Pacific Progressive

90 Day Sale is Sonic Boom in Government Time

The sale of the OC Fairgrounds was set up by Sacramento to almost guarantee that the property would be sold to commercial interests and not go to a government entity.  The timetable for a sale, 90 days, is a sonic boom in government time.  Most of the time, you can't even get a government job in 90 days.  It takes more than 90 days to put out to bid and select the winning contractor to pave the road in front of your house.  Why sell the Fairgrounds in 90 days?

1. A 90 sale makes it almost impossible for a city or county to take the legally required actions to agendize and approve bidding on the property and to raise the money to buy the property.  Some forms of financing, such as bonds, may take a few weeks to a few months to "hatch", which makes the deal almost impossible.
2. A 90 sale also makes any public hearings on the matter almost impossible. Typically, a public hearing needs to be noticed 30 days out, and have documents available for public inspection within a certain period of time before the meeting.  30 days is one-third the entire time to sell the property.  Screw public hearings!
3. 90 days is easy to chew up in government time.  All it takes is a few Fair Board/Fair Foundation folks and Sacramento people to take a knee a few times, and 90 days is gone.  It's very easy to delay public records requests long enough to get past the 90 day window.  On day 91 or 92, the public records which were requested on day 10 of the sale magically are found.
4. The form of the sale, sealed bid followed by auction, is strange.  Usually, a sealed bid OR an auction is held.  The auction portion of the sale again almost ensures a government body cannot buy the property because they may have legal limitations on bidding and financing.  A commercial user (which includes non-profits) can freely add money to their bid. 

Government is supposed to be a little on the slow side, compared to the business world, because there is supposed to be public participation, transparency, and the chance to make changes if the public doesn't like something.  

A 90 sale allows people who asked for the sale to buy the property because they have their money ready and waiting.  Everyone else is shut out.

Visit, call and write these people and tell them a 90 day sale is wrong and the sale of the Fairgrounds must be stopped.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

State Capital Building, Sacramento, CA 95814 

916-445-2841  Fax 916-558-3160

Jose Solorio - 69th AD  - Held a hearing about the issue with Van Tran

2400 E Katella Ave, Suite 640, Anaheim, CA 92806

714-939-8469 Fax 714-939-8986 

Sacramento Phone 916- 319-2069   Fax 916-319-2169

Van Tran - 68th AD

1503 South Coast Dr, #204, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

714-668-2100 Fax 714-668-2104  

Sacramento phone 916-319-2068   Fax 916-319-2168

Jim Silva - 67th AD

17011 Beach Blvd, Suite 570, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

714-843-4966   Fax 714-843-6375  

Sacramento Phone 916-319-2067  Fax 916-319-2167

Health Overhaul Sparks Debate on Future of Children's Health Program

by Mary Agnes Carey, KHN Staff Writer

This article was published by Kaiser Health News.

One of the staunchest backers of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Sen. Jay Rockefeller isn’t ready to see it swallowed up by a new health insurance marketplace designed by Congress. 

The West Virginia Democrat is a leading voice in a quietly waged debate over how best to provide health insurance to millions of children in low-income families. While Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has not yet unveiled his health care plan, Rockefeller persuaded the Senate Finance Committee to maintain the program, known as CHIP, through 2019 as part of health legislation the panel approved last month. 

Rockefeller opposed language in the Finance bill that would have ended CHIP after Sept. 30, 2013, when its current authorization ends, and moved those children to health insurance "exchanges" where private insurers and possibly a government-run plan would sell policies. The House health overhaul bill raises similar concerns for Rockefeller and some children’s groups. It would phase out the program at the end of 2013, moving some kids into a national exchange and placing others into Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor. 

The debate revolves in part around uncertainty over the coverage and costs of insurance that would be available through the exchanges. Some children's advocates fear that the House health bill might result in less generous coverage than CHIP and require greater out-of-pocket spending by families. “As health reform moves forward, we need to make sure children can keep their CHIP coverage and not be forced into untested private coverage,” Rockefeller said earlier this month. 

