Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: SEGWAY MIKE SIDESTEPS THEN SUMERSAWS INTO THE MAYORS RACE!

Posted: July 7, 2011 in Uncategorized
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What’s quite disparaging is asking the support, trust and vote of the community to be elected to City Council, but two months later  you decide to run for mayor.  You originally say you are not, but then you do, well how close can you get to weasel?  But there is a secondary weasel in this game, William “Rusty” Bailey who suddenly overnight, also decided he heard the vague calling for the mayor’s seat, but hasn’t jumped into the kettle just yet.  And third, current Councilman Andy Melendrez decided to give a try at Emerald City’s Mayor.  Do we have a underlying breach of trust by these council people to the community? The question is, was this planned and orchestrated? Because if it is, what is their true agenda, more political leverage?  You see, under the city charter, section 404, if a council seat becomes vacant the city council must then appoint someone to fill it.  Two for the price of one!  A strategic political move if you are on good terms with fellow councilmembers.   Once you are Mayor of Emerald City, you may have the support of that chosen council minion for life.  A corruptible offense? Good question, it’s left to be seen.

But we can also assume that the intended council replacement may have already been strategically groomed for that position. Who will it be? Someone close to the council and newly christened mayor? ..an ex-police officer, or even the mayor himself? Or we can we just imagine the perfect replacement?  But what we have is a breach of trust by Councilman Gardner and Bailey toward the community they promised to serve.  When these planned political moves take place it hurts the community by minimizing importance of the community they asked to serve, and it gives the impression to the community that they simply don’t care.  And in times when cities are being financially scrutinized, trust is needed. What is a council to do if they just can’t see themselves with a favorite councilmen?  HUBO the councilbot, is rumored to be Gardner’s replacement if such actions take place.   Could this possibly be a conflict of interest?  Well, there is one thing for sure,  he does like Mike, permanently, it’s been programmed…

UPDATE:07/09/2011: VIDEO: AT THE WARD 1 RAINCROSS DEBATES HELD APRIL 20, 2011, WARD 1 CANDIDATE DVONNE PITRUZELLO ASK THE QUESTION TO DOM BETRO AND MIKE GARDNER IF THEY HAVE INTENTIONS TO RUN FOR MAYOR.  MIKE GARDNER STATES EMPHATICALLY, ” I HAVE NO SUCH PLANS.”  WATCH THE VIDEO AT TIME 1:38:00

UPDATE:07/11/2011: “I HAVE NO SUCH PLANS” COUNCILMAN MIKE GARDNER’S REASON FOR ENTERING THE MAYORS RACE: “….my constituents and supporters have encouraged me to take this step. I have been heartened by the number of people who have said. ‘Yes, do it, ! you are exactly who we need as Mayor.’ No one has said they were disappointed and see this as just a move up in my political career. They understand that I love being the Ward 1 Council member and am running for Mayor because I truly believe I am the best candidate. “I have those skills and traits. It will be a challenging campaign, but I am confident I am the best candidate and that I will prevail.” Well, O.K. Mike, so you are willing to leave the City Council seat because you feel you are now a better candidate for the Mayor’s seat.  But according to a statement in the Press Enterprise,  “Riverside’s mayor is the ceremonial head of the city and gets full-time pay, but he’s not the chief administrator — that’s the city manager — nor does he have much legislative sway beyond setting the council’s agenda, voting to break a tie, and the power to veto council actions.”  Loveridge has never used his veto. So wouldn’t one want to be the City Manager? Or will he attempt that position now that it may soon be open?  And due to the power and control over finances, I believe the City Manager should be an elected position, this may circumvent abuses we currently our seeing, but allow accountability for their actions.  The Mayor of Riverside is the ceremonial head of the city, that would be similar to the King and Queen of England and whereby the Parliament actually holds the power, or at our city level, the City Council.  A commemorative position that reflects the inhabitants of the community, but again a position with no real power?  Well I guess there are ribbon cutting ceremonies, the mayor’s ball and dinner parties to attend… Now that I think about it Mike, the Mayor’s seat probably is a better fit for you.

