Tenfold.

Keegan Kyle was hired by the paper in November 2012, as part of the journalism build-up leading to a “paywall” system to cover the paychecks of those journalists the Register lured into the Grand Avenue headquarters. Freedom Communications made a very smart investment in Mr. Kyle.

Now, because I know many of our readers do not subscribe to the Register, I have copied and pasted more elements of their article into this review than I would usually do, so that we may discuss at least the high points of the article. But I would encourage our readers to go pony up for at least the daily feed so you can read the whole thing for yourself, this guy’s paycheck was worth a few bucks to you, trust me on that. Go do it, you cheap bastards.

Now on to the article.

OCR:

The Anaheim Police Department, once regarded as a crime-solving champion among California law-enforcement agencies, has registered a dramatic fall over the past decade. From 1998 to 2002, the department reported solving about 73 percent of violent crimes — an extraordinary record. Since 2002 police have reported solving only about 43 percent of violent crimes.

No Orange County law-enforcement agencies and no major police departments in the state have logged steeper declines than Anaheim’s. Most have seen gains in crime solving, little change or slight drops.

Anaheim police are unsure exactly what factors may be responsible for the decline. They suggested that recent staffing cuts, more gang violence and even incorrect statistics might explain the changes. But two things are clear: Police have never reported the decade-long decline to residents or the City Council. And the downward trend most affects the city’s disadvantaged communities. Violent crime is far more common in Anaheim neighborhoods west of the 57. In this lower-income, more ethnically diverse area, police reported the vast majority of crime last year.

The article itself is long, as I mentioned it eats the entire front half of the Local section. My commentary is going to make it longer-and for those who know me, you know my commentary can make the discussion MUCH longer. So we will break the article down piece by piece during the next few days for further debate.

What is clear is that even when APD numbers appear to reflect better rates of crime solving, it is because of a shift in reporting standards, not an increase in actual criminals pulled off the streets.

OCR:

Police concluded the number of solved cases had been an error, Conklin said. The department’s sex crimes unit had a new sergeant that year, and he didn’t know all of the FBI’s statistical definitions.

An arrest is the standard event that police use to count the number of solved crimes. But the FBI also allows police to count cases in several unusual situations not involving an arrest. The suspect may have died or couldn’t be extradited from another country. Or police might have a suspect but the victim won’t cooperate with prosecutors.

According to FBI rules, police are supposed to at least identify the offender, know the person’s location and have enough information to support charges before counting the case as solved.

Conklin said the sex crimes sergeant didn’t know about the unusual situations and had only been counting the number of rape cases involving an arrest.

Last year, after the sergeant became aware of the rules, the rate of solving rape cases jumped to 74 percent from 19 percent. Combined, the number of cases solved by police in 2011 and 2012 was more typical.

Still, at least 480 rape cases remain unsolved since 2002.

Now I do not know about you, but this says to me that APD still has only 19% of rapists in jail, but they are now taking credit for 74% “solved” because they “identify the offender, know the person’s location and have enough information to support charges.”  Knowing who the rapist is does not comfort this Anaheim resident as much as-oh, say, knowing he is in jail!

What is also clear is that the system was set up as yet another parting gift by Curt Pringle on his way out of the Mayor’s office. The Police department’s budget is tied in part to solve rates. The Register reports that the formula changed in 2011, following adoption of the new formula in the budget approved in mid-2010 by then Mayor Curt Pringle-a budget and new formula he left behind for Mayor Tom Tait to implement.

OCR:

However, that increase only materialized on paper after police began excluding property crimes from the numbers, few of which they solve. Had the format been consistent, the budget would have shown the decline in crime solving.

The statistics switch was part of a citywide makeover that began in 2010. The city slashed most performance metrics from its budget documents and redefined others. The goal, Finance Director Debbie Moreno said, was to create a simpler, user-friendly report.

The Police Department’s new metrics were chosen by Welter and former City Manager Tom Wood, and then approved by the City Council with the rest of the budget. Welter said the city switched to only violent crimes because the category has a more drastic effect on the community and the numbers are considered more reliable.

Could this have something to do with Chief Welter’s departure? Some have tried to portray his impending retirement as a reaction to the debate on oversight boards, but the reality is Chief Welter had wanted to announce his retirement last summer. Then the “civic unrest” took place and Welter stayed longer. For those insisting the Chief is leaving early, plenty of us know he stayed longer than he expected to. But now that the accountability is hitting the fan, it is hard to believe he did not hit his breaking point with a call for comment from an investigative reporter 3 days prior to his surprise announcement that he would no longer delay his retirement.

