City Gouges Taxpayers – Again

City Hall has a new scheme for spending Other People’s Money. City officials call it charity. The new twist on “let us entertain you with your own money” is to give so-called proceeds to charity.

As usual, there’s a catch. There are no proceeds.

Are the administrative costs and other expenses ever accounted for? As a huge part of the overhead, highly compensated top administrators and other employees with benefits are planning and overseeing the activities. City facilities are used without charge, and city contractors print literature, promote the event, set up, clean up, direct traffic, provide security and so on.

The cover of charity helps sustain the city’s bloated bureaucracy by keeping employees on the payroll who don’t have real jobs. And doesn’t the act of giving money away sound so much better than the usual excuses for wasting it?

Jumping on the bandwagon of donating “proceeds” to a charity is the city’s Character Committee. As a government entity, this committee has no legitimate function, reason to exist or claim to tax dollars. Councilwoman Trish Kelley advocated its formation by saying no tax dollars would be involved. A city employee reported soon after the committee’s inception that “an enormous amount of staff time is sucked up” by its activities. In addition to absorbing full-time city employees, the Character Committee has thrown parties for itself, including catered dinners.

City Hall is on track to spend $2.4 million more than it takes in this fiscal year. With no plan for economic development, the city has failed to attract businesses or grow the sales tax base. With dwindling revenue, city employees increasingly have focused on activities that are neither essential nor appropriate – now giving away imaginary profits.

The Constitution does not empower the government to use taxpayer funds for charity. America’s founders clearly left charity to citizens.

Perhaps the occupants of City Hall think no one would dare criticize them for participating in a good cause. However, it’s not their job. And while they’re trying to become unassailable by donating Other People’s Money, they’re failing to do the real job of providing essential public services.

Congressional Update
From the office of Congressman Gary Miller, 42nd District

Congress Passes, President Signs Short-Term CR
On March 1, the House approved H.J. Res. 44, a continuing resolution (CR) to provide discretionary government funding for two weeks, until March 18, 2011. The President signed this short-term CR into law, containing $4.01 billion in discretionary spending cuts, on March 2. The bill eliminates eight government programs for which no funds were requested in the President’s budget as well as funding that was made available in fiscal year 2010 for earmarked programs and projects. Program eliminations in the bill total $1.24 billion in savings while savings from earmark eliminations total $2.7 billion.

Surface Transportation Extension
On March 2, the House approved H.R. 662, the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011 by a vote of 421–4. The bill would extend the authority to appropriate funds from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for federal highway and surface transportation programs through the remainder of FY 2011. Current authority to appropriate funds from the HTF under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) was most recently extended in December 2010 and is set to expire on March 4, 2011. H.R. 662 would set the total obligation limitation levels for transportation funding at $52.7 billion for FY 2011. The obligation authority consists of $42.46 billion for highway funding and $10.33 billion for mass transit funding. The level of obligation authority is the same as FY 2010. According to CBO, enacting the bill would result in contract authority totaling $580 billion over the FY 2011–FY 2021 period. The funding level authorized by the bill is identical to CBO’s current baseline projection; thus enacting H.R. 662 would not provide budget authority above amounts assumed under current law.

“1099 Repeal”
On March 3, the House approved legislation modifying a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”), which destroys jobs by expanding reporting requirements on payments made to corporations, rental property expense payments, and payments for property and other gross proceeds. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, repealing these expanded 1099 information reporting requirements for certain payments of more than $600 will reduce taxes by approximately $24.7 billion over 10 years. In addition, H.R. 4 would increase the maximum amount of subsidy overpayments that could be recaptured by the government under ObamaCare. This provision is estimated to reduce government spending by $24.8 billion over 10 years.

For the week beginning March 7:
Ending Wasteful Housing Assistance Programs – this week the House will consider legislation to end two ineffective and costly foreclosure mitigation programs. H.R. 836 would rescind all unobligated balances made available by the Democrat Dodd-Frank law for the $1 billion failed Emergency Homeowners Relief Program – a grant program that loses 98 cents of every dollar disbursed. The other bill set to be considered this week, H.R. 836 would end the FHA Short Refinance Program, reclaiming unspent TARP funds obligated for the initiative.

