High Desert Politics

Rene De La Cruz of the Daily Press and the lead writer for the Apple Valley Review is looking for comments from the general public concerning the Sitting Bull Rd. development which if approved, will change zoning from its current estate 1-2.5 acres per parcel, down to a high density 0.4-0.9 acres per parcel.

If you would like to comment, please send your comments to news@applevalley-review.com Subject Line: Housing Tract

Just wondering if anyone else noticed that the endorsement snafu’s continue when the Daily Press published the electronic voter guide this past week, and two congressional candidates are claiming Adelanto Mayor Cari Thomas’ endorsement? Here is the link to the Voter’s Guide:2012 Voter’s Guide: Both Brad Mitzelfelt and Ryan McEachron claim her endorsement, but since both are running for Congress and to represent the 8th District, that can’t be! I also noticed that one of the presumed frontrunners, Assemblyman Paul Cook, was only able to garner the endorsement of former Mayor of Victorville Ken Hunter- none of the other Victorville Council endorsed him. That’s because Councilwoman Angela Valles is running against him- understandable there. Why aren’t any of Victorville’s Councilmen in Kennedy, Cabriales, Rothschild, or former Mayor Terry Caldwell listed as endorsing Ryan McEachron? We all know they do, which is why Cook didn’t get their endorsements. I found that interesting. Is McEachron intentionally trying to separate himself from them or did his high priced public relations firm (paid for by Buck Johns more than likely) advise him not to list them?

Then we have the case of Apple Valley Councilman Scott Nassif who told Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron that he couldn’t use his name for an endorsement, when McEachron was doing so. The Daily Press wrote the story, so I know that it was an issue. Councilman Nassif isn’t endorsing anyone according to the guide, but then just a couple days ago he wrote an opinion letter to the Daily Press attacking Al Vogler’s, “No on Mitzlefelt” signs as an attempt to as Nassif’s letter indicates, “mislead” the general public using his free speech. I countered that if anyone is misleading the public, it would be Scott Nassif. There is a mailer put out supporting Brad Mitzelfelt that bears an Apple Valley P.O. Box number. The group doesn’t even have the guts to identify themselves. Some may remember the candidate soiree that Apple Valley threw recently at their new gang clubhouse- the country club? Neighbors United and Scott Nassif told Mitzelfelt that they have his back for this election during that meeting. If you remember nothing before you vote, remember the following: Mitzelfelt nominated Frank Williams who was the former Chairman of the Southern California BIA to sit on the board of the San Bernardino County Housing Authority. Mitzelfelt had close ties for many years with BIA. Frank Williams paid for mailers for Scott Nassif’s Apple Valley Town Council runs in the past, he also spread money around all the other local elections, but when I confronted Nassif on that money not being included in his CA. Form 460′s, he claimed he had no knowledge of who Frank Williams was and that Williams has the right to do mailers supporting whoever he wants. I might have bought that councilman, except the favor was just recently returned when you voted to give Frank Williams and his partner, Barry Ephraim, a cool $2.1 million in taxpayer money to purchase Happy Trails Villas. Talk about misleading- or calling the kettle black!

There will be another formation meeting for a new group to counter Neighbors United. Citizens for Smart Growth is establishing its own PAC and will be meeting Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at the McDonalds on the corner of Bear Valley Rd. and Apple Valley Rd. from 9 A.M. until 11 A.M. We understand that those who work can’t make some of these meetings, so in the future, there will be meetings in the evening. Our objective is simple, return Apple Valley politics back to representation of all its residents- not just the elite country clubbers. We realize the battle and the disadvantage we have, like meeting at McDonalds instead of the clubhouse, but it is past due that something be done about our local politics. We intend to be an apolitical group that welcomes different parties and we are only interested in supporting candidates who want to do what is right for Apple Valley’s future. Please feel free to join us.

I attended Victorville’s Council meeting on May 15, 2012 and spoke during public comments and then later during agenda items 11 and 12 which had to do with approvals for additional fees at the still not functioning correctly Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWWTP) at SCLA. One of the comments that McEachron makes during those wastewater discussions and found at about 1:30:00 of the videotape is how efficiently Dr. Pepper Snapple Group is. The spin cycle doesn’t work because city engineer McGlade tells you the plant isn’t working as designed! Your little speech about efficiency is bull because DPSG isn’t necessarily efficient, it has to do with maybe not selling as much product as anticipated during this recession Mr. businessman? Look up soda and its PH for me while you’re at it. I’m pretty sure as I said in my last story, that DPSG could have told you all about PH and wastewater TDS from previous plants they’ve built. But if you hang enough red meat off your body in taxpayer give-aways, I’m sure DPSG was convinced that Victorville was the place to locate! Hey, we will even build your wastewater plant for you! DUMBBELLS! What was in this for these Councilmen?

Mayor McEachron was in rare form again. I wasn’t at the closed session which begins at 5:00 P.M., but there was some problem with the recording of the meeting, and McEachron seems perturbed that he would have to read a brief opening statement again, something he has to do every time they meet. Were you drinking again before the meeting Mr. Mayor? You were belligerent, and short fused once again, which usually accompanies the drinking.

The reason I went to Victorville’s meeting is because Councilman Rothschild and Mayor McEachron both are in favor of the DesertXPress High Speed Rail. I can assure my readers that should this come to a Council vote, Councilmen Kennedy and Cabriales are “All Aboard” as well. Why? Because Buck Johns owns their collective brains. It won’t come to a vote anytime soon, for two reasons. One, as McEachron himself pointed out, this location for the Victorville terminus is west of Interstate 15, at the Dale Evans Parkway exit. That currently is county controlled, but Victorville had LAFCO approve their Sphere of Influence expansion for the Desert Gateway project, which extends to the location. It’s a simple matter to annex, because besides ravens at the county dump, there aren’t many living there who would oppose annexation. The second reason this won’t come before the Council is this is federal money, some $5-7 billion of the $36 billion Railroad Authority money that the Obama administration wants to spend on another one of his pet projects- High Speed Rail. California is being told that they have until September 30, 2012 to “use it or lose it”. Those of us paying attention know that if California was granted all $36 billion, it won’t cover half of what was a $98 billion rail project, which was supposed to connect Los Angeles with San Francisco when voters approved this idea. The plan now is to avoid Los Angeles and run the train through Palmdale, with the final leg connecting to Victorville and then out to Las Vegas. Both Palmdale and Victorville are good drives to get to from Los Angeles. How is High Speed Rail saving energy President Obama? Somehow, the HSR proponents shaved $30 billion off the price tag (Yes, they avoided building in Los Angeles) and claim that the cost now will “only” be $68 billion. The timing between the FoxNews Hannity show interview of McEachron and DesertXPress, then mere days later, Governor Brown’s mea culpa that the state is really $16 billion in the red instead of what he said was $9 billion when he took office, was no accident. Who thinks that both Brown and his Controller John Chiang didn’t know this months ago?

