Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
I went to a branch of the San Bernardino County Library and guess what sites were blocked? Both the Examiner.com and NoMoreBrad.com. So much for freedom of speech.
What are you afraid of Brad? Mark Uffer used to do this to me all the time and iePolitics is still blocked on many county computers. But you would think a Marine wouldn’t be such a scaredy cat. You would think, wouldn’t you?
Governor Jerry Brown
Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, is returning $7 million to the state’s treasury and cutting his office budget by 25 percent. According to an article in the January 8, 2011, edition of the San Francisco Chronicle:
As expected, Brown axed the secretary of education position, an advisory office under the governor that was worth $1.9 million annually. Brown also returned the lion’s share of transition funds allocated to him, spending just $120,000 of the $770,000 available.
He also cut $4.5 million from the governor’s office’s $18 million annual budget, in part by eliminating the office of the first lady. Brown’s wife, Anne Gust Brown, has already taken an unpaid position as special counsel to the governor.
“California is facing a huge deficit and it is necessary to find savings throughout all of government,” Brown said in a written statement. “We all have to make cuts and I’m starting with my own office.”
In order to cut one-quarter from his office’s budget, Brown eliminated the position of cabinet secretary and all deputy cabinet secretaries. He cut press and communications staff; closed field offices in San Diego, Riverside and Fresno; and cut the governor’s Washington, D.C., office staff. Additionally, as Brown announced in December, he eliminated the office of Laura Chick, the special inspector general appointed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to audit federal stimulus spending in California. That position was temporary and set to expire midyear.
So, if a Democrat can do it, how about our four Republican members of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors? Do you all really need deputy chiefs of staff, district directors, or media relations staff? Do you really need more than one field office? We think not.
Brad Mitzelfelt
Last night was the first in a series of meetings around the county where our illustrious leaders tried to relate with the unwashed masses. Nothing like someone making $9 bucks an hour at a part-time job listening to someone making $300,000 a year drone on about how much they have done to improve our lives.
First up was Steve PonTell, a consultant who conducted most of the meeting. We shall have to find out if this is one of those “no bid” contracts that Chairman Gary Ovitt has awarded to PonTell. We’re told they are neighbors or go to the same church or something like that. All I know for sure is that the Fourth District likes to give PonTell contracts without going through the RFP process.
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
We have had some fun opining over whether the next chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will be Neil Derry, Brad Mitzelfelt, or Josie Gonzales. The decision will be made Tuesday and it is time to get serious. Whoever is elected will direct county policy for the next two years. And that is a very big job as we have seen with all the new policies put into effect these past two years.
Chairmans make some very rough decisions. Think about it. Chairman Gary Ovitt had to address the elevator schedule for rides to the Fifth Floor so that Fifth Floor execs wouldn’t be inconvenienced by the little people . . . we mean non-exempt employees . . . trying to get from one floor to another to get work done. And then there are those pesky constituents who might show up on the Fifth Floor expecting to speak with their elected representative. I know from experience lower echelon employees are forbidden from gracing those hallowed halls even with an invitation so there must be policy on how to keep them out.
Rutherford
Thursday, January 6, 2011 – 10:00 a.m.
Last Updated: January 6, 2011 – 08:25 p.m.
It’s Crunch time!
Just five more days and we’ll all know the answer to the big question.
Will newly-elected County Supervisor Janice Rutherford keep her campaign pledge of ethics and reform, or will it be ‘go along, get along” business as usual?
A practice, which has plagued San Bernardino County for years.
Yesterday I made a request for a picture of Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt with a red circle around it and a line through it. And someone came through. But they also sent me one for Neil.
Someone is trying to tell you something Neil. Don’t worry. I have no plans for a nomoreneil website!
There will be a new blog up and running in the next couple of days. We only purchased the domain name tonight and it takes a bit to get everything registered. Initially it will be a blog, but as we get closer to the 2012 primary, it will become the official website to defeat Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. It will be www.nomorebrad.com
If anyone has a graphics program where you can take a photo of Brad and put a red circle and line through it, I would sure appreciate it. You can email it to me at iepolitics2010@gmail.com.
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
Well the last time there was an article in the Daily Press which quoted First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt about the local job market, we opined he must have been under the influence of Vicodin for his badly broken arm and was hallucinating. Or he never steps foot inside Victorville businesses.