OCR:

After leading the Police Department for nine years, Welter announced last week that he would retire in May. He said that the timing was unrelated to last year’s unrest, and that he wants to spend more time with family while he remains in good health. He is 64.

In an interview three days before that announcement, Welter said crime solving has been “going in the wrong direction” but downplayed the decade-long fall. He said police had a “really bad computer system” before 2006 so comparing historical numbers was unreliable.

“Quite frankly, it’s worthless for me to even discuss it,” Welter said. “I don’t find that it’s relevant. I don’t find that the information means anything.”

I have been a fan of Chief Welter, he seemed like a great guy who cared about his department and cared about Anaheim, and history may well prove me wrong-it often does. But I am furious at his dismissal of this issue as worthless and irrelevant. Whether or not cops solve crimes and get the bad guys off the street is highly relevant, and when it appears that numbers have been fudged to continue paying for a tax-payer funded department failing to reach their goals, we need to have this discussion.

So stay tuned this week as we cover the many facets of the information blocks turned up by the Orange County Register’s Keegan Kyle, it is going to be an interesting chat. And go pay for the article online, so you can keep up with us.

I have been working my tail off playing Extreme Home Makeover: Aging Parent Edition, minus the corporate sponsorship funded budget for help. Ty Pennington makes this look easy. Ty Pennington is lying to you. Ultimately when I am finished I can focus on writing without worrying about Mom’s built environment being safe, and if need be I can write from her house-an impossible task when working in preservation. While I am not quite finished, I have come to the surface for a gulp of clean, fresh air before diving for the ocean floor again.

If you are reading this, you are not likely to be a casual observer. Chances are you run the links of the usual political blogs here in Orange County, or you are one of my incredibly patient friends getting spammed with feeds of my new posts on facebook. And if you are reading this there is a better than average chance you know that the toxic goo of local politics is getting thicker, or perhaps family emotion has worn my skin thinner than usual. After spending a day tired, filthy, and emotionally buggered with overhauling Mom’s place, I realized with horror that I spent the few precious free moments left to me arguing with anonymous internet hate mongers, disputing their fictionalized accounts of statements or actions they falsely attribute to me, or worse yet to slap Anaheim’s Mayor with. While lies should never go unchallenged, I am trying to find balance in how much time I offer to those who have no respect for it. I hate that so much time is spent disputing lies on the internet. At what point do we realize how unproductive it all is?

The leader of the pack in trying to elevate the tone of civility is Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait. His response to vicious attacks sets a standard for others to follow. We have no clue how much venom he faces, day after day. I do not know if I could show up at City Hall and push the button for the 7^th floor, knowing what waits for me when the doors open. I am very glad he does it.

Many evil things have been said about the man, primarily by those too gutless to put their names on their posts at other websites, curiously funded by unnamed sources. Their accusations of a Mayor run amuck with a staff equally as out of control are unfounded, and baseless. One of these “writers” has taken great joy in filling my email inbox with venom aimed at the Mayor, and aimed at me for defending the Mayor. The charge is that if I would simply look into some of these allegations with an open mind I would see who he really is. The most recent accusations about the Mayor were particularly brutal, and needing to back them off I ran a Public Records Request, asking for information relating to events brought up by someone clearly immersed in the anti-Tait KoolAid. If there was anything to the allegations it would come out with these records.

Well the records came back, primarily emails, a few City documents, enough to tell the tale of who is creating problems at City Hall and who is not. On 3 different occasions that Tait had been blamed for bad behavior, I could clearly see the fault was not with him, nor was it with his staff. In pushing me to investigate, the Flying Monkeys inadvertently exposed the exact opposite.

News of Public Records Requests travels like wildfire, and before long Mayor Tait checked in with me. Now keep in mind at this point he had to know I was in possession of documents that could give a very bad time to people who had thrown immense resources into tormenting the man. It would be easy to let me print, to encourage me to print.  A lesser man would have sent me those messages himself, knowing they would reveal some incredibly bad behavior from those intent on his demise.

Anaheim is fortunate that Tom Tait is not a lesser man.

Instead he asked me not to escalate the battle. The information was not linked to anything that makes a difference to the average taxpayer, money was not misspent, there was no public good to be had in outing those who see him as the enemy. Could I please help him keep the peace?

