• District Conversion Update 4

Today's update on what I'm calling District Conversion, is two pronged.

First I'm uploading the letters from the LA attorney, and the responses from Wildomar's attorneys. The best way to view the first letter is by enlarging it. You can do that by holding the control key and hitting the + key if you're on a PC. Or you can save it to your device and view it through your own software.

As you can see in the graphic below, the next official part of the process will be on February 3, 2016. I asked how this initial draft will be made public, and it'll be on the city's website on the 3rd. I suggest that you sign up for city emails at the following address if you want to keep up on this. LINK

The next public discussion of the Conversion to Districts is scheduled for Wednesday, February 10th.

Second, I attended a Community Coffee hosted by Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez and had a chance to ask her if there was any relief that Wildomar, and other communities faced with vexatious lawsuits, could expect from Sacramento.

The short answer was:
Could the state do something? Yes, if the majority weren't what it is right now, yes we could do something... So while I'd like to say "yes, there's something we can do right now," the odds are they would never let it pass.  As long as I had the Assembly woman's attention, I thought I'd ask her about another issue that is bearing down on Wildomar. Medical marijuana ordinances.

Currently, local municipalities have until March 1st to enact rules and laws regarding medical marijuana. A bill has cleared the assembly that removes the deadline. Now it's up to the Senate and the Governor to do their part.

•        •        •

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.  — Groucho Marx

Wildomar Rap reminds you: that sufferers of cognitive dissonance can be cured if they'd just let go of their pigheaded fantasies.

• District Conversion Update 3

Tonight's meeting took about two hours and was packed with a ton of information. Still the house was less than half full.

The quick takeaway from it is that the process of establishing electoral districts is now underway in Wildomar, despite the fact that there were no public speakers in favor of it, nor any of the council members in favor of it. 

Then again, Ken Mayes was up to his usual mental glass chewing, so maybe he was in favor of districts. You never can tell with that guy, you just know he's going to say something fatuous, that he attempts to gussy up to appear as if it was just delivered by a skid row Perry Mason.

The meeting started out with the council roll call, a flag salute, followed city manager Gary Nordquist reading a statement as to why Wildomar is taking the actions of going to district based voting. This was followed by a ten minute introduction by senior litigation partner Marguerite Mary Leoni of the firm Nielsen, Merksamer, Parrinello, Gross & Leoni. 

Very heady stuff, and it's all in the first video I've uploaded. This was followed by twelve plus minutes of more on the spot learning taught by Douglas Johnson, of the National Demographics Corporation. The last eighteen minutes is Ms. Leoni telling the council how to, and how not to draw districts.

I could do several dozen pull quotes from Ms. Leoni, Mr. Johnson, the public speakers and the council, but if you're interested, then I suggest you watch the videos. Well... here's one from Ms. Leoni.

The letter then states that the city is 35% Latino in population, but that number for purposes of a voting rights act violation is irrelevant.

The letter then goes on to say that the council is notable, when compared to the demographics of the city, by the lack of Latino representation on the council. And as we in this room know, that's not true. Our mayor is a Latina.

As you can see from the graphic, we have no predominately Hispanic/Latino area in the city. In fact, in another graph where it discusses languages spoken in Wildomar homes, less than 10% speak English "well" or less.

I didn't take the time for very much editing in the videos. I apologize in advance for quick pans or zooms. Also, in the second video I had to change batteries with only a few moments left. 

The second video starts off with the public comments which are in this order.

• George Taylor discussed how this is tantamount to racial profiling.
• Gina Castanon: "What if no one runs in a district?"
• Ken Mayes (listen and judge for yourself starting at 8:30 in the video)
• Maria Walker: "I'm a Latina, and I voted for at large."
• George Cambero: "I've been trying to run for office for years. I've run for the school district, for Western Municipal Water District, for EVMWD. When I run, I run not to represent the Latino community, no. I wanted to run because it was something I believed in and believe that I represent everybody."
• Joseph Morabito: "We know that the letter writer, to the LA lawyer, will be looking for any ticky-tack reason to bring another lawsuit against the city. So you know you're going to have to cross all the t's and dot all the i's... and even then I'm putting all my money on another lawsuit coming."