UPDATE: 07/22/2011:  “People are looking for something that I don’t think exists,” Gardner said. “I  think people are reading perfectly innocent things as something sinister.”  Gardner’s response to allegations of contract favoritism.

WISHING AMERICA A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Posted: July 3, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Seneca leader Guyasuta and General George Washington- 1790

Freedom is not without sacrifice, Happy Birthday America!  Simple but meaniful words that continue to echo even today…  The history of the United States goes beyond and before 1776…

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.              –Ben Franklin

But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored.  Liberty, once lost, is lost forever..   -John Adams, July 7, 1775

 “…cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible…avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt….it is essential that you…bear in mind, that towards the payments of debts there must be Revenue, that to have Revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised, which are not…inconvenient and unpleasant…”    — George Washington

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty. –-Ben Franklin

Let us then turn this government back into the channel in which the framers of the Constitution originally placed it. –Abraham Lincoln, July 10, 1858

“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.”   – John Adams  1776

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered…I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies… The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.” –Thomas Jefferson

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died within hours of each other, on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826. There is probably no greater coincidence in American history than this….

THE CONSTITUTION RATIFIED JUNE 21, 1788

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE JULY 4, 1776

TMC HERO OF THE MONTH: JULY 2011: WE SALUTE COSTA MESA POLICE CHIEF STEVEN STAVELY

Posted: June 30, 2011 in Uncategorized
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In times when the community are losing trust in government, losing their homes, having difficulty maintaining the stability of their families, losing their jobs and even having difficulty placing food on the table, Police Chief Steven Stavely is a refreshing force of hope for those who have lost trust in public servants. He is what leaders are made of, one of integrity and one in which the community of the City of Riverside should direly seek out.

Excerpts from his letter to police personnell: Read The Complete Letter.

Here is why. It’s very clear to me that there is no fiscal crisis in the City of Costa Mesa. The majority of the council has created budget gaps in order to affect or create the appearance of a fiscal crisis. They have pushed finance and the budget process around to get the kind of numbers that benefit their position. They have in essence lied as theycreate the appearance of crisis in order to appear as the white knight to a narrow band of political followers. They have done this, I believe, because they have a political need to layoff police officers. This is completely unethical and immoral behavior and I will have no part in it.

Don’t blame a bird because it chirps and fly’s and don’t blame a union because it represents the needs of the employees. If you give those unions more authority over management rights, and let them engage in anything beyond pay and benefits then that is the hallmark of leadership failure. If your arguments are so weak that you cannot achieve success in that engagement then the shame is yours not the unions. That is the case here in Costa Mesa in my view and the council is covering itself with lots of shame.

Over the years, I have had city councils I thought were smart and thoughtful and ones who were less skilled. In every case, I know they were trying to do the right thing – I did not always agree, but clearly they were trying hard to improve the communities we all served. I have never, however, seen a council such as this one. They lack skill, training, education, knowledge, they fail to study (or at least learn). The majority either lies or are so lacking in the necessary skills that they actually believe the junk they say. They act as if they are owners of the business that is the municipal government of the City of Costa Mesa, but they are not, they are merely trustees of these public assets both human and physical and they fail in that role completely. They are in my opinion incompetent, unskilled and unethical.

I say that they (council majority) are destroying this police department with their incompetence and that means only one thing. The community building efforts that this department has invested in for many years will stop and the community will begin to deteriorate.

I will say that in the end, this period of turmoil will subside and be replaced with opportunity. If there is not too much damage the department and community can, with time, effort and energy, survive and grow its services again. I caution that each of you should keep your eyes open. When that happens I know for a fact that you will handle yourselves professionally, as you always do. While such circumstance will be hard to take, there is a positive side it – will prevent Costa Mesa from following straight to Bell which is exactly where it is currently headed.

MORENO VALLEY: EX ASSISTANT RIVERSIDE CITY MANAGER TOM DESANTIS HIRED BY MORENO VALLEY CITY MANAGER HENRY GARCIA!

