Tribute to TEA and Tom
by Larry Gilbert

As everyone is talking about TEA Parties today, let me not overlook Mission Viejo where we had 600-700 attending our rally that same year at the corner of La Paz & Marguerite Parkway. Diamond Tom who led us in singing several patriotic songs has since passed, but he is not forgotten. Another photo is of Mission Viejo City Council Member Cathy Schlicht, the only elected member of our city to participate. Staff was also MIA even though city hall is just across the street and the three-hour rally did not begin until 4:30.

Photos of the event are here.

SCE Didn’t Opt to Repair

Mission Viejo city watchdog Joe Holtzman forwarded the following article with his comment:

“This is unbelievable. Southern California Edison turned down repair offers by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. You have got to be kidding me – restart instead of repair. Are decisions being made by lunatics? And the big-money organizations like South Orange County Chamber are in support of this.”

Repair proposal floundered at San Onofre

The manufacturer of faulty steam generators that have sidelined the San Onofre nuclear plant proposed long-term repairs last year that were never adopted by the plant operator.

Plant operator Southern California Edison is currently seeking permission to restart the plant's Unit 2 reactor at partial power to reduce damaging vibrations to steam generator tubes carrying radioactive water, while a long-term fix is devised. The replacement generators made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan were installed starting in 2009.

In a December letter to Edison, Mitsubishi outlined a repair option that would insert thicker anti-vibration braces between generator tubes to prevent vibrations and wear. It estimated the repair would take one year. More extensive repairs involving the replacement of the entire tube bundle also were discussed, in documents filed amid investigative hearings at the California Public Utilities Commission.

Edison Vice President Thomas Palmisano testified in vague terms Wednesday that the repair raised questions about adequately restoring the steam generators. Edison declined to provide further explanation.

The hearings are an early phase of an investigation into who should pay for outage costs at San Onofre -- utility customers or corporate stockholders of Edison and minority owner San Diego Gas & Electric. The City of Riverside owns a tiny share in the plant.

Meanwhile, more than 1,800 comments have been filed with federal nuclear safety regulators concerning a provision of Edison's restart proposal that would limit the Unit 2 reactor to 70 percent power level for about two years. Staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission see no significant hazard in that amendment to the plant's operating license, as proposed by Edison.

The comments can be read by the public at the website regulations.gov, though processing delays mean only a handful of letters were available Thursday. Initial entries pit business chamber concerns about nuclear plant jobs and sufficient power supplies against concerns about the safety of plans that critics are calling an experiment.

The nuclear activist group San Clemente Green circulated an online petition to add thousands of signatures to its letter designed to keep San Onofre shut down, according to Gary Headrick.

The environmental groups Friends of the Earth and the Natural Resources Defense Council together submitted a lengthy critique of the no-hazard finding. The Orange County Business Council, meanwhile, showed support for the commission's approach.

Thirty days remain for the public to petition for a public hearing on the no-hazard determination.

Whether public evidentiary hearings will be held on the broader nuclear commission review of the restart remains an open question. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, an independent authority within the agency, called for a hearing opportunity in an order published Monday.

Edison and the staff of the nuclear commission have until June 7 to appeal that decision to the full five-member nuclear commission.

From http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/16/repair-plan-went-nowhere/

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.

Crossline Church is offering a series of classes on finance, with the next one on Tues., May 21, 7:00 p.m., “The Role of Insurance – Protecting Your Health, Family and Finances.” Location is 23331 Moulton Pkwy., Laguna Hills, (949) 916-0251, http://www.crosslinechurch.com

Free Christian Homeschooling Seminar, Sat., May 25, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Irvine Community Church, 14804 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine, (714) 686-3353, http://www.exploringhomeschooling.com/

“As You Like It” at Concordia University, May 25 through June 2. Last year more than 1,300 people enjoyed the fun and free Shakespeare play in the outdoor amphitheater. Bring a picnic and delight in this comedy. Nelson Amphitheatre, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, (949) 854-8002, http://www.cui.edu/?gclid=CMyjsdWOt7YCFQ3qnAod9CoA4w

ScotsFest 2013, Sat.-Sun., May 25-26, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., a Celtic festival of entertainment and food, OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, (714) 742-4914, http://www.scotsfest.com

