Politics, Government and Business in Southern California's Inland Empire
May 20, 2013; 06:34 PM
Ontario, San Bernardino County and Culver City filed an appeal late Monday, May 20, of the Los Angeles County Airport Land Use Commission’s approval of an LAX expansion plan.
To read story by Cassie MacDuff in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Ed Mendel
Monday, May 20, 2013
One of the first local ballot measures aimed at cutting public pension costs, a cap on Pacific Grove payments to CalPERS approved by voters three years ago, was ruled unconstitutional by a Monterey County superior court judge last week.
By Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
@InlandGov on Twitter
Posted: 05/18/2013 04:28:16 PM PDT
Updated: 05/18/2013 04:35:54 PM PDT
Related: Union money looms big in L.A. mayor’s race
The next mayor of Los Angeles – City Councilman Eric Garcetti or City Controller Wendy Greuel – can be expected to have political influence well beyond their city’s limits.
Liset Marquez, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/17/2013 07:41:52 PM PDT
Updated: 05/17/2013 07:42:00 PM PDT
ONTARIO — Attorneys representing several cities and San Bernardino County opposed to a plan to modernize Los Angeles International Airport say they are in the process of filing a lawsuit against the agency that oversees LAX.
Friday, May 17, 2013 – 11:30 a.m.
Well it’s finally started!
Local newspapers trying to create distance from San Bernardino mayor Pat Morris and company.
Posted on | May 16, 2013
To understand Tuesday night’s production of the Mighty MoVal Council Players, watch this brief snippet in “Godfather II” in which Michael Corleone kisses his turncoat brother, Fredo, full on the mouth.
To read column by Dan Bernstein in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Posted on | May 15, 2013
A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has bad news for Ontario International Airport.
To read column by Cassie MacDuff in The Press Enterprise, click here.
May 15, 2013; 07:53 PM
As a political corruption probe hangs over Moreno Valley and a day after its city manager quit, Michelle Dawson began moving quickly as the city’s new chief executive.
One of her first points of business Wednesday, May 15, was tapping city official Tom DeSantis as her top assistant.
To read story by Debra Gruszecki in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Michael Gardner7:06 p.m.May 15, 2013
California’s counties are leery of Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget maneuver to immediately siphon money from local coffers, leaving behind an IOU that would be repaid through savings realized much later.
May 14, 2013; 08:51 PM
Moreno Valley City Manager Henry Garcia resigned Tuesday night, May 14, at a City Council meeting at which emotions ran high over a corruption probe, grandstanding by elected officials, and the recent filing of three claims by laid-off officials alleging political interference over code enforcement action taken against a councilman.
To read story by Debra Gruszecki in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Posted: Monday, May 13, 2013 1:28 pm | Updated: 7:15 pm, Mon May 13, 2013.
By NORBERTO SANTANA JR.
While Orange County finance managers Monday unveiled a largely status-quo, $5.4-billion budget for fiscal year 2013-14, they acknowledged that plans could change depending on the impact of a judge’s ruling against the county involving $73 million in property taxes.
Saturday, May 11, 2013 – 01:30 p.m.
It’s what you get when you rely on local economist John Husing as your cheerleader, not to mention area expert, in a fight to wrestle control of a regional airport from the city of Los Angeles.
May 10, 2013; 03:58 PM
As investigators sift through seized documents and witness statements in a political corruption probe of Moreno Valley, the plot has thickened.
City Manager Henry Garcia’s job is on the line.
To read story by Debra Gruszecki and David Danelski in The Press Enterprise, click here.
May 10, 2013; 04:19 PM
A critical billboard targeting five San Bernardino city officials that had already generated controversy over its message has now led to accusations of censorship and political pressure.
To read column by Imran Ghori and Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/10/2013 12:19:06 PM PDT
San Bernardino’s human resources division manager has resigned, and her last day will be May 23, she said.
Sandra Emerson and Wes Woods II, Staff Writers
Posted: 05/10/2013 08:20:40 PM PDT
Updated: 05/10/2013 11:03:36 PM PDT
The state Supreme Court’s decision upholding local governments’ right to ban medical marijuana dispensaries left pro-marijuana advocates to rely on legislative action to ensure patients access to marijuana.