The gentlemanly gesture from Tait is more than the other side deserves. But because it is Tait, because I can see how hard he works to be the diplomat, I will respect his request.  I am sure he would have preferred that I not say anything at all. But I want them to know that he covered for them. I want them to know that they owe him one. Big.

I am afraid they will see his act of kindness as weakness to be exploited. I hope I am wrong, I hope that perhaps going forward they can show more civility to him, and help to get along. I will be watching City Council for signs of renewed hope that perhaps we can focus on doing the business of the people of Anaheim rather than throwing bottle rockets into each others’ camps.

At some point, like Matthew Broderick’s computer learning to play War Games, one must come to the conclusion that in the end nobody wins. Right now I believe the losers to be the taxpayers of Anaheim who see little progress at City Hall because everyone is busy trying to jump to the front of the photo op. (Or put their names on a press release.)  It is time to say enough, and focus on the business of the people.

I much prefer writing to elicit the shared experience of a perfect stranger replying to something I have written, and the reaction of, “You too? I thought I was the only one who noticed that!” I am especially encouraged when something written on a blog, by myself or someone else, spurs others to action, or initiates a new gathering of like minds intent on making the world a better place. Those experiences are worth what I pay the osteopath to stave off carpal tunnel. Part of that change does involve calling bullshit on politicians who have forgotten that it is our money they are spending, and they are supposed to be spending it for the public benefit. Their own agendas do not factor into the program they are supposed to be promoting. Accountability is not hate. And I notice those who call those statements personal attacks tend to derive their own personal income from the politicians being held accountable. I guess that is where the “personal” comes in.

So thank you Mr. Mayor for helping us all to try being better people than we were yesterday. I hope you don’t get your ass kicked for it.

As for me, while juggling home and hearth is difficult for now, when I am done Mom will be safer and I will be free to focus more intently on what is happening in my community, without worrying about her built environment. I look forward to those wider opportunities that provide venues to continue creating that shared experience in saying, “You too?” with a wider audience. And I am sure the neighbors will appreciate me getting back to my gardens soon as well. 

Tonight there are over 2 dozen sets of parents in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, howling from the depths of their souls at grief that very few of us can, or want to, ever imagine. That horrifying, heart-stopping moment in time when someone tells you that your precious child is dead. How does one even endure it? I do have friends who are members of that very small and exclusive club made up of those who have stood beside a gaping hole in the ground and placed their beloved babies into it. As a parent I cannot fathom anything more terrifying. And while a small town in Connecticut is far from Orange County, as fellow citizens we feel their pain, and somehow it does affect us here. When evil steps forward we are all made less for it, no matter where the geographic location may be.

That this happened in a small town, with a population so low that 1 in 1,000 citizens of that community today was shot on school grounds, makes it all the more surreal. This isn’t supposed to happen in Mayberry. But it did. This was not an act borne of urban density and crime statistics, and funding cuts to community police services, it was a chance act, one mind that snapped and took others with him and it could have happened anywhere. For many of us that makes it worse, somehow more frightening, because it means it was really outside of our control. We know how to be afraid in a back alley in south-central, we do not know how to fear for our children in a nice new school in the suburbs of Nowhere’s-ville USA, and that pushes our buttons.

Talking heads, empty heads, will call for gun control, or more security for school yards, or any number of central planning solutions for an act of evil that has no nexus to logic or reason. They mean well, but the truth is they (we) are grasping at any answer in a desperate bid to feel as though we are in control, that if we just do the right things we can protect our families. Surely if we just leave the big crime-ridden city and move to a small town where everyone knows each other….

But the truth is that guns did not kill those children, that monster-twisted-tormented-soul was intent on harming someone today, and it mattered not one whit if he used a semi-automatic gun or a can opener, he was going to kill someone. Those of us who follow Christ understand that this world is not our home, and today I am glad of it, because I do not want to belong to a place where 5 to10 year olds are slaughtered while finger painting. But while we are here, until we move on to where we truly belong, we endure the nightmarish vision of Coroner’s wagons pulling up to an Elementary School. And we grieve, and we pray, and we weep.