Now we hear Mitzelfelt claims this will be the year to build stronger military partnerships and attract military industries to the high desert. “We may see even more of these opportunities to create jobs in the civilian military sector of our county, which features five active military bases and two closed air force bases/airports,” he said.
It seems our five little minds up on the fifth floor cannot agree on which one of them should be leader. Maybe they should ask their mommies who to vote for.
We are being told to expect either a 3-2 vote in favor of Brad Mitzelfelt as chairman or a 4-1 vote in favor of Josie Gonzales. Either way it may be a spectacle.
Greg Devereaux
As we talk with citizens around the county, it seems multiple supervisorial districts are using the excuse “we can’t interfere in county policies” so that they do not have to help constituents with issues with various county departments. It has become “pass the buck” who doesn’t care if citizens get served or not.
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
I finally had a chance to meet with Traci Dean and her friend tonight. We compared Brad Mitzelfelt and David Zook stories. Our stories are very similar in terms of the runaround we have both been given by Brad and David.
Traci pointed out something interesting that I had never noticed. Although I went to his old Mariposa Road office several times, I never noticed that he did not fly the American flag. Well Traci noticed it. And Brad refused to budge.
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
SAN BERNARDINO – San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt was appointed today to the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Council, the key planning agency for six counties in the region.
Supervisor Mitzelfelt was appointed on a unanimous vote of the governing board of San Bernardino Associated Governments, the county’s transportation authority, of which he is president and which is made up of elected officials from all 24 cities and the five members of the Board of Supervisors. Mitzelfelt will represent SANBAG as a SCAG board member.
Adam,
I hear you have a slew of photos from the China trip—some of them very, very, very interesting. How about letting us post some?
My phone number has changed but Ted can give it to you or you can email me at iepolitics2010@gmail.com.
Josie Gonzales
Boy, when you get some former Fifth Floor staffers together who happen to all have all gone to Hong Kong together on an International Trade Trip on the county dime, do you ever get some stories. Dancing on the tables . . . jello shots . . . flirting with board members . . . between board members . . . with staff . . . did I mention getting drunk and dancing on the tables?
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
Two years ago iePolitics strongly supported Supervisor Josie Gonzales being elected as vice chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. At the time, newly elected Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt was attempting to bypass tradition and take his turn out of line for the vice chairman position. We pointed out how it would look if the four white guys did that to the only minority and the only woman on the board.
Now two years later—after two years of the most weak-kneed, yellow-bellied, leadership in decades—we no longer care about what is politically correct. The citizens of San Bernardino County just want real leadership whether it is white, brown, green or purple.
|
||
|
|
The two county supervisors who represent the San Bernardino Mountains are at opposite financial poles, operating the costliest and most frugal office budgets among the five board members, according to figures released by the county.
Supervisor Neil Derry, who for the past two years has represented the third district, including the area from Twin Peaks to Green Valley Lake, has a staff budget of $1.526 million per year, said county Public Information Officer David Wert.
Derry’s payroll, reflecting both salaries and benefits paid to his 12 employees, is the highest of the five supervisors.
At the other end of the spectrum is Second District Supervisor Janice Rutherford, sworn in on Dec. 6 to replace two-term incumbent Paul Biane.
Wert’s figures show Rutherford’s eight employees earning a total of $936,897 a year, including benefits, or $596,914 less than Derry’s staff.
Nor is Rutherford’s budget likely to increase any time soon. “There are no plans to hire any additional staff members,” Scott Vanhorne, Rutherford’s press secretary, told this newspaper.
INTEREST KINDLED
Interest in how much local-government officials are paid was kindled last July with reports that officials in Bell, a working-class suburb of Los Angeles, were paying themselves huge salaries.
Eight officials of Bell-where one person in six lives below the poverty line-have been arrested and charged with multiple felonies in a sweeping corruption case.
We are going to start our New Year’s predictions early because we are hearing a bit of chatter. And the chatter is that Mike Ramos is on the offensive.
The key to the Ristow case is the up-to-now confidential affidavits signed by five women who were involved with Ramos. Making those affidavits public will take Ramos down and he knows it.
So far none of the predictions about his demise have come true. The BOS has only seen a report that basically puts all the blame on Ristow. Mark Kirk , Andrew Lamberto, and Ruth Stringer made sure the truth did not come out.
