guard.  That was very good planning for the chamber, and you guys all went for it.  It makes me very disappointed in all of you.  Also, it shows that those who are running for mayor, what kind of person are you? (I’d imagine Chavez was referring to Councilman “Rusty” Bailey who claims to be an independent voice for Riverside).   Is that what we want as citizens,  you don’t listen to us.. that’s the way I say.  I had a friend that was there and I asked him if you were going to the city council, he said no , what for?  They just look at you,  they let you talk but they don’t really hear you or acknowledge what you saying . So if this continues on you may have a lawsuit on your bench again, just as it has happened before and they have won, and we as taxpayer have to pay for that.  I wish you would reconsider when this comes up again, and stand for the people, not for the chamber, or our you guys bought out”?

While others in the community are calling this a “land grab” or “underhanded”, Dan Berstein explained this bit of shenanigans in the following blog posting, Eastside to Riverside: We Wuz Robbed!  Even PE’s Alicia Robinson had something to say in her blog posting Redistricting Riverside: Carving Up The Eastside.  TMC has spoken about this time and time again about what appears to be an incestuous relationship between the Chamber and the City of Riverside.  Cindy Roth who is president/CEO of the Greater Riverside Chamber, incidently her husband Richard Roth who has a position on the chamber, who also does work legal work for the City of Riverside and is runnig for State Senate and has the endorsement of the Mayor Ron Loveridge..  The residents and constituents of Riverside are disgusted and apathetic, and feel they have no recourse to make change as should appropriately be done by elected officials who flip flop on issues and do not listen to the real needs of the community.  Some have even used religion as a backdrop, and throwing citizen concerns through the back door..

I guess the question is for Councilpeople, anything Cindy wants, Cindy gets?  What would give Cindy Roth that much prominence?  Is it such a big deal to take the Marketplace and integrate it with the Downtown?  Why would they consider doing this in the first place?  Is it because it’s technically part of the East Side, and that has a negative connotation with many?  If we christened the East Side Marketplace as now part of Downtown, would the perceived visual perceptions change and now not be associated with the current perceptions of that nasty East Side?  Will the “East Side” now be just known as “the other side of the tracks”?  But Riverside Chamber’s, President/CEO, Cindy Roth wanted it that way, and the council thought it was a good idea.  Anything Cindy wants, Cindy gets?  For whatever reason it was done, what can I say, even independent voice of the people Rusty Bailey thought it was a good idea.  But Roth’s connections with the cities who’s who are appearing to be very clear.

Even her husband Richard Roth currently running for State Senate has clear ties with the City of Riverside by doing legal work for them.  Not to mention, he is part of the Board of Directors for the Riverside Chamber.  But now presented as the new improved and patriotic General Richard Roth for Senate.  Roth in conjunction with former Riverside Councilman Dom Betro had at a luncheon meeting with Democratic Senate Candidate Steve Clute, who was asked to step down from his running position….something for the community to think about regarding the generalisimo hardballing the Senate position…

Voilà, Now a Marketable Item for the Political Marketplace…

Richard Roth’s endorsements for senate are compelling, beginning with our Mayor Ron Loveridge and Jack Clark of Best,Best & Krieger, (doesn’t the City just hand over treasure chests of money for overpriced legal work to the Krieger)?   The Press Enterprise endorses Richard Roth!  Now let’s look at Cindy Roth’s Riverside Chamber Board of Directors.  Ahh, Peter Hubbard of American Medical Response, this is getting interesting…and it also appears that The Press Enterprise’s very own Ron Redfern is on Cindy’s Board of Directors for the Greater Riverside Chamber.   Richard Roth who had his ties to Republicans, now running as a Democrat, is all of sudden the next best thing to sliced smoked ham.  But can the smoke flavor of this latest innovation lose its taste over time?  Any way you slice it everyone appears to be incestuously connected in more ways than one?

But what is the big deal?  there only businesses?  Well, you already know how business friendly the City of Riverside can be, just take a stroll down the Main Street Mall.

TMC ARTIST RENDERING OF WHAT THE NEW MARKETPLACE MAY LOOK LIKE.

UPDATE: 07/10/2012: CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION.  HOW WILL THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S FINANCIAL ISSUES PLAY OUT?  MAMMOTH LAKES, CA JUST FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY LAST WEEK BECAUSE IT COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY OUT $43 MILLION DOLLAR JUDGEMENT WON BY A DEVELOPER.  IS THE CITY OF  CUDAHY NEXT?

THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE NAMED THE ‘MOST INTELLIGENT CITY’, PRIMARILY DUE TO TECHNOLOGY.  HIGH TECH SURADO SOFTWARE COMPANY NOW DEFUNCT, AFTER RECEIVING $350,000.00 OF PUBLIC FUNDS (THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE GAVE $300,000.00 AND THE COUNTY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY GAVE THEM $50,000.00), BUT OWING EMPLOYEES IN EXCESS OF $250,000.00.   CITY OF RIVERSIDE NOT SO INTELLIGENT? WILL THIS BE THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S SOLYNDRA?

IT WAS TO LATE FOR SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF TO HIT THE TOWN DRINKING AT THE USUAL WATERING HOLES AS THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WENT ON BEYOND THE 12 MIDNIGHT HOUR.

THE REDISTRICTING ISSUE VOTED BY CITY COUNCIL 6-0 TO TAKE THIS ISSUE TO GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS.  CRITICISM OF THE COUNCIL CAME UNDERFIRE WEEKS AGO WHEN RIVERSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CEO/PRESIDENT CINDY ROTH MADE THE SUGGESTION THAT ‘THE MARKETPLACE’ (PART OF COUNCILMAN ANDY MELENDREZ’S WARD 2) BE PART OF DOWNTOWN (WARD 1 COUNCILMAN MIKE GARDNER’S DISTRICT).  WHILE A PACKED HOUSE OF RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNERS FILLED COUNCIL CHAMBER, THE MAJORITY SPOKE AGAINST THE MOVE.  PUBLIC SPEAKER, CHRISTINA DURAN EVEN SUBMITTED AND PLACED COUNCIL ON NOTICE WITH AN OBJECTION LETTER.  THOSE IN FAVOR WERE THE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP AND OF COURSE, THE GREATER RIVERSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BOTH WHO RECEIVE CITY TAXPAYER MONIES FOR THEIR ENDEAVORS.  COUNCILMAN MELENDREZ COMMENTED ON THE TRUE PURPOSE OF RESDRICTING.  REDISTRICTING IS ABOUT POPULATION, AND NOWHERE IT IS TO BE USED TO FAVOR BUSINESSES.  FOR THE MOMENT, ‘THE CINDY LAND’ DEBACLE REMAINS ON HOLD.

THE ISSUE OF FUNDING FOR THE PURPLE PIPE REMAINS IN LIMBO FOR THE MOMENT, WHILE A PACKED HOUSE SPOKE AGAINST IT.  PUBLIC SPEAKER SCOTT SIMPSON PROVIDED AND PLACED THE CITY ON NOTICE WITH AN OBJECTION LETTER.  SIMPSON WENT BEYOND THE 3 MINUTES WHICH TRIGGERED RONNY’S BOUNCERS (RPD) TO ESCORT HIM FROM THE PODIUM.  AS SIMPSON MOVED AWAY FROM THE PODIUM AND BACK TO HIS SEAT, HE CONTINUED TO READ HIS OBJECTION.  THAT WAS A SIGHT TO SEE.. FOR THAT, TMC SHOUTS OUT, A ‘THAT A BOY’!  THE CITIZENS ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE…

TMC HAS OBTAINED SCOTT SIMPSON’S OBJECTION LETTER TO THE PURPLE PIPE WHICH WAS PRESENTED AT CITY COUNCIL.

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW FULL OBJECTION LETTER

QUESTIONS AROSE IF RECLAIMED WATER IS SAFE FOR PLANTS, AND IF PEOPLE AND CHILDREN ARE SAFE ON THE GROUNDS WHERE IT IS USED.  RIVERSIDE CITRUS GROWERS ALREADY MADE THEIR CASE THAT IT CANNOT BE USED FOR CITRUS.  ON SAFETY AND CEQA GUIDELINES (CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT), THE CITY SAID THEY WERE ABLE TO ‘BY PASS’ CEQA.  LEAVING QUESTIONS OF HOW CAN THE ISSUE OF THE SAFETY OF RECLAIMED WATER BYPASS CEQA?

THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE RED LIGHT CAMERA STAY, AFTER MAYOR BREAKS 3-3 COUNCIL TIE (COUNCILMAN MELENDREZ, MAC ARTHUR AND DAVIS VOTE AGAINST THEIR CONTINUED USE) WITH MAYOR LOVERIDGE BRINGING IN THE DECIDING VOTE TO FURTHER STUDY THE ISSUE OF MAKING IT COST EFFECTIVE.  COUNCILMAN STEVE ADAMS LOBBIES IN FAVOR OF CAMERAS, AND USES EXAMPLES OF SAFETY AND DEATHS, AND AS ADAMS SAYS..’BODIES’.  MANY CITIES ALTOGETHER HAVE DISMANTLED RED LIGHT CAMERAS DUE TO COST, SAFETY  ISSUES AND THE USE OF COMPANY PSUEDO STATISTICS DEMONSTRATING THAT THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  COUNCILMAN ADAMS HAS BEEN AT THE BRUNT OF CRITICISM REGARDING ISSUES OF NEPOTISM DUE HIS BROTHER RON ADAMS HIRED AS A RED LIGHT CAMERA PHOTO EXPERT.

WATER RESPONSES FROM CITY COUNCIL COMING SOON!

UPDATE: 07/13/2012: CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED AGAINST THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF FALSIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS.  OUR THE RAINCROSS BELLS RINGING? THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT AND THE DA’S OFFICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE ALLEGATIONS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO.  SAN BERNARDINO CITY ATTORNEY JAME PENMAN SAID HE HAD BEEN PRESENTED DOCUMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN ALLEGEDLY BEEN FALSIFIED WHICH MASKED THE CITY’S DEFICIT FOR 13 (LUCKY NUMBER) OF THE PAST 16 YEARS.

FACEBOOK ONLY? THE PRESS ENTERPRISE HAS EXPRESSED THEIR DESIRE TO THE COMMENT SECTION TO PRIMARILY USE FACEBOOK.  WORKING TO CURVE UNDESIRABLE COMMENTS AND PREVENT ANONYMOUS COMMENTERS SPEAKING  WHILE EATING CHEETOS IN THEIR UNDERWEAR, WELL, AGAIN, AS MANY HAVE SAID, THIS IS RIVERSIDE..  BUT MANY ARE ASKING, IS THIS A PLOY FROM THE DOUBLE DIPPING CHIEF OF POLICE?  ARE WE TO NOW EXPECT PERFECTLY EXPRESSED OPINIONS AS EXPECTED IN A PERFECTLY POLITICALLY CORRECT NEWSPAPER?  BUT NOW THE CHIEF CAN MONITOR AND PERFECTLY SEE THE FACES..  BUT I GUESS FOR POLICE WORK, ‘WE TIP’ ANONYMOUS HOTLINE IS ACCEPTABLE?

“I want to live in a society that people can voice unpopular opinions because I know as result of that a society grows and matures,”   – Hugh Hefner

THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO: BID RIGGING?  POLICE INVESTIGATE..  WEREN’T CLAIMS OF BID FAVORITISM BROUGHT UP IN THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE?

UPDATE: 07/17/2012:  WILL RON BRING THE LOVE ON HOME TO BILL BAILEY?  THE MAYOR’S ENDORSEMENT FOR THE MAYOR’S CANDIDANCY..WHO WILL IT BE?  THE GIGGLES OF EXCITEMENT ARE APPEARING TO OCCUR ON MAYOR CANDIDATE’S BAILEY’S FACEBOOK PAGE, AS HE EXPRESSES A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE RELEASED IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS REGARDING A SIGNIFICANT ENDORSEMENT…

UPDATE: 07/17/2012: 12 NOON: MAYOR RON SENDS THE LOVE HOME BY ENDORSING WILLIAM “RUSTY” BAILEY FOR MAYOR…

UPDATE: 07/19/2012: WHAT ISSUE WILL MAYORAL CANDIDATE ED ADKISON CALL  HIS OPPONENT WILLIAM “RUSTY” BAILEY ON?  ADKISON PLANS TO PRESENT THESE ISSUES IN A PRESS CONFERENCE THURSDAY 07/19/2012 AT 11:00AM IN FRONT OF CITY HALL.

     

AT TODAYS PRESS CONFERENCE, ADKISON PRESENTED HIS BANCRUPTCY PREVENTION PLAN AND SIGNED A PLEDGE TO DO SO.  HE CHALLENGED RUSTY TO DO THE SAME.  THIS PLAN IS NEEDED, WITH A REJECTIONS FROM THE STATE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IN EXCESS OF $90 MILLION AND A NEW 218 LAW SUIT, THE GENERAL FUND WILL BE HIT HARD, CUTS NEED TO BE MADE STARTING WITH THE MAYOR’S OFFICE!  IS THERE MORE SALICIOUS INFORMATION COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE WITH REGARDS TO OPPONENT WILLIAM “RUSTY” BAILEY?

WAS ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AND GENERALISIMO RICHARD ROTH’S OFFER TO SERGENT VALMONT GRAHAM OF A PROMOTION TO LIEUTENANT AND $25,000.00 TURNED DOWN?  LOW BALLING IS A COMMON PRACTICE THE CITY TAKES ON TO MESS WITH THE OTHER ATTORNEY. 

THE GAMES ARE ON AND THE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE YET TO BE SETTLED.

