The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has issued a “No Violation” letter to San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane regarding a 2008 trip to West Virginia.

Biane accompanied then-Ontario City Manager Greg Devereaux and Colonies Partners Dan Richards and Ray Crebs to attend a West Virginia Mountaineers football game.

Devereaux has since been appointed San Bernardino County Administrative Officer.

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The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has issued a “warning” letter to San Bernardino County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux.

The warning letter is a result of a September 2008 trip to West Virginia with Supervisor Paul Biane and Colonies Partners Dan Richards and Ray Crebs.

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Today, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors in closed session voted to waive attorney-client privilege on litigation and discussions related to the settlement with Colonies Partners LP.

The waiver is restricted and limited to the criminal investigation into the settlement.

Supervisors Ovitt and Biane did not participate in the discussions on the matter.

The waiver was requested by the California Attorney General.

I was spending some time over the last few days giving some thought to former County Administrative Officer (CAO) Mark Uffer’s teaching job at California State University, San Bernardino and came up with some more appropriate courses I believe should be instituted at the school.

Uffer is currently assigned to teach PA 664 – Management of Public Organizations, a graduate level course.

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Finally, someone has stood up to the Lewis Group of Companies and said enough is enough.

That someone is the State of California.

The State of California Department of General Services announced it has canceled an agreement with Lewis Companies and Shapell Homes to redevelop the now closed Fred C. Nelles Correctional Facility in Whittier.

The site is targeted to become a mixed-use development.

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Tuesday morning the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will considering waiving its attorney-client privilege protecting communications related to the litigation and 2006 settlement of the lawsuit between the County Flood Control District and Colonies Partners, LP.

The $102 million settlement was to compensate for damages created by flood control actions resulting from the construction of the 210 freeway in Upland.

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www.iepolitics.com

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) continues to be the subject of numerous investigations and inquiries.  The hospital, once a shining star in our county, has lost its luster in wake of  accusations of mismanagement, malpractice, patient abuse, and fraud.  Much of the controversy involves the empire-building by former County Administrative Office Mark Uffer and ARMC Medical Director Dr. Dev Gnanadev.

Both men are known for their tyrannical control of every aspect of hospital operations, with Gnanadev even running roughshod over the always-despotic Uffer.

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07:41 AM PDT on Tuesday, April 27, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

Former San Bernardino County assessor Bill Postmus and former assistant assessor Jim Erwin pleaded not guilty Monday to bribery and conspiracy charges.

Superior Court Judge Michael Dest entered the pleas on behalf of Postmus and Erwin, who are accused of taking part in a conspiracy that resulted in the Board of Supervisors approving a $102 million lawsuit settlement with Rancho Cucamonga developer Colonies Partners in November 2006.

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Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/26/2010 05:22:15 PM PDT

SAN BERNARDINO – Former county Assessor Bill Postmus and his former assistant Jim Erwin were arraigned Monday on corruption charges in connection with an investigation by state and local prosecutors into the county’s $102 million Colonies lawsuit settlement in 2006.

Postmus and Erwin made a scheduled appearance before Judge Michael Dest in San Bernardino Superior Court, where the court entered not guilty pleas to all charges on behalf of the defendants, said Deputy District Attorney Lewis Cope, after the proceedings.

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Time to streamline

Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/26/2010 06:29:19 PM PDT

The elimination of 62 vacant positions and a reorganization of the land-use services department are among a slew of proposed changes that will be presented to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors today.

The proposed changes reflect a new quarterly budget reporting system for county departments, implemented on March 16. It is part of County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux’s push to streamline county operations and ensure more efficiency within the departments, county spokesman David Wert said.

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Joe Baca

Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/26/2010 07:06:12 PM PDT

SAN BERNARDINO – On the day that Mexican President Felipe Calderon strongly condemned a new Arizona law cracking down on illegal immigration, a local Democratic congressman called for an economic boycott of the state.

Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, urged people to follow his lead and avoid traveling or spending their money in Arizona in protest of the state law that makes it a crime to be an illegal immigrant.

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Former county supervisor appointed public defender
April 26, 2010 6:00 PM
Brooke Edwards

SAN BERNARDINO • Unable to afford his own attorney, former 1st District Supervisor Bill Postmus will attempt to fight multiple felony charges of bribery, embezzlement, drug abuse and more with the help of a court-appointed public defender.

“I have just gotten to the point of being totally broke due to the extensive legal battle with San Bernardino County,” Postmus said via e-mail, following the surprise announcement during his arraignment Monday morning.

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10:00 PM PDT on Monday, April 26, 2010

By ALICIA ROBINSON
The Press-Enterprise

In the upcoming fiscal year, Riverside officials expect to trim spending in 14 of 17 city departments and shrink the general fund by about $3 million compared with what was budgeted this year — and they plan to do it without layoffs or cutting city services.

The savings will come from attrition, delaying purchases, transferring salaries out of the general fund into special funds and other fiscal maneuvers, City Manager Brad Hudson said Monday.

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10:00 PM PDT on Monday, April 26, 2010

By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise

The San Bernardino City Council resumes discussion tonight on how to plug a $24 million hole in its budget for the coming fiscal year that could widen to $188 million over the next five years.

“This will begin the most difficult discussion we will ever have,” Mayor Patrick Morris told the council at the start of last week’s budget study session.

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PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State

April 26, 2010 | 2:48 pm
State Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) was confirmed by the California Senate on Monday as lieutenant governor, filling a vacancy created when John Garamendi was elected to Congress.

“We know he will bring the spirit of hard work and problem-solving to the lieutenant governor’s office,” said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) after the 25-7 vote.

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PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State

April 26, 2010 | 10:39 am

MountPleasant If Steve Poizner didn’t like public radio before, this weekend’s thorough take-down of his book “Mount Pleasant” probably didn’t convert him into a fan.

Ira Glass, the host of “This American Life,” devoted much of his program to an in-depth analysis of Poizner’s tales about his semester at the East San Jose high school where he volunteered to teach a class. Glass had Poizner read whole passages from the book for the radio show, detailing worries about the safety of his Lexus and the “rotten-like trash” smells in the rough-and-tumble neighborhood surrounding the campus.

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By JUDY LIN, Associated Press Writer

Monday, April 26, 2010

(04-26) 22:31 PDT Sacramento, Calif. (AP) —

California labor unions on Monday launched what they said would be an aggressive campaign against former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor.

California Labor Federation leader Art Pulaski said the unions will focus on exposing what he described as Whitman’s Wall Street agenda. The labor federation will be joined by unions representing teachers and nurses, among others.

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