TMC: Thirty Miles of Corruption

What the Press Enterprise has not reported, is that these rate hikes were brought to the attention of the City Council and the Mayor many many times over by Self Proclaimed City Auditor Vivian Moreno.  With denials and dismissive responses from Councilmembers such as Mike Gardner and Andy Melendrez, both incidently candidates for mayor.  We are not critics as the PE would like to state, but responsible and educated citizens reading the city’s own public records, and asking the questions which the constituents really want to know.   Many times the answers are dismissive and contradictory to the public records at hand.  How should we as citizens respond if not to continue to ask the questions, until they can finally admit the truth.  If public records state their will be an increase from 2012 to 2013 their will be an increase, if not, correct the records.  But now, it appears that the city has been compelled to admit the truth.  We warned of the purple pipe reclamation program, with an increase of $2.00.  A program that does not benefit the citizens in Riverside, especially when the City of Riverside is one of the few cities which owns their own water rights.  We are only at forty percent capacity the rest we sell to other municipalities at a profit.  If the water table was to exceed the fifty foot mark from the surface, this would endager building and infrastructure foundations.  Therefore the water table must be monitored closely and harvested accordingly.  Accordingly, sewer rates from July 1, 2009 to July 1, 2013 for a Basic Multi-Family Dwelling have increase from $14.94 to $25.77, this is an increase of 42%.  Currently $21.26 as of  July 1, 2011 to $23.97 July 1, 2012, and increase of 13%.  Sewer rates going up, $2.00 in July 2012, up to $3.00 in 2013. 

The tiered water and electrical rate hikes, by manipulation of the number scales.  A new charge for mosquito abatement for some household at $8.00 per household.  I just found out that back alley I must clear of weeds every summer is the city’s property.  In addition this is under duress of a $1,000 fine for not clearing the city’s property.  Mad yet?  In addition,  no one resident receives credit for cost and time of cleaning the city’s property.  Even the fire department is beginning to charge fees for services.  You would think that our tax money would suffice.  But it appears that these may have been implemented to sustain the unsustainable, especially the pensions.  These were labor negotiations by city leadership that were not in the best interest of the citizens.  Storm drain maintenance hikes from $2.83 to $5.82, to sustain storm drain maintenance, street sweeping and of course which leads to a reason to cite constituents with parking tickets to sustain new parking projects etc.  Trash rates will go up $0.46 per month beginning in July 2012.  All constituents were denied a real say in the matter or were misinformed.  We can say ‘fiduciary negligence.’  But it won’t stop there, there are the bonds which are coming due as a result of the Renaissance debacle.  The city will be blaming Governor Brown and the state for banning redevelopment, for the money they say will sustain the payment on those bonds.  But that’s not how it works.  The State of California stopped Redevelopment because of the abuse.  They will blame the state, while the city will not take responsibility, because that will mean they are now apt at making good decisions.  But what you find that does not change in the long run.  Because in the long run it is you who will have to pay for it in increase property taxes.

“When I see a spade I call it a spade…”   – Oscar Wilde

It is no wonder that city residents feel they are habitually terrorized by the city and code enforcement agents who slowly drive by residents home to see what kind of violations they can find. Yes many have quietly said it could be Cuba or even the Third Reich, but I have to continue to remind them we live in a city called Riverside, also know as “The All American City”.

Is Redevelopment really over?  The State of California says it is, but will municipalities create something different?  Originally, Redevelopment was created to combat blight.  Areas of cities that didn’t contribute to the overall tax structure.  As Redevelopmentevolved it tended to benefit friends and others close to the Mayor, City Council and Management, rather than the overall community.  Established businesses which were contributing to the economy were then hit with another tool, ‘eminent domain.’  But the irony is, that the visionaries of government who saw an illusionary and unattainable conception created in essence blight.   Currently what we have downtown that is blighted and created by the Renaissance program under the supervision of the Mayor and City Council at a cost of close to 2 billion dollars to the taxpayer.  In addition, does not make a penny for the community as it was intended. They can blame it on the loss of redevelopment, but it couldn’t logically work with it.  Another improvisational plan appears to be in the works.  Infrastructure Finance Districts, originally created and intended to work one way, just as redevelopment, will they be strategically morphed again as redevelopment was, to the benefit of a few?  While on one hand, the taxpayer are just feeling protected by the end of redevelopment, others are recreating an alternative gravy train.  Let’s make no bones about it, Pavlovian would be jealous of how much salivation exudes in the mouths of politicians on this thought. Yes you may say it is a dogs world, but here’s how infrastructure finance districts work: a group of property owners (or residents if there are more than a dozen) in the specified area vote to allow a portion of property taxes that would ordinarily go to the general fund to be diverted to pay for construction and improvements to public property — things like libraries, parks and recreational facilities.  But ordinarily, property owners such as resident are not likely to go to the city and ask for them to place it on a ballot initiative.  So what may happen, would be the city goes to the people with a ballot initiative that the city would benefit the property owners.  This is quite slick… this is what would happen, financially speaking, property taxes would not go up, but the general fund doesn’t get as much money. The City would go along with the decreased amount in the general fund because, in theory, these public enhancements cause nearby property values to rise, ultimately putting more property taxes into the general fund in the future. But currently the City’s has been spending more than they are taking in.  So again, will this new concept debacle cause additional increases in property taxes at some point?  Probably so.. therefore people need to think before they vote, those who don’t vote, need to vote.  If you don’t vote, you are allowing your representatives to be truly unattended.  It is your duty to be part of the checks and balance system which protects our community.  Without it, we will continue to be afraid of government, whereby government should be afraid of the people.  We therefore hae to ask ourselves, does government fear us?  Or do we fear the government?  Thomas Jefferson said it best, “When governments fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny”.   Government is our servant, not our master!”  When the people fear the government, as with code enforcement abuse, tax abuse, service fees abuse, hidden tax abuse, a tiered utility rate abuse and the feeling that nothing can be done…you have allowed government to have victory.

More to come, new article in the Press Enterprise, again posted for a short amount of time then buried but worth reading, because it is what citizens as us, who the city has called ‘misinformed’, ‘idiots’ or if a woman, ‘bitches’, the allegations of falsification of records.  If it at all matters, Interum Public Works Director, Tom Boyd is now named Public Works Director.

It is now time time to ask the Public Works Director the question the constituents have been waiting to ask, with regards to bids, contracts, change orders and accountability of which he has taken part of .

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 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!   COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY SPELL CHECKERS!  EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY WITH YOUR DIRT OR FOR CONTACT!   THIRTYMILESCORRUPTION@HOTMAIL.COM