Obama Reignites the Cold War

By Chriss Street

 Barack Obama grew up as a child of the Cold War.  His youth was dominated by the confrontation between the United States and Russia over wars of national liberation that led to McCarthyist witch hunts, backyard bomb shelters, space race, missile crisis, Star Wars defense proposal and fall of the Berlin Wall.  

But unlike most Americans, his family was personally involved in liberation movements and rooting for the other side to win.  Since becoming President, Obama has employed the full capabilities of the United States to support Islamist national liberation movements that are in direct confrontation to national interests of Russia.  President Obama may claim that he is “looking at the possibility of a limited, narrow act” in Syria, but to Russia he is reigniting the Cold War.

Barack Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, met his father, Barack Obama, Sr. in a Russian language class in 1960 at the University of Hawaii, where his father was a Kenyan nationalist on a foreign student scholarship.  After a quick marriage, the birth of Barack Obama, Jr., separation, and divorce; Stanley Ann married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian nationalist she also met at the University of Hawaii.  Dutch army killed Soetoro’s father and eldest brother were killed by the Dutch and their family house was burned during the Indonesian Independence Movement.

During the Vietnam War, Obama’s mother worked for the Agency for International Development, a front group for the Central Intelligence Agency.  She later worked for former U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s father, Peter Geithner, on a Ford Foundation grant to provide micro-finance to the poor.  She divorced Soetoro in 1971, after she blamed him for “selling out” by taking a capitalists job with Union Oil Company.

President Obama in his first international speech on June 4, 2009 at Cairo University received huge applause when he stated: “The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars.  More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations.”  He went on to say: “We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.”

These are national liberation code words for: 1) the United States President believes Muslims were wronged by the West; 2) Muslims have the power to change the world; 3) Muslims have a duty as written in the Koran to revolt and form a new Caliphate.  Since the speech, the Middle East and Africa have been engulfed in revolution and violence.

There is no bigger prize for Middle East national liberation than overthrowing Syrian President Bashar a-Assad.  In 1957, Syria was close to a Communist Party takeover by Army Chief of Staff Afif al-Bizri.  In desperation, a Syrian Ba’ath Party delegation led by the nation’s democratically elected President Shukri al-Quwatli and Prime Minister Khaled al-Azem askedEgyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser to end the “communist threat” by merging with Syria to begin the formation of a new pan-Arab Caliphate.

With the support of the Syrian Ba’ath Party and Sunni Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt signed the merger with Syria to form the United Arab Republic on February 2, 1958.  As the Republic’s President, Nasser began brutally cracking down on Syrian Communists.  But once he consolidated power under a new constitution, he banned all political parties in the UAR, including the Ba’ath Party and the Muslim Brotherhood.

With raging public enthusiasm across the Middle East for the powerful a powerful new Caliphate, Iraq’s Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim overthrew his nation’s Western-allied monarchy and merged with Jordan in late 1958.  Qasim then began negotiations with Nasser in 1960 to expand the United Arab Republic to Egypt, Syria and Iraq.

Fearing the rise of a secular pan-Arab state, the Islamist regime in Saudi Arabia secretly allied with the United States to stop Nasser and the UAR.  Saudi Arabia provided financial backing and sanctuary to the Syrian and Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood militants opposed to Nasser, while the CIA provided American military training.

The United Arab Republic collapsed on September 28, 1961 when former Ba’ath Party Muslim Brotherhood members organized a military coup, and declared Syrian independence.  Shortly thereafter, Iraq’s Qasim was also overthrown in a CIA backed military coup led by the IraqiBa’ath Party.  Once Syria and Iraq’s new Ba’ath regimes consolidated power, they banned and persecuted the Muslim Brotherhood.

In the 1975 U.S. Senate Select Intelligence Committee, known as the Church Committee, conducted hearings to investigate allegations of widespread CIA assassinations.  The Agency admitted to a “special operation” aimed at sending Iraq’s Qasim a poisoned handkerchief.  But the CIA said this proved unnecessary after Qasim; “Suffered a terminal illness before a firing squad in Baghdad (an event we had nothing to do with) after our handkerchief proposal was considered.”

Barack Obama has used the capabilities of the United States to back the Muslim Brotherhood liberation movements across the Middle East.  He knows that Russia that this action is in direct confrontation with the vital interests of Russia, who has been battling Islamist rebellions in its southern provinces for two decades.  Regardless, President Obama is purpose driven and willing to reignite the Cold War.

CHRISS STREET & PAUL PRESTON
Present
“THE AGENDA 21 RADIO TALK SHOW”
Streaming Monday through Friday at 6-9 AM PST
Click Here To Listen:
RED STATE TALK RADIO

The Ben Schachter Jazz Trio at Saddleback College

Posted By CotoBl;ogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA--Tenor saxophonist Ben Schachter will perform with his trio bassist Leon Boykins and drummer Matt Scarano on Monday, September 30^th at 7:30 p.m. in the McKinney Theatre.

Tickets are $10 general and $7 students/seniors.  Call the ticket office at 949-582-4656, Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 4 pm or order your tickets online at www.saddleback.edu/arts.