McEachron made some outrageous comments a few meetings ago to a citizen who during public comment, asked if any public money was going to be used on DesertXPress? His response was it was being completely financed privately. He is either misinformed, or just a liar, you choose which. During the Hannity segment that reporter Ainsley Earhardt did, he further intimated that it was “Vegas pushing this thing”. This is why I went to speak out and dress out and dress down Mayor McEachron and Councilman Rothschild this past Tuesday. What is going on here is Republicans and Democrats are going to share your hard earned tax money from this boondoggle, unless the public speaks up. Senator Harry Reid wants the project built because it brings jobs, union jobs, to Las Vegas and beyond. The private investors like the Martell’s ( By the way Rothschild, do you EVER get anyone’s name straight? It isn’t Martnell or Mitzenfelt!) who own the “M” resort are wealthy Republican donators in Nevada. I’ve told you before, when it comes to money these people aren’t blue or red, they are all about green. I think it is important to know that none of the four men that sit on Victorville’s Council are fiscal conservatives, including that rosy cheeked former mayor Terry Caldwell. Scotch on the rocks Terry or just neat? It was especially important to me to speak out against McEachron,now that the voter absentee ballots are out, before the primary of June 5. McEachron thinks he should represent us in Congressional District 8. I enjoyed my right to Free Speech immensely Mr. Mayor, and the rest of the meeting you reinforced through your belligerent behavior, that you aren’t ready for prime time, and aren’t really a fiscal conservative like your pricey, glossy, mailer says you are.

Now I admit that I do silent protests during the meeting. Some would think it childish of a grown man like myself shaking his head in glee as McEachron got wound up, with over the top facial expressions and toothy smiles to accentuate it all. I also did things like lick my finger, holding it up in the air seeking that imaginary “which way the wind blows” policy stance that so many politicians subscribe to. It all seemed to work, because McEachron turned into the snotty, silver spoon fed rich kid that he is. He got so pissy, that he attacked Raymond Herrera (We the People, California’s Crusader) who attends regularly to chastise the Council over the city’s funding and support for Cinco de Mayo, and McEachron even took shots at Dan Tate who has been very vocal in opinion letters to the Daily Press opposing McEachron’s campaign for CA8. Those comments came when the Council said they would never take campaign contributions from the likes of Dan Tate. Bet you guys had no problems taking money from Buck Johns and Kinsell, Newcomb& De Dios though? For those that don’t know, KND is Victorville’s exclusive bond underwriter and Brooke Edwards Staggs of the Daily Press recently did a story wherein the SEC is investigating those connections between campaign contributions, KND, and Buck Johns Inland Energy. It’s just coincidence that bonds were floated, commissions paid, bond proceeds funded Inland’s projects, and campaign money from the benefactors went to those doing the voting! But of course Tuesday night it was Dan Tate doing the fleecing according to McEachron. By the way Mr. Mayor, that was so….representative of you, to give a whole $250 to the Phoenix Foundation before the meeting began! Dan Tate’s organization, the Ferrarese Foundation, has given thousands and thousands of dollars in scholarships. By the way, I’m not slamming the good works of the Phoenix Foundation here, I’m slamming the obvious political motivations behind McEachron’s “donation”.

McEachron needs to grow up. If he can’t take my low level inane facial expressions and direct criticism, how will he ever stand up to people like Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid? That’s an easy answer, he won’t. He just indicated, since his election to the city Council in 2010, that you just tell people what they want to hear, then roll them once you’re in office. Time for you to get rolled pal- verbally that is!

What tends to happen to all of us as time goes on is we forget events that have happened and then fail to make connections, one event to the next. In a refresher, Adelanto’s wastewater treatment plant or APUA (Adelanto Public Utility Authority) treats their own wastewater and isn’t a formal member of the VVWRA (Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority). You can take your pick of wastewater facilities across this state and this nation when asking if they have any environmental issues they are contending with, all of them have issues. Wastewater is big business- so therefore, environmentalists target those in the business.

If you’ve ever done any work that involved water and needed to use buckets to catch the water, for instance plumbing in your home, and used buckets to avoid making a mess, you might have experienced how quickly the bucket fills up on you. The slightest problem with capturing, making your repairs, and the draining process ends up making a mess. What would happen if a regulatory agency was introduced while you were doing your repairs and began telling you that the buckets you are draining are contaminated, so therefore you can’t dump them anymore? This is what happened to Adelanto- sort of.

Every wastewater facility is given a NPDES permit (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) which allows them just so many buckets of water to process per day. Adelanto was licensed for 1.5 million gallons per day, but was processing 2.2 million gallons per day. The State of California through the California Regional Water Control Board- Lahontan region which covers our area, issued a cease and desist order. In effect, everyone in Adelanto was told to “hold it” by the regulators. Of course that never works, so Adelanto has been paying the VVWRA to process their excess wastewater. Adelanto, needed to expand their capacity so they went with a new technology called Micro-Media Filtration. Rather than regurgitate, here is the cease and desist order: Lahontan: Now as you read through this horror story of buckets filling up fast, you’ll note that Adelanto started doing some really desperate things like building additional ponds without telling the regulators. Hey, when you have to go you have to go! You’ll also note in the report that the Micro-Media Filtration never worked because as I heard it when I was at the VVWRA meeting, the sand medium in the process got “plugged”. This is different from what the linked report says was the problem. Bottom line is the Micro-Media Filtration was a failure. Adelanto has been getting hammered for six years now because they are essentially spreading buckets everywhere. The VVWRA is the only agency saving them now.

