City Circus Update

Is it true a city administrator’s new contract has a clause whereby he can’t be fired for misconduct? That’s what a city watchdog reported to this blog about Keith Rattay’s contract. It should come as no surprise after City Manager Dennis Wilberg got such a deal from the council majority on Feb. 1, 2010. The council majority of Frank Ury, Trish Kelley and Lance MacLean approved Wilberg’s contract on the eve of MacLean’s recall. After Wilberg had been videotaped interfering with signature gathering, it was obvious why he wanted such a clause. However, it isn’t clear why Keith Rattay received cover.

With the next city council election more than a year away, parents who attend back-to-school nights this month won’t be greeted by candidates handing out their campaign flyers. Two council seats will be on the November 2012 ballot, with Frank Ury and Cathy Schlicht up for reelection. Both have indicated they’ll run. Also posturing are Wendy Bucknum and Richard Sandzimier. Acquaintances of Greg Woodard are saying he won’t run in 2012. 

Woodard lacks name recognition, and he crossed swords with two politically active groups (city watchdogs and members of the Saddleback Republican Assembly) when he campaigned against Measure D, Mission Viejo’s Right-To-Vote Initiative. Trying to do an end run for Woodard was Lake Forest resident Scott Voigts. Woodard can thank Voigts for his appointment to the Orange County GOP Central Committee last January after longtime committee member Jack Anderson moved to Illinois. Voigts lobbied for Woodard, who appropriately calls himself “Newbie” when he posts on blogs. Newbie lacks a record of volunteering or helping Republicans in his own Assembly District.

In January, Woodard had an advantage that many politicians at the county level didn’t know him. Within two months of his Central Committee appointment, he followed Voigts into the mire by joining a “paper” unit of the California Republican Assembly. Voigts was accused of selling endorsements, and his membership was suspended for a year. Most of the paper clubs he created were dissolved or placed on probation. Woodard has become known as a power-seeking real estate attorney who jumped to the front of the line ahead of deserving volunteers, such as Walter Myers of Tustin.

Bob Bruchmann, Councilwoman Trish Kelley’s appointee to the Planning and Transportation Committee, will likely be removed as commission chairman during the Oct. 10 meeting. His fellow commissioners have grown tired of his abrasive remarks and arrogant attitude. Bruchmann has been accused of running roughshod over the residents he is supposed to serve. Details can be found on http://missionviejodispatch.com. Read the article and comments at http://missionviejodispatch.com/planning-commission/commission-may-oust-chairman

Bruchmann has a history of political conflicts, including his rejection by SRA in April 2010. Because he is a friend of City Manager Dennis Wilberg, some people speculated Wilberg encouraged him to join SRA as a prank. Its members were familiar with Bruchmann’s behavior on the commission, and they rejected his membership application. Bruchmann responded with his usual style, telling a visiting state officer to f*** off.

Weekly Roundup
From the Office of Congressman Gary G. Miller

September 16, 2011

This Week in Congress:

Resolution of Disapproval on the Debt-Limit Increase– On Wednesday, the House approved a resolution to disapprove of a scheduled $500 billion increase in the statutory debt limit, by a vote of 232-186. The Budget Control Act (BCA) authorizes Congress to consider a resolution of disapproval of the debt limit increase and provides expedited procedures for consideration of the resolution. If it is not approved in both chambers, or is vetoed by the President and the veto is not overridden, the debt limit would increase by $500 billion, for a total initial debt limit increase of $900 billion – which coincides with a $917 billion in initial spending reductions required under the BCA. If a resolution of disapproval against the increase is approved and becomes law, $400 billion (the amount of the initial debt ceiling increase) would be subject to automatic spending cuts with exceptions for Medicare, defense, veterans, and Social Security. On September 7, 2011, the Senate voted 45-52 to reject a motion to proceed to a Senate resolution of disapproval, S. J. Res 25, which had been introduced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

NLRB’s Boeing Ruling– On Thursday, the House approved on a 238-186 vote H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act, as part of House Republicans’ regulatory relief and job creation agenda. The bill would amend the National Labor Relations Act to prohibit the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment under any circumstances. This legislation would effectively prevent the NLRB from restricting where an employer can create jobs in the United States. On April 20th, the NLRB issued a complaint against The Boeing Company for the alleged transfer of an assembly line from Washington state to South Carolina. As of this writing, not one union employee at Boeing’s Puget Sound facility has lost their job as a result of the proposed South Carolina plant. However, the NLRB is continuing to pursue a “restoration order” against the company that would cost South Carolina thousands of jobs and deter future investment and business expansion in the United States. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President, this bill would eliminate this extreme, punitive remedy. The bill would not change what is and is not a violation under the National Labor Relations Act, and the NLRB will continue to have other remedies to hold accountable those who violate U.S. labor laws. At a time when more than 14 million Americans are unemployed House Republicans believe that private companies should have the flexibility to develop their businesses in the state that offers the best opportunities for growth, job creation, and stability.

