Give City Council the Message
Letter to the editor

The Mission Viejo City Council is going to review and probably approve the 2011-2013 budget on Tues., July 5. After watching the City Council discussions during the last two meetings, it is apparent that the 3 to 2 spending majority will pass it without properly explaining away the soft conservative assumptions on revenues and costs. They continue to want to fund entitlements that no city should pay for during these financially trying times.

The council reacts to groups that show up at the city council meetings in mass (tennis clubs, dog walkers, etc.). The only way that the majority of voters will be able to stop this non-sensible entitlement funding is to take the time to act against it by showing up at the July 5 city council meeting to make your voices heard.

Everyone should get up at the podium and remind the council members that in today’s environment the city does not have the latitude to create a financial debt abyss by wasting our tax money.

The big items are not on contract yet, which makes this meeting far more important than usual. There is no more time left to make our position known and/or to effect the council’s vote..................... So let’s all go to the meeting.

The link to this letter (here) provides more detail that will help you decide on any message you want to give to the council.

Thank you
Voters United

Wakeup Call for Neighbors

Residents who live near the proposed UDR, Inc. apartments are distributing the following information about the project, located east of Marguerite Parkway on Los Alisos.

Protect Your Security and Investment – Fight UDR’s Plan To Build 320 Apartments

UDR, Inc., owner of the former Kmart property on east Los Alisos, received approval of the Mission Viejo City Council in 2005 to build 250 for-sale owner-occupied townhomes. UDR now wants to change the project to 320 apartments with a four-story parking structure. This will be the highest density allowed in the city’s residential developments!!

We – the neighbors – are asking Mission Viejo’s Planning and Transportation Commission to represent us by saying NO to changing the plan.

We have enough apartments and congestion, plus drivers speeding on Los Alisos. Additionally, UDR, Inc. has a bad reputation for mismanaging its projects, e.g., lax security and rundown property. 

Please add your voice to stop the apartment project:

• Email the city commission and object to changing the plan:   elister@cityofmissionviejo.org
• Attend the commission meeting on July 11, 6:30 p.m., at City Hall.

Check it out: Google “United Dominion Realty” + complaints. Extensive number of complaints against UDR is a red flag.

The brunt of this apartment project would impact schools, including Trabuco Hills High School and the feeder schools Portola Hills and Melinda Heights. One complaint about UDR is their lack of enforcement regarding number of people “sleeping” in the apartments. The schools may think they will be getting two children from one apartment but may actually be getting six or more!!

UDR’s representative says there will be NO SECURITY after 5 p.m. Mission Viejo already has gang activity creeping in (Los Alisos, Crown Valley, Avery) where apartments have been built. In Mission Viejo, the number of police calls to apartment projects says it all.

Hope to see you at City Hall on Monday, July 11, 6:30 p.m. Get there early as parking is at a premium.

What Is America?
by Bob Serrao www.intodaysenglish.com

What is America?

America is a republic of laws fueled by capitalism, where…

• Citizens are free to choose life, liberty and pursue happiness;
• An economic system in which production is privately owned and/or controlled;
• Wages are paid to labor;
• Goods are produced and traded in a competitive market;
• Profits are distributed to owners and/or investors;
• Profits are re-invested in new technologies and reproduction;
• Government is limited;
• Government is of, by and for WE THE PEOPLE;
• “In God We Trust” is not just a clich‚;
• Patriotism and national pride are heartfelt.

What ISN’T America!

• America is NOT totalitarianism…a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible at any cost.
• Totalitarianism is generally characterized by the coincidence of authoritarianism and ideology; where ordinary citizens have no significant share in state decision-making; where a pervasive scheme of values is promulgated by institutional means to direct the most significant aspects of public and private life.
• Totalitarian regimes rise to political power by means of an official all-embracing ideology and propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media; a single party that controls the state, the economy and regulations; free speech, discussion and criticism are restricted; mass surveillance, widespread use of state intimidation and terrorism are means of control.

Are you an American? If so, then GOTV. The voting booth is the last line of defense against totalitarianism. Get Out The Vote.

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.

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

“Bouquets and Boutonnieres,” floral arrangements class, Wed., July 6, 9:00 a.m., Sherman Gardens, 2647 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach, (949) 673-2261, http://slgardens.org

First Thursdays Artwalk, July 7, beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a sculpture dedication in Heisler Park, Laguna Beach. More than 40 Laguna Beach art galleries are participating in the 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. walk, with some offering refreshments. Free admission to the Laguna Art Museum, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., (949) 683-6871, http://firstthursdaysartwalk.com

Shakespeare Festival performances, July 8 – July 31, in San Juan Capistrano, “Shakespeare, Inc.” on the Playhouse Main Stage, for dates, times and tickets go to http://caminorealplayhouse.tix.com/Schedule.asp?EventCode=367073,367074,367077,367075,367076,367079. “Taming of the Shrew” under the stars at Historic Town Center Park in San Juan Capistrano, for dates, times and ticket information go to http://caminorealplayhouse.tix.com/Schedule.asp?EventCode=367080,367081,367082,367083,367084,367085 . Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 489-8082, http://www.caminorealplayhouse.org/shakespeare2.php

Fitz and the Tantrums Concert, Lake Mission Viejo, Sat., July 9, 7:00 p.m. Must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Concert hotline (949) 770-1313, ext. 311, http://www.lakemissionviejo.org

Glen Campbell Concert, Lake Mission Viejo, Sat., July 23, 7:00 p.m. Opening for Campbell will be country music artist and entertainer Larry Bagby. Must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Concert hotline (949) 770-1313, ext. 311, http://www.lakemissionviejo.org

45th Annual Sawdust Art Festival, through Aug. 28, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-3030, http://www.sawdustartfestival.org , and Art-A-Fair, through Aug. 28, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sun. – Thurs. and 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 777 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-4514, http://www.art-a-fair.com

Michaels, 25310 Marguerite Parkway, (949) 770-5001, schedule of art and crafts classes can be found at http://www.michaels.com/Store-Events/store-events,default,pg.html

Saddleback Lanes bowling alley, events throughout the week. Saddleback Lanes has been in business since 1974; great gathering place with special discounts for groups, 25402 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-5300, http://www.saddlebacklanes.net

Farmers Market, San Juan Capistrano, Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Historic Town Center Park, (949) 493-4700.