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
I’d like to say iePolitics is the cause, but the real final straw was this article in today’s Daily Press: Caldwell eyes new public office
Wow, have I ever received a response on my original post regarding issues relative to the Adelanto Boys and Girls Club. One thing keeps popping up but I have no verifiable information. I think some of my Sheriff’s Department informants may be able to shed some light, if you will please.
Apparently, the Adelanto Charter School rented space at the Adelanto Boys and Girls Club but gave up the space because the club had a lot of parolees hanging around drinking alcohol. I do not see how such a thing could happen and not at some point be reported to law enforcement.
This picture of David Zook:
David Zook
was found here: Zook
I happen to be very familiar with network marketing, multi-level marketing, and various other schemes that come out of Salt Lake City/Provo and have been so for a couple of decades now. If you ever receive an invitation through the mail to attend a seminar at a hotel on making money and you trace the company back to its origins, likely it will be based out of Utah.
I’ve been involved in quite a few in my lifetime, mostly when I was young and stupid. If you get in early, there is some money to be made. But mostly they are Ponzi schemes or close to it and those that prosper are those that own the companies (or are hidden partners).
David Zook
First District Chief of Staff David Zook is a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah. His wife and children live there full time and he commutes from there to serve as Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt’s right-hand man.
Zook is the highest paid Chief of Staff. At $242,403, he earns over $25,711 (more than the annual salary of some county employees) more than the next highest paid chief. We guess he needs it for all that commuting.
Got a tip this morning regarding a community center (?) that was built here in the high desert, funded by the county for a large sum of taxpayers money, because Jeff sat on the board of directors and Brad couldn’t say no as Brad is afraid of Jeff. Can anyone give me additional information?
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
We have heard back from two mainstream high desert politicos who are extremely interested in helping the cause. That is promising to say the least. We will be talking/meeting right after the first of the year and may already have some funding. We plan to contact additional politicos over the next few weeks.
If you are interested in being a part of the group to defeat Supervisor Mitzelfelt, please email me at iepolitics2010@gmail.com.
Traci Dean’s comment on another story reminded me about a story I had planned on researching and writing about 100 days ago. I was given information similar to what she is claiming from a very reliable source. In trying to make peace with David Zook and Brad Mitzelfelt, I held off on the story for a few days and then totally forgot all about it until today.
What I have been told is that Mitzelfelt has sent about $600,000 their way and the money is being used as a slush fund to pay family members of the directors. I was told there is a lot of abuse.
In all fairness, Zook told me he would go with me out there and I could examine the books. Somehow, I don’t exactly think that offer still stands. Besides, he chastised me for wanting to harm one of the only children’s programs in the area. I’m all for helping kids but not for lining the pockets of political friends with taxpayer money.
Bill Tuck Jr. asked for the salaries for the Second District. Here are the salary and benefit packages for all of the board staff. This list does not include John Richardson, Mary O’Toole, Mark Kirk, Bob Page, and the other analyst whose name I forget from the Fourth District whose positions were transferred to the County Administrative Office budget. That equals at least another million dollars.
For those who would like to download the spreadsheets from the county, here there are: 2010-11 Board Staff (all)
First District:
Chief of Staff – $242.403; District Director – $145,082; Executive Secretary – $102,078; Executive Secretary III – $52,003; Field Rep – $127,524; Field Rep – $141,564; Field Rep – $139,143; Special Assistant – $166,978 (Employee Reimbursed by Joint Powers Authority – $110,206); Special Projects Coordinator – $43,070; Community Service Liaison – $3,472; Community Service Liaison – $5667; Community Service Liaison – $5532; Community Service Liaison – $5667; Community Service Liaison – $5667
Second District:
Chief of Staff – $187,883; Deputy Chief of Staff – $184,166; Executive Secretary – $91,089; Field Representative – $144,409; Field Representative – $128,965; Field Representative – $128,965 Special Projects Coordinator – $56,026 (Contract terminates June 30, 2011); Special Projects Coordinator – $15,394 (Contract terminates June 30, 2011)
We have taken a bit of criticism for suggesting possible opponents for Supervisors Mitzelfelt, Derry and Gonzales. Those who pride themselves in their astute political analysis have been quick to point out where we are wrong. What few are considering is the effect redistricting will have on the 2012 elections.