May 10, 2013 7:16 PM
Jim E. Winburn, Staff Writer
HESPERIA • San Bernardino County officials helped to dedicate the new High Desert Public Safety Operations Center in Hesperia on Friday, a joint-agency emergency hub to deal with regional and countywide catastrophes.
By Brian Sumers Staff Writer
brian.sumers@dailybreeze.com @briansumers on Twitter
Posted: 05/09/2013 06:34:18 PM PDT
Medium-size airports like LA/Ontario International Airport have lost a significant number of flights in the past six years, while larger facilities have been less affected, according to a study released this week by researchers at MIT.
May 09, 2013; 05:46 PM
The California Transportation Commission has allocated nearly $70 million in funding to nine projects in Inland Southern California, including $12 million toward a four-lane grade separation on Riverside Avenue at the railroad tracks in Riverside.
To read story by Jan Sears in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/09/2013 01:39:03 PM PDT
Years of levying but not collecting fines on medical marijuana dispensaries and fielding impatient calls from neighbors upset the shops stay open are rapidly ending now that the California Supreme Court says cities may ban them, San Bernardino officials say.
By Nicole Santa Cruz, Los Angeles Times
May 9, 2013, 11:57 p.m.
The first grand jury report described Orange County as being a “hotbed of corruption, conflict of interest and abuse of authority” while the next blamed political leaders for the “implosion” of the county’s health plan for the poor.
By Dale Kasler
dkasler@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, May. 9, 2013 – 12:00 am | Page 7B
CalPERS says the insolvent city of San Bernardino has enough money to pay its past-due bill to the giant pension fund.
By Sandra Emerson, Wes Woods II and Ryan Hagen, Staff Writers
Posted: 05/08/2013 02:49:30 PM PDT
Updated: 05/08/2013 04:05:02 PM PDT
Special Section: Medical Marijuana
Now that the more than 180 cities and counties up and down the state have the state’s highest court on their side, many local government officials are actively seeking the closure of medical marijuana dispensaries operating in violation of their zoning laws.
By Nicole Santa Cruz
May 8, 2013, 7:00 p.m.
Orange County may owe the state as much as $150 million after a judge tentatively ruled this week that it must pay back funds originally meant for local schools and community colleges.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/07/2013 07:06:07 PM PDT
The city’s financial situation is clearer and many disagreements about what documents to share have been resolved, San Bernardino’s attorney and those objecting to its bankruptcy eligibility said Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Riverside.
Again.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/07/2013 01:04:37 PM PDT
The billboard “congratulating” Mayor Pat Morris and four members of the City Council for making San Bernardino the nation’s “worst-run city” has been moved to the corner of Highland Avenue and Medical Center Drive, but the police union responsible for putting it up say they’re standing by their message.
By Brian Sumers Staff Writer
brian.sumers@dailybreeze.com @briansumers on Twitter
Posted: 05/07/2013 06:50:20 PM PDT
Updated: 05/07/2013 07:32:30 PM PDT
Los Angeles World Airports officials have a suggestion for business leaders and politicians in the Inland Empire who want airlines to add flights at LA/Ontario International Airport: Open your checkbooks.
Liset Marquez and Joe Nelson, Staff Writers
Posted: 05/07/2013 11:00:57 AM PDT
Updated: 05/07/2013 09:49:23 PM PDT
Ontario and the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will join Inglewood and Culver City in a legal battle over an environmental plan for LAX approved by the Los Angeles City Council last week.
May 07, 2013; 05:51 PM
San Bernardino County Chief Executive Officer Greg Devereaux will stay on until 2017, and possibly beyond that, under a contract extension approved Tuesday, May 7, by the Board of Supervisors.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
May 06, 2013; 06:38 PM
Moreno Valley Mayor Tom Owings put out a statement late Monday asserting he had reason to believe a grand jury will begin to collect testimony Wednesday, May 8, as part of a wide-ranging investigation into corruption by federal enforcement agencies.
