Results tagged “Politics” from RCNow

Unconvinced that a stop sign was needed on Hillside and Amethyst, Supervisor Paul Biane wrote a letter to the city expressing his wish that the sign be removed after preliminary construction on a fire station is finished.

Two months later, the city took down the stop sign, saying a traffic study determined it was no longer necessary.

Residents who want the stop sign are very annoyed. They're convinced that the supervisor and former councilman, who currently lives less than a mile north of the intersection, is the only reason why the sign is no longer there.

Biane's office was very clear that the letter was written by Biane as a resident, not an elected official. But can Biane -- one of the most well known residents in the city, whose name is known by every person who has used the library -- weigh in on a neighborhood issue without the appearance of political influence? Can he be just a resident?

Don't forget to vote today if you haven't already done so.

Elections for the Chaffey College board is today. If you haven't done your homework, check out our elections blog for the candidates' statements.

The parking issue that surfaced earlier this year is just one example of how board members' decisions affect the community. So vote! There probably won't be a line. 

Is 2010 the year that former RC mayors return?

As of last month, former Mayor Bill Alexander was still planning to run for the City Council next year. Last week, former Mayor Dennis Stout said he's thinking of running against District Attorney Mike Ramos.

Stout cites allegations against Ramos of prosecutorial misconduct and inappropriate relations with his colleagues as reasons he might run.

To that, Supervisor Paul Biane said thanks, but no thanks. Biane pointed to sexual harassment allegations that Stout faced himself while he served as district attorney.

"While the District Attorney's office does have some problems that need to be
addressed, I believe incumbent DA Mike Ramos is far better qualified to lead this
vital County crime-fighting agency," Biane said in a statement.

The Daily Bulletin was also unenthusiastic about a Stout comeback as expressed in an editorial that found fault in his reasons for running. Stout defended himself in yesterday's guest column and used the opportunity to bash on Ramos some more.

What do you think? Should Stout run?


 

It's unclear why former Assessor Bill Postmus hired a private investigator to snoop on Rex Gutierrez last year. In a recent e-mail, Postmus claimed county departments routinely hires outside investigators on personnel matters.

What we do know is Postmus used $1,594 of taxpayers' dollars to hire someone to investigate Gutierrez. He also spent $3,535 of taxpayers' dollars for the investigator to get information on MPR Strategies, the firm Postmus hired to do public relations work.

According to court documents, the investigator was asked to find out whether Gutierrez was conducting city business on county time. You'd think as a department head, Postmus could have found out himself what his employees were up to without spending more than $5,000.

More details in tomorrow's paper. 

The campaign statements from the Cucamonga Valley Water District board members, or 460s, can be downloaded here.

It's not an election year, so there's not much fundraising going on in the first six months of the year. Perhaps that is why board members Randall Reed and Oscar Gonzalez have yet to file as of Friday, according to the county's Registrar of Voters office.

The deadline to file was July 31. Candidates who do not file on time are subject to a $10 late fee per day.

According to the Fair Political Practices Commission, candidates who do not raise any money are still required to file a 460 unless they make a monthly salary of $200 or less.

CVWD board members, who meet twice a month, earn $210 per meeting.


Curatalo James V Jr (Curatalo for Cucamonga Valley WD)460 8-5-09.pdf
 
Hank Stoy (1309771) 460-Jul302009.pdf

Here are the City Council's campaign statements for the first six months of the year. Don Kurth raised the most during this period, collecting $51,440.62 as mayor. The single biggest contributor was Diversified Pacific. Jeff Burum's development company contributed $10,000 to Councilman Sam Spagnolo.


Kurth 460, 2009.pdf
Michael 460, 2009.pdf 
Spagnolo 460, 2009.pdf 
Williams 460, 2009.pdf 
Gutierrez 460, 2009.pdf

Kurth is also running for the Assembly in 2010.
Kurth assembly.pdf

In other Diane Williams-related news ...

The longest serving councilwoman member, whose term is up next fall, has eyes on another term.

Williams told me she had one more term left in her last December. But recently, I heard from two sources who said they heard Williams wasn't seeking re-election. I figured the two statements make it a half truth so I asked Williams again.

"Don't know where you're hearing the rumors but I am planning on running for re-election next year," Williams wrote in an e-mail. "I figure I've got at least one more term worth of things I'd like to see finished."  

Many are curious whether the allegations against Councilman Rex Gutierrez are true. The former intergovernmental relations officer of the Assessor's Office is accused of attending city events and conducting city business on county time.

Apparently Gutierrez's former boss, Bill Postmus, was wondering the same thing. According to court documents in support of criminal charges filed against Postmus this week, Postmus and former Assistant Assessor Harlow Cameron hired an investigator to find out if Gutierrez was conducting City Council business during work hours.

