Pacific Progressive

Call Vector Control and Tell Them No Private Pest Control Companies

 The Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD) helps to control little critters who carry diseases.  (These animals are called "disease vectors" because they move the disease around, hence the name.)  If you have a problem with a dead bird and there is West Nile Virus in the area, you call Vector Control.  Same thing for a neighbor who won't take care of their pool which is now a mosquito farm - call Vector Control and they will work with the neighbor so you don't have to.

A plan is being considered to privatize rat control services. Currently, if you see rats around, Vector Control will come out and give you (for free!) traps and bait and show you how to properly use them. They will also help you find the openings the rodents are using to get into your house and show you how to close them off.

These services are paid by an assessment of about $6.98 per year per residence in the County.  Taxpayers are able to get a lot for their $6.98.

Now, some members of the Vector Control board want to let private extermination companies (Terminix, Orkin, Truly Nolen are some common names) provide the rat control services. The plan is to send the companies out on calls to homes to provide the rat control services to the home owners.  Then, the pest control company can then sell the homeowner services to control pests on the inside of the home.

Smell a rat?  Does turning Vector Control into a marketing company for private pest control companies sound like a bad deal to you?  Call and write your representative on the Vector Control District. Each of the 34 incorporated cities has a representative. If you live in the unincorporated areas, your rep is Supervisor John Moorlach.

The representatives for each area are listed.  If you have a relationship with them, please use that to tell them "No to Private Pest Control Companies."  You can also call, fax and write them at the Vector Control Board.  Sending faxes works very well because it creates a paper trail of who objects and carries more weight than an email.

Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD), 13001 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843

Phone 714-971-2421 949-654-2421  Fax 714-971-3940

Aliso Viejo - Mayor Phillip B. Tsunoda 

$1.2 Billion in Stimulus Spending in Orange County

This information is published by ProPublica.

OC has received over $1.2 billion in stimulus spending.  Even though  many local electeds needed to grandstand that they wouldn't take stimulus money, they did. The money kept OCTA busses running, students going to college, built roads, and created jobs.

Here is the Top 10 OC Stimulus Projects

1. $76.8 million to OCTA including $7.6 million for operations 
2. $60.7 million to Hensel Phelps Construction for building Bachelor Enlisted Quarters at Coronado Naval Base
3. $50 M to Sapphire Energy for renewable energy research and development of Sapphire Integrated Algal Biorefinery (IABR)
4. $47.8 million to CalTrans for highway planning and constructino
5. $32.9 million in Cash for Clunkers - $2 billion of stimulus money was used to extend the program.  Tom's Truck Center - South County received $1.3 million, Oremor of Tustin - $1.2 million, DWW III Co - $1.1 million.  An complete list of dealers is here.  The names listed are the corporate names, not the dealer names on the signs, so a little digging will turn up which car dealers benefited.
6. $19.3 million to Santa Ana Unified School District
7. $17.6 million to Capistrano Unified School District
8. $17.5 million to Garden Grove Unified School District
9. $15.2 million to Anaheim Union High School District
10. $13.2 million to the County of Orange

The full list of Orange County recipients is here.  

Health Care Rallies - Cost of Delay and Don't Bargain Away Reform - Dec 8

Conservatives are pushing to bargain away the public option, which is the health care reform we all need.  MoveOn is organizing emergency vigils on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, to tell Congress to stop using the public option as a poker chip and to just get health care done.

Join MoveOn at the southwest corner of Imperial Hwy and Yorba Linda Blvd in Yorba Linda starting at 6 PM.

Other vigils include Irvine (at Culver Drive and Walnut Ave) starting at 5:30 PM and Huntington Beach (at Beach Blvd and the bike trail) starting at 4 PM.  For more information go to http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?submit=1&search_distance=30&search_zip=92867&action_id=198

Health Care Rallies Nov 12 - Newport Beach and Yorba Linda

MoveOn is sponsoring health care rallies this week.  