Adelanto signed a construction management agreement to resolve the issues by expanding the plant using a Costa Mesa based company called PERC Water. The engineering company involved is Psomas and they are overseeing this expansion from 1.5 mgd to 4.0 mgd at a cost of $7 million, with the construction management contract costing just around $200,000. PERC Water will then run the plant according to the Daily Press here:Adelanto Flushing Wastewater Woes: That’s right, Adelanto is tired of carrying buckets around! There are a few problems I have with Natasha’s story. She says that Adelanto water users rates doubled and tripled in 2010 because of the costs associated with the wastewater plants. Somebody told her that information, but she doesn’t say who. My guess is it came from City Manager Dr. D. James Hart. The cost of sewer is one assessment typically, with drinking water costs part of another. I believe water cost increases have to do with my previously reported super secret settlement negotiated between the MWA, Victorville and Adelanto over disputed water rights and costs associated with the Federal Correctional Center at the old George AFB (SCLA). I also believe that Adelanto which did have a permit secretly agreed to pay back Victorville what they owed by allowing Victorville to use their pipes to send bottling plant and FCC wastewater through their pipes to VVWRA. I’ll explain why later. The second problem I have is PERC claims they are going to use parts of the failed Micro-Media Filtration system in their new system. That’s taxpayer feel good spin. If it didn’t work, why would you risk using any of it on your project? Don’t tell the taxpayers all that money was blown! Finally, what system is PERC Water using? She doesn’t tell you that it uses MBR technology: that’s Membrane Bio-Reactor.

Here is a link to where the Federal Correctional Center in Victorville at SCLA was sending their effluent in 2011:FCC Permit through VVWRA: Here is another link to one of my previous stories about Adelanto asking to increase influent flows to VVWRA: VVWRA Approves Adelanto Sending Raw Effluent: Here is an RFPP for Victorville’s FCC looking for someone to process their wastewater. Look at the dates of this request: FCC Request For Proposals: What’s all of this got to do with Adelanto? According to a staff letter in Victorville’s agenda packet tonight, the FCC wastewater was diverted to Victorville’s new IWWTP (Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant) beginning in September of 2010, with problems concerning a 2mm screen being “plugged”, damaged, and bypassing being detected by October of 2010. What permit were they using if LAFCO hadn’t granted latent sewer powers to Victorville’s IWWTP? LAFCO granted those powers beginning in October of 2011- LAFCO 3168. If the MBR (that’s Membrane Bio-Reactor) screens weren’t designed for solids larger than 2mm, and the IWWTP was supposed to process only bottling plant waste for which it was designed, why did Victorville divert prison waste to the IWWTP? How does Victorville now claim that it was the subcontractors fault that the 2mm screens were compromised and the MBR possibly damaged? Inmates use toilets to discard shanks, t-shirts, paper, you name it, they flush it.

Putting it all together. IWWTP is late going online. It cost somewhere between $42 million to $68 million to build depending on who you ask. The plant uses the same technology that Adelanto is going to use. Woodard and Curran’s IWWTP maintenance oversight agreement is considerably more than PERC Water. Dr. Pepper Snapple Group’s bottling facility was supposed to generate 750,000 to 1 million gpd of wastewater according to VVWRA General Manager Logan Olds. That amount is well under what Adelanto’s expansion capabilities will be with PERC Water which only will cost them on the high end, $14 million according to the Daily Press story. IWWTP starts operating in June or July of 2010 when it was supposed to be done in January of 2010. How was wastewater from DPSG which was operating before the IWWTP was online in 2010, getting to VVWRA if Victorville’s IWWTP was a stand alone treatment plant? By using either Adelanto’s pipes or the pipes they had running from the prison and old George AFB (SCLA) to VVWRA. By September, prison waste is being diverted into the IWWTP. There are immediate problems by October of 2010. Victorville continues to operate the plant until the VVWRA takes its flows, but there isn’t a meeting to my recollection when any of this was approved or when it actually started. The above documents/links show that Adelanto had a complete failure of their plant and requested that 800,000 gpd of raw influent be processed by VVWRA in May of 2010. In my previous story that I linked you to, former Victorville City Manager Jim Cox mentions that IWWTP wastewater could be sent to VVWRA using Adelanto’s existing pipelines as a cost saving measure. I was at the VVWRA meeting when this was discussed and that is why I noted it. VVWRA documents indicate that they have been processing FCC’s wastewater, but the FCC has a request for proposal for someone to build a wastewater treatment plant for their facility during this same time period.

For the rest of the story, you will need to watch Victorville’s Council meeting tonight.

Here is a link to an interview of Buck Johns from just before the 2010 election. The interview runs about twenty-four minutes and in hindsight, is fun to watch because Johns is wrong about so much. He predicts Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s defeat. He also predicts Meg Whitman’s victory despite her problems with the illegal housekeeper that we all know was just an eleventh hour Gloria Allred smear. The only thing he was right about was the Republican sweep of the House of Representatives.

Here is the link:Rick Reiff Interview: I hope people will take the time to listen to Baroness Jill Knight’s comments about our political system and especially our courts. The Baroness has served in the United Kingdom’s House of Lords. Her election only cost $1,000 U.S., whereas we spend too much money ( funny, because Daddy Warbucks Johns was on set with her). She said that while our elections go on entirely too long, her country’s elections are over in a matter of weeks. Imagine making it illegal to buy television time or raise massive sums of money? Regardless of party affiliation, politicians would no longer be beholden to lobby groups.

If you are not interested in what the Baroness has to say, then go to the end of the interview for what I would really like you to hear. It has to do with Buck John’s being upset that California welfare recipients are going to Las Vegas and using their EBT cards to gamble away taxpayer money to the tune of $26 million annual. Buck is so outraged over this, that he is in with Victorville, Senator Harry Reid, the Martell’s, and others to find a way to get people up to Vegas faster on the DesertXpress train. Both Democrats and Republicans, finding yet another way to skin the taxpayers for what today is estimated to be a $5 billion taxpayer contribution. Then we have Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron, who is running as a conservative for Congress in our District 8, saying in a recent interview on FoxNews that Congress has already allocated the $36 billion in railroad money (high speed rail) so we might as well use it- but it’s up to the Congress to either spend it or take it back. A real fiscal conservative for you. Without question, he should be saying that this thing is not in the interest of the taxpayers. Let DesertXPress pay for it all if they think it is such a good idea.