RIVERSIDE FORGOTTEN…MAIN STREET, LOOKING FROM CURRENT CITY HALL (CIRCA 1930)

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S MOST “SLANDEROUS” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE!  TEMPORARILY BLOCKED BY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AT PUBLIC ACCESS SITES WITHIN THE CITY, THEN UNBLOCKED.  I GUESS YOU CANNOT DO THAT ACCORDING TO ACLU.  PROUDLY RATED ONE STAR (POSSIBLY DOWN TO ZERO FROM OUR LAST ACCOUNTS) OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS..  TMC IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE’S DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR GOOD REASON, AND PROSSIBLY POSSIBLY ON FILE WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S POTENTIAL SLAPP SUIT LIST, FOR GOOD REASON… WE WILL HAVE TO ASK GREGORY ABOUT THAT ONE ( OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO CONTACT HIS PEOPLE)… AGAIN, THANK-YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT!   COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY SPHALL SPELL CHECKERS!  EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY WITH YOUR DIRT OR CONTACT US BY THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS! CONTRIBUTORS WILL ALWAYS BE PROTECTED… YES, WE EXPECT THE JAIL TIME FOR THAT ONE…  THIRTYMILESCORRUPTION@HOTMAIL.COM 

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: THE GOOD, BAD & THE UGLY OF THE TRAILER BILL…MOSTLY UGLY..

Posted: July 9, 2012 in Uncategorized
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At the June 26th, 2012 City Council Meeting City Manager Scott Barber responded to the new passing of the ‘Trailer Bill” or as it is known AB 1484, enacted as a result to clarify and define language of Redevelopments inter-agency transfers and possibly padding the ROPS (Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule).   Barber inititated his comment by stating, ” I was going to say that I thought ‘The Trailer Bill’ was the good, bad and the ugly, you may have remembered that western movie, but spending more time reading through it,  I just think it’s all ugly.”  The California League of cities have come out with opposition for a less amended bill, that is there recommendation..  There are some concerns we should have in the budget trailer bill, one of them is a threat to local finances.  Now our understanding in first reading the bill made us think perhaps there would be some good for us with regards to our outstanding inter-agency loans, the ones that had been reconfirmed by our oversight board and sent to the Department of Finance.   It did appear that there would language in here for repayment of these loans.  However, the conditions which appear in the current version of the trailer bill, although they say ‘repayment’, the conditions that they create make ‘repayment’ very unlikely without exhausting other debts and then growth in tax increment to other taxing entities.  That does not look very favorable.  The trailer bill as it is written really takes the away the power and authority from the oversight board and really make their actions really meaniless.  It transfer a great deal of authority to the State Department of Finance.  It changes the department of finance role to where they have a huge amount of authority over county and cities regarding our finances. They have the ability to impose fines for what they consider non compliance on ROPS, and they have the ability to transfer sales tax and property taxes where they don’t believe successor agencies or oversite board have not acted appropriately.  I think in general we our better off right now, than we would be with the trailer bill as drafted, if it was adopted.

Greg fires back and states that the State Department of Finance is getting to much power, and will even get $22 million for legal council to take on the cities and the redevelopment agencies , which I would say is close to the amount he pays out to BB&K for overpriced legal advice?  Wouldn’t you say?  Under this trailer bill we will never receive a 100% repayment for ROPS.  Well maybe the City was not doing things right to begin with, as was padding the ROPS along with other cities.  Of course you’re not going to receive 100% repayment.  But didn’t we start out with $259 million in the original ROPS submission, but $21 million remaining in ROPS limbo.  The trailer bill was meant to stop these padded submission and bring in some surgical clarity and prevent city attorney’s from taking up the state’s time while arguing their case.  Priamos than referred to a legsislative analyist from where their response to the Trailer Bill was a word of caution as opposed to an endorsement. Greg in his convoluted way continued to make no sense at council and spinned in a draconian way every response made.  Primos’s take on the $10,000 per day fine for not turning your ROPS on time, was draconian… well, now the city knows how the constituents have felt with ‘draconian’ code enforcement fines that Priamos’s city attorney’s office have been enforcing toward the constituents of the the City of Riverside, as well as the ‘draconian’ ticket violation for street sweeping when the constituent already  pay for it.  Those Council people whe represent those wards such as Councilman Mike Gardner have addressed these issues as well in a ‘draconian way’.   We must then consider Priamo’s refusal to respond to public records request regarding his departments expenses when directed toward Best, Best & Krieger…’draconian’.  Why is he protecting Best, Best & Krieger?   According to Priamos, the overall evaluation of the Trailer Bill, it’s ‘draconian’!

Councilman Andy Melendrez asked the question if cities can actually file for bankruptcy?  Priamos stated, “yes, cities can file for bankrupticies”.  That was largely done to address the concerns of the unions (possibly for unsustainable union contracts which were not negotiated in the best interest of the ‘people’ as TMC understands).   Barber even said that we spoke with our lobbyist (I’m assuming the League of California Cities), to this passing of this legislation, and said, don’t expect changes.  Incidently, can the city afford to continue to hire a lobbyist?   Davis says “it is unfortunate, not a great way to run a business”?  Did he misspoke? Barber states that we spoke to our lobbyist this afternoon, don’t expect changes of this thing (the legislation) it is  going to be past.  Councilman and Mayor Pro Tempt, Paul Davis responded to this passing of the this trailer bill legislation, “It’s really unfortunate, it’s a great way to run a business”?   Really Paul..remember this is all about Redevelopment abuse and all need to take responsibility for it, but that never happen with our city or other cities at the local level.  Unfortunately , the State saw it differently with respect that local municipalities abused their power, and in response, have intervened with an ‘iron fist’ of authority, for even at local level, local arrogance and displays of entitlements has shown the need for the State’s drastic actions and as labeled by some city execs, ‘draconian ’.

The Trailor bill validates every thing that Vivian Moreno, Dvonne Pitruzzello and Raychelle Sterling has been saying for 2 years.  They were 100% right.  So I guess that makes them really smart!  TMC would imagine that this would conincide with the cities new award, of the ‘The Most Intelligent City”.  Again, City management will try to portray them as if they had no idea what they were talking about.

RIVERSIDE FORGOTTEN…CHINA TOWN FROM MT. RUBIDOUX.  BROCKTON AVENUE RUNS LEFT TO RIGHT, WHERE IT INTERSECTS WITH TEQUESQUITE AVENUE. (CIRCA 1912)

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S MOST “SLANDEROUS” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE!  TEMPORARILY BLOCKED BY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AT PUBLIC ACCESS SITES WITHIN THE CITY, THEN UNBLOCKED.  I GUESS YOU CANNOT DO THAT ACCORDING TO ACLU.  PROUDLY RATED ONE STAR (POSSIBLY DOWN TO ZERO FROM OUR LAST ACCOUNTS) OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS..  TMC IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE’S DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR GOOD REASON, AND PROSSIBLY POSSIBLY ON FILE WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S POTENTIAL SLAPP SUIT LIST, FOR GOOD REASON… WE WILL HAVE TO ASK GREGORY ABOUT THAT ONE ( OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO CONTACT HIS PEOPLE)… AGAIN, THANK-YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT!   COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY SPHALL SPELL CHECKERS!  EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY WITH YOUR DIRT OR CONTACT US BY THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS! CONTRIBUTORS WILL ALWAYS BE PROTECTED… YES, WE EXPECT THE JAIL TIME FOR THAT ONE…  THIRTYMILESCORRUPTION@HOTMAIL.COM 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY: REMEMBERING THOSE WHO PAID THE PRICE FOR LIBERTY & INDEPENDENCE!

Posted: July 3, 2012 in Uncategorized
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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ~ The Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore. ~ John Adams

Do we find the cost of freedom buried in the ground? ~ Steven Stills

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~ Erma Bombeck

TMC wishing all a fulfilling Independence Day this Fourth of July..

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: UNDERWATER AND SHOCKED BY HIDDEN UTILITY TAXES?

Posted: June 24, 2012 in Uncategorized
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Hidden taxes in Riverside?  = $180 million

Three layered taxes on your utility bill.

Yes, If you live in the city of Riverside and receive your electric and water bill from the city—You are paying hidden taxes.  Your city elected officials approved it!  Yes, In spite of your constitutional right to VOTE on any tax issue.  That is true. You have a right to cast your vote before the city raises or creates a tax.  Well they haven’t done that in decades!  Right again tax payers.  The city electeds don’t trust you to vote correctly.

They are scared of doing all the hard work to develop a new tax measure and don’t trust you to vote for it.  It must really bother them a whole lot because, they worked extra hard to develop a tax that looks like a normal rate for utility services.  The tax is described in the city charter article 12.04.  It says the City Council may transfer up to 11.5% of the utility Departments’ gross revenue to the general fund.  They call this a general fund transfer.  They also don’t say it is a tax.  However, state law limits sources of city general fund income to only tax revenues.  This is usually, sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes.  No fees or charges to recover costs expended by the various city departments during the year.

Wait a minute.  The utility bill is comprised of fees, rates and charges for electric, water, sewer, trash plus reliability fees and conservation fees.  All are limited to the amount necessary to recover the cost of providing the service to you.   Every dollar you pay to the city utility department is taxed at a minimum of 11.5%.  The city has never said it is not a tax or it is legal to make these general fund transfers.  It only says the city charter allows it.

How much real cash is going to the general fund as a hidden tax.  The annual budget audits show the last year our water payments sent (tax) revenue to the general fund of $5.5 million.   Our electric bill payments sent $50 million (tax) to the general fund.  But, there is more.  At the bottom of your bill is the Utility Users Tax.  It is 6.5% of your bill charges.  This is a tax upon a tax with an effective tax rate of 18.5%! 

But there’s more!  Yes, the electeds know best.  Your electric service and water service are charged in 3 and 4 tiers respectively.  This is called punitive pricing.  The more you use the more you pay.  It can only meet the constitutional test if the price you are paying is less than or equal to the city’s cost of providing the service.  This is another form of taxation hidden in your bill.  It is used to pay the debt service estimated at approximately $100 million per year.

That is $155 million per year of hidden taxes we all pay and we didn’t vote for any of it.

Oh, the Utility Users Tax, that is another $25 million per year!

Added up it is equivalent to $1,800 additional property taxes for every utility customer and we were not allowed to vote!

That is $180 million that we could be better utilizing if it stayed in the family budget.  How many families might have saved their home if this money wasn’t taken from them?  How many purchases at local businesses could have been made in the last 5 years?  How many dinners out in local restaurants or tickets to movies?  How many jobs could have been saved?

To the extent tiered water rates are imposed in a manner that deviates from “cost of service” requirements, those rates are in violation of Proposition 218  -Howard Jarvis Tax Payer Association

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S MOST “SLANDEROUS” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE!  TEMPORARILY BLOCKED BY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AT PUBLIC ACCESS SITES WITHIN THE CITY, THEN UNBLOCKED.  I GUESS YOU CANNOT DO THAT ACCORDING TO ACLU.  PROUDLY RATED ONE STAR (POSSIBLY DOWN TO ZERO FROM OUR LAST ACCOUNTS) OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS..  TMC IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE’S DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR GOOD REASON, AND PROSSIBLY POSSIBLY ON FILE WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S POTENTIAL SLAPP SUIT LIST, FOR GOOD REASON… WE WILL HAVE TO ASK GREGORY ABOUT THAT ONE ( OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO CONTACT HIS PEOPLE)… AGAIN, THANK-YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT!   COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY SPHALL SPELL CHECKERS!  EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY WITH YOUR DIRT OR CONTACT US BY THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS! CONTRIBUTORS WILL ALWAYS BE PROTECTED… YES, WE EXPECT THE JAIL TIME FOR THAT ONE…  THIRTYMILESCORRUPTION@HOTMAIL.COM 

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: BARBER BLOG REBUTTLE: LETTER OF DETERMINATION BY DISTRICT ATTORNEY REGARDING ALLEGATIONS MADE BY MORENO, PITRUZZELLO AND FIGUEROA

Posted: June 1, 2012 in Uncategorized
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April 23, 2012 I wrote this email letter to the DA’s office to Vicki Hightower, Chief Deputy District Attorney, Special Prosecution Section, addressing concerns and frustrations.

Four days later, this letter of determination along with an article by City Manager Scott Barber was posted on Scott Barber’s Blog Site.  This letter was sent to Mary Figueroa, as opposed to myself directly, and is dated March 29, 2012.

         

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW FULL DOCUMENT IN PDF FORMAT

SCOTT BARBER’S POSTING: IT APPEARS THAT THE FOLLOWING POSTING HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM BARBER’S BLOG SITE, BUT HERE IT IS IN IT’S ENTIRETY.

Letter of determination by the District Attorney regarding allegations made by Moreno, Pitruzzello and Figueroa

By sbarber | Published April 27, 2012

DA Letter

If you have been attending or watching recent City Council meetings, then you probably have heard statements from a group of citizens alleging a variety of inappropriate actions, such as favoritism towards a local developer, unauthorized spending by our former City Manager, loans from the sewer fund to the Redevelopment Agency (I blogged about this earlier today), and funds used to demolish property for the “Raincross” development. Yesterday, the City received a copy of the determination letter from the District Attorney’s Office, along with a list of the individuals who presented the information to the DA (see the title of this blog for that list), regarding these allegations. I am pleased to share the letter with you (click on the DA Letter link to read) and to let you know that the DA concluded that no criminal acts occurred as a result of the City’s actions.

SELF APPOINTED CITIZEN AUDITOR, VIVIAN MORENO RESPONDED AS FOLLOWS:

  1. Vivian Moreno

Posted April 27, 2012 at 2:43 pm | Permalink

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Are you for real? it’s on. Are you guys really serious that you put this in writing? This letter will be sent to the Attorney General and the State Controller and let’s see what they have to say. the city spinners are at it again and now they have the DA in their pocket. Wait till the feds see this. Scott, the city is in big enough trouble as it is and you are going to try and challenge us. Go for it!!! If you are really transparent, post this. You might actually get someone to read your blog, because we are going to post our response. This took the DA a year to respond? Get a grip.

__________________

One can see that if citizens have concerns locally with city officials in violation of the city charter, where do they take their concerns for investigation, if not District Attorney Paul Zellerbach’s office?  Any guesses?

This is the problem and the following scenario is reflective of this, as noted in Mary Shelton’s blog five before midnight, how do you investigate an official and have him sponsor a fundraiser at the same time?  This is why investigations of politicians conduct can’t be local.

Again, the determination of our concerns was assessed by a one time meeting and never followed through appropriately with a secondary or tertiary meeting.  Or in our estimation never investigated appropriately to the satisfaction of our community and individual concerns, of which was expected by this department.

