City Election: Results vs. Cost
by Larry Gilbert

On Jan. 31, whether they won or lost, every candidate for city council races was to submit their semi-annual campaign income and expense reports to their respective city clerks. These final 460 reports for the 2012 election cover all related transactions during the period from 10-21-12 thru 12-31-12. To give future candidates or incumbents a peek under the covers in Mission Viejo, I have analyzed the three top finishers’ reports and offer the final results versus cost where we re-elected Cathy Schlicht and Frank Ury, the two incumbents for the two open seats. Challenger Wendy Buchnum finished third and Ed Sachs came in fourth. As Ed is out of the country, I do not have his year-end report, which precludes me from completing my analysis.

Cutting to the chase:

Wendy, relying heavily on "special interest" funding, spent $56,320 and received 15,614 votes for a cost per vote of $3.61. As an illustration of a "special interest,” the California Real Estate Political Action Committee gave her $1,000 on 3-28-12 and an additional $9,000 on 8-27-12. For over a year while campaigning Wendy had only invested $204.13 of her own money until realizing that her campaign was in serious trouble. Wendy added $8,000 in the final week. Talk about playing with OPM (Other Peoples Money).

At $48,926, the second highest campaign expenditures were made by Frank Ury. Based on his receiving 18,760 votes, it cost him $2.61 per vote. Frank accepted over $2,000 from Sentinel Development, the owners of the Kaleidoscope project who have lobbied to add huge electronic billboards with offsite ads on their Crown Valley Parkway /I-5 entertainment facility. At a recent meeting Frank was the sole vote in support of this request.

Cathy Schlicht, with heavy local "grass roots" support, spent only $28,963 in her successful re-election obtaining 15,892 votes at a cost of $1.82 each.

Therefore, any future candidate for our city council, even with an open seat, will need to spend a minimum of $30,000 to $50,000. If you are considering a run for city council with 50,000 plus registered voters and cannot pony up the cash, be it from personal funds, friends or PACs, you're sadly spinning your wheels.
Footnote: Wendy failed to include some "non-cash" contributions in her final 460 report which explains the variance I have referenced above.

Council Majority Ignores Issue

A Saddleback Valley News reporter attended the Feb. 4 council meeting, but why has no newspaper article been published about the most controversial item? A city watchdog explained, “Most likely, it is because City Manager Dennis Wilberg hasn’t finished writing it.”

Item No. 21, put on the agenda by Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht, was about the city’s landscape contracts. The discussion took 45 minutes, but none of the others wanted to address the crux of the matter. Councilwoman Schlicht was proposing that the city rebid the contracts every two years (instead of extending two-year contracts to four years) to include refurbishment and rehabilitation of slopes. Text in bold is the part ignored by city administrator Keith Rattay in his 15-minute slide show about almost everything except what the agenda item specified.

Some of the current contracts are for maintenance only. As an aside, what does it cost to “maintain” barren city slopes that have been neglected for years?

One thing all parties agreed on was the amount paid by taxpayers -- $33 million since 2005 – for landscape contracts. Despite Rattay’s 15-minute slide show, he didn’t state how much is spent on slopes versus the lush Disneyland-type landscaping around city hall and the community center or the city’s obsession with maintaining its “One Million Trees” status. Obviously, all areas of the city are not equal.

As an example of a neglected area, Aegean Hills was annexed in the early 1990s, and the city-owned slopes along its thoroughfares are in bad shape. When city staffers funnel the lion’s share of tax dollars into one part of town – the part they frequent on their way to city hall – there isn’t much left for the other 95 percent. If that seems like an exaggeration, where were 95 percent of the city’s holiday lights? Many of the city’s top-paid administrators don’t live in Mission Viejo, and they evidently take the I-5 to La Paz Road.

The city attorney said some neighborhoods will need to get in line and wait their turn for landscaping. Aegean Hills has been waiting for 20 years. In contrast, medians along Marguerite are planted and replanted with remarkable frequency. Councilwoman Schlicht indicated less is being budgeted for landscaping in recent years while slopes are declining. She said such neglect ends up costing more in the long run, just as letting streets deteriorate is more costly over time.

After 45 minutes of discussion, largely spent on badgering Councilwoman Schlicht, the other council members voted 4-1 against her proposal.

Recycle Drive on Feb. 16

St. Kilian Catholic Church will have a recycle drive on Sat., Feb. 16, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Anyone wanting to donate recyclables should bring them to the lower parking lot of the church.

The event, which is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, is held each month. A member of the Knights added, “We’ll take your aluminum cans, plastic bottles (#1 and 2) and paper. Sorry, we can no longer take glass or cardboard.”