Here is a copy of FoxNews story that reporter Ainsley Earhardt did for Hannity: DesertXPress:

I attended Tim’s birthday party/reelection event tonight with my wife and saw Hesperia Mayor Russ Blewett there along with Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron, and Hesperia’s Councilman Thurston “Smitty” Smith. I was there for about an hour and a half and never saw anyone from Apple Valley’s Council. That doesn’t mean that they didn’t attend, because people were coming and going throughout the four hour event. I recognized Donna Lowe who is running for the 41st Assembly District and Gregg Imus along with his campaign manager Chad Hanely. Gregg is running for Congressional District 8 . I had a good conversation with them both. I’m sure I missed other people, but what was glaring was the lack of support from our local Councils.

Apple Valley Councilman Curt Emick and his wife Valerie were sponsors of the free BBQ, along with Joe Brady of Bradco, Tom and Sophie Steeno of Steeno Designs, Mayor Blewett, and Val Christenson of Johnnie D’s, and Dan and Patti Tate of Majestic Recycling and Majestic Land. I may have missed some of the sponsors and if so, I apologize. I was hoping to see Councilman Emick, but he was probably not wanting to see me. There was a good turnout of people but not overwhelming, and this is why I ask people to help with Tim’s reelection in any manner that you can.

Assemblyman Donnelly gave a short speech and let the assembled know that the unions have targeted him for removal with $500,000 worth of funding. Democrat John Coffey and Republican Bill Jahn are running against Donnelly for his seat in the newly formed 33rd Assembly District. Why is Jahn running? Probably because he thinks Donnelly is vulnerable since he hasn’t raised very much cash this cycle. The money is behind both Coffey and Jahn. Coffey’s occupation is listed as educator, so if he is elected, put another nail in this state’s economic coffin when the unions need another taxpayer funded raise. Coffey has not reported what his campaign contributions are, at least on the Secretary of State’s website, but he did accept the voluntary spending cap under Proposition 34, which is $520,000 worth of spending in the primary election. Some in the Republican party find Donnelly to be a bit of a loose cannon because he has dared to take a position on illegal immigration and Brown’s college tuition for illegals. For some, it was his leaving a loaded handgun in his briefcase as he boarded an aircraft bound for Sacramento. He is now on probation for doing what the Second Amendment guarantees every citizen of this country the right to do.

Tim Donnelly is still a patriot, not a politician. That was his slogan when he ran for office and barely survived the 2010 primary, defeating favorite Christopher Lancaster by 413 votes. A politician would have immediately taken his seat, figured out that the Democrats have the majority in Sacramento and coasted, looking only for campaign contributions for his next election cycle. Patriots, not politicians recognize that someone has to stand up and make decisions that many will not like. Patriots, not politicians run towards trouble when they see their state and their country in trouble. This state is being invaded right now by illegal aliens and our own government is aiding and abetting that illegal activity by providing sanctuary cities for them and in Governor Brown’s case, even providing tuition assistance. I recently posted on Facebook a story about groups who are concerned that perhaps these illegals should have medical care because many of them work in our restaurants and handle our food! Here is the link: Medical Care?: Tim Donnelly should have been raising money for his reelection, but instead he ran towards the trouble and worked tirelessly to try and get enough signatures to challenge Brown’s Dream Act on the ballot and put it to a vote of the people. StopAB131 gathered 447,514 signatures and fell short of the 504,760 needed.

Assemblyman Donnelly reminded us during his address about the importance of the Second Amendment and that Hitler made his people register their weapons before he took them away from them. He led us in a Pledge of Allegiance and then a woman whose name I missed, sang our national anthem beautifully, and as she did, I heard one voice after another join hers until many were singing along.

The Left in this state describes Donnelly as a tea party nut job. They hate the man and want to spend whatever it takes to get him out of office. That should be your first clue that Tim Donnelly is the right man, at the right time for the 33rd Assembly District. He asked for our help tonight, so I’m starting by posting this story, and have already begun putting signs up around the area. He is still a patriot- not a politician, and as our Founding Fathers so eloquently said to each other when their very lives were on the line, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Godspeed Tim Donnelly!

On a 3-2 vote, the Apple Valley Council has voted on Councilman Curt Emick’s reconsideration to place the 168 home, United Engineering (McRae Group), high density tract and zone change back on a future agenda and will ultimately approve the project at a future date certain. Mayor Pro-Tem Coleman, and Council members Nassif and Emick voted to side with the “other people” who have spoken. The “other people” I’m speaking of, are what many of us are now recognizing as those folks who really run this town.

Those of us who are against this zone change and development outnumbered the “other people” by a two-to-one margin, but that didn’t matter to Nassif, Coleman and Emick. Back on June 28, 2011, when the country club purchase was shoved down our throats, the “other people” had a room full of citizens who lived around the country club advocating its purchase. The people there had spoken and so therefore the purchase was approved. Councilman Emick voted with Mayor Stanton and Councilman Rick Roelle to not approve the McRae Group development when over 1,000 signatures were presented to the Council just a month ago. The people have spoken is what Mayor Stanton said then. If you’ve followed this story, you know that someone got to Emick and he decided to “reconsider”. He continues to claim that is was Skyline Ranch residents who requested that he reconsider- yet not one was in attendance at the meeting last night supporting Emick’s claim. That would be the “invisible people” who spoke to him, rather than the “other people” who must have gotten to him first.

Who are the “other people”? They are known around town as the “Good Ole Boys”. In attendance were Pat Orr, Bob Tinsley, Larry Cusack, Rick Cambridge, Bill McDaniel and others who chose not to speak. They are THE people, by virtue of having been here the longest apparently, and if you listen to some of the comments about how much they have done for this community (Nassif, Cusack, and Cambridge) that entitles them to special privileges. The problem in all of this Mayor Pro-Tem Coleman, as you recently said, you don’t represent just 1,000 people, you represent a town of nearly 70,000. Well it wasn’t 70,000 who voted to make sure your golf course behind your home didn’t die. It was just, “the other people”. By the way, there never was a vote, just a bunch of people turned out just like the group I was with at the meeting last night, who demanded that the town purchase the country club. Are you smelling the hypocrisy yet?