Schacter is a powerful and original saxophonist and composer. As a leader, he has six recordings on his own label. He has performed and recorded in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. A Philadelphia native, he has been cited in his hometown press as "Best Jazz Artist" and "Best Saxophonist". Holding Degrees from Berkeley School of Music and the New England Conservatory, Schachter has been a passionate educator for many years.

Jazz Studies at Saddleback College emphasizes creativity through improvisation and ensemble performance. Focusing on the historical, theoretical, and intuitive aspects of this American music, Director of Jazz Studies Joey Sellers and an outstanding cadre of nationally-recognized musicians comprise the jazz faculty. Curricula include Improvisation, Jazz Composition and Arranging, Jazz History Syllabus, Jazz History Audio, Jazz History Podcast, Jazz Piano, Saddleback Big Band, Jazz Lab Ensemble, and Combos.  Students in Jazz Studies at Saddleback College have transferred to prestigious institutions including University of Southern California, New School for Social Research in New York, Eastman School of Music, Berkeley School of Music, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Cal State Fullerton, University of California at San Diego, and other regional institutions.  Some of our alumni have gone on to play professionally with Frank Zappa, Diana Ross, and other high-profile artists and organizations.

Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Pkwy in Mission Viejo, just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit.  Parking is available in Lot 12.  Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Parkway turn left to the third traffic light, which is Saddleback’s Marguerite entrance. Turn right into the campus and take the second left to “Theatre Circle,” turning right into Lot 12.

Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community.  Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals.  For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, please visit www.saddleback.edu/arts.  

Free Admission: Internationally Acclaimed Pianist Keiko Matsui to Guest on KSBR 88.5FM

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Saddleback College radio station KSBR 88.5FM and the City of Mission Viejo announced  that internationally-acclaimed pianist Keiko Matsui will guest on the next “Breakfast with Gary and Kelly” Radio for TV broadcast on Saturday, September 14th.  The Saturday morning radio show will broadcast live starting at 9:00 a.m. from the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way in Mission Viejo.  

A studio audience will be welcomed in for the 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. show. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. with the final hour being videotaped for later broadcast. The program airs on the City of Mission Viejo’s MVTV Channel 30 every Tuesday through Sunday evenings at 8:30 p.m. and the show will also air on Saddleback College’s SCTV Channel 39 each Friday and Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. throughout the Cox Communication cable system in south Orange County. The audience will be admitted for free but seating is limited. Reservations can be made online at www.ksbr.org

Keiko Matsui made her U.S. recording debut in 1987 with the recording A Drop of Water. Under Northern Lights followed in 1989 and her subsequent albums of note include No Borders (1990), Night Waltz (1991), Cherry Blossom (1992), Doll (1994), Sapphire (1995), and Dream Walk (1996), which remained on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart for over 15 months. In1998, she released her album Full Moon And The Shrine, which was accompanied by the acclaimed PBS-TV special Keiko Matsui: Light Above The Trees. She has twice been honored as “Best Female Artist.” Her humanitarian efforts have included recordings and tours to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness, the United Nations World Food Program efforts in Africa, National Donor Program and Marrow Foundation and more, all while enjoying huge commercial success with her multiple records.  Her brand new release, Soul Quest, is a star-studded effort that includes the musical gifts of Chuck Loeb, Kirk Whalum, and many others.

Past guests on “Breakfast with Gary & Kelly” have included Debbie Reynolds, Linda Evans, David Benoit, Peter White, Diane Schuur, Rick Braun, Paul Brown, Bill Cantos, Brian Culbertson, Nick Colionne, Spencer Day, and more. Gary and Kelly have conducted numerous remote broadcasts from locations all over Southern California, including the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach and Catalina Island and they have hosted many celebrity guests.

KSBR is a community service of Saddleback College. The program continues the partnership between Saddleback College and the City of Mission Viejo. For more information on the Radio on TV monthly series and how to become part of the audience for the September 14^th show, please tune to 88.5 KSBR or visit their website at www.KSBR.org

Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community. Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals. For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, please visit www.saddleback.edu/arts

Cindy Su'a, office manager for the Anaheim Police Association, convicted of embezzlement

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Cindy Su'a, office manager for the Anaheim Police Association was convicted today of embezzling over $360,000 from her employer by changing the amount on her paycheck after it had been signed by her bosses. Cindy Ann Su'a, 47, Whittier, pleaded guilty to 117 felony counts of forgery, 23 felony counts of computer access fraud, and two felony counts of willful failure to file tax returns with sentencing enhancements for over $100,000 loss, aggravated white collar crime over $100,000, and property loss over $200,000. She is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 11, 2013


Cindy Su'a's husband John Su'a, 47, Whittier, pleaded guilty today, Aug. 26, 2013, to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file tax returns. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail, three years of probation, and ordered to pay $105,000 restitution to FTB.

According to the Orange County District Attorney's (OCDA) office, at the time of the crime, Cindy Su'a was the office manager for the Anaheim Police Association and was responsible for all check writing, company credit cards, and bookkeeping. She was the only paid employee with an approximate salary of $65,000 annually.