Politicians are politicians, meaning their political careers are foremost in their minds. Many could never earn what they earn if they had to work a real job. Getting re-elected so they can maintain their power and lifestyle is all that is important. Continue reading
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
We posted a list of possible opponents for Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt a few days ago, and other than Rita Vogler, I’m not sure any of them will run. I realize the primary is 18 months away, but when we are talking about a supervisor who will likely spend well over $1 million to get re-elected, we are not talking about a lot of time. And Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt needs to be DEFEATED not re-elected.
I have written many things, both positive and negative, about Brad. In my 36-year history in the First District, he is hardly the worse supervisor we have had. But he is becoming more and more like one that stands out in my mind because she was the First District supervisor when I worked on the fifth floor—Marcia Turoci.
Barb Stanton
It seems Barb Stanton has seen the light. Anyone who ever listened to her radio show for more than five minutes knows that she could not get through three sentences in a row without finding some way to blame former-Assessor Bill Postmus for something . . . anything . . . extrovert. There is no one she made more vile, vicious and often iniquitous comments about.
That was then. This is now . . . now that she has become a Apple Valley Town mayor pro tem. She has seen the light.
Bob Smith
This is a letter we received a while back:
Enjoyed your article on Bob Smith. Attached is a Letter of Demand sent to Bob Smith, President of YCSD siting Brown Act violations, his misconduct, taking control of all projects, trying to illegally and unethically remove a Fire Chief and Firefighters using bullying tactics of having a uniform Sheriff Lt on site to intimidate and attempt to threaten arrests of citizens, and tried to meet with volunteer staff behind closed door with Sheriff present and deny them representation at the meeting(Civil Rights Violations). Now he is spear heading a campaign with his band of misfits to be voted into YCSD. He has used threat tactic to citizen of potential arrest, he provided the Desert Dispatch with false information pertaining to the Yermo Fire Dept, and is in collusion with the County Supervisors office. I have sent certified copies of this Demand letter to all the appropriate depts without response. According to the Brown Act, the YCSD need to respond to allegations of its violation, that is specific to Bob Smith, Scott Walker(candidate), and Jeff Burner(candidate), both incumbents, as his band of incompetent misfits. Bob Smith has created a Thugocracy in Yermo and likes to play dirty if he is questioned or challenged and is notorious for not responding to community concerns and likes to take credit for all accomplishments(see letter). If I can provide you with additional info please feel free to contact me. A campaign is starting ealy next week to move forward with a Recall against Bob Smith. He is a junk yard bully and our community does not need his style of gestapo tactics and diregard ofr others. Bob simply does not play well with other.
I have been trying to take the time to contact you but life seems to happen. However, when I saw the comment by Phelan Patriot today regarding what was said to them by First District Chief of Staff David Zook, I had to take the time to write a post. Zook has made the exact same comment to me on several occasions.
I was not kidding about the blackmail and quid pro quo I have experienced with the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. It seems few on the Fifth Floor realize they are P U B L I C S E R V A N T S. That means you do what is right for the public because it is the right thing to do, not because they give you campaign money or write nice things about you.
Angela Valles
Valles calls for citizen watchdog group
Councilwoman to assemble advisory team to scrutinize city practices, finances
VICTORVILLE • Newly seated Councilwoman Angela Valles is asking for volunteers to form a citizen’s watchdog advisory committee to help her navigate “the maze of red tape and political smoke screens” that she believes have driven Victorville into trouble and “kept the truth” from taxpayers.
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
Sometimes I really wonder why things work out the way they do. Several months ago Chief of Staff David Zook and I got into it over an article I had written about First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. The article referenced comments Mitzelfelt made to the Daily Press regarding the local economy. It seemed like Brad was totally out of touch with the economic reality in the Victor Valley and I chalked his comments up to medication he was taking for his badly broken arm/shoulder. In the end I agreed to take the article down.
That exchange, which got pretty nasty, ended up in more discussion between David and me. I took issue with the fact that they have been so hateful toward me but then expect me to write positive articles about them and censor the negative items some of our readers submit, such as on their employee Bob Smith and Havasu Lake issues.
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
SAN BERNARDINO – The Board of Supervisors this week approved the purchase of three buildings on almost six acres in San Bernardino to serve as the new home of the Sheriff’s Department crime lab.
“The current crime lab is more than 20 years old and not large enough to serve the needs of our growing county,” said First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. “The crime lab serves the entire county. Therefore, an adequately sized and equipped crime lab will help make the High Desert as well as the rest of the county safer by assisting in the arrest and prosecution of violent criminals.”
