The Buzz

An informative program about Common Core state standards for education will be presented on Sat., Apr. 26, at 6:30 p.m., Calvary Chapel, 330 W. 6th Street, Tustin. From the invitation: “Learn about dangers to your children’s education and future.” On the panel will be Professor Emerita Sandra Stotsky, Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute and Lydia Guiterrez, who is a candidate for California Superintendent of Public Instruction. Read more: www.faithfulchristianservants.com

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SOC912 is presenting a series of programs on first Thursdays of the month, “Let’s Celebrate America! – One Nation Under God!” The next meeting will be on May 1, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p,.m., at the Norman Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Enjoy an opportunity to gain wisdom and enjoy live music while praising God with fellow patriots. No charge to attend, but donations help pay for costs. Light refreshments. http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/176182032/

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Aliso Viejo Republican Women Federated will host congressional candidate Greg Raths as guest speaker for its meeting on Thurs., Apr. 24, 6:30 p.m. From the announcement, Retired Marine Colonel Greg Raths “is a fiscally conservative candidate who believes in a smaller, leaner federal government, lower taxes and a strong national defense. He is running to replace Congressman John Campbell, who is retiring.” Also on the program is OC Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley, who will talk about what’s new in the voting process. AVRWF meets at the Aliso Viejo Conference Center, 31 Santa Barbara Drive, Aliso Viejo. RSVP to Brenda Cooper, (949) 859-5607, for this event, which is a dinner meeting.

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Read an article on this week’s blog about Councilman Frank Ury getting a smack-down after he went into a rage at a candidate forum hosted by Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated. A forum attendee reported, “The audience of South County residents witnessed Frank Ury making nasty comments and having a temper tantrum. As a candidate for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, he would have been far better off if he had stayed home. During the forum, the two candidates who got the best response were Robert Ming for Orange County Board of Supervisors and Greg Raths for Congress. They got the longest and loudest rounds of applause during and at the end of their comments.”

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How serious a problem is city hall’s buffoonery in using city tax dollars to fund a week-long party for professional athletes in Mission Viejo? The event took place last November, and it was also known as the International Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Tournament. Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht repeatedly asked City Manager Dennis Wilberg for ALL expenses related to hosting the tournament. Last July 1, Wilberg told the council it wouldn’t cost the city anything to host the event. His statement clearly wasn’t true at the time, as any “free” use of a taxpayer-owned facility comes at a cost to taxpayers. After six months of being pressed to release figures on the cost, Wilberg admitted the total was a quarter-million dollars, and more than $100,000 of taxpayer money hasn’t been reimbursed. Despite his claim of releasing all data, additional information is still popping up, and staff time has never been accounted for.

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Post by Mission Viejo city watchdog Larry Gilberg, forwarded to this blog: In the next few weeks we will receive the absentee and sample Ballots along with a ton of candidate literature for the June primary election. I urge you to question the self-promoting literature. Start by looking into candidates’ voting records if they have served in public office.

At a recent forum of candidates for the 5th District County Board of Supervisors seat, I picked up a 4 x 9 inch card for Mission Viejo councilman Frank Ury for OC BOS. Quoting from the card. "Frank Ury has proven his willingness and ability to rein in government spending and reform public pensions to protect Orange County taxpayers. We endorse Frank Ury."

That statement is from the OC Taxpayers Association, OCTAX. This good old boys and girls club never bothered to do any homework before granting that endorsement so I'll do it for them.

Having pleaded with Frank Ury and the Mission Viejo city council against wasting taxpayer funds on a Tournament of Roses float to celebrate our city’s 20th birthday, prior to issuance of the contract to Fiesta Floats, let me give you the rest of the story.

Forget my lengthy series of Orange Juice blog posts about our spending $300,000 for a float, plus another $50,000 for food, transportation, event shirts and pins in the Jan. 1 2009 Rose Parade. Perhaps the OCTAX leaders missed the Aug 24, 2008, OC Register story about this waste of taxpayer funds or the Jan 1, 2009, OC Register Editorial titled "The Spendthrift City Award for 2008."

Quoting from the 2009 Editorial, "Some of the local residents have complained about the spending, such as community activist Larry Gilbert, who told the Register that this isn't the time to spend so much money,...Mr. Gilbert is right about reckless spending, which is even more offensive given that most of the current council members came to power promising a change from the city's past big-spending ways."

In closing. Frank Ury was a member of that city council majority. On Aug. 28, 2008, I sent a letter to the president of Fiesta Parade Floats that closed as follows: "It is sad that actions taken by our city council majority, or their delays in taking action, have dragged your fine, well-established firm into this ugly picture of incompetence and fiscal irresponsibility. Every city that I contacted is well on their way with their 2009 floats and they have active fundraising to offset taxpayer funding. That is not the case in MV." Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ury responded to Mr. Estes with an attack on my activism opposing this event that he actively supported during the recession.

The August 24, 2008, Register quotes my Juice post about the city of Anaheim's floats stating: 'We are not a destination, have no Angel stadium, convention center or Disneyland theme park to promote." Let me add that we did not have any new housing tracts or apartments to market.

Voters. I would reject any political endorsement from OCTAX.