So while we do not usually cover national news here, it would be obscene to cover anything else. Over two dozen sets of parents would give anything, every possession they own, every ounce of their own health, every remaining breath left in their bodies, to think that the worst problems in their lives tonight was crooked politicians and out of control government spending-the usual fodder for these pages. I will not belittle their grief to talk about anything less worthy than the loss of every hope and dream those parents and grandparents and siblings and playmates had ripped from their grasp today.

But I had to write, not to add to the talking heads who have already said too much on the radio, or the television whores interviewing children still in shock in a desperate bid for ratings and filling air time. I write because I have to get it out. I write because some have told me that I can put into words what they were feeling and could not say, and I hope to give a voice to the dread that we all feel today. That community will never recover, there will always be a gap where those young lives were supposed to be.

I am grateful that our world is still decent enough that this is, in fact, news, and not a commonplace occurrence, with the flipped circumstance of “Local man feeds the poor” as the attention-getting headline. I am grateful that we have managed to maintain our own sense of humanity to the extent that we are broken into pieces for the loss of young lives. May God help us when the day comes that these acts no longer have the ability to horrify us.

We will light candles and take up collections for the very unexpected funeral expenses that will need to be borne and do what we can to make sense of the senseless.

And for this one night, this blog covers national news.

On January 25, 2012, a 3-2 vote by Anaheim City Council granted an unprecedented subsidy to hotelier Bill O’Connell, for two luxury hotels to be built at the Anaheim Gardenwalk. With 20% of all TOT collected on site already diverted to Bond repayment for local improvements that benefit the Resort area, the authorization to double back and give the remaining 80% in TOT to the developer left the project devoid of public benefit into the General Fund. Opponents claimed they were unaware of a vote taking place that night, indeed, the item was listed on the Council Agenda stating, “This is a discussion item to consider the request of GardenWalk Hotel I, LLC (Developer) to amend an existing hotel economic assistance agreement and direct staff to draft and execute an agreement with the Developer in accordance with City Council’s action.”

By the end of the Agenda “discussion” the Council had not only voted in favor of the subsidy, they also ordered City staff to draft and execute the agreement without bringing it back to Council. Councilman Harry Sidhu voted for the subsidy, shocking nobody, as the hoteliers gave him significant funding for his recent (failed) run for office, prompting accusations of illegal donations. Council member Murray voted for the deal. Even if hotelier Bill O’Connell had not heavily donated to her campaign, even if he did not hold the purse strings to the major PACs in town, O’Connell’s longtime lobbyist is Curt Pringle, Murray’s mentor and friend. Murray was unlikely to say no to that combination. Gail Eastman’s jump into the pool was the shock to everyone, although her observation that nobody spoke in opposition was accurate, it was also a false flag, based on the lack of notice that the vote would be finalized at the meeting.

When locals came to the realization that the deal was done, all Hell broke loose. Mayor Tom Tait, one of the two “nay” votes that night, tried to call an immediate special meeting for January 31    “Review of amendment to economic assistance agreement with GardenWalk Hotel I, LLC; possible rescission of January 24, 2012 City Council approval and modification of terms.” Despite having a previous appointment in the building for an easily rescheduled meeting on graffiti, Council member Murray refused to attend the Special Meeting, and Eastman and Sidhu followed suit.

On February 21, activists at OCCORD joined with Amin David, Martin Lopez, Jose and Lorena Moreno in sending a letter via Briggs Law office, demanding that the City cure its illegal vote. Having been ignored, the activists filed suit, which they won today.

The irony is that had the Council simply attended the emergency meeting, and voted for the project after proper notice had been given, the lawsuit would very likely not have stood. Mayor Tait offered Council a way out, but seeing his offer as backing them into a corner, they refused to work with him, Their haste lost the whole enchilada for them.

What’s next?

If the Gardenwalk managed to hold on to the mystery investor that was putting up the money (for obscene returns on the investment, thus demanding the entirety of the TOT from the site) then Bill O’Connell, his partner Ajash Patel, and their lobbyist, Curt Pringle, will all need to return to the City of Anaheim, this time with appropriate notice to the public that the Council will in fact be voting on the issue and not simply “discussing” it, as was reported in January’s Council Agenda. Will the Council majority stay the course or wisely rethink the major mistake they made in January? How will newcomers Jordan Brandman and Lucille Kring vote if this comes back? All of this is pure speculation, and depends on whether the investor hung in there for that enormous payoff or moved on to a sure bet elsewhere. But for today, the public wins one, thanks to a bunch of activist rabble rousers.

Stay tuned.