Have to love the nearly contradictory instructions in the above graphic.

It's really a slimy, and thoroughly unjust charge to suggest that the fine representatives of Wildomar have colluded to keep any group from their constitutional rights of voting for candidates of their choice. 

Whoever the letter writer was, the one that started our city in this very negative direction, didn't have the courage of his/her conviction to speak up. Which is so typical that it's hardly worth mentioning.

I really liked the words that came from Gina Castanon, Maria Walker and George Cambero during the public comments section. Please listen to their comments as they delivered them in the video below.

The same goes for the council comments. If you're interested in them, they start after the public comments and you might as well hear them as they happened in real time, than have me cherry pick out my favorites.

If you listen to the words throughout the videos, you see that there was no other way around this. In the end, one twisted person has forced his/her will onto the other 34,000+ people that live here.

•        •        •

We don’t want to be a giant, powerful city — we just want to be a small community and we should be allowed to do that.  — Bob Cashman, 2005 

Wildomar Rap reminds you: that it's a tight rope walk between spilt milk and sour grapes. I suggest avoiding both.

• Car Thief Nabbed

Last night, in the wee hours of the morning, a car thief suspect was picked up near city hall.

Below is from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Type of Incident:	Stolen Vehicle Arrest
Date Written:	January 27, 2016	Time Written:	10:00 AM
Date of Incident:	January 27, 2016	Time of Incident:	2:40 AM
Location of Incident:	23857 Clinton Keith Road, Wildomar Ca. 92595
Reporting Officer:	Sergeant David Cardoza
File Number:	WI16027001

Details: 

On Wednesday, January 27, 2016, at approximately 2:40 AM, an officer was patrolling the parking lot of a business complex in the 23000 block of Clinton Keith Road in the City of Wildomar.  

The officer conducted a records check of the license plate on a black Toyota S.U.V. and learned the vehicle was reported stolen out of the San Diego area. The vehicle was occupied so additional patrol units responded and a subject was taken into custody without incident.

Milton Dwaine Shepherd, a resident of San Diego, was arrested for possession of stolen property and was subsequently transported to the Southwest Detention Center.

Anyone having further knowledge or information pertaining to this case is encouraged to contact Officer Pham at theWildomar Police Department at 951-245-3300, or after hours at (951) 776-1099. 

•        •        •

It's a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what.

— Dr. Greg House

Wildomar Rap reminds you: to take things with a grain of salt, but Mrs. Dash works well too.

• Franchise Subcommittee Meeting Jan 2016

What could be more worth your time than a Franchise Subcommittee Meeting?

Well, considering that at the other end of the process looms between a $2 and $4 per month fee for each address in Wildomar, I'd think this should rank right up there with when Measure Z's $28 per year was being floated out there.

I've heard that some people don't actually read the words in the Wildomar Rap blog, and they base their knowledge on the pretty pictures I post. Well DON'T DO THAT HERE.

First, you need to know that there is actually very little genuine control when it comes to cities having local control. I'd say that most things in a city are dictated to them from either the state or the county. Our city has very little room, or money, to set our own agenda.

With that established, laws have been passed which dictate how trash is collected, and what's to be done with it afterward.

Most of us have three trash bins, and most of us do our best to separate out recyclables, green waste and general waste.

What's looming on the horizon is an organic waste recycling program.

A look at CR&R's super snazzy new anaerobic digester complex for organic recycling.

Organic waste is your old green waste, plus food waste, dog poop and even non hazardous wood waste. (I'm guessing if it's an old piece of lumber filled with nails, that would be considered hazardous).

The mandate is for the city to adopt a plan so as to be in compliance with AB1826.

This is only being implemented for businesses at first, but CR&R is wanting to get the residential side in there now too.

Even at the meeting, if you were sitting more than 10 feet away from this graphic, you couldn't read it.

This is with the scenario of the rates increasing by 50¢ per month per year. They had another one based on 75¢ per month.