Between August 2007 and March 2012, Cindy Su'a embezzled over $360,000 by changing the amount on her paycheck after it had been signed by her bosses. She then used a typewriter correction feature to change her bi-monthly payment amount from $2,489 to $5,489 or $6,489. Cindy Su'a fraudulently paid herself nearly $200,000 one year. She also used the association's online banking to pay her own bills.

For the 2009 and 2010 tax years, Cindy Su'a and her husband John Su'a failed to file tax returns for their personal income taxes.

This case was discovered when the association President noticed a discrepancy in Cindy Su'a's intended annual salary and actual income after receiving delinquency notices regarding her failure to file taxes from the Internal Revenue Service.

This case was investigated by the Anaheim Police Department and FTB.


Senior Deputy District Attorney Marc Labreche of the Major Fraud Unit is prosecuting this case.

Obama Disarms America and Arms the World

By Chriss Street

 As President Barack Obama has outwardly attempted to curtail Americans’ Constitutional Second Amendment right to bear arms, his Administration has approved huge increases in defense spending and export sales.  

The Administration is now seeking to eliminate stringent State Department controls on exports and foreign licensing of dozens of categories of weapons and technology from the United States Munitions List (USML) by transferring control to the pro-business Commerce Department.  In spite of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warnings this change could increase terrorist access to dangerous weapons, the Administration claims this “reform” would enhance “the competitiveness of key

 United States manufacturing and technology sectors.”  It may seem hypocritical to tighten gun control at home and flood the world with weapons.  But since Obama was elect President, the Democrats have eliminated the Republicans’ advantage in collecting defense industry campaign contributions.

President Obama has tried to push Congress into passing extensive domestic gun control legislation.  His efforts have included seeking a domestic ban on ownership of all hand guns and a broad range of what he refers to as military-style assault weapons.  In Obama’s first four years in office he also used his regulatory powers for the federal government to conduct about the same number of background checks on gun owners and prospective buyers as George W. Bush’s in his first six years in office.

Declaring a national gun control crisis after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in January 2013, the Administration issued 23 executive orders directing federal agencies to “improve knowledge of the causes of firearm violence, what might help prevent it, and how to minimize its burden on public health.”  According to the Institute of Medicine, “One of these orders directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify the most pressing problems in firearm violence a committee tasked with developing a potential research agenda that focuses on the causes of, possible interventions to, and strategies to minimize the burden of firearm-related violence.”  It seems clear that the goal of this Presidential Executive Order is to instruct the CDC to fund medical research to “prove” that gun owners are afflicted with some pathological disease or mental defect.

The President may have been visibly advocating gun control in America, but he has been a huge cheerleader for expanding the American defense industry.  Since 2008, U.S. defense spending grew by 25% to $900 billion; defense exports grew by 30% to $73 billion; and foreign licensing agreements grew 46% to approximately $50 billion.

Prior to Barack Obama, Republicans dominated campaign contributions from the defense industry.  But despite John McCain’s reputation as a defense hawk, Obama pocketed twice as much from the defense industry as McCain in 2008.  Over the last three elections, the Democrats have pulled even with Republicans in campaign contributions by raising $32 million from the defense industry.

But with the Budget Sequestration expected to cause U.S. defense spending to fall to $820 billion over the next three years, the boom times for the defense industry seemed at risk.  This may explain the Obama Administration’s enthusiasm for defense industry Export Control Reform.  Given that the U.S. already accounts for 80% of the global market for items currently covered by the restrictive USML, eliminating State Department restrictive reviews would quickly ramp up defense industry orders.

In 2011, the most recent year a breakdown of statistics are available, the U.S. defense industry booked foreign arms sales worth over $66.3 billion, representing 78.7% of all global arms exports.  The next closest competitor was Russia, with 5.6% of the world arms market.  The State Department approved export licenses that year under 20 categories from the USML worth $44.2 billion. The largest categories by dollar value were aircraft, $17.2 billion; military electronics, $15.2 billion; fire and guidance control equipment, $2.4 billion; tanks and military vehicles, $1.7 billion; spacecraft systems and associated equipment, $1.4 billion; and ammunition and ordnance, $1.1 billion.

Despite GAO concerns that reform could increase terrorist’s access to sophisticated weapons, the Administration wants to switch two dozen categories of weapons from rigorous U.S. State Department oversight under the USM List to the pro-export-friendly Commerce Department Control List.  The White House acknowledges, “At the end of this process, we anticipate that a significant percentage of the items that are transferred off of the USML would be permitted to be exported without a license.”

It seems hypocritical to simultaneously tighten guns control in the U.S. and flood the world with weapons.  But Barack Obama and the Democrats figured out that the big campaign contributions regarding guns comes from the defense industry, not individual Americans who worry about the loss of their Second Amendment rights.