Farmers Market, Laguna Hills, Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Laguna Hills Mall, (714) 573-0374.

Political and Government Events Calendar

Mission Viejo Tea Party Patriots will register voters at the July 4th Street Faire, Mon., July 4, 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., corners of Marguerite Pkwy and Olympiad Rd. Patriots will have petitions and letters of protest to sign. Look for tables on Marguerite Pkwy near the corners of Olympiad Rd., http://www.missionviejoca.org

Richard Nixon Library, 40th Anniversary of American/Chinese Ping Pong Diplomacy, two-day event, Thurs., July 7, 5:00 p.m. to Fri., July 8, 7:00 p.m. Olympic and World Champions will replay the historic matches from the time of President Nixon’s world-changing trip to China. The Richard Nixon Foundation, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1126, http://events.nixonfoundation.org

Rush Limbaugh Club OC, Sat., July 9, 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. breakfast meeting, guest speaker Larry Greenfield, fellow in American studies at the Claremont Institute, Casta Del Sol Golf Club, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo, RSVP to club president Joe Snyder, (949) 487-5288 or limbaughcluboc@aol.com

Saddleback Valley Unified School District board meeting Tues., July 12, 6:15 p.m., 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo,(949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us

Orange County Board of Supervisors, no weekly meetings until Tues., July 19, 9:30 a.m., Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100. http://www.ocgov.com/ocgov/Government/Board%20of%20Supervisors

“Meet Margaret Hoover,” great-granddaughter of America’s 31st president, at the Richard Nixon Library, Thurs., July 28, 7:00 p.m. lecture and book signing, “American Individualism,” 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda (714) 364-1161, anne@nixonfoundation.org

Atlas PAC will host a Day at the Races, Sat., Aug. 27, Del Mar Race Track, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, 12:30 p.m., transportation arrangements via train to Del Mar will be available, special guest speaker. Contact rsvp@atlaspac.org

The Buzz

Mayor Dave Leckness’ recent publicity stunt was to ride a street sweeper with Sunset, the city’s street-sweeping contractor. Coverage of this breathtaking event was reported in the July 1 Saddleback Valley News. The article, which looked like the usual press release from City Hall, avoided the point. During the May 16 council meeting, Leckness attempted to short-circuit the competitive bidding process by making a motion to give Sunset a two-year extension on its contract. Bids had been submitted, causing legal and ethical questions, which everyone except Leckness seemed to grasp. For details, read http://missionviejodispatch.com/uncategorized/mayor-interfering-with-street-sweeping-bids/#comments

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The two competitive bidders – Sunset and Athens – pose a dilemma for Councilman Frank Ury. All three majority councilmembers – Leckness, Kelley and Ury – received $500 “campaign donations” from Sunset. Ury also received a donation from Athens, which was in the running for the city’s waste-hauling contract several months ago. Minority Councilmembers Cathy Schlicht and Rhonda Reardon took no donations from either company. With two checks in his campaign bank account, which way will Ury go? Athens gave him $1,500, so the odds are he’ll vote for Athens.

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Some elected officials will spit in the face of their constituents, drop-kick their friends, divorce their spouses and disown their children. But they won’t turn their backs on their financiers.

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UDR, Inc. will present its apartment proposal to the Planning and Transportation Commission on Mon., July 11. UDR’s condo project was approved by a former city council majority in 2005, but the developer let the permit expire after saying condos wouldn’t be profitable. Proposed now is an apartment project that UDR probably wanted in the first place. As it turns out, UDR’s corporate mission is to build apartments. Residents can easily find examples on the Internet that UDR, Inc. has a poor record managing its apartments.

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Motorists continue to comment about the rough surface of Olympiad Road between Jeronomo and Alicia. A blog reader emailed, “When driving on the resurfaced (actually, the re-re-resurfaced road), it is so rough and uneven, the vibration is terrible. The new re-re-resurfacing appears worn, only a few months after it was done.”

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Mission Viejo Tea Party Patriots invite everyone to stop at their tables on the way to the July 4th Street Faire. They’ll have petitions to sign, 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Look for the Patriots’ signs on the west side of the gates, on Marguerite Parkway near the corners of Olympiad Road. They’ll also have voter registration forms and protest letters to sign.

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From Capt. Jim Kinney, USN (ret.): “Have you shopped for light bulbs recently? What a shock, the shelves at hardware stores are stocked with $50 light bulbs. Al Gore’s claims of pending global catastrophe remind us of the Y2K threat a decade ago, and you remember how devastating that was. But, even if Gore’s right, his solution is more painful than the consequences they are supposed to prevent. Fifty dollar light bulbs are just the beginning. Every industrial nation on the planet must agree to cut their standard of living in order to reduce greenhouse gasses and, while they are descending to a third-world standard of living, they must fund every dictator on the planet so they might have the resources to go green. And, get this…the UN will coordinate this massive redistribution of wealth. All this to cool the planet by 2 degrees in 50 years. Have a happy Independence Day.”