Posted: June 28, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Press Enterprise reports DeSantis hired back to Moreno Valley by Moreno Valley City Manager Henry Garcia to review Public Works via a contractual agreement. The City Council did not have to approve the contract, because Garcia authorized the money from his (slush) discretionary fund.  Henry Garcia stated, “There is no relation between what occurred in Riverside and Tom DeSantis’ talents, he has a very distinguished reputation for analysis in Riverside.”  Garcia contracted DeSantis three months ago, paying him $100 an hour for 140 hours of work.  As an independent contractor, hopefully Garcia 1099 him, and this can be found through the public records act.  Is Garcia drinking the Kool Aid when hiring DeSantis or was this part of his orchestrated schpeel?  Moreno Valley just brought Tom DeSantis up a notch by calling him “distinguished”, but then you must consider the source.  This is a similar to the accounting of Sacramento County Chairwoman Roberta MacGlashan, where she said officials don’t believe Riverside’s City Manager Brad Hudson ordered Riverside city contracts steered to friends.  Well, OK, but you are still required as a steward of the people to investigate.  Brad Hudson worked for the County of  Riverside, and when he departed to the City of Riverside, he not only brought over Belinda Graham from San Bernardino County, but brought DeSantis, Tina English, Deanna Lorsen, and later, the new kid on the block Emilio Ramirez all from Riverside County.  But is history repeating itself? Or does Moreno Valley fit the profile of the track record of the imcomperable Mr. DeSantis?  Has he been tagged as unhireable?  City Manager Henry Garcia left the City of Rialto as City Administrator in February of 2011.  Incidently, Joe Baca Jr. is Councilman for the City of Rialto, the son of  Congressman Joe Baca, who represents the 42nd District, of which the City of Rialto is a part of.  Get the picture?  Just recently, Tom DeSantis had applied for the position of Town Manager in Gilbert, Arizona, but raised red flags when his past service came into question.   Sources have indicated that he originally left the County of Riverside due to allegations of sexual harassment.  There has been similar indications of these allegations with the City of Riverside.  Then there is the coups d’état, the allegation of brandishing the firearm, and there is more, the badges, the holsters, the illegal gun purchases, the concealed weapons permits, the post-it notes documentation of public vehicle use and the illegal cold plate vehicle use, and of course, there is much, much, more….  What is it about this culture of corruption, that appears to turn the other ear to the constituents welfare?  DeSantis, the fall guy for City Manager Brad Hudson…….will he be the fall guy for City Manager Henry Garcia?  Then there was the sorted tale of Ex Moreno Valley City Manager Robert Gutierrez, who resigned in 2009 while facing seven misdemeanor charges involving sexual harassment. No matter how agregious the crime, you still get an enormous payout by the taxpayer! The filo dough is just about to seperate and unfold on this one. 

UPDATE: 06/29/2011: How closely tied is the City of Riverside and Moreno Valley?  Closer than you think…  Barry Foster, Moreno Valley’s Economic Development Director is the husband of Siobhan Foster, the City of Riverside’s Public Works Director.  Now Riverside’s Ex Assistant City Manager Tom DeSantis has been hired by the City of Moreno Valley to review Public Works.  Will Tom DeSantis now maintain an inter-city collaboration with Siobhan Foster concerning issues of Public Works?  Is Tom DeSantis even qualified to review Public Works?  Garcia, formerly city manager of Rialto, said he has known DeSantis more than 20 years since both were administrators in San Bernardino County. Is this close culture of networking responsible for the problems California is experiencing?  Is this all in the family? or just part of the family business?

UPDATE: 06/30/2011: Undisclosed sources are allegedly stating that Riverside’s Human Resource Director Rhonda Strout is the girlfriend of Moreno Valley City Manager Henry Garcia.   The close tie would have enabled Garcia to receive a true account and background check of Riverside’s Ex Assistant City Manager Tom DeSantis.

MORE TO COME, ANONYMOUS SOURCES WELCOMED, DOCUMENTATION AND PHOTOS WELCOMED, KEEP CONNECTED WITH TMC, MAKING THEM HONEST, AND HELL, IT AIN’T EASY….

COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE: PUBLIC RECORDS, KEEP OUT!

Posted: June 28, 2011 in Uncategorized
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This really isn’t about fees, its about access to public records that may maintain heightened level of government transparency, and that is what the county doesn’t want!   Because, the way, I see it, “since when have we’ve been honest?”  The $50.00 per hour fee for public record retrieval would definitely be a deterent and allow a transpicuous government to be non existent.  County Officer Ray Smith, who drafted the proposal,  stated “This is a way to try and recoup taxpayer dollars spent on extensive requests that take people away from their other duties.” I don’t know how to take this, but it appears that we, the taxpayer, are an imposition and a burden on the system.  Higher fees, as the County of Riverside would like to impose, will make it difficult for the public to gather information through the public records request act.  Government services were to always be available to the public, due to the taxes.  Government abuse of the check book  has enabled them to get around increase taxes that the public would ordinarily vote down, by implementing creative fees and revenue enhancers.  These fees and revenue enhancers do not need a vote of the people.  Is it the right of government that police, the fire department and other government agencies charge the taxpayer additional fees for services they should ordinarily be receiving? Double and/or triple secret taxation without representation?  In the private sector, if a vendor cannot do the agreed upon job  according to the agreed upon fee agreement, you find someone who will.  This would be illegal because the public records act for duplication of records depends on “statutory fees”, that is, fees that are based and enacted by statute.  The fee by law should be for the “direct cost” of the duplication, nothing more.  This would fall under California Government Code section § 6253 (b).   These fees are set by Legislation not by local ordinance, this was enacted to prevent abuse.  When government tries to impose high fees for public records, this means they are hiding improprieties, this is a “red flag”.   The less access the public has due to high cost of fees the better for government.  Higher County fees such as this would be an abuse of government, who are there to for the pleasure of the taxpayer, not for themselves, and that is what I call government arrogance and a breach of their fiduciary duty to the taxpayer.

UPDATE:06/29/2011: RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERVISORS REJECT PUBLIC RECORDS FEE.

UPDATE:07/12/2011: AS STATED IN THE PRESS ENTERPRISE: “… taxpayers have a right to know public employees’ compensation. It’s taxpayers’ money.”  People forget that government and it’s personnel are financed by taxes from the earnings of the taxpayer.

 SUMMARY OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST ACT 2004, and GUIDE TO THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST ACT

ALSO EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS ACT.

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: TMC RECOMMENDS, FORENSIC AUDIT OF CITY HALL BOOKS!

Posted: June 28, 2011 in Uncategorized
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WHO WILL BE HIDING BEHIND THE COMPUTER NEXT WHEN THE AUDITOR COMES ASKING QUESTIONS?  CHECK BACK WEEKLY…THAT IS, EVERY CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY!  WE’LL EVEN PROVIDE THE DIRECT LINK SO YOU CAN CHECK THE CURRENT CITY COUNCIL AGENDA.   CALL YOUR LOCAL ELECTED COUNCIL PERSON AND THE MAYOR AND REQUEST THAT A FORENSIC AUDIT BE DONE BY STATE CONTROLLER JOHN CHIANG OF THE CITY HALL BOOKS.  THIS IS A GOOD IDEA SINCE CITY MANAGER BRAD HUDSON AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PAUL SUNDEEN ARE CURRENTLY NOT AT LIBERTY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS SINCE THEY ARE BOTH ON VACATION…   IF THERE IS NOTHING TO HIDE, THE NUMBERS WILL COME UP RIGHT!

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: PUBLIC WORKS FOSTER’S & BOYD’S THE BID PROCESS!