CHRISS STREET & PAUL PRESTON
Present
“THE AGENDA 21 RADIO TALK SHOW”
Streaming Monday through Friday at 6-9 AM PST
Click Here To Listen:
RED STATE TALK RADIO 

Concert pianist Dr. Susan Boettger with Joon Sung Jun and Kevin Kumar to perform works by Rachmaninoff & Mussorgsky at Saddleback College

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, , CA –  as part of its Reflections of the Ocean Classical Keyboard Series , Saddleback College presents a concert by pianist Dr. Susan Boettger with guest artists Joon Sung Jun (cello) and Kevin Kumar (violin) to perform works by Rachmaninoff and Mussorgsky. Dr. Boettger is in high-demand as a soloist, chamber music pianist, and a master class artist,  Sunday, September 22^nd at 2:30 p.m. in the McKinney Theatre

Dr. Boettger is the Director of the Keyboard Department at Irvine Valley College (IVC) and the Artistic Director of the IVC Keyboard Series, the only keyboard series of its kind in Orange County. She has been very active as a performer, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. At Juilliard, she was a prizewinner in the Contemporary Concerto competition and premiered new solo piano works for the New Juilliard Ensemble. She has also premiered and composed works for chamber music, recording her CD Edge with the Classical Edge Trio. She is the Founder and Director of the Junior Chamber Music Program, recently featured on K-USC, New York City’s Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, and Salzburg's Mozarteum.

Joon Sung Jun is a faculty member of Cal State University Long Beach and a cello professor and chairperson at the Shepherd University since 2002. Mr. Jun is enjoying a career as a soloist and has given multiple performances with Kazakhstan National Philharmonic, Uol San Symphony, Ma San Symphony, Pusan Symphony, Korean Philharmonic, Catholic Boys Town, Symphonieta, and Korean American Symphony (KAYS). With KAYS, he did his Disney Hall debut concert with the Beethoven Triple Concerto in 2007. He taught and performed in major festivals in Kazakhstan, Italy, France, New York, Beverly Hills, and Montecito.

Violinist Kevin Kumar has appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Riverside Philharmonic, Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra, and the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra, among others. In addition to attending Columbia University and the Manhattan School of Music, he received the Jascha Heifetz Scholarship and his advanced studies include earning a music diploma from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Art’s Degree from Stanford University.

Tickets are $15 general; $12 seniors; $10 students; children FREE with paying adult; 2 for 1 for music teachers with MTAC/CAPMT ID. The ticket office is open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 4:00 p.m. or order your tickets online at any time at www.saddleback.edu/arts.

Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Parkway in Mission Viejo, just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit. Free parking is available in Lot 12.  Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Parkway turn left to the third traffic light, which is Saddleback’s Marguerite entrance. Turn right into the campus and take the second left to Theatre Circle, turning right into Lot 12.

The Music Department has established a comprehensive program which is considered to be one of the finest in California: a complete lower-division curriculum for transferring music majors, numerous performance groups, private and group lessons, a full concert series with faculty and guest artists, and general music courses. The nationally-recognized faculty is dedicated to performance and to teaching in all areas such as vocal, instrumental, jazz, guitar, and piano.  Other music classes include harmony, musicianship, composition, history, and appreciation of western art music, rock, jazz and world.

Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community.  Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers more than 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals.  For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu.  For Fine Arts events, visitwww.saddleback.edu/arts. 

Free Screening and Discussion of Hotel Rwanda at Saddleback College

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA , CA – The Cinema-Television-Radio department at Saddleback College will present Hotel Rwanda, starring Don Cheadle, on September 13^th at 7:30 p.m. in the McKinney Theatre. Admission is free but come early due to a limited 400-seat capacity. Writer/Producer/Saddleback faculty member Keir Pearson will be available following the screening for a question and answer session.

In 2000, Pearson heard the story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager living in Rwanda during the Rwandan Genocide. Fascinated, he interviewed Rusesabagina and wrote the script for Hotel Rwanda, sending it to directorTerry George, who fell in love with the story. The film was released in 2004 to positive reviews. George and Pearson shared an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay. Also securing Oscar nominations were Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo for their performances.

 Pearson graduated from Harvard University in 1989. During the 1990s, he also participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics with the American rowing team. He recently wrote the screenplay for the 2013 film Chávez, about the civil-rights activist and labor organizer César Chávez, who founded the United Farm Workers union. Pearson teaches directing and advanced screenwriting at Saddleback College.

For more than 20 years, the Cinema-Television-Radio Department (CTVR) at Saddleback College has been known for giving students hands-on experience. This means students design, shoot, and edit their own film. CTVR always puts the concept of bringing the “real world” into the classroom as a priority. Shooting on the latest technology including Red Digital Cinema and Final Cut Pro 7 HD, Saddleback offers the full set of filmmaking tools such as dollys, steadicams, and industry-standard lighting, camera, and audio packages. The department’s productions each year are featured in the Newport Beach Film Festival, and students constantly transfer to the top university film schools or they are placed in desirable internships and jobs. Saddleback’s CTVR Department is offering courses designed to help students succeed in the field, including outstanding 1 to 2 day workshops for students who want to specialize in a specific area of filmmaking. CTVR continues to teach the approach of concept to final edit in terms of visual storytelling, aesthetics, composition, directing, producing, cinematography, lighting, audio, and editing. CTVR is an elite film school at Saddleback College and was featured in Movie Maker Magazine.

Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community.  Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals.  For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, please visitwww.saddleback.edu/arts.  

Buyer has no choice but to join homeowners association

ASSOCIATIONS

All titleholders in common-interest developments are required by law to be members.

c)2001-2013  D.VANITZIAN. All rights reserved. The Associations and Common Interest Living articles and columns may not be reprinted or retransmitted in any form without the express written consent of the copyright holders. The authors take no position regarding any documents or accompaniments that may be enclosed with, attached to, or alongside said article reprints or distribution.  Los Angeles Times, Real Estate Section, "Associations," August 23, 2013 Buyer has no choice but to join homeowners association by Donie Vanitzian, Special to The Times

By Donie Vanitzian, JD

August 23, 2013, 3:52 p.m.

Question: Looking to buy a home, we found a single-family residence only to learn it had a homeowners association, so we looked at condominiums. Each had different documents. With the HOA fees on top of our mortgage payments, the house and condo became unaffordable. We want to buy that house but don't want to be part of the association. Can we remove it from the HOA? We're not understanding the concept of these developments and associations. We're at a loss what to look for when buying property. How does this work?

Answer: Powers, rights and duties of associations are initially created by statute. The "association" is a mandated organization to which titleholders must belong and legally separate from the individual members who comprise it. Typically one must be a titleholder to be an association member or elected to the board. Whether they want to or not and whether they like it or not, titleholders in common-interest developments are mandated by law to be members of the association.

The association entity is a legal fiction created to collect money by way of "assessments" in order to fund its operating accounts. Under Civil Code section 1351(a), "association" means a nonprofit corporation or unincorporated association created for the purpose of managing a common-interest development. Under California's Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporations Law, homeowners associations may be unincorporated or incorporated. Either way, these associations act for the benefit of the titleholders and may also act as agent for the owners.

An association's genesis is determined early on by its parent, the developer. (California Code of Regulations, title 10, section 2792.8) Association governing documents vary. Under Civil Code section 1351(j) "governing documents" mean the declaration and any other documents, such as association bylaws, operating rules, articles of incorporation, or articles of association, which govern the operation of the common-interest development and/or association, including covenants, conditions, and restrictions. Many CC&Rs are boilerplate, but within the bounds of the law, the developer's vision of the project is advanced by these documents. According to those documents, renters or others may belong to the association and, according to the CC&Rs, may or may not sit on the board of directors if such board exists.

The association's power to act comes from governing documents, the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, the Corporations Code, California Code of Regulations and a multitude of crossover statutes and case law.

There are at least 11 such powers and duties of the association's governing body, including the formulation of rules and the initiation and execution of disciplinary proceedings against titleholders for violating governing documents, much of which may be outside your control. (Cal. Code Regs., title 10, sections 2792.21(a), 2792.21(a)(8))

The single-family residence may not be removed from the association because there are "prohibitions against or restrictions upon the severability of a separately-owned portion from the common-interest portion of a subdivision interest." Cal. Code Regs title 10, section 2792.8(a)(19).

Think and act as if you are buying into a business. That's why it's so important to confirm the health of the association before you make an offer and to thoroughly understand all documents you sign during escrow.

Since Christensen v. Slawter (1959), California courts have held that in the absence of fraud, the buyer's acceptance of the deed executed in consummation of an agreement between the parties, merges the initial contract and all prior negotiations and agreements relating to that sale into that deed conveyance once recorded. That means buyers won't be able to rely on the sale contract to sue the seller. Making it even more important to understand what it is you are buying prior to making an offer to purchase. Once the seller accepts your offer, it controls everything you do from that point forward. Before making an offer, here's a to-do list:

•Get the articles of incorporation, check association suspension status, obtain the registered agent name at http://www.sos.ca.gov.

•Get the HOA's rules and regulations.

•Get the bylaws, and all amendments for the last five years. If the board won't give these to you, the county recorder's office will have them.

•Get the current CC&Rs, plus the previous set and all amendments for the last five years.

•Get all association insurance policies and proof they are in effect.

•Get one year of meeting minutes.

•Get three years of association budgets.

•Find out how many nonjudicial foreclosures the HOA has had, how many units or homes the HOA owns, how many special assessments and fee increases have occurred in the last five years.

•Learn how many properties have liens against them by the HOA.

•Get written assurances from the HOA that you are not obligated to pay any outstanding fees, penalties and assessments owed to the HOA by the seller at the time of purchase.

•Find out who is the management company and obtain a copy of the current contract with the association

•Check local courts, including Small Claims, for lawsuit listings in which the association is plaintiff or defendant. Also check if the management company has sued or been sued and the nature of those cases.

•Check building and safety, and health department, for prior and existing violations by the association, including current pool maintenance, elevator sign-offs, and building permits

•Check local police crime logs for activity pertaining to the association where you plan to buy.

