Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 07/19/2011 07:44:36 PM PDT
UPLAND – The faces of the 11 people running for City Council this summer were dimly lit as they answered questions from the community during the Chamber of Commerce’s candidate forum on Monday at Upland High School.
The candidates sat in a long row along the school’s Highlander Auditorium stage and attempted to stand out to potential voters in the audience.
The candidates are running to fill a vacancy on the City Council left in February when Mayor Ray Musser was appointed.
Each candidate gave their opening statement before answering questions pulled randomly out of a bowl.
During two rounds of questions, each candidate was given one minute to respond to a new question or a previously asked question.
Upland voters are required to mail in their ballots by Aug. 30.
Candidates’ questions and their answers:
Ladan Bezanson, learning coordinator for Montclair, on ethnic diversity on city boards:
“Right now, if you look at our demographics on the city website it shows 45 percent Caucasian in the city and that is very represented on our committees and commissions right now. We do have a 35 percent Hispanic population in the city and that should be well represented as well as the other small populations. But I think that the way you can bring those people in is by reaching out to the community a little more. We definitely should be more public about these type of positions being available as well as within their own communities.”
Elaine Courey, Bonita Unified School District teacher, on Upland 15 to 20 years from now:
“I’d like to see it back to where it was years ago, `The City of Gracious Living.’ I would like to see more businesses along our Foothill corridor. I would like to see more families in our city. I even look forward to seeing even maybe a few more parks. We do have some areas that could be developed. Again, being a teacher, a P.E. teacher, I’d like to see more activities for our kids in the neighborhoods and more things for them to get involved in and be active instead of sitting at home.”
Bob “Bubba” DeJournett, retired Upland teacher and softball coach, on the impact of failed banks on the city:
“Obviously, this is going to affect the city with foreclosures throughout the city. You drive around the city you see many homes sitting there getting, I don’t know if the word `trashed’ is right, but getting weed abated and obviously foreclosed on. It takes away our tax dollars. Our tax base is diminishing. We need to do whatever we can to revitalize our revenues for the city to get the tax base as high as we can with promotions of sales throughout the city.
Sam Fittante, retired owner of a lawn maintenance company, on pension reform:
“I do not receive a public pension. I receive a small pension from Kaiser Steel, which I got 17 years vested and I had to wait 25 years to receive $200 a month. I can’t see somebody working 18, 19 years being 50 years old receiving a pension and go to another job and receive pension from the city of Upland plus the new wages. I think if they do that they should have to wait a number of years until their retirement age – until 60 years old. I think major reforms should be in the health and benefit packages and the perks they receive.
Eric Gavin, computer software architect, on changing the structure of city government:
“I don’t think I would change the structure. I would seek to obviously make it more open and transparent in its operations – where we have very, very clean and measurable goals that aid us toward increased revenues, increased safety and things we find valuable as citizens. After looking through the budget, I wasn’t even able myself to see how most of the items themselves tied to increased revenues or any of these things.
Dan Morgan, Upland city treasurer, on the most important issue in the coming year:
“For me, pension reform – bringing that under control. A really great decision by the current City Council in hiring Stephen Dunn as our city manager. He has my total support. I think when we trim the budget, we are definitely going to next look at pension reform and bringing this under control.”
Steven Roppel, commercial real estate agent at Lee & Associates, on strategies to make the city more business friendly:
“I believe we go right to the core of the city of Upland and that involves the employees and staff of the city of Upland being receptive, positive and energized and customer service-oriented. I believe many of the businesses that located in Upland and contemplated coming back to Upland have been disappointed in the reception they have received in the city of Upland from City Hall. They met obstacles. They met red tape. They met a lot of paperwork that needs to be reformed.”
Debbie Stone, funeral director at Stone Funeral Home, bring new business to the city:
“First of all, I think what we need to do is we need to change our city’s policy and the way we handle people when they come to our city and want to open a business. We have quite the reputation of not being very friendly out of our Planning Department, not only with businesses, but also with homeowners trying to improve their homes. I think the first thing we need to do is work on that.”
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Maybe the candidates should answer questions about all the law suits and litigation the city of Upland is involved in? Hey candidates, how many lawyers is the city paying? It’s not just Curley, what about all the others that are bleeding the city for unjustified and unlawful personnel cases?
Yes, it is true. Cable is being forced to retire because the fire union saved Antonucci. They did not want Cable as the acting fire chief. Probably because she would have made them do their jobs. Now remember, these are the same fire personnel that won’t stand up and do the right thing about the ladder truck! Wow, what professionalism the Upland Fire Department has demonstrated (major sarcasm). Great protection for the Upland community – We wish! But we don’t have to wish, we pay taxes for our basic fire protection which is not being properly and safely employed to protect our community. THAT IS A PROVEN FACT, that city leadership can no longer deny when something happens!