Posted: June 25, 2011 in Uncategorized
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It never ends, Sewer Bid Contracts again in the News, is City Hall in turmoil once again at the wheel of damage control working feverishly to sort a believable story for the public?  Do we now hire our trump card Best, Best & Krieger for Public Relations, or are we just a bit beyond that?  With City Councilman Paul Davis up for Mayor Pro Temp coming this week and City Attorney Greg Priamos hiding behind the comforting doors of his office, is City Manager Brad Hudson conveniently leaving the scene of the crime just in time?  Is his remaining posse working hard to answer all the abounding questions that remain?  And are City Hall employees celebrating Brad Hudson leaving, as they did when Assistant City Manager Tom DeSantis left?

Well, the spotlight is now on Riverside Public Works, that would be Tom Boyd’s department.  Did his department preferentially award a contract to Camp, Dresser & McKee?  A contract according to the standard scoring process should have went to Hill, known as CH2M Hill,  of who scored higher.  Incidently, CH2M Hill for the third year has been rated Worlds Most Ethical Companies, I understand ethics just doesn’t sit well in Riverside.  Regardless, there are two employees at the forefront of the allegations, City Engineer Warren Huang and Sewer Treatment Plant Manager Craig Justice, who stated to Deputy City Attorney Raychele Sterling that they were called into Public Works Director Siobhan Foster’s office, where “they were told that ‘she did not like the results of the scoring,’ and that the scoring needed to be ‘fixed’ so that CDM was selected” because Albert A. Webb Associates was to be a subcontractor on the job, according to the email.  Was there creative math occurring in this bid process?   Now we have the subcontractor Albert A. Webb and Associates at the forefront of the questionable bid process.   Matthew A. Webb, president of Albert A. Webb Associates, has acknowledged a friendship with Hudson, but has said the firm gained work based on merit and that jobs for the city are only a small portion of its business, but twelve payouts on a single day?  There lies the questionable appearance of bid splitting, and no one at City Hall has been able to explain it.  The following is City Memorandum from last month by Webb requesting a change order for an additional appropiation of $308,495.00.  Now the question, what is the purpose of the scoring process when no one follows the rules?  Does it then become just a city formality?   TMC has asked for a an independent forensic audit, who will answer to a community finance commitee.  Or a request by the City Council for State Controller John Chiang, would also be in order.

What does Chief Financial Officer, Paul Sundeen say about this.   According to Mary Shelton, who writes the River City Cop Watch Blog, Sundeen believes an independent audit is too expensive and wouldn’t be necessary in his opinion. He claims no bid splitting has ever taken place ever but if it happens, he should be notified to investigate it.  We have this bit of info for Paul to investigate thirteen payments in one day. Bid splitting or coincidence? as coincidental as our emails being blocked Paul’s office.

Cihigoyenetche, Grossberg & Clouse, Rancho Cucamonga based law firm Hudson requested to investigate allegations of favoritism of himself to the tune of $100,000.00, presented their findings.  According to Cihigoyenetche’s report, the employees Sterling says told her of favoritism denied making those comments when questioned by an investigator and they did not find that Hudson’s friendships influenced who got  contracts or that Hudson pressured anyone to award contracts to someone specific.  Good work Cihigoyenetche, Grossberg & Clouse!  I’m sure there was also no conflict of interest between the firm and Hudson…..and by the way, did the taxpayer pay your bill alright?  Did anybody know that Scott Grossberg performed magic! …and wrote books such as  “The Vitruvian Square: A Handbook of  Divination Discoveries,” “The Masks of Tarot,” and “Bauta: Betraying  the Face of Illusion,” in addition to his  oracle/divination cards, “The Deck of Shadows.”     But in all fairness, in report notes of the hired law firm requested by the Press Enterprise via the public records request act,  Cihigoyenetche’s reports, “To the extent that any public works managers pressured staff to award the contract to the firm with (Hudson’s) alleged friend as a subcontractor, such pressure emanated from a pervasive desire within the city to award contracts to capable local business to stimulate the local economy,” rather than to reward Hudson’s friends.  Ahhh, thats it!…it was all about “stimulating the local economy”, that was worth a $100,000.00 of taxpayer money to find out, wouldn’t you say?  Or a bit of magic sleight of hand with taxpayer money, now you see it, now you don’t!  Further, Deputy City Attorney Raychele Sterling, who was fired last month in May, stated that the employees were badgered and berated with threats of losing their job.  In a March 23 email to the City Council, Sterling wrote that public works employees told her they were directed by their superiors to assign projects to a particular firm because its head “is a personal friend of the city manager, and the city manager wants him to receive as many projects as possible.” This at around the same time fired employee Sean Gill, Construction Contracts Administrator for the City, claimed that city officials gave millions in contracts without the contracts going out to bid. The lawsuit also alleges Gill was ordered by Deputy Public Works Director Tom Boyd to sign off on projects that didn’t meet handicap-accessible standards or city requirements, and that Boyd “even instructed Gill not to inspect the work.”  The suit claims city officials — with the knowledge of council members — awarded contracts “in an effort to increase their political allies” and ordered work without public bidding, which cost the city more money than necessary.  There you go Mr. Sundeen, sounds like something to investigate, also sounds as both Raychele and Sean fall into the whistleblower category.

