Saturday, April 30, 2016

Obama crushes the dreams of aspiring journalists




President Obama talked to a group of college journalists Thursday — but instead of telling them about life as commander in chief, he complained about being “picked on” by the press, a report said.

Read more:  http://nypost.com/2016/04/29/obama-crushes-the-dreams-of-aspiring-journalists/




RELATED

DOJ's Spotlighting success in FOIA pours salt in open wound


Posted by CotoBlogzz-   Rancho Santa Margarita, CA -  For Sunshine Week 2016, DOJ celebrated the 50 year history of the FOIA.  During the Department's Sunshine Week event, Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart Delery remarked,



There's no sunshine till she's gone - White House War on Press

2016 Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) World Press Freedom Index: There is still room for improvement in the country of the First Amendment.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA -  Last month, the US Justice Department (DOJ) welcomed individuals from around the government and members of the public to the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy building to kickoff Sunshine Week 2016, and to summarize our view of the event, we published a piece titled:   The CotoBuzz Journal : DOJ's Cognitive Dissonant 2016 Sunshine Week Celebration


Friday, April 29, 2016

DOJ's Spotlighting success in FOIA pours salt in open wound

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA -  For Sunshine Week 2016, DOJ celebrated the 50 year history of the FOIA.  During the Department's Sunshine Week event, Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart Delery remarked,

Over the last 50 years, the public demand for information through the FOIA has grown considerably. And so have agencies’ abilities to meet that demand.
According to today's DOJ'a announcement:  today OIP highlights a number of FOIA success stories from 2015-2016 for the 15 cabinet agencies. As in prior years, these success stories come from agencies 2016 Chief FOIA Officer Reports, which detail all the efforts taken place throughout the year to implement the President's and the Department of Justice's FOIA policy directives.  

This is how easy it is to access information under current FOIA

For the last seven years, the Chief FOIA Officer Reports have played an important role in allowing agencies to go beyond the statistics of their Annual FOIA Reports to more fully illustrate the various concrete steps they have taken to implement the presumption of openness and improve their FOIA administration. The reports give agencies the ability to provide depth and context to the varied steps that they are taking to increase efficiency and improve performance in the FOIA process. They also provide a vehicle for agencies to describe the innovative ways information is being released to the public proactively.
Some of the successes from the selection highlighted today include:
  • The Department of Homeland Security launched the first ever eFOIA mobile application and made remarkable achievements in backlog reduction, eliminating over 65% of backlogged requests.
     
  • In response to public interest, the Food and Drug Administration processed and posted all records concerning a listeria outbreak related to ice cream. By proactively posting the records, the public and the media were able to readily obtain information about the outbreak and the contaminated products involved.
     
  • The Department of Energy continues its efforts to open up data to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and innovation, providing a central online location for information about data released by the agency.
     
  • Despite a marked increase in incoming requests, the Department of the Interior reduced its overall backlog of requests and closed its ten oldest requests. 

I am impressed with the FOIA accomplishments, and if I did not know any better, I would conclude that based on today's DOJ's announcement, , the United States should be ranked at the top of the list.  Unfortunately, instead of spotlighting FOIA's successes, the announcement spotlights the DOJ's and the administration's cognitive dissonance:  The 2016 Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) World Press Freedom Index ranks the United States at 41 out of 180 nations and it concludes for example, that " there is still room for improvement in the country of the First Amendment."
Further, the RSF report also finds that: The main cause for concern for RSF continues to be the current administration’s obsessive control of information, which manifests itself through the war on whistleblowers and journalists’ sources, as well as the lack of government transparency, which reporters have continually criticized. The Obama administration has prosecuted more whistleblowers under the Espionage Act than all previous administrations combined. Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA operative, was convicted solely on the basis of metadata in January 2015 of disclosing classified information to James Risen and is now serving a 3.5 year prison sentence.

CONCLUSION

Is the DOJ's spotlight on FOIA successes consistent with the 2016 Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, or is this just another example of parallel universes?

RELATED STORIES

There's no sunshine till she's gone - White House War on Press

2016 Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) World Press Freedom Index: There is still room for improvement in the country of the First Amendment.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA -  Last month, the US Justice Department (DOJ) welcomed individuals from around the government and members of the public to the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy building to kickoff Sunshine Week 2016, and to summarize our view of the event, we published a piece titled:   The CotoBuzz Journal : DOJ's Cognitive Dissonant 2016 Sunshine Week Celebration




Obama crushes the dreams of aspiring journalists




President Obama talked to a group of college journalists Thursday — but instead of telling them about life as commander in chief, he complained about being “picked on” by the press, a report said.




Thursday, April 28, 2016

Valencia Dr., Gary J. Ordog, guilty o $2.4 million Medicare fraud

Valencia Dr., Gary J. Ordog, guilty o $2.4 million Medicare fraud

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA -  Gary J. Ordog, M.D., 61, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Fernando M. Olguin of the Central District of California to one count of health care fraud, according to announcement by Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division,



Ordog purported to be a physician, specializing in toxicology.  Ordog admitted that he submitted false claims to Medicare for purported visits with Medicare beneficiaries, when in fact those visits never actually occurred, including on dates when Ordog was out of the country.  He also admitted to billing for services provided to beneficiaries who were deceased on the dates Ordog purportedly treated them and for services totaling more than 24 hours in one day.  Ordog fabricated patient records to support false claims, he admitted.