Yesterday’s sentencing of Rex Gutierrez to 32 months in prison was a warning shot. Judge Rouse said it was a warning to public officials. But really it was a warning to the Board of Supervisors and their staffs—not a warning from Rouse but rather a warning from their new power-hungry County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux.
Devereaux has had the evidence for months that Human Resources Director Andrew Lamberto lied under oath in the three hearings involving Rex Gutierrez. This is not only a crime, but a violation of county ethics. But Lamberto is protected by Devereaux, and for good reason.
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
Really? It takes exactly ten minutes to place a phone call to Andrew Lamberto and tell him to have my benefits issued. After all, he is the one who lied to Hartford Insurance and told them that the county offered me a job and I declined. No such thing happened.
Last week, 81 days after Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt personally said he would look into my situation, I met with him face to face. He actually had the nerve to ask me, “Why should I help you?” Gee, maybe because I’m a constituent? An employee? Your department head lied under color of authority—something any other county employee would be fired for? Because you made an oath to uphold the laws of the state of California which say that the county must provide disability insurance to its employees?
Greg Devereaux
This is one of those posts where I made myself wait 24 hours to write. Just received an email that Mitzelfelt is going to deal with my situation after the first of the year. As of today it is 87 days since he first agreed to “help.” I will let him decide if he wants to share my response with all of you.
The bottom line is I’m tired of being threatened and blackmailed with my job and my livelihood by Devereaux, Mitzelfelt, Derry, Kirk and others. I sick of being told that they will withhold the money they owe me until I shut down the blog, resign, and/or only write positive articles about them. I am also tired of being threatened over some other issues in my life.
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
This appeared in response to my response:
I think that while Biane was on the board, he, Ovitt, and Gonzalez were the innefectual majority tied to the scum bags, like Doreen Boxer and Ruth Stringer. Brad probably knew better but had to go along to get along because he and Derry couldnt do anything by themselves. Now that Rutherford is here Brad has the cover he needs to be the supervisor he wants to be, an effective and honest supervisor? Would you agree with that?
Do I agree with this? There is no short answer.
First of all, there is mounting evidence that a Brad-Neil-Janice alliance may not be in the works after all but rather Neil may be left out on his own. We will know for sure in a few weeks.
But, for argument’s sake, let’s say Brad is going to do the right thing. I have said it before. I do not believe Brad is inherently corrupt like Josie and Gary. Brad has done a very good job for the First District in terms of getting us our fair share of resources and representation.
Assemblyman Paul Cook
The 2012 election in San Bernardino County could prove to be more than a little entertaining. Supervisors Brad Mitzelfelt, Neil Derry, and Josie Gonzales will all be up for re-election.
First, there is a wrinkle we only see every ten years and that is redistricting. It is quite conceivable that current supervisors will attempt to have their potential opponents sent packing to a new district. That was done many years ago to Jerry Eaves, who was forced to move in order to run for the Fifth District seat.
This comment appeared on the blog today in response to the most recent post regarding San Bernardino County Public Defender Doreen Boxer:
In reading all of the different articles and comments, here some of you get it and some of you don’t. Being very close to all of the players nothing is cut and dry. Greg D. is not the finally say in anything. A few members on the 5th floor run the show, but there is a process.
That process is never on the time frame that Sharon, Jim, ACU, or the regulars write about here. You guys do a great job spelling out what should happen. Well, it’s already happening well before you even start writing about it. You do a great job getting everyone on the sidelines ready for the kick. However, many of these issues need a little more time before you start second guessing what is being done. None of you speed things up and often slow the process down. I do not fault any of you for this, it’s just the truth.
Sharon’s followers have stepped up and made the difference and we take nothing away from you on that. It sounds like I praise the most of you and then take it away. I am not. I am just sharing with you about the process and how long these things take. Many of you should be proud of the end results and of your actions. The love hate relationship that most of you have with the 5th floor “offices” is questionable.
You give accolades in one article and then beat up Neil, Brad, Greg D., otheres on the very next blog. It’s like my mother telling me she loves what I did with cleaning her garage, and then smacks me in the back of the head for putting her dust pan in the wrong place. Please everyone, lets all get our meds leveled out and stick with one side or the other. I have! Wish I could tell you more. But for now, try having a love feast with some of the ones you have mentioned here. You have mentioned three or four departures that you are very happy with.(you left a few out) Give Greg, Brad, Neil, Janice and others some time and you will see many more positive changes sooner than later. Oh and “God Bless”, trust in that.