First, Vicki Hightower, had our contact information on file, it’s quite paradoxical that she asked that the letter be forwarded, since there was no contact information. She does have our email, and further, the DA’s office has been quite adept at collecting and filing our articles regarding TMC postings.  We consider the DA’s office quite resourceful at attaining this information if necessary.  So, I’d like to address this question, the primary reason are group of concerned citizens contacted and met with District Attorney Paul Zellerbach, was the issue of Connie Leach, whereby  the contracts and issues of concern will come out shortly.  The items listed in the letter coincidently received by Mr. Barber, were discussed, but not the primary reason for contacting the DA.  By the way, I’d like to take this time to thank Mr. Barber for giving me top billing in his posting title.  You may observe, the issue of Connie Leach is not mentioned in this letter.  The meeting took place in confidence, and we were unaware of the possible collaborations between city officials and the district attorney’s office thereafter the breach. But questions arose regarding the associations between the DA, the City and The Grand Jury, not only when you view campaign support, but there close association within the working environment.  What’s quite interesting was the file of TMC articles the DA’s office had in their possession and their request to know who were the writers.  The cards appeared to change before our eyes.  Were we being the ones investigated?

Who would be the the enforcement agency regards to city charter violations , if not the DA’s office?  According to the letter, in many instances they are washing their hands of any responsibility.  It is our understanding and the accepted standard in other cities that the DA’s office is responsible for enforcing any violations of the City Charter etc.

Item #1: Loans from Sewer Funds used to fund Redevelopment Agency Projects:

Response by the DA’s office regarding sewer funds:

Riverside Municipal Code is as follows:

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW FULL SEWER CODE CHAPTER 14.04 IN PDF FORMAT

Sewer Fund Loans; not sure why the DA’s office is playing symantics with us, but the ordinance is very clear, it states exactly what these funds should be used for.  It appears that the DA’s argument remains toward the premise that ‘nothing in the ordinance specifically prohibits the specified loans’.  Bingo, that is also correct, there argument is that ‘nothing specifically states you can’t’.  A DA diversion?  But again the ordinance is very clear on what the funds should be used for.  It states that such revenue (sewer) shall not be used for the acquisition or construction of new street sewers or lateral as distinquished from the main trunk, interceptor or outfall sewers.  So therefore, why would monies from the sewer fund be transferred from a local City fund to a State Agency (RDA) in what is know as an ‘inter-agency” loan.  When RDA is reflective of an agency of new construction, and the ordinance states this money cannot be used for new construction.  The DA’s office went on to say that if there was such a provision, it still would not be a crime for the District Attorney’s office to address, because it would be a violation of the City ordinance.  So who would be the appropriate source of contact for this concern?  We have been told it is the DA’s office.  We wouldn’t think for a moment that it could be the City.  Whereby the city would investigate themselves on this violations.  So the question remains..  Again, the DA’s office did not address the concern clearly, except to say that if there was not an ordinance saying you could not make a loan from the Sewer Fund., and of course this is also correct.  There is none.  But they didn’t consider the ordinance at its’ direct face value?  In doing so, do ordinances, provisions and laws truly mean anything at all?

A loan from the Sewer fund to RDA, would be consider an ‘inter-agency’ loan.  Even then would have to serve a sewer purpose.  Again the DA diverts attention from his office to allow the City Manager Scott Barber to state no criminal actions occurred within the auspices of the DA’s office.  Though, the DA states, if there was an ordinance, which there is, it would a ‘violation of the city ordinance’.  So who enforces violations of city ordinances?  Please Mr.DA, you know exactly what the intended meaning of this charter ordinance meant?

Item #2: City Manager Discretionary Spending

Response by the DA’s office regarding former City Manager Brad Hudson’s discretionary spending.

Former City Manager Brad Hudson’s total discretionary spending as indicated below.

Brad Hudson’s discretionary spending.  City Manager Scott Barber addressed this issue in a posting.  I also responded.

Ability to  enter into contracts up to $50,000.00 is available to City Manager, not all department heads.  Contractual agreements up to $50,000.oo without council approval was entered in after the firing of former City Manager George Carvahlos.  Mr. Carvahlos was a true Riversidian and was against much of what the current council wanted.  Which included Ed Adkison, Frank Schiavone, Steve Adams and Mayor Ron Loveridge.  Hudson was brought in and the contractual agreement clause was raised from $25,000.00 to $50,000.00.  Fifty thousand is alot of money, and again their were no guidelines which encompassed the proper spending of that amount to prevent spending abuses.  One could spend $50,000.00 daily, or one could spend incremental amounts in what is known as bid splitting.  Again Mr. Zellerbach, we are talking about apples and oranges when comparing the City Manager’s discretionary spending for fiscal year 2009/2010 is $299,685.00 when compared with Parks and Recreation of $2,000,000.00.  Our public records for City Manager’s discretionary spending  for fiscal year 2009/ 2010 for contracts under $50,000.00 comes out to $29,554,005.19.  You also state that the 2009/2010 discretionary spending under $50,000.00 is $299,685.00.  You are off by $29,254,320.19… I don’t think you are seeing the complete spending picture, these are contracts under $50,000.00 approved under City Manager’s or Department Heads authority.  The City Manager is ultimately responsible for all spending even over the Department Heads authority.  Therefore, the amount in oversight by the City Manager is $29,254,320.19.

Item #3: Favoritism to Mark Rubin (developer)

Response by DA’s office regarding favoritism by the City of Riverside toward developer Mark Rubin.

Dennis Morgan (aka. Larry the Liquidator) of IPA, which is the contracted property management company for all the City of Riverside’s properties.  Why does he also manage properties of Developer Mark Rubin, to what was mentioned at a land use committee meeting of in the neighborhood of 15,000 sq. ft.  Mark Rubin is a property developer for the city, one of the properties is the vacant and unfinished Raincross Promenade project.”  They even exchanged accolades at a Land Use Committee meeting in which they acknowledge themselves as “compadres”, in my estimation, as a figure of speech in regards to their close ties.  We have several witnessed who will attest that this occurred at a land use committee meeting.  But I guess it is not pertinent enough for the DA to address this issue on a constructive basis that would allow pertinent information to evolve..

The last statement Barber makes, “the DA concluded that no criminal acts occurred as a result of the City’s actions”.  According to the DA’s office in reference to property transfers they do address the fact that the City of Riverside did violate the law, and this concern should be forwarded to the State Attorney General. What is important to notice is that there is no criminal action to warrant action by his office.  That does not mean a serious criminal violation hasn’t occurred, it only means that the DA’s office is not the appropriate entity to handle it.  For example, the City of Riverside has created a resolution which does not allow Marijuana dispensaries within the City, even though at the State level it is legal, at the Federal level it is illegal.  The city can now stop the dispensary and cite them for violations, but they cannot take their property.  The Feds can.  Therefore a different office of government and must be called by the city to do just that.  This would be the Department of Justice.  The taking of property is known as ‘asset forfeiture.’

Again the DA states if this allegation occurred in (b) it would be a violation of RDA guidelines, not the DA’s responsibility.  If it isn’t there responsibility, isn’t it there responsibility to direct us to the appropriate office that could address our concerns?

Favoritism by the City toward Mark Rubin cannot be documented, that is true.  I agree with the DA’s office, this would be a hard nut to crack without solid evidence, such as bribery. But is it plausible to connect favoritism to the definition of nepotism?  Nepotism occurs in the city, but never addressed.  We have an instance such former councilman and mayoral candidate Ed Adkison at the Friday Morning Club Janet Goeskie Senior Center on February 23, 2012 stating that the City’s relationship with Connie Leach was ‘nepotism’.  Adkison was on the council during the Connie Leach allegations.  We also had councilman Steve Adams brother reviewing red light camera tickets.

Do you think if a Councilman received a ticket violation would they fulfill their obligation to pay it?  Or would it be surprisingly cleared from the system?  According to the DA, favoritism in their office must indicate documented bribery, otherwise it is out of the DA’s scope of practice. No documentation indicates bribery between the City of Riverside and developer Mark Rubin.

Item #4: Raincross property:

Response by the DA’s office regarding the demolition of the Swiss Inn, a Raincross property.

In the DA’s response, it shows the address to be 3120 Main Street, whereby it should read 3210 Main Street.  Our records show that the developer Mark Rubin owned the property when the City paid Dakeno demolition for the work on Mark Rubin’s property.   City acquired the property initially, transferred back to Mark Rubin, then flipped it back to the city.  The city did pay for demolition by Dakeno on the Swiss Inn property owned by developer Mark Rubin.  The City of Riverside paid for demolition according to the document which stated payment from the discretionary fund account on 03/06/2007, and Mark Rubin, developer, was still in posession of the property until 05/22/2008 when it was transferred to RDA.  According to the title company, the owner, Enrique Martinez transferred title on 11/09/2006

    

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW DAKENO DEMOLITION DOCUMENT IN PDF FORMAT

The following document shows that payment of $44,770.00 as indicated in the notation in the above document from former City Manager Brad Hudson’s discretionary fund.

CLICK IMAGE TO SEE FULL DOCUMENT

The above document is on page 231 of former City Manager Brad Hudson’s discretionary sprending account for the amount $44,770.00 indicated in the above notion referring to Fund 476 University Corridor/ Sycamore Canyon Capital Project paid to Dakeno Demolition.

Click this link to view 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 City Manager Brad Hudson Discretionary Fund

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

06/01/2005: BRAD HUDSON ENTERS INTO CITY MANAGER POSTION

06/07/2005: RDA MEMORANDUM COMMENCE NEGOTIATION W/ RAINCROSS PARTNERS 136 LP & RIVER REGIONAL

08/00/2005: CITY HOME PARTNERS AGREEMENT HAS PURCH/SELL AGREEMENT WITH MARQUEZ $1.67 MIL

-the Swiss Inn, house 42 Developmentally Disabled and 10 Live In Employees

-this purchase activates affordable housing redevelopment clause

-City Home Partners is connected to Raincross Partners 136 LP

-Raincross Partners is connected to Mark Rubin

-River Regional is connected to Mark Rubin

-An upset Marquez believes RDA is purchasing his property, and finds out later the Developer is purchasing it.

-Actual sale doesn’t record until 11/09/2006 with Mark Rubin’s name all over it.

09/13/2005: DDA RIVER REGIONAL PROPERTIES LLC- mentions affordable housing

09/19/2006: Redevelopment memorandum-item #11, Resolution of necessity to acquire 1st to 3rd   properties-approved by city council, no resolution document exists, therefore no land acquisition should have taken place or developer (Rubin) was required to put into escrow monies to acquire property, pay for demolition, clearance, and relocation fees.  5.4 million dollar sewer transfer took place to pay for relocation, clearance, and demolition fees, deposited into escrow fund.  5.4 million sewer inter-fund transfer occurs according to council report but the sewer fund is not the loan of record, the worker’s comp and the electric fund are the receivable loan until August, 09 Money is not moved from the sewer-fund until August of 2009.  Money is posted to sewer fund June 30, 2009.  Why would an employee fraudulently back-date the postings of the sewer fund?

10/04/2005: DDA RAINCROSS PARTNERS 136 LP (CHUCK,RUBIN) -included affordable housing comprehensive plan

08/06/2006: CITY SURVEYS SWISS INN PROPERTY FOR PURCHASE

08/17/2006: GRANT DEED SIGNED FROM ENRIQUE MARQUEZ TO REGIONAL PROPERTIES INC. (MARK RUBIN)

09/06/2006: MARK RUBIN-REGIONAL PROPERTIES INC. TAKE OVER ESCROW

09/19/2006: RAINCROSS PARTNERS 136 LP TERMINATES THE ENTIRE DDA WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING

09/19/2006: DDA AMENDMENT FOR RIVER REGIONAL FOR 256 UNITS.  IN A CITY EMAIL MARK RUBIN TAKES OVER ESCROW.  HE WILL CLOSE THE ESCROW AND FLIP PARCELS  TO THE AGENCY.

11/07/2006: CITY EMAIL STATES MARK RUBIN IS OKAY WITH HOLDING ON TO THE SWISS INN FOR NOW

11/09/2006: GRANT DEED RECORDED FROM ENRIQUE MARQUEZ TO REGIONAL PROPERTIES INC. (MARK RUBIN)

02/08/2007: PERMIT ISSUED: CITY DEMOS MARK RUBIN’S PROPERTY SWISS INN,   $44,700.00  as stated on permit.

03/06/2007: CITY OF RIVERSIDE PAY’S DAKENO DEMOLITION $44,700.00 VIA FUND 476 UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR/ SYCAMORE CANYON CAPITAL PROJECT.

07/16/2008: GRANT DEED TRANSFER/SELLS  (FLIPS IT) FROM REGIONAL PROPERTIES INC. (MARK RUBIN) TO RDA.

03/08/2011 – GRANT DEED TRANSFER FROM RDA (BRAD HUDSON) TO CITY OF RIVERSIDE

                                             

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW COMPLETE DOCUMENT        CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE

Item #5: Transfer of Redevelopment Agency (RDA) real property to the City.

Response by the DA’s office regarding the issue of illegally transferring Redevelopment properties back to the City.

OK Scott, did we miss the part of the transfer of 149 properties from the Redevelopment Agency back to the City before the June deadline?  We brought this to City Council a year ago, and was discounted.  Even you City Attorney must have missed this one, or even your $400 per hour Best, Best & Krieger outside legal help missed this one.  This was a violation by the city that the DA addressed, but was not addressed or mentioned on your blog appropriately in detail by you.  Knowingly that a violation had occurred, is it not in the DA’s position to forward this to be investigated by the State Attorney General?

                                                 

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW PROPERTY TRANSFERS       CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW 2ND VERSION OF PROPERTY TRANSFERS

Regarding Connie Leach, former Chief of Police Russell Leach’s wife.  TMC will post our concerns and allegations that the DA’s office and the Riverside Grand Jury to our knowledge, considered baseless, or without merit.  But questions still remain regarding the use of Police Asset Forfeiture funds in payment to Connie Leach, while her husband Police Chief Russell Leach was in charge.  Our position will posted.

