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Spending Developer Fees Ever hear the expression that there are people who keep spending money as they still have checks in their checkbook? In this example I refer to the city of Mission Viejo's senior staff with millions of dollars from developers that are "available for appropriation." Case in point. Proposed CIP 303 "Pavilion Park Playground Replacement $1,303,125." After seeing a table of feel-good projects, I drove to the current park to take photos of the playground and park, located off Jeronimo Road and one block west of Olympiad. There are cities that would die to have the existing playground equipment. One watchdog in our city has beaten a drum pointing out that if we have millions of in-lieu park fees to spend, why not add restrooms in some of our parks? I've heard people say that they have seen men and boys urinating in a city-owned park which, until a few years ago, lacked restrooms. This particular park is used for several sporting activities. After taking photos I reviewed our 39 "active" parks that range from one-half acre to 52 acres, with an average of 2 acres to 6 acres. Of those parks nine have restrooms, yet there are five others used by AYSO for games that I would recommend be considered as candidates for restrooms. All of these five parks are also used for either softball and/or football where games probably keep the players in the park for a few hours. These recommended parks, ranging from seven acres to 15 acres, are Aurora, Barbadanes, Cordova, Pacific Hills and Pinecrest. If these restricted funds can only be used for parks, I would place a much higher priority on adding restrooms in one or more of these parks rather than spending $1,303,125 for an unnecessary playground replacement. As it's often stated: "If it ain' t broke, don't fix it." Update – response received: As a follow-up to my post on Mission Viejo's Pavion Park playground replacement cost, mayor Reardon responded to me, pointing out that this $1.3-million proposal is for "special needs children." OK. Based on her response, I conducted some research this morning and contacted the Field Supervisor in Escambia County, Florida, where they have just completed their 5th (or 6th) park this past week. This unincorporated area of west Florida (Pensacola) is divided into five districts. Their supplier of this playground equipment is J.A. Dawson, based in Pelham, AL. Rather than placing all of the equipment in one park, they chose to add this special needs playground equipment in multiple park locations where the users might be upwards of 100-200 per day (max.). Their total expenditure for all six parks was around $340,000. While I do not have a full apples-to-apples comparison of the installed equipment for those children with special needs, their actual expenditures are surely lower than our starting estimate of $1.3 million. While I support the idea, we should also acknowledge that meeting the needs was accomplished at just over one-fourth of our proposed budget, which raises a flag. I was reminded by the supervisor that "special needs" is not limited to those children (or adults) in wheelchairs. It includes those with hearing and vision impairment as well as those with autism. |
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Where’s the News? The OC Register’s new owners are celebrating the completion of their first year, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/spitz-518480-kushner-subscribers.html Their editors frequently publish letters that praise their own paper. However, letters on local politics don’t get in. In Mission Viejo, no letter critical of City Hall has been published since April 2008. When an OCR / Saddleback Valley News reporter exposed corruption in City Hall, city manager Dennis Wilberg met with newspaper administrators. The resulting favorable bias toward City Hall demonstrates advertisers (such as the city of Mission Viejo) censor newswriting. http://www.missionviejoca.org/News/2010_Q4/2010-10-09/buzz/buzz.html The new OCR owners are succeeding with their print advertising business, and happy articles, feature stories and advertorials dominate the space filled by reporters. OCR’s front page on Aug. 9 showcased a photograph of Muslim men, and the reporter assigned to Mission Viejo frequently airs her perspectives as a Muslim. For OCR, that’s “news.” For city coverage, City Hall’s puff pieces appear below the reporter’s byline, and that’s “news.” SVN on Aug. 9 had a front-page story attributed to the same reporter about the Mission Viejo dog park. The published cost of $888,888 is false. That’s just the amount of the current contract. The OCR / SVN calculator evidently resets to zero each time a new reporter writes about the cost of the dog park. Last November, OCR anointed candidates in local races as “Register endorsements.” Mission Viejo Councilman Frank Ury was picked by his OCR columnist buddy, despite voting to give lifetime medical benefits to council members. The columnist praised Ury for not accepting union money, but no candidate in the race accepted union money. Had OCR vetted candidates, it would have discovered Ury’s abominable record: http://www.missionviejoca.org/html/article463.html While OCR’s columnist was endorsing self-serving politicians, OCR’s science editor attributed wildfires to global warming http://www.ocregister.com/news/climate-362060-change-global.html , The OCR education reporter wrote a one-sided story about Common Core in which criticism was called rumor and myth http://www.ocregister.com/articles/common-383867-core-standards.html When OCR’s owners say the paper has grown, they’re not talking about readership. They mean size of the paper. While the paper is bigger and it looks better, the bulk of it is flyers, magazines, advertorials and other forms of advertising. If the paper grows much more, the “thud” when the Sunday morning paper hits the driveway will wake the neighborhood. |
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Poll: Wyland Leads Harkey Last week, an Orange County blogger posted a poll: “Who do you support for the Board of Equalization, District 4?” As of this writing, 122 people had voted.