Zachary Levine, partner at Wolk & Levine, a business and intellectual property law firm, co-wrote this column. Vanitzian is an arbitrator and mediator. Send questions to P.O. Box 10490, Marina del Rey, CA 90295 or noexit@mindspring.com.

Bryan Song Yang arraigned on hit and run & officer involved shooting

Posted By CotoBlogzzz


Rancho Santa Margarita, CA  - Bryan Song Yang was arraigned today for evading Orange County Sheriff's deputies and causing a hit and run in Yorba Linda that left another male driver injured after being involved in an officer-involved shooting (OIS) at a traffic stop, according to the Orange County District Attorney's (OCDA0 office.


Song Yang, 37, Lake Elsinore, is charged with one felony count each of evading while driving recklessly, resisting and deterring an executive officer, hit and run with injury, and one misdemeanor count of hit and run with property damage. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years and four months in state prison. 

The OCDA is investigating the officer-involved shooting incident involving Song Yang.. At the end of the investigation, the OCDA will release a  detailed report regarding this incident. I

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Mark Gutierrez at (714) 347-8544.

Rainer Reinscheid, A UCI professor was sentenced to 14 years for arson because son was disciplined at school for a minor theft-related incident

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Rainer Klaus Reinscheid, a professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), who authored e-mails detailing plans to murder students and administrators at an Irvine high school, was sentenced today to 14 years and four months in state prison for committing a series of arson fires at the high school, a home, and park.

Klaus Reinscheid, 49, Irvine, pleaded guilty to one felony count of arson of another's property, three felony counts of arson of forestland, two felony counts of arson of a structure, three felony counts of attempted arson, one misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing an officer, and sentencing enhancements for the use of an accelerant. Reinscheid is scheduled for a restitution hearing Nov. 15, 2013,

According to the Orange County District Attorney's ()CDA) office, at the time of the crime, Reinscheid was a professor at UCI. In March 2012, Reinscheid's 14-year-old son, who attended University High School in Irvine, was disciplined at school for a minor theft-related incident. The following day, the defendant's son committed suicide in Mason Park Preserve in Irvine.

Between July 4, 2012, and July 24, 2012, Reinscheid committed six arsons and three attempted arson by lighting various objects on fire including newspapers, brush and vegetation, a book, and a plastic porch chair. He used fireplace logs in some cases as an accelerant. Reinscheid committed these arsons on the campus of University High School, in Mason Park Preserve, and at a school administrator's home.

At approximately 12:40 a.m. on July 24, 2012, Reinscheid attempted to set a fire in Mason Park Preserve using newspaper and lighter fluid. Officers from the Irvine Police Department (IPD), who were conducting increased patrols of the park due to the recent arsons, observed the defendant and arrested him near the scene. When contacted by officers, Reinscheid refused to comply with their orders to stop and attempted to resist arrest. Reinscheid posted $50,000 bail and was released from custody that day. IPD continued their investigation. 

On July 27, 2012, IPD detectives discovered e-mails on the defendant's cell phone in the course of their investigation. The defendant drafted multiple e-mails in April 2012 describing in detail his plan to burn down University High School, commit sexual assaults, purchase firearms and murder school officials and students, and then kill himself. 

Following the discovery of these e-mails and based on the defendant being linked to additional arsons, Reinscheid was re-arrested on the evening of July 27, 2012, by IPD. At his arraignment, the OCDA successfully requested that the defendant be held without bail based on concerns that Reinscheid poses a serious threat to the community if released from custody, as evidenced by the dangerous, violent nature of his private e-mails.  


IPD investigated this case. Deputy District Attorney Andrew Katz of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting this case. 

Americans Clueless about public education according to new survey

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - According to a new poll by two groups, Phi Delta Kappa International and Gallup, Americans are clueless about what is going on with public education.  The survey shows that a majority of Americans have never heard of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a U.S. education initiative that seeks to bring diverse state curricula into alignment with each other by following the principles of standards-based education reform. The initiative is sponsored by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

Critics of CCSS such as Dr. Bill Evers, former Research Fellow at Hoover Institution  stated “Just as defenders of socialism used to conjure up ideal socialist societies in order to defend socialism, defenders of Common Core curriculum standards like to defend utopian Common Core.  We critics of Common Core are correct in attacking really-existing Common Core, “referring to typical CCSS implementation.

When North Carolina Lt. Governor Dan Forest, who continues to stand up for educational freedom in his state by questioning the stakes connected to the implementation of the Common Core national education standards, asked the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to respond to  67 unanswered questions about the Common Core in North Carolina,  to be delivered before the State Board of Education meeting later this month,  the DPI requested that Forest provide 10,000 pieces of blank paper.  Forest obliged and sent it  the requested reams of paper, according to Foundry’s Elizabeth Henry.

The poll indicates that just like with ObamaCare, the more the public knows about CCSS, the more dissatisfied it is with standardized tests.

The key findings were: 

• 62 percent of those surveyed had never heard of the standards. Even among those with children in public schools
• Only 45 percent had heard of the Common Core.
• Only 22 percent said testing helped the performance of their local school, down from 28 percent in 2007.
• 36 percent said that testing was hurting school performance.

