• This Prop 13 Ain't That Prop 13

California will be having an election on March 3, 2020 and on the ballot is something called Prop 13.

I hate to be a jerk, but I can't believe how many uninformed and gullible voters there are in our area alone (Rush Limbaugh calls such people Low Information Voters). 

This post is flat out FALSE, yet still has had over four thousand comments and 39K shares.

The 2020 Prop 13 has nothing to do with property tax rates like Prop 13 of 1978 did. It's a bond issue and that's it. 

I urge all voters to learn what is actually on the ballot. 

Finally I had enough and commented about it. 

To the person that said, "Ok if you say so," no, it's the facts of the matter that are "saying so." 

You either want to be equipped with the truth, or you're happy just following the crowd on facebook without employing any critical thinking. It's your choice.

This bond measure is asking for $15 Billion in general obligation bonds. If you want to know what you're voting on, use this link for the details. 

I'll be urging a NO vote on the 2020 version of Proposition 13 because we just passed a similar bond in 2016, and it's time we slam the brakes on additional tax obligations.

As it turns out, the state restarts the proposition numbers every 10 years. 

Why? 
I don't know why. 

I'd be fine with either letting the numbers continue to climb to infinity and beyond, or affixing a letter to them every ten years. 

Example: Instead of using Prop 13 again, naming it Prop 13A or Prop 13,000... thing is, they didn't ask me what I thought so we have to deal with what they give us.

Californians last voted on a school facilities bond measure in 2016, which passed with 55 percent of the vote. The bond measure, titled Proposition 51, issued $7 billion for K-12 education facilities and $2 billion for colleges. 

Between 1998 and 2019, voters approved five bond measures for school facilities—Proposition 1A (1998), Proposition 47 (2002), Proposition 55 (2004), Proposition 1D (2006), and Proposition 51 (2016).

Watch the brief video below for an explanation about the 2020 Prop 13 and that it's not connected to the 1978 model.

However, there will be an attack on the 1978 Prop 13 in November. Here's a link to the actual proposition language.

It already has been given a less than forthright title by Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, but hasn't been assigned a proposition number yet. 

Property To Be Taxed Based On Fair-Market Value. Dedicates Portion Of Any Increased Revenue To Education And Local Services.

There is no mention that this would be the biggest tax increase in the state's history... which is the standard operating procedure for Sacramento.

Because of years' worth of duplicitous ballot titles, there is a move underway to remove that task from the secretary of state. Though I highly doubt such an endeavor will ever come to fruition.

In conclusion, please know what it is you're voting on and what it is you're posting about on social media. Remember all that noise about Russia and the 2016 election?

Take it from Mr. Yellow... I think. lol

Whether it happened on any level or not, if people weren't so eager to believe every headline they read on facebook, the point would've been moot from the get go. 

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Well done is better than well said.
– Benjamin Franklin

Wildomar Rap prefers medium or medium rare, but there'll be no quarrels here. If Mr. Kiteflyer likes leathery steak, so be it. 

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• Better Know A Candidate: Jeremy Smith 67th Assembly District 2020

This year's primary is coming early, March 3rd instead of it's usual June date. If you've been keeping up with our local electeds, you already know that there is a wide open seat for the 67th Assembly District. 
 

Link to 2019 blog about the open 67th District seat

Over the years I've offered "Better Know A Candidate" blogs to local candidates. Usually I stick with candidates for Wildomar City Council, but I've also done a handful for other races that touch Wildomar too.

In this race there are five candidates, of which I know three personally, and sent them email invitations. 

Two responded, but only one actually set up a time for a sit down. 

(Maybe it's because I officially endorsed him back in November?)

I get it other fellers, you're busy campaigning, but I'm not going to chase you down so that I can then give you free advertising which takes many hours to prepare. No offense, but you wouldn't either if the shoe was on the other foot... but I digress. 

Jeremy Smith, the basics:

• 31 years old, married (Elissa), two daughters (Kennedy  2, Reagan 6mos)
• Elected to Canyon Lake city council in 2018
• Business owner
• Bachelor's degree in communications/public relations
• Masters degree in public administration
• Running for 67th District Assembly Seat

This blog will highlight the ten questions I asked Jeremy Smith. These aren't hardball questions, but will give you an opportunity to better know a candidate that wants to represent you, and is on the ballot.

