Water Wars Continue
Teri Sforza of the OC Register has done another piece on Fullerton’s fraudulent 10% water tax and the equally fraudulent study commissioned by the City Council to justify keeping as much of the tax as they can. Naturally the consultant ginned up some phony rent value for City owned property that water reservoirs sit on! In fact the bogus rent topped $1.3 million, a figure so absurd that even Mayor Sharon Quirk took offense. It’s a good thing Ms. Quirk is running for the State Assembly or she might not be so concerned about the wear ratepayers getting ripped off in an illegal scam. Whatever. At least she finally seems to have somebody who knows what’s going on advising her.
Wow, suddenly Q-S actually sounds like she knows what she’s talking about. I wonder who’s coaching her. Obviously not one of her boohoo Kitchen Cabinet.
Still, I give her credit for demanding an immediate cessation of the 10% rip off. At least I think that’s what she’s saying.
Let’s see if i’ve got this right. Quirk votes for the bogus tax for seven years and is now all affronted by lack of transparency?
Oh, oh.
Yeah it’s kinda like an Alanis Morissette song.
Yea cause she knows if she says the right thing (socks), she will escape pressure. She dodged the recall bullet. Now that she is moving on she needs to say just enough for people to leave her alone. She’s a normal politician.
It’s never too late to be smart.
and its never too late to do the right thing
Let’s just say she knows when to get out of town
Regarding who owes who what and is responsible for what because of ownership….What about the sidwalks and the repair/liability of this domain.
I came across this and now I am wondering just what our taxes pay for…
http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_19151982
Typical Quirk Silva. Isnt she the one who approved the settlement with two of Albey Rincon’s victims then got on KTLA, pretended like she didnt know anything and called for an investigation into him?
You guys are so cynical!
That’s because our eyes are OPEN.
All these things going on with the water rates and KT may very well be the platform for her to get elected to state assembly.
She’s got some explaining to do about the Culture of Corruption.
Quirk-quirk loses by 20 points.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/rupp-345330-city-family.html
I only noticed these types of stoplights in the city of fullerton. The first time I went thru it it felt unsafe to me as it isn’t quickly realized that binking yellow to regular green means oncommng traffic is changing from red to green. This one on Euclid seems like an unsafe spot as it is at the base of a steep hill with poor visibility. With these factors I would think this unusual type stoplight here would be very dangerous. The whole idea is to save the driver from having to wait for the whole next turning cycle. On orangethorpe that one can be a long wait and is nice when that kicks in late at night, which is the only time of day this feels safe when traffic is low and it helps cut down on waiting time.I remember this accident. it was around 10:30 pm. so it wasn’t a busy time yet it seems an akward place for one of these lights.
Fullerton to the west has a large Asian community, to south Hispanic, to the east a large college population, to the north an aging one. I am a native and those traffic control devices were confusing to me when I first encountered them and they even move them around. To those non-native drivers they must be even more confusing. I cannot imagine employing one of these devices at the bottom of a steep hill. In the interest of public safety I see the motorcycle officers hiding in residential areas trying to nab taxpayers on their way home from work for a cockamamie ticket while virtually absent from the State College/ Chapman intersection with burgeoning crosswalks and red light runners. I see the potholes and the aging traffic control systems. The lack of uniformity with the types of signals used iposes a threat to public safety in my opinion. If you combine this with the chemicals in our water, the booze slinging downtown dumps, the dimethyl siloxane sludge that replaced the shortening in the slop joints and you have an auto body, towing and medical establishment windfall. I guess we get what we pay for -$250 million a year and decrepit infrastructure. I expect Rod Serling any minute to show up with a menthol.
And also driving south on Euclid, when it intersects with Wilshire, the pedestrian crosswalk light no longer operates. We had to slam on our breaks the other day because there was a pedestrian wanting to cross, and his presence wasn’t noticeable until a few feet from the crosswalk. If you don’t stop for a pedestrian, It is a hefty fine.
I heard that the blinking yellow left turn lights are going away.
You can thank Albert Rincon & Mike Sellers for that. In fact you should personally thank the giant cash cow at 237 West Commonwealth Avenue for the city’s crumbling infrastructure.