Cameron, who now lives in Washington state, told me he was merely the go-between. His role was to contact the private investigator on Postmus' behalf.

Postmus would not comment on why he hired an investigator to find out information about his own employee. Instead, he pleaded patience in an e-mailed statement.

"All I humbly ask is that the citizens of San Bernardino County have an open mind and reserve judgment until all the facts are presented in an impartial forum and in a fair manner," Postmus wrote.

More details to come in tomorrow's paper.

A City Council regular recently asked the elected officials: Who on earth is Jeff Burum and how much has he given you in campaign contributions?

Burum, of course, is the well-known develolper based in this city, who's behind the Colonies project in Upland. In 2006, the Colonies Partners won a much scrutinized $102 million settlement with San Bernardino County over flood-control improvements on the property. Burum and other Colonies investors, including Tony Mize, a Community Foundation Board member, are regular contributors to Rancho officials, county supervisors and others.

The Safety Employees Benefit Association and the SEBA political action committee are also noteworthy contributors to local campaigns. The SEBA political action committee is just one of many committees that Burum contributes to, which in turn, contribute to various political campaigns.

Since 2003, Mayor (and Councilman) Don Kurth has received at least $49,150 from the Colonies and their investors and $61,547 from SEBA in monetary and in-kind contributions.

Since 2008, Councilman Sam Spagnolo has received at least $10,200 in monetary and in-kind contributions from the Colonies and their investors and $7,500 from SEBA.

Since 2004, Councilman Dennis Michael has received at least $20,700 in monetary and in-kind donations from the Colonies and their investors and $23,500 from SEBA.

Since 2002, Councilman Rex Gutierrez has received at least $41,510 in monetary and in-kind contributions from the Colonies and their investors and $37,500 from SEBA.

Since 2000, Councilwoman Diane Williams has received at least $16,600 from the Colonies and their investors and $26,750 from SEBA.

Councilman Sam Spagnolo's legislative update tonight was gloomy.

Sacramento seems poised to balance the budget on cities' backs. Rancho Cucamonga stands to lose more than $40 million should state lawmakers decide to take from redevelopment, Prop. 1A and gas tax.

"These are obviously big numbers," said City Manager Jack Lam. "Any one of those three areas would have been stunning enough. For the state to look at taking all three ... these numbers are so staggering, we're going to look at service cuts -- tremendous service cuts."

The YouTube videos mentioned in Josh Dulaney's article in today's paper focus on Fontana lawmakers but Rancho's leaders are warning the state against taking local funds, too.

Assemblyman Bill Emmerson spoke about the budget mess at the YMCA luncheon this afternoon. His brief statement was followed by two people who want his job: Mayor Kurth and Fontana Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren.

This was a fundraiser for the YMCA youth and government program. But if it were a try-out for Emmerson's job, Kurth and Warren came out tied.

Kurth gave a lukewarm speech about how he entered politics, poked fun of Chinese "democracy" and gloated about the Victoria Gardens success. Former Sen. Jim Brulte called it a "Rancho infomercial." One point for showing up at 11:45 a.m., right on time.

Warren showed up nearly an hour later, about five minutes after she was scheduled to go on stage. I've heard about this phenomenon of "Acquanetta time" before but I thought people were exaggerating. However, she gets one point for a nice story about being in high school and getting on the plane for the first time (PSA Airlines) to go to Sacramento. She got to be legislator for the day.

Mike Morrell, also running for Assembly, gets an honorable mention for working the room.

Former Mayor Bill Alexander's phone has been ringing a lot recently.

Scandal surrounding Councilman Rex Gutierrez has got people wondering if Alexander will come out of the woodwork.

The answer is an unequivocal yes.

But Alexander has said he'll run before and changed his mind. So we'll see if he follows through. Things in local politics are changing so quickly these days, 2010 sounds like a world away.

In 2010, Mayor Don Kurth's seat could be open if he heads to Sacramento. Councilwoman Diane Williams and Gutierrez are both up for re-election. Williams has indicated she'll run again and Gutierrez ... who knows?

Any thoughts of an Alexander comeback?

There's no information on the front page of today's paper informing readers that the photo of Councilman Rex Gutierrez is actually his booking photo at West Valley Detention Center. Without that piece of information, you would assume it's any other photo of politicians we use for the paper.

Gutierrez looks happy and spiffy, dressed in a tie and a city shirt. You can see just the top of the city grape logo. It seems Gutierrez has channeled Tom DeLay, another grinning politician.

It certainly makes you wonder, however, if Gutierrez was arrested at home, why was he wearing a shirt and tie? 

Rex Gutierrez finally got some love last night after a week of scandal. It was the first meeting since the release of the Hueston report, an investigation that few of his supporters saw as credible.




Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/
Staff Photographer

 

Hugs, kisses, even a standing ovation.

Was yesterday's meeting all orchestrated by Councilman Rex Gutierrez?