 WR  Why do you think you're the best candidate for the position and while you're at it, address your age being that you're 31.
 JS  With me I'm the only candidate that has legislative experience. I used to work for Senator Mike Morrell, I used to work for Congressman Paul Cook, and Brian Nestande. I have years' experience working through the legislative process. I think that is extremely important when you're running for State Assembly to have that specific experience. 

Also, as a business owner, I'm the only candidate who owns a business and has to balance a payroll everyday. Has to make serious decisions, not with other people's money, but with our own money that we're bringing in through the business [...] I think that's where my experience comes in, being a business owner is extremely important, if you can bring that to government I think we're on the right track.

Use this link to get to Jeremy's campaign FB page.

 WR  Tell me a bit about your background and education.
 JS  I've been a business owner ever since I turned 18. I've had a PR/consulting firm, I've always been an entrepreneur, but for me education was extremely important. I was a jock in high school, played sports, and I've always wanted to concentrate on higher education once I was done with high school, so I went on to receive my Bachelor's degree in communications/public relations, minored in theology at Vanguard University. Then went on to receive my Masters degree in public administration at California Baptist University in Riverside. 

 WR  How long have you lived in the district and where were you raised?
 JS  I've pretty much lived in the district my entire life. There are a few years where I was out in Orange County when I got my degree but I've been in Riverside County my entire life. Born and raised in the district, Hemet. 

When we decided to buy a house, my wife and I bought a house in Canyon Lake, been there almost five years now. I [spent a lot of time] in Murrieta, that's where my cousins were at [...] I've been part of this particular district my entire life, and my family as well, and that's why this is so passionate for me, to be able to represent my home would mean the world to me. 

 WR  Being that you're vying to win a seat in a legislature that has a very lopsided majority for the other party, what are your realistic goals up in Sacramento and some of your key issues?
 JS  That's a great question, for any one of the candidates that question's fair because we would be going up to Sacramento and hitting the "no" button on a lot of things because of the fact that it's so lopsided. 

For me, being able to have local experience at regional boards, at city council [meetings], working for representatives in both Congress and and in the [State] Senate, I've learned the importance of building relationships —not just across the aisle, but in communities, local school board commissions, water boards, city councils. For me it's giving back and learning the resources that we have up in Sacramento and applying them in a non partisan position back home. 

I'm here for my district. I'm here to bring some resources for Wildomar, for Murrieta. I just want to bring some grants, or whatever it might be, back to my community, and it doesn't matter if I'm a Republican or a Democrat. That is not the [issue], the [issue] is that they need some help and I think we can do it. 

At this point I shuffled the order of the questions I had prepared to ask a sort of follow up question that touched on partisanship up in the capital.

 WR  There are some very distinct partisan lines drawn up in Sacramento. How will you approach it and how will the community members of other parties be made to feel at your public events or when dealing with you?
 JS  For me that's important and that's why I've always thought it was extremely important that in order to serve at the next level you have to have some local experience. I'm blessed because I serve on a council with [members of] different parties. What's amazing is that you'd never really tell at the local level when you're governing. 

So I believe that whoever holds this office, this position, they need to treat it that way because there's good ideas coming from Democrats, declines to state, AI's (American Independants) , Republicans. There's good policy that can come from both parties as long as you're willing to work together. 

Elissa, Reagan, Jeremy and Kennedy Smith.

 WR  Political work is demanding and you have a young family. How do you plan on balancing the two?
 JS  I'm blessed because my wife is just as motivated as I am in this whole entire campaign. We made a commitment to ourselves that she would be up there in Sacramento  with me as well. We're planning on having our kids be a part of this whole process together. We think it's important and it's a family decision that we made to run, it wasn't just me wanting to do this. We're going to do this together. My family is going to be there every step of the way. 

 WR  Melissa Melendez has set the bar very high for reaching out to her constituents in this district (you can almost say we've become spoiled). If you win, how much time will you be spending in the district, and how will that be manifest?
 JS  I think that what she has done has been incredible. As far as town halls, setting up regular meetings, I was blessed because I did that same thing for Mike Morrell, the same thing for Paul Cook. That's my learning experience is getting back into the community. For me, I hope to give everything back to the community. Spend all the time that I possibly can because this is where the decisions are made [...] communication is everything. We're blessed with social media, because we can get [information out] fast.

