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City Hall’s Bear Market City administrators are putting sculptures of bears on the medians of Mission Viejo’s thoroughfares. These are taxpayer-funded sculptures that were decorated with mosaic tiles during the weekly farmers market in front of city hall. The front-page Saddleback Valley News headline on May 24, “A market downturn,” describes city hall’s attempt at hosting a farmers market. Despite constant advertising from city hall, using tax dollars for full-page ads in newspapers and notices in every city publication, the farmers market is shrinking. The city hall parking lot marketplace is a short distance from Trader Joe’s and Ralphs. Mission Viejo residents drive past at least one major food store to get to city hall. In addition to the farmers market having no visibility from the street, its patrons have trouble finding a parking place. City hall has 240 employees, and changing the market date from Friday to Saturday morning added library patrons to the competition for parking space. City administrators added traffic but not enough real customers by turning each farmers market into a circus. E.g., unrelated activities included a simultaneous health fair, band concert, safety expo, crafts event and decorating bears. SVN’s May 24 story gave the impression the market is declining because of changing the day from Friday to Saturday, and that’s false. It was also dwindling on Friday. As one aspect of its decline, city administrators attempt to pump up city events by exaggerating attendance figures, plus pressuring city employees to attend. Additionally, city hall has a cadre of groupies who appear on command at city events. Groupies might be into decorating bears, but they apparently aren’t buying anything. Despite vendors pulling out, city administrators have succeeded at absorbing the time of many employees. Orchestration of the hoopla (bands, health fair, safety expo, art and crafts, etc.) takes an immense amount of staff time, which city hall doesn’t account for. When the market ends, city administrators will create another time-absorbing activity to make 240 employees look busy. A responsible council majority could stop city hall’s parties and hold the city manager accountable. Voters’ next opportunity to change the council majority is November 2014. |
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ACT for America 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 our security, liberties and values. From the meeting announcement: Does it ever seem as if our Constitutional rights and Judeo/Christian values are under attack on every front? Well, they are. We're experiencing an unprecedented level of activism to undermine the very bedrock foundations of our nation. From our schools to our justice department, judicial system, Congress and the White House, our nation is being infiltrated and influenced by powerful groups that want to destroy the values and rights that made America great. In the June 10 presentation by Brad Dacus you will learn why these times are so trying for freedom-loving Americans. Global geo-political forces and internal organizations are making great headway in their quest for power and control. Islamists, progressives, Greens, gays and others are well organized, well-funded and making progress towards their goal of overthrowing the rule of law. Learn what we can do to protect our security, our liberties and our values. Brad will discuss:
Brad Dacus is an attorney and the founder and president of the Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative public interest law firm that defends Constitutional liberties and parental rights. It is the antidote to the ACLU, an organization whose president Brad has debated twice. With its network of approximately 1,000 volunteer affiliate attorneys, the Pacific Justice Institute accepts more cases on the West Coast than any other organization of its kind. Brad hosts a popular radio show, “The Pacific Justice Report,” Saturday mornings on KWVE. He is a rising star in conservative, Judeo/Christian and patriotic communities and is a powerful advocate for freedom, equal rights, national security and the Constitution. Brad will speak for about 50 minutes, followed by about 20 minutes for questions. A $5 donation will be appreciated to help cover meeting costs. The meeting location is the Norman P. Murray Community Center (Sycamore B Room), 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Bruce Mayall is the Mission Viejo Chapter Leader. Sign up for ACT! for America chapter announcements at www.act4oc.org |
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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. Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, ongoing and new classes this week: how to sew, decorate cakes, quilt, knit, crochet and more. On Sat., June 8, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., enjoy Classes Open House, 26672 Portola Parkway, Foothill Ranch, (949) 588-7420, http://Joann.com Philippine Fiesta, 8th Annual Dinner Dance, Sat., June 8, 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., folk dancing, live music, door and raffle prizes, St. Kilian’s Church, 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 770-0820 or (949) 545-8843, http://www.stkilianchurch.org Laguna Playhouse presents “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” through June 9, 8:00 p.m., 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com 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 Big Irish Fair at Irvine Lake, Sat.-Sun., June 15-16, including music, Irish food and drink, children’s events and sheepherding shows, Oak Canyon Park, Irvine, (877) 740-9888, Michaels, ongoing and new classes throughout June: scrapbooking, Martha Stewart crafts, sewing, painting and polymer clay beads, 25310 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, (949) 770-5001 Soka University concert, Men Alive present 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 A Taste of Greece, Fri.