What we find is that the DA’s office is not the appropriate office to address our concerns and allegations.  Though, when asked who would handle violations of charter at the City level, we were directed to the DA’s office.  But all local entities were exhausted, we went to the appropriate entities at the State and Federal levels.  Yes this is all true, Scott is right, no criminal actions at the DA level, and I’m sure no criminal actions at the City level, because as you would also find, that the City Attorney, Gregory Priamos would call this baseless.  Some may say that this is a system created by a few, to work for a few.  But I believe there continues to be something wrong with this picture. Something that reflects a triage of influence by these entities. Creating a difficult arena for local residents to address their concern without some sort of retribution, slanderously or financially, or what some in the city say, ‘client control’ tactics.  And that is my opinion. It may be right, it may be wrong but we will continue to investigate and learn the language of municipal politics..  Final word, we do appreciate City Manager Scott Barbers dialogue.

But we have to remember the DA’s office never addressed the issue of federal cold plates, illegal gun sales, illegal badges, fillegal law enforcement/emergency lights, fraudulently and illegally applying for concealed weapons permit with a false address, overlooking DUI’s and ticket fixing.  If this was anyone other than those in the office, such as the common citizen, we’d be in jail, and people have one to jail.   Of course, these violations would not be handled by the DA’s office, which is actually true…but again …who would?  And if they were responsible for oversight of these violations, would they actually mitigate them?  And would they contact or forward these issues to the proper legal authority?

Is there a triangle of influence connecting the City, DA and Grand Jury?  Is there a quadrangle of influence connecting the City, DA, Grand Jury and Judges?  Is there actually a pentagonal angle of influence which would involve the State?   Pentagonal in the sense that what do citizens do when they have utilized all resources without any reasonable response?  We have addressed this pressing issue in a TMC article.  These would include the City Attorney’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, the Grand Jury, the Superior Court Judges, and now possibly the State?  Are only hope is those offices outside the State.  Such as the IRS, Security and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the FBI etc.

What do you do as a concerned citizen when the majority of the City Council is tied in with the Distric Attorney Paul Zellerbach?

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VIEW THE PIC.

Some public servants have said to bring such issues to the forefront is to ‘political’.  Even if the issues are right, they will not act on it, therefore leaving a conclusion that is vague and clandestine.  Therefore giving reason that the public is not important.  It then appears that one completely discounts the oath that was taken to serve, and placing their own interest as primary, superseding the public interest.  This is what most people in the community feel and are angry about.  Further, voters don’t vote because they feel it does’nt really matter..and in many ways they are right.  But they need to get involve at a different level.  I do feel at some levels that this letter was ‘orchestrated’ and ‘designed’ in many way by one or more political elements within city to divert and mitigate the actual concerns of the public as simply having no merit.  Further, to strategically label us as uninformed individuals.  This would only safeguard their political compulsory obligations to maintain their positions, supporting constituents and of course the ‘status quo atmosphere of illusionary stability’.  Another aspect to remember is that the DA’s office did not take upon themselves to even investigate our allegations.  They made their opinion simply on our one time meeting and the information we submitted that needed further investigation by his office, which was not done.  A step further, their opinion may have allegedly been made after contact with the city, further breaching our confidence as concerned citizens.  Many of these issues, according to District Attorney Paul Zellerbach’s Office, simply must be forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office, of course, we assume, the appropriate office to deal with these issues. City violations of the City Charter, as we understand, are to be directed toward the DA’s office.  But what we are told by the DA, “was it illegal or just bad business”?  Our we to accept as concerned citizens that bad business is an acceptable premise for city business?  City business that doesn’t have a public or constituent benefit?  When does bad business cross the line?  When does it cross the line into the gray line of illegal?  Our these departments of oversight really there to be good fiscal stewards of the people in which they took an oath to protect and serve?  If you view the premise of this blog article, this is more of a hit piece against Vivian Moreno, Dvonne Pritruzzello and Mary Figueroa by DA Paul Zellerbach and Riverside City Manager Scott Barber to discredit their concerns or mitigate their allegations? Can we call it collusion?  Regardless, what can I say, ‘This is Riverside’.

Again, our concerns were originally with Connie Leach, and TMC will be posting our findings in “Hush Money II” that were suddenly rejected by the Riverside Grand Jury, without fully investigating each respondent and fully evaluating the documents submitted and requested from the City of Riverside.  The Grand Jury had requested asset forefeiture records from the City of Riverside and failed to continue their interview process in order to fully complete their investigation.  Instead, decided to relieve themselves of their duty to act on citizens concerns by acting not to act.  Was the result allegedly orchestrated or meticulously created by design in order to mitigate any unintended repercussions?

Considering the DA’s TMC article file (kinda reminds me of Hoovers FBI files), considering the questions that were asked, in turn, were we actually the ones being interviewed?  Was this a last ditch effort in their process to protect the family?  Were we actually dancing around the issues?…  and a final question, what is your connection with local Attorney Virginia Blumenthal ingrained on your ribbon above the tutu?  and how many are truly ingrained within the family called ‘Riverside’?

PERDITION

UPDATE: 06/16/2012: Pravda Press Enterprise continues it’s art of molding popular public opinion?  Does our Chief Sergio Diaz have a starring role?  PE leading the way to absolutely no comments?

WHAT’S WRONG PE? CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH ABOUT OBAMA & ILLEGALS STEALING AMERICAN JOBS? WHY YOU SENSORING ALL THE COMMENTS THAT ARE TRUE. WE ARE IN AMERICA ( OR I THOUGHT ) WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH SO LET OUR OPINIONS BE KNOWN!!   – obama hater, commenter on the Press Enterprise possibly prior to being censored..

Once again, PE proves only certain opinions are acceptable here.  Good job, airjackie and kensew, you have achieved media sactioned thinking.  – censordefier, Commenter on the Press Enterprise

or

are commenters actually the ones censoring?

The problem with this comment section is there is no moderator. If a reader doesn’t like your comment, they report it as abuse and it’s collapsed. It’s supposed to be reviewed by a moderator but the PE has gutted it’s staff to generate profits so your comment will never be read and reinstated. In this case, it’s the illegal alien supporters collapsing the comments they oppose. Notice it’s only people who oppose the president’s stupid move that have been collapsed and the pro stupid move remain. Test it yourself. Report one of them and they’re comment will disappear as well. Terrible setup here.  – crymeariver, commenter on the PE

Other commenters make a case in point that comments with the highest approval ratings are being deleted or removed, especially when the comments don’t violate their guidelines..

UPDATE: 06/16/2012: REDLIGHT CAMERAS IN THE NEWS AGAIN:  Press Enterprise Alicia Robinson new posting on her blog regarding the issue of redlight cameras.

TMC had our own comments regarding redlight cameras as revenue enhancers over safety issues.  While Councilman Paul Davis voted against the renewal contract back in 2011, Councilman Andy Melendrez voted for it, Councilwoman Nany Hart voted for it, Chris MacArthur voted for it, Councilman Steve Adams must have voted for it to keep his keep his redlight camera reviewer brother Ron Adams working, Mayoral Candidate/ current Councilman  William “Rusty” Bailey and Independent Voice for Riverside voted for it, even “I have no such plans to run for mayor”, of course, mayoral candidate and current Councilman Mike Gardner voted for it.  And voted for it as a safety issue, as opposed to a revenue enhancer, and discounting studies countering the psuedo statistics they were provided.

But to now lose $1,154,000.00 in anticipated revenue projections according to City Manager Scott Barbers proposed budget?  The question remained that it was a bad deal last year when the proposal to renew the contract went in front of Council.  Councilman Paul Davis saw through it and didn’t vote for it, the rest did, and now how will they vote this time?  Vote for renewal, is a vote to continue hard earned taxpayer money down the toilet.

UPDATE: 06/18/2012: CITY OF RIVERSIDE TO REMOVE RED LIGHT CAMERAS!  COST CONSIDERED A FACTOR IN THE DECISION FOR THEIR REMOVAL.. 

UPDATE: 06/17/2012: ARE REDLIGHT CAMERA COMPANIES, SUCH AS AMERICAN TRAFFIC SYSTEMS BANKROLLING COUNTERSUITS AGAINST VOTER BACKED INITIATIVES TO REMOVE REDLIGHT CAMERAS?  Recently a story was leased in the Press Enterprise regarding the City of Murrieta and a voter backed initiative to remove redlight cameras.  Former council candidate and former chairman of Murrieta’s Public Safety and Traffic Commission Steve Flynn, in conjunction with the law firm Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk counter sued.  Steve Flynn skewed the issues when interviewed by KFI’s John and Ken Show.  Listen to this interview in it’s entirely by clicking this link.  At the end of the interview on this show,  John Kobylt stated toward Steve Flynn, “You have zero credibility”!  Questions arose on who is bankrolling these counter suits against citizen voter initiatives.  Mr. Flynn didn’t know who was financially backing the Murrieta suit, although his name is on it.  But appears that in other states that these counter suits are occurring, the redlight camera companies as American Traffic Systems are bankrolling them.

Steve Flynn

When Ken Champou asked Flynn asked, “Why can’t people vote to get rid of them”?  Flynn responded referring to the people, “they were misinformed”.

UPDATE: 06/17/2012: SACRAMENTO BEE: EDITORIAL: TIME FOR CALIFORNIA TO PUT AN END TO ‘DOUBLE DIPPING’?  Case in hand, editorial mentions former Riverside City Manager and current Sacramento County Executive Officer Brad Hudson.  Currently, it appears that ‘double dipping’ is a public sector phenomenon, whereby some government workers can retire as early as age 50, receive a CalPERS pension check and get another government job.  You better believe this would never occur in the private sector, because you are dealing with company money, and it is watched carefully.  In the public sector where taxpayer money funds salaries and pensions, it may appear to some government representatives guarding the till as ‘funny money’.

          

According to the editorial this type of activity show a failure, a failure to recruit and groom entry level and midlevel people to replace aging baby boomers.  Currently, if a retiree recieves a pension and a government salary, it appears that retiree no longer contributes to the pension system, therefore placing a strain on an already strained public pension system.   But if one transfers from a different local which has their own pension program, to new local with their own, this scenerio wouldn’t apply.  So it ask the question, “Should California do what New York does”?  Retired government workers under 65 who return to public employment cannot receive pension payments if eartnings reach beyond $30,000.00.  Questions arose when current Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz retired from the Los Angeles Police Department, as Deputy Chief at 55 years of age in March 31, 2010, to begin his new job of Riverside Police Chief July 1, 2010.  Diaz was hired by former City Manager Brad Hudson, and in unison with former Assistant City Manager Tom Desantis.

UPDATE: 06/18/2012: YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO EMERALD CITY?

 

I told you a thousand times, Chief Diaz say’s you need a permit for the costumes or the next time you’ll be arrested…

The City of Riverside has been labeled the ‘All American City’ in 1998, and christened the first ‘Emerald City’ in 2009, all we need now is the ‘Yellow Brick Road’?  The City of Redland’s has it’s ‘Orange Blossom Trail’ ( which in my opinion should have fittingly been in Riverside), the City of Indianapolis has it’s ‘Cultural Trail’, so why not?  Let’s build a yellow brick road.

                       

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW THE FULL PROPOSAL

Passed on last week’s consent calendar is the creation of the signature ‘Yellow Brick Trail’, linking UC Riverside to ‘Emerald City’, of course, to our wonderfully blighted Downtown Riverside.

 UPDATE:06/18/2012: THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR EMILIO RAMIEREZ HAS MUCH TO SAY ON THE REDEVELOPMENT BUG-A-BOO…

According to the Press Enterprise the biggest concerns are the loans the city made to the redevelopment agency.  Ramirez said they were legal when they were done, which was long before the 2011 bill that ended redevelopment existed.  State officials have cited the law’s section that says loans between the city and redevelopment agency are not “enforceable obligations.”  In other words, ‘not legal’..  Ramirez goes on to say that at the June 16 meeting what started out as $158 million in questionable Enforeable Obligations by the State, that $60 million of that was unknowingly added as a ‘book keeping line item’.  This $60 million with 2 other similar items which add up to what he is calling ‘ the $80 million mistake’, which the State says are not payable.  This would appear to mean that the taxpayer is responsible for this $80 million???  and the ‘Ramirez Spin’ continues, if it shouldn’t have been there to begin with, it was never there?

UPDATE: 06/19/2012: NOW IF ANYONE WHO LIVES IN THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE KNOWS, IF THEY WERE TO TURN PLANS OR ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THEIR WOODSTREET HOME, OR JUST DO IT ANYWAY,  WOULDN’T WE HAVE THE WRATH OF CODE ENFORCEMENT ON THE RESIDENT?  THEN HAVING TO RATIONALIZE WITH COMMADANT PRIAMOS OR EXPERIENCE SEVERE FINES?  SO HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN AT ALL?  OH, THESE ARE THE NEW RENDERINGS SUBMITTED FOR THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY, AMONG OTHERS SUBMITTED TO THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE.  NOT SURE AT THIS TIME, WHAT ARCHITECT SUBMITTED THEM OR HOW MUCH TAXPAYER MONEY WAS PAID, BUT CERTAINLY FLOWS WITH THE EARLY CALIFORNIA REVIVAL? AROUND DOWNTOWN? OR DOES IT?  BUT CLICK THIS LINK TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL BACKGROUND OF THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY.

Press Enterprise Dan Berstein has their take on this Architectural (or animal ?) rendering, and Alicia Robinson talks about the new library design, please don’t throw stones..

 JUST FOR LAUGH’S

Will the remnants of the mayor continue to pull the strings?

Ugggh…Call Public Works and tell them we will need another change order!

Now, for an update of how commenters feel about the current immigration issue in the Press Enterprise…….well okay, how bout page 5? 6? 7? hmmm….well we’ll have to just check back later. 

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S MOST “SLANDEROUS” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE!  TEMPORARILY BLOCKED BY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AT PUBLIC ACCESS SITES WITHIN THE CITY, THEN UNBLOCKED.  I GUESS YOU CANNOT DO THAT ACCORDING TO ACLU.  PROUDLY RATED ONE STAR (POSSIBLY DOWN TO ZERO FROM OUR LAST ACCOUNTS) OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS..  TMC IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE’S DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR GOOD REASON, AND PROSSIBLY POSSIBLY ON FILE WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S POTENTIAL SLAPP SUIT LIST, FOR GOOD REASON… WE WILL HAVE TO ASK GREGORY ABOUT THAT ONE ( OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO CONTACT HIS PEOPLE)… AGAIN, THANK-YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT!   COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY SPHALL SPELL CHECKERS!  EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY WITH YOUR DIRT OR CONTACT US BY THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS! CONTRIBUTORS WILL ALWAYS BE PROTECTED… YES, WE EXPECT THE JAIL TIME FOR THAT ONE…  THIRTYMILESCORRUPTION@HOTMAIL.COM 

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: OFF THEY GO….THE MAYORS RACE 2012! … RUNOFF THIS NOVEMBER 2012 BETWEEN BAILEY AND ADKISON!

