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The Buzz Are Mission Viejo residents aware their City Hall is being challenged by the state for handling of redevelopment funds? http://www.publicceo.com/2012/04/undoing-redevelopment-state-slaps-down-o-c-cities/ The OC Register covered the issue on April 26, stating, “The state Department of Finance is challenging several Orange County cities over redevelopment bills – throwing into question the fate hundreds of millions of dollars that the cities say must be paid, while the state says, not so much.” http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2012/04/24/undoing-redevelopment-state-slaps-down-o-c-cities/153778/ *** The state’s letter to MV City Manager Dennis Wilberg can be viewed at http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/files/2012/04/DOF-Mission-Viejo-ROPS.pdf . The state specifically requests evidence of “enforceable obligations” for two agreements the city made after June 27, 2011, when entering into such contracts was prohibited. *** Despite shrinking revenue, Mission Viejo City Hall’s spending spree continues. In addition to a $5,287,002 tennis resort, the city staff’s maneuvering over a non-existent dog park has already cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in staff time and legal fees. A library room “remodel” is on the table for $358,344. The big costs are salary and benefits for a bloated staff of 150-plus city employees, along with such city contracts as police services. Parties, festivals and celebrations – created largely by and for city staff members – continue to provide busy work for otherwise idle staffers. *** The Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT for America will hold its monthly meeting on Mon., May 14, at the Norm Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., and the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. Featured speaker will be Joe Carey, founder of the Radical Truth Ministry. His topic will be “Women in Islam: what Islamists don’t want you to know.” *** Summary on Prop 29 from the 4-27-12 Republican Women Federated Newsletter: Proposition 29, or the Cancer Research Act, will be on California's June 2012 ballot. The proposition will increase taxes on cigarettes by five cents per cigarette and one dollar per package of cigarettes. The supporters of Prop 29 say the revenue from this tax increase would go towards the research and prevention of cancer, but instead the $735 million collected by the tax increase will go towards funding a new state-appointed commission of politicians and bureaucrats. The commission would be run by political appointees and would operate without any oversight from voters or the legislature. In fact only 20 percent of the tax revenue will go towards tobacco prevention while the other 80 percent would go towards administrative costs, real estate investments, construction, recreation resources and a variety of things unrelated to cancer research. Essentially, the result of Proposition 29 would be an unchecked bureaucratic agency working in the interests of career politicians until 2026 while our budget crisis grows worse and our deficit grows larger. Please visit www.noon29.com for more information. *** Gandhi’s Seven Dangers to Human Virtue
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