All surrounding fire departments laugh when any thing is mentioned about the ladder truck or that helicopter.
I digress to much. Now that Cable is on her way out, who is going to be Dr. Evil for them? Who are they going to blame for all their bad actions and decisions?
Once again here are the facts for the ladder truck. None of the nay sayers even dispute these facts. The only thing the nay sayers do is call us names and point out we keep saying the same things over and over. Well if we say the same things over and over, doesn’t that say something in itself? Right is right, and to the nay sayers, wrong is wrong!
1. -The Upland Tiller Truck is incapable of sustaining a prolonged initial interior fire attack of a structure type fire.
–The Upland Tiller Truck possesses no firefighting pump and only maintains a minimal air pressurized firefighting system of 500 gallons of water and 60 gallons of foam.
—The firefighting system currently employed on the Upland Tiller Truck is proven to be exceptionally inadequate for structure firefighting purposes and was specifically designed for vehicle firefighting functions.
2. -The Upland Tiller Truck is the only piece of firefighting equipment responding from fire station 164 for the entire response district of fire station 164, which fully encompasses the entire northeast portion of the City of Upland.
3. -The Upland City Council, City Manager and Fire Chief have intentionally, calculatedly and deliberately chosen to place the community, residents and citizens of the City of Upland at extreme unsubstantiated risk by purposely ignoring the inadequacies, ineffectiveness and lack of capability by utilizing the Upland Tiller Truck as the only (stand alone) piece of firefighting equipment responding from fire station 164 for the entire response district of fire station 164.
–The next closest piece of firefighting equipment, that adequately meets interior structure firefighting capabilities, is over a ten minute response time away from the original time of dispatch of a structure fire type incident within the fire station 164 district area of responsibility.
4. -The Upland Tiller Truck, being utilized in this specific manner, fails to meet minimal National Fire Protection Association standards and/or guidelines.
@ David Lutz – Did you know that Cables husband, Bob Cable, is the campaign manager for Debbie Stone and Antonucci has been having lunches and hanging out with Thouvenell?
Aren’t Upland politics great?
I was out and about town yesterday. I only saw 1 Eric Gavin sign and about 50 Thouvenell signs. Unfortunately, money talks and if these other candidates want to win they’ve got to get the exposure and their opinions out there. There were maybe 120 people at the forum; that’s out of 70,000 people in Upland, easily 20,000 potential voters and that’s all that are interested? Scary.
There are some good candidates out there, but Thouvenell certainly isn’t one of them. If only people would do some research, instead of voting for whoever has the most campaign signs out there, they’d see the light.
FedUp is right about suits and lawyers. Several candidates seemed to want to put it behind us, but we can’t. We have a potential $6 million from Chronic, $10 million from their property owner and who knows what else? If JP gets convicted, which is likely, it will bolster the credibility of both of these cases.
Martin Thouvenell, former Upland police chief, on contracting police and fire to the county:
“The answer is categorically no. That would be the very worst position the city could take under the circumstances. Not to demean the Sheriff’s Department because they do fine work, but we do different work here. We address the the needs of everyone in the community the way we believe they should be addressed. (The sheriff’s) just cut the personnel down and provide less people on the street than we do and that just doesn’t make sense at this point.
With all of the mismanagement of Upland Fire and UPD, nothing else can be any worse. And we would save millions of dollars. Also could close station 162 and have 12’s cover the heights and north Upland. Bye, bye 9 overpaid sleeping beauties. Also could get rid of 3, over $200,000 a year, battalion chiefs and the way overpaid fire chief!
And the County would be smart enough to run a piece of fire equipment that could actually put out a fire.
The police department – keep 1 captain and the other 2 captains gone. All 6 Lt’s gone. Sergeants as watch commander’s (novile concept, oh ya every other department already does that). And Police Chief gone. All special services (SWAT, Crime Prevention, Detectives…) provided by Sheriff’s already established teams.
How much would this save the city?
The public and citizens of Upland have lost all faith in their Upland Fire and Police Departments. Contracting to County sounds like a very viable solution to clean up the mess they have created.
The mismanagment of Upland emergency services should be criminal. No faith! No support!
@County Supporter, your argument on Police and Fire issues are sound ones, in light of the present financial crises.
The big reason the City leaders or former leaders like Thouvenell that speak against that is one very simple reason. THEY lose the almighty “control” over the leaders of the County Fire and Sheriff’s Department.
I mean the City could not just fire a Sheriff’s Captain because he arrested a friend of the City Manager. Of course the Sheriff’s Department has their own list of the “protect class”.
