Politicking Around Rancho Santa Margarita

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Consider that the  Saddleback College Forensics Team collected a sixth place sweepstakes trophy at the California College Forensics Association (CCCFA) State Championships Tournament on Sunday, March 20^th

Now consider questions in the following general categories:

Now consider that the Orange County Board of Supervisors, while it had a golden opportunity to radically change the culture of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and appoint an outsider when Sheriff Carona was encouraged to leave the department, instead showed intestinal weakness and opted for a safe route by using BMA associates to cut through the shaft. In that case, BMA came up with question in three general categories

To select the candidates the Orange County board of supervisors would deem worthy of taking a second look, resulting in Adams as the number one candidate and Shereiff Hutchens as number 6.   Now, given the position and the questionable culture in the department,  we though the questionnaire would exclude otherwise qualified candidates form the post – for example  New York City  Mayor o RudyGiuliani or even General Collin Powel would not qualify for the position of Orange County Sheriff using the BMA matrix – results speak for themselves.

We thought other categories should be included and perhaps include more weight, such as:  Management experience, Demonstrated Leadership, Technological and Organizational Complexity.

And you know part of the rest of the story.

So the question is, what sort of position would require the scrutiny described in the first four questions, duplicated below for convenience?

1.  Why do you want to join such exclusive club?
2.  Pedigree
3.  Litmus Test
4.  Do you have a real job?

Hint:  Dog catcher is not one of the positions

Now consider that according the 2010 report from the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey results shows RSM to be the most expensive city in the county for businesses, and while   the RSM Chamber of Commerce, AKA as RSMBA has indicated that  Kosmont-Rose made a " gross error and are issuing an addendum to the report,"  we have yet to receive confirmation from the RSMBA, the RSM City Hall and or Kosmont-Rose  that an error was made.

Then there is the issue whether the city can comply with Public Records Ac (PRA) .  When we filed a PRA request with the city, on Sun, 10/31/10, Molly McLaughlin  wrote: “We have minutes and staff reports available online that might assist you with your questions….  I prefer not to run copies and charge the public if I can avoid it.”  Memo to RSM and other government officials:  The onus is on government officials to certify that all the pertinent information has been identified, not the other way around! - 


The RSM response is only slightly more dubious PRA response than the one from the California Law Revision Commission when its telephone records went dark for six months, just precisely the time period we were interested in.  Or the OCSD Lt. who claimed not to have any records of inquiries when we had copies of the inquiries, for example.

Finally, consider that the city is paying the county over $8 million/year for OCSD services, yet has no credible means to determine how the money is spent – although we do know that some RSM residents have been surprised to see deputies first thing in the morning, in their front yard checking license tags on properly parked cars and being cited.

You guessed it – while the aforementioned questions are the ones being used by the RSM city council to sort out the shaft from the wheat as it decides on which of the current 12 candidates will join the club after the resignation of  Gary Thompson, we find that the questions tell more about the current members of the council than it helps to determine which candidate has more potential. In case our assessment is wrong, we have asked the city council to tell us the rationale for the questionnaire and how it plans to use it – Arguably the Saddleback College Forensics Team could have come up with a much more substantive list than this one.

Actually, the aforementioned questions were volunteerd by one of the candidates and NOT asked by the city council.  The ones asked by the city council may be even worse, as these are generic and do not specify an objective criteria and or decision-making framework what will assure residents that the best candidate appointed is indeed the best qualified

RSM Interim City Council Memeber Questionnaire

 Makes you wonder if the city’s affairs are, to borrow a phrase, in good hands – No

RSM's The Good Hands Team

San Clemente Children's Book Author Charged with Sexual Assault on Minor

Posted By CotoBlogzz

The Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) office  is seeking the public's help identifying potential additional victims in this case.  The accused is contracted with the California Department of Developmental Services to do in-home visits with disabled children in Orange County

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA  - Michael William Snyder, a children's book author  has been charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old female relative, according to the OCDA's office.  Snyder, 43, San Clemente, is charged with four felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 and faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in state prison if convicted. T

Between June 2010 and March 2011, Snyder is accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old female relative in his San Clemente home.   The victim's mother became suspicious that the defendant was molesting Jane Doe when the victim did not want to be left alone with Snyder. The victim disclosed the molestation to her mother. Jane Doe's mother reported the abuse to the Orange County Sheriff's Department, who investigated this case.