I thought it deserved a response that is not hidden under the article.
First, let’s address the “love hate relationship” with the Fifth Floor. I guess that can best be summed up as saying we are not politicians. In other words, we have zero interest in being politically correct, in brown nosing, or in doing what we do to make friends. If, for example, Supervisor Neil Derry does good, we are going to praise him. If he does something less than ethical, we are going to criticize him.
Now, that’s not to say that we don’t let some slide a little more than others, because we are human and we do appreciate a job well done. Neil is one of those, although at times I’m sure he doesn’t believe it. Brad is another and I know he doesn’t believe it. If Brad only knew some of the articles I have not printed in order to keep some semblance of a working relationship with the First District since I live there. But he does not believe that.
By PE Politics
on December 10, 2010 4:39 PM
Assemblyman Paul Cook says “everything’s on the table” as far as his political career is concerned.
Cook terms out of the Assembly in two years. Earlier this week, the IEpolitics blog mentioned Cook, R-Yucca Valley, as a potential 2012 candidate for the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. Cook lives in the Third Supervisorial District, currently represented by Supervisor Neil Derry, and much of his Assembly district’s San Bernardino County portion overlaps the Third (see below.)
Next year, though, supervisorial districts will be redrawn to reflect population changes since the 2000 census. Yucca Valley could stay in the third or potentially end up in the adjoining first district of Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt.
To read the rest of the story, click here.
First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt
San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt appears to have positioned himself as the swing vote in the upcoming election for chairman of the board. This is an especially enviable position to be in when one wants the position for himself.
Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales has expressed her intention of seeking the position with Supervisor Gary Ovitt’s support, and we here at iePolitics sometimes feel like the Board of Supervisors and county management really deserve to have her as Chairman of the Board. But the citizens of San Bernardino County do not.
It seems County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux isn’t satisfied with all the new power he has been granted. He continues to build on his power base as evidenced by his interference in selection of the Chairman to the Board of Supervisors.
Devereaux’s loyalty to Chairman Gary Ovitt stems from the years he served as city manager of Ontario when Ovitt was mayor. It has been obvious from the beginning as Ovitt, and his then-chief of staff, Mark Kirk, orchestrated both former-County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer’s termination and Devereaux’s hiring. The process took well over a year and the entire Fifth Floor knew that no one but Devereaux was being considered for the job.
Editor’s Note: For a blog that “no one reads,” stories that are printed on it sure do have the tendency to create havoc. We knew there would be several additional names to this list, but then presents drop from the sky. And those presents were read by the defense.
iePolitics has obtained a partial list of witnesses expected to be called as a part of the upcoming corruption trial in People v. Postmus, et al. Attorneys for the defendants have given the judge an expected length of seven to eight weeks for the trial. Here are the names we have been given so far:
Barbara Cram Riordan
Earlier this year popular KFI 640 radio talk show hosts John and Ken focused a number of shows on the California Air Resources Board (CARB), detailing the facts that show the agency is out of control. The upcoming implementation of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, only makes this very powerful agency all the more dangerous to the teetering economy of California.
John and Ken primarily focused their attention on Mary D. Nichols, who is the chairperson for CARB. Nichols was first appointed to the CARB in 1978 by then-Governor Jerry Brown. She served under Brown until 1983. She was reappointed as chairman in 2007 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Congressman Jerry Lewis
Today the High Desert moved closer to being a big city. All of the San Bernardino County’s dignitaries were here to dedicate the new County Government Center. First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt initiated the naming of the Jerry Lewis High Desert Government Center after minority maker Congressman Jerry Lewis and it was so named.
The center will house a dozen or more departments including the Assessor’s Office, County Clerk and Recorder, Code Enforcement, Environmental Health, and Veterans Affairs. It is located in the center of Hesperia along with the library, police department and City Hall.
Among those seen at the event were Congressman Jerry Lewis, First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, Second District Supervisor Paul Biane, Third District Supervisor Josie Gonzales, Sheriff Rod Hoops, Auditor-Controller-Recorder-Tax Collector Larry Walker and his new assistant, Matt Brown. We hear Matt was all smiles as he worked the crowd.
This is one of those rare moments iePolitics is about to admit it made a mistake. About two years ago we argued vehemently on Supervisor Josie Gonzales’ behalf as it was her turn to become vice chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.