To read story by Debra Gruszecki in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Denny Walsh
dwalsh@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, May. 6, 2013 – 12:59 pm
Last Modified: Monday, May. 6, 2013 – 5:53 pm
Local governments in California are free to ban the distribution and sale of marijuana for medical purposes despite state law that allows it under certain circumstances, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/05/2013 08:44:29 PM PDT
Updated: 05/05/2013 09:07:57 PM PDT
The state Supreme Court is set to issue a decision today on whether the city of Riverside is legally allowed to ban medical marijuana dispensaries through zoning laws.
By Ed Mendel
Monday, May 6, 2013
Bankrupt San Bernardino’s new budget restarts CalPERS payments in July after skipping about $13 million in payments this fiscal year. But the next step in the city plan, getting CalPERS to refinance the unpaid bill, is a no-go at this point.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/01/2013 10:25:06 AM PDT
Special Section: San Bernardino
SAN BERNARDINO — A group of business owners and residents is submitting notices to the mayor, city attorney and City Council with a clear message: You’ve failed, and we plan to throw you out of office.
May 01, 2013; 06:20 PM
The scene that played out in Moreno Valley this week was a familiar one in the Inland area: FBI agents and other law enforcement officials raiding homes and offices as part of a public corruption investigation.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
April 30, 2013; 08:32 AM
Federal and local agents served search warrants on Tuesday, April 30, at the homes of Moreno Valley’s five City Council members, a real estate broker with political connections and the corporate office of Skechers warehouse developer Highland Fairview.
To read story by Lora Hines, Jeff Horseman, John Asbury and Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
April 30, 2013 9:37 PM
Jim E. Winburn, Staff Writer
VICTORVILLE • A City Councilwoman and former bond broker for the municipal airport authority blame what they called “handshake deals” for the questionable financial practices that ultimately led to this week’s fraud allegations against Victorville by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/30/2013 06:15:26 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO — The police union has put up a billboard at a busy intersection congratulating Mayor Pat Morris and four council members, but those elected officials don’t take it as a compliment – or the truth.
Liset Marquez, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/30/2013 11:37:47 AM PDT
Updated: 04/30/2013 07:36:59 PM PDT
Related: Two Los Angeles County supervisors push for local control of ONT | ONT special section
View: Agenda item | Agenda amendment | Ontario letter | ARSAC letter
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has joined more than 100 government entities and officials calling into question the management of L.A./Ontario International Airport and advocating it would be better under local control.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
By Dan Walters
April 30, 2013
California’s state and local governments are at least $648 billion in debt and the total could surpass $1.1 trillion — depending on how pension liabilities are calculated — according to a data compilation by a conservative think tank.
April 30, 2013; 08:32 AM
Federal and local agents served search warrants throughout in Moreno Valley on Tuesday morning, April 30, raiding the homes of the city’s mayor, all five City Council members, a businessman with close political connections and the corporate offices of development company Highland Fairview.
To read story by Lora Hines, Jeff Horseman, Richard K. De Atley and John Asbury in The Press Enterpise, click here.
Liset Marquez, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/29/2013 11:10:55 AM PDT
Updated: 04/29/2013 07:05:51 PM PDT
View: Agenda item
Special Section: Ontario airport Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Don Knabe and Mike Antonovich are recommending that the agency that oversees LA/Ontario International Airport return it to local control.
April 29, 2013 8:40 PM
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Jim E. Winburn, Staff Writer
VICTORVILLE • The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday filed a fraud complaint against the city of Victorville, a securities underwriting firm and others involved in a 2008 municipal bond offering.
Monday, April 29, 2013 – 12:30 p.m.
A shoe has finally dropped in the ongoing financial escapades of Victorville, California.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), announced in a press release Monday, that it has filed a civil fraud lawsuit against the city of Victorville and investment banking firm Kinsell, Newcomb and DeDios (KND).
By Ed Mendel
Monday, April 29, 2013
With pensions presumably shored up by Gov. Brown’s reform and a CalPERS rate hike, will the problem-solving trend spread to what is, by some measures, an even bigger retirement debt: health care promised state workers?
Point of View
San Bernardino is making progress against bankruptcy
Posted: 04/28/2013 08:00:12 AM PDT
For the past seven years, the City Attorney’s Office, along with the council members from the Seventh and Fifth wards, have been the most vocal critics and opponents of the direction in which San Bernardino was moving. On Aug. 23, 2010, our office predicted the city would go bankrupt if the pending budget was adopted. Those same two council members agreed.
