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CUSD Update Taxpayers got a break on Jan. 8, thanks to the leadership of parents in the Capistrano Unified School District and Trustees Ellen Addonizio and Jim Reardon. The CUSD Board of Trustees voted 7-0 to pass a resolution to end the 87-1 Mello-Roos tax in 2016. Ending the tax in 2016 will result in a savings of more than $42 million to those who live in the special tax district. Areas of Mission Viejo in the 87-1 district include Pacific Hills, Canyon Crest, Quail Run and Stone Ridge, plus portions of other neighborhoods. From the announcement sent by Mission Viejo resident Sharon Campbell: Before the vote: 1. The tax had no end date. After the vote: 1. The tax ends when the bond is paid on or before September 2016. For additional information about the vote, go to http://missionviejo.patch The resolutions (agenda items #1 and #1 on January 8, 2014) can be found here: http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view Constituents who led the effort to end the tax were Sharon Campbell and Wayne Tate. |
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PALs Update Dear PALs, The Cause that Unites Us All Parents of students in public school, private school, charter school, language-immersion school, magnet school, or homeschool are united in the fact that zip codes do not have to dictate where your child is educated. Now, more than ever, parents are allowed choices in their child’s education, thanks to pioneer parents and organizations that have fought for school choices over the last 20 years. January 26- February 1, 2014, is your week to celebrate your choice in education during National School Choice Week. There are over 5,500 events nationwide. Please visit http://www.nationalschoolchoiceweek.com/ to find out how your school can participate. The big event happening in Southern California is the Whistle-Stop Tour at the historical L.A. Union Station on Jan. 30 at 10:00 a.m. You are cordially invited to attend and celebrate school choice in California and across the country. Space is limited, so please learn more and RSVP at http://www.schoolchoicetrain.com/ This event is free to attend, will celebrate all forms of school choice, while sending a message that families in California both celebrate and demand a wide array of excellent educational opportunities for their children. Refreshments will be served! Special speakers during the event are: Supt. John Daesy of LAUSD; Ben Austin with Parent Revolution; and Gloria Romero with The Foundation for Parent Empowerment. Hope to see you there! All the best, Julie Collier |
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January Common Sense The January edition of Community Common Sense will be delivered to 20,000 Mission Viejo homes this week. CCS was founded in San Juan Capistrano in 2009 as a non-partisan community watchdog publication. It expanded into Mission Viejo several months ago. The latest edition is available online, http://www.ccsense.com/ In the current edition, four Mission Viejo residents have articles about issues in their city. On the front page, “Art Program” Deserves Closer Scrutiny,” by Don Wilder I have been a resident of Mission Viejo since 1970 and have lived in the same house since then except for a several year hiatus that ended when I returned last February. Among some of the changes I have seen on my return are kiosks, sculptures and public “art” at several places around town. While appreciation of “art” is very subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this beholder sees little beauty and has little appreciation for much of what has been installed in our city and passed off as “art.” Read more: http://www.ccsense.com/2014/01/mission On page 7, “The Voting Record of Frank Ury” shows his support for such things as dismantling the city’s Affordable Housing plan in favor of an ad hoc committee. This action led to the state filing a lawsuit against the city, costing Mission Viejo taxpayers $1 million. Read more: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/ On page 8, “Resident Activists Serve Vital Purpose,” by Larry Gilbert In my opinion, voters in every city can and should hold local governments accountable. The following illustrates why this is so important. Read more: http://www.ccsense.com/2014/01/mission-viejo_10.html#more On page 9, “The Not-So-Free Freeways – Part 2,” by Ed Sachs Compliments are in order for the eleven members of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) who listened to both the corridor cities and voters of Orange County, and elected not to bring toll lanes to the 405 freeway, but rather to add one “free” lane in both directions to the 405 between Costa Mesa and Seal Beach. Read more: http://www.ccsense.com/2014/01/ |
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Non-government Events Following is a sampling of events and activities that are not funded by taxpayers or promoted by the Nanny State. Please support private enterprise and non-profit groups. WineWorks, live music every Friday, happy hour Tues.-Sat., check the website for wine tastings and other events, 26342 Oso Parkway, Suite 103, Mission Viejo, (949) 582-0026, http://www.wineworksforeveryone.com/tastings La Vida Drum Circle, Thurs., Jan. 16, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon (Jan. 16, Feb. 14, Mar. 16, Apr. 15, etc.). Drummers should bring their drums. Firewood is appreciated for the bonfire, Aliso Beach, Aliso and Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (949) 275-7544, http://www.lavidalaguna.com/things-we-dig/ St. Kilian’s Recycling Drive, Sat., Jan. 18, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, held on the third Saturday of each month. Organized by Knights of Columbus; acceptable items include aluminum, paper and plastic. No glass or cardboard. Lower parking lot, 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 472-1249, http://www.stkilianchurch.org Sunday Brunch at O’Neill’s Bar and Grill on Sun., Jan. 19, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., live jazz, R&B, soul and vocals. Enjoy made-to-order omelets, pastries, seafood, salad bar, hot entrees, desserts, etc., Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course, 26772 Avery Parkway, Mission Viejo, (949) 305-5100, http://www.arroyotrabuco.com/calendar.aspx Ongoing music classes, Mission Viejo Christian Church, private 30-minute weekly lessons in piano, voice and guitar; perform in recitals, (949) 334-8880 for lesson availability, Music Conservatory, 27192 Jeronimo Rd., Mission Viejo, http://media.wix.com/ugd/1081e4_b5f054c5f266a76be19eaa37ca21225c.pdf Soka University events, Vladimir Feltsman solo piano recital on Wed., Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m.; International Guitar Night on Sat., Jan. 25, 8:00 p.m.; Tribute to Benny Golson on Sat., Feb. 1, at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu Cabrillo Playhouse presents “The Fantasticks,” Thurs. – Sun., through Feb. 2, 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente, (949) 492-0465, http://cabrilloplayhouse.org “Ring of Fire” at The Laguna Playhouse, through Feb. 2, a riveting glimpse into Johnny Cash’s world, with more than 30 of his songs; 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://lagunaplayhouse.com Mount of Olives Church SHARE Food Drive on Sun., Feb. 2, (first Sunday of each month) helps families in crisis, http://moochurch.org/share . Mount of Olives Church, 24772 Chrisanta Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 837-7467, http://www.moochurch.org/ First Thursday Art Walk, Laguna Beach, Thurs., Feb. 6, 6:00 p.m., member galleries throughout Laguna Beach, including the Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive at North Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-8971, http://firstthursdaysartwalk.com/ Mariachis at the Mission, Sat., Feb. 8, 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.; second Saturday of each month, 26801 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 234-1300, http://missionsjc.com Holiday Ice Rink, Irvine Spectrum Center, private and group skate lessons are available, open daily through Feb. 17, Giant Wheel Court, Irvine Spectrum Center, 71 Fortune Drive, Irvine, (949) 753-5180, http://www.skatespectrum.com Laguna Playhouse Winter 2014 Youth Theater, through Mar. 18, Tuesdays, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Acting Fundamentals classes for children, ages 9 – 11; Musical Theatre for age 10 and older on Fridays, through Mar. 28, (949) 497-2787, ext. 230, http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com/education/workshops/ |
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Political and Government Events Calendar Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Engineering and Operations on Mon., Jan. 13, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Finance and Information Technology on Wed., Jan. 15, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., Jan. 16, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., MNWD Main Office, 27500 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-2500, http://mnwd.com/board-of-directors-2/ Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT! for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Jan. 13. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. The meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m., at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Orange County Board of Supervisors will hold a regular meeting on Tues., Jan. 14, 9:30 a.m., Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100. http://ocgov.com/cals/?ViewBy=7&CalDate=1/15/2013&EventDateID=89649 Saddleback Valley Unified School District will hold a regular meeting of the board on Tues., Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.; 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/ “Celebrate America – One Nation Under God!” Tues., Jan. 14, 7:00 p.m. Start the New Year with a program of scripture, music and discussion of a relevant topic. Organized by SOC912 leaders Cathy and Kevin Richardson. Seating is limited – RSVP to attend. http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/157843452/ Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated, Wed., Jan. 15, 9:00 a.m., at the Marbella Country Club, 30800 Golf Club Drive, San Juan Capistrano. CVRWF meets on third Wednesdays of most months. Call (949) 240-6799 for reservations, http://cvrwf.org Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will have a special meeting regarding the search for a new superintendent Wed., Jan, 15, 7:00 p.m., and a regular meeting on Wed., Jan.22. The board meets at the district office, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano. Agenda and supporting documentation are published on the website 72 hours prior to a meeting, (949) 234-9200, http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/ Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., Jan. 16, 7:00 p.m. SRA meets on third Thursdays (except in July, August and December) at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 769-1412. Santa Margarita Water District meetings: Engineering Committee on Fri., Jan. 17, 7:30 a.m.; Finance Committee on Fri., Jan. 24, 7:30 a.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com Nixon Library Concert, Sun., Jan. 19, saxophonist Chika Inoue and pianist Mary Au. Doors open at 1:30 pm, and the music begins at 2:00 pm unless otherwise noted. On Wed., Jan. 29, 10:00 a.m., Nixon Legacy Forum: “Richard Nixon and the Creation of the Modern Presidency at Franklin & Marshall College.” Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org/ Free Speech Picnic, Sat., Feb. 8, 12:00 noon, C. Russell Cook Park, 27100 Calle Arroyo, San Juan Capistrano. Organized by Tea Party and other conservative groups in response to the ban of newspapers from city property in San Juan Capistrano. Visit SOC912’s website, http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/157855872/ OC Veterans Advisory Council, Wed., Feb. 12, 6:00 p.m. The council meets on the second Wednesday of each month. Veterans Service Office, Conference Room A/B, 1300 S. Grand Ave., Building B, Santa Ana, https://cms.ocgov.com/gov/occr/occs/veterans/advisory/default.asp |