Maybe this will help. When Wal-Mart’s entitlements were challenged by Corey Briggs and Creed 21, Wal-Mart pulled their project from consideration, but it was a petition run around by Pat Orr that bypassed the general plan requirements and a town vote, allowing Wal-Mart to write their own special designs/appearances. Circumventing planning, CEQA and Briggs lawsuit to get Wal-Mart’s project back on track. Just one problem though- the petition has the wrong location listed. Who cares, the “other people” have spoken!

Councilman Nassif didn’t name me, and I wouldn’t have cared if he did when he said that I was making derogatory comments about staff at the last meeting and that I had implied that staff was lying to the Council and the public. These comments can be found here: Council Meeting 5/8/12: You can jump to 02:04:43 to hear what he said. What Nassif was trying to do is spin his way out of my calling Finance Director Marc Puckett on a misrepresentation he made to the public about SMSA statistical cost of living figures that set Burrtec’s minimum annual charges as having to be based on Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties, because the Labor Dept. didn’t have a SMSA for our county. That is not true. I gave the Council Census information and area code 7280 for our area in the e-mail Nassif referenced. In fact, there are numerous ways to get cost of living information for our area to set Burrtec’s minimum annual trash increases allowed by contract. Puckett lied when he said he couldn’t do that. If Mr. Puckett felt I slandered him, file a lawsuit and sue me over this issue, and while you’re at it, have your files ready during discovery to explain why you can’t match the total charges for contract services paid (Landmark Golf), versus what you report in your “Everyone” file for the Apple Valley Golf Fund report you do for the Council. Instead of Nassif whining about what I say during MY TIME, why isn’t he being the point man trying to discover just what is going on with contract services? Is it because you and the “other people” already know? Prior to the meeting, Apple Valley Police Captain Lana Tomlin asked me to go outside with her and she cautioned me on my comments that she heard me say in response to Mr. Puckett. The Boy Scouts were sitting behind me and it was inappropriate. I had to try and think back because I typically try to stay under control, unlike the Taiwanese who charge the dais and punch out their elected officials (I sort of like their methods, but we are “civilized” here in America). It took me a little while, then I remembered what I said. It was “bullshit”!! Sorry Scouts, but I’m sure you’ve heard worse in public school- from your teachers!

During agenda item 5 last night, I highlighted once again the numerous problems with the Apple Valley Golf Fund contract services. Nobody on the Council requested that the discrepancies be looked into. That was telling, because some of them know that this thing is reaching critical mass. How can Puckett report contract service expenses of just $169,342 for the prior fiscal year- but checks were written for nearly $400,000? What was really funny was Puckett gave me more information in my public records request, itemizing the costs across several categories, and when those costs are totaled for just nine months of this fiscal year, it’s $617,878! He highlighted the contract services for me, but apparently hadn’t totaled the amounts. When I read the figures out loud and later sat down, I leaned over and told Mr. Piper who was sitting behind me to look at Puckett, who was busy pulling up his e-mail to me on his phone and doing the math. Just a guess- don’t know for sure, but it was funny!

I got another chance to target Nassif when agenda item 9 came up and the final public hearing was held to approve the first year action plan to fund low-to-moderate income projects using HUD ( Housing Urban Development) funds in the form of CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) and HOME ( Affordable Housing). Many people spoke out about this. Mr. Al Rice noted that only nine people out of 70,000 made the initial public hearing on December 15, 2011. Well that’s enough folks to make this major fund expenditure decision according to Emily Wong ( What the hell is her formal title now?) Mr. Rice also commented on the town’s share in administrative fees being in excess of $116,000. Many of the charitable organizations that followed Mr. Rice to the podium groveled for a total of $87,000, when their need was in excess of $200,000. During the hearing, the consultant clearly stated that BY LAW, 70% of all CDBG and 90% of all HOME funds must go to low-to-moderate income housing. So I asked why street improvements for $130,000 and Thunderbird Park improvements for over $50,000 were being approved? Guess where the street improvements were being done? The Village Neighborhood Streets, out in front of Larry Cusack’s Apple Valley Communications and Scott Nassif’s NAPA businesses. Cue up the ad…. NA..NA…NA…NA— NAPA Know How—-NAPA know how! To skin the taxpayers once again is how that song concludes.

Just a couple final marbles of thought to roll around in your brains and contemplate. How does road improvements in the Village PBID, paid for by CDBG and HOME money benefit the poor? Find the application form in the action plan here:TOAV Action plan 2012-2013: What road goes right by the $25,000 sign that PBID paid Chris Hitt and Rick Cambridge to put in (that still infuriates former PBID member Milt Holland)? That would be Yucca Loma Road that will eventually have a bridge across the Mojave River to I-15 and connect to some sort of median work in the Village with this project approval. If the “other people” never violate the Brown Act, how did Councilman Emick know that the vote to approve this McRae Group project would take place in July? That’s what he told the Skyline Ranch folks on March 23. Better yet, how did the town know to install a traffic signal at Deep Creek Road and Bear Valley Rd. when this McRae Group development hadn’t even been before the planning commission yet to see about getting zone changes?

Cue up that NAPA ad again. You “other people” are getting really sloppy.

I got a call from Apple Valley resident Millie Huntley and was asked if I would be able to meet with other residents on Monday, May 7th at 6:00 P.M. at the McDonalds on the corner of Bear Valley Rd. and Apple Valley Rd. This is my contribution to get the word out to those who might want to make the meeting.

This location may not be as swanky as the conference room that Neighbors United PAC used to put holy oil on their pick and bless Brad Mitzelfelt’s campaign for Congress, but it will have to do- besides, McDonalds coffees aren’t bad and are cheaper than Starbucks! If we want to use the town’s conference room at the country club, pay up! I thought we already did when you snakes made us pay for your golf course and watering hole!

If you are opposed to the re-zone of 135 acres off of Sitting Bull Rd into a high density housing development, please join us Monday night. For those who follow this site, you know that one of our Council members (Curt Emick) first voted against this re-zone, then not even a month later, he requested that it be put back on the agenda for reconsideration and blamed concerned residents from the Skyline Ranch development which is above on the hillside and next to the proposed development as the reason why he was reconsidering. Those residents held a meeting recently and many voiced their outrage that Emick would blame them when in fact many of the Skyline Ranch residents aren’t in favor of this re-zone.