Several scenarios were discussed by Alex Braicovich of CR&R, that seemed like coercion to me.

If the city jumps into their deal today, the cost is only going to start off at $1.98 per home, with an annual 1% increase which will average out to about $2.07 per month over ten years.

However, if we wait a year to join the scheme, the rate will go up by at least 50¢ to 75¢ per month, per year.

If you can see the line that reads Cost/Home/Month if we do the deal now, it's $2.07.
In the following bullet points, each line represents a single year difference in starting the program.

•  2016, rate $1.98; ten year average with increases $2.07
•  2017, rate $2.50; ten year average with increases $2.60; 26% higher
•  2018, rate $3.00; ten year average with increases $3.11; 50% higher
•  2019, rate $3.50; ten year average with increases $3.61; 74% higher
•  2020, rate $4.00; ten year average with increases $4.10; 98% higher

Though cities are mandated to have a program in place for businesses that produce 8 cubic yards of organic waste on a weekly basis in 2016, by 2020 a similar organic waste diversion program will need to be citywide.

Council Member Ben Benoit is trying to point out figures on the graphic to fellow Council Member Marsha Swanson

When it was time for public comments, I had a couple of them ready, but demurred. I'll make more of a list for when this comes before the full council.

Here's what I have so far on my list.

• Why *must* the rates go up if we choose to wait a year?
• Based on what?
• Why such steep raises every 12 months?

I liked several points Council Member Marsha Swanson made.

• I'm still totally concerned with residential rates going up now. Already Wildomar residents are paying $76.56 each quarter and Lake Elsinore is paying $72. Waste Management is $75.41. 

• I feel we need to give both companies their ten year notice and have one trash hauler in our city.

• Being a business woman, it still makes me feel like we are paying for your capital improvements. That's the feeling that hits me and that's the hard thing to ask these people (residents of Wildomar).

City Manager Gary Norquist then asked Braicovich the following question.

Looking at the chart, on the far right hand column at the very bottom, it says 98%. So if [Wildomar] joins in 2020, over that next five year period, [we'll] be paying 98% more than if [we] would have joined it in 2016?

"Correct," replied Braicovich.

At one point Braicovich said, "I hear your concern about one side of [of the city] being different than the other. Just want to throw it out there. We're more than happy to sit down with your staff and with Waste [Management] and knock something out that would be the same [price wise] for the entire city."

When I heard that, and though I'm willing to hear that as a "good intentions" kind of thing, it sure seemed a bit too close to price fixing/collusion to me. I don't want the two companies working together to come up with a similar price. I want them looking to work against each other in what is commonly called healthy competition.

I completely agree with the idea of having just ONE trash hauler in the city, and even if the countdown is ten long years, please city council, start that ball rolling now so that those that are in your chairs in ten years will have a tool that you handed them.

•        •        •

We keep going for them. We can't turn back because we're afraid. 

— Rick Grimes (Walking Dead)

Wildomar Rap reminds you: It's better to have two hammers and not need to use them than to need a hammer and not have one in your tool box.

• You Too Can Be A City Insider

UPDATE ON PREVIOUS BLOG

First an update to the story about Converting to Districts. Link to previous blog.

I used an OLD map from 2009 on the city website for my last blog. I used it as an example of what our city is going to look like after this process is over and lines are drawn. From there, I made observations (read:opinions) about the various districts.

I still like my atta-boy for the defunct district number 5 when I said, "They make up for their lack of physical size by having the most places to drink."

The blog was 99% opinion and 1% fact.

The 1% that was fact was the opening lines where it lead off with: A special city council meeting has been set for Wednesday January 27th at 6:30pm to further map out the forced conversion from At Large to District voting for Wildomar.

It was clearly pointed out that the map was NOT the map we would be using no less than three times in the blog. I can't believe that people refused to read what was right on the page.

==================

I've been called a "city insider" by some of the people that hate Wildomar.

I can't argue with that based on the fact that I have come know all the elected officials, and nearly all of the people that work for the city since Summer of 2013.

They pretty much know me too and I haven't come across a single one of them that I don't respect. They are all good people... even our council member that puts in the least amount of time.

