March  2010  

One Baugh Down, One BOCELI to Go

Posted By CotoBlogzz 02-15-2010 | 08:00 PM

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Over one year ago we forecasted that 2010 would usher in a disruptive political environment such that it would make Madam Senator Barbara Boxer, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid vulnerable.  Pundits and observers alike laughed at our thinking then, describing it as typical fringe teabagger mentality.

Who is laughing now?

Baughing Down

For a few years now, we have been begging politicians to adopt President Reagan’s ultimatum to organized labor in the public sector: Shape up or ship out and BOCE   – Bureaucracy Obliteration Cronyism Elimination and Lobbyist Incineration 

Again, our requests fell on deaf political ears.  Then Scott Brown happened, followed by the Baugh Initiative,  the Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation and politicians of different persuasions claiming to have seen the light.

Who is laughing now?

As soon as OC GOP Chairman announced that candidates must choose between the GOP or the union, sparks started to fly: Sheriff candidate Lt. Hunt was unhappy that the local paper had reported that he had chosen the GOP, while Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly said  I'd characterize it more like the “Baugh Ultimatum.” …Union pressure throughout the political process—at all levels of government—are what’s created the “coming fiscal tsunami,” when asked what she thought about the Baugh Initiaitve

Soon after Scott Baugh issued the Baugh Initiative, the Lincoln Club follow with what we call, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation- the  Lincoln Club’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to  embrace the Baugh Initiative:  Any candidate seeking the Lincoln Club’s endorsement must take a  Union-Free Pledge stating that a candidate  “will not accept campaign contributions from public employee unions.”

Argument for Bureaucracy Obliteration:

Did you know that California has a bureaucracy dedicated simply to review new legislation to make sure it is not in conflict with the existing one?  View this as an excellent illustration of a  redundant department of redundancy.

Like the TV commercial, don’t; you wonder what else you don’t know?  The California Law Revision Commission (CLRC) is just another redundant bureaucracy.  We often refer to the CLRC as a government funded unregistered lobbyist more focused on looking after special interests than the interests of the taxpayers.  But wait, there is much more!

The California Law Revision Commission’s (CLRC) Executive Director Brian Hebert allegedly contacted a book publisher, to drop a book authored by a dogged critic.  The book just happens to be a  must have for residents fighting abusive common interest development (CID)  boards and for taxpayers fed up with the bloated California bureaucracy.  We understand that as a result of the CLRC's actions, a lawsuit may be filed.  Mr. Hebert refused to comment, stating that the CLRC does not comment on pending litigation matters.

We tried to determine the level of the CLRC’s involvement in the book matter studying phone record and expense reimbursement for CLRC staff for the period in question.  We found there was a six-month black hole – a period where telephone records were missing. Mr. Hebert attributed the missing documents to a “service provider failure."   In this case a telephone system failure.   When questioned further as to what the CLRC  was prepared to do to make sure the agency would be responsive to future freedom of information act requests, Mr. Hebert reasoned that his agency was not big enough and had to outsource its telephone needs.  The implications are not inconsequential when it comes to transparency and accountability:  Any government entity can avoid being subjected to freedom of information act requests, by merely outsourcing its communication  needs for example.  

Said Mr. Hebert

CTA

In a recent case the California Highway Patrol (CHP) opened a previously closed case  that on the surface, seemed slam dunk, had the CTA administration cooperated.  The case was opened, only after the CotoBuzz Journal got involved.  Although CHP investigators found and charged the alleged instigator of the accident, we never received a response from the  Toll Roads, managed by the Transportation Corridor Agencies (CTA) to  our Public Records Act request.

Interesting to note that a public safety official recently opined that 

– Our own experience trying to obtain information from the OCSD supports such assertion.

LAFCO (Orange County Local Agency Formation)

Part of LAFCO’s Orange County LAFCO mission statement is to promoting orderly growth and development; discouraging urban sprawl while preserving open space and agricultural lands; and  encouraging efficient service areas for local governments. On the other hand, the state and federal government’s own common interest development federal projections, show this type of development to play  a prominent future, particularly in California. Consequently the  California state legislature continues to play an active role in defining the relationship between the common interest development homeowners association, its members, and third parties, while LAFCO continues to do the opposite:   That is, where the California legislature (CLRC) gives, LAFCO takes away.  But wait, there is more:

The Coto de Caza’s local government is facing a fiscal tsunami of its own making:  With reserves at less than 30% instead of the more fiscally responsible 70%, with subsidies at $3 million/year and an all time crime rate, local governance has decided to build a Dog Park - have you seen the pot holes in the major arteries of Coto de Caza? It is no secret that Coto de Caza’s local government is not welcomed in San Juan Capistrano or that the local government has strong support from  DUI defense attorneys.   Even the OCSD representatives were called extortionists in open board meetings.  Consequences:  According to  OCSD figures, Coto de Caza has the highest crime rate of all times.  Consistent with Winstren’s Law:  Crime goes where it is welcomed  and stays where it is well treated.  If this is not a classic case of depraved indifference, we do not know what may qualify!

But wait, there is more.  Aided and abetted by LAFCO, it is spending residents’ own money on PR material to convince the same residents  that annexation is good for them.  However, like the federal government botching the interrogation of the Christmas Day Bomber interrogation, LAFCO  botches the unveiling of the annexation initiative and blames it on miscommunication  between the various members of LAFCO.  Quickly, Sergio Prince, Supervisor Pat Bates’ Executive Director of Public Affairs suggested to “hire a facilitator, avoid communications breakdown” – Why not?  After all, is this not standard operating procedure for a typical bureaucracy? 