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The Buzz Meetings this week – see the political events calendar on this blog for details: Mon., Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m., ACT! for America hosts guest speaker John Steinreich at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Tues., Jan. 14, 7:00 p.m., SOC912 leaders Cathy and Kevin Richardson will present “Celebrate America – One Nation Under God!” at the Norm Murray Center in Mission Viejo. Wed., Jan. 15, 9:00 a.m., Capo Valley Republican Women Federated host guest speaker Barbara Stone at the Marbella Country Club, 30800 Golf Club Drive, San Juan Capistrano. Thurs., Jan. 16, 7:00 p.m., Saddleback Republican Assembly will have a roundtable discussion of issues and goals, Norm Murray Center in Mission Viejo. *** Who saved Mission Viejo taxpayers $42 million by ending a Mello-Roos tax? Thank you, Sharon Campbell and Wayne Tate. For many years, they’ve supported Capo schools and worked tirelessly on behalf of students, parents and taxpayers. Sharon’s expertise in school finance is widely acknowledged, and Wayne is an attorney. On the school board, Trustee Ellen Addonizio led the effort, and Trustee Jim Reardon was very supportive and helpful in ending the Mello-Roos tax *** Who is taking credit for ending the Mello-Roos tax? Within hours of the 7-0 vote at the Jan. 8 CUSD meeting, Trustee Anna Bryson issued a press release, telling Mission Viejo residents she saved them $42 million. Is that a joke? Until Bryson decided to run for higher office last year, she voted every year for a TAX INCREASE, adding two percent annually. Here’s her voting record, which has been published on this blog, http://www.missionviejoca.org/html/article290.html, and in Community Common Sense, http://www.ccsense.com/2013/12/mission-viejo_1627.html *** This blog has documented that the cost of a city dog park exceeded $1.4 million a long time ago. In addition to city staff members’ amnesia on how much has been spent, their figure of $1.4 million doesn’t include cost of the property. Real estate brokers who have commented on the city’s land swap with the county for the dog park site estimate the value per acre is approximately equal. The city gave away 7.18 acres but received only 4 acres in return. One of the brokers commented, “The county got a sweet deal.” Last week, Community Common Sense published the cost per acre of land the city gave up. An appraisal found by a Mission Viejo watchdog indicated the value of city property given to the county was $12.2 million (7.18 acres x $1.7 million per acre). In return, the city received 4 acres of unknown value, using 2.71 acres for the dog park. The loss to Mission Viejo taxpayers on the real estate swap (given the per-acre values are equal) would be $5,406,000. *** Last week, the Capo Valley News reported an email exchanging involving San Juan Capistrano Councilman Sam Allevato. The communication between Allevato and his political consultant Dave Ellis shows Ellis encouraging Allevato to have the city pay for an “advocacy piece masked as a city newsletter.” The email is the subject of the Jan. 9 front-page article: http://epaper.ocregister *** Who will eat crow at City Hall in Mission Viejo? During the Jan. 6 council meeting, Councilman Dave Leckness interrupted the city’s business meeting to show a video of crows flying over the city. It appeared to be a pointless self-promotion of Leckness as mayor pro-tem. Unlike SJC’s Allevato, who is facing a recall, Leckness is merely running for reelection this year. Who approved the cost of a city contractor going out to the site and producing the video? If Leckness did this, he should pay for it. The city check register will reveal if it was charged to taxpayers. *** The decline in letters to the editor of the Orange County Register has become obvious, and OCR’s online version lacks reader comments. The evolution of OCR from a newspaper into a daily magazine has resulted in an abundance of columns and advertorials. Mission Viejo residents are fortunate to have an alternative newspaper, Community Common Sense, which focuses on city news reported by watchdogs. *** More than 10 years ago, OC Weekly investigative reporter Scott Moxley was writing about the crimes of then-OC Sheriff Mike Carona. Last week, Moxley wrote about Larry Agran, who directed more than $200 million in Great Park funds to his political cronies instead of building a park. When Agran lost power in the 2012 Irvine city election, the new majority called for an audit, which was released last week. Moxley describes the audit as Agran’s political obituary: http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2014/01/larry_agran_great_park.php *** For information about Common Core Curriculum’s impact on children, families and education, check out the website of an Orange County group opposing Common Core: http://orangecountycccc.com/ Current message on the website, “IMPORTANT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, Wed., Jan 15, 8:00 AM. Board Room, Orange County Department of Education, 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92628. Let’s continue to encourage the Board against Common Core.” *** California Assemblyman Tim Donnelly slams Jerry Brown’s budget, saying “the incumbent was taking a rosy, short-sighted view of the state’s fiscal health that fails to address systemic challenges facing California.” http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-pc-gop-gov-candidate-donnelly-brown-budget-proposal “The facts remain:
“The real bottom line: the fiscal outlook for millions of Californians isn’t as rosy as Jerry Brown would have you believe.” |
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