Sunday Brunch, Sun., May 26, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., O’Neill’s Bar and Grill, live jazz, R&B, soul and vocals, Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, 26772 Avery Parkway, (949) 305-5100, http://www.arroyotrabuco.com/calendar.aspx

Art Show with wine tasting, Sun., May 26, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., benefit for Modjeska Ranch Rescue. Relaxed, friendly setting, $20 donation includes wine tasting. A generous portion of each art sale goes to the Rescue. Gardens of “Islandia,” 29022 Kommers Lane, Modjeska Canyon, home of Greg Killingsworth & Nor. Phone (949) 584-7289, http://www.modjeskaranchrescue.org/

Laguna Playhouse presents “Steel Magnolias” through May 26, and “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” from May 29 through June 9, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com

Soka University concert: Robert Cazimero and Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua on June 1, 8:00 p.m., and Men Alive presenting America, “The Songs of Our Homeland,” Fri., June 21, 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu

Recycling Drive at St. Kilian’s Church, Sat., June 15, 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

Political and Government Events Calendar

Meet Donald Rumsfeld, Mon., May 20, 7:00 p.m., Richard Nixon Presidential Library, Distinguished Speakers Series. Price ($48 general admission; $43 members) includes lecture ticket and autographed first edition of Rumsfeld’s Rules. Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org

Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet on Wed., May 22, 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 Board of Directors on Wed., May 22, at 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com

Orange County Board of Supervisors will hold an Orange County Budget Workshop on Fri., May 24, 10:00 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 Board of Trustees will meet on Tues., May 28, 6:30 p.m., “if necessary.” A board workshop on safety (open to public) will be held on Tues., June 11, 4:30 p.m., with the regular board meeting to follow at 6:30 p.m., 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/

Orange County Parks Commission will meet on Thurs., June 6, 7:00 p.m. The commission meets on the first Thursday of every month. Irvine Ranch Historic Park, 13042 Old Myford Rd., Irvine, (949) 923-3741, http://ocgov.com/cals/

Rush Limbaugh Club of OC, Sat., June 8, breakfast starts at 8:00 a.m., and the meeting runs from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The club meets on second Saturdays of the month at Casta Del Sol Golf Club, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo. RSVP to reservations@rushlimbaughcluboc.com . http://www.rushlimbaughcluboc.com

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

OC Veterans Advisory Council, Wed., June 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

14th Annual Flag Day Dinner, Fri., June 14, Republican Party of Orange County. Featured speaker will be U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. Hyatt Regency Irvine, 17900 Jamboree Blvd., Irvine, http://www.ocgop.org/flagday

Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated, Wed., June 19, 9:00 a.m., at the Marbella Country Club, 30800 Golf Club Drive, San Juan Capistrano. CVRWF meets on third Wednesdays. Call (949) 496-2525 for reservations, http://cvrwf.org

Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., June 20. At 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.

The Buzz

Join the Tea Party protest against IRS abuse of power on Tues., May 21, with a choice of two Orange County locations. In South County, go to the IRS Services office at 24000 Avila Road, Laguna Niguel, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. SOC912 posted the flyer, including a link to a map, http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/119899242/?gj=fbsd_ed&a=fbsd_event_details&rv=fbsd_ed . Another Orange County protest rally will take place, starting at 12:00 noon, Internal Revenue Service office, 801 Civic Center Drive W., Santa Ana 92701. Additional information on the Santa Ana rally can be found at http://ocpoliticsblog.com/

***

On May 16, Saddleback Republican Assembly hosted a forum on Mission Viejo city issues, led by Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht. Topics included the city’s financial health and the continued pattern of spending more than is taken in. Councilwoman Schlicht commented, “With the city being built out, money from developers is ending and reserves are down.” Questions from the audience covered pension liabilities and the difficulty in tracking where taxpayers’ money is going. Councilwoman Schlicht is among three council members who are asking the city staff to account for the costs of city events, staff parties and festivals. Thus far, staff members have indicated they don’t have a list and it will take months to find the costs.

***

City Manager Dennis Wilberg posted his usual summary on May 17, “The Week That Was.” It contained paragraphs about activities the city hosted (e.g., the ones it can’t keep track of, described above). Among the events was a job fair in which the city’s human resources department participated. With 270 people already on the payroll, this might shed light on another topic from SRA’s city issues forum: where is all the money going?