People who attended another meeting that Emick was at, have information that indicates his arm was being twisted to reconsider, it had nothing to do with any residents complaints. The McRae Group and local real estate interests want this re-zone done against the wishes of Mrs. Huntley’s signed petition which contains over 1,000 local residents signatures. This is Emick’s first term as a politician; it will be his last if he does vote in favor of the McRae Group re-zone. The town is trying to cover for Emick now by not placing this topic on an agenda right away. Why would they do that? To let some time go by and hopefully blunt some of the citizens zeal. They obviously don’t understand that many citizens are tired of country club purchases, affordable housing sweetheart deals at Happy Trails Villas, and now this rezone which changes parcels from estate sizes of 1-2.5 acre, down to 0.4 -0.9 acre lots! It’s not government by some of the people, for some of the people. You’ve got it all wrong.

Part of the planning Monday night will be to possibly select replacement candidates and target those currently seated for removal. Nassif, Emick, and Coleman may have the votes of the money and business connections that run Apple Valley, but it is shear folly to raise the ire of we “common folk”!

On a different subject, I’d like to thank Aaron Korn for inviting me to be interviewed by FoxNews’ Ainsley Earhardt for an upcoming Hannity segment. I don’t want to say too much more about it because they need to edit and get the segment done first. I would give a million dollars though to have had a camera on Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron’s face when he saw Aaron and I pull up and get out of our vehicles to add our two cents worth! I think Aaron gave about a hundred dollar bills worth of comments though from what I heard him say! Well done buddy!

For those who might be wondering, yes, Ainsley looks even better in person! She and the senior producer, Dan Cohen, do good work for Fox. This link tells you a little more about Mr. Cohen: Running Towards Trouble : I can’t imagine doing that honestly.

Before I get into Victorville’s Council meeting, I want people reading this story to think about something the Daily Press recently reported. The San Bernardino County Grand Jury has reported out finally concerning their investigation of Victorville’s finances, after being held over for an unprecedented three consecutive one year terms. City Manager Doug Robertson has seen the draft report, but signed a confidentiality statement. The report will be released after the Primary is held here in California. Why is that? If the report is done, why isn’t it being released immediately? Robertson signed the confidentiality agreement on April 16, 2012 is what the Daily Press reported- that means the report was done before that date. When did Victorville jam the BNP Paribas deal through to cover their rear-ends over these bond defaults? The special meeting was held March 27, 2012.

Lots of loose ends, but they are all related. Let’s start with defining who makes up a Grand Jury? They are people like you and me. The Grand Jurists may have some background in law- but most don’t. Who provides that which is to be investigated? The complaints came from other government agencies and AMBAC- NOT the District Attorney more than likely. I base this assumption on the fact that Mike Ramos, our District Attorney, would love to put a feather in his political career cap by uncovering corruption in Victorville. His office has never found any wrongdoing, even when I proved that Victorville was violating the Brown Act. The Public Integrity Unit saw nothing they said.

The Grand Jury looks at the evidence provided and makes recommendations. Here is what happens from there:The Grand Jury, although a part of the judicial system, is an entirely independent body. The Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, The District Attorney, the County Counsel and the State Attorney General act only as its advisors. They cannot prevent Grand Jury action unless that action violates the law.. They may not be able to prevent actions by the Grand Jury- but they sure as hell can create confusion for them. Introducing legal hair splitting by defining the meaning of just what is….really IS! These judges and attorneys are elected themselves and although sworn to uphold the law, are all political creatures as well. Doubt this? Please see Attorney General Eric Holder who has fallen on the sword not once, but twice in his career for presidents he served under. My point here is if laws had been broken, indictments would have been served before now. Sgt. Schultz still knows nothing. That doesn’t mean laws haven’t been broken, just that these people who have been raping Victorville taxpayers are good at confusing the issues. They don’t confuse me though. Leonard Viejo was Jeffery Kinsell’s Vice President at Kinsell,Newcomb,and De Dios. He is now Victorville’s Astrum Utility Service “expert”, and just got extended for another two years exclusive without RFP last night. Check the agenda. Kinsell floated much of the nearly $1 billion in bond/RDA debt (18 bond offerings) for Victorville, and one of the recipients of that money was Buck Johns Inland Energy, through Inland Executive Vice President Thomas Barnett : Barnett vs SEC:. KND and Inland have been spreading campaign money around in local elections ever since. Our District Attorney saw nothing……

So Victorville puts on the “Dog and Pony” show last night explaining why their legal counsel in Green, de Bortnowsky, and Quintanilla are a bargain. This is in response to Councilwoman Angela Valles repeated requests to go to another law firm, since GdQ as they are better known, are regularly billing for over $100,000 every two weeks. It was $133,000 this past period in the commercial warrants. Here is the link: Kennedy Likes GdQ: If the tape doesn’t index, just go to 1:18:00 of the videotape and listen to Councilman Kennedy’s muffled accolades. You’ll need to listen closely, because it’s hard to hear with Kennedy’s head buried so far up in de Bortnowsky’s rear-end! What is really good is when you go to the documents and spreadsheets in the agenda packet. Kennedy and McEachron focus on the per capita expenditure and claim that GdQ is “right in the middle” of legal expenses, yet don’t see that Adele Mosher’s report clearly shows that the total legal fees incurred as a result of GdQ’s “exceptional” service is a little over $4.2 million just for last year- or the combination of three cities legal costs on Adele’s list! Are you people just playing stupid here? If you farm out most of your legal jams to other law firms, that isn’t exceptional service to me. Councilwoman Valles said the service was exceptionally bad. Of course she is right about that. De Bortnowsky is still here because the noose is tightening around their crooked necks. The current Council, absent Valles, can’t risk a real attorney looking objectively at what GdQ has done over the years!

What was hysterically comical was just two agenda items later, de Bortnowsky needed to outsource the legal services and sign a retainer for Kaufman, Dolowich, Voluck, and Gonzo to complete the Nisqualli interchange eminent domain cases. Turns out one of GdQ’s attorneys left the firm and now works for these people- she has the corporate knowledge- so they need to outsource their “exceptional” service once again to another law firm! Better yet, none of these costs will be included in Adele’s report because it is just now happening- her report is for last year!