34th Annual Staser Fall Scholastic Chess Tournament at Great Park

Young chess players are invited to challenge their creative minds at the 34th Annual Staser Fall Scholastic Chess Tournament. Presented by the Orange County Great Park and American Chess Equipment, the event will be held on Saturday, November 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Great Park .  The Annual Staser Chess Championship was created by Miley Staser, a senior citizen, to give students throughout the southland an opportunity to meet over a chessboard, enhance their learning and life skills through chess and make new friends.  

 The tournament is open to students of all skill levels in grades K-12, and registration is free.  Interested students are encouraged to register in advance by e-mailing [email protected] and include your complete name, grade, and school by Friday, November 20 at 6:00 p.m.  

“The Great Park will emerge as an outstanding chess venue for Orange County and southern California ,” said Larry Agran, Chair, Orange County Great Park Corporation.  “Chess is a multigenerational, intellectual and fun board game for all to enjoy.”

Ask Your City Council to Derail the Sale

Ask your City Council to put on the agenda sending  letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger asking him to stop the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds.  You can also attend your next City Council meeting to address council during the public comment time and ask their help in saving the Fairgrounds.  

The Orange County Fairgrounds is for all of Orange County - how many friends, neighbors, and family members go to the Fair, the Christmas Company, motorsports expo, Sugar Plum Festival, and many other activities at the Fairground?  How many people have learned to ride a horse or saw their first farm animals there?

Once the Fairgrounds is gone, it will be gone forever.  Ask your City Council for help to Derail the Sale.

Join Derail the Sale on Facebook.

Healthy Food Drive in Irvine

The City of Irvine is joining forces with Second Harvest Food Bank to help residents in need this holiday season by co-hosting a "Healthy Food Drive" from December 1 through January 15. Collected items will benefit eight of Irvine's food pantry distribution programs: AIDS Service Foundation, Christian Mission Alliance Bethel Korean Church, Christian Outreach Center, Families Forward, Illuminations Foundation, Mariners Church, St. Thomas More Church and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. The goal of the program is to collect 5,000 pounds of canned good items to help feed families and seniors in need. 

Although no items will be turned away, the program's focus is on the following healthy food items:

• Canned fruits
• Canned juices
• Canned soups
• Rice
• Cereals
• Canned vegetables
• Canned proteins (fish, chicken, meat, etc.)
• Jelly/Jam Peanut butter
• Spaghetti sauce
• Pasta mixes/rice mixes

Donation barrels will be available at various City facilities, Faith-based organizations and Irvine businesses between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  For a complete list of drop-off locations and addresses, visit www.cityofirvine.org.  For additional program information, call Second Harvest Food Bank at (949) 653-2900. 

Breaking Down the Deficit

by Michael Linden

This article was published by the Center for American Progress.

Download this memo (pdf)

The fiscal year ended on October 1, and we can say with certainty that 2009’s budget deficit was the largest since World War II, approaching one-tenth the size of the entire U.S. economy. Since we have now the benefit of specific data from the full fiscal year, we can also get a better sense of what actually produced that record high deficit.

The main culprits might not be who you expected. For instance, it turns out that a massive decline in tax revenues had as much to do with the ballooning deficit as any increase in spending. And you might also be surprised to find out that the vast majority of new spending in fiscal year 2009 was actually committed before President Obama even took office. Taking a closer look at both sides of the 2009 balance sheet reveals some important lessons as we face our fiscal future.

Considering all the claims about an “Obama spending spree” it is important to begin by looking at exactly how much money the government spent in FY09. It’s true that spending in 2009 was much higher than it was the previous fiscal year, by about $602 billion, excluding payments on the national debt (which actually declined in 2009 because of low interest rates). But it turns out that a huge chunk of that increase actually happened before President Obama took office. In fact, fully 41 percent, or $245 billion, came in the form of the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the rescues of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, actions taken in the fall of 2008 under President George W. Bush.