***

Stop Common Core. Dan Catania, Tea Party United, distributed a report on the May 10 rally in Sacramento. Parents, educators, Republicans, Democrats and independents are coming together to stop Common Core, which is education’s Trojan Horse. View the video, Part One, http://youtu.be/SeAnIQ-YPes . Part Two is also up and running: http://youtu.be/OcNAh8cIRiE

***

The OC Board of Supervisors won’t increase the OC Grand Jury’s budget. The decision came after the grand jury’s April 15 report, "A Call for Ethical Standards: Corruption in Orange County," which came with a recommendation for creating an ethics commission. ‘Sadly, it is the grand jury's hypothesis that untoward behavior continues and is actively festering in today's political environment,’ the report read, referring to imprisoned former Sheriff Michael Carona and the dozens of past county politicians and bureaucrats who have been indicted. Supervisors, who have been targeted in the reports, this week unanimously voted against a $20,000 increase in the grand jury's budget.” http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0510-grand-jury-fight-20130510,0,5001335.story

***

The agenda link for the May 20 Mission Viejo City Council meeting can be found at http://dms.cityofmissionviejo.org/sirepub/pubmtgframe.aspx?meetid=1997&doctype=agenda . Note Agenda Item No. 11 under Old Business: Review and Discussion of the Street Sweeping Contract. Viewers should expect to see Councilman Hee-Haw Leckness “lead” the discussion, motivated by his intense interest in street sweeping, of course. Translation: he’s up for reelection in Nov. 2014, and he’ll need a lot of campaign cash to offset his history of complete lunacy. One of his exemplary statements from the dais was his suggestion that children should be given rifles for his campout in a city park.

***

The Obamanation in the White House generally gets a pass from the media. In the May 19 Orange County Register, the summary of Obama’s scandals this month was given an explanatory headline: “Second Term Can Be Trouble.” So, it’s nothing worse than the usual problems any U.S. president faces after winning a second term. OCR’s practice of printing only happy news has led to its self-inflicted irrelevance and lack of credibility. OCR says happy readers buy more papers, and happy advertisers buy more ads. The lack of community news coverage has given rise to privately owned blogs and newspapers, such as Capistrano Common Sense, a monthly publication in San Juan Capistrano: http://www.ccsense.com/

***

From Mission Viejo watchdog Larry Gilbert, “As today [May 18] is Armed Forces Day I wish to acknowledge a true American Hero. I had the honor and privilege to meet and later interview Walter Ehlers, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from WWII. Walter and his brother Roland were each in the D-Day Landing on Omaha Beach where his brother was killed when his landing craft was hit by a mortar.

“At last count there are only 80 Medal of Honor recipients alive today. That includes every war that we have been engaged in. As an example of losing the greatest generation, 465 of our military forces received the Congressional Citation in World War II. Walter Ehlers is one of 10 survivors from World War II. Recognizing American Military heroes, I have also met John Baca, who served in Vietnam, when Saddleback College installed their Vietnam Memorial Wall in Mission Viejo.”

Reading from Walter Ehlers Citation: The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to EHLERS, WALTER D.

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 9-10 June 1944. Entered service at Manhattan, Kans. Birth: Junction City, Kans. G.O. No.: 91, 19 December 1944

The Citation begins as follows:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 9-10 June 1944, near Goville, France. S/Sgt. Ehlers, always acting as the spearhead of the attack, repeatedly led his men against heavily defended enemy strongpoints exposing himself to deadly hostile fire whenever the situation required heroic and courageous leadership. Without waiting for a order, S/Sgt. Ehlers, far ahead of his men, led his squad against a strongly defended enemy strongpoint, personally killing 4 of an enemy patrol who attacked him en route. Then crawling forward under withering machinegun fire, he pounced upon the guncrew and put it out of action. Turning his attention to 2 mortars protected by the crossfire of 2 machineguns, S/Sgt. Ehlers led his men through this hail of bullets to kill or put to flight to the enemy of the mortal section, killing 3 men himself."

There is more data in this Citation that points out Walt's heroism.

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