• Letter Writing Campaign 2016

If you have city emails sent to you, you've already seen a request to join a letter writing campaign, and this blog is encouraging you join the effort.

We have a limited amount of time so we urge you to send this as soon as possible!

It's our yearly pilgrimage that consists of groveling to Governor Brown, in hopes that he'll finally take his boot off of our neck and return about 1.8 to 2.0 million dollars to our city that was taken away in 2011.

Below is the sample letter that came in the email.

Before I breakout my crayolas here, let's remember who it is we're dealing with. It's the same man that is desperately wooing two ridiculous causes at the same time.

On the one hand he's head over heels in love with what's known as The Browndoggle, aka The Train to Nowhere. 

On the other hand, he loves the idea of global warming so much that he's willing to lie about how dire things are going to be if we dare to "deny" his proclamations on the matter.

Anyone that wants to tell me that I'm a luddite —for not bothering with something I have no control over, I insist that your comment to me start with a take on Governor Brown's remark about 135 degrees "for months on end" and why he's out to lunch on it... or even better, why you agree with it.

Hey peeps, since when is skepticism akin to heresy? (Oh yeah, it's always been heresy to the faithful to not buy into their obsessions... like celestial microwaving, or whatever they've rebranded GW to these days).

With that established, I wrote a letter in 2014 and 2015, and like a great president once said, "Won't Get Fooled Again!"

Let's be honest here, I don't even think the governor's office opens the mail if the postmark is from south of Santa Barbara, but if you need to brush up on your long hand, this would be a good assignment for you. 

You could also threaten your kids with having to write to Governor Brown —in cursive no less— if they don't take the trash out or put the dishes away.

I know that Linus Van Pelt has spent the better part of 50 years believing this year is going to be different, that the Great Moonbeam is going to finally sign Wildomar's bill and all, but I don't have that kind of unquenchable steadfastness like he does.

I'm pretty sure that the Tooth Fairy is more real than a reasonable Jerry Brown.

Below is an excerpt from Wildomar Rap's blog of October 2015. It has a question to Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez and her answer regarding Wildomar's missing VLF funds.

Wildomar Rap:

Bringing it back to legislation, maybe you can talk about SB 25 which was going to help Wildomar. I don't know if it's even worth trying anymore with the current governor. 

Melissa Melendez:

SB25 was a bill where they took away the [portion of the] Vehicle Licensing Fees that went back to the cities. Wildomar was one city, and Menifee as well, where when they calculated their budget, they calculated that money in with the other money they were supposed to be getting.

Then the state, in 2011, took that money away, and so there went Wildomar's budget. There has been a bill three years in a row, my entire time in the legislature, they have done a bill to give that funding back, because it was promised to these cities.

The cities didn't do anything wrong, they played by the rules, but the state took it (VLF funds) away. Three years in a row I helped with this bill and three years in a row the governor has vetoed it.

Now I will tell you, and I don't mind saying this out in public, that I had a conversation with governor Brown a couple of months ago. We were at dinner, not just he and I it was a group of people((which led to some laughter among the attendees)). But it just so happened that he was sitting right across from me... I got the lucky seat.

So I said to him, "Governor Brown, we have this bill coming up which will really helps two cities in my district [by] giving back their vehicle licensing fees. They were pretty hard hit, what are your thoughts on that?"

And he paused for a minute, and he looked at me in his Jerry Brown way, and he said, "What was the percentage of votes I got in Riverside County?" 
((The assembled let out a protracted gasp at that))

He actually said that to me. 

I was stunned, I said, "uhhh... Well... you know, it was probably higher in some other areas of the state." 

And he replied, "I think it was about 22 maybe 23%, so I'm not really motivated."

So that bill is never going to pass (be signed into law), ever.

Despite my personal disbelief in the Governor coming to his senses here —and signing SB 817, allow me to be somewhat of a hypocrite and urge you to do something I'm not all that jazzed about.

Join the letter writing campaign. 

I hear you can even fax it or email it.

Here are links to past blogs urging past letter writing campaigns.

Link to 2015 Blog

Link to 2014 Blog

[This space reserved for 2017 Blog Link]

If you haven't had enough of my graphics, thought I'd throw in this one from last year.
The original caption was:
Every voice matters when a group is screaming at deaf people.

Please pardon the sarcastic tone of this blog. There are only so many times you can hear the same story and think the ending will be different this time. 

If all this VLF funds talk is new to you, just click VLF funds at the bottom of the blog where you see "Labels". That'll send you to many past blogs covering this topic.

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What is the face of a coward? The back of his head as he runs from a battle.