Gather at Rep. John Campbell's (CA 48) office, 610 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA at 11:30 AM on Thursday, November 12, 2009.  Later the same day, at 6 PM, gather in front of the Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd, Yorba Linda, CA to send a message to Rep. Gary Miller (CA 42)  

Bring your signs and cameras!

Orange County Sanitation District to Address Cost Recovery and Potential Chemical Shortages

The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) treats the wastewater from the cities of La Habra, Brea, Fullerton, Anaheim, La Palma, Buena Park, Los Alamitos, Stanton, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Westminster, Garden Grove, Cypress, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Orange, Villa Park, Tustin Placentia, Yorba Linda and Irvine.  OCSD is the agency responsible for maintaing the outfall pipes offshore. and is the third largest wastewater agency west of the Mississippi River.

OCSD is working on an update to the strategic plan to address the potential shortage of chemicals and getting better cost recovery from other agencies.  Both of these issues are key to the successful future operation of the District.

A reliable supply of quality chemicals is a requirement of operating a wastewater treatment facility.  Chemicals are used to mitigate odors, enhance settling of solids, reduce bacteria formation, and disinfect then dechlorinate the effluent prior to discharge.  

China, American Prosperity, Pres. Clinton, American Security, Apollo Missions - All at Nixon Library

The Nixon Library is now part of the National Archives and Records system.  Their programming is great as the new director, Timothy Naftali, works to bring relevance and balance to the institution. Marine 1, the former Nixon helicopter, is parked on the lawn and is always a hit with the kids.

During this fall, the Nixon Library will talk about America's place in the world, relationships with China, Pres. Bill Clinton's administration from an insider's perspective, and the Apollo missions.

All of these programs are free and open to the public!  To RSVP or for more information, please email [email protected] or call (714) 983-9120.


National Issue Forum:  "America's Role in the World: Building a More Secure Future"
Thursday, October 22, 7:00-8:30 p.m. 

Few things are as important or as fluid as the United States position in the international arena.  Deliberate America's role in international affairs in a nonpartisan community forum sponsored by the Nixon Library, Yorba Linda Public Library, and National Issues Institute.  All ages are welcome.  Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information on National Issue Forums visit
http://www.nifi.org/ 

Zachary Karabell Discusses Superfusion: How China and American Became one Economy and Why the World's Prosperity Depends on It 

OCTA Looking to Eliminate Routes - Give OCTA Feedback on These Proposals

OCTA is looking to restructure bus service to fit the available budget. Staff has prepared several proposals for bus service reductions and have taken the presentations to public meetings to get input.  OCTA has also bought ads and put comment cards on buses to get feedback on proposals.  

If you use one of these buses, please tell OCTA what will happen if the bus is no longer available to you. These routes are targeted for possible elimination.  When you buy a bus pass, drop off a comment card or a letter.  Attend the public meeting on October 26 at 9 AM at OCTA headquarters in Orange. Fill out a comment card and drop it in the mail. But, please, for your sake, let OCTA know if these bus service cuts will impact you.  If your school is impacted, have your teachers, professors, principals and deans call.  If your business is impacted, have the managers and human resources department call OCTA to let them know this is a problem.

The routes listed for elimination are given below, along with the major landmarks along the route.  If implemented, the routes will be eliminated starting in March 2010.

Route 20 - La Habra to Yorba Linda via Imperial Highway - Yorba Linda Middle School, Yorba Linda Community Center, Downtown Yorba Linda, Brea Gateway Center, Brea Promenade, Brea Mall, Imperial Middle School, La Habra Marketplace

Route 21 - Fullerton to Huntington Beach via Valley View St/Bolsa Chica Rd - Buena Park High School, John F. Kennedy High School, Centerpointe, Cypress High School, Cypress College, Hilton D. Bell Intermediate School, Marina High School, Boeing, Huntington Beach Industrial Area, Sunset Beach

Fire Departments Have Open Houses This Weekend

National Fire Prevention Week is during October 5 thru October 10.  Visit a firehouse near you during this weekend during an Open House. These events are always a favorite with the kids because they get to meet firefighters, see the firetrucks close up, and learn what an important job firefighting is.  The firefighters also teach families and business owners how to protect themselves and their loved ones in the case of emergency.