Last year, June 2010 at City Council, that Dvonne Pitruzello, City Council Candidate Ward 1, requested to see documents in regards to City Manager Brad Hudson’s discretionary fund spending.  Since then, numerous questions of indiscretions came to the forefront at City Council Meetings, such as the Connie Leach Contracts and questions of favoritism in contracts awarded to Albert Webb and Assoiciates.  Will the City of Riverside experience another mass exodus due to the next erruption of the Toba Caldera?  Keep connected with TMC…

UPDATE: 06/29/2011: HUDSON’S RESPONSE TO FORMER DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY RAYCHELE STERLING, “ABSOLUTELY SILLY.”   HE MAY BE SAYING THAT BECAUSE HE’S LEAVING, BUT RAYCHELE HAS ONE HELL OF A LAW SUIT AGAINST THE CITY (TAXPAYER) WHICH WILL DEVULGE A BOMBSHELL OF IMPROPRIETIES.

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: CITY HALL HONEYCOMB SENDS OUT THEIR STING OF THE BEES WITH HIGHER FEES!

Posted: June 24, 2011 in Uncategorized
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I can understand nominal fees that are necessary to cover what taxes may not, but that should be the end of it, government should not be in business of making a profit off our public properties.  What is the point of government when the tax money received is insufficient to maintain or cover standard services and expectations by the community.  Does the city have a right to look at public services and publicly held properties as a commodity for profit.  Is it their right to act as a private sector entity because they are unable to maintain their checkbook?  Fee for public parks, fees for public community centers, increases in zoning and building permits.  A fee just to have access to a public picnic table, what are we running a country club?  Using a park for an event such as a wedding in the past required only a city permit; now it could cost $700 or more.  Wasn’t the Park System the only vestige of freedom to access of publicly owned property?  Holding events at city parks and community centers will of course cost more.   Fees are coming from everywhere, the Fire Department now has fees for inspections and the Police Department has their fees for services as well.

The parking issue continues all over the city, but now the city is nickeling and diming visitors, not to mention residents, with parking tickets and code enforcement violations. For example, the issue in the Woodstreets regarding street cleaning signs, and residents being hit with $41 dollar tickets.   Now, if you pay for a landscaper by the month, and you tell him not to show, he still gets paid, but he doesn’t penalize you for not utilizing his services that week. Well the city does. As taxpayers we pay for street cleaning, if we decide to park our car in front of home, shouldn’t we not get ticketed for using that service that day?  People maintain the front curb in front of the sidewalk without thinking that the city owns it, should we in turn send part of landscaping bill to the city to be reimbursed for maintaining it?  Or after a windy day, should we charge the city for not picking up the broken tree and palm branches left on the street? Left for the Residents to do the job themselves? These are issues Councilman Mike Gardner will have to deal with appropriately in his new term.