Posted: May 30, 2012 in Uncategorized
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CITY OF RIVERSIDE MAYORS RACE: FINAL TALLY: 96/96 100% AS OF 1:30AM 06/06/2012.  COUNCILMAN WILLIAM “RUSTY” BAILEY WINS TOP POSITION OF THIS MAYORS ELECTION  THE MAYORS POSITION, WHILE FORMER COUNCILMAN ED ADKISON CLOSES AT SECOND, CURRENT COUNCILMAN MIKE GARDNER AT THIRD, AND COUNCILMAN ANDY MELENDREZ AT FOURTH!  THAT MEANS THERE WILL BE A RUNOFF THIS NOVEMBER BETWEEN CURRENT COUNCILMAN WILLIAM “RUSTY” BAILEY AND FORMER COUNCILMAN ED ADKISON.

  1. RUSTY BAILEY                      7,800    32.30%
  2. ED ADKISON                         6,561     27.17%
  3. MIKE GARDNER                  4,118      17.05%
  4. ANDY MELENDREZ             3,389      14.03%
  5. DVONNE PITRUZZELLO       900          3.73%
  6. AURORA CHAVEZ                  846         3.50%
  7. PETER BENAVIDEZ               533        2.21%

         TOTAL                                   24,147         100%

Of all the candidates for mayor, only Dvonne Pitruzzello has demonstrated the heart of a reformer and the courage to take on the political establishment, therefore she gets my vote. It also helps that she hasn’t sent me one of those stupid mailers.  – Bill Scherer, Riverside Conservative Examiner

UPDATE:02/20/2012: AURORA CHAVEZ HAS JUST ENTERED THE MAYOR’S RACE.

UPDATE:02/16/2012: RUMOR HAS IT THAT FORMER MAYOR TERRY FRIZELL AND ANOTHER FORMER COUNCILMAN CHUCK BEATTY MAY BE ENTERING THE MAYOR’S RACE!  IT GOING TO BE AN EXCITING RACE! STAY TUNED.    A new entry to the Mayor’s race is 27 year old Bryan D. Pelkowski.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:

FORMER COUNCILMAN ED ADKISON WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE FRIDAY MORNING CLUB FEBRUARY 24, 2012, AT THE JANET GOESKE SENIOR CENTER, ROOM D, 5257 SIERRA ST. (AT THE CORNER OF STREETER), RIVERSIDE, CA FROM 10:00AM TO 11:30AM. http://edadkison.com http://www.facebook.com/ed.adkison http://www.michaelwilliamscompany.org/documents/ed_adkison.html

DVONNE PITRUZZELLO A FORMER CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE FRIDAY MORNING CLUB MARCH 23, 2012, AT THE JANET GOESKE SENIOR CENTER, ROOM D, 5257 SIERRA ST. (AT THE CORNER OF STREETER), RIVERSIDE, CA FROM 10:00AM TO 11:30AM.

WARD 2 CITY COUNCILMAN ANDY MELENDREZ WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE FRIDAY MORNING CLUB MARCH 30, 2012, AT THE JANET GOESKE SENIOR CENTER, ROOM D, 5257 SIERRA ST. (AT THE CORNER OF STREETER), RIVERSIDE, CA FROM 10:00AM TO 11:30AM. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andy-Melendrez-for-Mayor-of-Riverside-2012/166645973391187 

WARD 3 WILLIAM “RUSTY” BAILEY WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE FRIDAY MORNING CLUB APRIL 6, 2012, AT THE JANET GOESKE SENIOR CENTER, ROOM D, 5257 SIERRA ST. (AT THE CORNER OF STREETER), RIVERSIDE, CA FROM 10:00AM TO 11:30AM.  http://www.rustybailey.com

PETER BENAVIDEZ, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BLINDNESS SUPPORT SERVICES, WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE FRIDAY MORNING CLUB APRIL 13, 2012, AT THE JANET GOESKE SENIOR CENTER, ROOM D, 5257 SIERRA ST. (AT THE CORNER OF STREETER), RIVERSIDE, CA FROM 10:00AM TO 11:30AM.   http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20120128-riverside-sixth-candidate-enters-mayors-race.ece

TMC WOULD LIKE ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN “VOTE FOR MAYOR 012” STRAW POLL ABOVE.  AS OF 06/06/2012 AT 12 MIDNIGHT, TMC CONGRATULATES COUNCILMAN MIKE GARDNER AT 118 VOTES!

CAMPAIGN MONEY RAISED FOR THE MAYOR’S RACE

Ed Adkison $128,000.00

William “Rusty” Bailey  $57,000.00

Andy Melendrez $16,000.00

Mike Gardner $19,500.00

Dvonne Pitruzzello $1,000.00

TMC ENDORSES DVONNE PITRUZZELLO FOR CITY OF RIVERSIDE MAYOR

STEVE CLUTE ASK FOR YOUR VOTE ON JUNE 5TH FOR THE OFFICE OF STATE SENATE!

BOB BUSTER ASK FOR YOUR VOTE FOR RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERVISOR ON JUNE 5TH

TMC THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT, KEEP CONNECTED WITH TMC…

MEMORIAL DAY: IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE..

Posted: May 26, 2012 in Uncategorized
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“We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them”.  – Francis A. Walker

To those who died securing peace and freedom; To those who served in conflict to protect our land, and sacrificed their dreams of the day to preserve the hope of our nation keeping America the land of the free for over two centuries we owe our thanks and our honor. It is important to not only recognize their service but to respect their devotion to duty and to ensure that the purpose for which they fought will never be forgotten.

From the soldiers who fought bravely during the American Revolution to the men and women of today’s Armed Forces, America’s fighting forces, have responded bravely to this nation’s call to duty. Both on the battlefield and in their assurance of readiness, members of the nation’s military remain bound to their duty.  For more than 200 years, America’s Armed Forces have been the surest  guarantee that Freedom will continue to ring across this land …

Our prayers go out this Memorial Day to one of Riverside’s finest, RPD Officer Ryan Bonaminio and to his family.  Ryan went out to doing the right thing, the right thing was to maintain the safety and security of our community, and that he did.

After high school, Ryan joined the United States Army. He completed his Army Basic training and Military Police training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Ryan served two tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was a military police officer with the 314th Military Police and his assignments included serving in Umm Qasr, Kuwait City, Bagdad, and Mosuc. He also served in the 282nd Base Support Battalion in Hohenfels, Germany. Officer Bonaminio served with honor and distinction. He was highly praised by his peers and superiors. He earned several medals including the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Reserve Mobilization Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, and Expert Qualification Badge- 9mm pistol.

Ryan transitioned from military service to law enforcement with the Riverside Police Department on July 7, 2006. He continued his commitment to the US Army Reserves. According to his US Army Military Police Reserve Sergeant Tamara Colosimo, “Ryan has always done what is morally right. He has integrity in everything that he does. Ryan would make a great police officer.”

Riverside Police Department Chief of Police Sergio Diaz stated, “Officer Ryan Bonaminio’s tragic death is a reminder to all of us in the law enforcement family that the supreme sacrifice of our service is also a cost borne by our loved ones, our families, and our community”.

THE PRESS ENTERPRISE’S DAN BERSTEIN’S ARTICLE ON MEMORIAL DAY.

Homage to fallen heroes is not an invention of our days. History beams with examples how various nations in various ages have honored their patriot dead. It was a custom established by the laws of Athens that the obsequies of those who had fallen for their country in battle should be performed in the most public and solemn manner. The bones of the slain were gathered on the plains or mountains, and were brought in solemn procession to the city. There, in tents, they were guarded in state, and received the votive offerings of friends and relatives, such as flowers, weapons, and precious ornaments, which were brought as tributes of affection and evidence of the proper appreciation of their services. … Where such a custom existed, it is not to be marveled at that patriotism and love of country burned in every Grecian breast with a flame which a thousand years of oppression and tyranny were unable to crush out. … Can we be surprised that in such hearts the memory of Thermopylae and Marathon was always fresh? And shall we, the freest of all nations, in our paradise of liberty feel less patriotic fire in our breasts … ? Shall we neglect the graves of those who sacrificed their lives to defend the palladium of our liberty, to perpetuate our national unity, and shield our rights forever? … This Memorial Day, on which we decorate their graves with the tokens of love and affection, is no idle ceremony with us, to pass away an hour; but it brings back to our minds in all their vividness the fearful conflicts of that terrible war in which they fell as victims. … Let us , then, all unite in the solemn feelings of the hour, and tender with our flowers the warmest sympathies of our souls! Let us revive our patriotism and love of country by this act, and strengthen our loyalty by the example of the noble dead around us….    – Major General John Logan, On May 30, 1870, Delivered upon the occasion of the Decoration of Union Soldiers’ Graves at the National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

UPDATE: 06/06/12: CALIFORNIA JURY URGES DEATH FOR OFFICER’S KILLER…”HE’S NOT IN THE DIRT YET,” THE SLAIN OFFICER’S FATHER, JOE BONAMINIO, SAID LATER AT A NEWS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE THE COURT.

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: OFFICE OF CITY ATTORNEY: ‘WE DON’T NEED NO STINK’N CONTRACTS!’

Posted: May 21, 2012 in Uncategorized
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It has been apparent to the community of the close working relationship between the law firm Best, Best & Krieger and the City of Riverside.  What’s quite evident in fact is that the working relationship between the two entities involves oral contracts.

According to City Attorney Gregory Priamos no hard contracts exist not even a retainer agreement, when a public request act is initiated.   When it comes to a public accounting of the expenditures of the City Attorney, as requested by Mayoral Candidate Dvonne Pitruzzello, a rejection letter below, for the request was sent.  According to the letter Gregory sent, there is no such accounting that has been prepared, and according to law, the law does not impose any duty to create such a record.  Therefore, non is required.  Since when has the taxpayer not be allowed to know what their money is being spent on?  This should be disturbing to many people, because it states that they treading waters they should not be treading.  And according to the law, the City Attorney’s office is not required to disclose the spending of taxpayer monies.  You have to know there is something very wrong with this picture.  Common sense would tell you there is something to hide behind the dark glasses of City Attorney Gregory Priamos.  But there was nothing to hide after allowing $159 million in illegal RDA loans to be approved by City Council, then rejected by the Finance Office for the State of California.  What would then be the result of his performance evaluation, which was being discussed in closed sessions Tuesday April 4, 2012, at City Council?  I’m sure, just as it went well for our former City Manager, this will go well..

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW DENIAL LETTER

Above is a letter sent to Mayoral Candidate Dvonne Pitruzzello regarding her request for an accounting of the City Attorney’s from Gregory Priamos.  The law does state that if no documents are responsive to ones request, they, the city has to help you identify the request.

On 05/15/2012 at City Council, Mayoral Candidate Dvonne Pitruzzello stated to City Attorney Gregory Priamos, ‘how many denials of public records act does it take to get disbarred”?  What’s a real contradiction is that the City of Riverside has ‘retainer agreements’ for services with every other law firm they do business with.  Though an excess in millions of dollars have been paid out to BB&K, there has been no pertinent or rational explanation to the taxpayer.  We were even denied BB&K’s billing hours under the public records act.  As taxpayers, should we believe that we should expect anything less than a written contract?  I would say not.  When individuals ask for a rational explanation regarding no contracts, the city’s implication to the community is that “we don’t need no stink’n contracts”?  Is this an act of arrogance or defiance by a public servant toward their employer, the taxpayer?  If anyone has dealt with lawyers there is always a contract, but it appears that the City is the only entity that is allowed to perform this “verbally”, or as we understand it, not even with a “memorandum of understanding.”  One of the biggest law firms in the nation, Best, Best & Krieger is hands down an exception with the City of Riverside?   What is it between the two?  As community residents, are we also to accept the fact that Best, Best & Krieger is allowed to dictate carte blanche their legal fees to the taxpayer via their own credit card?  It seems so, according to the following documents, but what else is the public to otherwise believe?

CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL DOCUMENT

 And we’re not talking nickels and dimes, but six figures and more.  So the question is, who’s in charge and watching taxpayer’s coffers?  It appears the city council is not, not even the mayor, it definitely appears that the city attorney’s office isn’t according to the excessive litigation cost.  So who’s minding the store?  Inquiring taxpayers would like to know.  But just maybe, the store has an open door policy, right to the cash register.  Why? Quite possibly in their incestuous relationship that has grown over the years.

Such as the cozy arrangement between certain ex city of riverside employees or just BB&K employees who are strategically now on city committees.  Conflict of interest?   The cast of BB&K characters interlaced with City of Riverside are numerous.  Former Grover Trask (former Riverside County District Attorney), Michelle Quellette (City of Riverside’s Charter Review Committee), Jack Clark (Committee to name City Hall after Mayor Ron Loveridge) or Charity Schiller (Vice Chair of Riverside Downtown Partnership).  BB&K has also been in the media with the City of Bell, whereby the city is now suing BB&K attorney Edward Lee for faulty legal advice.  Even Governor Jerry Brown subpoenaed BB&K records regarding pay packages in Bell, California.   In any case, we don’t know how this one fell through the roof, but we did manage to receive one arrangement between BB&K and the City of Riverside to represent Former Chief of Police Russ Leach.  What a surprise, it’s signed by City Attorney Greg Priamos and Grover Trask, former Riverside County District Attorney now in the employment of BB&K.  Oh lets’ just call it a “contract”, or correctly a “retainer agreement”.  Tomato, tomahto, oh let’s just call the whole thing off…  Wish we could, but it gets better.

