City Hall Soaks Taxpayers
Staff editorial

During the Sept. 2 council meeting, the council voted 4-1 (Reavis dissenting) to approve a $300,000 contract for the Rose Parade float. Approximately 16 people were apparently summoned to the meeting by city officials to demonstrate they’ll applaud almost anything. It was reminiscent of the days of former councilwomen Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow. Their groupies would show up and bark on command when the old gals needed a show of support for yet another city hall boondoggle.

In a city of nearly 100,000, the positive news is that very few residents swallow the bilge served by City Manager Dennis Wilberg and Public Works Director Keith Rattay. These two liars-in-chief recently made fools of themselves by talking with reporter Lindsey Baguio, who quoted them in the Saddleback Valley News. Wilberg lied about the debris and tons of soil dumped in Lower Curtis Park. He said the material came from the Crown Valley Parkway widening project, which has virtually no excavation going on. Almost immediately, another city employee, Mark Chagnon, offered a conflicting story and more lies to Saddleback Valley News indicating the primary source was other street repairs. Rattay has lied virtually every time he’s opened his mouth about Easelgate.

During the Sept. 2 council meeting, Realtor Jim Flynn, a buddy of Councilwoman Trish Kelley, spoke in favor of approving the float contract. Flynn bragged about his successful real estate business and claimed that a Rose Parade float would attract new residents – as if the city had a new housing tract. To the contrary, Mission Viejo is built out. If Flynn deems himself so successful, why does he want a subsidy for his business instead of offering to donate toward funding the float? Two other Realtors also commented favorably about the float, including Councilman John Paul Ledesma.

Those who made public comments against the float said it’s a bad idea that promotes Pasadena, not Mission Viejo. One speaker said the contract price is much higher than the amount other cities are paying for Rose Parade floats. A possible explanation is that this city is letting residents participate in menial tasks of arranging dried flowers. Allowing volunteers to participate seems to raise the price. City staffers may have learned from the League of Cities or other bureaucracy-building organizations that they should involve residents to give their bad ideas an appearance of community acceptance.

Wilberg stated that the city had received more than 500 responses from those wanting to work on the float. Wait a minute! Is Rattay counting the volunteers? Rattay claimed 150 volunteers built easels for the city’s 20th anniversary spend-a-thon and, thus far, not one person can be found who participated as a volunteer. Check out “Easelgate Update” on this week’s blog for the rest of the story.

Those who saw the Sept. 2 council meeting watched the unveiling of a rendering of the city’s proposed float. The design wasn’t impressive for a $300,000 float, and the theme appears to be a mishmash of random thoughts. The concept includes Lake Mission Viejo – a behemoth tub filled with water to be driven down Pasadena Avenue. The design also includes Rattay’s signature dead tree – a gigantic wrought iron clip-art tree that’s completely out of place – plus bicyclists and bears. One of the reasons the float looks like such an odd collection is that it has no purpose, and it’s been conceived by city hall staffers who have no connection with the community.

Because they have no real jobs, many of the city’s 152.3 employees will need something to do after Jan. 1. Wilberg and Rattay were shortsighted when they embarked on float-building, which will take only a few more months. Maybe they’ll next decide to build a pyramid.

Easelgate Update
Editorial staff

Each weekly installment of Easelgate on this blog reveals more lies from city officials. City Hall on Aug. 28 notified community activist Lisa De Paul-Snyder that public records she requested on Aug. 8 were ready to review. Activists have looked through files that were supposed to provide a list of volunteers who participated in easel building. De Paul-Snyder had asked for records regarding Keith Rattay’s June 18 claim that 150 volunteers gave 800 hours toward assembling easels.

Blog readers who saw Rattay’s claim unanimously said they didn’t believe any volunteers participated. This blog has published city records that demonstrate city contractor Jamey Clark was paid to build all 500 easels (and then some).

In city records released to De Paul-Snyder on Aug. 28, there are no volunteers, no names, no information about work sessions, no memos, no emails and no other data. The city has no records of purchasing tools or equipment for volunteers to indicate any such work sessions took place. While the city has a tradition of serving elaborate meals to volunteers or mere participants in activities, no food was purchased – not even soft drinks. No information will be forthcoming because the city claims it has no records of any such volunteers or work sessions. Rattay doesn’t have a shred of evidence to back up his story.

The city’s behavior of either destroying records or not listing volunteers’ names is in contrast to the dog and PHONY shows it frequently presents at council meetings. Volunteers are routinely presented with awards and commendations for their service. For the easel project, the city invoked an entirely different policy, denying anything is known about volunteers. A slip of paper among records released on Aug. 28 summarizes the lack of information by saying such records aren’t retained after an event is over. Since when?

Instead of listing the nonexistent volunteers, city officials gave three names of “contact people” who might be connected with volunteers for city functions but not specifically for easel building. As an example, the first name is an alleged LDS church elder with no phone number or any other contact information. The name cannot be found in any city, county or state records. Two longtime LDS church members were contacted by this blog, and they confirmed the name isn’t listed in any of their LDS directories for the entire state. They said the title of “elder” doesn’t refer to an official in a local church, but it indicates the person is probably a missionary from out of the area – the type that might go door-to-door on a teaching mission.

One of the LDS members responded to city hall’s allegation that LDS had participated in easel-building: “I don’t know what he [Rattay] is trying to accomplish by saying that. Building easels for the city isn’t something our church would normally do. I would call an activity like that interfering with city business.”

The church member went on to explain that LDS is very involved in serving the needs of humankind. The implication that the church would involve itself in a local government project for the purpose of sheer entertainment was not well taken. The city’s 20th anniversary party has been widely criticized by residents as wasteful and having no legitimate purpose.