Snyder is a children's book author who travels to and speaks at elementary schools. He is also contracted with the California Department of Developmental Services to do in-home visits with disabled children in Orange County. Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Lou Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794.



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The Metamorphosis of the US Department of Justice

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - The US Department of Justice (DOJ)  has gone through a radical transformation over the last couple of years.  Including preempting the US Supreme Court, deciding for itself what is and what is not constitutional.  For example, the  DOJ has decided that DOMA is unconstitutional, while it defends ObamaCare, even though the courts have deemed it unconstitutional. DOJ - Before the Eric Holder Distinction Now, the  Department of Justice ditches red, white, and blue stars and stripes and the US flag - At the top of the page, is a quote  from C. Wilfred Jenks, who in the 1930's was a leading proponent of the "international law" movement, with the  goal of  imposing  a global common law and which backed 'global workers' rights.' "The common law is the will of mankind, issuing from the life of the people." DOJ - After the Eric Holder Distinction Worse, earlier this month US Attorney General Eric Holder testifying l at a House Appropriations subcommittee respnding to Rep. John Culberson statement: “There’s clearly overwhelming evidence that your Department of Justice refuses to protect the rights of anybody other than African-Americans to vote.”  The Attorney General’s said:   “When you compare what people endured in the South in the ’60s to try to get the right to vote for African Americans, to compare what people subjected to that with what happened in Philadelphia… I think does a great disservice to people who put their lives on the line for my people.” “ My people” appears to be what Mr. Holder identifies with first and foremost – an African-American, not an American. The DOJ's new and improved website is another excellent illustration of The Eric Holder's Distinction Comments great article! Submitted by SHERMAN TANK on Mon, 2011-03-28 18:47. +1 + - I just had one of my posts "flagged" as spam! SO I am hesitant to post again, but this is a really good article and well written. Thanks Buzz reply Not to worry Submitted by cotobuzz on Mon, 2011-03-28 19:31. 0 + - Tank Not to worry about the spam flag - artifact of the new website. The implications of the Eric Holder Distinction cannot be overemphasized - Is the POTUS more interested in protecting the interests of HIS people, for example? Since the US Constitution does not seem to be of any significance to the US AG, does this mean that sharia law trumps the US Constitution? reply THE NEW AMERICA Submitted by SHERMAN TANK on Tue, 2011-03-29 07:47. +1 + - To that end, you are right on the money! take a look at where this moron potus is headed: Backer of attack credits Obama for Libyans’ uprising Human rights advocacy abroad cited http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/28/aide-credits-obama-for-l... *************************** Obama on Non-Criminal Illegal Aliens: We Don’t Want to Deport Them; 'We Want Them To Succeed’ Monday, March 28, 2011 By Edwin Mora http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-illegal-alien-we-don-t-want-deport *************************** Obama says too much testing makes education boring AP Barack Obama AP – President Barack Obama points to his earpiece, as he explains to the audience, that he is receiving translations … By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Erica Werner, Associated Press – Mon Mar 28, 2:16 pm ET WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Monday that students should take fewer standardized tests and school performance should be measured in other ways. Too much testing makes education boring for kids, he said. [snip] "One thing I never want to see happen is schools that are just teaching the test because then you're not learning about the world, you're not learning about different cultures, you're not learning about science, you're not learning about math," the president said. "All you're learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks that you need to do in order to take a test and that's not going to make education interesting." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110328/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_education_2 P.S. TO RED COUNTY:  MY POST STILL HASN';T SHOWN UP.  I'M REGISTERED I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE SUBJECTED TO THAT STUPID CAPTCHA STUFF.  GET IT TOGETHER GUYS. WHAT'S HAPPENING?????????????????????????? reply False choice Submitted by cotobuzz on Tue, 2011-03-29 10:27. 0 + - As is often the case, the taxpayer is confronted with false choice.  Proper testing and accountability are not mutually exclusive.  Quite the contrary.  If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it.  And organized public sector leadership has been opposed to any meaningful macure criteria to hold members accountable.  Why Card Check is on the the three stools constraining the US Economic Freedom, and union and lobbyists are the two stools in the California Triple Threat Not to worry about the spam message - artifacts of new website design, which I trust will be taken care of soon.