Route 66 Rendezvous loss another fiscal crisis black eye
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/27/2013 06:22:32 PM PDT
The announcement that San Bernardino’s signature Route 66 Rendezvous – or at least the essentials that made it a local mainstay – was leaving for Ontario struck many San Bernardino residents as sad but almost inevitable.
It’s not that Ontario didn’t have the resources to do a good job, many said. Far from it.
By Joe Nelson
joe.nelson@ inlandnewspapers.com @SBCountyNow on Twitter
Posted: 04/25/2013 07:28:25 PM PDT
The San Bernardino International Airport Authority has authorized a request for qualifications from companies interested in providing marketing services to the airport.
Posted on | April 25, 2013
Maybe it’s not must-see TV. But at least some TV broadcasts of Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ meetings have been cut short.
To read post by Jeff Horseman on The Press Enterprise Watchdog Blog, click here.
By Jack Leonard, Los Angeles Times
April 25, 2013, 8:28 p.m.
Los Angeles County prosecutors failed to present grand jurors with evidence favorable to Irwindale officials before seeking an indictment in connection with lavish business trips that city officials took to New York, a panel of state appellate justices said Thursday.
By Kevin G. Hall
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: Wednesday, Apr. 24, 2013 – 5:16 pm
Last Modified: Thursday, Apr. 25, 2013 – 3:45 am
WASHINGTON — As part of a new push to broaden the way economic growth is measured, government statisticians will soon begin using a new accounting method that’s likely to spotlight the problem of underfunded pension funds, particularly those managed by state and local governments across the nation.
Liset Marquez, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/23/2013 09:32:22 AM PDT
Updated: 04/23/2013 07:52:33 PM PDT
LOS ANGELES — With Ontario threatening to sue for control of LA/Ontario International Airport, Los Angeles council members were warned by the city’s top administrator on Tuesday that it could be in for a long legal battle before a resolution is reached.
April 22, 2013; 03:43 PM
Riverside County is taking the state of California to court over roughly $40 million in funds the county believes it needs to pay off debts of its now-defunct redevelopment agency.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By JUDY LIN, Associated Press
Updated 10:12 am, Saturday, April 20, 2013
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A second round of bureaucratic bickering has begun over the dismantling of California’s community redevelopment agencies.
By Ed Mendel
Monday, April 22, 2013
The question of whether pensions are “sustainable” may get an answer as a CalPERS board action last week ratchets up annual state and local pension costs during the next seven years.
By Daniel Borenstein, staff columnist
Posted: 04/19/2013 09:00:00 AM PDT
Updated: 04/21/2013 05:10:33 AM PDT
City officials try to have it both ways.
They blame their pension woes on the mighty California Public Employees’ Retirement System. But when CalPERS tries to do the right thing, as we just saw, cities drag their feet like petulant children.
By William Cutting
Friday, April 19, 2013 – 07:30 p.m.
I stumbled upon this story over at MousePrint.org and thought our readers over here at Inland Politics might have an interest in it.
According to this blog posting, District Attorney offices across the nation are allowing debt collectors to use District Attorney stationary to go after bad check writers. Presumably, the DA’s office receives a cut of some kind, be it a slice of the collected funds or perhaps a licensing fee to use the stationary.
By Joe Nelson
joe.nelson@ inlandnewspapers.com @SBCountyNow on Twitter
Posted: 04/18/2013 07:35:56 PM PDT
The president of the union representing San Bernardino County’s prosecutors, deputy public defenders and child support attorneys has threatened a strike if the county continues imposing concessions he said are not on par with other counties.
By Liset Marquez
liset.marquez@ inlandnewspapers.com @DBOntarioNow on Twitter
Posted: 04/18/2013 07:20:56 PM PDT
Updated: 04/18/2013 09:15:38 PM PDT
Special Section: ONT
ONTARIO — Inland Empire economist John Husing is not backing down from his harsh criticism of Los Angeles World Airports – the agency that operates L.A./Ontario International Airport – saying Thursday LAWA has deliberately run operations at the midsize airport down to the ground.