Typical Squirt Silva, getting indignant now about issues when she saw uproar, but she’s been in office since 2004, what, no outcry between then and now? not even any stink eye? -isn’t she running for a seat?
Glad for Fullerton citizens though.
Like a flag blowing with the prevailing winds. Fortunately the winds are changing in Fullerton in large part to FFFF
Surprised you weren’t more outspoken against her after the Kelly incident Joe. Shes a fraud.
I don’t understand why you hate her so much. The two of you are double talking hacks.
Better watch it, O’ Malley. She could sue you for slander.
Bushala’s got your IP addresses. Rack up enough of them and it’s like a fingerprint.
Public safety.
For 1500 -what is the pot calling the kettle black?
Hoo Boy! What a joke. Quirky is trying to take credit for forming the Ad Hoc Water Committee, that was created by the numbskulls to COVER UP the fraud.
If not for FFFF this issue would have been dead and buried last fall.
Looks like I’ve been moderated for good. Lol.
Xoxo Tony
I need a raise. My nickel a post is peanuts.
you make more than me….
You mean you’re not getting paid a penny a word like me? 😉
exactly right
but I will give you my 2 cents worth anyway.
Why do the schools need more money?
I thought the lottery and the increased sales tax was going to take care of that?
Maybe we need to stop feeding kids and let the parents do that like my parents did.
Teacher’s Unions.
A majority of the money never goes towards the kids.
Spring 1987 Tustin, Ca. Young guy from back east had served a few short years in the service, moved here and was working for GTECH/CA Lottery as a technician for the lottery systems/machines. He was bragging about how good he had it. He would drive to GTECH, pick-up their van, turn on his pager and go back and sit by the pool just waiting for a call if a machine needed serviced. I remember him mentioning something about the UNION representing the workers quite well. So before anyone else gets their monies…well you see.
It was never meant to be 100% of the proceeds going to the schools. I can’t remember for sure but I think it was more like 50%. There was a level of profit and also maintenance to cover. That was clear.
Anonymous: That was the intent when we voted in the Lottery. However, the powers that be decided the proceeds would replace rather than supplement what was allocated for the schools.
Easy Answer, why blame the teachers unions? Their jobs are to look out for the teachers and protect their jobs. That’s what their pay their dues for. Instead, look at the state who cuts education and the over inflated salaries at district levels ie LAUSD who has its share of corruption and is way too top heavy.
Teachers unions = worse than the Catholic Church
Did I get this right, Sharon QS puts Roland Choi, the sign stealer and dirty food vendor, GOP poster boy on Planning Commission? For what a seat up the ladder…. Smells like an Akerman to me.
She tried. She failed.
Do you mean Roland Chi? He is not on the Planning Commission. He was appointed to the Infrastructure Review Committee. Because he is on that committee, he is also on the Water Rate Ad Hoc, but he wasn’t there tonight.
“that was the intent” in other words that is what the voters voted for and were sold…I never voted for it because I would never balance a budget or support a moral cause with with gambling money.
There is something coruupt about that concept to me and look>>>they did not use it as promised anyway.
To anonymous and easy answer:
Schools have just had another reduction of state money. Before prop 13 individual school districts paid for most of the costs. But in a landmark decision that is in effect ONLY IN CALIFORNIA, a latino student from a poor community near Riverside, Serrano, went up against Ivy Baker Priest who was a rising star of Republican Politics. Well Priest lost and California courts held that the state of California needed to even up the spending per pupil with state funds over and above the property tax.
Then prop 13 put a lid on the property tax and the state got stuck with 3/4 of the costs for K-14. Yup it includes Community College system.
So, teachers unions had nothing to do with it. How the money is spent depends on each individual School Board and some are influenced by unions but many are not especially in Orange County. The amount spent per pupil in California has declined precipitously the past several years thus teacher cutbacks, security cutbacks, classified clerical and teacher aide cutbacks. Administrators especially at the District Offices work closely with the Superintendents and Assistants, so they are the last to get cut. Thus the words top heavy comes to mind.
On top of all this are a myriad of regulations by the Federal Government for Special Education needs always with insufficient Federal Funding to meet the requirements.