Jerry Brown - The Butcher of Sacramento

Posted By CotoBloggzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Governor Brown is using Weapons of Mass Disinformation (WMD) to promote his you can Deal With This (DWT), or you can Deal With That approach to solving California's budget crisis, while ignoring the Elephant in the Room - worse - while feeding the Elephant in the room.

flickr photo credit: daleeast

The Governor is using a boneheaded either/or approach:  Either you deal with painful cuts to the vulnerable, or you agree to increase taxes.

Analogous to your butcher offering you a great deal:  Buy the cow at a low price, then he trims the prime rib, sirloin and the choice parts and throwing them all to the garbage can, while leaving all the fat in, then telling you, I made painful cuts, but what is left is good for you

The problem is that while he is promoting this largely imprudent approach, he is feeding the parasitic bureaucracies by creating yet another commission to oversee the CALPARS boondoggle, for example, but largely ignoring the fact that the fiscal tsunami at the local, state and national level is largely due to organized labor in the public sector - one of the stools in  California's Triple Threat: 1) Public Unions, 2) Lobbyists, and 3) Parasitic Bureaucracies.

While we keep asserting that Brown should dissolve and or merge 80% of the bureaucracies, he instead is increasing the size of government, while making real cuts to the real vulnerable - is this not an example of the use of WMD?

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COMMENTS

BROWN IS AN ASS

Submitted by SHERMAN TANK on Fri, 2011-03-25 10:26.

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Interesting!  Brown had NO CONFUSION when he enlisted Gloria Alred to f* everything up during the election. Brown should not be governor.

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The Butcher of Sacramento

Submitted by cotobuzz on Fri, 2011-03-25 10:56.

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Tank - we prefer to call Governor Brown, the Butcher of Sacramento 

OF course JB is using

Submitted by TheMarshallPlan on Sat, 2011-03-26 21:17.

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OF course JB is using confusion, just like his cohorts in the media. All the headlines about the alleged cuts to the budget include the phrase; poor, sick, and elderly. Also, look at how JB and the media are attacking Republicans; If Republicans do not allow a vote of extending taxes, there will be more budget cuts to the sick, eldery, and poor, the people who can't afford it, or they will be forced to cut education spending. They are already ramping up the scare campaign.

Most importantly, they are suggesting that the budget cuts will come only if there isn't a vote of continuing the tax extensions, when in reality, even if they are put to a vote, they of course could be rejected, like the last time. However, the media and JB are already attempting to scare the public into voting for them by correlating the tax  extensions proposition being on the ballot with voting for said propositions.

Memo to GOP

Submitted by cotobuzz on Sun, 2011-03-27 11:33.

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The implications from what you suggest is that the GOP should be trying to get the upper hand in the PR wars - instead, the GOP-% seem to be making deals in a smoke-filled back rooms, sort of like where Stupack sold his soul.....to pass ObamaCare.

Brown's use of WMD to Promote his DWT or DWT Budget:

Posted By CotoBloggzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Governor Brown is using Weapons of Mass Disinformation (WMD) to promote his you can Deal With This (DWT), or you can Deal With That approach to solving California's budget crisis, while ignoring the Elephant in the Room - worse - while feeding the Elephant in the room.

The Governor is using a boneheaded either/or approach:  Either you deal with painful cuts to the vulnerable, or you agree to increase taxes.

Analogous to your butcher offering you a great deal:  Buy the cow at a low price, then he trims the prime rib, sirloin and the choice parts and throwing them all to the garbage can, while leaving all the fat in, then telling you, I made painful cuts, but what is left is good for you

The problem is that while he is promoting this largely imprudent approach, he is feeding the parasitic bureaucracies by creating yet another commission to oversee the CALPARS boondoggle, for example, but largely ignoring the fact that the fiscal tsunami at the local, state and national level is largely due to organized labor in the public sector - one of the stools in  California's Triple Threat: 1) Public Unions, 2) Lobbyists, and 3) Parasitic Bureaucracies.

While we keep asserting that Brown should dissolve and or merge 80% of the bureaucracies, he instead is increasing the size of government, while making real cuts to the real vulnerable - is this not an example of the use of WMD?

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LA City Council Boldly Goes to where the bold-less go

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - The Los Angeles City Council in a boldless move, voted yesterday on a three month hiring freeze of new police officers to reduce the budget gap for this fiscal year from $46.8 million to about $4.1 million.

Neither the Mayor nor Police Chief Charlie Beck like the boldless move.

