Federal, Orange County, Rancho Santa Margarita & Coto de Caza Online Budget

Federal, Orange County, Rancho Santa Margarita & Coto de Caza Online Budget
October 5, 2006


A few years back, the federal government used to buy $600.00 toilet seats and $1,200.00 hammers (the same we could buy off the shelf at Sears® for $25.00 and $15.00 respectively)

Today, (September 26, 2006) the President signed a bill to allow taxpayers to view government spending online. According to the Associated Press, “The law is aimed preventing wasteful spending by opening the federal budget to greater scrutiny. The information is already available, but the Web site would make it easier for those who aren't experts on the process to see how taxpayer dollars are being spent”

Can you imagine what would happen if the Orange County Budget was available online? One could see how bureaucrats, such as members of SAMLARC spend tax-payer’s hard earned money by traveling around the state to get “smarter” and using propaganda to make tax-payers feel good about how their money is being wasted. But then again, since Orange County last declared bankruptcy, a commission recommended the preparation and periodic reporting of budget variances. The problem is, that concerned residents have been unable to see it!

What about the Rancho Santa Margarita Budget? Would it then show the fiscal capability of the current administration? Would it show that the City is in financial straight? Would it show what would happen if Rancho Santa Margarita annexed Coto de Caza?

Just imagine what Coto residents could learn if the Coto de Caza board of directors (CZ Master Association) was transparent with an online budget? Perhaps then we would learn that the $45,000.00 “free trees” are more expensive than that. We would also learn that using the “free” online registration service GateWorks printed passes for guests cost more per year than what the CHP gets for pro-active patrol to save lives and prevent accidents, “ And, let’s not forget that we don’t know and can’t tell how much we are spending to maintain the Sports Park because Varo/Mezger are intentionally hiding the real numbers from us because when compared with what we generate in revenues for use of the Sports Park, I suspect we would be shocked to learn the truth” as former board of directors Joe Morabito (former member of the Coto de Caza board of directors) would say.

Even if the budget was posted online, we know that the information would not be accurate. The “real” spending is hidden behind the chart of accounts managed by Keystone – which is why they were able to overpay the security company $168,000.00 “transparently”