But Thouvenell could say look at what is going on in County Government and they too have just as many problems in ALL departments. I submit Marty doesn’t want to upset anyone over there for political reasons.
But if Upland PD like other agencies were not so “top heavy” with managers, then things would be just fine for the most part. I mean really how many supervors do you need at Upland PD?
Anyone notice Marty hasn’t said much on those topics??
Well said Pigs, a little FACTUAL research versus allowing the wisdom of My2Cents who’s DADDY told him about the thin blue line, he has the best lawn in Upland, doesn’t question Police and Fire issues would go along way.
Such commentary speaks for itself. But of course 2Cents will tell you I am disgruntled even though the man or woman has never met me. No doubt has been told. But folks like 2Cents are the ones who are corrupt themselves and we know that by paying attention.
They know because the DADDY told them so!!!!
@ACU – Just finished watching a movie from the 80’s, National Lampoon’s Vacation with Chevy Chase. For the first time, I noticed that Mr. Griswold niece said, I an the best french kisser, … says daddy….
It brought a laugh to me, as I had never noticed that line before.
Kinda fits in with all the problems in the news today……
I do not know much about police or fire department stuff, but I do know the fire guys are so full of themselves. I have the unfortunate job of having to deal with them everytime they come into our store. They are the worse customers I’ve ever had to deal with. I can’t believe their conceitedness and self-importance! Half of them are hitting on me and the other girls, which is disgusting, and the other half think they deserve price breaks because they are a fireman.
I’ll re-post this from another blog.
Talk to my city leaders? They are the ones that have put us in this position and bury their heads to what they have created! My city leaders have no integrity and only do what makes them look good! Just like the people you keep defending. How about admitting that my “city leaders” have placed me and my family in serious peril.
You would think the fire department guys would step up and admit the ladder truck is inadequate and insufficent in the way they are using it. It’s called professionalism! And Integrity. Integrity – doing the right thing, no matter how hard it is, all the time. I and the vast majority see no integrity in your fire chief and the people within his inner circle. Can one of you step up? Or are you that scared?
How are you going to explain to a homeowner that their home burned down because the ladder truck was first on-scene and was insufficent to put out the interior fire from within?
Once the air pressurized firefighting system runs out of air or water, what are your plans then? Wait for the next in Engine? Or go with what the fire chief presented to Dunn, hook up to a hydrant? You know how ridiculous and dangerous that is! How many “attack” lines are on the system? All proven inadequacies of your ladder truck! But you still remain adamant (and wrong) in your view. Professionalism and Integrity or in your case, lack there of!
And this one. Sounds like he/she is talking about Cable?
SomeoneWhoKnows on July 8, 2011 at 7:10 PM said:
A little advise for Upland Fire. The union needs to support Dunn and what he wants to do. Don’t play yourself out of a job. Why stick up for someone that has ran your department straight into the ground?
You have made one bad move thinking you know best. Bad move, you need to help get rid of the problem instead of making deals with the problem.
Bob Cable!!!! What a joke!
@ LUTZ – your comment “Yes, it is true. Cable is being forced to retire because the fire union saved Antonucci. They did not want Cable as the acting fire chief. Probably because she would have made them do their jobs.”
How can you make such an ignorant statement? Div Chief Cable is a good person but come on…
@ mutual aid – How is the truth ignorant? What is not truthful about the above statement?
David – Cable is not being forced out by anyone. It is her choice.
Mutual Aid – Try again!
@ mutual aid – why was Cable all happy on the 27th of June when Antonucci was suppose to be fired and she would have been acting fire chief? So please, don’t spread that she wasn’t forced out. The union saved Antonucci because they didn’t want Cable. Antonucci gives them everything they want, Cable doesn’t. Cable was forced out because of Antonucci!
@ mutual aid – darn computer keeps locking up on me. One of the two had to go. Antonucci was the primary, but slip slided his way into staying and Cable got the ole perverbiale axe!
As soon as something bad happens with that ladder truck, Antonucci will be up on criminal charges because he can not deny the way it is utilized is placing lives at risk. Both firefighters and citizens. I wouldn’t want to be the crew on that thing when they try explaining to a resident why their house burned down or, the worst happens, someone gets hurt or killed because it runs out of water or air. They all know better. Every other department around knows better!
He is leaving after his 6 months contract. It is quite, make that “highly” unlikely that she would have become Chief. The search was on for a replacement.
@ mutual aid – I agree, highly unlikely, but she would have been the acting/interim chief. Lets hope in the city’s search for a new chief that it is not anyone from Antonucci’s inner circle.
In fact a little advise, get rid of the “special ones” that he has surrounded himself with. You know, the ones that if he stopped all of a sudden, they would be so far up a dark hole, you would have to call that ladder truck and helicopter to get them out.
David – copy