The church is located at 26872 Estanciero Dr., Mission Viejo. For more information, call (949) 472-1249.

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.

Car Show at Fuddruckers, Tues., Feb. 12, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., cars, food and music every Tuesday, 23621 El Toro Road, Lake Forest, 949) 830-7210, http://www.fuddruckers.com/local/location.php?s=32

Big Bucks Bingo, Wednesdays, 6:15 p.m. early bird and 6:45 p.m. regular games, Mission Viejo Elks Lodge, Marguerite and La Paz, Mission Viejo, (949) 830-3557. 
http://www.mvelks.com/

Taste of San Juan, Tues., Feb. 13, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., San Juan Hills Golf Club, 32120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 493-1167, http://www.swallowsparade.com/taste.html

Performances at Soka: Jazz Monsters series Kenny Werner Trio on Fri., Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Symphony on Sun., Feb. 24, 3:00 p.m., Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu

Recycling Drive at St. Kilian’s Church, Sat., Feb. 16, 7:00 a.m. to noon. Organized by Knights of Columbus, acceptable items include aluminum, paper and plastic. No longer accepting glass or cardboard. Lower parking lot, 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 472-1249, http://www.stkilianchurch.org

Camino Real Playhouse, Stage II, “The Bad Seed,” Thurs., Feb. 21, 8:00 p.m., 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 489-8082, http://www.caminorealplayhouse.org

Open House at St. Michael’s Preparatory School on Sat., Feb. 23, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sun., Mar. 10, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., http://stmichaelsprep.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=64

La Vida Drum Circle, Mon., Feb. 25, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon (Mar. 27, April 25, May 24, etc.). Drummers are welcome to bring their own drums or use an extra the group has. Firewood is appreciated for the bonfire, Aliso Beach, Aliso and Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (949) 275-7544, http://www.lavidalaguna.com/full-moon-drum-circle

Political and Government Events Calendar

Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Feb. 11. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. The meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m., Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo.

Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees regular board meeting on Tues., Feb. 12, 6:30 p.m., 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/

Meet Oliver North at the Nixon Library, Tues., Feb. 12, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. North discusses his book, “Heroes Proved” in the East Room, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org

OC Veterans Advisory Council Meeting, Wed., Feb. 13, 6:00 p.m., held 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

Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet on Wed., Feb. 13, 7:00 p.m., 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/

Santa Margarita Water District meetings: Engineering Committee on Fri., Feb. 15, 7:30 a.m., Finance Committee on Fri., Feb. 22, 7:30 a.m., and Board of Directors meeting on Wed., Feb. 27, at 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com

Commemorate President’s Day, Mon., Feb. 18, free admission throughout the day. Exhibits are family friendly, and the first 100 guests can enjoy a free slice of cherry pie, Richard Nixon Presidential Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org

Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., Feb. 21, 7:00 p.m. SRA meets on third Thursdays (except in December, July and August) at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 360-1717.

2013 Orange County DUI Summit, Wed., Feb. 27, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., information on DUI and solutions, Concordia University, DeNault Auditorium, 1530 Concordia, Irvine, http://media.ocgov.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=23426

Orange County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tues., Feb. 26, 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

California Republican Party Spring Convention, March 1-3, Hyatt Regency Sacramento, Sacramento Convention Center, http://cagop.org/crpconvention.asp

Rush Limbaugh Club, Sat., Mar. 9. Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m., meeting 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Casta Del Sol Golf Course Clubhouse, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo, make reservations by emailing reservations@rushlimbaughclubocv.com , http://www.rushlimbaughcluboc.com

The Buzz

The Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT for America will hold a general meeting on Mon., Feb. 11, at the Norm Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., and the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. Guest speaker Jamie Glazov’s topic will be “United in Hatred for America: The Left’s Dangerous Romance with Tyrants and Terrorists.” Glazov is the author and editor of Front Page online magazine. The Community Center is located at 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Note the venue change to the Palo Verde Room. Sign up for ACT for America chapter announcements at www.act4oc.org

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This blog has published numerous articles about Mission Viejo’s City Hall as a bloated bureaucracy with an excessive number of employees – many with no responsibilities relating to core public services. Incredibly, the number of people on the city payroll has mushroomed to 271. The city of Rancho Santa Margarita has 60 people on its payroll – mostly seasonal or part-time contractors and fewer than 25 permanent, full-time staffers. Brad Morton posted details on his blog, including the cost to residents, http://missionviejodispatch.com/budget/city-hall-bloated-with-employees/#comments