— Francis Underwood 
(Kevin Spacey), House of Cards

Wildomar Rap reminds you that shouting at deaf people is about as useless as flipping off a blind person.

• 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

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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.

• Eastvale Keeps Pushing

If you've been following the saga of Riverside's newest four cities: Wildomar, Menifee, Eastvale and Jurupa Valley. You know that several years ago Governor Jerry Brown chose to withhold promised moneys to them.

It was money that was factored into their very viability as cities at their time of incorporation. That being especially true for Wildomar and Jurupa Valley.

Brown did this in efforts to plug the holes in the state budget. That was years ago, when we were in the deepest part of The Great Recession. Fast forward to the eve of 2016 and California now has a bloated surplus forecast. Yet he allows the Riverside Four to struggle by keeping the funds up in the state capital.

At one point the budget deficit hit $26.6 billion, but since then...

This year

By the close of the fiscal year next June, California will have $7.9 billion in reserves, $3.3 billion more than expected.

Next year

In June 2017, the state could have $11.5 billion in reserves.

(link)

Governor Brown even has refused to return the pilfered funds, to the four cities, despite three pieces of legislation asking for it to be restored (the last two supported by 100% of the lawmakers in Sacramento).

However, there was another bill that made it to his desk (SB 107). This bill would pay off the start up costs the four cities incurred with the county. If you're not up on the back story here, please visit the blog written about it. Link Below.

Link to the November 25th blog on this story. 

Which has links to newspaper stories and SB 107.

Problem is, of the four cities, only Jurupa Valley still had a large debt, over $20 million. Wildomar owed about $1.2, Menifee a little over a million and Eastvale owed nothing. So when it came time to slice up the pie, Eastvale wasn't happy to be the one left standing in musical chairs.

The graph above shows that 90% of SB 107's money goes to Jurupa Valley.

Eastvale's attorney went so far as to say the following in a Daily Journal article.

There are few things less amusing than when a person leads off with the very statement they are just about to contradict. In this case, "It's not just sour grapes."

Oh sure, perhaps he's suggesting it's only 90% sour grapes by adding the modifier "just"?

At times like this, we need to look into Eastvale's eyes and say, "don't piss on us and tell us it's raining."

I have no idea if they actually will have a legal leg to stand on or not, but the very idea that they'd be willing for "everbody to lose as opposed to just three win[ning]" is very telling about the character of that city's leaders.

In a previous blog I compared Eastvale's actions to those of a bully with an "If I don't get any, you don't get any," attitude. It's almost scary how willingly their own officials admit to it. 

If I don't get any, you don't get any either!

There is a court date for this Friday. In the meantime, it's just more money going to pay for other people's greed. 

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“The buyer needs one hundred eyes, 
the seller can afford to be blind”

― George Herbert

Wildomar Rap isn't a fan of the Scott Farkuses of the world! 

Eastvale V. Wildomar?

Wildomar is facing more legal action. This time by fellow newbie city: Eastvale.

Link to article in the Press Enterprise regarding this issue

So why is Wildomar having to defend itself from a lawsuit filed by cousin city Eastvale?

Let's encapsulate several years worth of information into as little space as possible. 

Wildomar, Menifee, Jurupa Valley and Eastvale are the last four cities to incorporate in Riverside County, and all did so around the same time period. There are "start up" costs that each city must pay back to the county once they become cities, and each of the four cities was on their own pay schedule.

Eastvale found it in their budget to pay off the county earlier than the other cities in the group. Something I think is a wise course of action.

Why have a debt needlessly hanging over your head if you can pay it off?

Not long after the four cities incorporated, we were hit hard by "The Great Recession" and anticipated revenue targets were not met here, or up in the state capital. So Sacramento took away funds that were promised to the four new cities to try and plug their hemorrhaging budget. Funds that every other city in the state still get. They come from the Vehicle License Fees (VLF) which amount to about $50 per head. Wildomar's yearly share approaches $2,000,000.

Link to an article with a larger overview of the issue

Back to Eastvale. They were able to weather the recession better than most and paid off their debts despite the lack of the VLF funds. In the ensuing time, the four cities banded together and hired a lobbyist to see about having Sacramento return the funds to the cities.

Three years in a row the legislature has passed a bill that would do so, and three years in a row the governor has vetoed the bill. The last two years the bills were passed with 100% support from both chambers.

However, this year there was a competing bill working it's way through the legislature at the same time. SB 107 Redevelopment Dissolution Bill is a lengthy bill, but buried in it was some money for the four cities. Below is the pertinent portion.

Senate Bill No. 107

SEC. 28.