http://ocpoliticsblog.com/poll-who-do-you-support-for-the-board-of-equalization-district-4/ Another OC blog reports that Wyland leads Harkey in fundraising and cash on hand: http://ocpolitical.com/2013/08/07/boe-4-harkeys-campaign-income-higher-than-wylands-in-2013-wyland-ahead-of-harkey-in-cash-on-hand/ Despite voters’ lack of excitement about the Board of Equalization, the candidates make it interesting. Harkey (Republican, Dana Point) and Wyland (Republican, Solana Beach) are terming out of office in 2014, and both are running as conservatives. Also of interest, the candidate who lives in Orange County can’t get a majority of the votes on an OC blog’s poll. Harkey lost favor among South County conservatives when she was campaigning for council candidates during an OC Republican Central Committee endorsing meeting last fall. Committee members complained that she was lobbying them to vote for liberals. Harkey was supporting San Juan Capistrano council incumbent Sam Allevato and Mission Viejo council challenger Wendy Bucknum. Allevato narrowly won his re-election bid and Bucknum lost. |
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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. 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. Art, Jazz, Wine and Chocolate Tasting, Thurs., Aug. 13, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 29 (Aug. 8, 15, 22 and 29), featuring Kendall-Jackson wines and XAN Confections chocolates, $15 with Festival of Arts admission, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (800) 487-3378, http://www.foapom.com/ Laguna Playhouse presents “Britishmania” Aug. 13 – 25. Beatles tribute band delivers a high-level theatrical concert, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://purchase.lagunaplayhouse.com/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=3842 Student Art Show, “Buoyant Conclusions of the Future,” Concordia University, through Aug. 16, John and Linda Friend Art Gallery, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, (949) 854-8002, http://www.cui.edu/aboutcui/campus Recycling Drive at St. Kilian’s Church, Sat., Aug. 17, 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 Music Under the Stars, Sat., Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m., Mission San Juan Capistrano, series of concerts on Saturdays, Aug. 17 and 31. Concert gates open at 5:30 p.m. Music begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. (949), 234-1315, http://www.missionsjc.com Concerts at Lake Mission Viejo on Saturdays: Michael Bolton on Aug. 17 and Rock Under the Radar: Delta Rae on Aug. 31. Concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. and are limited to lake association members and their guests. Call or visit the website for information, 949-770-1313, ext. 311, or http://www.lakemissionviejo.org La Vida Drum Circle, Tues., Aug. 20, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon (Tues., Aug. 20, Thurs., Sept. 19, 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/ Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo, Aug. 24-25, competitive rodeo events, a country music concert and dance, corner of Ortega Hwy and Antonio/La Pata. Gates open Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m., corner of Ortega Hwy and Antonio/La Pata, visit the website for information, including ticket locations, http://www.rmvrodeo.com Pageant of the Masters through Aug. 31, “The Big Picture,” 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (800) 487-3378, http://www.foapom.com/ Sawdust Art & Craft Festival, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily through Sept. 1, 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-3030, http://www.sawdustartfestival.com/ |
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Political and Government Events Calendar Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Engineering and Operations on Mon., Aug. 12, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Finance and Information Technology on Wed., Aug. 14, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., Aug. 15, 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/ “Meet President Richard Nixon,” at the Nixon Library on Tues., Aug. 13, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Nixon Library concert on Sun., Aug. 18, Judith Nesleny, concert pianist. Doors open at 1:30 and the concert begins at 2:00 p.m. 