Americans are also growing wary of using students’ standardized tests to evaluate teachers. In just one year, the percentage of respondents who oppose using tests for teacher evaluations grew from 47 percent to 58 percent

Tonight, at 4pm ET, the two groups that conducted the survey --Phi Delta Kappa International and Gallup-- are holding a free webinar on the survey's top 5 key findings.  You can register here. You will be able to email the survey's creators with comments and questions, and download their entire report for free.

Against National Trend, California Hearts ObamaCare

California Voters Preventing Obamacare Repeal

By Chriss Street

  

According to the Field Poll of voters, Californians uniquely remain highly supportive by a 53% to 38% margin of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, referred to as Obamacare. 

Nationwide polling indicates that by a large margin, Americans strongly oppose Obamacare by 54% to 36%.  But with one out nine voters in the United States living in California, the Golden State is almost single-handedly preventing Obamacare’s repeal.

Many conservatives around the United States try to dismiss California as historically liberal.  In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton appeared to solidly beat Republican George H.W. Bush by 43% to 38%, but it was Republican Ross Perot’s Reform Party that siphoned off 21% of the vote that gave the Democrats their first big California win.

What turned California to a deep-blue liberal state was the 1994 bankruptcy of deep-red conservative Orange County.  As the “Most Republican County in America,” the OC appeared to favor small government and conservative values.  But under the facade, the OC had granted the highest salaries and richest pension benefits to public employees of any county in the state.  This bought labor peace and rich campaign contributions for OC politicians.  To avoid raising taxes, the OC engaged in risky leverage and derivatives speculation.  When the house of cards crashed, The California Republican Party was dismissed by voters as hypocritical and incompetent.

By 2012, the Republican National Party and Mitt Romney who has a home in the OC, did not even campaign in California.    Although the conservative Tea Party movement had started the process of giving new credibility to Republicans in 2010, California Republican Party tried to look more moderate by distancing themselves from “those Tea Party people” in 2012.   Barack Obama won his reelection by a stunning 60% to 37%.

On July 26^th, the trail of tears for California Republicans took another nasty jolt when a Joint FBI, IRS, U.S. Attorney and Orange County District Attorney Task Force confirmed a majority of Orange County’s all-Republican Supervisors are now being investigating reports of political campaign corruption.

The Field Poll determined that California voter views on Obamacare are highly partisan and reflect deep demographic differences regarding implementing the Obamacare legislation:

• Democrats favor by 77% to 15%;
• Republicans oppose by 75% to 17%;
• Liberal favor by 90% to 4%;
• Conservative oppose by 83% to 15%;
• Independent voters favor by 54% to 37%;

Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area favor by two to one;

All other areas of the state moderately oppose;

• Non-Hispanics oppose 49% to 44%;
• Latinos favor by  71% to 26%;
• Other minorities favor by 78% to 19%;
• Californians under age 30 favor 63% to 27%;
• Seniors favor by 47% to 43.

Despite 50% of the state’s voters reporting that they are now paying more for health care and describing health care costs as being difficult to afford, the only broad agreement by California voters regarding the potential negative impacts of the “Affordable Care Act” is that 57% believe it’s likely that seniors enrolled in traditional Medicare will see their health benefits reduced and 54% think people with health insurance will be forced to change their plans and doctors.

According to Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Obamacare is a “train wreck.”  The IRS staff charged with developing the “Data Hub” to track Obamacare participation and calculate eligibility for government subsidies acknowledging the system will not be ready on time.  Despite these concerns, on October 1^st Obamacare “navigators” from community organizing groups around the United States will start assisting people understand the details of the new law and begin signing-up certain uninsured residents for insurance coverage.

A recent CBS poll confirms that 54% of Americans disapprove of the healthcare law and only 36% percent now approve.  Despite a record number of Americans who believe the legislation will hurt them, the Field Poll demonstrates overwhelming support in the most populous state in the nation is preventing the repeal of Obamacare.

CHRISS STREET & PAUL PRESTON
Present
“THE AGENDA 21 RADIO TALK SHOW”
Streaming Monday through Friday at 6-9 AM PST
Click Here To Listen:
RED STATE TALK RADIO 

Advocates sue State for unconstitutional HOA amendments

Advocates sue State of AZ for unconstitutional HOA amendments bill – SB1454

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Today  is the deadline for a response from the State in answer to the constitutionality challenge of Senate Bill 1454  filed by George K. Staropoli and Bill Brown against the State of Arizona. Staropoli & Brown v. State of Arizona, CV 2013-009991,  Mr. George K. Staropoli is an activist who advocates on behalf of homeowners on issues and legislation involving common interest developments (CI/HOAs)

According to Mr. Starpoli:

“On the table has been an option to sign a consent agreement and avoid the court, but  the State has  not responded  to date.