But we have to go one step farther, and we have to do things like coffee klatches, things like meet and greets. We have to do this regularly so that our folks who are being impacted by legislation in Sacramento know what's coming and they can be prepared for it. 

 WR  This is sort of a no brainer, but for the record, tell me your position on tax issues (new, old, lowering)?
 JS  I'm a "no tax" guy, I made that pledge in council and I'm making that pledge here. It's just gotten out of hand. We're running a surplus right now up in Sacramento, and it's just insane and they're asking for more? [The battle over] Prop 13 is coming. We're looking at split rolls. It's going to impact our commercial [property] owners, triplex, duplex, and that's right up my alley because I work in real estate. Therefore if we don't fix the bleeding now, it's just going to get worse. 

I think a lot of people were tricked into [voting for] the gas tax. I can't tell you how many people came to me and said, "I can't believe it, I voted "no" on it." But "no" meant "yes". 

That's the kind of game that Sacramento/California is playing right now. I'm not saying you've got to go up there and yell and scream, but the people have paid their due, and we're getting to a point now where too many U-Hauls are leaving California, and if we take away property tax [protections] we're going to lose so many residents. Especially our baby boomers who've finally made it to retirement. 

It goes back to my philosophy, we have to treat politics like a business. 

Kennedy showing that she already has a good supply of the Smith charm at age 2.

 WR  What are some of your hobbies, pastimes or ways you like to spend your free time?
 JS  I was born and raised in a blue collar family. I have a '67 GTO, my dad and I work on that, it's phenomenal. I love going bass fishing. I fish all the time, that's one of my big hobbies. Shooting, I love doing trap shooting, target shooting, that's a thing I've done since I was a kid. I'm an outdoors kid, I love that. I've still got that in me. Love going on hikes. Working out. My wife loves being outdoors, so we get to spend a lot of time in nature getting away from the city life, if you know what I mean (said with a smile). 

 WR  Anything else you'd like to add?
 JS  These are interesting times because it's an open seat. I'm running against a couple of my colleagues and they're friends and I respect them. It's an exciting time to campaign, there's so much going on, but for me I made a commitment we're going to run a good campaign. I think it's important, since we all have to go back and serve our communities after the March primary, that we continue to do that. 

I'm blessed because, when you look at the candidates, I'm the only business owner. I'm the only one who has to sign checks every single week for my employees, and having that experience I think will be a big benefit for the 67th Assembly district. I do believe that we have to work hard to get governing back to business and I'm willing to give it all I've got. 

Another thing too, I don't need a job. I have a full time job, I have a business, I'm doing very well when it comes to work. I'm not doing this because I need a job and I'm not doing this because I'm retired. 

I'm doing this because I have the energy, the drive and the motivation in my life right now. I'm not burnt out, I'm not tired, I'm not exhausted, I didn't just get done working thirty/forty years of my life to then retire. I'm all in right now. For me, this is a true passion and desire to serve my home, this entire district, and that's why this is so important to me, and that's why I'm giving it my all. 

I never thought I'd be running for State Assembly, it is so exciting, so fun, I'm encouraged [...] by a lot of support, a lot of endorsements, and I'm excited to see what March brings. But either way I win, because I still get to serve my community, at either level, so I'm excited. 

Jeremy's campaign website link

Wildomar Rap opinion time

I first met Jeremy last year at a new council member training event put on by the League of California Cities. I could tell right away that he had the intangibles to represent a large district. He has always been engaging, effusive and dialed in. 

When I bumped into him the second time, a couple of months later, he flashed a smile, thrust out his hand and said, "Hey Joseph, how's things in Wildomar."

Gulp! I was pretty sure his name started with "J", and that he was a councilman in a nearby city, but other than that, I was at a loss. (It definitely takes me several passes before I know a person's name) ☺

Without further gilding the lily here, let me conclude that Jeremy has the stuff to make for a great representative, it's not a cakewalk, and he knows it. If you have questions for him, don't hesitate to contact him.

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Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Reading Wildomar Rap is not enough; but then again, maybe it is.

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• Little Free Library Number 8

A good sized group was on hand for the dedication of Wildomar's 8th Little Free Library.