The part I like is that I was called a "city insider" back in 2013 before I'd even gone to my first city meeting.

How could such a thing occur?

At the time, I had no idea why such a thing would be said —or what it was supposed to mean (I tend to take things literally when they are in such a setting).

However, it's clear that such a charge (as if it were a bad thing) is leveled at anyone that dares to ask, "What are you talking about, please clarify?" when they read the the oddball accusations that claim malfeasance/incompetence on the part of the city.

The people that have long made such abjectly ridiculous accusations against the city know there is no substance to their silly charges, so they will never explain them when asked. If you'd like to hear more details about their points —and ask them for more info, instead of providing the answers, they tell you to look up the info yourself.

If you then press them on it, like I did, prepare yourself to be called a City Insider.

Several things all came about at the same time in August of 2013.

I found Wildomar Locals FaceBook group. From there I heard about an effort to pick up trash that was strewn about the grounds surrounding the Brown House.

That was the first time I'd ever seen Bridgette Moore (or anyone else remotely connected to the city).

It was a blistering hot August day, and she came out there because she knew that our presence at the Brown House was basically trespassing and wanted to avoid any possible problems with the owners of the land... even if picking up litter was a noble cause.

I remember asking Bridgette a few questions about some local empty fields and if anything was planned for them. She invited me to call with any questions and she'd be happy to meet at city hall any time. I didn't know what to do with such an invitation, so I declined.

About a week later I went to my first city meeting. It was a Parks Subcommittee meeting that only had Marsha Swanson, Bridgette Moore and City Manager Gary Nordquist at it. I had a question about a fence that was up at Windsong Park and Gary Nordquist was happy to speak with me about it.

The next week was the first Planning Commission meeting I attended and I haven't missed one since.

At the October 2013 meeting I watched how a former council member interrupted the meeting from the audience with catcalls. The next day I read a local blog about the planning commission meeting. The only thing mentioned was the interruption from the audience member, but the blame was somehow pinned on Commissioner Veronica Langworthy.

This became a topic at The Patch (website) and "blogging" was brought up. I responded that "only idiots bother with blogging." Yet I started this blog about two weeks later.

Before I went to my first city meeting I was already being called a "city insider" by Wildomar's most celebrated loon... no, not Miss Miller, the other one.

Funny thing is, I had a touch of déjà vu today.

I was over at a local FaceBook page and the same person that declared I was a "city insider" before I'd gone to my first meeting, was at it again. This time I was a "manipulator of the first order" of the people of Wildomar.

The following screen shot (and about 20 other comments attached to it) were summarily deleted with no explanation. They could only have been deleted by the the person I'm calling "the instigator."

I blurred the names and icons.

I don't know how to put this any clearer. I have average intelligence and less than average education (Two semester of Italian at Saddleback).

I just write about things that interest me in the city, and if you read them, that's about it. I have no agenda, other than to be as fair as is a reasonable expectation. If a person has a history of being unfair, I don't give them a dozen second chances.

I was also told that I was extremely cruel and distasteful (because of the political cartoons I've made and posted). I asked if she knew of any political cartoons that didn't show the target in a negative light.

Here's a transcript of what started all the fun today

Instigator: Having received a number of calls from Wildomar residents looking for accurate information on the meeting the city will hold on this Wednesday evening, 1/27/2016, concerning the change to "by Districts" elections, I called the city clerk to validate poor and misleading information post on this group's site. 

Joseph Morabito: Zero is indeed "a number".

Another FaceBook User: Wouldn't need any changes re districts if some certain people would stop the stupid lawsuits the file against the city.

Instigator: wouldn't need any changes if the city council had respected the original vote by the people of Wildomar for "by districts" city council elections. However the new version of the Califoria[sic] law (SB493) signed in October of 2015 is changing all that... City Councils and other governing bodies will have to comply with the new law. Thanks to other people and far more well-financed law firms, the impact of this law will be felt by hundreds of cities and groups throughtout[sic] California without any help from me. smile emoticon

Joseph Morabito: What's with your constant need to post lies?