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW WHOLE DOCUMENT

Then there is developer Mark Rubin’s connected liaison with the City of Riverside and the City’s alter ego, the Redevelopment Agency. There is no doubt the brazen display of a conflict of interest displayed and perpetrated by the City of Riverside in approving the Citrus Tower’s lease deal between Best, Best & Krieger, Developer Mark Rubin and the City of Riverside.  “Three peas in a pod?”  Is it at all possible that the BB&K deal was orchestrated and designed to provide a lease revenue stream for the bonds held on the Citrus Tower project?  Was BB&K involved in bond advice for the city?  Councilman Paul Davis first told colleagues he’d heard concerns about “the general perception of the gift of public funds and creating a monopoly” to benefit a private developer, but he ended by saying it was a moot point because the city already has signed a lease.  How long will the City of Riverside continue to terrorize the taxpayer with shear incompetence and their breach of fiduciary duty to protect the coffers of hard earned taxpayer monies by the City Attorney’s Office? Good questions for City Attorney Greg Priamos, who coicidently has attended two of my alma maters, Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California.  A sad day for both university’s Gregory.  The question in the community are the ruthless expenditures within the City Attorney’s Office.  How much taxpayer money has been litigated out, or settled out as if it was your own, without any rational cognitive reasoning?  Or was it just for sport?  Or is the threat of litigation just a city tool used against the opposition for what is known in the business as “client control”?  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  TMC believes the later is mostly true at our expense.  Therefore why would the city litigate to the tune of 9 million, then lose, and then have to award out 250K in one documented case?  Of course, that wouldn’t happened because after all as taxpayers we should all believe what the city does is rational and in our best interest.  Well the truth of the fact is, that it did, and nothing was in our best interest.  Though he serves at the pleasure of the council, should the City Attorney answer rightfully to the employer, which would be “we the people”?  This I say because the council and mayor has failed to supervise the activities of the city attorney.  The failure is such that we must ask the question of what makes one believe the city attorney needs to incorporate police lights with all the bells and whistles in their pimped out city vehicle? Where did one lose the sight of whose money it really is?  TMC can’t answer that, but I’m sure there is a rational answer from our city attorney, as in the case with the ‘no contracts allowed with our best customer.’  It may not be right but it is an answer.  Ultimately, the council and mayor is responsible for the activities, failures and actions of the city attorney.  In an article in Cactus Thorns, the 29 Palms City Council questions the spending to their City Attorney,  and when they looked at public records, that was even a total shock.   In this continuing painful saga, one can hire BB&K to run a city attorney’s office.  Carte Blanche in Riverside. For a price, instant city attorney, as in this article in The Orange County Register?  In the City of Yorba Linda, for example, BB&K attorney Sonia Carvalho represented the city in the capacity of the City Attorney for over a decade.  Conflict of interest? 

What is the responsibility of the city attorney?  What is the responsibility of the Federal Government?  Gregory Priamos is now after marijuana dispenseries as Hoover was after so called Communist. But now that Gregory is going after business owners such as the Johnson’s for leasing their property to a marijuana dispensery.   How allegedly connected is Gregory to pot smoking friends?  The contradiction is even Gregory allegedly has pot smoking friends, so why is he doing this?  Why does City Attorney Gregory Priamos think, as Vivian Moreno Self Appointed Citizen Auditor states, ” go and want to beat everybody up” in our fare city?

Gregory, even our forefathers smoked pot….. Gregory do you have pot smoking friends?  Do you need time to think about this one?

CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Well the contradiction is our first President was known to smoke hemp as it was called from time to time… or do we have to help remind you? So why is Gregory not after the most addictive drug of all time? Tobacco? or even Alcohol?

Questions have also arised in the controversial ambulance monopoly in the City of Riverside between AMR’s Peter Hubbard and City Officials.  The community is asking what are the alleged ties between City Attorney Greg Priamos and Peter Hubbard?  What are the alleged ties between Councilman Steve Adams and Mr. Hubbard?  What are the alleged ties between Fire Chief Steve Early and Mr. Hubbard?

What are the alleged ties between President of the City of Riverside’s Firefighter Union Tim Strack and Mr. Hubbard?  Why is AMR now a primary advertising entity at Regal Cinemas at the Riverside Plaza?  Does the following have any weight in the decision making process of the Council and Mayor’s influence in allegedly favoring AMR (American Medical Response)?  Bruce Barton, Director of the Riverside County Emergency Medical Services Agency, according to the corresponding document, appears was previously in the employment of AMR in 2004.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW DOCUMENT

Could this contribute to a conflict of interest outcome?  Will we find it is too close for comfort in the back of an AMR ambulance?  For a price maybe.  But AMR and the City of Riverside is not an isolated incident.  Alameda County has been a battleground for AMR’s ambulance wars.

UPDATE: FORMER DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY RAYCHELE STERLING SERVES CITY OF RIVERSIDE COMPLAINT SUIT!

Last week former Deputy City Attorney, Raychele Sterling served the following complaint to the City of Riverside.  The suit incidently, names City Attorney Gregory Priamos, Former City Manager Brad Hudson, Supervising Deputy City Attorney Kristi Smith and of course, the City of Riverside.  This complaint was filed in United States District Court-Central District of California-Western District.  Besides the demand for jury trial, the complaint is for damages relating to violation of individual Civil Rights and Federal Law.  Already, the attorney defending the City, Brian Walter of Los Angeles based Liebert, Cassidy and Whitmore, is using Priamos’s famous words, “We believe there is absolutely no merit at all to any of her (Sterling) claims”.  In addition, wrongful retaliation in exercising free expression under the auspices of the whistleblower act.

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW THE FULL COMPLAINT

EXCERPTS FROM THE COMPLAINT

Priamos threatened plantiff not to have any contact with the City Council…

Priamos stated that Hudson “never wanted to see her (Plaintiff’s) face again”..

Misuse of the 550 Sewer Fund has been a pervasive pattern in the City since Brad Hudson was appointed City Manager. Public Works Director, Siobhan Foster, and Deputy Public Works Director, Tom Boyd, routinely advised Public Works staff to use the 550 Sewer Fund for non-sewer related work.

     

During lunch SB ( Superintendent of Parks Division) stated to Plaintiff that she had been instructed by the Park and Recreation Director to set aside money from her budget to subsidize the City Hall café, as Provider (Company contracted with Rodney Couch to operate the Raincross Café) , was not making enough money and Hudson wanted to assist Provider.

The bond issuance documents were prepared by Best, Best & Krieger LLP (BBK) in Riverside, California, and had advised potental investors that the issuance of the bonds was to remimburse certain previously incurred improvement cost ($14,377,083.00) and to finance certain capital projects ($186,382,300.00) of the City’s Sewer System.

through its CFO, Paul Sundeen, did submit fraudulent and false documentation to the IRS to secure Treasury Credits it knew it was not eligible for…

LETTER WRITTEN BY STERLING TO THE SECURTIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

The city, through Hudson, hired an outside law firm to investigate the claims, and it found no wrongdoing. Walter, attorney defending the City, pointed to this internal city probe and an apparent investigation by the Riverside County’s District Attorney, Paul Zellerbach’s office, none of which resulted in any censure or charges.  But should we be surprised?  Considering the close quarters they all live in?  We experienced a similar result when citizen concerns were brought to his attention regarding Connie Leach, former wife of former Chief of Police Russ Leach and the City’s use of Asset Forefeiture monies in the amount of $35,000.00 to fund the Multi Cultural Youth Organization or was it really used to fund Connie Leach?

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW

I believe the internal probe they are referring to was former City Manager Brad Hudson’s hiring of the law firm Chigoyenetche, Grossberg & Clouse to investigate the allegations of himself.  This was whereby city employees told Sterling that Public Works bids were being fixed in order to favor one company.  Any monies left over from this department were diverted to subsidize Hudson’s friend, Rodney Couch, who ran the City Hall Raincross Café, or is know better in the community for running the Market Broiler Restaurants.  Of course after $150,000.00 legal bill to the taxpayer for this investigation, nothing pertinent was found.  Maybe if this crack law firm was to actually interview those involved, such as City Engineer Warren Huang, Sewer Treatment Plant Manager Craig Justice an former Deputy City Attorney Raychele Sterling, we may have come up with a different story.  But for $150,000.00 it allegedly appears that the conclusion derived was well orchestrated and designed to achieve an intended end result.  According to Sterling, Priamos was told about these incidents, and she was fired for doing the right thing and trying to protect the council.

In addition, where did Hudson’s paranoia lead?  It led, according to Sterling, to hacking into both Sterling and Priamos’s emails.  It led to Hudson ordering the Human Resource department to hire a private detective to tail Ms. Sterling and her children.  This at a cost to the taxpayer in excess of $80,000.00.  A similar incident of tailing took place with former Public Works Contractor Sean Gill, with a similar cost.  But according to Councilman and Mayoral Candidate William “Rusty” Bailey, Hudson was a ‘moral compass’.  Further, at public comment Raychelle Sterling talked about Priamos’s secretary decorating his house during a party, a former employee Kathy Gonzalez and alleged insurance fraud and Priamos playing golf with the former police chief while being paid for working.  If this is all true, should we as constituents of the City of Riverside allow this to happen?  While the council continues to be oblivious to these alleged activities, shouldn’t all involved be accountable if at all true?

The City should have fired Priamos years ago. His marginal legal advice has cost the City so much money during his tenure.  I hope Ms. Sterling takes the City to the cleaners. I hate to say that as a Riverside resident, but when the City starts acting like organized crime, they deserve to be punished.  I hope that Priamos’ days as City Attorney are numbered. Hudson is gone; Sundeen is on hiatus; it’s time for Priamos to leave. Maybe with a clean state in the leadership positions, and an new mayor, the City can start to make amends to the populace. With Priamos still in place, that can never happen.               – Kaptalizm, Commenter on the PE

City Attorney Greg Priamos should be tried under the RICO act.  – C’mon…Really?, Commenter on the PE

Again, in the name of transparency, good will and trust … TMC request the positions of the City Attorney, City Manager and the Chief of Police be elected positions, due to their failure to lead and their failure to protect the taxpayer.  Elected positions which would answer to the ‘people’ as opposed to a ‘do nothing or should we say do anything they want’ delegated source.  Now that the state auditor was in, will certain documents disappear?  Will the City again ‘verbally’ employ BB&K for advice or even a possible defense?  We know you heard the rings of Bell and even the clangs of Montebello, but are you hearing the Raincross Bells in the City of Riverside? Or is it just dumb bells I’m hearing?

Related Links to Stories in this TMC Blog:

Public Works Foster’s & Boyd’s the Bid Process

Fuzzy Math and the Bid Process in the Sewer, Bubbles Up the Usual Suspects

Fired Employee Alleges City Officials Awarded Millions in Contracts Without Bid

UPDATE: 05/22/2012: Former Deputy City Attorney Raychele Sterling drops another bombshell, another employee lawsuit against the City of Riverside.  Human Resources Department named in the suit.  Mayoral Candidate Dvonne Pitruzzello, spoke of the denial of public records regarding the City Attorney Gregory Priamos’s expenditures.  She state she will resubmit her request, and where is Priamos?  Is he making his exit strategy? Mary Shelton told the council that her public records were 3 week tardy.  The question to Mr. Barber, who was also not in attendance, was if the city gave it’s request to vacate from their current location. Usually a two year notice is given, and so far no response.  Self Appointed Citizen Auditor Vivian Moreno, asked for a refund of $250.00 for documents requested.  When these particular documents were requested, the documents that were delivered were not what was requested.  They were different, altered and bogus documents. 

Currently, no response from Congressman Ken Calvert when asked by Mayoral Candidate Dvonne Pitruzzello to investigate sewer bond fraud in the City of Riverside.  Interesting enough, from old research, we were surprised to see why he may not be of help, but helping himself in other self gratifying endeavors..

  There are other interest Congressman Calvert has that may not concern the constituents he represents.  Getting ‘caught with your pants down’ means, of course, what it is intended to mean.

“I noticed the male subject was placing his penis into his unzipped dress slacks, and was trying to hide it with his untucked dress shirt.”

It also appears according to a campaign he is not sensitive to the issues of the gay community, and quite possibly gay people in general, according to this 1994 campaign mailer against an openly gay opponent Mark Takano, running for the Congressional office.

Further, Congressman Ken Calvert allegedly benefited from earmarked projects he earmarked for Perris, California in 2005 with tax payer money, where he incidently owned seven properties.

 CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW THE YOUTUBE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

But in all fairness, it appear that the House of Representatives came to the rescue on this one.  They concluded that the earmarked project would not provide any other direct or unique benefits to the properties. 

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW THE FULL DOCUMENT

They concluded that any increase in the value of the properties resulting from the earmark would be incremental and indirect.  I realize the House usually has a way with words, but is this about semantics? or degrees?  Really now, how closely tied are all these individual in Washington D.C.?  Any guesses?  Interesting enough, I am told that many of his constituents are now seeing him much more differently than before..

Right you are, that’s an unexpected thumbs up by the Chief with respect to this unexpected bit of information regarding our local Congressman.

But in another aspect, there still has been no apology from Chief Sergio Diaz to public commenter Karen Wright, whereby she was confrontationally acosted and verbally berated at a March 16th City Council Meeting, on her opinion regarding the naming of Tequesquite Park after fallen officer Ryan Bonamino.  It appears that there are more instances of information coming into TMC whereby the Chief’s behavior was not up to professional standards, and many others who need apologizies that we can name, and others who recognize his abhorrent behavior within his own working environment that find it unprofessional.  And oops, does he have a hell of problem with bloggers?  Yes he does, and he doesn’t hold back, as apparent in many of his community and work related forums.  Many who appeared at his breakfast at the Mission Inn were vehemently aware of his focus, which again speaks of his professionalism.  One individual present, called the display of behavior “unfortunate”.

                                 

Chief Diaz is not one for freedom of speech as the majority sees it, this is suppose to be America.  There is no place for a strong repressive government ideals as he may be familiar with from his roots, this in essence can have counterproductive repercussions on our Democracy.  In a quote from the PE,  Before the evolution in technology, Diaz said, “We didn’t have the benefit of ignorant, inexperienced and hateful and cowardly and anonymous people give us their unsolicited opinions on the internet.”  But let’s not forget that’s what blogs and comment sections of many news agencies were intended to be.  It’s to get a true, raw and real opinion of how many feel, without the fear of retaliation, no matter how extreme one may percieve an opinion to be.  These comments should be put into good use, rather than censor them as some type of Batista/ Castro government would.  They are one person’s opinion, just as Diaz has an opinion, and this is all good in the central mix of opinions, whereby people can listen to all opinions and deduct their own.  The problem is whereby, censorship becomes acceptable, and one’s opinion becomes the only opinion.