A recent study by transportation expert Randall O’Toole, debunks the arguments used by City Council, and a staff promoting their own obvious agenda.

Streetcars are more expensive to purchase and operate than buses. Their fixed track and power systems are costly and disruptive to existing traffic, and especially problematic for pedestrians. Buses offer greater flexibility, enabling the addition of vehicles for peak hours-critical to address the unique traffic patterns of Anaheim, with crunch time not driven by conventional issues like rush hour so much as variable influences like closing time at Disneyland, last innings at the Stadium, or events at the Honda Center. Buses are easily removed or replaced for service, while a disabled streetcar renders the system unusable, and leaving traffic clogged around a stalled streetcar.

City Council claims economic development follows streetcar projects, but Council’s cited examples in other cities show heavily subsidized projects designed by central planners trying to socially engineer us out of our vehicles. Perhaps the next step from Council is a proposal for subsidized projects similar to Portland, after all the Platinum Triangle has been an abject failure so far. Even if we wanted to underwrite the development of that area, where are we to find the money? With Redevelopment dead, bed taxes are the only remaining funding source for development subsidies. The last time we tapped into TOT for private development incentives was at the Gardenwalk, with an agreement so controversial that nearly a year later Councilmember Murray is still buying ads and working a massive PR program using campaign money to justify her decision to voters.

Meanwhile, traffic impacts, and funding sources for operating and maintenance costs have still not been determined, despite the Mayor’s requests, and a $6,000,000.00 report that taxpayers covered! While the money we have already spent failed to address traffic impacts and other vital questions, we are expected to trust those numbers in moving forward. Now $9,000,000 for yet another study has been awarded to Hill International, the employer of candidate Steve Lodge, who stands to pull in 1% of that contract as a finder’s fee. This “objective” decision to award the project to Hill was made by Public Works Director Natalie Meeks, who is understood to have close personal friendships with Lodge and his wife, who also works as an Executive at Hill. Council member Murray is also a member of the “powerful woman in government funded projects” club with Meeks and the new Mrs. Lodge. But I am sure it is all above board.

Anaheim’s contentious Council majority would have us believe that in demanding answers Mayor Tait is obstructing progress. But the Mayor’s caution in spending our tax money is a refreshing contrast to the irresponsible and reckless speed with which our leaders and City staff have forced this issue. It seems they cannot spend that “free” tax money fast enough.

On our next City Council agenda, there are a few items worth keeping an eye on.

http://anaheim.net/docs_agend/questys_pub/

First, the positive.

Anaheim is finally getting a minimum standard for quality of life issues. After many years of ongoing yard sales that essentially turn our residential neighborhoods into unsanctioned swap meets, Anaheim appears to be moving forward with a garage sale ordinance that will limit the sales to 4 times per year. It makes sense from many perspectives. Having everyone in town run their sales on the same weekend creates a marketing buzz that helps draw potential customers to the area, which in turn helps us move a lot more of that useless junk for 50 cents per item. It also makes it easier for Code Enforcement to crack down on the perpetual sales. No longer can that unlicensed retailer argue that it was not his merchandise for sale on that corner lot last weekend; that was his cousin. From now on any sale not on the proper weekend is just plain not allowed.

There is a reason that cities like Irvine maintain property values and come up at the top of magazine surveys for best cities to live in. They have standards that tie residency to some level of responsibility. Living in civilized society requires us to consider the lifestyle and values of our neighbors and for those who decline that standard there is Code Enforcement. Next up…ice cream trucks and corn carts. Thank you Anaheim City Council.

22.               ORDINANCE NO.                               (INTRODUCTION) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ANAHEIM adding Chapter 6.26 to Title 6 of the Anaheim Municipal Code pertaining to garage sales.

Now for the negative.

On the Consent Calendar, Item 11 appears to be an example of crony capitalism at its finest, with over 9 1/2 million dollars in public funds going to the social network of some Council members and the Public Works Director.

Staff’s recommendation http://www.anaheim.net/docs_agend/questys_pub/MG38621/AS38660/AS38663/AI40672/DO40673/DO_40673.pdf appears to be leapfrogging special friends at Hill International Inc. into the number one slot for the new streetcar system crammed through the meat grinder of public policy during the last Council meeting. The ink has barely dried on that decision, and already Natalie Meeks has selected the favorable contractor to move forward on the studies.  Despite some findings of Hill having some potential financial troubles, they were chosen over other companies that applied, including Parsons Brinkerhoff, a company sucking through enough High Speed Rail money to never file another negative balance sheet again in their lives. Hill assures us that their troubles are merely temporary, linked to the trouble in Libya that has halted work. I’ve got news for Hill, the trouble in Libya is unlikely to be temporary.