All events are on Saturday, October 10, 2009 unless noted.

Aliso Viejo OCFA Station #57, 57 Journey from 9 AM to 2 PM.

Anaheim from 10 AM to 2 PM at:

Euclid Fire Station #6 - 1330 S Euclid

Stadium Fire Station #7 - 2222 E Ball Rd

Weir Canyon Fire Station - 8270 E Monte Vista

Twila Reid Fire Station - 3078 W Orange

Brea from 10 AM - 2 PM at Fire Station #2, park in downtown parking structure and walk across Brea Blvd using the signal at Ash St

Buena Park OCFA Station #61, 8081 Western Ave from 9 AM - 2 PM

Costa Mesa  from 10 AM to 2 PM at:

Station #1 - 2803 Royal Palm Drive

Station #2 - 800 Baker St

Station #3 - 1865 Park St

Station #4 - 2300 Placentia Ave

Station #5 - 2450 Vanguard Way

Station #6 - 3350 Sakioka Dr

Cypress OCFA Station #17 - 4991 Cerritos Ave from 9 AM - 2 PM

Dana Point OCFA Fire Station #30 - 23831 Stonehill Dr from 9 AM - 2 PM

OC Register 2nd Worst Person in the World for Sports Column Mocking Jaycee Dugard's Captivity and Rape

Here is the original post by Mark Whicker. This never should have been printed, never. Baseball is more important than the kidnap, rape and years long captivity of a child. Whicker should resign or be fired.  And the Hoile family wonders why people don't want to read their paper?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Mike Duvall Needs 3 Women to Share His Family Values

http://cbs2.com/video/[email protected]

KCAL 9's Dave Lopez broke the story.  You should watch the report because you find out Mike Duvall likes spanking women and his sex talk makes colleagues uncomfortable.  Dave Lopez went to Sacramento and tried to get Duvall to answer questions, but Duvall refused all of his questions and openly dodged reporters.

In 2007, Duvall received a 100% grade from the California Republican Assembly.  On the California Republican Assembly website, core beliefs are listed, which include family.  From the website, "We believe that the traditional American family, defined as any persons related by blood, marriage of a man and a woman and/or adoption, is the cornerstone of our American society, and the government is duty bound to protect the integrity of the family unit through legislation and taxation policies."

Capitol Weekly is reporting that Duvall has been stripped of his leadership positions in the Assembly - vice-chairmanship of the Utilities and Commerce Committee, seat on Assembly Rules Committee and ranking seat in GOP caucus. One of the three women Duvall is involved with is a lobbyist for Sempra Energy, a company subject to legislation developed by the Utilities and Commerce Committee.

Duvall is currently married and has two grown children.  Duvall currently represents the 72nd Assembly District which covers parts of La Habra, Brea, Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, Anaheim, and Orange.

September 19 is Coastal and Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean-Up Day

Saturday, September 19, is the statewide Coastal Cleanup and the 13th Annual Inner Coastal and Watershed Cleanup Day. Many cities, agencies and organizations participate in this yearly event to build awareness of how trash and debris clog our local creeks, beaches, ponds and watersheds.

Local organizers for the event include the Ocean Conservancy and Trails4All.  Trails4All has a list of clean-up activities on the website.  Sign up thru your city or the OC Parks and Recreation department.

Local cities and areas participating in include Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Black Star Canyon, Brea, Buena Park, Canyon View Park,  Costa Mesa, Dana Paoint, Fullerton, Glenwood/Glenbrook Park,  Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Hill, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, La Habra, Lake Forest, La Palma,Long Beach, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, O'Neill Regional Park, Orange, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Silverado-Modjeska Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Westminster, Yorba Linda, Yorba Regional Park.  

Keeping trash and litter out of the water makes the areas more user friendly and saves the lives of animals. Many animals die each year after consuming trash which they think is food. Take a few hours on Saturday, September 19 and help clean up Orange County beaches, creeks, parks, and canyons.