At that time, First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt was attempting to get the votes to beat her out. It all hinged on the Fourth District. Then-chief of staff, Mark Kirk, and I had several conversations about the subject and he could clearly see the pros and cons of both Mitzelfelt and Gonzales. In the end, Supervisor Gary Ovitt did the “right” thing and voted for Josie.
Apple Valley Town Council Meeting
Rumors started even before Barb Stanton ran for city council that she was being recruited as a candidate to run against First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt in 2012. And now that she has proven she can win an election, chatter has been heating up.
Al Vogler seems to be willing to put his money where his mouth is. I don’t think anyone believes Rita is a viable candidate. But Barb is.
If nothing else, Barb could easily be a spoiler. She has never had a problem with confrontation, whether she knows what she is talking about or not. And she likes airing others’ dirty laundry.
Supervisor-elect Janice Rutherford
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is playing fast and loose with the rules once again. And this time around it seems they may very well be in such a hurry so to prevent newcomer Supervisor-elect Janice Rutherford, who ran on a platform of ethics reform, from providing her input into a law that will affect her ability to serve her constituents for her entire term of office and keeping her promises to voters.
Four out of the five current supervisors supported Rutherford’s opponent and now they are pushing through a new county ordinance to transfer authority from the Board of Supervisors to their hand-selected County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux. Devereaux appears to have little concern for ethics reform as evidenced by his handling of the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center scandal, which was highlighted this past week with his misstatements to the press and his covering for supervisors who are accused of wrongdoing. Inside sources say that those supervisors were targeted in the search warrants and criminal charges against them are possible.
The article below details yet another example of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors giving the middle finger to the voters of this county. Not only did they award an illegal contract to the County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux, they are now transferring power they do not have the power to transfer to him. To hell with the voters.
Since the Board of Supervisors do not want the power vested in them by the Charter of San Bernardino County, it is time for them to be made a part-time body and for their pay to reflect that status. If this ordinance is passed, they will serve no useful purpose to the taxpayers of this county.
Greg Devereaux
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is set on Tuesday for the first reading of an ordinance to make a de facto amendment to the Charter of the County of San Bernardino. The Charter of the County of San Bernardino is the county equivalent of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of California, both of which were adopted through a vote of the people. As such, the law is very specific as to how it can be changed.
The truth of the matter is that according to Constitution of California any change to any county charter must be approved by the vote of the electorate. It CANNOT be made by ordinance as is being attempted by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.
The Constitution of California, Article 11, Local Government, Sec. 3, states:
(a) For its own government, a county or city may adopt a charter by majority vote of its electors voting on the question. The charter is effective when filed with the Secretary of State. A charter may be amended, revised, or repealed in the same manner. A charter, amendment, revision, or repeal thereof shall be published in the official state statutes. County charters adopted pursuant to this section shall supersede any existing charter and all laws inconsistent therewith. The provisions of a charter are the law of the State and have the force and effect of legislative enactments.
We understand that the Board of Supervisors is enacting an ordinance, not enacting a change to the charter, but the effect is the same. They are changing a key element of the Charter of the County of San Bernardino. And they simply do not have authority to do so.
What the Board of Supervisors is proposing on Tuesday, REQUIRES a vote of the people. They choose, instead, to violate our right to vote on this change and ramrod its proposal through, hoping it flies under the radar of an uninterested electorate.
The Charter of the County of San Bernardino is very specific, and was enacted with that specificity in mind, as to the powers of the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. From what we have been told, San Bernardino County is the only one of the state’s 58 counties to specify that the Chairman of the Board is the County’s Executive. It states in pertinent part [emphasis added]:
Duties of the Chairman of the Board
SECTION 5. The Chairman of the Board of Supervisors shall be the general executive agent of the Board. It shall be his duty, subject to regulation and control by the Board, to exercise general supervision over the official conduct of all County officers and officers of all districts and other subdivisions of the County charged with the assessment, collection, safekeeping, management, or disbursement of public revenue; also over all County institutions, buildings and property. He shall report to the Board from time to time with such recommendations as he shall deem proper. He shall devote his entire time during usual office hours to the duties of his office. He shall keep an office in the room or rooms where the Board usually meets, and shall be in attendance at such office during usual office hours, except when elsewhere engaged in the performance of his official duties.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is proposing to instead to transfer those powers over to the County Administrative Officer by ordinance rather than charter amendment as required by the Constitution of California.