School Choice – This week, the House overwhelmingly voted to approve H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act. The bill, approved on a vote of 365-54, would provide financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools; expand the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across the nation; evaluate the impact of such schools on student achievement, families, and communities; and encourage states to provide support to charter schools for facilities financing in an amount commensurate to the amount states have typically provided for traditional public schools. In addition, the legislation would support efforts to strengthen the authorizing process for charter schools to improve performance management, including transparency, monitoring, and evaluation of such schools. H.R. 2218 authorizes $300 million per year (versus $450 million currently authorized), subject to appropriations. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would cost $1 billion over the next five years, with no direct impact on spending or revenues.

Next Week:

Continuing Resolution – Next week, the House is expected to consider H. J. Res. 79, a continuing resolution (CR) to provide short-term appropriated funding for discretionary government operations through November 18, 2011. Under the current CR, appropriations are set to expire after September 30, 2011, the end of the fiscal year. H.J. Res 79 will continue government operations and services and allows time for Congress to complete the FY 2012 Appropriations bills that provide annual funding for the federal government. The CR would provide $1.043 trillion in appropriated funding for government operations. This is the same funding level required under strict budget caps contained in the Budget Control Act and represents a 1.4 percent cut from FY 2011. Compared to FY 2010 spending levels ($1.089 trillion), this CR represents a cut of $46 billion. The measure also includes a total of $3.65 billion in disaster relief funding. Of this disaster funding, $1 billion is designated for fiscal year 2011 and will be available immediately upon enactment of the CR, offset by a $1 billion cut to the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan program. The CR also provides $2.65 billion in fiscal year 2012 for the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund for continued recovery efforts.

TRAIN Act – Also next week, the House is expected to consider H.R. 2401, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act. The bill would require a cumulative economic analysis for specific EPA rules, and specifically delay the final date for both the maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards and the cross-state air pollution rule (CSAPR) until the full impact of the Obama Administration’s regulatory agenda has been studies. The EPA’s new MACT and CSAPR rules for utility plants will affect electricity prices for nearly all American consumers. In total, 1,000 power plants across the nation are expected to be affected by these costly rules. As a result, annual electricity bills will increase in many parts of the country by as much as 12 to 24 percent.

Items of Note:

Opposed to “Backdoor” Amnesty — In August, the Obama Administration announced that it would review on a case-by-case basis individual deportation orders for illegal immigrants. This week, Congressman Miller joined 73 of his colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama expressing their strong opposition to this policy shift, which bypasses Congress and will essentially grant amnesty to those who are here illegally. The letter also strongly encourages the Administration to enforce our current immigration laws.

Protecting American Sovereignty — In recent years, the Supreme Court has permitted international law to permeate our federal court system, citing it in their rulings and setting precedent for future cases. This week, Congressman Miller co-sponsored H.R. 973, Preventing the Misuse of Foreign Law in Federal Courts Act, to prevent U.S. federal courts from deciding on any issue based upon the authority of foreign law, unless the U.S. Constitution mandates otherwise.

H.R. 2587, Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act

• Earlier this year, the overreaching National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Boeing for opening a new manufacturing plant in South Carolina, a right-to-work state and demanded that the company transfer its manufacturing operation back to Puget Sound, Washington, where its workforce is unionized.
• Despite the fact that not one union employee at Boeing’s Puget Sound facilitate has lost his or her job as a result of the South Carolina plant, the NLRB is pursuing a “restoration order” against Boeing that would cost South Carolina thousands of jobs.
• If this action is allowed to proceed, it will have a chilling impact on our nation’s job creators and deter future investment in the United States.
• It is absurd that the federal government should have the authority to dictate to private companies where they may expand their operations and create new jobs.
• At a time when 14 million Americans remain unemployed while millions more have either given up seeking work or are underemployed, the government should not be punishing job creators for growing and hiring new workers.
• The NLRB was established to ensure the fair conduct of workplace representation elections and protect workers from intimidation by labor unions and management – not to make basic business decisions for private enterprise.
• The NLRB already has a dozen enforcement tools at its disposal to hold those who engage in unfair labor practices accountable. There is no reason this federal agency should be empowered to dictate where a privately-run business may locate its workforce.
• Congress must balance its responsibility to protect workers with the urgent need to enact policies that encourage economic growth and job creation here at home.
• We must do everything possible to remove obstacles to job creation and investment in the American economy.
• H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act will prohibit the NLRB from ordering any company to relocate, shut down, or transfer employment under any circumstance.
• By removing this extreme penalty, this legislation will help to foster a positive environment here in America for employers to develop their businesses in the state that offers them the best opportunities for growth and job creation.
• To get our economy moving again and put Americans back to work, Washington must get out of the way and allow business owners to invest in their companies and create jobs without fear of government meddling.