 (a) For the 2015–16 fiscal year, the sum of twenty-three million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($23,750,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Provision of these funds to the department shall be contingent on the County of Riverside agreeing to forgive amounts owed to it by the Cities of Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Menifee, and Wildomar for services rendered to the cities between the respective dates of their incorporation, and June 30, 2015. The county’s agreement to forgive these funds shall be forwarded to the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and to the Director of Finance no later than December 1, 2015. The county’s agreement shall be accompanied by a summary of the actual amount owed to the county by each of the cities for the period between the date of their incorporation and June 30, 2015. The agreement reflects a valid public purpose which benefits the cities, the county, and its citizens.

This bill was actually signed into law by the governor, mostly because it really gave huge sums of money to northern California cities —$500M to San Francisco alone, and though Wildomar wouldn't be getting the $1.9 Million annually, it would wipe out about $1,000,000 that we still owe the county.

"Why would Wildomar be named in a lawsuit by Eastvale over something we didn't cause, nor encourage?" you may be asking.

I truly don't get it either, and I have a feeling that you need to be a city attorney type to really get the nuances here. In short, since the legislation mentioned all four cities, if one of the cities isn't pleased with it, they can't simply ask the state or the county to make things fair (in their eyes). Like everything else in the modern world, things have to go through a court, and you have to name 100 John Does as possible defendants, and Wildomar is one of those.

I'm not sure what Eastvale thinks they can really accomplish here, even though I can see why they're steamed about getting dissed here... it's as if they're being punished for being diligent... as if they were the third little pig, that built their house of bricks —not straw or sticks, and theirs was the only house to get blown in.

You can see that Jurupa Valley is far and away the big winner when it comes to SB 107.

The way I see it, Eastvale knows that with SB 107 they don't even get to sniff the pie, much less get the tiniest sliver of it.

Instead of being happy for the other three cities, and looking to a time when we get a new governor, that doesn't have a vendetta against Riverside County (check this blog if you're not sure about such an accusation) —when we can reasonably anticipate the return of the pilfered funds, they have embarked on a course of sour grapes.

Since they didn't get what they wanted (FTR: none of the four cities got what they wanted), it certainly appears as if they are willing to see that the other three cities get nothing too, if that's what it takes.

Their actions remind me of a petulant child

Let's make a bedtime story out of it, shall we?

Once upon a time there were four school chums. They weren't equal in size, power or self deluded ego, but they were all in the same grade, and at the same school.

Eastvale came from a family of means, and was able to get pretty much whatever he wanted. The other three friends did their best with what they had, but often had to rely on stretching existing funds just to make ends meet.

Li'l Willa Mar is a happy young city in SWRivCo.

So one day, Grampa Jerry Brown forgot to veto a bill that would make the four cities' lives a bit brighter. The bill promised them all an ice cream cone, in efforts to shut them up, after the governor stole a big chunk of their allowance. In typical Jerry Brown fashion, he only brought three cones with him and he had to solve the dilemma of "who gets the shaft?"

Grampa Jerry short changes RivCo again.

As it turned out, Eastvale had already had an ice cream cone that he'd bought with his own money, and the decision was made to give the other three, the cones. On the surface it all seemed fair enough, but Eastvale wasn't satisfied and he started demanding a share of the others' ice cream (about $5M's worth).

Refer back to the pie chart above. Based on Jurupa Valley's 90% take,
the Wildomar and Menifee scoops would  be closer to the size of a marble.

Though the others could see Eastvale's points, about being left out by Grampa Jerry, they didn't understand why Eastvale would be willing to jeopardize what the others got, just because he was left out... but he didn't care if his actions caused problems for the others or not... to be continued.

"If I don't get any, you don't get any either."

Long story short, the agreements that you've entered into, and are bound to, have nothing to do with others, nor the agreements they are part of... even if you feel like you've been wronged.

It makes far better sense for Eastvale to take their lumps, maintain their strong ties to the other cities and keep the fires burning for the bigger fight; restoration of the VLF funds. Instead of making it necessary for the other cities, especially Wildomar and Menifee which might as well be getting nothing too, to have to pay for a legal defense to this action.

The court date is set for Monday November 30th. Let's see where this version of Mr. Eastvale's Wild Ride takes us. Stay tuned.

If I have to go over the cliff, I'm taking Li'l Willa Mar with me.

Since this matter was discussed behind closed doors, there aren't any details available at this point. Details like: How much this is costing us in legal fees?   We'll learn more at the next council meeting.

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Lucy, you've got some 'splainin to do. —Ricky Ricardo

Wildomar Rap's tip of the day: Be a good egg, even if such a thing can't be located anywhere in your DNA.