Aside from the redevelopment concerns, the city’s 2011-12 budget continues existing services and restores non-emergency tree trimming.  Now you wonder why you have to pick up and cut the palm branches that fall after a good wind, or why the palm trees, Italian spruces etc. have not been trimmed.  A no brainer, an expectation of the community which has paid for this service in advance.  The city has taken those funds that you have paid for, paid for in advance for trimming the trees on the curbs in front of your homes, and have utilize them for other uses.  They, the city didn’t expect the turn in the economy, and were going to replace the funds.  When they have seen that this would not happen, they hit the tax payer with increases in fees and revenue enhancers, because they just don’t know how to handle a check book?  Fee increases are always an indication and reflection of bad spending of your money, and a way for them to make up the money you already have paid and to cover incompetent spending.  In addition, fees are easy to do, they don’t take a vote of the people, as taxes do.  That’s why they will not call them that.  The one issue that comes to mind, is that in a time of economic turmoil and the expectation of a another cycle of a double dip recession in 2012, are fee increases really good for the economic growth and development of the city?  … and will visitors really come?  This I say because City Hall has a track record of not being business friendly and visitory friendly, and when you have been stung by a bee once you never forget…

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: RCPA RECOMMENDS CITY AUDIT!

Posted: June 22, 2011 in Uncategorized
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WHO WILL BE HIDING BEHIND THE COMPUTER NEXT WHEN THE AUDITOR COMES ASKING QUESTIONS? CHECK BACK WEEKLY…

The Riverside Coalition for Police Accountability, which was formed in January 1999, in response to the death of Tyisha Miller.  Its mission is in improving relations between the Riverside Police Department (RPD) and the community.    Well, RCPA has generated a list of recommendations related to the departure of  City Manager Brad Hudson.  This was submitted to the City of Riverside by Deborah Wong, RCPA Co-Chair, and Michael Dunn.  Their  flyer to share with others in within this link, we are told feel free to share it with others.

The main recommended points were:

  • WE CALL FOR an audit of the City budget covering Hudson’s entire 6-year term as City Manager.
  • WE CALL FOR both an independent audit (by Moss Adams, the City’s new outside auditor) and an internal audit.
  • WE CALL FOR careful scrutiny of the City Manager’s discretionary fund, the asset forfeiture fund, bonds, and utilities.
  • WE CALL FOR an audit of the City’s process for awarding contracts to private businesses and developers.
  • WE CALL FOR an audit of the City’s hiring and firing processes over the last 6 years. We note the pronounced ‘whitening’ of City Hall’s top staff under Mr. Hudson.
  • WE CALL FOR an audit of the City’s possible abuse of the U.S. Whistleblower Protection Act.
  • WE CALL FOR the Charter Review Committee to recommend more detailed guidelines for the processes and procedures directing the City Council’s selection of a City Manager.

I would also like to add that it is an interesting move on City Council Andy Melendrez’s part to request Chief Financial Officer Paul Sundeen to provide a tutorial on audits and finances.  And according to Mary Shelton, who writes the River City Cop Watch Blog,  Sundeen believes an independent audit is too expensive and wouldn’t be necessary in his opinion. He claims no bid splitting has ever taken place ever but if it happens, he should be notified to investigate it. She goes on to say, the city spent $65 million on its own questionable bonds that Riverside County didn’t want but that’s not too much money.  But an audit is…  City Councilwoman Nancy Hart, who incidently heads the Finance Community, responded to her question regarding city bonds that will come due in July 2012 and the decreases in revenue streams available to pay them by stating, ” We do not have outstanding Bonds with no revenue stream to repay them”.  But a reliable inside source within City Hall is stating the city’s much worse off than they had thought, and that the city can’t pay the bonds that are due in 2012.  In my opinion in order to clear the air and bring trust back to the community of Riverside, the City Council should request a forensic audit of the City of Riverside by State Controller John Chiang.   Mayer Hoffman McCann had been the City of Riverside’s auditing firm for the last five years.  In John Chiang’s review of the audits conducted by Mayer Hoffman McCann for the City of Bell,  he found that the auditor “appears to have been a rubberstamp rather than a responsible auditor committed to providing the public with the transparency and accountability that could have prevented the mismanagement of the City’s finances by Bell officials.”  If there is nothing to hide this should not be a problem.  But my final thoughts are that it must be this new type of KoolAid permeating the Hall, it just make things not be as they appear, and I got to tell you the experts are telling me it’s pretty bad stuff…

CITY OF RIVERSIDE: HUDSON………….BIGAMIST?

