Morris
Thursday, September 22, 2100 – 08:00 a.m.
As federal agents were executing search warrants in an investigation into activities involving the redevelopment of the former Norton Air Force Base, San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris was reportedly knocking down the door of The Sun / Inland Valley Daily Bulletin newspapers.
No, I’m not kidding.
Morris is President of the San Bernardino International Airport Authority (SBIAA) and is also on the Inland Valley Development Agency (IVDA).
Both agencies are responsible for redevelopment and operational activities at the former military base.
It may take more than an editorial board sell job to solve this $200 million boondoggle.
Yes, I said $200 million!
Some of which is alleged in a scathing grand jury report to have been spent by Morris without board approval.
A scandal that will very likely reach into the Redlands political “Old Guard”.
Former Supervisor Dennis Hansberger who sat on the airport boards for years staunchly supported the hiring of convicted felon Scot Spencer to a key position.
Inland Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands) was instrumental in securing federal funding for the IVDA.
Lewis’ office was quick to respond to yesterday’s events.
Hansberger, known as the world’s smartest man is unusually silent.
Spencer owes the county more than a half-million dollars in property taxes.
Combine this event with questionable contracts, a lack of internal controls and a plethora of bad press stories and you have a recipe for federal intervention.
Hopefully the Feds will prosecute him. I bet Penman is laughing right now?
Administrator, would you please post the “Industry site gets support” and The Sun photo of Stupidvisor Gary “Oh, not me” Ovitt at the Diamond Bar meeting of the 4-Corners Coalition? I promise I will have some interesting info about the 4-Corners gang. Stevie “Visionary 1″ PonTell is the ED of the 4-Corners Coalition, another one of PonTell’s 501(c)3′s (like the “vacant” La Jolla Institute) that he runs USING TAXPAYER MONEY! Of course in the case of the 4-Corners “think tank”, all the money goes to support Ed Roski and Majestic’s NFL Stadium project (Remember the Redlands “Donut-hole” Majestic Alamo “solved” by legislation (just like the Stadium EIR?- WE DO!)
Irwin we are unto to you. Don’t get too excited about airport.
Little Stevie Wonder, why is your website always empty? The last post I see is from 02/11? Am I missing something? At least iepolitics and inlandpolitics has something posted. Yours is empty?
My IT support went to college in Chicago.
It’s too much work to maintain a site. It’s much easier to post convoluted comments on someone else’s. Besides, he’s too busy with Bubba and other back-door men.
C’MON Bill, you’ll meet Bubba soon enough.
Hey Stevie, see you know Bubba personally, how is he? Does he fit the Bill?
Let’s take a look at the ridiculous responses from our local public officials-
Mayor Morris in the Sun – “We’ve built a helluva airport on a dime”.
Why does he think the tax payers got a good deal? According to the grand jury report, contracts for $142 million of construction were done with no bidding. Without a bidding process, contractors have no incentive to lower their prices.
Also, public officals are always saying the Terminal “per gate” cost is lower than at other airports. The reason for that is San Bernardino has four gates with the same area other airports have just one gate. Each time you make a door in a wall – Presto! Another gate (and another fallacy).
Jerry Lewis – “I am extremely concerned that the current events may set back the progress we have made in bringing new jobs to this former base.”
Set back progress? Is Stator Brothers, Mattel, Pep Boys or Kohls going to cancel their leases because of this? Of course not.
On the Airport side, business has never been slower. Scot has done everything he can to hinder CAS, the Airport’s largest business, who may even move to another airport because of Scot.
Many of the Airport’s jobs figures are fiction. For example, for years Airport literature indicated that NAMS, owned by Scot, had 400 jobs at the Airport, when in fact, they had about 10 employees.
Don Rogers in the Sun – “We were, until today, very near a successful completion of the commercialization of the former (base),” he said in an emailed statement. “Over 4,200 jobs have been created and $1.5 billion in assessed valuation has been raised to over $5 billion.”
Rogers, ever the spin doctor, argues that the presence of Stator Brothers and other warehouses on IVDA property means that everything on the Airfield side is OK. The Airfield side, including all the deals in question, have nothing to do with the IVDA corporate warehouses.
Also, Don’s jobs numbers can’t be trusted. How does the current action threaten anything?
The sooner the Airport changes management, the sooner the Airport can proceed effectively into the future.
crooks
It looks like I am going to have to find another location other then 3rd and Del Rosa to sell my meth…. Since yesterday, business is down 90 percent, and I have two wife’s and thirty kids to support. Thank god for the free shit we get from the government. I don’t want my kids to see me as a failure if I can’t provide the birthday and Christmas presents, whoops, I mean Holiday presents…..