The Buzz

When charges against ex-officials in the Capo school district were dropped, old-regime supporters used the occasion to rewrite history. In balance, here’s a reminder from a Capo parent who was on the enemies’ list: “The problem at the time wasn't whether something wrong had been done, but that the district refused to admit anything had been done. I remember near-violent meetings in the old Ed Center where parents and others whose names were on the list demanded to know why their names (and notes about where they lived, where their kids went to school, etc.) were on a district list. Nobody at that time said ‘hey, we know folks are unhappy, we're just trying to figure out why.’ Instead, Fleming said again and again and again that there was no list. Then-Trustee Marlene Draper shook her finger at the crowd and said there was no list. Yet there were three.” http://capistranoinsider.typepad.com/beyond_the_blackboard/2011/06/the-enemies-lists-just-to-refresh-.html

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When Mission Viejo residents were commenting on another blog about the city’s wasteful spending, City Manager Dennis Wilberg posted a crack about their absence at the city’s Memorial Day event. http://missionviejodispatch.com/budget/letter-100000-poles . Wilberg frequently shows how thin-skinned he is when residents notice the deplorable job he’s doing. Look around – he’s failed to maintain the city’s infrastructure and allowed city employee Keith Rattay to degrade the city’s appearance. Rattay’s expensive junk – everything from ghoulish displays on pillars to his new iron tree monuments that are backlit with an eerie orange glow – make Mission Viejo look like Halloween every day of the year. Back to Memorial Day, Wilberg apparently can’t understand why normal people don’t spend any day with occupants of city hall, regardless of “free” all-you-can-eat buffets and taxpayer-funded gifts for attendees.

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City Hall has a reliable technique for pumping up the meager turnout of most of its events. Several years ago, city employees made it known they were unhappy about a new policy that pushed them into attending events to avoid receiving low marks on their job reviews. With the perfunctory participation of 150 employees, Saddleback Valley News reports “hundreds” attend everything the city puts on. When the City Hall groupies are added – the same freeloaders perpetually feeding at the trough – the event is described as “wildly popular.”

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Which level of government has credibility? 1) The Obama administration saying everything is wonderful because the recession is over. 2) The state, with Gov. Jerry Brown’s declaration of impending doom when California runs out of Other People’s Money. 3) The city of Mission Viejo claiming $20-million-plus in “discretionary reserves” and saying it will spend millions on a tennis resort, a dog park and other CIPs while simultaneously raising fees and delaying the publication of the city budget. 4) None of the above.

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Constitution 101: Bob Serrao writes, “How much do you know about the Constitution? The quality of your life depends upon it. Know your rights! Join interactive classes from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sun., June 19 – The Declaration & U.S. Constitution, and Sun., June 26 – The U.S. Constitution and Your Rights. No admission charge, no pre-registration. Laptops and notebooks are optional. Everyone is welcome – bring a friend.” Bob will present the classes at Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale Avenue, Irvine 92604, (949) 936-4040.

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News reporter Dale McFeatters asks why Obama’s kicking the smoking habit isn’t being celebrated as front-page news. http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/feb/13/obama-last-of-the-smoker-presidents . McFeatters writes, “Obama said some time ago that he used to light up about five times a day. For people with a two- or three-pack a day habit, five cigarettes is not smoking at all. It's breakfast.” If Obama really did stop smoking, maybe his ardent media fans are worried he’ll start again with his cover-ups collapsing.

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Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks, writes, “Together, we can save and strengthen Medicare. Congressman Paul Ryan has a plan to put Medicare on a sustainable path for hard-working Americans while preserving the benefits of current seniors. But rather than offer their own solutions, Democrats and the liberal media have launched a coordinated attack campaign claiming Congressman Ryan's plan would "kill Medicare." Not true.

With 10,000 baby boomers joining the Medicare rolls every day and health care costs spiraling out of control, the only sure way to kill Medicare is to do nothing. That, in fact, is the Democrats’ plan: Do nothing. Plus, they've created a new 15-member rationing board, known as IPAB, for the sole purpose of cutting seniors' Medicare by hundreds of billions of dollars.

Doing nothing to save Medicare will lead directly to bankruptcy, rationing, and benefit cuts. Don't let Obama and the Democrats do nothing. Sign the petition now: http://action.freedomworks.org/4562/stand-with-paul-ryan/?src=june3