Where was Council members Mike “DesertXpress” Rothschild and Rudy “Cinco de Mayo” Cabriales last night? May 15, 2012 should be an interesting Council meeting because HUD is coming to town next week, and the list of Victorville city sponsorships will be out. It was mentioned during the meeting that both Rudy and Vickie Cabriales are out of High Desert Hispanic Chamber of Commerce affairs now. Gee, I wonder why? Does anybody really believe they aren’t still involved?

[UPDATE:] How come none of the legal cases that Corey Briggs Law Corporation has filed blocking High Desert developments, specifically Victorville’s Wal-Mart’s, show up on the above referenced legal expenses report that Adele Mosher filed? De Bortnowsky didn’t settle them for free did he? DUH……!

I was going to go to the Skyline Ranch meeting last night to see what was happening with those folks and listen in to Councilman Emick’s explanations for why he has suddenly reversed himself on this Sitting Bull Rd. development. My entire day got rearranged and I couldn’t make it, so I’m hoping to get some insights from folks at the Council meeting this evening. I got some very interesting information from one of my readers that asked me to call, and will keep that under my hat for now.

I got out in the yard, as we say here in the United States, to get my fingers in the soil. I prefer the English expression better- getting in the garden. There is something calming about planting things and watching them grow. Being really a novice, I had to ask my friend who gave me some hybrid butternut squash what the spacing should be? Now the dilemma is where do I plant them, because I face the South, so the temperatures are blazing here, then I remembered the story about the retired cop who is growing squash and donating it to hungry people in Hesperia if they would just help with the work involved. It can be done here as long as you water properly. I just wonder if the water will make my squash actually cost me twelve dollars apiece? I’ve decided the desert is not a good place to be a prepper, should you be preparing food for the end of the world. One thing that gardening teaches us though is planning and attentiveness is key to its success.

Speaking of planning, some may remember when Burrtec petitioned the Council to increase our solid waste fees back in October of last year? Here is the old story:Apple Valley Council Tables Trash Fees- For Now: In the old story the promises of our Council who all signed no tax or fee increase pledges seemed to not matter because here was Burrtec, not even one year after these people took their seats, asking for an increase. Those of us who spoke out noted the fact that the town and Burrtec have contractual obligations to provide exclusive trash service and recycling for Apple Valley, that these votes couldn’t be considered votes wherein the people our Council claims they represent, would be considered? I noted that the town is paid by Burrtec to have this exclusive contract for solid waste and recycling and they make a considerable amount of money from doing that. Then Burrtec’s representative rescinded the increase request and hip, hip, hoorah, we prevailed!

Tonight is the reality of what they conspired to do to remove the Council from the necessary vote. First some short background. AB 939 and now AB 341 make it mandatory that 75% of all solid waste be somehow recycled out of the waste stream by the year 2020. This, like greenhouse gas emissions is another Democrat pipe dream that will only drive more business from this state as the costs of the programs spiral ever higher. Will leaders of the municipalities be lined up and shot if the objectives aren’t met? AB 341 targeted commercial businesses and multiple housing units like condo’s and apartments, because the original recycling plan in AB 939 didn’t include them and it was later discovered that 60% of landfill material is generated by business and apartment complexes—-duh. Burrtec has offered to do the records keeping for the town to comply with those laws, this is what is on the agenda- but it’s more than just that.[UPDATE: I was told that former town employee Diana McKeen took the two years time served offer from the town and went to work for Burrtec already- so if true, we now know who will be doing the compliance reporting for Burrtec and for the town]. Please read the link here:Amendment to the Exclusive Franchise Agreement:

Did you read in staff’s letter what the fiscal impact will be? The town will now get 6%, instead of the previously paid 5% of all revenue generated through recycling. In the previous story I did, I mentioned the annual payment (unaudited) that the town and Victorville split is about $702,000 annual as of 2010. Here we go again with the nut and shell game. If Apple Valley has this exclusive agreement with Burrtec, why is Victorville’s percentage included in the total? How much represents Apple Valley’s 5% share that they were supposed to get, and when does Mr. Puckett put his coveralls on and audit the MRF (Material Recycling Facility) facility to make sure we are getting what we are supposed to get? That blue can was Apple Valley’s, not Victorville’s! The town and Burrtec have become business partners. Burrtec is business partners with nearly every municipality around here. If anyone else would like to compete with Burrtec inside the town- you can’t. If you would like to bow out and take your trash to the dump yourself like folks who live in the unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County- you can’t because the town has a municipal code that makes you use their solid waste provider. If you don’t pay, the town liens your private property until you do pay. This is how we conservatives operate free markets. I dislike both Democrat and Republican hypocrisy.

It gets better though folks. Speed reading forward using the Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading Program, we find where on page 3-9 or letter G, whichever you prefer, that if the franchise fee is increased from 5% to 6% as agreed Contractor (Burrtec), may increase its rates to pass through the franchise fee increase! Guess who pays for that increase? No Council votes necessary……it’s contractual- just like the LGM interim agreements were at the Apple Valley Golf Course. By page 3-18, Burrtec is entitled to annual fee increases not to exceed 4% or the Consumer Price Index inflation compiled by the Dept. of Labor, whichever is the lesser of the two. We will use Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside County CPI numbers. Hey, we don’t live in those areas you say, well Mr. Burr said with a smile, you do now!

Don’t you just love how the Council listened to all of us and used their independent judgment representing all of us? I’ll live with it if the town gives me the freedom to opt out of this, or opens this to independent haulers to compete with Burrtec. Dan Tate’s Majestic Recycling is involved in a dispute now with Burrtec and Victorville asserting that YOUR trash is theirs once it is curbside. Majestic takes donated recyclables and provides for local scholarships through the Don Ferrarese Foundation. What could be wrong with this I ask you? Well it cuts into Burrtec’s profits is what is wrong with it. They have exclusive franchise deals here damn it! This is why I’m losing faith in both the California and U.S. Constitutions. They are both becoming meaningless when it comes to government by the people and for the people. This should be illegal- no exclusive deals for anything or anybody. He who is allowed to compete and provides the best service prevails. The corruption is so deep that even the San Bernardino County landfills provide exclusive rights and indemnification given to Burrtec for a place to dump their collections. You can use it, but you pay $30/ton last time I checked. Does Burrtec?