Instigator: What's with your desire to bend and slant the truth to fit your personal opinions, bigotry and biases? Half truths are really just lies.

Joseph Morabito: LOL @ Bigotry.

Joseph Morabito: You know full well that "At Large" was adopted by the voters of Wildomar. You never mention it.

Instigator: I know that the city council manipulated the language in the ballot measure to confuse the voters...all of which is now history.

Joseph Morabito: M----, sounds like you're suggesting that the voters are not bright enough to read a ballot proposition.

Instigator: Joseph, another example of your words meaning to misrepresent what I am saying. You cannot lift[sic] the failings of the city council on to the shoulders of the voters of Wildomar.

Please try to avoid my manipulative powers when I ask you if you heard what I heard?

I heard a claim that the city council "manipulated the language of the ballot measure to confuse the voters." She wasn't confused by the wording, but other people (voters) were susceptible to the clever wording.

I read that to be, she thinks the voters were NOT clever enough to detect a trick perpetrated on them by the council. I'd love to know another scenario for what "manipulate to confuse" can possibly mean.

Back to the title of this blog

You want my surefire path to being a city insider?

Don't be a dick.

There. That's all it takes.

I guess if you regularly attend city meetings/events, looking to engage in friendly conversation with the others there, that will be an asset too.

The first several dozen blogs I wrote weren't very complimentary of the city. I didn't know any people from there, and I didn't trust any of them. After all, I'd been warned about how devious and manipulative they were. It took months for me to lower my guard even a little (my inner aspie looking out for me).

I remember in one early blog I basically ridiculed part of the 2013 Great Day of Service for its shortcomings.

Yet every time I encountered someone connected with the city they were always great ambassadors. It couldn't have been because of this blog. There was no facebook page for it, few had heard of it and it probably still had under 300 lifetime page impressions at that time. It's just who they were/are.

WR recently zoomed past 100,000 page impressions, with about 295 posted blogs. I don't know how to gather the stats from the FaceBook page, but they are staggeringly higher, at least triple. Many thanks to those that read WR

I wrote a blog about the 2013 Breakfast with Santa event. I posted the number of people that participated and the amount of money that came in. An out of town blogger asked me, "Where did you get that number?"

I replied, "I asked."

Now you know my secret on how you too can be a city insider!

I'd like to take a moment out to reflect on the 27 months that Wildomar Rap has been around.

It took me a bit of time to find my style, both content wise and the actual look of the blog.

And this blog wouldn't be around if not for a couple of key names.

At the top of the list is my wife Grace Morabito, the person that has supported this blog even when I wasn't so sure about it.

Right near the top is 2016 Mayor Bridgette Moore. She is truly inspirational in her tireless efforts involving the city. A lot of which take place where most people can't see them, nor ever learn about them.

There is an old wive's tale going around that Wildomar Rap owes it's start to a long defunct blog that used to haunt Wildomar in the past.

If during an hour long conversation at Starbucks, where blogging in Wildomar was offhandedly brought up, is all it takes to lay claim to such a thing... then heck yeah... the other guy came up with the idea.

If sanity is allowed to intrude, random chatter over coffee don't amount to a hill of arabica beans.

•        •        •

Being disliked is part of life, you can never satisfy everyone. But that was never my goal. — unknown

Wildomar Rap cautions: If this edition is a little all over the road, I've been fighting the effects of a virus and it's affecting my powers as a manipulator of the first order. 

• District Conversion Update 2

A special city council meeting has been set for Wednesday January 27th at 6:30pm to further map out the forced conversion from At Large to District voting for Wildomar.

Below you see a district map the city had adopted back in 2009.

If you go to the following city page about this you'll bump into many different maps that were tossed around back then (LINK). The above map is labeled "Final" but it's defunct at this point and has ZERO value in 2016.

With this map, our current representation would be as follows

• District 1 Bob Cashman
• District 2 Empty
• District 3 Tim Walker
• District 4 Marsha Swanson
• District 5 Bridgette Moore and Ben Benoit

If similar lines are drawn again, that would mean that Ben Benoit would have to run after having just won his second term last election, and directly against Bridgette Moore.