ACORN

Enough said

 We continue to argue that the only effective way to deal with California's impending bankruptcy is to eliminate 80% of the useless bureaucracy and meaningful lobbyist reform.

Argument for Lobbyist Incineration

Did you know that shortly after the federal government bailed out General Motors,  GM spent $2.8 Million,  to lobby the government for more money!

Makes you wonder what else you do not know?

Did you know that the corps of lobbyists is the de facto California's third house?  Registered lobbyists outnumber lawmakers in Sacramento 8-to-1. Operative word is registered.  This does not count the unregistered lobbyist such as the CLRC, CTA or LAFCO.  Even the OCSD last year unveiled an office – to lobby lawmakers in Sacramento.

Then there are the Top Five Lobby Spenders in Sacramento

• 1.  The Service Employees International Union spent $10.9 million over a two-year period.
• 2.  The Western States Petroleum Association, which represents oil and gas companies, spent $10.5 million
• 3.  The  California Teachers Association ($7.9 million)
• 4.  The Bromine Science and Environmental Forum ($6.5 million)
• 5.  The California Hospital Association ($5.9 million)

Councilwoman’s “union-manufactured fiscal tsunami” pales in comparison to the “bureaucracy and lobbyist manufacture invisible tsunami. 

Politicians can now dismiss the BOCE Initiative.  Just remember Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.  Better yet, dismiss the tebaggers,

---

Most of Orange County City Hall does the mumbaugh  - Dubbed the mumbaugh (rhymes with Mambo), like the Irish Riverdance, it consists of rapid leg movement, but in this case,  at times covering ears, mouth and or eyes, most popular with the politicians throughout Orange County, triggered by  the Baugh Initiative.

We asked (phone, fax, e-mai) all council members of the 12 cities in Orange County outsourcing its  public safety to the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD), what their priorities were,  what they thought of the Baugh Initiative and what they were doing to make sure that the money paid by their respective cities to the county for OCSD services were in fact being delivered and consistent with what the taxpayers wanted.

 

Name	City	MumBaugh?	Comments
Neil Blais	RSM	Yes	Incumbent
James M. Thor	RSM	Yes	Incumbent
Gary Thompson	RSM	Yes	Incumbent
Jesse Petrilla	RSM	No
Frank Ury	Mission Viejo	No	Frank sent us references to published material - we have not studied yet
Lance MacLean	Mission Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Cathy Schlicht	Mission Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
John Paul Ledesma	Mission Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Patricia Kelley	Mission Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Peter Herzog	Lake Forest	Yes	Incumbent
Richard T. Dixon	Lake Forest	Yes	Incumbent
Kathryn Mc Cullough	Lake Forest	Yes	Incumbent
Marcia Rudolph	Lake Forest	Yes	Incumbent
Mark Tettemer	Lake Forest	Yes	Incumbent
Dr. Londres Uso	San Juan Capistrano	Yes	Incumbent
Laura Freese	San Juan Capistrano	Yes	Incumbent
Sam Allevato	San Juan Capistrano	Yes	Incumbent
Thomas Hribar	San Juan Capistrano	Yes	Incumbent
Mark Nielsen	San Juan Capistrano	Yes	Incumbent
Lori Donchak	San Clemente	Yes	Incumbent
Joe Anderson	San Clemente	Yes	Incumbent
Jim Dahl	San Clemente	Yes	Incumbent
G. Wayne Eggleston	San Clemente	Yes	Incumbent
Bob Baker	San Clemente	Yes	Incumbent
Phillip B. Tsunoda	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Carmen Cave	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Greg Ficke	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Donald A. Garcia	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
William “Bill” Phillips	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Randal Bressette	Laguna Hills	Yes	Incumbent
R. Craig Scott	Laguna Hills	Yes	Incumbent
Melody Carruth	Laguna Hills	Yes	Incumbent
L. Allan Songstad, Jr.	Laguna Hills	Yes	Incumbent
Joel Lautenschleger	Laguna Hills	Yes	Incumbent
Robert Ming	Laguna Nigel	Yes	Incumbent
Paul Glaab	Laguna Nigel	Yes	Incumbent
Joe Brown	Laguna Nigel	Yes	Incumbent
Gary Capata	Laguna Nigel	Yes	Incumbent
Linda Lindholm	Laguna Nigel	Yes	Incumbent
Steven H. Weinberg	Dana Point	Yes	Incumbent
Scott Schoeffel	Dana Point	Yes	Incumbent
Lara Anderson	Dana Point	Yes	Incumbent
Lisa A. Bartlett	Dana Point	Yes	Incumbent
Joel Bishop	Dana Point	Yes	Incumbent
Phillip B. Tsunoda	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Carmen Cave	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Greg Ficke	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Donald A. Garcia	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
William “Bill” Phillips	Aliso Viejo	Yes	Incumbent
Cynthia Conners	Laguna Woods	Yes	Incumbent
Bob Ring	Laguna Woods	Yes	Incumbent
Marty Rhodes	Laguna Woods	Yes	Incumbent
Bert Hack	Laguna Woods	Yes	Incumbent
Milton Milt Robbins	Laguna Woods	Yes	Incumbent
Alexander A. Ethans	Stanton	???	Incumbent
Carol Warren	Stanton	???	Incumbent
Edward D. Royce	Stanton	???	Incumbent
Brian Donahue	Stanton	???	Incumbent
David J. Shawver	Stanton	???	Incumbent
Bill Mac Aloney	Villa Park	???	Incumbent
W. Richard Ulmer	Villa Park	???	Incumbent
Deborah Pauly	Villa Park	NO	Does not do mumbaugh
Brad Reese	Villa Park	???	Incumbent
James Rheins	Villa Park	???	Incumbent

 

 

 

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