Stop the Sacramento Shakedown - Derail the Sale

Both Costa Mesa and Orange County are putting together bids to buy the Fairgrounds.  Let's assume one of them is the winning bidder.  This would amount to a Sacramento shakedown of Orange County - give me an outrageous sum of money to keep the land you already have the right to use and to keep the jobs you already have. And if you don't want to pay me, I'll put you out of business and turn it into a housing tract/stadium/Indian casino.   This is no better than when Tony Soprano's crew would shake down the strip clubs that wouldn't do business with him.  Actually, Tony Soprano's crew had more class because they were upfront about what they were doing.

The money spent to buy the Fairgrounds will come from somewhere.  If bonds are floated, there will be debt that must be serviced from either the funds of Costa Mesa or Orange County.  Ultimately, the debt from the bonds will cause the use of the Fairgrounds to change to bring in more money to cover the debt.  Even though the Fairgrounds is for everyone to use, in the end the Fairgrounds will have to pay for it's own debt.

If money comes from reserves or transfers from other operating accounts, that means something will be cut.  When people are losing their jobs and formerly middle class families are trying to find free medical clinics because they lost their health insurance along with their job, is it the best use of  money to buy a piece of real estate?  Orange County and Costa Mesa are forced to pay the protection money to Sacramento to keep the State from muscling in and taking away what we already have.

Stop Sacramento's protection racket - call these people and tell them to stop the sale.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

State Capital Building, Sacramento, CA 95814 

916-445-2841  Fax 916-558-3160

Jose Solorio - 69th AD  - Held a hearing about the issue with Van Tran

2400 E Katella Ave, Suite 640, Anaheim, CA 92806

714-939-8469 Fax 714-939-8986 

Sacramento Phone 916- 319-2069   Fax 916-319-2169

Van Tran - 68th AD

1503 South Coast Dr, #204, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

714-668-2100 Fax 714-668-2104  

Sacramento phone 916-319-2068   Fax 916-319-2168

Jim Silva - 67th AD

17011 Beach Blvd, Suite 570, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

714-843-4966   Fax 714-843-6375  

Sacramento Phone 916-319-2067  Fax 916-319-2167

Join Derail the Sale on Facebook to keep up with the steps being taken to stop the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds.

What Health Care Reform Means for: Medicare Programs

by Sabrina Shankman and Olga Pierce, ProPublica

This article is from ProPublica.

Nov. 17: This post has been updated.

Using results from a questionnaire we did with American Public Media’s Public Insight Network, we’re looking at how the proposed health care reforms will actually affect people facing common health care coverage situations. This is the third in a series (Part 1, Part 2).

Graydon DeCamp

Age: 75 Location: Elk Rapids, Mich. Work status: RetiredIncome: About $75,000, including SSI

 1 / 4  

Graydon DeCamp, 75, is one of about 11 million members of Medicare Advantage, the managed care plan option under Medicare that is administered by private insurers. Like many members of the plans, he says he is very happy with his coverage.

Medicare Advantage has been a major flash point in the health care reform debate, giving fodder to opponents of reform who say that Medicare would be cut to pay for the proposals. Our analysis of the impact of reforms on one very satisfied Medicare Advantage member finds the changes would be a loss for many seniors, but a win for taxpayers.

About Medicare Advantage: The elderly can participate either in traditional Medicare, which is administered by the government, or in Medicare Advantage, which subsidizes managed care plans administered by private insurance companies.

The private plans offer many perks – low or zero cost-sharing, comprehensive prescription drug coverage, even gym memberships. But they also have a downside: As in other managed care plans, prior authorization is needed for many services, and members are limited to certain doctors and hospitals.