But when we are promoting Anaheim’s new cottage industry of special interest at its best, why let facts get in the way?

Hill International is a big company. So despite the close personal friendships between Natalie Meeks, Kris Murray, and Hill employees Steve Chavez Lodge and his new wife, I am sure it is merely a coincidence they are being chosen. In a company that large, anyone could be the direct beneficiary of the new project. Right?

A quick look at the big company of Hill International reveals some startling information.

At the two pre-bid meetings June 16, 2011 http://www.anaheim.net/images/articles/4454/ARC_RFP_Meeting_Sign-In%20Sheet.pdf

And June 4, 2012 http://www.anaheim.net/images/articles/4454/Meeting_Sign_In_Sheet.pdf

held by the City of Anaheim for businesses interested in working on the Anaheim Rapid Connect program, only Steve Lodge and his wife appeared to represent Hill International. Lodge’s wife is an Executive who appears to work on salary, so she gets paid whether the company nails this job or not. Lodge on the other hand…..

Steven Albert Chavez Lodge submitted his Contract with Hill International to the court system, as evidence related to that recent unpleasantness between us. Therefore the Contract is now part of the public record, anyone can go into Judge Margines’ public records online and see the evidence Lodge submitted. (it was thrown out, but he did submit it.)

Lodge’s contract specifies that he will receive 1% of new work he brings in as a “finder’s fee”, see below.

lodge offer

Again, Hill is a big company, I am sure that plenty of professionals are feeding them opportunities for new contracts. Hill is sure of it too, they have a system in place, to ensure that their people are appropriately credited with the “find.”

lodge direct report

That the contract Natalie Meeks is pushing to sign with Hill is directly attributed to Mike Smith, Steve Lodge’s direct report, is merely a coincidence I am sure. That the only individuals to represent Hill International during previous meetings for this project have been Steve Lodge and/or his wife may be mere coincidence as well.

And should Steve Lodge be the individual who “registered” this “opportunity” with Hill, and stands to make that 1% finder’s fee, again, there is nothing illegal in that. He is entitled to earn a living. And 1% of $9,612,332 is a very nice living indeed.

But if one considers the possibility-indeed the probability-of Steve Lodge being the one earning that finder’s fee, then one must naturally also consider the possibility that his candidacy for City Council may have affected the timing for approving this project.

Is it possible that Anaheim’s citizenry was force fed an ill conceived transportation project over the very reasonable objections of a cautious Mayor, not because the project needed to move forward for the good of Anaheim, but because the Contract needed to be awarded before Lodge was potentially elected to office and therefore forced to declare a conflict of interest?

One expects that when a deal for over nine and a half million dollars is on the line, Hill International’s Mike Smith might very well be on hand during the City Council meeting this evening, to answer questions. And one of the questions from Council should probably be whether or not Steve Lodge submitted the ARC project as a “registered opportunity”, therefore calling dibs on the commission should the project pan out with work for Hill.

If Mr. Smith’s answer is yes, Hill should still be considered for the project. And Lodge should still be paid his 1% finder’s fee, he worked for it. But we should also look long and hard at the process which Natalie Meeks used to determine how her friends at Hill International were chosen as the best company for the project, especially in light of their documented financial problems. And in light of this information we should also question the speed with which Natalie Meeks and Kris Murray pushed a project over the reasonable request for a short delay made by Mayor Tom Tait.

Are we doing what is best for the people of Anaheim? Or are we doing what is best for the friends of our leaders?

11.               Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Hill International, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $9,612,332, for the Anaheim Rapid Connection fixed-guideway project, and authorize the Public Works Director to issue a Notice to Proceed for the environmental and project development activities and a Notice to Proceed for preliminary engineering upon approval by the FTA to begin that phase.

END OF CONSENT CALENDAR

25.               Establish an ad hoc council working group that would assist City staff on the negotiation of the City’s lease with Angel’s Baseball.