Cutting Government Red Tape

• According to the Small Business Administration, the total cost of complying with various government regulations costs our economy $1.75 trillion each year – enough money for businesses to provide 17.5 million private sector jobs with an average salary of $100,000.
• Regulations impose a particular hardship on our nation’s small businesses – which have created 64 percent of all new jobs in the past 15 years.
• As of 2008, small businesses face annual regulatory costs of over $10,500 per employee – 36 percent higher than the regulatory cost facing larger firms.
• Throughout the remainder of this year, House Republicans will focus on eliminating or delaying some of the most burdensome regulations facing employers and our economy.
• These regulations will seek to reign in overreaching federal agencies from the Environmental Protection Agency to the National Labor Relations Board.
• Unnecessary rules and regulations are impeding private sector job-growth, discouraging innovation and investments, and harming our ability to compete in the global economy.
• Federal regulations stifle innovation and investment in our economy. To get Americans back to work, we must remove the yoke of red tape around the neck of our nation’s job creators.

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.

Lido Yacht Expo, Sept. 22-25, Lido Marina Village, Lido Marina Village, Newport Beach, (949) 757-5959, http://www.lidoyachtexpo.com/index.php

Oktoberfest at St. Kilian, Sat.-Sun., Sept. 24-25, St. Kilian Catholic Church, 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-4440, http://www.stkilianchurch.org

Vintage Fleamarket, Sept. 25, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., antiques and collectibles, Whimzly, 474 El Camino Real, Tustin, (714) 573-1025, http://vintagewhimzy.com

Taste of Laguna Community Expo, Sept. 29, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, 357 Glenneyre, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-1018, http://www.lagunabeachchamber.org

“A Wunderbar Day,” German celebration with programs and entertainment, Wed., Oct. 5, Concordia University, CU Center, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, (949) 214-3201, http://germanday.org

Accordion Festival, Sun., Oct. 9, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Orange County Marketplace, Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, (949) 723-6660, http://www.ocmarketplace.com

St. John’s Holiday Boutique, Fri., Oct. 14, 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., and Sat., Oct. 15, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., St., John’s Episcopal Church, 30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949)888-4595, ext. 374.

“Lake Eeeerie,” Lake Mission Viejo, Fri.-Sat., Oct. 21-22, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Halloween activities, limited to Lake Mission Viejo members and their guests. (949) 770-1313, http://www.lakemissionviejo.org

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.

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

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

Political and Government Events Calendar

Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tues., Sept. 20, 9:30 a.m., Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100. No meeting is scheduled for Sept. 27. http://www.ocgov.com/ocgov/Government/Board%20of%20Supervisors

Capo Valley Republican Women Federated breakfast meeting, Wed., Sept. 21, 9:00 p.m. – 11 a.m., featuring guest speaker John Eastman, Ph.D., Marbella Country Club, 30800 Golf Club, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 240-6799 or esue39@cox.net

Republican Club of Laguna Woods luncheon, Fri., Sept. 23, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., featuring guest speaker O.C. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, Clubhouse 5 on Punta Alta in Laguna Woods. For reservations call Barbara Pearson, (949) 770-8377.

Musical performance by the Azzoni Duo, Sandra Azzoni Wood, violin, and Christina Azzoni Dow, piano, Sun., Sept. 25, 2:00 p.m., Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Free concerts are held Sundays, except when otherwise noted, and are open to the public. Doors open at 1:15 p.m., and concerts begin at 2:00 p.m., 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://events.nixonfoundation.org/concerts/

South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, Mon., Sept. 26. Meeting times unless otherwise posted: open session convenes at 5 p.m.., followed by adjournment to closed session, open session reconvenes at 6:00 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., adjournment by 9:00 p.m. Ronald Reagan Board of Trustees Room, Room 145, Health Sciences/District Offices Building, Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, (949) 582-4999, https://www.socccd.edu

Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees, regular meeting Mon., Sept. 26, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano, agenda and supporting documentation are published on the website 72 hours prior to a meeting, (949) 234-9200, http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com

Saddleback Valley Unified School District board meeting is scheduled for Tues., Sept. 27, 6:15 p.m., “if necessary,” and Oct. 11, 6:15 p.m., 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo,(949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us

Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Investment on Wed., Oct. 12, 9:00 a.m., Engineering and Operations on Mon., Oct. 17, 9:00 a.m., Finance and I.T. on Wed., Oct. 19, 9:00 a.m., Board of Directors on Thurs., Oct. 20, 5:30 p.m., and Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Fri., Oct. 21, 9:00 a.m., 27500 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-2500, http://www.mnwd.com/board-of-directors/agenda.aspx

Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., Oct. 20, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Program to be announced. Norman Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, (949) -360-1717.

