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The Buzz Despite dwindling revenue, unemployment and residents losing their homes, City Hall predicts Mission Viejo’s economy is getting better and better. Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht called the city budget “incomplete and deceptive” with things like unfunded pensions and healthcare unaccounted for. A Mission Viejo resident posted a reaction on the Mission Viejo Dispatch: http://missionviejodispatch.com/budget/letter-rosey-revenue-forecast-distorts-mv-budget. As a second opinion on Mission Viejo’s economic outlook, check the whereabouts of the city’s former CFO, Irwin Bornstein. He produced the city budget and left town. He’s now working for the city of Laguna Niguel (a city with two Costcos, a Walmart, a Mercedes Dealer and real money in the bank). *** Stanton is an example of an Orange County city that’s nearly broke. David Shawyer, Stanton’s mayor pro tem, says Stanton saved up in good times for a rainy day, but didn’t realize it would get a deluge. Garden Grove balanced its budget by using general funds to fill the gaps http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/03/31/southern-california-cities-frustrated-loss-state-r/ . Mission Viejo is staying the course, spending its way into prosperity. *** Altas PAC invites everyone to save the date, Sat., Aug. 27, for a Day at the Races, Del Mar Race Track, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. The Atlas Pac event will include a guest speaker; admission and appetizers, $30 for members, $40 for non-members. Transportation arrangements via train to Del Mar will be available. For information or to make a reservation, contact rsvp@atlaspac.org *** 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 an interactive class from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on 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 class at Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale Avenue, Irvine 92604, (949) 936-4040. *** Matt Kibbe of FreedomWorks writes, “I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to sign onto a Republican Study Committee letter which is addressed to Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) regarding the debt ceiling vote. (Take action: http://action.freedomworks.org/4469/ask-your-representative-to-sign-republican-study-committees-lette/?src=nl ) The letter clearly states that any signer will not vote for a ‘clean’ debt ceiling increase. It calls for a Cut, Cap and Balance approach to reduce federal spending. It would be fiscally irresponsible to raise the debt limit without reining in excessive spending. The letter specifically lays out three bold solutions to reduce the national debt: immediate spending cuts, enforceable total-spending caps and a balanced budget amendment.” *** California’s Secretary of State recently released a citizen initiative that would significantly reduce the power of corporate and labor unions on politicians. The title of the petition is “Stop Special Interest Money Now Act.” If enacted into law, it would ban both corporate and labor union contributions to candidates, prohibit government contractors from contributing money to government officials who award them contracts, prohibit corporations and labor unions from collecting political funds from employees and union members using payroll deductions and make all employee political contributions voluntary. Signatures are being gathered throughout California at storefronts (and a lot of other places), and the petition is also available to download and sign: http://stopspecialinterestmoney.org/ *** Patch.com has done an admirable job of covering school district news. Last week, Patch reporter Penny Arevalo wrote an article about Capo district trustee Lynn Hatton resigning from her appointment to the Capistrano-Laguna Regional Occupational Program governing board. What becomes clear about an “appearance” of conflict of interest is that Hatton shouldn’t have been appointed to the ROP board in the first place. |
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