Motion:                       

Placed on the agenda at the request of Council member Murray. Here is yet another play by our Council majority to overstep Anaheim’s business model in what looks like a blatant power grab. The negotiations with Enterprise Businesses are traditionally the purview of the City Manager’s office, and indeed our City Manager is the former finance director, so nobody in the City is more familiar with the deal points of that particular agreement. Why is Murray insisting on stepping into a role that is outside the authority of City Council members? And will a photographer and press agent be involved?

26.               Approve and adopt new Council Policy 1.7 relating to appointments to regional boards and commissions.

Once again, an item placed on the Agenda at the request of Council member Murray, always a red flag for me anymore. On the surface it makes sense, it appears that Murray is asking for a requirement that Anaheim appointees to regional boards be Anaheim residents. But given the recent division, let’s look further. First of all, Murray already has some voice in a number of these appointments, if they are subject to a Council majority vote. So I suspect this is linked to an attempt to tie the hands of Mayor Tait on those appointments that are traditionally the Mayor’s choice, outside of Council input.

Frankly it is none of her business and Kris Murray needs to either butt out of the Mayor’s office or run for election to it, but until 2014 she needs to stop trying to run Tait’s office from her end of the dais. For that reason alone I say this should probably not be approved.

Second of all, these are regional boards. That means Tait is not appointing an Anaheim person to look after Anaheim, but appointing representatives to look out for the best interest of the region which Anaheim is a part of. And on that level, it seems foolish to constrain Mayors of the future from tapping into the knowledge of someone who might offer expertise on a subject that benefits the entire area as a whole. Given a choice between putting a transportation expert from Yorba Linda on an OCTA board, vs an Anaheim leader with no background, let’s use the brain trust that future leadership might be offering.

What I find especially galling is that anytime we want to put boundaries on something the Council majority wants to do, we are told it is “irresponsible” to tie the hands of future Councils. But if there is something they want to limit the Mayor on, there seems to be no hesitancy to tie his hands, and those of future Mayors, to get something they want.

I am not sure what the back story is on this proposal by Council member Murray. I only smell a rat.

Stay tuned for tonight’s meeting, which can be seen online at http://anaheim.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2 or attend in person, beginning at 5 pm, at City Hall 200 S. Anaheim Blvd in the downtown area.

Frank Garcia and Supervisor Nelson at Thanksgiving

and I will come get it and take it in. Let’s show Anaheim what its people are made of, and come together for a great cause!

Here is Frank’s message.

“Good Morning Friends and Neighbors:

For the last 26 years, Frank Garcia of La Casa Garcia has been feeding the homeless and less fortunate at a Thanksgiving Dinner. This event has grown significantly from being hosted in the parking lot of his restaurant to the current location at the Honda Center. Attendance has grown to an estimated 20 thousand people. This leads us to the current situation. The “We Give Thanks” Charity which runs the annual event has lost a major sponsor. Currently Frank has only 4 turkeys in his freezer with a need for at least 650.  Frank, a long time Anaheim business man needs our help to continue this act of caring and generosity.  Please take the time to drop off some turkeys at his restaurant or go to wegivethanks.org to make a donation. Feel free to forward this email to family and friends.

Thank You in Advance for your generosity!

La Casa Garcia

531 W. Chapman Ave, Anaheim

714 740-1108

Hrs 8:00-11pm Fri & Sat 8:00-10:00 Sun thru Thurs

http://saveanaheim.com/2012/11/5/you-must-choose-but-choose-wisely-

You must choose, but choose wisely . . .

Today is the big day. The day Anaheim residents decide whether they want to continue to live under the corporate dictatorship run by Kris Murray. A dictatorship that ignores the needs of the residents, celebrates and thanks God for the riots, votes down any measure that increases democracy, and gives vital financial resources away for the benefit of wealthy developers and Disney.

Mayor Tom Tait

Please stand with me, Mayor Tom Tait, The OC Register, and countless others who support John Leos and Lucille Kring for Anaheim City Council. This is our chance to truly take back Anaheim. To live in a city where community is more important then special interests.

 

Yes. I know Jason used then instead of than. His message still works, and given that he is working a GOTV effort today I am not going to track him down to fix it.

Published: Nov. 2, 2012 Updated: Nov. 3, 2012 9:05 a.m.

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Tom Tait: From sweetheart deals to pragmatic leadership for Anaheim

By TOM TAIT / Mayor, Anaheim

Tuesday’s election gives Anaheim voters an opportunity to bring independent voices and a fresh perspective to City Hall. It’s time to shift from a city council torn apart by sweetheart deals and special interests towards a cohesive, pragmatic council that is working together on behalf of all Anaheim residents.