There are many times when, even though there is freedom of the press and freedom of speech, it is hard to get a hearing for certain noble causes. I often think that we, all of us, should think very much more carefully than we do about what we mean by freedom of speech, by freedom of the press, by freedom of assembly. I sometimes am much worried by the tendency that exists among certain groups in our country today to consider that these are rights are only for people who think as they do, that they are not rights for the people who disagree with them. I believe that you must apply to all groups the same rights, to all forms of thought, to all forms of expression, the same liberties. Otherwise, you practically deny the fact that you trust the people to choose for themselves, in a majority, what is wise and what is right. And when you do that, you deny the possibility of having a democracy.  –Eleanor Roosevelt

What Chief Diaz needs to remember is that if he strived to make his department more transparent, questions of police tactics wouldn’t arise, or at least there would be a dialogue.  This was the very reason he was brought in and hired, to change the public’s perception after many years of allegations of favoritism, double standards and special treatment within the ranks of RPD.  In addition, just because community leaders have an opinion, you should’t castigate them, as a leader, he should embrace those concerns and work to bring the community closer together, rather than plant the seeds of divisiveness.  And if Chief Diaz feels that local bloggers are the problem, as he appears to be evidently consumed with, we have bigger problems.  Because bloggers are not the problem, leadership is, and I believe are community is seeking this in our Chief.

Mary Shelton from Five Before Midnight Blog, has much to say regarding Emperor’s with no clothes in this new blog posting..(click this link).

Or before you hit the above link to get to the really good stuff, and find free speech offensive, you may want to click this link instead..

Diaz told The Press-Enterprise at that time those posters were “sitting at home eating Cheetos in their underwear” and making anonymous comments online.

“Respect for the community, respect for other officers, respect for ourselves is going to be the byword by which I will attempt to lead the city of Riverside over the next few years”  – Chief Sergio Diaz

A contradiction in terms?

“I want to live in a society that people can voice unpopular opinions because I know as result of that a society grows and matures,”   – Hugh Hefner

Double dipping must be a public sector phenomenon, but again we see a retirement at age 55, something unheard of in the private sector…and again, the gain of secondary benefits at taxpayer’s expense.  Possibly for their second life?  And another double dipping story as the one regarding former City Manager Brad Hudson below..

UPDATE: 05/24/2012: THE SACRAMENTO BEE STATES THAT BRAD HUDSON IS FLUNKING A KEY TEST- TRANSPARENCY..

According to the Sac Bee, Hudson, Sacramento County Executive plans to release his first budget proposal late.  Hudson planned to release his budget as late as June 7, whereby the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the budget June 14 or 15.  Even Hudson’s predecessor, Steve Szalay, released his budget last year in mid-May.  Well, as Councilman Mike Gardner said when Hudson was City Manager, ” you’ve got to pay for talent”.  Well alright, we did, now Sacramento is paying for it now.

People from Riverside could tell you a lot about Brad Hudson.  His few admirers (mostly wealthy, and involved in dealings with the city) said he was effective, but most people were distressed by his manipulations, his secretiveness, and his obvious collaboration with a few corrupt developers.  I am sure that the Sacramento County Supervisors were aware of this reputation before they

 hired him, and in fact that is probably why they hired him.  The supervisors’ feet should be held to the fire by voters until they fire him, as this will be the only way any transparency or honesty can come to Sacramento county government.  – Kevinakin1950, Commenter on the Sacramento Bee

The question that Sacramento should be asking…Is Hudson competant or even qualified for the position?  These were the same questions Riverside constituents were asking, but were turned a blind eye by the Council and the Mayor on this issue.  So far according to the Bee, the way he’s runnig the budget only adds to questions about his judgement, skills and qualifications.  Sac is on to him, for River City, he just might have bamboozled them…
A Little Sac Humor..
UPDATE: 05/31/2012:  RIVERSIDE’S VERY OWN “MORAL COMPASS”, CONTINUES TO MAKE NEWS.  SACRAMENTO GET’S IT! HOW BOUT THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE? SACRAMENTO COUNTY SUPERVISORS NOT HAPPY ABOUT  HOW COUNTY EXECUTIVE BRAD HUDSON IS HANDLING THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET PROPOSAL!  AND NEW EDITORIAL ON HUDSON FROM SAC BEE: COUNTY EXEC HUDSON COMES TO HIS SENSES ON BUDGET SCHEDULE, SORT OF..   HUDSON EVEN RECEIVED THE ATTENTION OF PRESS ENTERPRISE’S ALICIA ROBINSON WITH HER BLOG POSTING: FORMER CITY MANAGER HUDSON UNDER FIRE AGAIN.  ALSO, TAKE A LOOK AT THE UNCENSORED COMMENT SECTION ON THE SAC BEE, COMPARED TO OUR PRESS ENTERPRISE WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH ZIP.   POSSIBLY DUE TO THE IRON FIST OF CHIEF SERGIO DIAZ?

UPDATE: Alicia Robinson blogs regarding the Status quo on the menu at Riverside City Hall cafe.  The taxpayer has paid in excess of $3 million dollars to construct this cafe, which is open to the public.  The question TMC asks as Ms. Robinson ask, is the question is it the role of the public sector to pass that gray line and began to run their own businesses at taxpayer expense, in direct competition with the private sector?  TMC brought this to the attention with a posting regarding Rodney Couch, Provider Foods/ Market Broiler, and the thin line that exist between associations, friendships and favoritism:  You Provide the Food and the Couch, I’ll Provide the Millions!

UPDATE: 05/25/2012:  Standing outside our home, I watched elderly female individual taking a photo of the no parking sign during street sweeping. When I asked if she received a ticket, she said yes.  She lives down the block, her husband just had a stroke, and her son left the car out on that Wednesday, and they cannot afford the $42 ticket.  What we have been telling council is that there are families who are on tight budgets, and can’t afford a $42 dollar parking ticket.  Forty dollars can very well be food on the table.  Many who receive tickets around the wood streets are students.  The irony is that the City champions education, and would like students to eventually think of Riverside as a city to reside in.  Well, not this way… and the city doesn’t have to spend $25,000.00 on an outside consultant to find that answer.  I just gave it to you for free.  Remember, just because the street sweeper and the parking nazi have left the vicinity, they can still ticket between the hours indicated on the sign.  As a result, the residents know this isn’t an issue about cleaning streets, it’s about raising revenue at our expense..  Who makes a profit on your blue can recyclables while you pay a service fee for pick up.   A month ago we brought to our readers attention that tickets were even being issued to business vehicles as in the following TMC posting.

 In these tough economic times, will the city’s next endeavor be to ticket vehicles during trash pick up?  Will they consider billing Riverside residents for weekly garbage pick-up by the pound?  Especially now that they are doing a bang up job on creating a profit  debt with the Fox Theatre and City Hall’s Raincross Cafe.

UPDATE:05/26/2012: REDDER THAN A FOX’S COAT?  HAS THE FOX LOST IT’S PANTS?  NEW ARTICLE IN THE PE REGARDING OPERATING COST WERE GREATER THAN EXPECTED LEAVING THE FOX IN THE RED, OR SHOULD I SAY, “THE TAXPAYER”.

Councilman Paul Davis stated that, “the council should look at options such as offering a long-term lease or selling the theater”.  Now, selling the Fox Theatre is not a bad thing, it should be up for sale to be runned by private enterprise.  This is what Self Appointed Citizen Auditor, Vivian Moreno stated a year ago.  The Fox would have financial problems and it’s likelyhood that it would be closed or sold by summer 2012.  Why would the city feel that they can run a business when they fall short at running city government.  If these same numbers were corresponding to a private business enterprise, the Fox would be in foreclosure or up for sale.  That’s the real world, you just can’t continue to subsidize a deficit at taxpayer expense and believe that it is alright.  This is just a skewed way of thinking.

 City Finance Director Brent Mason said he doesn’t think city officials consider the theater a failure.  If anyone can consider any business not to be a failure when it loses close to a million dollars a year it would be someone that is spending other peoples’ money.  – Welrdelr, Commenter on the PE.

The Council and the Mayor has given a smoke screen to the problems and lost of revenue in the Fox Center.  The topic came up at the Mayoral debate and each Council candidate praised it but one honest candidate Dvonne Pitruzzello spoke out about how much this was costing the taxpayers and we didn’t make money we were losing money each year.  Dvonne suggested the City sell the Fox Center to stop losing money.  Adkison, Bailey, Gardner and Melendrez felt the city should keep Fox Center and hope for a profit in the future.  But Dvonne shocked the candidates and the crowd with the yearly lost can be doing nothing the loss would increase.  She suggested we sell it and recoup our loses.  Now that the public knows we see the same councilmen changing their view.  Dvonne has the facts of most of the debt and future debt we will learn about but the council just hope voters will elect them to stay Mayor Loveridge course and keep the deals secret and the large debt secret.  God does things for a reason and we ar learning things that have been kept secret.  Dvonne has a plan to clean up the debt and keep the council on track to do the work for the citizens not business friends.  We can expect more shockers to come as Dvonne said.  We need her to lead up to recovery and the council should be glad she took the time to get the facts to correct the mess.   – Airjackie, Commente on the PE.

According to Chief Financial Officer Bret Mason the expected deficit will be $900,000.00 for fiscal year 2012-2013.  While some of the council disturbingly feel the deficit is acceptable, no one in their right mind within the private sector would consider this acceptable.  Since when is losing money acceptable? Not in the private sector, this must be a public sector phenomenom, because when the money you are dealing with is not your own, you don’t feel the pain..  As I see it, that $900,000.00 loss could have been used for police and fire.  The city would rather have a loss then to utilize the wasted funds to pay for a police or fire salary.

UPDATE: 05/28/2012: Reported by 24/7 Wall Street, Riverside number one in home foreclosure’s.  In Riverside metro home prices fell by 56.6%, the foreclosure rate is 1 in 213 homes.

Current home values Riverside real estate and homes for sale as indicated by this link.

UPDATE: 05/29/2012: Lucky Greek owner sues the City of Riverside for $750,000.00 

Imagine what the old Marcy Library would like now if it was handed over to Lucky Greek?  What were the Council thinking?  According to the Press Enterprise the suit claims the restaurant suffered first from restricted traffic during construction of the nearby Magnolia Avenue railroad underpass as well as street configurations.  Many on the Main Street suffered from the construction, but were told they could not sue for loss of business, the city was protected against this.  Other businesses suffered from eminent domain and construction on Market Street.  Do these current businesses, some evicted and others who have gone, have someone to speak for them?  Or do they have any recourse against the City after the Redevelopment debacle?

UPDATE: 05/29/2012: RIEMER REAMING THE TAXPAYER NEVER HURT SO BAD?…According to the Press Enterprise, “Judge Riemer declared a mistrial after a week of trial testimony so he could take his vacation — costing the taxpayers (by his own estimate) up to $25,000 — on the day of closing arguments.”

          

WILL THE REAL JUDGE RIEMER PLEASE STAND UP?

WAS THE RIEMER FAMILY TRUCKSTER PACKED AND READY TO GO?

Riemer affirmed he said “something to that effect” regarding his comment to Cook. He agreed that it was regrettable. “It would be better to keep thoughts like that to oneself.”..  According to some, Rogue Judge Riemer making rogue judgments?  Not surprised, this is Riverside…

UPDATE: 06/01/2012: STATE FINANCE DEPARTMENT SENDS LETTER OF APPROVAL TO CITY OF RIVERSIDE ALLOWING COVERAGE OF $26 MILLION OF THE ORIGINAL $159 MILLION ORIGINALLY REJECTED.  THEREFORE, CURRENTLY, APPROXIMATELY $133 MILLION IS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND REMAINS A DEBT OF THE CITY, OR SHOULD I SAY THE TAX PAYER.   

    

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW MAY 26TH APPROVAL LETTER IN PDF FORMAT

ACCORDING TO CITY MANAGER SCOTT BARBER’ S BLOG, THIS LETTER RECEIVED FROM THE STATE, GIVES “CONFIRMATION THAT THE ACTIONS OF OUR FORMER REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY DID MEET THE LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE LAW”.  BUT ACCORDING TO THE PRESS ENTERPRISE ALICIA ROBINSON’S BLOG, THE AMOUNT OF THE REMAINING DEBT IS ACTUALLY $21 MILLION.  WHICH DIFFERS FROM OUR AMOUNT OF $133 MILLION.  THEREFORE, IT APPEARS FROM THE CITY’S VIEW TO IMPLY THAT $138 MILLION HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE STATE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AS LEGITIMATE ENFORCEABLE OBLIGATIONS.

ACCORDING TO THE PE, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR EMILIO RAMIREZ STATED THAT NOT ONLY IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT STILL UNRESOLVED DOWN TO $21 MILLION, BUT “(JUST) BECAUSE THE LETTER DOESN’T INCLUDE EVERYTHING IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THE OTHER (ITEMS) ARE DENIED”.   WE ARE THEREFORE ASSUMING THAT ALTHOUGH THE LETTER LIST $26 MILLION, THAT THE UNLISTED AMOUNTS ADDING UP TO $112 MILLION HAS BEEN BILATERALLY VERBALLY RESOLVED (Of course, no documents currently exist to corroborate Mr. Ramirez’s figure).  THEREFORE WE ASSUME THE FOLLOWING: $26 MILLION + $112 MILLION = $138 MILLION (STATE ACCEPTED EO’S).  THEN, $159 MILLION – $138 MILLION = $21 MILLION REMAINING DEBT IN QUESTION.  SO WAS THE THE $138 MILLION JUST WRITTEN OFF OR REMOVED IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS A STAFF OVERSIGHT?  OR WERE THEY, THE CITY, JUST TRYING TO PAD THE ROP’S TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH?  OH WHAT THE HELL, I GIVE UP..I ADMIT IT, THEY’VE WORN US DOWN..

UPDATE: 06/02/2012: NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, JACK OF ALL TRADES, ASSISTANT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TINA ENGLISH IS NOW ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR? 

