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Stop Special Interest Greetings fellow South County friends! As you know, 2012 is an important election year. Of course, the Presidential Primary and General Election are important. But in California we have an opportunity to end the union and corporate dominance over California politics from Sacramento to our own counties, cities and school districts. I would like to give you information about the Stop Special Interest Money Now Act Initiative so you can see why I believe passing it is vital to our state. Mark Bucher is chairman of the campaign to pass this initiative. Mark advised that the initiative qualified for the ballot on Dec. 6, 2011. Let me begin by asking you some questions. 1) Who do you believe is the largest contributor to politics in California? 2) Are corporations always contributing to conservative politicians and causes? 3) In the last 10 years how much money has been spent by "special interests" in California? 4) Finally, doesn't a proposed law by an individual constituent have as much chance of being enacted as those sponsored by union bosses and corporate executives? Answers:
What will the passage of the Stop Special Interest Money Now Act do? Right now, employee unions and corporations are allowed to involuntarily take money from their union members / corporate employees and place it directly into their Political Action Committee. Plus, they can contribute directly to politicians' campaigns. The passage of the Stop Special Interest initiative will change all that and level the playing field. Specifically, the Stop Special Interest Money Now Act will:
Given the amount of money coming into politics from unions and corporations, and since this initiative will to a large extent limit the amount of money they can collect via involuntary payroll deductions, you can see how the passage of this initiative will break the control of unions and corporate special interests in Sacramento and in our cities, counties and school districts. The politicians will be forced to pay attention to and receive contributions from another group of people: their constituents the voters! You and me! For today, this is all I will write to you on this subject. I encourage you to find out more about this initiative before the unions and corporations begin their disinformation campaign about the initiative. You can obtain more information at http://stopspecialinterestmoney.org/ This initiative is so important that I have volunteered to be a guest speaker for the Stop Special Interest Money Now Act's Speaker's Bureau. So, if you have a group you would like to have someone speak about this important initiative, please contact me at cpalexander@cox.net or you may contact the Speaker's Bureau's manager, Elizabeth Hansell at lizhansell@gmail.com or 310-446-4800. |
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CUSD Update Dawn Urbanek’s letter to the editor was published by San Juan Capistrano Patch.com on Mar. 15. Titled “Preventing Bankruptcy at Capo Unified,” Urbanek provides a comprehensive description of the district’s financial crisis. From the letter: There are currently 143 school districts in the state of California that are facing insolvency this year. Orange County has nine out of their 28 districts on that list. (The complete list can be viewed at: Second Interim Status Report, FY 2010-11 http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fi/ir/second1011.asp )
(Saddleback Valley Unified has recently been removed from this list). Urbanek’s letter, along with 73 comments from readers, can be found at Some of the comments recommend distributing Urbanek’s letter to Capo parents, while others state they had no idea how close to the brink CUSD is. Here’s a sample comment from reader: “… It is hard to fathom that many teachers are getting increases in pay, and more damning that [Supt.] Farley got a raise, at the same time CUSD is facing a $33 to $51-million-dollar deficit, and a real concern as to whether it will have enough funds on hand to pay its bills. The current board majority has been reckless and grossly irresponsible in giving approx. $20 million back over 2 years while CUSD is facing a fiscal Armageddon. Dawn is right about many things, one of which is we need a drastic redo in CUSD. Get the reckless and irresponsible spenders off the board and elect trustees who will be fiscally prudent and have the best interests of our kids as their first priority. As Dawn noted, and as I have stated many times in the past, the unions only advocate and look out for their members because that's their sole job. Who looks out for the kids when CUSD is negotiating with the unions, obviously no one who really cares.” |
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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. In San Juan Capistrano: St. Joseph’s Day at the Mission on Mon., Mar. 19; Fiesta Grande at Swallows Inn on Wed., Mar. 21, 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; Hoosegow Day on the streets of SJC on Fri., Mar. 23, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Swallows’ Day Parade on Sat., Mar. 24, 11:00 a.m.; Mercado on Sat., Mar. 24, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., San Juan Capistrano, http://www.swallowsparade.com/ Concerts at Soka University: Jazz Monsters on Fri., Mar. 23, 7:00 p.m.; Bill Kanengiser & Shingo Fujii on Wed., Mar. 28, 7:30 p.m., 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu/news_events/events/default.aspx “Greatest Hits: France,” concert at Crossline Church, Fri., Mar. 23, 7:30 p.m., South Coast Symphony