By Ryan Hagen and Eric Bradley
Staff Writers
Posted: 04/17/2013 07:09:43 PM PDT
Updated: 04/17/2013 07:09:53 PM PDT
Many cities will be required to pay more to the state pension system for at least a few years because of changes the system’s board approved Wednesday, stretching its already-thin finances.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 – 12:oo a.m.
A democratic political activist and former staffer of Former U.S. Representative Joe Baca, who was wrongfully charged by San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos, will appear, with his lawyer, on KTIE-AM 590 Wednesday evening.
Liset Marquez, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/16/2013 07:12:16 PM PDT
Updated: 04/16/2013 07:45:22 PM PDT
Negotiations with Ontario for local control of LA/Ontario International Airport have ended, according to a report issued by Los Angeles’ top administrator to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
April 16, 2013; 07:12 PM
Legislation to restore millions of dollars in 2011 budget cuts to four Riverside County cities has been pulled from its first committee hearing.
To read story by Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Ed Mendel
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
A CalPERS committee yesterday approved raising employer rates roughly 50 percent over the next seven years, replacing actuarial methods that kept rates low during the recession with a new goal of full funding in 30 years.
April 15, 2013; 06:12 PM
Riverside will repay $10 million to the city utility’s water fund to help settle a lawsuit that contended officials illegally transferred millions of dollars from that account into the general fund over 16 years.
To read story by Alicia Robinson in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/16/2013 12:01:15 AM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO — There’s a lot more clarity, but still a scarcity of good news, the city’s financial consultant said Monday as he presented a proposed budget to the City Council.
Liset Marquez
Posted: 04/15/2013 08:26:15 PM PDT
Updated: 04/15/2013 08:26:53 PM PDT
LOS ANGELES – The city’s top administrator issued a report Monday to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa detailing what action it and Los Angeles World Airports should take in response to Ontario’s claim to get control of LA/Ontario International Airport.
Posted: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 6:00 am
By TRACY WOOD
The Orange County Grand Jury, citing the county’s 40-year history of political corruption, Monday recommended creation of an independent ethics commission to advise elected officials of ethical pitfalls and increase public confidence in government.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/14/2013 05:23:00 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO — An 11-page framework for spending, which lawyers challenging the city’s bankruptcy eligibility have often said lacks critical details and explanations, has been replaced by a proposed 75-page line-item budget the City Council will study Monday.
Sunday, April 14, 2013 – 11:45 a.m.
After a protracted negotiations period, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is set to impose a one-year contract on the union representing the positions of Deputy District Attorney, Deputy Public Defender and Child Support Attorney, effective immediately.
A contract that will deal a serious blow to take-home pay.
By Joe Nelson
joe.nelson@ inlandnewspapers.com @SBCountyNow on Twitter
Posted: 04/11/2013 04:24:32 PM PDT
San Bernardino County prosecutors have filed multiple counts of conspiracy and perjury chargers against former airport developer Scot Spencer, left, and investor and co-conspirator Felice G. Luciano, right, in connection with the development of the San Bernardino International Airport and related companies.
By Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/11/2013 02:27:07 PM PDT
Updated: 04/11/2013 04:28:44 PM PDT
UPLAND — The city is looking for a replacement.
A replacement on the city’s Housing Authority Board of Commissioners following the resignation of Councilman Gino Filippi.
By Joe Nelson
joe.nelson@ inlandnewspapers.com @SBCountyNow on Twitter
Posted: 04/10/2013 06:29:11 PM PDT
Updated: 04/10/2013 09:01:26 PM PDT
ONTARIO — A rebounding economy. A more idealistic Board of Supervisors with a focus on ethics and good government. And most importantly, a Countywide Vision to ensure San Bernardino County residents, business owners and community leaders prosper for decades to come.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 – 09:30 a.m.
The political advisor to San Bernardino County District Attorney Micheal Ramos has found himself in the middle of a second politically-motivated and malicious prosecution by his client.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/09/2013 05:56:46 PM PDT
Special Section: San Bernardino
RIVERSIDE — Nearly a year after filing for an emergency bankruptcy instead of passing a budget on time, the city will present a fiscal plan Monday that restarts payments to the country’s largest pension fund – payments it’s controversially skipped since August – its bankruptcy attorney said in court Tuesday.
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