To say a majority of the money never goes towards the kids is not entirely correct since 51% is a majority. But its true, that spending in the classroom is inadequate at many districts and spending on who knows what pet projects at district levels is unusually high. Remember, if you are a new district administrator, you need to show just how “good” you are and come up with new great sounding programs that really are just wheel spinning activities. Such is the way of the bureaucracy.
Now they closed Cal State enrollment for 2013 already. Crazy. Same budget income as 1990 but thousands and thousands more students. Big mess.
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that Ivy Baker Priest was rewarded for losing by becoming the Treasurer of the United States under President Eisenhower. Such is politics!
Tim Graham
Fullerton water utility customers have been paying too much for water since 1997, when a state-wide amendment outlawed a tax that city collected until this year.
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The residents of Fullerton may finally learn their reimbursement options stemming from years of overcharging from the local water utility.
The City of Fullerton’s Ad Hoc Water Rate Study Committee was scheduled to hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Monday focusing on reimbursement for water utility customers, who have been overcharged since 1997 because of an illegal fee, according to a new report.
The public is invited to speak at the meeting to provide input on how the city plans to give back $2.5 million to its customers, or roughly $830,000 for each of the last three years’ worth of extra revenue it is required to pay back.
The statute of limitations requires the city to only return the previous three years of extra revenue.
Fullerton had been charging its residents a 10 percent “in-lieu franchise fee” since 1970 to offset the costs of operating water maintenance yards and office space, according to the report by the Municipal & Financial Services Group, which the city hired to investigate the legality of the fee.
But a California initiative passed in 1996, Proposition 218, stated that any fees charged for utility services must match the actual costs of providing those services. According to the city, an exemption for water service fees was overturned in a 2006 court decision.
“This report gives us a clearer idea of the cost of service and a methodology for assessing fees in the future,” Mayor Sharon Quirk-Silva said in a statement.
Only 6.7 percent of the fee is actually necessary to operate the costs for the water utility, or about $1.67 million a year, with the remaining $830,000 going into the city’s general fund, also a violation of Prop 218.
“Revenues derived from the fee or charge shall not be used for any purpose other than that for which the fee or charge was imposed,” the amendment states.
Options
As a result, the city has proposed several options for repaying the extra $2.5 million in revenue:
1. Rebate Option: Over the next three years, current utility water customers would receive a refund for the difference between the 10 percent rate and the 6.7 percent rate from the last three years.
2. Infrastructure Option: The general fund would transfer $830,000 each of the next three years to the water fund for the replacement of again infrastructure.
3. Asset Exchange Option: The city’s general fund would give a piece of land of equal value to the water fund for to build future water facilities.
4. Pass Through Option: The general fund would pay the next $2.5 million in costs charged by the Metropolitan Water District’s, Orange County Water District’s and the city electrical provider’s pass-through rate increase, which would take about two or three years.
Other options will be heard and considered at Monday’s meeting.
The committee will make recommendations to the city council, which is expected to vote on the matter on April 3, according to the OC Register.
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Other options will be heard and considered at Monday’s meeting.
Yes, there are other options, MFSG, Municipal Finance Study Group- the company Joe Felz just sent a 60,000 dollar check to, because wait for it,Apparently for years and years, the Water Dept has been charging us a 10 % tax, and if we dont continue to pay for it, the same old way we have, we are going to be charged the monies, through some scheme. The scheme is, charging you for rent, for facilities located on city property. What they are asking ,is that we cough up more money to pay for the rent at city hall. I swear, this is what they pitched. The law offices of BBK, were hired in response to the Prop 218, that Mr Dean and the Jarvis boys are doing by holding thier feet to the fire. So, instead of refunding our money and pray we dont lynch mob em ( fguratively), they bring in some smarmy pixie, that tries to sell us her snake oil. Yeah I was born at night,but not last night.
The funniest part of the night, is when Squirt silvas, mouth peice was demading that sharon get the answers to who is on the , board, transparancy, all the hit words from a focus group, it was sad, then the represtative from MFSG said..well the Fund Board members, IS the cty council. Sharon’s guy looked like a fool. So the mayor has no idea of her role, but yeah she wasnts to move on to bigger and greener pastures. Where was Quirk the last 7 years ….collecting the 10% didnt seem to bother her but election time, its an issue. Seriously demanding to know the membersnames of the Fund board is….to get answers and blah blah. And , she is on it. LMAO.Lame sauce.
