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The Buzz Sorting out last November’s professional wheelchair tennis tournament is so complex that Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht is asking for an investigation. City Manager Dennis Wilberg’s explanations don’t make sense, and the numbers don’t add up. Apparently, the city staff made unapproved commitments of taxpayer funds and spent a big pile of money to keep the event afloat. Prior to the council’s approval last July, Wilberg and his staff said that hosting the tournament at a city-owned tennis facility would not cost taxpayers anything. *** Clearly, taxpayers paid for the week-long use of a city-owned facility by a for-profit group. Additionally, management-level city employees were turned into solicitors and fundraisers for the International Tennis Federation (ITF). A total of $48,215 was spent for meals (including “in-kind donations” from local restaurants and other businesses) for the 36 professional tennis players and 89 other people – no explanation of who the other 89 are. Another curious amount is $21,000 for “transportation costs for players and guests,” when the distance is short from the Ayres Hotel in north Mission Viejo (where the honored players and guests stayed at taxpayer expense) to the Marguerite Tennis Center. *** For a summary of data on the ITF fleecing of taxpayers, go to http://www.ccsense.com/2014/02/mission-viejo_4805.html#more *** For insight on city issues, check out Steve Magdziak’s amazing Facebook page. Within 10 days of his starting Mission Viejo Common Sense, its popularity grew to 559 “likes.” Steve serves on the city’s Community Services Commission, and he frequently casts the lone vote against wasteful spending. Readers are invited to “like” his page at https://www.facebook.com/missionviejocommonsense *** Post from Mission Viejo city watchdog Larry Gilbert: “Two years ago I covered a presentation of the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD), held in Mission Viejo, in which they were to receive water from the desert in Eastern San Bernardino County to supplement our existing source of water in conjunction with the Cadiz Project. Several angry residents, who would be impacted by removal of their groundwater basin source in the desert, drove for hours from their homes to testify at our Murray Center expressing opposition to SMWD taking their local water. One of the photos with this link states that 70% of water is used for agriculture, 20% for industry and the balance for homes. There is no question of our being in a drought this season, yet we have developers commencing some major housing projects from Rancho Mission Viejo to the Great Park in Irvine. The protestors felt we were taking their water for lawns, swimming pools and golf courses. As a property rights supporter, this is a challenge for me. We have a finite supply and growing demand for safe drinking water. We are ‘fueling excessive development by promising more water than we can realistically deliver.’ “Around 10 years ago the Ranch negotiated with the OC Board of Supervisors to develop a 23,000 acre project with 14,000 homes and relinquished 17,000 acres of their private property to be retained as open spaces for the right to develop their land. The only problem is a cause and effect. Safe drinking water is a finite and unpredictable resource yet we continue approving developments in the desert known as southern CA. Roughly half of our water comes from the Colorado River Aqueduct and the remainder from the State Water Project in Northern CA. The Colorado water is shared among multiple states and is not as readily available for us today as in past years where we used some of the allocations for Arizona and Nevada. It's a zero sum gain. With their state's developments they have less, if any water, to share with us. The following is an update to the Cadiz Project that has hit a snag. http://sbsentinel.com/2014/02/mojave-water-agency-holds-off-on-purchasing-arrangement-with-cadiz-inc/ ” *** While other levels of government in California are acknowledging the severity of the water shortage, Mission Viejo city hall has a different approach. They’re using as much water as possible. On April 15, 2013, city hall bragged about “being named a Tree City for the 14th straight year for its commitment to urban forestry.” The city hall folks should definitely be “committed” for planting thousands of water-absorbing trees in a coastal desert climate. The April 15 article states “Mission Viejo is home to more than 45,000 trees.” Someone in city hall apparently forgot the city has been touting its one million trees for years. A picture alongside the April 15 article shows a Sycamore. The city’s thousands of Sycamores were a poor choice – riparian trees that can’t tolerate the soil’s high mineral content – especially the salt that builds up in the absence of rain. Irrigation doesn’t wash it out, which is why this “Million Tree City” is in trouble. http://missionviejolife.org/2013/04/15/mission-viejo-tree-city-usa-14th-straight-year/ *** This week’s message from the defenders of family values and quality education – Orange County Concerned Citizens against Common Core ( http://orangecountycccc.com/ ): Grassfire Alert: "Stop Common Core" petition. The federal standardization and takeover of our nation's educational system, called Common Core, is under way and set to be implemented in 46 of our nation's 50 states. The aim of Common Core is to limit parental choice and shut their voices out of their child's education. Teachers too would have little control over their classrooms. Grassfire has launched a national "Stop Common Core" petition that will be rushed to Capitol Hill in an effort to defeat this federal attempt to steal control away from parents, state and local communities. If you oppose the implementation of national Common Core standards on education in California and the indoctrination of our children with the statist agenda, go here now to sign the "STOP COMMON CORE" petition: www.grassfire.com/2014/02/stop-common-core After signing, alert your friends and family by: Thank you, in advance, for taking action. *** For an objective article that states facts regarding the banning of newspapers in San Juan Capistrano, go to |
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