The Continuing Resolution:

• Republicans’ goal is to cut spending, not to shut down the government.
• Uncontrollable spending in Washington has caused a massive increase in government borrowing, and the national debt is now a record $14 trillion.
• To help create jobs and save our children from national bankruptcy, we must stop spending money we don’t have.
• We cannot afford to borrow 42 cents on the dollar and leave an enormous debt for our children and grandchildren to repay.
• Our nation is in a spending-driven debt crisis that will induce job-destroying tax increases or higher interest rates.
• On February 19, 2011, the House passed the largest spending cut in Congress since the end of World War II to move us toward ending our nation’s debt crisis and put America on the road to economic growth and prosperity and job creation.
• House Republicans will continue working to keep the government running while cutting Democrats’ job-destroying spending.

The 1099 Repeal:

• Under ObamaCare, starting in 2012, businesses will be required to file an IRS Form-1099 for any vendor with which they have more than $600 in yearly transactions.
• This “1099 Provision” will create additional costs for employers, particularly small businesses, reducing productivity, adding to compliance costs, and further stifling economic growth.
• House Republicans took up another part of our Pledge to America by voting to repeal this job-destroying mandate that ObamaCare imposed on our nation’s small businesses.
• We remain committed to reducing government and eliminating burdensome and unnecessary regulations so that American families and businesses no longer have to downsize their budgets and payrolls.

Non-government Events

Following is a sampling of events and activities that are not funded by taxpayers or promoted by the Nanny State. Please support private enterprise.

Faux Finish Workshop, techniques for wall finishes, March 10, 6 p.m., Studio Primrose / Art Studio, 27601 Forbes Rd, Laguna Niguel, (949) 584-1917, http://studioprimrose.com

“Kites, Printmaking and Bifocals,” Drop-in Family Art Inventions – Kidseum, Sat., March 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, (714) 567-3600, http://www.bowers.org/index.php/art/exhibitions_listing/current

Richard & Donna O’Neill Conservancy, volunteers (ages 10 and up) will clear and weed trails on March 12, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 28672 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 489-9778, http://www.theconservancy.org/Calendar.aspx

Orange Flea Market, March 12 and every second Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., free parking and free admission, 146 N. Grand Street (off Chapman just east of the circle), Orange, (714) 721-2257, http://www.oldtownfleamarket.com

“Cars & Cockpits – Packards,” March 13, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Lyon Air Museum, 19300 Ike Jones Road, Santa Ana, also open daily for tours – call for information (714) 210-4565, http://www.lyonairmuseum.org/news/2011/03/13

Movies, Edwards Kaleidoscope Stadium 10 in Mission Viejo, 27741 Crown Valley Pkwy, (949) 582-4020, get show times, watch movie trailers, see what's coming soon at
http://www.moviefone.com/theater/edwards-kaleidoscope-stadium-10/32/showtimes

Farmers Market, Laguna Hills, Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Laguna Hills Mall, (714) 573-0374.

Farmers Market, San Juan Capistrano, Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Historic Town Center Park, (949) 493-4700.

Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” March 15 – April 10, Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com

“Requiem for a Dream: Mozart’s Last Masterpiece,” Orange County Women’s Chorus, March 20, 3 p.m., Newport Harbor Lutheran Church,798 Dover Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 451-8590, http://www.ocwomenschorus.org

Renee Fleming, Soprano, Tues., April 5, 8 p.m., Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, (714) 556-2121, http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1132&NavID=132

Art Exhibit, “Reflections from the Garden,” Joseph Raffel, through April 15, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Soka University, Founders Hall, First Floor, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4237, free, http://www.soka.edu/default.aspx

Save the Date, April 15

Mission Viejo Tea Party Patriots will reunite on April 15 for a Tax Day protest. The city’s first April 15 Tea Party in 2009 drew more than 600 people. In 2010, more than 700 attended the Tax Day rally.

The Tea Party will take place on the street corners at La Paz and Marguerite. The corners of this intersection have become the traditional spot to protest high taxes, overgrown government and elected officials who don’t listen.

This year, the Republican Party of Orange County will join Saddleback Republican Assembly in hosting the event, which will run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The Tea Party Patriots are planning a spirited rally with patriotic music and speakers.

Save the date, Friday, April 15. Participants are invited to bring signs and American flags. Information about the program will follow.