YES, IT’S TRUE..  BUT WILL SHE ASK THE QUESTION, FORMER PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ALLEGEDLY ASKED?  “WHAT’S A POT HOLE”?  ACCORDING TO FIVE BEFORE MIDNIGHT BLOG, “MS. ENGLISH BRINGS A WEALTH OF PUBLIC WORKS EXPERIENCE TO THE JOB TO FIT IN WITH THAT PROUD TRADITION”.. AGAIN, WHAT DOES SHE HAVE A DEGREE IN?

 UPDATE 06/04/2012: IS RODNEY STILL PROVIDING THE FOOD AND THE COUCH, WHILE THE TAXPAYER PROVIDES THE MILLIONS?

WILL COUNCIL CONSIDER APPROPRIATING RODNEY COUCH, OWNER OF MARKET BROILER RESTAURANTS, WITH $48,000.00 FOR OPERATING COST ($35,000.00)  AND ADVERTISING ($13,000.00), FOR THE NOW TAX PAYER SUPPORTED CITY HALL RESTAURANT KNOWN AS THE ‘RAINCROSS CAFE’?  ACCORDING TO THE BELOW DOCUMENT, RODNEY IS ALSO CLAIMING LOSSES OF $123,800.00 THAT NEEDS TO BE REIMBURSED TO HIM BEFORE THE CITY CAN MAKE A PROFIT.  CLAUSE 4.2.1 STATES THAT ANY PROFIT RECOGIZED UP TO $100,000.00 SHALL BE PAID TO THE CITY.  IF PROFITS EXCEED $100,000.00, THEY WILL BE SHARED EQUALLY BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE OPERATOR.  BUT IN CASE THERE IS A LOSS, AS THERE IS,  THE LOSS SHALL BE CARRIED FORWARD TO OFFSET THE PROFIT IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS.

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW THE FULL DOCUMENT

 WHAT DOES THE TAX PAYER GET?  WHAT DOES RODNEY GET?

1. Advertising on the electronic billboard overlooking the 91 freeway.  (so the City/ Taxpayer is paying for advertising of the billboard.  All other restaurant owners in the City get this)?

2. Rodney is the preferred provider for catering of all City Hall events.  (Since when does the taxpayer pay for event food for city hall elite)?

3. The City provides all the furniture, fixtures and equipment.

4. The City provides all janitorial services.

5. The City will pay all utilities.

THIS APPEARS TO HAVE COUNCILMAN AND MAYORAL CANDIDATE MIKE GARDNER’S WRITING ALL OVER THIS…BY GOLLY IT DOES!  IF THIS PASSES THEY CERTAINLY HAVE TO PAY FOR IT IN SOME SORT OF FEE, PSEUDO TAX  OR SERVICE FEE…

UPDATE: 06/05/2012: OPP’S! WE DID IT AGAIN!  PASSED 7-0 ON THE CONSENT CALENDER.  EVEN OUR INDEPENDENT VOICE, WHO STANDS FOR PEOPLE VOTED FOR IT..

UPDATE: 06/05/2012: DOES THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TOM BOYD’S NEW RED CORVETTE?

RECYCLING THE MAYOR?  ACCORDING TO PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKER REBECCA LUDWIG, IF JOHN TAVAGLIONE IS ELECTED TO CONGRESS, WILL HE RECYCLE THE MAYOR (RON LOVERIDGE) TO REPLACE HIS VACANT POSITION?

UPDATE: 06/13/2012:  City Manager presents budget, rebuttles community concerns.  I just could not help myself but add this tid bit of information regarding a response by  City Chief Finance Officer Bret Mason to Blogger Mary Shelton regarding the use of Firestations as colateral for a loan the City took out.  Mason said those assets (firestations) make good collateral because lenders assume the city would be more motivated to avoid defaulting on the debt.  This financial relationship I’ve never heard of in the current market place.  If you take a second on your home, you will as the owner be motivated to avoid default, when you home is used for colateral?  Mason went on to say, even if the city defaulted, the lender may only use the facilities until the debt is resolved but may not foreclose and take them from the city.  The key to that statement is “may”, and these are the if’s and but’s which envelop citizen concerns.  So if one defaulted as a home owner, the bank will only take your home over and never foreclose.  They will hold it and give it back to when you catch up and resolve your debt?   He goes to finish that his statement by saying basically that scenario would never happen..  “It’s beyond comprehension that the city would allow itself to get in a position where it could not make debt service payments,” Mason said.

UPDATE: 06/16/2012: Pravda Press Enterprise continues it’s art of molding popular public opinion?  Does our Chief Sergio Diaz have a starring role?  PE leading the way to absolutely no comments?

WHAT’S WRONG PE? CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH ABOUT OBAMA & ILLEGALS STEALING AMERICAN JOBS? WHY YOU SENSORING ALL THE COMMENTS THAT ARE TRUE. WE ARE IN AMERICA ( OR I THOUGHT ) WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH SO LET OUR OPINIONS BE KNOWN!!   – obama hater, commenter on the Press Enterprise possibly prior to being censored..

JUST FOR LAUGHS!  EVEN THOUGH I KNOW YOU’RE REALLY MAD BY NOW..

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S MOST “SLANDEROUS” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE!  TEMPORARILY BLOCKED BY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AT PUBLIC ACCESS SITES WITHIN THE CITY, THEN UNBLOCKED.  I GUESS YOU CANNOT DO THAT ACCORDING TO ACLU.  RATED ONE STAR OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS..  TMC IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE’S DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, AND PROSSIBLY POSSIBLY ON FILE WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S POTENTIAL SLAPP SUIT LIST… WE WILL HAVE TO ASK GREGORY ABOUT THAT ONE ( OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO CONTACT HIS PEOPLE)… AGAIN, THANK-YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT!   COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY SPELL CHECKERS!  EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY WITH YOUR DIRT OR FOR CONTACT!   THIRTYMILESCORRUPTION@HOTMAIL.COM 

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: EXCESSIVE WATER TAXATION?

Posted: May 6, 2012 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , ,
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If you think the City of Bell had serious taxation problems and mis-appropriation of funds, if you were shocked by the posting on electric rates, grab your socks again, and you may want to grab everbody else’s!  Every city’s doin it! Is what’s being said…but it looks as if the people are taking the upper hand on this, or as Charley Sheen would say, “Winning”!  For example, the City of Fullerton.

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW FULL LETTER

Or in this article in the Orange County Register questioning $27 million in illegal water fees..  And of course challenging Fullerton’s illegal water tax as in this article.  And again, more on the City of Fullerton and illegal water rate increases.  But onward, let’s look at the City of Riverside.

Riverside levies hidden taxes on your utility bill.  They are simply and stealthily included in the utility rates the city charges residential customers.  Your minimum tax rate on water and electric utility services to your property is 11.5%.   It expands upward from there depending on how much utility service you use that is subject to punitive tiered pricing.

Let us look at your bill for water and the city’s wa-1 residential winter water rate schedule.  The first tier or the base metered rate for water service is $1.13 per ccf (this is the metered unit of measure for water service and is 100 cubic feet of water).   The base rate is charged to the consumption of each of the first 15 ccf of water service each month.   On a per ccf basis $0.13 of the first tier rate per ccf is tax revenue paid to the general fund.  That is a tax rate of 11.5%.

Should you exceed first tier usage as most homeowners do then, you are charged at the second tier price of $1.64 per ccf from the 16th thru the 35 th ccf of service.   The difference of $0.51 per ccf in the second tier water rate is an additional tax for using more water service than the city thinks you should.  It is a punitive tax to economically force you the consumer to conserve water.   You are being taxed even though you are using water for beneficial purposes and not wasting water.   Looking at just the $0.51 price difference per ccf of first tier and second tier ccfs the effective tax rate is 39%!

Should you use more than 35 ccf of water service per month you are billed at the 3rd tier rate of $2.26 per ccf for those units consumed from the 36th thru the 60 th ccf.   The third tier tax is $1.26 per ccf.  This is an effective tax rate of 56%!

Now, if you are a big-time water waster according to the city, you pay the fourth tier rate of $2.75 per ccf for any ccfs consumed over 60 ccf per month.   The price difference from the 1st tier is $1.62 per ccf and the 4th tier effective tax rate is 64%!!   Now that’s a punitive tax!

 

If this really bothers you, wait until the summer rates kick in on your June billing.

Residential water rate schedule wa-1 summer.

1st tier 0-15 ccf      $1.14       your tax rate=11.5%

2nd tier 16-35 ccf   $1.83       your tax rate=44%

3rd tier  36-60 ccf   $2.85      your tax rate=64%

4th tier  >60ccf        $4.10      your tax rate=75%

To help put this into perspective with how our water is produced by pumping wells and the fact that Riverside does not buy expensive imported water please review the following facts:

  • Water production is measured in acre feet of water.  That is enough water to stand 12 inches deep on one acre of land.
  • A ccf is water  your city water meter records as you consume water service.  A ccf is one hundred cubic feet of water.   There are 436 ccfs in an acre foot of water.
  • Imported water from northern California or the Colorado River is priced between $550-800 per acre foot.  According to Dave Wright, the city does not buy imported water.   Dave also says, we are water independent even during the statewide drought of recent years.
  • The city’s cost to provide ground water to you is less than $300 per acre foot.   That calculates to $0.68 per ccf at your meter.  They do need some funds to maintain the infrastructure (the extra $0.32 ??).
  • At the city’s summer 1st tier rate of $1.15 per ccf , you are paying $500 per acre foot of water at your meter. 
  • At the city’s 2nd tier summer rate of $1.83 per ccf, you are paying $800 per acre foot of water at your meter. 
  • At the city’s 3rd tier summer rate of $2.85 per ccf, you are paying $1,243.00 per acre foot of water.
  • At the city’s 4th tier summer rate of $4.10 per ccf, you are paying $1,788.00 per acre foot of water.
  • A municipal utility is not allowed to make money.  It is a government owned monopoly and may not charge more than the actual cost of providing the service to you at your property.  They are budgeted to break even.  They have reserve funds in case of a bad year and the City can always make a loan or spend other tax revenue to cover an annual loss.
  • In recent years the city has taken no steps to reduce costs of operating its’ utilities.  They have taken every opportunity to expand the cost to residential consumers.
  • The water utility has a huge fixed annual cost (mostly debt payments) averaged over the calculated water rates and total annual production.  It must sell all of its planned annual production to recoup the funds needed to pay the bills.  If you are forced to conserve water, the city has to automatically raise the price.  It is the Math!
  • The city makes more money by transfers to the general fund with every rate increase!  A city general fund may only receive tax revenue.

Now that is some profit margin of hidden taxes!  Where is your money going?  I hope you can live on 15 ccf of water service per month!!

Remember the City Municipal Code requires all property owners to landscape, irrigate, mow, trim and weed all portions of their property that faces a public street or right of way.  Code enforcement may issue you a citation and a fine of up to $1000.00 per day and/or prosecution of a misdemeanor for failing to adequately water your front yard!  If you fail to comply with Code enforcement a lien for the fines will be placed on your property and the city will enforce the lien and auction your house on the court house steps to satisfy the lien.   See Municipal Code Chapter 6.14.

Most residential properties in the city have a right to a water allotment equal to the annual amount originally supplied to your land by any of the original water companies that first supplied water to your property via canal, ditch or pipes (Cal. Supreme, A.O. Price v. The Riverside Land & Irrigation Co. , 1880).  Historical records indicate you may have a right of up to 10 acre feet of water supply per acre of land per year.  In the Supreme Courts words, “the water is welded to the land as a permanent right to the same level of water service as originally provided,  … it cannot be separated or sold from the land by the water company or the land owner or owners of either in succession.”  You are the current landowner in succession and the city is the current water company owner in succession.  This is a right to water, “the water stays with the land in perpetuity.”  This is the legal reason the City must sell 18% of its water production each year to areas outside the city in Home Gardens and Corona (but the city won’t tell you this).

The city by approving 50% increases in water rates over the last six years and instituting punitive tiered pricing is forcing you to conserve water you are entitled to use beneficially on your property (October 2006, city council approved rate hikes and tiered pricing to fund the “$1.5 billion Renaissance”).  This burden of hidden taxation falls most harshly on fixed income (retirees) and low income families in the city.

UPDATE: 05/06/2012: PRESS ENTERPRISE ENDORSES FORMER COUNCILMAN ED ADKISON..

“THE ONE WHO DOES NOT REMEMBER HISTORY IS BOUND TO LIVE THROUGH IT AGAIN”..  – GEORGE SANTAYANA

UPDATE: 0505/17/2012: FORMERS DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY RAYCHELE STERLING SUES THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, INCLUDING CITY ATTORNEY GREGORY PRIAMOS  AND FORMER CITY MANAGER BRAD HUDSON.  OF COURSE, WERE WE SURPRISED? ACCORDING TO GREGORY, THE CASE HAS NO MERIT.

8:27 PM on 5/17/2012

I believe her claims.There’s a reason why over the years, those in office use the same construction firms, law firms, management firms, environmental firms and so on..they know people in those business so when they get “approved” for their services, the price is millions over the cost than it should be so each side makes a profit under the table..on our dime..but yet..city services are struggling to make ends meet. perhaps if they take a look at their dirty deeds and wasteful/corrupt spending and bilking and quit looking toward us to pay for their actions, they would have money to pay the paychecks and their bills instead of using the guise of “the money just isn’t there”..it’s there buried under “official accounts” for various services that don’t exist.  – Navyguyhm3, commenter on the PE.

TMC ENDORSES DVONNE PITRUZZELLO FOR CITY OF RIVERSIDE MAYOR

STEVE CLUTE ASK FOR YOUR VOTE ON JUNE 5TH FOR THE OFFICE OF STATE SENATE!

CLUTE SAYS NO! TO DOM BETRO AND JANE CARNEY!

BOB BUSTER ASK FOR YOUR VOTE FOR RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERVISOR ON JUNE 5TH

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S MOST “SLANDEROUS” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE!  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 STAR OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS..  TMC IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE’S DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, AND PROSSIBLY POSSIBLY ON FILE WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S POTENTIAL SLAPP SUIT LIST… WE WILL HAVE TO ASK GREGORY ABOUT THAT ONE ( OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO CONTACT HIS PEOPLE)… AGAIN, THANK-YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT!  WE REALIZE IT’S TOUGH, SO HANG IN THERE.. COMMENTS ALWAYS

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