Why does Sharon Quirk’s answer to every problem include forming yet another ad hoc committee to study the issue? Has it occurred to her that she is on the committee that is supposed to study and solve the problem?
I take offense that she seems unable to ever do the actual work herself. No doubt she does not have the tools necessary to do the analysis we need but this passing of the buck is getting old.
Here’s an idea Mrs. Quirk, why dont you show some leadership, study the issue with your council and make some recommendations as to how you believe the funds should be allocated?
ad hoc committees, task forces equate to politicians who choose to outsource their thoughts and opinions to others. In sum, politicians who overly rely on ad hoc committees and task forces are too stupid to figure out the needs of our city or they are too busy with their back room deals to care about the important municipal issues
Jeff Rupp was my teacher about thirteen years ago. We didn’t get along too well but that is beside the point.
The lawsuit bothers me for several reasons. He used to acknowledge the risks of riding motorcycles in class. And he died from doing something he loved.
On the one hand, the lawsuit reflects his anarchist tendencies and sense of entitlement – including, among other things, parking his motorcycle INSIDE the classroom to piss off the administrators – there’s something about it that doesn’t seem like Jeff Rupp at all.
I will say he understood human suffering quite well. So it’s ridiculous for his family to demand $4.1 million from the residents of Fullerton, thousands of which are his former students. This wasn’t his style.
I don’t get it … or, on second thought, maybe I do?
Water wars? More war on us, the good people of Fullerton. And whatbdidnourncivic leaders, our city’s employees in high places, our police and fire department buy(for,themselves) by forcing us to pay more for,the essence of life,water?
Lets be clear here, when the man who spoke , in favor and defense of MS Quirk, by stating the mayor has done her darndest towards transparancy, she demands it, (Ok you heard the muffled laughter, the audacity to send this pal of hers in to start your campaign, what a maroon- you are sharon-how dumb can you be- Im finding out the answer to that question, and its- your are mad stupid.)
The guy, Ms Silva lobbied for claims sharon has been demanding the names of those on the FUND board, well ding bat Sharon- you are on that commitee. The only thing that doesnt make me go in the garage and craft 30 Silva pinatas, is the old mayor…said he was on city council for years and had no idea that the FUND board is city council.SO the three bald tires, are on a fund board, and teh other members of the council dont know? Interesting, Mr Felz, where are the job descriptions, of the members of CIty council, you and the lawyer- maybe no one told you – you work for us.
My favorite part of last night aside from the laughter I got from laughing at out mayor, was when I told Joe Felz, that sometimes the truth doesnt set you free,( if so why did we lawyer up so fast, sometimes Joe the truth about finances, doesnt set you free, it does the opposite-it take s you to jail for 7 years for fraud, how is that special on the menu tonight Joe?) sooo …People they are raping us , telling us-NO this is normal, you feel uncomfortable,tremble when your around, its because we are being raped, financially , and some in our city are fodder, for the cops- they actually molest, why didnt sharon demand his foto be released, does she not know we live in a city that has HIghschool, FJC<CSUF, there are tons of girls, But Sharon, didnt find it necessary to warn the area girls…WOO HOO aother fail on public safety…o yeah see you later at CITY council.
exactly…..lets get job descriptions, for these people and us to…they keep passing the buck at our expense….EXACTLY!
I wanted to Thank Greg Seaborne, Jand Rands, Barry Levison,Matt Rowe,Mr Chaffee for coming down and speaking about water issues, you guys all did a great job taking the lawyers to task,and asking the right questions…It looks like Fullerton may have a chance, thank you great to see leadership…havent had that yet, it was a nice change. Thank you- cant wait for the debates, we are having them – correct?
CM,
You’re welcome.
geez, don’t these people understand that they should comment on the continuance only?
http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2012/03/21/committee-cool-to-study-of-illegal-water-fee/151508/
mayor sharon is just bla bla bla bla bla but she never take actions on the problems ,she alway say we’ll be address that next time until now no real answers.we need someone that take action not just long term no-solutions .