The relatively new Medicare Advantage is more expensive for taxpayers, however. In 2003, the Republican-controlled Congress wanted to make sure that seniors, especially those in rural areas, had access to a range of managed care plans. (This was a problem that plagued an earlier version of the Medicare managed care program.) So it agreed to pay health insurers more per person than it would cost if they were in traditional Medicare. Today that gap is about 12 percent.

OCTA Directors Choose What to Cut in March 2010 on Mon, Nov 23

Be at the OCTA meeting on Monday, November 23, 2009.  This is the meeting where OCTA Board members will decide the final cuts to the bus routes for the March 2010 cuts.  The meeting is at 9 AM at OCTA Headquarters, 500 N Main Street, Orange, CA. 

Do You Want to Buy a Water District?

The East Orange County Water District (EOCWD) has put itself up for sale.  The district is selling the retail and wholesale parts separately. EOCWD covers about 10,000 acres and was formed in December 1961.

Why would I want to buy a water district?  

If you buy this district, you can receive water from the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project.  EOCWD is a contracting agency of the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), and is a member agency of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which imports water.

EOCWD History

 In July 1985, EOCWD assumed the operations of the County of Orange Waterworks District No. 8 (OCWD #8.)  In 1951, OCWD #8 had acquired the assets of the El Modena Mutual Irrigation Company after the bankruptcy of El Modena Mutual.  The combined OCWD #8 and former El Modena Mutual service area became the "Retail Zone."  The original EOCWD zone is the "Wholesale Zone."

Retail Zone is Mostly Customers

You get customers in Panorama Heights (bounded by Hewes Ave on the west, Foothill Blvd on the south, Newport Blvd on the east, and Crawford Canyon and Chapman Ave on the north.)  You also get 1.5 million gallons of capacity rights in the Wholesale Zone.  Bids to buy the Retail Zone were due by October 1, 2009.

Water Rights Go With Wholesale Zone

Buy the wholesale zone, get water rights.  You will get 16 cubic feet second (cfs) treated water capacity from MWD using the East Orange County Feeder #2, 9.47 cfs treated water capacity to the MWD Allen McColluch Pipeline (AMP), 10.0 cfs in untreated water capacity in the V.P. Baker Pipeline (formerly the Santiago Aqueduct or SAC line), 4.27 M gallons in a 6.0 M gallon below ground reservoir, 1.0 M gallon in a tank reservoir, and 10.0 M gallons in the Andres Reservoir.  Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) also owns part of the water coming from the SAC and below ground reservoir.  With this purchase, they will throw in the pumps and transmission lines.  

The service area includes parts of Tustin, Orange, North Tustin, East Tustin, Red Hill, Lemon Heights, Cowan Heights, Orange Park Acres, and Panorama Heights .  The area is east of the 55 Freeway, north of the 5 Freeway, west of Jamboree Road, and south of Santiago Canyon Road.

Bids on the wholesale zone are due by March 1, 2010.  EOCWD is located at 185 N. McPherson Rd, Orange, CA 92869.  

OCEC 1st Anniversary Party - Nov 21

Join the Orange County Equality Coalition (OCEC)  to celebrate their first anniversary and shape the future of the organization.  The place to be is Tia Juana's Restaurant, 14988 Sand Canyon, Irvine, CA on Saturday, November 12, 2009 starting at 5 PM.  Everyone is welcome to enjoy the free food, drinks and live music.

By the People: The Election of Barack Obama - Screening at Saddleback College - Nov 23

Join South Orange County residents for a free screening of "By the People:  The Election of Barack Obama", the hit HBO documentary which premiered on November 3rd.  Guest speakers will be Beth Krom, candidate for the 48th Congressional District and Bill Hedrick, candidate for the 44th Congressional district.  

The screening will be at Saddleback College Student Services Center (SSC), Room 212 from 6 to 8 PM on Monday, November 23, 2009.  Parking is $2 and can be purchased at the bright yellow parking pass dispensers in the parking lots. Saddleback College is at 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA and is conveniently located off the 5 Freeway using either the Crown Valley or Avery exits.  