Let me tell you why this is important and who can help me put Anaheim on a better path.

 For the past year, our City Council has been dragged down by a debate over how best to spend taxpayer monies. The debate boils down to this: Whether we should safeguard limited city funds for traditional municipal services, such as public safety and civic upkeep, or whether we should give one hotel owner a $158 million taxpayer subsidy under the guise of economic development.

I’m a free-market guy who believes that government’s primary role in economic development is to provide greater freedom – through reduced regulation and ensuring a level playing field for all.

But much like the federal government’s “investment” in the solar energy company, Solyndra, this hotel deal is a gift of taxpayer dollars to just one business. It is political favoritism that benefits one company at the expense of all others. We can do better.

With Tuesday’s election, the voters have the opportunity to elect two people who also recognize that government needs to be fair, and who will work on behalf of all the people. That is why I have endorsed Lucille Kring and John Leos for City Council.

Anaheim is arguably the core of Orange County. We are the destination spot for millions of tourists each year. Those of us who are lucky enough to call Anaheim our home enjoy a diverse array of entertainment and cultural attractions that rival those of any large city. We have beautiful parks, good schools and kind neighborhoods.

But we also have a few problems that need our attention. We’ve addressed some of the issues around pension reform but more must be done. This summer’s protests that arose from the officer-involved shootings point out that even as we work to protect public safety, we need to unify Anaheim and ensure that prosperity and opportunity exist for all segments of our community. And we can create more jobs by continuing to help businesses get up and running faster, by cutting unnecessary job-killing regulations and ensuring that all businesses are treated equally.

Lucille Kring is an experienced public servant who, as the Register described “has a much-needed independent streak.” As a former business owner and city council member, she will bring knowledge and experience to the fiscal issues we are facing. She believes that government needs to be fair and transparent, which is something today’s voters are seeking.

John Leos will do a great job representing the people of Anaheim. After growing up in Anaheim, John and his wife, Shelly, have chosen to raise their family here. Like me, he is concerned about the feeling people have that their city government is not being run by the people, for the people. His public safety experience, his experience with the Anaheim public school system and his service in the U.S. Marine Corps will give the Anaheim City Council a new, independent voice and perspective.

Those of us who live in Anaheim are blessed. We have a beautiful, diverse city that offers something for everyone. However, there is work that needs to be done to bolster our economy, strengthen the city’s fiscal footing and open up our city’s election process to all segments of the community. I am hopeful that the Anaheim voters will send Lucille Kring and John Leos to City Hall to help me accomplish these important tasks.

The other easy seat is incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Whitaker, who was elected to City Council in 2010, and was the only Fullerton leader to take an immediate role in trying to get information about the Kelly Thomas beating. His efforts were blocked at every turn by staff in what can only be called insubordination. Whitaker is extremely well liked, and together with his formidable partnership with wife Linda, the couple is a fixture in Fullerton.

The fiscal conservatives are exactly what is needed to return sanity to the tapped-out financial policies of a city run wild with public safety union bullies intent on getting what they want. Perhaps if FPD’s behavior quit inspiring lawsuits from the public the City could afford their constant demands for more, more, more. Frankly I think a huge house cleaning is in order.

As usual, blogger/activist/developer Tony Bushala has his hands full in supporting the “clean up crew” while blocking the election of the old guard’s sacrificial candidate, Jon Flory. Signs for No Jan Flory crop up in the night while ads enlightening citizens to her past voting record seem everywhere.  Flory is so clearly rooted in her days of former glory that she has updated neither her wardrobe not her list of endorsements since her last crack at office, listing the deceased among her supporters, as well as the Bushala family-despite Tony’s obvious hatred for Flory and/or the pesky fact that he and Friedel have not been married in years. Oops.

Good luck Travis and Bruce, and best wishes on straightening out a city that leaders like Flory helped hand over to those who are supposed to be serving it. They created the culture of corruption and greed that killed Kelly Thomas and scarred many other victims, trashed the reputation of their own Police Department, and fought to maintain an illegal water tax to enable the giveaway of public dollars to the unions who watch their backs. In contrast, Kiger and Whitaker have the taxpayers’ backs, and it is about time someone did. Go finish the job, guys.

Fullerton, please vote Kiger and Whitaker for City Council.