• 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.

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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.

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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.