Between January 2009 and February 2015, Ordog submitted approximately $2,435,089 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, he admitted.  Medicare paid approximately $1,295,699 of those claims, according to the plea agreement.
The HHS-OIG and the California Department of Justice investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.  Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Ritesh Srivastava and Niall O’Donnell are prosecuting the case.

Traffic Accident in Dangerous Intersection in Coto de Caza – This is a recording


 Posted By CotoBlogzz

I keep reminding Coto de Caza visitors and residents alike to navigate the streets of Coto at their own peril.  The CZ Master Association HOA board of directors responsible for the community on the other hand simply says it just ran a Zillow report and everything is wonderful:  HOA director Mr. Paul Mitchell on behalf of the board, claims it cannot do anything:  Safety is a two way street and signage is  NTSB-compliant.  

Mr. Mitchell does not say the HOA board has failed to provide 520 hours per quarter of pro-active traffic patrol and the board has not used legislation, specifically designed to help communities like Coto de Caza: SB0298.  And to add a nail to the coffin, it has not invited the Lt. responsible for the  OCSD South Post to any of its board meetings, like any other unincorporated area in Orange County does:  For example:  Ladera Ranch Civic Council Meeting Minutes - June 2015







 At around 9:45 this morning, a speeding bullet in the shape of a BMW SUV rear ended a turtle in the shape of a Honda small vehicle right at one of the previously identified most dangerous intersections in Coto de Caza:  St, Andrews and Vista del Verde.  
  



 
NTSB pedestrian crossing or 35 MPH signs, not deterrents





According a middle-aged women, the victim in this case, she was rear-ended by a speeding SUV.  Fortunately, she seemed to be fine, as well as the driver, apparently neither needing need of medical attention.



Conclusion:


Everything is wonderful in Coto de Caza.  But a study of public safety constrast between two unincorprated areas of Orange County:  Ladera Ranch and Coto de Caza, shows that while Ladera Ranch is a public safety reference model, Coto de Caza is at the oher end of the specturm

RELATED STORIES

Phil Mitchell and the Coto de Caza HOA board just invalided the 2016 Elections

Mr. Mitchell’s letter, violated the HOA's CC&Rs,  Civil Code §5135,  Civ. Code §44 and Civ. Code §45 and   Title 18, US Code Sect...



Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch 1Q2016 Crime and Vandalism Report


The Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) Crime and Vandalism report for the first quarter of 2016 is in and there are no major surprises:  We usually see a major swing between the end of the year and the first quarter, mostly associated with year-end reporting., So, for Coto de Caza we present two views:  A view reflective of the data as received from the OCSD and another one averaging the last two quarters.




Fifth traffic accident in Coto de Caza in as many months within ½ mile of Golfer Crossing Signs



Posted By CotoBlogzz


Coto de Caza, California - Another month, another damaged fence.  That makes it the third one in as many months, right at what CZ Master Association board member Mr. Phil Mitchell claims are CalTrans and NTSB compliant “golfer crossing” signs placed right in the middle of the most dangerous curve in the community.






bos.ocgov.com/legacy5/newsletters/pdf/LR Traffic Survey press.pdf
Ladera Ranch Needs More Traffic Patrols ... Ladera Ranch Transportation Club.Residents see increased law ... Even though the Highway Patrol has been diligent

bos.ocgov.com/legacy5/newsletters/pdf/Ladera_Ranch_Transportation...
that there is an immediate need for more traffic and parking enforcement in Ladera Ranch,” said Chuck Gibson, President of the Transportation Club. More than ...


  1. Ladera Ranch Transportation Club launches survey - The ...

    www.ocregister.com/articles/survey-179216-traffic-residents.html
    The Ladera Ranch Transportation Club launched a survey to identify residents' concerns regarding traffic issues and transportation. Transportation Club President ...


The CotoBuzz Journal : Crime in Ladera Ranch at all … 

cotobuzz.blogspot.com/2012/10/crime-in-ladera-ranch-at-all-time...
Oct 27, 2012 · Crime in Ladera Ranch at all time high ... from the California Highway Patrol San Juan ... second quarter of 2011 in Ladera Ranch more than 

Crime in Coto de Caza gets curioser, Ladera Ranch no change 

cotobuzz.blogspot.com/2012/07/crime-in-coto-de-caza-gets-curioser.html
Jul 26, 2012 · Crime in Coto de Caza gets curioser, Ladera Ranch no ... from theCalifornia Highway Patrol San Juan ... quarter of 2011 in Ladera Ranch more than .

The CotoBuzz Journal : Public Spectacles Work! 

cotobuzz.blogspot.com/2007/08/public-spectacles-work.html

Aug 2, 2007 - Public Spectacles worked For Ladera Ranch, and Laguna Woods ...Ladera Ranch residents were making a public spectacleCHP hours that 

The CotoBuzz Journal : Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under ... 


cotobuzz.blogspot.com/2007/.../drunk-driving-over-limit-under-arrest.ht...

