The Buzz

Last week, Ed Sachs posted a comment on the Dispatch summarizing Mission Viejo’s unfunded liabilities. Excerpts from his post: “The biggest concerns of our cities has to do with CALPERS and the unbridled hold they have on the amount of pension funding paid out of California cities’ operating budgets. Cities similar in size to Mission Viejo have seen these budgets hit hard by the State’s ongoing pension crisis. Cities in the State are seeing increases of 15-17% annually to Calpers and increases in police and fire services of around 10% to cover costs of pension funding. … While Mission Viejo is a contract city for these services, we still are on the hook for these escalating costs growing at geometric proportions. Mission Viejo needs to begin putting away funds for these costs and start to understand the fiscal impact with every new capital project they begin, or additional change orders the city is asked to fund.” http://missionviejodispatch.com/budget/letter-city-pensions-paying-the-piper/#comments

***

Councilman Frank Ury, when campaigning several months ago at a Casta del Sol meeting, said he had “taken care of unfunded pension liabilities by creating a program that was reducing these pension dollars.” To the contrary, the numbers are rising dramatically. In the most recent report, unfunded pension liabilities on June 30, 2011, are $10,557,395 and the retiree insurance program (RIP) healthcare plan’s unfunded liabilities are $4,557,000. In the previous year, unfunded pension liabilities were $9,499,573, and RIP healthcare unfunded liabilities were $4,277,000.

***

Former city finance chief Irwin Bornstein left his post in June 2011, “retiring” but immediately taking a position in Laguna Niguel. Throughout his Mission Viejo tenure, Bornstein was known for truthful answers to direct questions, at times conflicting with City Hall’s happy talk. Reserves are down significantly, particularly with the city’s latest boondoggle of adding one court to a tennis resort. Despite all the attempts to hide expenses, the tennis resort remodel cost at least $6 million (still rising). The city’s next scheduled money pit is a dog park, likely to exceed $2 million. More than 150 city employees are kept busy – benefiting from such waste, including spin writers who provide text to gullible reporters.

***

With the OC Register’s new leadership, Saddleback Valley News is larger in size, but that’s about it. OCR employee Chris Boucly, who failed to do any investigative reporting while assigned to Mission Viejo, was promoted to “team leader.” Instead of covering city news, new cub reporters ask inane questions. Last week, one of them wrote as a city scan, “With the new year approaching, what is your resolution for Mission Viejo?” Prior to that, they asked what’s good about Mission Viejo. Apparently no reader responded, as Trish Kelley’s name appeared on THE answer, probably written by a city staffer. OCR’s declining readership is not entirely due to technology and the Internet.

***

A message from Tea Party Patriot Terry Raposa about Cal Fire charging property owners an illegal fire tax, “For all my friends who live in the county (not incorporated cities), note the wording of "Their action will impose a MINIMUM of $150.00 on homeowners" then the question is, what’s the maximum? This is an illegal tax, and every one of you and your neighbors and relatives who live outside of incorporated cities should be hollering at the governor. Assemblyman Nielsen is correct, appointees were not elected by anyone and, therefore, have no authority to tax! The appointees are inferring that homeowners don't have the common sense to vote on something affecting their safety! Taxes are to be raised by a vote of the people. Call Gov. Brown (916) 445-2841 and protest this illegal tax if you are in an affected area. This tax is also a tentacle of Agenda 21. Don't know what this is? Listen to our We the People radio show on KCNR 1460 am 8-10am. All programs are archived and can be listened to at your convenience.” http://www.teapartymedia.net

***

On Oct. 4, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association filed suit to end the annual state fire fee imposed on California’s rural residents. The complaint states the fee is a tax that was illegally approved without the necessary two-thirds majority of lawmakers. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/10/anti-tax-group-sues-to-end-california-state-fire-fee-wants-refunds.html#storylink=cpy