Keith Rattay has lied about costs, volunteers, community participation and city workers’ careless trashing of easels that were thrown in a heap and then taken to a county dump.

If anyone would like an alternative view of the remaining easels, the stack can be seen from the open-space path above the city yard that abuts Oso Creek. A resident who lives near the site reported that the tarp over the easels only covers the front of the stack (as seen from the alley behind the Michaels store). The tarp is just for show, and the easels are exposed to the elements. Rattay’s claim that the easels will be used for “years to come” is yet another hoax. An insider said three months ago, “Some day when no one is watching, all the remaining easels will be taken to the dump.” Some easels are still stored on the hillside, but the stack has clearly diminished from a month ago.

Is There an Ugly Award?
Letter to the Editor

Is the City Council of Mission Viejo really serious about the ugly of the uglies design for Rose Parade floats? The real problem – that it isn't funny, it's just laughable. Apparently, it is to promote the character path that is all too seldom used.

What do the bears signify? We do have coyotes and rarely a bobcat or two, but who has seen any bears lumbering through Mission Viejo streets or yards? I assume the water represents Lake Mission Viejo. With the diver on the board, wouldn't it have been better to honor the pool used by the Nadadores? We have produced some excellent divers (especially Greg Louganis) and some fine national swimming competitors.

If we must spend such money ($300,000, perhaps more), can't we have a decent float design? Please do not embarrass us.

Beverly Cruse
Mission Viejo

Toll Road Hearing Set for Sept. 22
by Robin Everett

The moment we all have been waiting for is approaching. The federal government hearing regarding the Foothill-South Toll Road has been rescheduled for Mon., Sept. 22, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The hearing will be held at O'Brien Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The facility is located at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. in Del Mar. Boy, they sure aren’t making testifying easy!

Federal administrators say they want to hear our opinions regarding the Foothill-South Toll Road and its devastating effects on San Onofre State Beach, the San Mateo Campground and Trestles, but they are limiting public participation. 
 

Those wanting to testify at the Commerce Hearing must send in a request by Sept. 12, and not everyone who sends in a request will be allowed to speak. Though the federal administration may not want to hear from us, we need to make sure that our voices ring loud and clear.

To take action or get more information, access the Website for Friends of the Foothills: http://ga1.org/campaign/Secretary_Commerce_clone

The Buzz

Did Councilman Lance MacLean complete his anger management course? Following his October 2007 arrest for assault and battery at a UCI concert, he opted for counseling to have charges dropped. Those who watched the 5 p.m. opening of the Sept. 2 council meeting heard Councilwoman Gail Reavis say: “Before we go into closed session, I would like to announce I will not be attending closed session as I am still in fear for my life after the last outburst on the 18th by Mr. MacLean.  I was advised if I felt threatened I would have to leave, not the threatening party, so I am taking that advice.”

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City hall is in the process of naming its float, which is a kitchen sink of icons. Resident Kathy Miramontes suggested naming it the “Butt Ugly Float.” After residents were shut out of the process (ignored when they objected to the whole idea and excluded from any decision-making activity), negative reaction shouldn’t come as a surprise. The float is inappropriate to begin with, and it’s ugly. Residents can participate in a poll as to whether or not the city should have a float: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/float-city-community-2144429-parade-council As of this writing, most participants are saying no.

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When residents made public comments to oppose spending $300,000 on the float at the Sept. 2 meeting, Councilman Frank Ury (self-described financial whiz) explained that the council approved the expenditure of $300,000 in 2007, not this year. Doesn’t that make everyone feel a lot better? Since the amount was approved in 2007 but not spent, that means there’s a SURPLUS of $300,000 to spend this year, so no one should complain about the waste of money. That’s not a direct quote, but the implication was there.

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The Eagle Eyes Award goes to a Buzz reader who noticed an item in the Sept. 6 OC Register in Local news, page 10, “Developer said to owe $22 million.” The article focuses on a developer in Huntington Beach but mentions Mission Viejo: “Huntington Beach joins other Orange County cities such as Orange, Irvine, Anaheim and Mission Viejo that have offered builders various payment delays on construction fees.” The statement likely refers to the infamous deal in which Steadfast was supposed to pay the city $1 million in developer fees. Steadfast created an odd-looking mountain of dirt at the corner of Jeronimo and Los Alisos and skipped town. All five council members accepted “campaign donations,” so residents shouldn’t expect any action against the developer.

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Is Mayor Trish Kelley thinking she can grow up to become Sarah Palin? Like Palin, Kelley joined the PTA, won a council seat and became mayor, but that’s where the similarities end. Instead of fighting corruption, Kelley fell in with it, abandoning her reform platform and supporting an embattled city manager and her beloved CUSD administrators James Fleming and David DO-me (Doomey). Among other differences from Kelley, Palin has the ability to string two sentences together.

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What’s the word on the street about Mission Viejo’s city council? Those gathering signatures and daily talking with hundreds of residents say the tide has turned against all five council members. Ury is the only council member seeking reelection, and voters have a chance to dump him on Nov. 4. Another candidate, Rich Atkinson, is being propped up by Council Members Ury, Kelley and MacLean. This blog recommends that voters choose Neil Lonsinger and Cathy Schlicht for the good of the city.

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As other reaction on the street to city hall, residents want to restore the promise and forget the iron tree. Mission Viejo’s slogan from day one has been The California Promise. City hall employees are promoting their own slogan, Make Living Your Mission (a/k/a Make Lying Your Mission). Lyin’ King Keith Rattay has his own graphic, the mark of the iron tree, which is not accepted by residents. City hall has earned widespread disrespect by lying to and running roughshod over residents. City hall’s arrogant bureaucrats act as if they’re city planners, trying to dismantle the Master Plan and turn the city into an urban mess of traffic jams and overdevelopment.