Can you imagine it?

If you're not one of the screwballs that hate the city, what a disaster such a thing would be.

You'd be hard pressed to find more dedicated public servants than those two... in any community. And you can look until the Energizer Bunny's 100th replacement wears out and you'd still come up on the short end if you were looking for their equals in the 92595.

And because of twisted views on local politics we may be forced to say goodbye to one of the two of them? 

It's interesting to note in the map above, that the largest district (District 1) which included The Farm, the future Walmart, the shopping area that has Pizza Factory and Sunpro Solar, also had a southern notch that includes Council Member Bob Cashman.

Unless I'm missing my guess here, you should expect to see The Farm run one of their own candidates no matter if the newly drawn districts pencil in a representative for them or not. They are a large, and pretty close knit, community and it sure wouldn't make sense if they didn't use their numbers to their advantage.

Another thing I noted in the above map is that Windsong Valley (District 2) is chopped into two pieces. The dividing line seems to be between the older and the newer. (And "yes" Palomar Ridge, you are considered part of Windsong if you like it or not... just ask people from other parts of the city if you need straightening out on that one.)

There were also next to no businesses in district 2, unless you're counting the Equipment Rental place on the corner of Palomar and Central, Anne Sullivan Preschool and the Assisted Living place. Certainly no retail businesses or places to eat... but hey, we had two elementary schools, so take that!

District 3 had the middle and high schools, the cemetery, the post office Marna O'Brien Park,  and the badly painted red market with so many banners it gives you vertigo if you look at it as you're driving by.

The pride of District 3. I can't imagine that someone actually signed off on that joke of a paint job. 

District 4 looks like the area where most of the commercial would have been. It had the entire Clinton Keith corridor (Except USA Gas), which includes all the grocery stores —even Plow Boys, the future MSJC campus and the hospital. Plus all the apartments in town, so now they alone will be the "High Density Capital of the World".

District 5 had Regency Heritage Park, the animal shelter (AFV), the Elks Lodge, The VFW, Arco, El Comal and The Hideaway. They make up for their lack of physical size by having the most places to drink.

•        •        •

Though the above map is not the map we'll have, we will end up with something similar.

For several reasons it can't be as simple as getting out a fresh map and begin marking it based on obvious landmarks.

First, the five districts need to be drawn with roughly the same number of residents in them. (Though there is a case out of Texas currently in front of the Supreme Court discussing a similar issue, it's completely immaterial here because it hasn't been adjudicated, and we have our own timetables to adhere to.)

Link to article about the court case.

Second, Wildomar is hiring a demographer to make sure the lines are drawn in a fair manner that also takes into account the alleged violation of California's Voting Rights Act as mentioned in the complaint letter that started this process in the first place.

Let's see if people will actually show up to this meeting or not. Wouldn't it be nice to see an overflow crowd at the city council chambers for once?

Yeah, I already stopped holding my breath too.

We can always hope that Team Crank will show up en masse. For as much as they distract from a city meeting's purpose, they are great entertainment to watch as they pontificate from the podium. 

•        •        •

Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.  — Plato

Wildomar Rap tip of the day: You can participate in your local government, or you can keep making excuses and let others continue to do it for you. Just don't whine about it after the fact.

• Eastvale Is Denied In Court of Appeal

Below is an order from the Court of Appeal on the Eastvale matter.  

The Court removed the temporary stay and denied Eastvale’s Petition for a Writ to order a permanent stay while its appeal is pending.  This is good news as it will allow the State Department of Finance and Riverside County to move forward with the loan forgiveness process. 

Now the question remains, is Eastvale done with this or not?

When asked for a comment, Mayor Bridget Moore said, "[This is] Good news for Wildomar. This part is over but we do not know what they're going to do next. If anything."

Below are links to blogs discussing this issue in more detail.

first blog

second blog

•        •        •

If you're innocent you don't need my help. If you're guilty you couldn't buy it. 

— Boston Blackie

Wildomar Rap reminds you: A burrito in the hand is worth two in the freezer.