Aug 20, 2007 - 
Coto CHP Pro-active Traffic Patrol Cause-Effect -The CHP ... that because Ladera Ranch residents were making a public spectacleCHP hours 

Coto de Caza CC&Rs and Potential Federal Law Violations


Coto de Caza CC&Rs and Potential Federal Law Violations

February 24, 2007

We sent the note below to Keystone – We have yet to hear from them, and if the trend continues, Keystone will not respond. So we decided to contact the service supplier directly. Their response is also shown below:

Based on this experience, we are planning to publish a periodic “violator’s list”. If you have any input, you know where to send it


OCSD on DUI Crackdown this weekend in Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and RSM



The  ‘Zero Tolerance’ crackdown so Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over!”  campaign

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s (OCSD)  DUI Task Force will be deploying this weekend to stop and arrest alcohol and drug-impaired drivers in the department’s ongoing traffic safety campaign, according to the OCSD.



Why is California Assemblyman Chad Mayes Expediting AB-1799 - bad legislation for homeowners?


Posted By CotoBlogzz.com

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – We have often argued I that we no longer need to elect legislators.  We need to elect problem solvers.  For the few candidates we have endorsed, we ask them to take the Pareto Rule Pledge, also known as the 80-20 rule, which basically states, worry about the vital few and forget about the trivial many.  The practical translation is that for every bill problem solvers introduce, they need to get rid of four.



The Varo anti-CHP Sentiment continues: CHP Go HOME, KEEP OUT OF OUR DUIs!

The Coto de Caza gates, including the automated ones are as reliable as the public utilities in the outskirts of Baghdad, yet the association continues paying for services barely-rendered, no questions asked.

The board in a classic case of the blind leading the blind are training security personnel– yet the guards get a raise and a yearly contract.

The property management company cannot hire competent managers, so the boards hire managers directly for them. Then the board for some strange reason has not gone out for bids for property management services in ½ a decade.

Blame it on the Sheriff, Gendarmerie Royale Du Coto de Caza

Blame it on the Sheriff, Gendarmerie Royale Du Coto de Caza


Gendarmerie Royale Du Coto de Caza


February 17, 2007

Following up on the Orange County Register's (February 16, 2007) story on the recent CZ Master Association board of directors' announcement of a "new and improved deployment of the roving private security patrol …and mounted units of the Sheriff’s department soon patrolling the horse trails and fire roads that surround the community", we decided to re-print a story we run on the CotoBlogzz, December 28, 2005 with the headlines "Blame it On The Sheriff"

Answer to Speeding Problem Is Slow to Get to Coto de Caza ... 

articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/23/local/me-coto23

Jan 23, 2006 - In the first year, 2001, the CHP issued 1,154 tickets. ... "It was extortion," said Bob Varo, president of the association board. ... and made its roads public, the community would qualify for Highway Patrol enforcement at no cos


Law would let HOAs pay for extra patrols - The Orange ... 


www.ocregister.com/.../contract-522560-coto-va...


Orange County Register
Aug 24, 2013 - County agrees to fund CHP patrols for one year, with Coto required to pay for .... Varo insists the contract won't impact the general publi


Coto, Ladera, 2006 Crime and Vandalism Trending
February 19, 2007
After much effort, and with many thanks to SSD/OCSD's Kristine Garcia and Teresa Roach, we finally have a comprehensive view of 2006 crime and vandalism for the un-incorporated communities of Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch.
Not surprising, these figures are consistent with previous CotoBuzz Journal public safety reporting and puts into question the wisdom of the Coto de Caza board of director's distribution of $2,000,000.00 year allocated for public safety, including the new deployment of useless private security patrols, the poor record of reliability of unmanned gates, the poor treatment of the California Highway Patrol personnel and the recently announced deployment of the Gendarmerie Royale Du Coto de Caza

The CotoBuzz Journal : Mezger resigns from board – an ...

cotobuzz.blogspot.de/2007/09/mezger-resigns-from-board-ocr.html

Sep 28, 2007 - The Varo anti-CHP Sentiment continues: CHP GO HOME, KEEP OUT OF OUR ... including the automated ones are as reliable as the public utilities in the ... Coto De Caza, Ladera Ranch, Safest Communities in the Canyons ?

Something is happening to the Coto de Caza CHP Traffic Accident Statistics and we do not know what it is, but cannot be good

Updated April 24, 2015 at 9:40 pm to include CHP patrol hours

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA –  When we last reported on the state of traffic accidents in Coto de Caza, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) data  for the secondquarter of 2014  ending June 30, 2014 showed the traffic accident rate in Coto de Caza at an all time high, after having registered its third traffic fatality I, while the California Highway Patrol hours in the community were down 25% from a lawsuit mitigation strategy-  such strategy called for 40 random patrol hours per was week


Posted by CotoBlogzz Coto de Caza, CA - at around 9:30 Sunday morning, several Orange  County Sheriff patrol cars, were dispatched to the ..


Coto de Caza, CA - The California Highway Patrol  (CHP) traffic accident report for the fourth quarter of 2013 ending December 30, 2013 (4Q2013) shows the traffic accident rate in Coto de Caza is at an all time high at rates comparable to the ones when the CZ Master Association board of directors fired the CHP with fatal consequences in December 2005 and March of 2006.



Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Qualys, a pioneer and leading provider of cloud security and compliance solutions announced yesterday that its newly released tool can detect the OpenSSL HeartBleed vulnerability announced Monday, April 7, 2014

Using the Qualys tool, the CZ Master Association’s website gets a  grade of F.   So does its security company’s, Universal Protection (UPS) website


Coto de Caza's Declaration of Independence, July 4, 2012

Coto de Caza, CA - The June 2006  issue of the CotoBuzz Journal includes a letter to the CZ Master Association members from former CZ master Board of  directors Joseph Morabito reading in par


Ladera Ranch Traffic Accident Rates Stabilize, Coto de Caza continues at all time high
Coto de Caza, CA - While Ladera Ranch registered 16 injured, 16 property damage and 4 DUIs during the fourth quarter of 2011, the community experienced seven injuries, 12 property damage and no DUIs in the first quarter ending March 30, 2012, according to figures from the California Highway Patrol San Juan Capistrano Office

Coto's Public Safety Ticking Time Bomb, Ladera's Traffic Accidents Double in Second Quarter of 2011
Coto de Caza, CA - While the number of traffic accidents for the second quarter of 2011 in Ladera Ranch more than doubled, resulting in nine injuries and three driving under the influence, according to the figures supplied by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) San Juan Capistrano (SJC,) it appears that the traffic accidents in Coto de Caza are trending down.

Coto Continues on Dangerous Course of Traffic Incidents
While Incident Rate Lower, Still at Critical Levels
Coto de Caza, CA - The good news for Coto de Caza residents is that the quarter-to-quarter accident rate for the quarter ending March 31, 2011 is significantly down from the previous quarter. The bad news is that it is still at the same levels as when the community experienced its two traffic fatalities within a three month period between December 2005 and March 2006

Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch 1Q2011 Public Safety Review
Coto de Caza, CA –By its own words and actions, it is fair to argue that Coto de Caza’s local governance is not only apathetic when it comes to public safety, but its own actions actually result increase the risk to residents. Worse, seems like adults in Coto de Caza have similar views as the local governance.
Our research over close to ten years indicate that whether a community is safe or not, is primarily a function of residents and local governance, not law enforcement. Consider that when a city in Orange County is deemed the safest city, what about the other 11 cities or the unincorporated areas? What about Coto de Caza with the highest crime rate in history in early 2010. After all, only common denominator is that the OCSD is the law enforcement agency. What does the OCSD do differently in the safest city, as opposed to the least safe city under its watch?

Coto de Caza's Traffic Incident Rate at Critical Danger Levels
Coto de Caza, CA - While the Coto de Caza's total population has been shrinking for the last ten years, including placement of 17 property liens for the month of January 2011 out of roughly 3500 homes, the policies pursued by the CZ Master association board of directors, the local governance, have consistently increased traffic with a reduction in CHP patrol hours, with predictable results. Consider that for close to a decade, we have consistently shown conclusive evidence that there is a direct correlation between the extent of the CHP traffic enforcement efforts and the number of traffic accidents in the community.

While Incident Rate Lower, Still at Critical Levels
Coto de Caza, CA - The good news for Coto de Caza residents is that the quarter-to-quarter accident rate for the quarter ending March 31, 2011 is significantly down from the previous quarter. The bad news is that it is still at the same levels as when the community experienced its two traffic fatalities within a three month period between December 2005 and March 2006

Coto de Caza, CA - The CotoBuzz Journal has documented the one-sided hate-hate relationship between the CZ Master Association board of directors and law enforcement agencies in general, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) specifically (CHP). In an open board meeting for example, a board member called the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) extortionists! Despite the public abuse the CHP has received from the Coto de Caza board of directors ever since the board was coerced into bringing the CHP back for pro-active traffic patrol, figures indicate that the CHP has been doing its job: - The Chart below was published Sept. 30, 2006.

Rhianna Six Month’s Anniversary Mr. Manian’s Three Month’s Anniversary

It has been six months since Rhianna Woolsey died (December 7, 2005) in the first traffic fatality in Coto de Caza in the last ten years. Sadly, this week also marks the Three Month Anniversary of Mr. Morteza Manian’s death, as he was struck by a...

Bicycle Safety Within Coto de Caza
During the June 8, 2006 Coto de Caza board meeting Yo Orduno described a public safety situation in the Summerfield district including a warning about an increase of rush hour cyclists in and around Vista Del Verde, some even riding pairwise making the...

In July, 2006 the new state law governing HOA elections will take effect. That means that shortly thereafter, the Board should send out information concerning the mechanisms the Board intends to implement in 2007 to comply with...

First 2006-2007 Coto de Caza Board of Directors Meeting, Standing Room Only!  …and Coto de Caza’s Tar Baby
The first 2006-2007 Coto de Caza Board of Directors Meeting, can best be described as standing-room only, with the local media well represented.  A political junkie would have felt right at home, as you could sense the excitement, the energy and the...

COTOBUZZ RELEASES CRIME & VANDALISM MANAGEMENT TOOL
In its continued commitment to public safety, on June 1, 2006, CotoBuzz unveiled a Crime and Vandalism Management tool (see below for first installment), containing key metrics and a side-by-side comparison between Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch....