Posted: June 18, 2011 in Uncategorized
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HUDSON……….BIGAMIST?  WHILE HONEYMOONING IN SACRAMENTO HE HASN’T QUITE FINISHED THE DIVORCED PROCESS WITH RIVERSIDE, IS HE PLAYING THE FIELD?  WHILE THE CITY IS ON THE REBOUND, WILL THEIR CHOICE FOR A NEW CITY MANAGER BE CLOUDED BY THE STING OF THE BREAK-UP?

In lieu of Hudson’s remaining two year obligation with the city, he currently has yet to submit a letter of resignation to the City of Riverside.  He will be leaving for his new position with sacramento August 14, 2011.   More than likely Chief Financial Officer Paul Sundeen will be leaving, that’s usually the case when the king leaves.  But, will any of his staff be leaving with him, such as Belinda Graham, Tina English, Deanna Lorson, or newly highered Emilio Ramirez? So who will be the one to take power?  Councilman Mike Gardner said the city has not yet selected an interim city manager.  But it likely will be one of Hudson’s hires.  So, will one remain to City Manager or Interim City Manager, and the rest stay or leave?  Rumor has it, the City of Pasadena’s Michael beck may be a candidate.   But will he actually come back to a mess he left when he was Assistant City Manager, of course,  with Brad Hudson?  Well, Michael Beck also has a track record under Hudson.  Michael Beck was one who was also waiting in line behind Tom DeSantis for his specially ordered custom badge, mirroring those of RPD.  Other city officials, Hudson said, felt the badges would be useful if he, DeSantis or Beck were confronted while removing signs.  We couldn’t find anybody to corroborate that, Ok, yeah…   Then there was the guns, then there was the cold plates.  Beck, said that cold plates were put on used vehicles acquired from local dealerships for him, Hudson and DeSantis. The vehicles were purchased after the city started assigning cars to the administrators rather than giving them a car allowance.  But Michael, were some vehicles used by the council actually purchased from the restrictive Police Asset Forfeiture funds?   Will Hudson regroup his posse and possible rehire Ex-Assistant City Manager Tom DeSantis, or bring up current Assistant Manager Belinda Graham?  The second rumour is Siobhan Foster, with her background in Finance, will she be the one to take power of the City Managers seat, now that she is aware of the sorted details concerning pot holes?

Questions abound regarding Brad Hudson’s decision to leave Riverside.  Is it because he understands the books better than the city council or mayor?  Is it because of the enormous bond debt which will come due July 1, 2012?  His discretionary slush fund spending?  To the tune of over 25 million, then suddenly went down this year when a citizen brought it to the councils attention last year.    Or did the Connie Leach Grand Jury Investigation served to the City of Riverside instigate Brad to make a quick get away?  How long will the council and mayor continue to fall of sting of rejection after last weeks love fest, especially Steve Adams, who appears would marry him if he could. The question is, why would you leave his base salary of $295,000.00 to make $258,000.00 in  Sacramento?  Did the City of Riverside actually pay Brad Hudson to much?  Or is he leaving because of the many restrictive inter-agency fund transfers.  Once transferred to a non-restrictive account, were then part of a web of inter-fund transfers reaching their proposed and intended salacious goals?

Will an independent forensic audit of the the city accounts be implemented when Brad Hudson leaves, in order to get a baseline for the next City Manager?  Accountability and Transparency may be non-existent in City Hall, but TMC will ask the questions.  The questions the community of Riverside are now asking.

UPDATE:06/21/2011: BRAD HUDSON CONFIRMED AS SACRAMENTO COUNTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE WITH A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT.   OFF TO SUCKERMENTO AUGUST 12, 2011.

Anonymous sources with documentation welcomed,  photos welcomed, keep connected with TMC..

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