According to Gerald Chaleff, special assistant to Beck, the boldless  move will affect at least one Police Academy class of about 50 officers and will reduce the total number of sworn officers to about 9,890 (98.89% of the Mayor’s figure) , which is lower than Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's campaign pledge to maintain a force of 10,000 officers and short of the minimum of 9,963 (99.63% of the Mayor’s figure) officers that Beck has said is necessary to avoid compromising public safety.

The elephant in the room of course, is that the move is boldless, unlike Wisconsin’s governor Walker.  The real issue is organized public labor.  Worse when it comes to public safety.

Consider the  The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has begun termination proceedings against six deputies who allegedly assaulted two fellow deputies at a Christmas party last year.  The operative word is began.  Although reportedly the deputies in question behaved like gangsters, flashed signs like gangsters may have been under the influence of steroids and were supposed to guard gangsters, they are represented by the union and there is not much management can do.

Now, we continue to assert that whether a city is the safest city in the county -  the state or the nation -  or not, is primarily a function of residents and local governance, not law enforcement.

A real bold move would be for the LA City Council to face up to the elephant in the room and look to pension reform.  File as many Freedom of Information Act and or Public Records Act  request as you wish.  The fact is that public safety union will consistently avoid using any sort of independently verifiable metrics to hold employees accountable with predictable results as in the case of the LASD unterminated deputies.  May also explain why the safest city in the county, may just be next to the least safe right next door, with the same management team and the same union.

Applications for RSM City Council Due Tomorrow

Posted By CotoBlogzz Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - If you are considering applying for the Rancho Santa Margarita city council position left vacant as a result of the recently tendered Gary Thompson's resignation, tomorrow is the last day to submit you application to the city, as reportedly, not late applications will be accepted.

As predicted, the recent election of councilman Jesse Petrilla is having an impact on the local political calculus, also referred to as the Good Old’ Boy’s Network. Consider that when Lt. Jesse Petrilla's was called for 115 days of training at Fort Knox, KY. and while Petrilla and Steve Baric, asked Tony Beall, Gary Thompson and Jerry Holloway – the three-member part of the good-old-boy network, they jumped at the opportunity to get rid of the pest - or so they figured, as they voted February 23 to oust Petrilla using the boneheaded argument that the council needed a replacement to break an implausible hypothetical 2-2 tie.  

The Rest of the Story – now we know Petrilla stays, Thompson goes: Petrilla=2, Old-boys-Network=0 In order to be considered for appointment by the City Council, all applications and supplemental information must be filed no later than noon on Tuesday, March 22, 2011. Late applications will not be accepted.


Click here for notice.
Click here for application.



Comments

The real scoop

Submitted by Clear thinking on Tue, 2011-03-22 11:07.

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The scoop is Jesse has done nothing but politic and cause discord in RSM. It is time for him to govern and put the interest of the community he serves above all else or he will be voted out in the next 4 years.
Campaign is over time for the new guys to show some leadership, they have big shoes to fill. RSM is a well run city with very happy residents as well as a strong financial foundation.

Clear as Mud

Submitted by cotobuzz on Tue, 2011-03-22 18:39.

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Le's see - is the "politicking" sort of like "it depends on what is, is" - in other words, is the attempt to get rid of Petrilla even though there was not reasonable argument to do so, politicking, or not?

Time To stop politicking and

Submitted by Clear thinking on Tue, 2011-03-22 11:26.

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Time To stop politicking and start to govern or the voters will toss the new guys in the next election.

Campaign is over time to prove you can lead.

Figures dont' lie - Liars hide the figures

Submitted by cotobuzz on Tue, 2011-03-22 13:52.

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I like to say that if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it.

Very interesting statement about happy residents.  How is it that you come to the conclusion that RSM residents are happy? - is this analogous to "happy cows come from California"?

Regarding the well run city comment  - do you know that RSM paid the County in 2009 more than 8+ million for OCSD services, yet non one is able too figure out how that money was spent?  The state is supposed to conduct audits - no such audits done since RSM's inception, by the way

Now the 2010 report from the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey results shows RSM to be the most expensive city in the county for businesses.  The RSMBA has indicated that  Kosmont-Rose made a " gross error and are issuing an addendum to the report." - we followed up with both RSMBA and Kosmont-Rose to get a copy of the press release, but have yet to hear from either.

The point is that if you have verifiable evidence to back up your claims, we would be more than thrilled to write about it.