San Juan Capistrano Paying $200 for Old Toilets

The public can take advantage of San Juan Capistrano's toilet retrofit incentive program designed to conserve water and save residents money. Residents with toilets that were made before 1993 and have a flush volume of 3.5 gallons or more may be eligible to receive a $200 rebate to replace it with a newer, more efficient model.

The City Council this year approved the toilet retrofit rebate program to replace 500 old water-guzzling toilets. The move was part of an effort, which included initiating stricter water conservation enforcement, to save resources and benefit the environment. 

"This helps the City meet the 10 percent water use reduction target, and also gives homeowners a head start on a new bill passed by the legislature," said Francie Kennedy, Water Conservation Coordinator. "All old residential toilets must be upgraded by January 2017. Why not do it early, get an incentive and save all that water for the next seven years, too! Customers are reporting their indoor use has gone down as much as 30 percent just by replacing their toilets."

Step One: make a reservation by calling the number below. Step two: City staff will visit your home to determine the age of the toilet. After inspection and approval, the owner will replace the toilet and will receive a $200 credit on his or her water bill for each toilet (up to two) that is replaced. 

To participate in this beneficial program, contact Francie Kennedy, Water Conservation Coordinator, at 949-487-4304. 

$2 Rides to Medical Appointments for South County Seniors

South County Senior Services' senior non-emergency medical transportation program has available funding to transport seniors to and from their non-emergency medical appointments. 

Eligible trips include non-emergency medical appointments such as physical therapy, dialysis, chemotherapy, radiation, dentistry, x-rays, prescription pickup and regular physicians' checkups. The program is available to qualified participants for a fee of $2 per one-way trip.

To use the service, participants must be at least 60 years of age, ineligible for Orange County Transportation Authority's ACCESS Services and reside within the South Orange County designated service area. This includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Woods, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch, Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch, Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Capistrano Beach.

Individuals who are currently utilizing OCTA ACCESS, and are in a frail medical condition, which creates a hardship, may be granted a waiver and be allowed to use the SNEMT Program.

Participants can take trips to medical facilities within the designated service area. The program will also serve Kaiser Anaheim (Lakeview), UCI Medical Center in Orange, St. Joseph's Hospital of Orange and the Long Beach Veterans Hospital. Rides are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Program participants are required to register before using the service and are urged to contact the program coordinator as soon as possible to obtain the necessary enrollment forms.

"The senior non-emergency medical transportation program is essential to provide seniors the ability to retain their independence while aging in their homes," said Chief Operating Officer Dan Palumbo.

Contact South County Senior Services at 949-855-8033.

Mecca Families to Receive Drinking Water Using Federal Stimulus Funds

More than 60 families in Mecca soon will have access to high quality drinking water, following Coachella Valley Water District's (CVWD's) receipt of a state-federal grant that will fund construction of the facilities necessary to connect a 20-acre mobile home park to the district's domestic water system.

Water from two private wells currently serving the La Peña Housing Facility does not meet state drinking water health standards for arsenic levels. The California Department of Public Health asked that CVWD connect La Peña to district facilities. 

Local funds for such a project were not available, so CVWD applied for a grant from the California Department of Water Resources under the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds Account and federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The grant, for slightly less than $940,000, will fund 3,700 feet of 12-inch ductile iron pipe, meters and other necessary equipment, planning, design and inspections and approvals.

A $170,000 construction contract was awarded to a Coachella firm on Nov. 10 by the CVWD Board of Directors. Design and other engineering services, surveying and inspections will be provided by the district. Work is expected to begin before the end of November and be completed within a few weeks.

The Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of directors. The district provides domestic and irrigation water, agricultural drainage, wastewater treatment and reclamation services, regional storm water protection, groundwater management and water conservation. It serves more than 107,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, primarily in Riverside County, but also in portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.