The Buzz

The Moulton Niguel Water District will meet Wed., March 9, at 9 a.m. to continue discussing proposed rate changes. The meeting location is 27500 La Paz Road in Laguna Niguel. At a recent public hearing about the proposed change, customers demanded answers about the district’s new tiered-rate system. Read more at http://articles.ocregister.com/2011-03-03/news/28651693_1_water-budgets-rate-structure-mnwd

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South Orange County Republican Assembly will meet on Thurs., March 10, 7 p.m., in San Juan Capistrano. The location is Sarducci’s Capistrano Depot, 26701 Verdugo Street (right at the railroad station). From the announcement by SOCRA President Craig Alexander: “For those who wish to attend the dinner portion of the meeting, arrive anytime between 5:30 and 6:15 p.m. Those who attend the dinner will receive a 10-percent off discount for your entree. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m.  As usual, you do not need to attend the dinner to attend the meeting at 7:00 p.m.  Our guest speaker will be OCGOP 1st Vice Chairman Deborah Pauly. RSVP to SOCRA's membership secretary Denise Hickey at mdcthick@cox.net  or at (949) 395-1049.”

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Reminder from Chapter Leader Bruce Mayall, The Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT for America will hold its general meeting on March 14. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., with orientation for first-time attendees beginning at 7:10. The meeting will begin at 7:30 and end at 9:30. The featured speaker will be Dr. Georgy Gournev, educator, consultant and author. His topic will be defeating the worldwide jihad. The group will meet at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo.

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The next Capo USD school board meeting will be Tues., March 8, 7:00 p.m., at the district headquarters, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano. View the agenda and supporting documents at https://capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1293638734307

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Did the Capo school district violate open meeting laws on Dec. 7 when it reinstated two furlough days and partially reversed teachers’ pay cuts? According to a March 5 OC Register article, “Peter Scheer, executive director of the San Rafael-based First Amendment Coalition, said the error did not appear intentional or malicious, but trustees should correct the mistake by scheduling a hearing to retroactively solicit the public's input and take another vote.” CUSD Supt. Joe Farley disagreed, saying “the board did not err, because trustees needed the flexibility to discuss and vote on the salary issue behind closed doors.” http://www.ocregister.com/news/-110707-ocprint--.html

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Didn’t newly elected CUSD board members John Alpay, Lynn Hatton and Gary Pritchard indicate during their campaign that they’d improve on the district’s record of abiding by open meeting laws? CUSD constituents Jim Reardon and Wayne Tate have filed a legal complaint against the board for restoring pay, saying the district misinterpreted the teachers’ contract and unlawfully restored pay for other CUSD employees when it restored teachers’ pay.

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Gov. Jerry Brown has set March 10 as the deadline to schedule a special election in June, in which voters would decide whether or not to extend taxes. From the March 6 Sacramento Bee, “California Republican leaders are urging their lawmakers to stand firm against Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal for a June tax election in the name of rebuilding their party. … Brown needs agreement from at least two Republicans in each house to ask voters to extend 2009 increases to sales, income and vehicle taxes.” Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/06/3453194/browns-countdown-day-56-california.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics

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From OC Supervisor Bill Campbell’s March 4 newsletter, “The Board unanimously supported the CEO recommendation to return with a proposed Ordinance on March 15, 2011, to separate the office of Public Guardian from the office of the Public Administrator. To read the recommendations approved for the proposed March 15th Ordinance, click http://cams.ocgov.com/Web_Publisher/Agenda03_01_2011_files/images/A11-000172.HTM

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Tea Party Patriot Lawrene writes, “ObamaPhone – this is no joke! Welfare recipients are now eligible to receive (1) a FREE new cell phone, and (2) approximately 100 - 250 FREE minutes of air time every month. Safe Link Wireless is a government-supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers. Your tax dollars are being distributed to a wireless phone provider to give welfare recipients free cell phones and airtime. We are $14 trillion in debt, Congress is balking at continuing unemployment payments to those who want to work, and Congress is increasing the dole-out to those on welfare. The Ship of State is sinking fast. Follow this link and see for yourself: https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/Home.aspx

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Read an article about a developer lobbying for annexation to Mission Viejo and participate in a poll at http://missionviejodispatch.com/city-aestheics/developer-lobbies-for-annexation-to-mv/#comments. The Mission Viejo City Council will hear about Standard Pacific’s 38.4-acre future housing tract north of the city during the March 7 council meeting.