The crowd was comprised of students and staff from Donald Graham along with family, friends and community members.

Many thanks go out to the Rupp family, Donald Graham Elementary and LEUSD for the installation of Wildomar's newest Little Free Library. 

Natalia Rupp, the spearhead of many of Wildomar's Little Free Libraries, also a former student of Donald Graham Elementary, addresses the crowd.

Photo courtesy Mark Dennis LEUSD

Principal Konecni asked me to say a few words, but with the unexpected caveat of not mentioning what was about to be revealed from under the red tablecloth. That was an adventure. ☺

Photo courtesy Mark Dennis LEUSD

The new Free Little Library was able to be installed through a program called The Impact Library Program, which is part of the Little Free Library organization.

After a drumroll and a countdown.

The artwork was done by the school librarian, Karen Fazekas. Principal Laura Konecni looks on.

A look at all three sides of the new Little Free Library.

The first three patrons of the Donald Graham Little Free Library.

Mark Dennis, from LEUSD, who also was in attendance to take photos, spoke for a moment and mentioned the Lake Elsinore Valley Education Foundation, which was founded after the passing of Dr. Sharron Lindsay in 2007, had provided the first books for the new Little Free Library.

In the photo are Natalia's father, Natalia Rupp, her mother and children, Principal Laura Konecni, City Councilman Joseph Morabito (me), and the new LFL.

Photo courtesy Mark Dennis LEUSD

Use this link to go to the official facebook page.

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You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.
— Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

Wildomar Rap is almost too old, but still wacky enough to read to children, and often can be heard employing silly voices. 

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• Wildomar Cannabis Ordinance Initial Study-Neg Dec: Planning

Below is from the official email from the city on the commercial cannabis ordinance. There is a link takes you to a 122 page document that includes the proposed ordinance.

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The City of Wildomar (City) is the lead agency for the preparation and review of an Initial Study/Negative Declaration (ND) for the proposed Cannabis Ordinance project (ZOA No. 2020-04). 

The cannabis ordinance will establish a regulatory framework for the licensure and operation of cannabis businesses in the City and includes modifications to the text in the City of Wildomar Municipal Code.
A new code section, Chapter 5.76 (Commercial Cannabis Licensing) would be added to the City of Wildomar Municipal Code, and modifications to the existing Title 17 (Zoning) would be made. Cannabis retailers would be allowed with the approval of a conditional use permit within the C-1/C-P (General Commercial), and C-P-S (Scenic Highway Commercial) zones.
Cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and testing laboratories would be allowed with the approval of a conditional use permit in the I-P (Industrial Park and M-SC (Manufacturing-Service Commercial) zones. No cannabis business is allowed to be located within 600 feet of a public/private school, a day care center, youth centers, and parks.
The City is requesting comments for the Cannabis Ordinance project IS/ND. The public comment period for the IS/ND will begin on Thursday, January 30, 2020 and conclude on Friday, February 28, 2020. Written comments can be sent to Matthew C. Bassi, Planning Director, City of Wildomar Planning Department, 23873 Clinton Keith Road, Suite 201, Wildomar, CA 92595. Comments can also be emailed to mbassi@cityofwildomar.org.
The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to review the IS/ND and proposed ordinance at their regular meeting of April 1, 2020.
Please click on the link below to access the IS-Neg. Dec. document from the city’s CEQA environmental documents center webpage:

http://www.cityofwildomar.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=9894827&pageId=10911316
If you have any questions, please contact Matthew Bassi at (951) 677-7751, Extension 213.

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If you're signed up for Wildomar Updates, you already got this email. If not, follow the link below and sign up.

http://cityofwildomar.org/newsletter/One.aspx?objectId=11368578&contextId=11368578&action=subscribe

• PIT Count 2020

Here's a brief recap of the 2020 PIT Count. 

If you're asking what a "PIT Count" is, it's a Point In Time count of the homeless. The mandate was to stop counting by 9:30am, we started in the field at about 6:30am after a 5:30am meeting at the Lake Elsinore Cultural Center.

This will be a photo driven blog, with more than three dozen photos, but I'll tell you upfront that we only counted four people. There were three interviews and one sighting as we were driving. Other than that, we mostly encountered empty tents or other makeshift abodes.