Instead of signing the Consent Agreement, the State can file a Motion to Dismiss or some other Answer.  But then, we have another opportunity to bring out the facts of this unethical attempt to get some HOA laws into being that favored a private industry – the HOA managers.  Failure to respond seems to be the next best thing – avoid more publicity – and my guess we would file for  a default judgment”

Every state in the Union should have a Starpoli

Related Articles:

 SB 1454: crossing the line for HOAs and advocates sue State of AZ for unconstitutional HOA amendments bill – SB1454.

US to Benefit from Mexico's Oil Boom

 Mexico Joins America’s Oil Boom

By Chriss Street

The United States stands to be a huge economic winner in the modernization of Mexico’s oil and gas industry. 

 Mexico, which in 1938 was the first country in the world to nationalize its oil and gas sector, formally began the process to amend its constitution on August 12^th to end the state-owned-monopoly for energy exploration, development and distribution, known as Pemex. 

Over the last 10 years Mexican oil and gas production fell by 30%, while U.S. and Canadian production leaped by 50%, due to new technology and capital investment.  Forming joint-ventures with U.S. and foreign oil companies will allow Mexico’s to stabilize its production and offers huge opportunities for growth through deep-water exploration and fracking.  Modernization of the oil industry heralds a coming economic boom for Mexico and North American energy security for the United States.

 Commercial production of crude oil in Mexico began in 1901 and Mexico began exporting oil after substantial investments by U.S. oil companies in 1911.  Following the bloody Mexican Revolution, the new government passed the Constitution of 1917 that granted the Mexican government under Article 27 the permanent and complete rights to all subsoil resources in the country.  In 1925, the Mexican government decreed that foreign oil companies must register their titles and limited their concessions to fifty years.  Thirteen years later, the government expropriated all oil rights and assets.

This nationalization led to a boycott of Mexican oil by the U.S. and the U.K.  Mexico responded by exporting oil to fascist regimes in Germany and Spain, until WWII began and exports ceased in 1940.  Mexico’s oil output expanded at an average annual rate of 6%, but in 1957 Mexico became a net petroleum importer after domestic demand exceeded domestic production.  In 2007, Mexico was the sixth largest producer of oil, but with falling production Mexico has dropped to the 14^th largest producer.  This is despite quadrupling annual investment from $5 billion to $20 billion during the period.

Pemex has always been known for high levels of corruption.  The state-owned-enterprise officially has approximately 150,000 employees.  But tens of thousands of these workers are “aviadores” (aviators), this is the Mexican nickname corrupt ghost workers who are paid each week, but never show up to work.  To get a job at Pemex, Mexicans have been required to pay cash bribes in U.S. dollars.  The cost for a Pemex manual labor union job through the Sindicato de Trabajadores Petroleros de la República Mexicana as a gas station attendant is $6,000.  The cost for an administrative management job through the Unión Nacional de Técnicos y Profesionistas Petroleros is $33,000.  Pemex also provides the unions $20 million per year to pay for expenses for celebrations such as the anniversary of petroleum expropriation and May parades, economic support for the general executive committee, travel, promotion of cultural and sporting activities, and contract costs associated with the annual revisions to the national collective bargaining agreements.

According to Agencia EFE, a Spanish-language news agency, a Pemex Deputy Comptroller stated that between 2006 and 2010, within Pemex’s largest unit, Pemex Exploración y Producción, there were 153 cases of fraud detected.  The corruption reportedly includes: inflating multimillion dollar contracts, giving contracts in exchange for favors, and giving contracts without a license to friends, giving contracts to unqualified firms and helping criminal groups to steal fuel.

President Pena Nieto and his Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) are acutely aware of that falling oil production and reserve replacement will accelerate to the downside if Article 27 is not amended, in order to encourage joint-venture foreign investment and introduction of proprietary American technologies.  Mexico intends to continue to own all subsoil minerals, but foreign firms will now be allowed to form profit-sharing contracts.  Pemex lacks the technology and expertise to expand production, such as in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the shale gas plays in the northeast of the country.  To provide political cover for the reform, joint-ventures will require 30% Mexican content for equipment purchases to stimulate Mexican manufacturing.

President Pena Nieto and the PRI have partnered with the pro-business National Action Party (PAN) to gain the 2/3 majority in parliament that is necessary to amend the Mexican constitution.  The PAN tried unsuccessfully for 12 years to change Article 27 to eliminate monopolies in oil, gas and electricity.  With few major disagreements between the PAN and the PRI on the proposal, and with the major pillars of the ruling party apparently in favor of the reforms, Pena Nieto’s efforts now are more of a public relations campaign than anything else.

The United States stands to be a huge economic winner in the modernization of Mexico’s oil and gas industry.  American companies uniquely have the capital and the technology to grow Mexican production and every barrel of oil produced in North America reduces the United States’ reliance on Middle East oil.

CHRISS STREET & PAUL PRESTON
Present On the Republic Radio Network in the USA and Canada
“The Agenda 21 Radio Talk Show”
Streaming Live Monday through Friday at 7-10 PM
http://www.republicbroadcasting.org/shoutcast/shoutcast.html

Visit Our Blogs:  www.chrissstreetandcompany.com &  www.agenda21radio.com