COTO DE CAZA- SecurityAreNotUs
In today's Canyon Life, there was an article about Lyle Schlieder's leaving the BOD. Lyle was quoted as follows: "There are no patrols anymore. I am not sure if what we are dealing with is just a pretty face at the gate that we pay a lot of money for." So...

BREAKING NEWS: COTO IS SAFER THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES:
BREAKING NEWS: COTO IS SAFER THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES:
The April 21 issue of the CanyonLife reports that “Fred Lisanti of Pacific Oak Security, security consultants to the ( Coto de Caza) board, presented a report indicating the official crime...

CotoBuzz March 2006 Newsletter
First Traffic Accident Lawsuit Filed: Coto de Caza Public Safety Bandwagon is filling up Fast- Hop In!: . We just received the February 2006 CHP report – as previously reported in the Coto discussion forum, we had our first traffic accident in...

Lawless, Clueless Coto de Caza
Last night, December 12, 2006, the CZ homeowner’s association board of directors held their regularly scheduled open session meeting. Present were representatives from the LA Times and Freedom Communications.

Lawless, Values-less, Spiritual-less Coto de Caza
When we first moved to Coto de Caza over 12 years ago, we really thought there was No Place Like Coto. Shortly thereafter CNN/Money discovered Coto as well and included it in their list of One of the Best Places to Live/Best Places to Retire.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - That great sucking sound you hear comes from all the jobs leaving California for states such as Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Texas.  All thanks to the union, lobbyists and thousands of parasitic bureaucracies, such as LAFCO, which are sucking the economic life out of the state.

Two elections are now part of an FBI investigation into allegations of corruption at Cudahy City Hall. Transcripts of wiretaps allegedly show that local officials believed they could control election outcomes.

The DaVaro Deception and the Gospel  According to MezgerFor years, the DaVaro Deception has led Coto de Caza resident’s believe that public safety was the board’s number one concern, while repressing initiatives designed to prevent crime & vandalism and save lives, and promoting personal agendas.
As complaints mounted and calls for his termination increased, a blatant example of the most recent deception is board member Jerry Mezger’s revelation that the Property Management Company’s general manager is not a Keystone employee, but rather a highly paid association employee “CJ works for the Board and not Keystone.  Keystone merely handles the payroll and other personnel technicalities.  Keystone has no authority to hire, fire, or discipline CZ’s General Manager”.

The Coto de Caza Board of directors meeting held, appropriately on July 13, 2006, provided yet more evidence of the involution of the safety committee:

Coto de Caza's Own Climate Change – An Inconvenient Truth: a Big Snow JobRancho Santa Margarita, CA - The president of Coto de Caza’s local governance reports that certain residents are surprised the community is doling out subsidies of over $3 million/year, mostly as a result of the board’s misguided decision to build a dog park at the time it is facing a fiscal tsunami of its own making.
At the same time, the local governance reports having worked for “most of the past year to identify the various long term governance options available to the community”.  It fails to report, that the local governance has also been working with an un-elected, unchecked body, LAFCO.  Not unlike, the unelected, unchecked Air Resources Board declaring today that AB 32 will not change the economy: .”  these bodies are tax-payer funded bodies acting more like unregistered lobbyists, which is why we often referred to them as parasitic bureaucracies and one of California’s Triple Threa

Rancho Santa Margarita’s Council Member Thompson’s Suspended ContractRancho Santa Margarita – CA.  The Menifee City Council has suspended Finance Director Gary Thompson’s contract and will hire an auditor to probe the city's internal financial controls.  The audit is supposed to focus on the city's supplier management process and controls. Mr. Thompson is an incumbent Rancho Santa Margarita council member seeking reelection
Parasitic Bureaucracies

Calif Public Employees Retirement System Board Member Charged W Fraud
LOS ANGELES, CA- The California Attorney General (AG) today announced that the AG's office has filed a civil suit against former California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) Board Member Alfred Villalobos, his company ARVCO Capital, and former CalPERS CEO Federico Fred Buenrostro, charging them with fraud

Of Parasitic Bureaucracies
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - We plan to update this page from time to time - so stay tuned, or send us suggestion,We continue to assert that California’s Triple Threat is choking off California: 1) Unions, 2) Lobbyist and 3) Parasitic bureaucracies. In the past, we have discussed the California Law Revision Commission (CLRC), the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), and the Air Quality Board (AQB) as an example of parasitic bureaucracies.

The EEOC Says we are wrong – Criminals Deserve Jobs Too.
When clients ask us to suggest a cyber security plan, we start out with a number of questions, such as: Do you know about the $1,000 fence for the $1.00 horse? Who is the enemy? The answer usually leads us to the What and the Why of the final proposal. Turns out that some 70-90% of all security breaches are directly linked to insiders. These and other fact lead us to include a recommended best business hiring process, which includes a background check on potential employees, particularly those who may be chartered with guarding the aforementioned horse.