-Sun., June 21-23, St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church, Greek food, dancing, carnival, boutique, wine tavern, church tours and opportunity drawings, 4949 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, (949) 733-2366, http://www.irvinegreekfest.com/ Summerfest ‘13 at Silverado, Sat.-Sun., June 22-23, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Vendors include ceramics, woodworking, jewelry and handcrafted art. Enjoy live music, BBQ, children’s activities and birding classes. Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, 29322 Modjeska Cyn. Rd., Silverado, (714) 649-2760, http://www.tuckerwildlife.org/ La Vida Drum Circle, Sun., June 23, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon (Sun., June 23, Mon., July 22, Tues., Aug. 20, Thurs., Sept. 19, etc.). Drummers should bring their own 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/ |
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Political and Government Events Calendar 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/ Nixon Library concert on Sun., June 9, the Orange Empire Chorus. Doors open at 1:30 and the concert begins at 2:00 p.m. Meet Buzz Aldrin at the Nixon Library, Tues., June 11, 7:00 p.m., the second man on the moon and author of Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org 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. Orange County Board of Supervisors regular meeting on Tues., June 11, 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, board workshop on safety (open to the 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/ 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 Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet on Wed., June 12, 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., June 14, 7:30 a.m.; Finance Committee on Fri., June 21, 7:30 a.m.; Board of Directors on Wed., June 26, at 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com 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) 769-1412. |
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The Buzz Is it time to abolish the IRS? Tea Party leader Darla Dawald writes, “Patriots, we must NOT be silent on this issue. Calling for a full investigation will uncover serious crimes committed against Americans. If you truly want to abolish the IRS, then act now because it all hinges on this investigation. The mess at the Internal Revenue Service is only beginning, and numerous congressional committees are lining up to grill IRS officials over the fact that they knowingly targeted and harassed Tea Party and conservative groups. … Grassfire has set up a special FaxFire that gives team members a platform to call for a criminal investigation and to demand a halt in funding for additional staff under Obama. Have you Signed Our Petition to Investigate the IRS?” http://www.grassfire.com/988/petition.asp?Ref_ID=600038 *** Other information that surfaced about the IRS included three videos of employees showing off their dance moves. The cost of producing the videos and the behavior of IRS employees have been deemed inappropriate and a waste of government funds: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/31/irs-turns-over-really-embarrassing-video/ Compare the IRS buffoons with Mission Viejo Councilman Dave Leckness, who uses city resources to make a fool of himself, and he degrades the city’s chief administrative officials as well, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQkDsxOXZPI. Leckness is up for reelection in November 2014. Everyone should see this video before voting. *** The most important information revealed during the May 20 council meeting was Councilman Frank Ury’s bid rigging of the city’s street-sweeping contract. City administrator Keith Rattay was shown to be involved in the process as well. If a former city vendor hadn’t applied pressure to get back in, Atlas Services would have been the only bidder to qualify. Without the knowledge of other council members, Ury added a clause of his own, whereby Atlas Services was the only qualified bidder based on having street-sweeping equipment no older than two years. Instead of exposing Ury’s blatant act, Saddleback Valley News diverted attention to Councilwoman Trish Kelly, publishing a picture of her but not those who caused the flap: Ury and Rattay. *** Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is frequently in the national spotlight as a target of liberal critics. Enormously popular for his conservative leadership, Cruz will be the featured speaker for the OC GOP’s Flag Day Dinner on June 14. Tickets are available at http://ocgop.org/flagday *** Mission Viejo city watchdog Joe Holtzman sent a message regarding the unnecessarily difficult process of going solar. He wrote, “The following is an excellent recap of how the electric utilities--led by Southern California Edison -- are stalling/stiffing the solar industries’ installations. I know this from personal experience when I installed my solar system. SCE dragged its feet in permitting the turn-on of my system. This is not atypical of SCE.” (Read more here) *** The Mission Viejo City Council will meet on Mon., June 3, with the open session beginning at 6:00 p.m. Here’s the link to the agenda, http://dms.cityofmissionviejo.org/sirepub/pubmtgframe.aspx?meetid=2079&doctype=agenda . Of significance on June 3, the council is supposed to see the proposed 2013-15 city budget, Item No. 33. As of this writing (June 2), not all links to support materials for Item No. 33 are operational. |
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