The Buzz

A question arose during the June 3 Mission Viejo council meeting: is any city employee still using a pager? During the discussion of the city check register, Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht noted a charge for pagers. City Manager Dennis Wilberg answered, “We’re still using them.” City employee Keith Rattay jumped in, saying pagers are indispensable in some departments. To the contrary, another city employee explained several days later that pagers are no longer in use. However, the city is still making payments on damaged and lost pagers that should have been returned.

***

Another “indispensable” item for Wilberg is his weekly newsletter, “The Week That Was,” abbreviated as TW2. Because it’s a public document, activists get hold of it and expose the ridiculous activities Wilberg is touting. As an example, city employees (240 are on the payroll) are learning about the savings of using cold water to wash their clothes. Taxpayers should ask about the savings of downsizing Wilberg’s staff of 240 employees.

***

During the June 3 meeting, Council Members Dave Leckness and Trish Kelley pushed hard for city taxpayers to provide electrical rechargers for cars. The service is already available in the private sector, e.g., at Walgreens. City hall staff members sought a federal grant to install the chargers at such places as Saddleback College and The Shops. Clowncilman Leckness proclaimed, “And recharging should be FREE for users!” Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht explained that 100 percent of the city’s taxpayers would be dinged so a few electric car users could avoid paying to recharge their own vehicles. Leckness is on the city’s Economic Development Committee, but he doesn’t grasp the damage to private enterprise when government provides freebies. Despite all five council members alleging they are fiscal conservatives, only Council Members Cathy Schlicht and Frank Ury opposed the government giveaway. Incredibly, the item will be brought back later, since the discussion ended with Leckness and Kelley in favor, Schlicht and Ury opposed and Rhonda Reardon on the fence.

***

During the June 17 council meeting, council members will discuss the city budget. Councilwoman Kelley made a statement during the June 3 meeting, advising other council members to make an appointment with staff members to discuss the budget. To the contrary, council members should read the budget and ask questions of staff during the June 17 council meeting instead of holding private discussions. As another matter, residents don’t need the staff’s talking points filtered through inept council members. Dave Leckness doesn’t come prepared for council meetings, and Kelley often reads statements in support of staff’s ideas, which she can barely stumble through. Council members aren’t fooling anyone by reading staff members’ statements.

***

The Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., June 10.

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. The meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. Featured speaker will be Brad Dacus, a Constitutional attorney who is founder and president of Pacific Justice Institute. His topic will be “America Under Siege!” He will reveal the myriad domestic and foreign forces threatening security, liberties and values. The meeting location is the Norman P. Murray Community Center (Sycamore B Room), 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo.

***

From the June 7 LA Times: “The fate of the troubled San Onofre nuclear plant was apparently sealed last month when it became clear that a potential lengthy series of hearings would likely have to be held before the coastal facility could be powered back up.” After being in regulatory limbo for months, Edison International announced on Friday that the facility would be retired. Read the article at http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-onofre-edison-20130607,0,3264185.story

***

Mission Viejo residents who expressed relief about Edison’s decision said they don’t oppose nuclear power, but they wanted any decision about a restart to be based on safety. Throughout public hearings on what to do, Edison’s official statements lacked credibility, particularly when political hacks and shills commented in support of a restart that lacked objective criteria.

***

Patriot Action Network administrator Rev. Larry Wallenmeyer addresses the motives of Common Core Curriculum. “Regardless of the fact that reality has proven Common Core to be a wretched failure, nothing more than Marxist indoctrination... Liberals believe you and I are too stupid to take care of ourselves and make our own decisions. If we object to their oppressive dictatorial ways, they assume that we are doing so because we are ‘racist, sexist, bigots, intolerant and evil.’” Videos on Patriot Action Network explain the basics of Common Core Curriculum. http://patriotaction.net/forum/topic/show?id=2600775%3ATopic%3A6263354&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_topic

***

Celebrate Flag Day on Fri., June 14. Flag Day is a celebration of the adoption of the American flag by Continental Congress in the First Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777. “Bernard J. Cigrand, known to the general public as the ‘Father of Flag Day,’ worked as a school teacher at Stony Hill School in Waubeka, Wisconsin. He held the first unofficial observance for Flag Day at that school in 1885, and today a bust of Cigrand stands in Waubeka at the National Flag Day Americanism Center.” http://www.united-states-flag.com/flag-day-history.html