CAL. AG Lobbies US Senate - Refuses to join in Challenge to Constitutionality of HCR
LOS ANGELES, CA - As a financial reform package advances in the Senate and an unrelenting swarm of Wall Street lobbyists descends on Capitol Hill to block it, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today urged senators to preserve a critical portion of the legislation which allows states to join the fight against financial fraud on the front line. At the same time, as a number of Attorneys General and Governors accross the country swarm to challenge the constitutionality of the ObamaCare Bill, Brown refuses to join mostly because doing so politicizes the issue
Caza the GRUP Capital of Orange County. - Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - A review of the crime and vandalism figures for the communities of Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch for the third quarter of 2009 show few surprises, although in both instances, the incident rates have inched upward.  Larceny, theft and fraud are the main factors contributing to the increase in Coto de Caza, while fraud, vandalism and dis-orderly conduct are the ones listed for Ladera Ranch.

In covering public safety in the community for the last six years, I have learned that the GRUP Syndrome aka Michael Jackson’s Syndrome – where adults refuse to grow up, is not only alive and well in Coto de Caza, but is also thriving.

Coto de Caza Traffic Citations – Trading Places- We have often referred to the GRUP, Peter Pan and even Michael Jackson Syndrome – where adults refuse to grow up - and usually associated with  traffic citations.  This time is no different.  Looking at snap shots of citations throughout 2008:

Public Safety Data Indicates GRUPs Continue to be an Issue in Coto de Caza- Coto de Caza, CA - The latest public safety data from the Orange County Sheriff's department shows the crime  rate in Coto de Caza continues an upward trend that started at the end of December of 2007 and reached a peak by March of 2008.

What are the $1.5M Coto de Caza Gates Good For? We have often presented irrefutable evidence that gated communities are not necessarily safer than communities with no gates.   In fact, the over $1.5 million dollars/year  spent by  Coto de Caza, often makes that community less safe than most of the gated or un-gated neighbors

Grup City – Coto de Caza ......Of Peter Pan, Grups and Coto d Caza
As the Coto de Caza board of directors controlled by Varo/Mezger/Hill continue to handle public safety as a Tar Baby, it is only appropriate to consider a tag line for Coto de Caza once Varo/Mezger/Hill accomplish their goal of turning Coto into a City....

What Coto de Caza is Doing for Public SafetyWAugust 8,   2008                      We are currently following up on various traffic incidents registered in Coto de Caza during July and have asked the CHP to confirm the investigations are still open in the cases listed below
Orange County Crime Down, Nation's Crime Up - While the FBI is expected to report a 1.3 percent rise in violent crime nationwide in 2006 — an increase for the second straight year,  Sheriff Michael Carona today announced that criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft decreased by 3.7% in jurisdictions served by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in 2006. “This is great news for Orange County. Violent crimes decreased by 7.72% and property crimes decreased by 3.76% as compared to 2005. The men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, in partnership with our residents, community leaders, and business owners, continue to make law enforcement a top priority. We are, once again, one of the safest communities in the nation,” said Sheriff Carona.

No Dues Increase for Estates and Villages - Thanks CZ!
Thanks to the outstanding work of the boards from the Estates and the Villages, apparently there is no need to raise dues for 2009 ? however, most of the credit should go to the CZ Master Association board of directors for their contribution to the common..

Crime and Vandalism In Coto de Caza at All Time High
The President?s letter contained in the October 2008 CZ Master association newsletter asserts that ?With the kids back in school, incidents of vandalism have dropped 80%. There were a lot more vandalism incidents this summer compared to last year for...
From "To Serve and Protect" to Disarm, Intimidate and Ridicule
It is all about the culture stupid! - Arrogance, incompetence or stupidity?When we first interviewed Sheriff Hutchens and just prior to her swearing in ceremony we asked her to define the OCSD? culture. She was unable to articulate a response - so we...

1Q2007 Coto de Caza Crime and Vandalism Report
A comparison between the 1Q2006 and 1Q2007 Crime and Vandalism reports shows that a favorite Coto de Caza crime is fraud, that the Peter Pan Syndrome continues to be alive and well (crime is evenly distributed between kids and adults) and a criminal…

CHP in Coto - Big Mouth CZ Bob- By Joseph Morabito, former member CZ Master Association Board of Directors
Hello All: I have heard that CHP officers are not volunteering to work in Coto even for the time and a half pay they would earn. So, we are not even getting the 40 hours a week that was the original deal under Glisson/Rose. It would seem that Bob…

How many times must the CZ safety committee be formed before it can be called an association committee?
A 2006 CZ newsletter proudly announces that the ?CZ Master Association Champions Public Safety Committee?, During 2006 general CZ board meetings, the board appoints a chairman and various public safety committee members.A 2007 CZ stupid lawyer letter…

CHP DOES ITS JOB – CZ BOARD  PLEASE DO YOURS! Despite the public abuse the CHP has received from the Coto de Caza board of directors ever since the board was coerced into bringing the CHP back for pro-active traffic patrol, figures indicate that the CHP is doing its job:  Trend for accident rate is down and close to pre-firing levels.   Just as important, the number of Coto residents arrested for DUI is down. See chart below for actual accident rate.