Taste of Capo, Capistrano Valley High School, Oct. 21, 6:00 p.m., $15 presale and $20 at the door. More than 20 booths, good-sized samples of food from each restaurant, 26301 Via Escolar, Mission Viejo, (949) 364-6100.

El Toro Water District Community Advisory Group Meeting, Thurs., Nov. 3, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch served at 11:30; meeting starts at noon, 24251 Los Alisos Blvd., Lake Forest, (949) 837-0660, http://www.etwd.com

The Buzz

A letter writer got it backwards. On Sept. 6 James Fernandez said in a letter to the OC Register, “In Mission Viejo, activists made sure there are no Christmas displays on public property.” To the contrary, activists fought to have Christmas displays on public property, and they won. It was then-city manager Dan Joseph (fired in 2003) who led the effort to remove the Nativity Scene from the Four Corners at La Paz and Chrisanta. The letter can be found at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-137409-ocprint--.html

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Saddleback Valley News dropped letters about local politics long ago. Since 2009, its editor has reprinted letters that are addressed to the OC Register. Letters that are critical of Mission Viejo City Hall do not appear in SVN. In August, a letter from a Mission Viejo resident slipped into the OC Register about one of the city’s deteriorating areas. Ray Estrada’s Aug. 26 letter described a neighborhood near Trabuco Hills High School, comparing it with Santa Ana, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-135836-ocprint--.html . Was the letter reprinted in SVN with all the other letters from Mission Viejo residents who wrote to the Register about state and national politics? Of course not!

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Count down the days until the next presidential election, Tues., Nov. 6, 2012. As of this writing, it is 59 weeks or 415 days away. To track the number of months, weeks, days, hours and minutes, go to the official countdown, http://www.7is7.com/otto/countdsamp.html

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A blog reader said he thought he saw something on the city’s electronic sign about “downtown Mission Viejo.” Considering how difficult it is to read much of anything on the sign (except “Follow us on Twitter”), no one else has mentioned it. Occupants of City Hall are about the only folks in Mission Viejo who are unaware the city has no downtown. If it had one, the logical place would be the area with greatest concentration of businesses, and that’s Crown Valley Parkway.

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Does anyone remember when the sales pitch for the electronic sign was to put important announcements on it? Councilman Frank Ury claimed the city would no longer need to print its magazines and mailers because “everything could be announced on the sign.” How is that working out?

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A bookstore would be a great site for a readers’ festival. Book promotion belongs in the private sector. If a city government actually intended to support the business community, a focus on books would bring customers to a mall (or the Freeway Center if Borders were still there). Somehow, city administrators decided they should close the library on Oct. 1 to have yet another party. Shutting down a city service demonstrates that city officials fail to grasp the purpose of municipal government, and the council majority of Trish Kelley, Frank Ury and Dave Leckness can’t be bothered with accountability.

Here’s a resident’s take on the Oct. 1 city party: “From the city website: Bringing hyperbole to a new and nauseating level.”

The Mission Viejo Readers' Festival brings books to life and families and individuals together for a daylong spectacular event featuring celebrity and author readings, book signings, entertainment, food and much more. Many well-known authors, including Linda Evans, Molly Shannon, Jamie Ford and Robin Preiss Glasser, will be in attendance for this year's festival on October 1, 2011.

The Readers' Festival started in 2009 with the intention of bringing together the people who create books with the people who love to read them. The festival was an immediate success and has become the largest and most prestigious readers' festival in Orange County, attracting as many as 5,000 book lovers each year.

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A city government has no purpose of entertaining residents or using taxpayer funds to throw a “daylong spectacular event.” Instead of doing their jobs, city officials think they’re entertainers and teachers – spending city funds on classes, tutoring and personnel pretending they are educators. In 2010, a Mission Viejo city official admitted that two full-time employees had spent a year planning the first Readers’ Festival. If school districts became so confused they started repairing streets or if water districts began opening animal shelters, perhaps voters would wake up about incompetent elected official who allow tax dollars to be misspent.