performs Debussy, Ravel and Paul Dukas, 23331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, (714) 731-8079, http://southcoastsymphony.org/tickets/ Irish Festival, Sat., Mar. 24, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., St. Nicholas Catholic Parish, 24252 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods, (949) 837-1090, http://www.st-nicholaschurch.org Mount of Olives Church, “Share – Food Collection,” Sun., Apr. 1, bring non-perishable food donations and place them in marked bins around campus, collecting for South County Outreach and Southwest Community Center, Mount of Olives Lutheran Church, 24772 Chrisanta Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 837-7467, http://www.info@moochurch.com Quarter Mania fundraiser to benefit A Way of Life retreat for women who have had cancer, Sat., April 7, auction from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. Doors open at 10:45 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., $20 cost includes lunch. OLN Conference Center, 1938 Avenida del Oro, Oceanside. RSVP by March 23, Sue LaVoie, 6516 California Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90805. For more information, call Sue LaVoie, (562) 480-4163, or Melissa Maki, (619) 840-0970. “California Gold” exhibit, through Sept. 30, open Tues. through Sun., 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, (714) 567-3600, http://www.bowers.org/index.php/art/exhibitions_listing/current 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. Movies, Edwards Kaleidoscope Stadium 10 in Mission Viejo, 27741 Crown Valley Pkwy, (949) 582-4020, get show times, watch movie trailers, see what's coming soon at Michaels, ongoing and new classes throughout March: sewing, Wilton Decorating, painting and crafts, 25310 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, (949) 770-5001 Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, ongoing and new classes this week: how to sew, decorate cakes, quilt, knit, crochet and more, 26672 Portola Parkway, Foothill Ranch, (949) 588-7420, http://Joann.com |
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Political and Government Events Calendar El Toro Water District meetings: Engineering, Finance, Insurance Committee on Tues., Mar. 20, 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., Mar. 22, 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ETWD, 24251 Los Alisos Blvd., Lake Forest, (949) 837-0660, http://www.etwd.com Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, Mar. 20, 9:30 a.m., Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100. http://www.ocgov.com/ocgov/Government/Board%20of%20Supervisors Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated, Wed., Mar. 21, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., guest speaker will be Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez, Marbella Country Club, 30800 Golf Club Drive, San Juan Capistrano, RSVP to Sue Schultz, (949) 240-6799, esue39@cox.net Aliso Viejo Republican Women Federated, Thurs., Mar. 22, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., guest speaker will be Hon. Scott Baugh, Chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, Aliso Viejo Conference Center, 31 Santa Barbara Drive, Aliso Viejo, RSVP to (949) 859-2818. Santa Margarita Water District meetings: Finance Committee on Fri., Mar. 23, 7:30 a.m.; Board of Directors on Wed., Mar. 28, 7:00 p.m., Engineering Committee on Fri., Apr. 13, 7:30 a.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com/about-us/meeting-agendas.html Concert at the Nixon Library: Sun., Mar. 25, David Rubinstein, pianist. Doors open at 1:15 p.m., and concerts begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Concerts are free and open to the public. Schedule is subject to change. Richard Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 464-1161, http://events.nixonfoundation.org South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, Mon., Mar. 26. Meeting times unless otherwise posted: open session convenes at 5 p.m., followed by adjournment to closed session, open session reconvenes at 6:00 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., adjournment by 9:00 p.m. Ronald Reagan Board of Trustees Room, Room 145, Health Sciences/District Offices Building, Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, (949) 582-4999, https://www.socccd.edu Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet Tues., Mar. 27 “if necessary.” The next regular board meeting will be on Tues., April 3, 6:30 p.m., at the district office, 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.org/p_subject.asp?sid=4835&sm=a3 Annual OC Children’s Water Education Festival at the Nixon Library and Museum, Wed.-Thurs., Mar. 28-29, focus on environmental protection and conservation of natural resources,18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://events.nixonfoundation.org Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees, regular meeting on Mon., Mar. 28, 7:00 p.m., 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/ ACT for America, Mon., Apr. 9; the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. Program to be announced. The meeting will be held at the Norman Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Investment on Wed., Apr. 11, 9:00 a.m., Engineering and Operations on Mon., Apr. 16, 9:00 a.m., Finance and I.T. on Wed., Apr. 18, 9:00 a.m., Board of Directors on Thurs., Apr. 19, 5:30 p.m., 27500 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-2500, http://www.mnwd.com/board-of-directors/agenda.aspx Live Broadcast of the Hugh Hewitt Show, Thurs., April 12, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., featuring Del Wilber, author of “Rawhide Down: the Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan,” Richard Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 464-1161, http://events.nixonfoundation.org Rush Limbaugh Club of OC, Sat., April 14, breakfast meeting 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Casta Del Sol Golf Club, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo. RSVP to Bruce Brown, (949) 487-5288 or limbaughcluboc@aol.com. http://www.rushlimbaughcluboc.com Saddleback Republican Assembly meets on Thurs., Apr. 19, 7:00 p.m.; program to be announced. SRA meets on third Thursdays at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 360-1717. Celebration of Justice, save the date, Sat., May 12, 5:00 p.m., Pacific Justice Institute fundraiser, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Anaheim. |
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The Buzz The Mission Viejo Planning and Transportation Commission met on Mar. 12. Anyone reading the OC Register might think the only outcome was a decision to delay speed bumps. A big reason for lack of newspaper coverage in Mission Viejo is the way the city manager has quashed objective reporting by OCR and Saddleback Valley News. As an additional issue, the combined newspapers now have one reporter covering Mission Viejo, and he is also the reporter for Laguna Hills. Cities as large as Mission Viejo need a real newspaper. *** During the Mar. 12 meeting, Planning Commissioner Bob Bruchmann was barred from participating in an Agenda Item after he violated the Brown Act. He wasn’t on the dais, nor was he in the audience. Bruchmann had emailed his fellow commissioners advocating that UDR should be allowed to dump its affordable housing units. Bruchmann is Councilwoman Trish Kelley's appointee – he’s not new – and he’s been trained on rules, which apparently didn’t sink in. As another outcome of the meeting, the Commission approved, with a 2-1 decision (Bruchmann was absent and another commissioner is in the hospital), a land swap with the county to proceed with a $1-million dog park. How did OCR/SVN’s reporter miss all that when he was sitting in the room? *** During a meeting of a political club last week, a council member invited residents to participate in a workshop about the condition of city streets. Several residents responded that they would like to be involved. Somehow, years of input and voluminous information from residents – public comments during council meetings, detailed reports sent directly to City Hall about the poor condition of hundreds of streets by name and the outcry of residents about deterioration of the street in front of their home – have not motivated City Hall to maintain the streets. Residents have never demanded streets “in tip-top condition.” However, they have demonstrated that the city’s seven-year cycle for resurfacing is inadequate. Additionally, the ongoing neglect is far more expensive than implementing a five-year cycle. *** Heads-up to residents about the Mar. 19 council meeting: Agenda Item #12 proposes a land swap with the city giving seven acres to the county in return for three acres for the $1M dog park. Residents have repeatedly suggested the city already owns land suitable for the project, Barbadanes Park, a portion of which could be modified to accommodate a dog park at minimal cost. However, containing the expense and scope of the project or actually finishing it wouldn’t benefit City Hall’s bureaucrats. The dog park issue has engaged the top tier of city employees since 2002, and it helps 150-plus city staffers look busy. Also note Agenda Item # 13, “Mid-Year Budget Review for FY 2011/12.” Within this item is a vote to update positions and salary ranges. Note sub-paragraph #2: Adopt Resolution 12-XX Updating the City’s Authorized Positions and Salary Ranges Schedules for Authorized Job Classifications. *** Councilman Frank Ury and Mission Viejo’s city treasurer are on the city’s ad hoc committee to dissolve its redevelopment agency. Also on the committee are Bob Breton and Pat Imburgia, appointed by OC Supv. Pat Bates. On the downside, all members are subject to the influence of Ury. However, it will provide countywide political players a chance to observe. The committee is subject to public scrutiny, and its members must abide by the Brown Act. Elected officials who have known Ury for 20 years might still be under the mistaken impression he is a conservative. His record on the council shows he supports bureaucracy, special interest, self-dealing and closed government. As examples of the latter, he voted to disallow the public from pulling items from the consent calendar, and he made the motion to cease recording closed-session council meetings. *** Reaction to Gov. Moonbeam’s tax deal: “Brown Surrenders on Ballot Tax Measure,” by John Wildermuth. “If there was ever any doubt that Gov. Jerry Brown is mighty worried about the chances of passing his tax initiative come November, he eliminated it Wednesday when surrendered to the ‘something for nothing’ wing of the Democratic Party... .” *** Mission Viejo Republicans are asking about the unusual circumstances of having 22 candidates running for the GOP Central Committee in the 73rd Assembly District. Redistricting accounts for an increased number of incumbents, but it doesn’t explain the high number of challengers. A candidate who lives in Aliso Viejo is saying he drew many of the challengers into the race with the objective of removing incumbents. |
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