CHP Public Arrest WE9-24 and the Varo For Mayor Flawed Arguments
With more than a few data points under Coto’s belt, we can officially declare that there is a positive downward trend in the number of Coto residents arrested by the CHP since we started this report!

Coto de Caza Truth Or Consequences
Earlier this morning we spent close to two hours with Mayor of the City of Laguna Nigel Cathryn DeYoung & Candidate for Orange County Supervisor, Fifth District  and Lt. Col. Bill Kogerman.

Coto de Caza Supplier Performance Management Performance
Given Keystone’s, private security company and the myriad of consultant’s track record, we repeatedly asked the board to use our supplier performance metrics or come up with their own.
Finally the board’s response was: “If…

CHP PUBLIC ARREST RECORD FOR WEEK ENDING 9-10-2006
At the risk of pulling an OCR’s Sickler (attempting to impersonate a reporter by presenting “news” with no factual information to support these news), we are starting to see what appears to be a trend: A reduction in Coto residents…

The Broken CZipper and Mezger’s POLP Rain
These (see email below from former Coto de Caza board of directors, Joe Morabito) are clear indications of an out of control board:Generally, the rights of homeowners include the right to participate in meetings of the board of directors and to be heard,…

The Coto de Caza Government Paradox
California is the direct democracy capital of the nation. California uses the direct initiative process, which enables voters to bypass the Legislature and have an issue of concern put directly on the ballot for voter approval or rejection. There are two...

NEW COTO DE CAZA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, SALVATOR OR CONSERVATOR?THE RISE AND FALL OF THE VARO/MEZGER EMPIRE
ocham, Zipperman, you just won a seat on the Coto de Caza Board of Directors, what are you going to do now? In his book Values in a Time of Upheaval, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger asserts that a fundamental orientation in the modern conception of politics and...

First 2006-2007 Coto de Caza Board of Directors Meeting, Standing Room Only!  …and Coto de Caza’s Tar BabyThe first 2006-2007 Coto de Caza Board of Directors Meeting, can best be described as standing-room only, with the local media well represented.  A political junkie would have felt right at home, as you could sense the excitement, the energy and the...

COTO DE CAZA BOARD 2006 ELECTIONS - A VOTING GUIDE
In general we are in agreement with Joe Morabito's assessment of the 2006 candidates to the CZ Master Association Board of Directors (below) . Our recommendations differ slightly for a number of reasons, some of the listed below: For an attorney
The annual Coto de Caza Shakespearean Festival kicks off May 11, 2006, with the adaptation Macbeth by none other than the Board of Directors’ President, The Baro himself.
In this Shakespearean classic, Macbeth is about a noble warrior who gets caught...

OFFICZE SUPPLIES & COTO’s CZENSE OBITUARY
When the current Coto de Caza board of directors first took office, Mitch Hill told the joke of a new executive who received three sequentially numbered envelopes from his predecessor and told to open these only when he had major problems and needed...

Blatant manipulation of 2006 CZ Master Association Elections Continues
When the May 2006 issue of the CA Master Association President's Letter contained erroneous information regarding the number of remaining candidates for the board of directors, we published an errata and called on those responsible for managing the...

COTO DE CAZA ROOTS: USE OF "NON-RESIDENT VOLUNTEERS" April 30, 2006
The current Coto de Caza board of directors came to power with the help of non-resident Paul Young. Young is executive vice president with the CRI. CRI has been accused in the past of financial irregularities, which allegedly triggered an investigation...

COTO DE CAZA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ERRATA
The May 2006 issue of the Coto de Caza President’s Letter contains an error that can have a significant impact on the 2006 board of director’s election:
The message reads in part “The newly elected Delegates from the 45 CZ Master..
.
COTO DE CAZA LEADERSHIP MODELING
Disturbed by the feedback the board is getting about service providers, the board president writes in the May 2006 issue of the CZ President’s Letter: “what makes matters worse is that one would think that these individuals would know...

JUSTICE, COTO DE CAZA STYLE
We just had a constructive, and at times very heated, conversation with Orange County’s Deputy District Attorney, Susan Schroeder regarding the tragic accident that occurred March 12, 2006 at the intersection of North Hampton Place and Lexington Way.




Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch 1Q2011 Public Safety Review

Coto de Caza, CA –By its own words and actions, it is fair to argue that Coto de Caza’s local governance is not only apathetic when it comes to public safety, but its own actions actually result increase the risk to residents. Worse, seems like adults in Coto de Caza have similar views as the local governance.

Our research over close to ten years indicate that whether a community is safe or not, is primarily a function of residents and local governance, not law enforcement. Consider that when a city in Orange County is deemed the safest city, what about the other 11 cities or the unincorporated areas? What about Coto de Caza with the highest crime rate in history in early 2010. After all, only common denominator is that the OCSD is the law enforcement agency. What does the OCSD do differently in the safest city, as opposed to the least safe city under its watch?



Coto de Caza's Traffic Incident Rate at Critical Danger Levels
Coto de Caza, CA - While the Coto de Caza's total population has been shrinking for the last ten years, including placement of 17 property liens for the month of January 2011 out of roughly 3500 homes, the policies pursued by the CZ Master association board of directors, the local governance, have consistently increased traffic with a reduction in CHP patrol hours, with predictable results. Consider that for close to a decade, we have consistently shown conclusive evidence that there is a direct correlation between the extent of the CHP traffic enforcement efforts and the number of traffic accidents in the community.