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org Orange County Board of Supervisors will hold a regular meeting on Tues., Aug. 13, 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 OC Veterans Advisory Council, Wed., Aug. 14, 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., Aug. 14, 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., Aug. 16, 7:30 a.m.; Finance Committee on Fri., Aug. 23, 7:30 a.m.; Board of Directors on Wed., Aug. 28, at 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com SOC912 General Meeting, Fri., Aug. 16, 7:00 p.m. SOC912 meets on third Fridays. Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/ Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT! for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Sept. 9. 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. The organization meets on the second Monday of the month. Saddleback Valley Unified School District regular board meeting on Tues., Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m., 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/ |
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The Buzz A Buzz reader reacted to the city hall pseudo-greens’ request that senior citizens drinking coffee at the Community Center should bring their own coffee cups. Instead of reducing wasteful spending as the request implied, the city staff gave away TAXPAYER PROVIDED MUGS. From the reader’s email, “Do city employees bring their own dishes and silverware for dining on the job? If so, do they bring their own towels for drying their dishes and hands instead of ‘wasting’ paper towels?” It’s a start – at least city employees are trying to use the phrase “reduce wasteful spending” in a sentence. *** SOC912 will meet on Fri., Aug. 16, doors open at 6:30 p.m., Norm Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. The featured speaker will be Wendy Macy, presenting “Stand Up Front!” From the announcement: “With a passion for truth and a determination to protect liberty, Wendy is choosing a path to stand on the front lines to defend civil rights no matter the cost. We find ourselves at an unprecedented point in history where never before on Earth has a society benefited more from freedom and yet we are on the verge of losing all we have worked for.” Wendy Macy – actress, director and producer – hopes to produce original television programming at The Blaze TV. A donation of $5 is requested to cover costs; complimentary for first-time attendees. Visit the website, http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/131859642/ *** Saddleback Republican Assembly doesn’t meet in August. For SRA’s September meeting, Brad Dacus will be the featured speaker. Brad served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Phil Gramm and went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas, School of Law. He founded Pacific Justice Institute, where he serves as president and continues to defend religious liberties and parental rights. Read more about PJI at: http://www.pacificjustice.org/brad-dacus---president.html#sthash.vEXMJe21.dpuf . Save the date, Sept. 19, for the next SRA meeting. *** Laguna Woods Tea Party Sentinels will host Eyal Aronoff, co-founder of Fuel Freedom Foundation, at their meeting on Mon., Aug. 26, Laguna Woods Clubhouse 7. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. No charge to attend, and no security passes are needed at this gate. Fuel Freedom Foundation is dedicated to ending America’s dependency on foreign oil, instead encouraging markets for cheaper, cleaner and healthier replacement fuels. For more information about the meeting, including a map, visit http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/131864772/ *** An advocate for a reasonably priced dog park told this blog, “I’m noticing that the city employees who fought for 10 years against a dog park now like it, since the dog park is the only activity making them look busy.” *** Here’s a link to the latest issue of Capistrano Common Sense, http://www.ccsense.com/ A group of San Juan Capistrano residents who wanted newspapers to do a better job of reporting facts formed a business and began their own community newspaper. They’re doing an excellent job. *** As other good news from San Juan Capistrano, city watchdogs challenged their water district’s use of tiered rates. A judge ruled last week that ratepayers can be changed only for the value of what they receive. CTA board member John Perry responded, “This is a huge victory for water consumers who have been gouged by cities using illegal water rate structures. I am pleased that the court upheld Proposition 218 and validated our assertion that cities can’t just charge what they want for such an essential service as water; that water rates must be based on the actual cost of delivering the service, as mandated by Prop 218.” The press release can be found at http://www.capotax.org/contact-us/news |
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