"Orchestrated? No," he said. "My wife took it upon herself to let people know that we were in distress. We said we would be at the council meeting and we would appreciate their support. Nobody was asked to speak."

Ok, so not orchestrated. Then were the positive comments indicative of residents' views?

"They were not," said Councilman Sam Spagnolo. "There's the people who's opposed and there's people who will support (Gutierrez.) Then there's the silent majority who's looking from a distance and wondering, 'What the hell is going on?'

"How do you justify sitting at home for six months? How do these supporters defend that?"

Councilman Rex Gutierrez spoke for the first time since the Hueston report was released, vowing to remain on the City Council despite calls for him to resign.

Gutierrez denied playing a role in the shenanigans of the Assessor's Office.

"I wholeheartedly refute and deny the allegations made in that report," Gutierrez said.

The denial didn't fly with Councilman Dennis Michael.

"My first reaction is, I find it difficult to believe the county would file a litigation if they didn't believe they had sufficient evidence to prosecute," Michael said.

Council members Diane Williams and Sam Spagnolo have both called on Gutierrez to resign. Williams said she is dismayed that Gutierrez does not realize his presence on the council will continue to hurt the city.

"When someone is in such a situation -- regardless of guilt or not -- it's going to create a diversion ... a distraction on our council," Williams said. "But he's acting like none of this is impacting the city."

During the interview last night, Gutierrez sounded both determined ("I believe in the end, I will survive") and crestfallen ("I want to clear my name. My name is all I have now.")

"I will have my day in court," Gutierrez said. "I implore any citizens of good will to reserve their judgment until I have my say."
 

The once talkative Councilman Rex Gutierrez has been silent since the Hueston report came out Tuesday. He wouldn't even pick up when his colleague Councilman Sam Spagnolo called.

But "Rex's Blog" offers some insight into the councilman as he prepared for public scrutiny.

In his last entry posted yesterday, Gutierrez described a charming Mother's Day weekend spent at an Italian restaurant and the Pacific Electric Trail.

"It really was one of the most restful, peaceful weekends of my life," Gutierrez wrote. "I love my family, my city, and my life. I am at peace. Calm before the storm? Bring it on."

Gutierrez's entry on April 19 warned readers not to believe what they read in the papers. He wrote:

During my tenure, I did all I could to be a diligent worker and abide by all regulations that were known to me. I worked all the hours I was paid for, and I never engaged in anything that would contradict my high standards of ethics and hard work. I feel it is so important to never judge anyone by what is written in the papers. All people deserve utmost consideration and goodwill, as well as due process of law.

The 1,200 acres project that the city was expected to vote on in June has been put on hold in light of the county's law suit against Councilman Rex Gutierrez.

"Considering the fact that one of the key decision makers, Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman Rex Gutierrez, is now being sued by the county because of his involvement in fraud at the Assessor's Office, I believe the city and county are best served by suspending the process," Supervisor Paul Biane said in a statement.

The county is planning to sell 1,200 acres of land north of Los Osos High to a developer. The City Council was expected to select two out of five candidates for the project on June 1 and forward its picks to the county.

When asked if the project would go forward if Gutierrez steps down as councilman, Biane said, "It would obviously clear the way with the process."

In light of the Hueston report, which details all kinds of shenanigans in the Assessor's Office, many are calling on the resignation of Councilman Rex Gutierrez.

Among those making the calls are his own colleagues.

"I'm hoping he sees his continuance on the City Council as a hindrance to the community and the city itself," said Councilman Sam Spagnolo.

The report released on Tuesday accuses Gutierrez of being an ill qualified employee who had erratic attendance at the Assessor's Office and rarely performed assessor-related duties. Nevertheless, Gutierrez got raises worth $11,565 in six month's time.

"Whatever he was doing in the Assesor's Office, some of that flowed over (to the city)," Spagnolo said. "Your gut reaction is, if he was doing that there, what was he doing here?"

The county is now suing six people in the Assessor's Office including Gutierrez. The District Attorney's office is also conducting its own investigation.

What do you think? Should Gutierrez resign now?

Councilman Rex Gutierrez is one of six former staff members of the San Bernardino County Assessor's Office who will be sued by the Board of Supervisors for defrauding taxpayers. The decisions was made at today's meeting, which was followed by the release of the Hueston report detailing the malfeasance that took place while Bill Postmus was in office.

Gutierrez served as Postmus' intergovernmental affairs officer for a year and a half.

The county is also suing Postmus, former Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman, former Assistant Assessor Jim Erwin, former Taxpayer Advocate Greg Eyler and political consultant Mike Richman. According to the report, Postmus hired his executive staff to further his personal political machine.

On Monday, Gutierrez said he expected to be named in the report and denied any wrongdoing.

"I'm very happy to say I've done nothing that merits condemnation," Gutierrez said.