Coto Continues on Dangerous Course of Traffic Incidents

While Incident Rate Lower, Still at Critical Levels

Coto de Caza, CA - The good news for Coto de Caza residents is that the quarter-to-quarter accident rate for the quarter ending March 31, 2011 is significantly down from the previous quarter. The bad news is that it is still at the same levels as when the community experienced its two traffic fatalities within a three month period between December 2005 and March 2006

Coto de Caza Fires the CHP - Again!

Coto de Caza, CA - The CotoBuzz Journal has documented the one-sided hate-hate relationship between the CZ Master Association board of directors and law enforcement agencies in general, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) specifically (CHP). In an open board meeting for example, a board member called the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) extortionists! Despite the public abuse the CHP has received from the Coto de Caza board of directors ever since the board was coerced into bringing the CHP back for pro-active traffic patrol, figures indicate that the CHP has been doing its job: - The Chart below was published Sept. 30, 2006.

Rhianna Six Month’s Anniversary Mr. Manian’s Three Month’s Anniversary

It has been six months since Rhianna Woolsey died (December 7, 2005) in the first traffic fatality in Coto de Caza in the last ten years. Sadly, this week also marks the Three Month Anniversary of Mr. Morteza Manian’s death, as he was struck by a...

Bicycle Safety Within Coto de Caza
During the June 8, 2006 Coto de Caza board meeting Yo Orduno described a public safety situation in the Summerfield district including a warning about an increase of rush hour cyclists in and around Vista Del Verde, some even riding pairwise making the...

Coto de Caza - New Election Laws - Call for Candidates
Dear CZ Board Members:

In July, 2006 the new state law governing HOA elections will take effect. That means that shortly thereafter, the Board should send out information concerning the mechanisms the Board intends to implement in 2007 to comply with...

First 2006-2007 Coto de Caza Board of Directors Meeting, Standing Room Only!  …and Coto de Caza’s Tar Baby
The first 2006-2007 Coto de Caza Board of Directors Meeting, can best be described as standing-room only, with the local media well represented.  A political junkie would have felt right at home, as you could sense the excitement, the energy and the...

COTOBUZZ RELEASES CRIME & VANDALISM MANAGEMENT TOOL
In its continued commitment to public safety, on June 1, 2006, CotoBuzz unveiled a Crime and Vandalism Management tool (see below for first installment), containing key metrics and a side-by-side comparison between Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch....

COTO DE CAZA- SecurityAreNotUs
In today's Canyon Life, there was an article about Lyle Schlieder's leaving the BOD. Lyle was quoted as follows: "There are no patrols anymore. I am not sure if what we are dealing with is just a pretty face at the gate that we pay a lot of money for." So...

BREAKING NEWS: COTO IS SAFER THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES:
BREAKING NEWS: COTO IS SAFER THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES:

The April 21 issue of the CanyonLife reports that “Fred Lisanti of Pacific Oak Security, security consultants to the ( Coto de Caza) board, presented a report indicating the official crime...

CotoBuzz March 2006 Newsletter
First Traffic Accident Lawsuit Filed: Coto de Caza Public Safety Bandwagon is filling up Fast- Hop In!: . We just received the February 2006 CHP report – as previously reported in the Coto discussion forum, we had our first traffic accident in...

Lawless, Clueless Coto de Caza
Last night, December 12, 2006, the CZ homeowner’s association board of directors held their regularly scheduled open session meeting. Present were representatives from the LA Times and Freedom Communications.
Lawless, Values-less, Spiritual-less Coto de Caza
When we first moved to Coto de Caza over 12 years ago, we really thought there was No Place Like Coto. Shortly thereafter CNN/Money discovered Coto as well and included it in their list of One of the Best Places to Live/Best Places to Retire.

1 comment:

JL "Buzz" Aguirre said...
Even though SB-298, which enables unincorporated communities to engage directly with the OCSD for supplemental law enforcement services, was signed into law in 2013 the Orange County Board of Supervisors (OCBOS) does not have any formal requests from the CZ Master Association. The OCSD does have records of preliminary MOU discussions circa 2015, after the third fatality, but the CZ Master Association turned down any help from the OCSD for supplemental services, even though it is obligated to provide 520 hours of proactive traffic patrol, but the CHP can provide only some 60% pf that

Actual Text from the OCBOS follows:

From: "Pasco, Jean"
To: 'The CotoBuzz Journal'
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 4:50 PM
Subject: RE: County of Orange case number 51728

Thank you. Did you get my follow-up email?
Here it is if it didn’t come over yet:

I checked with the Sheriff's Department and received the following information:

Following passage of SB 298 OCSD did engage in discussions with the Coto de Caza HOA regarding an MOU for supplemental law enforcement services. However, in January of 2015 the HOA notified us that they had opted to continue utilizing CHP for supplemental services and were no longer interested in pursuing an MOU with the Sheriff's Department.

There have been no subsequent requests.
You may wish to contact the HOA to ask whether they engaged supplemental law enforcement services from a city.