[UPDATE] The Council voted to approve this issue with Mayor Pro-Tem Coleman abstaining because she and her husband received tickets from Burrtec for a baseball game. Councilman Roelle was absent so the vote for approval was Mayor Stanton, Councilmen Nassif and Emick. Yes, the same three who ran for office in 2010 and signed a no tax or fee increase pledge! Please listen to the videotape and hear staff lie through their teeth to you all. Finance Director Mark Puckett claims the Census doesn’t have an SMSA (standard metropolitan statistical area) for our area in San Bernardino. What’s this then:SMSA San Bernardino: Mr. Moon reported that the 6% revenue change didn’t actually change and couldn’t without a ninety day review process. If the Council was approving an amended franchise agreement- what changed then if everything was the same contractually as Councilman Nassif said? What really surprised me was former Councilman Bob Sagona said that the link to the documents the town had on their website was wrong as of today. It wasn’t when I wrote my story based on documents that were online, so why or how did the wrong link get put up after I did my story? Something very peculiar going on there.

It all didn’t matter, the public doesn’t need to know they’ve been sold out. Mayor Stanton said she thinks this is a good deal for Apple Valley! I’ve already e-mailed Puckett, Robinson, and the Council telling them that I once worked for Commerce on the Census- so I knew Puckett was lying.

We now have two police officers assigned to protect the Council during meetings- that you can see in the Chambers anyway. Somebody getting nervous?

Mayor Barb Stanton held her last, “Coffee with the Mayor” community outreach yesterday at Johnnie D’s in Apple Valley. Val Christenson and his wife served us coffee and were gracious hosts. I think some meals were also purchased by attendees, but I took note that not many were served while I was there. Val still took the time to hand out ten dollar discount meal vouchers for the restaurant, which I thought was also very kind. People, pay attention to those small things, because they do matter. Many of the seniors who attended aren’t spending money and Val handing out those vouchers is what businessmen do when business is slow. We need to support one another however we can during these tough times.

To Mayor Pro-Tem Ginger Coleman’s credit, she attended the meeting and took a lot of heat over her position supporting the 168 home development and zone change off of Sitting Bull Rd. I think lost in the discussions is the fact that the town spent millions in consulting fees with Terra Nova Planning and Research to arrive at the General Plan we now have. This zone change disregards and wastes that money, while setting precedent for all the remaining raw land on that huge corner. It’s the zone change that is the major issue here, followed next by water in my opinion. Does anyone think Mayor Pro-Tem Coleman will continue these coffee meetings? I don’t think Mayor Stanton is going to. Staff is telling the Council that this is actually stirring up the community and isn’t a good idea. I’ve got news for you people who live high on the hill like Newt Bass did, the people have been stirred up for quite some time. Mayor Stanton’s idea here is to make you wake up and take notice!

There is a meeting of Skyline Ranch and Apple Valley Homeowners at 6:00 P.M. on Monday, April 23, 2012 at 12552 Overlook Rd. Apple Valley (Skyline Ranch) to plan for the town’s upcoming vote to reverse positions, and vote anew on the Sitting Bull project, likely now approving it. These residents are very upset about this. If you would like to attend, I’m sure you would be welcome. Councilman Curt Emick said that he wanted this issue placed back on a future agenda after he had voted it down just two meetings prior. Emick blamed Skyline Ranch residents who wanted him to bring it back for reconsideration. Interesting Mr. Emick, that the eye of the hurricane is located within Skyline Ranch! Why don’t you just admit that either Councilman Scott Nassif, Mayor Pro-Tem Ginger Coleman, or McRae Group got to you? Maybe all three did? To this day, nobody can tell me who actually has invested in McRae Group which owns the property? When I mentioned this at the mayor’s coffee, Coleman shot back that she doesn’t have an interest in McRae Group and that she and all elected officials must report their personal holdings on CA Form 700 economic interests. If a private limited liability corporation like McRae Group doesn’t identify their investors, would you worry about revealing your interest by reporting it? I’m not saying that Mayor Pro-Tem Coleman has an interest, I’m saying anyone who does won’t be easily identified if they did.

I’ve been in contact with attorneys concerning the town’s non-compliance with my public records request. By the way, I don’t use attorneys from this area. I also try not to use judges either from this area. Think about why? Town Attorney John Brown called me to resolve the issue and inadvertently used the words, ” calling you, you’re time” in his message. Mr. Brown told me that he was going on vacation to see his son overseas. My public records request timing couldn’t have been more disruptive to his vacation plans. He kept calling me over the next several days and didn’t leave actual messages as they were garbled. It’s possible he made “ass calls” to me since I might have been one of the last numbers he called prior to leaving. These touch screens are a pain sometimes, because you can make a call without knowing it, and people are listening on the other side. Always lock your screen!

Apple Valley Finance Director Marc Puckett contacted me via e-mail and answered my request four days late by saying that the $400,000 paid to LGM is reflected in the monthly Treasurer’s report for the Apple Valley Golf Fund. He split all the payments up into individual categories like Food and Beverage, Grounds, etc. I ask my readers, if you were providing an executive summary report such as this for your bosses, and a category on that report is for “contract services”, would you spread out and hide those actual expenses in multiple categories? Only if you were told to do so by some of the Council or your boss, the town manager. Do we have more than one company involved in contract services? No, LGM golf management is the only company involved. So why would we care about having those costs separated into categories? The town has reinforced into our pea brains that they aren’t a for-profit enterprise. Hey, we figured that out from the Parks and Recreation losses! The costs were separated into categories so we can better manage the results and performance of the former country club was Puckett’s answer. We know the performance Mr. Puckett. These same idiots managed that country club into its grave, we just kept them on by renewing their contracts on an interim basis, because of their stellar previous performance? Anyone with a brain knows that Nassif, Coleman and certain other “clubbers” didn’t want that course to die while it went through bankruptcy proceedings which would have voided LGM’s contract.

This story is continuing, so is my public records request which wasn’t fully answered. Puckett claims he gave me everything I asked for. Mr. Puckett didn’t give me the commercial warrants and the associated account that paid LGM. He just assured me that the payments came out of Apple Valley Golf Fund proceeds. I referenced twelve months of payments, his report is for two physical years late 2011 and early 2012, which covers nine months. How can that even be considered an equivalent time period? If the club has lost money every month since it was purchased, what profits are you using to pay the LGM management fees? Well there aren’t any profits we are told, so the money came from where Mr. Puckett? It’s all General Fund money, unless we are using restricted sewer money when buying golf courses!