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How do 271 people in City Hall manage to look busy? As an example revealed during a council meeting last year, the city’s Readers Festival completely absorbed numerous employees, including two full-time staffers who spent an entire year planning the event. Last month, the city mailed out its quarterly publication, “Leisure Time,” with 24 pages of programs created, presented and/or managed by City Hall. These include inane activities of little interest to residents. Particularly ridiculous are the ones with no point whatsoever or clearly not the business of government (“Mission Viejo Takes Flight” and “films of character”). Many of the activities compete directly with and undercut businesses. For example, cake decoration and crafts are offered by Michaels, sewing is offered by Moore’s, children’s activities abound in the private sector and makeup techniques are available at department stores trying to sell cosmetics. On page 4, Business Workshops include developing a winning business plan. It is difficult for a business to win in Mission Viejo with such strong competition from City Hall.

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The public can get a look at the wasteful $400,000 decorating job in a room in the library by checking out a photo on page 6 of “Leisure Time.” Residents who visit the library to see how the tax dollars were spent will discover the room is kept locked.

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A Mission Viejo conservative activist, Dan, sent the following link that explains the difference between an assault rifle and a semi-automatic rifle. Dan says about the push for an assault weapons ban, “After watching this military expert, you will ask yourself WHY? What are the real political reasons?” www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=8C-CLsMRcA0

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During the Feb. 4 council meeting, Councilwoman Trish Kelley presented an item about Mission Viejo’s upcoming 25th anniversary of cityhood. When the city staff wants to waste a great deal of money on a party, they have learned to give an appearance the council signed off on it. The two council members who are willing to put their names on practically anything are Trish Kelley and Dave Leckness. In 2008, the city staff’s 20th anniversary party had very little to do with the community. Here’s an example from this blog’s coverage of Easelgate, the city staff’s fiasco in which administrator Keith Rattay made false claims about the costs and community participation in a photo display. Activists combed city records to demonstrate a city contractor (not “150 volunteers”) built 500 poorly designed easels to display photos, which were mostly taken by city staffers (not residents).

Easelgate Update, July 26. 2008 -- On July 23, the city released public records requested on July 10 by community activist Lisa De Paul-Snyder. She went to city hall on July 25 to review files she requested regarding city contractor Jamey Clark, who apparently constructed 500 easels at $45 an hour. Clark’s contracts aren’t the only point of investigation, but the huge amounts he charged between January and May are among the few places a city administrator could have hidden costs of the city’s 20th anniversary photo display, now estimated at more than $90,000. http://missionviejoca.org/News/2008_Q3/2008_07_26/article2/article2.html

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City watchdog Joe Holtzman sent information about how to get on the delay list for the gas company’s installation of Smart Meters. Joe added, “Remember, if you do not get onto the list, your gas bill will go up – just like the electric bill.” Information is provided by the Consumer Power Alliance, which has been alerting consumers about Smart Meters since 2009.

1. Option - If you do not want a battery-operated transmitting device attached to your gas meter for their wireless network, or if you do not want your current very safe, 30 to 50 year lifetime Bakelite meter removed at the discretion of the utility, So Cal Gas Is offering a free Deferred Installation Plan. CALL 877-238-0092 to apply. Wait for the Advanced Metering Prompt, and select speak to representative; it’s an easy process.

2. PLEASE NOTE: This is not an Opt-Out. As you recall, the Gas Company Opt-Out Proposal has not been approved by the PUC, since it was challenged by CPA, because it would have meant SCE customers would have been charged two opt-out fees for gas and electricity, when PG&E and SDG&E customers would only pay one opt-out fee for both gas and electricity. In addition, opt-out fees have not been finalized, so collecting fees would be a waste of time and money for both customer and utility, and, as you know, CPA has led the call for free opt-outs via socialization.

3. CPA fully endorses TURN”s assessment that the Gas Company’s priority should be repairing pipelines, per the PUC’s Ruling after San Bruno, since gas leaks are a major concern in California’s arid climate’s avid production of fire zones. In addition, some experts are concerned about the batteries being compromised by hot weather and earthquakes – and a real life potential threat to the consumer and environment.

4. If safety is important to you, please consider the Deferred Installation Program. Remember that,if you sign up for Deferred Installation, you will also have to apply for Opt-Out later.

5. Should you experience any problems with the Gas Company Deferred Installation, please contact CPA at admin@consumerspoweralliance.com , and we will inform our attorneys, headed by Mr. Tobin, who are handling this matter.

6. Donations should be sent directly to James M. Tobin; Tobin Law Group; 1100-D Mar West Street; Tiburon, CA 94920. Please designate that it is for the CPA Legal Fund.

7. Thank you for your support.

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