At the morning briefing at Lake Elsinore's Cultural Center.
Photo originally on SWAG's Facebook page.

As the sun was coming up just east of Inland Valley Drive. 

This was our second stop. We had started out behind the USA gas station and interviewed two men. As it turned out, we only found one other person "at home" for the interview. This location was east of Inland Valley and north of Kaiser.

This was one of the more eyeopening parts of the day. This is the entrance to a tunnel that goes from the north side of Clinton Keith and east of Iodine Springs, under Clinton Keith and let's out a bit northeast of City Hall.

The first part of the tunnel/pipe was corrugated metal.

This shot was better illuminated with my flashlight.

The midway part of the structure was the living quarters, but again, no one was there. You can see at the right side of the photo an area that was about eight to ten feet lower than the main path. That is where a mattress and other garbage was located. 

Surprisingly, it didn't reek. Also, the temperature was rather nice compared to the outside temps.

Creature comforts, and looks like someone had done a Trader Joe's run too.

The inner artist will out.

This wheelchair was located near the end of the tunnel.

I guess it was good that no one was home here. 

Anyone missing a mountain bike?

We parked near The Habit and then trekked about a quarter of mile along the freeway, heading south, to the next spot

This was our third and final interview of the morning.

If you're missing part of your baseball card collection from 1981, I think I found about a dozen cards. Sorry to report that your triples of Al Oliver are no longer in mint condition.

You can see City Hall on the horizon of this photo as we headed for the tunnel that goes under the freeway.

Easy access to the tunnel as the fence has been gently peeled away.

In we go.

Most of us bumped our heads more than once through this, at most the ceiling was five feet high. It was a workout to walk hunched over, and it got a little claustrophobic too.

We emerged on the eastside of the freeway, just under the drive thru line at Starbucks. That was a major work out for our glutes. I have a feeling that there will be some lingering soreness this evening.

We came across this marker as we walked towards the back of McDonald's. Back in 2015 a dead body had been discovered in this area.

There was a surprisingly large amount of room among the oak trees that most of us never do more than drive by as we enter the Albertsons shopping center.

A full sized couch was at the bottom of this area. At first we weren't sure if someone was asleep there or not.

The area would make for a nice parklike setting with the right kind of attention.

One of many things discarded down there.

It was sad how much garbage there was down there.

Most of the group chose not to go into this narrow pipe. It went under the driveway that acts as the primary ingress/egress to Albertsons.

We parked on Stable Lanes Road and trudged up the hill. Again, most of us just drive by this area, and we end up missing out on how large this area is. 

One thing you can say about this camp that can't be said about any of the others... at least this is "clean". Look at all the filled trash bags. This is probably less than 50 yards from Clinton Keith.

Scattered bedding about 25 yards to the east of the white tent above.

You can see some terracing into the hillside here. I was told that last year there was a tent and what amounted to as a porch/veranda there.

A rarely seen view of the Clinton Keith/Hidden Springs intersection.

More terracing and other indications of human activity.

A tent and a baby stroller about 100 yards north of Clinton Keith. 

At our last stop, we had to traverse a makeshift bridge over a boggy mire.

Again, no one was home, though it was obvious that this was not an old and abandoned camp.

Was this a decoration or was it for a child? We couldn't determine one way or the other.

A little touch of home.

Final thoughts
It seems that the homeless population has chosen to avoid the PIT Count. Whoever the powers that be are on the state and county level should consider shaking this yearly event up. At this rate, it's turning into a perfunctory measure... checking a box, but not really accomplishing anything. 

Just based on the camps that we visited, my guess is that there have to be at least a dozen regulars, if not two dozen.

The three that we did meet up with were happy to participate, and in exchange they were given a drawstring backpack with toiletries and also a McDonald's breakfast sandwich.

There are no real solutions in the pipeline for this problem. A problem that makes everyone's lives more difficult. Be it that of the community, of local businesses, of our first responders and more difficult for those going unsheltered too. The current approach adopted by the state is a lose-lose-lose-lose.

At this point, all we can do is continue playing whack a mole and hoping that they get tired of street life and finally accept help from SWAG.  

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A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.
– H.L. Mencken

Wildomar Rap is a blog that, when it smells flowers, looks around for tacos.

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