John Dean Speaks at Nixon Library

John Dean brought his newly updated version of "Blind Ambition" to a packed house at the Nixon Library http://nixon.archives.gov/ in Yorba Linda.  Dean displayed his sense of humor with references to the controversy surrounding his appearance. He joked that Daniel Ellsberg would not be appearing any time soon at the Library.

Dean's talk included his thoughts about working in the White House and the changes he has seen since his tenure.  "I never realized when I went to work at the White House that I would have to be a criminal lawyer.....Since Watergate, White House staff have included criminal lawyers....Perhaps if I was a criminal lawyer, my antenna wold have been tuned in to what we were doing was wrong." 

 Dean also recounted flying to the Western White House in San Clemente on a courier flight to talk with John Ehrlichman to get Chuck Colson to back off breaking into the Brookings Institute to retrieve copies of the Pentagon Papers.  

2 School Districts Get a 100 on Annual Sexual Health Education Survey

Two local school districts - Irvine Unified and Newport-Mesa Unified - received perfect scores of 100 on the survey of comprehensive sexual health education done by Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties.  Three other districts - Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified, Huntington Beach Union High School District and Laguna Beach Unified showed increases in their scores compared to last year.  The study with supporting materials is available at http://www.publicschoolsproject.com/

The survey of local schools was created to help evaluate how well public schools are delivering the nine specifically required elements required by the California Education Code sections 51930-51993  (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=edc&group=51001-52000&file=51930-51932  and http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=edc&group=51001-52000&file=51933).  Public schools in California are only required to provide education about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.  The schools may elect to provide comprehensive sexual health education, but are not required to.  If a school elects to provide, all elements of the educational program listed in the Education Code must be provided - schools may not elect to pick and choose, cafeteria style, what they will cover in class.

Planned Parenthood used 4 categories to characterize the required elements:

1. Overall Requirements
2. Human Development and Healthy Relationships
3. STD Information
4. Pregnancy Prevention

All schools surveyed received high marks for:

• Materials which did not teach religious doctrine or promote bias against persons protected by non-discrimination policies
• Educating about skills for responsible decision making
• Instruction about reproduction and anatomy
• Promoting healthy relationships
• Encouraging students to talk with parents or guardians about sexual health issues
• Teaching abstinence is the only 100% effective method to prevent pregnancy and STDs.

There are several areas for improvement:

OCTA September Service Cuts - The Details

Plan C - which retains Night Owl service was adopted.  The complete list of changes is available in the agenda packet for the June 8 meeting.   http://www.octa.net  OCTA Director Bill Campbell negotiated that span trips with 8 or more riders can be saved, for now.  Those trip reductions are listed here because staff is able to make changes to schedule to combine trips to save span service.

Here's a summary.

Line 20 La Habra - Yorba Linda Via Imperial Hwy

Increase weekday time between trips from 60 to 95 minutes.

Line 21 - Fullerton - Huntington Beach via Valley View St/Bolsa Chica Rd

Delete 5 weekday trips. Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 24 - Fullerton - Orange via Malvern Ave/Chapman Ave/Tustin Ave

Delete 3 weekday trips.  Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 26 - Fullerton - Yorba Linda via Commonwealth Ave/Yorba Linda Blvd

Delete 3 weekday trips. Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 29 - Brea - Huntington Beach via La Habra Blvd/Beach Blvd

Increase peak weekday time between trips from 15 to 20 minutes.  Increase Saturday and Sunday time between trips from 15 to 18 minutes.

Line 33 - Fullerton - Huntington Beach via Magnolia St

 Increase time between trips on Saturday and Sunday from 60 to 65 minutes.

Line 37 - La Habra - Fountain Valley via Euclid St

Delete 2 weekday trips. Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 38 - Lakewood - Anaheim Hills via Del Amo Blvd/La Palma Ave

Increase peak weekday time between trips from 8 to 15 minutes.  Delete 4 trips.   Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 38 - Lakewood - Anaheim Hills via Del Amo Blvd/La Palma Ave

Increase Saturday and Sunday time between trips from 30 to 45 minutes.

Line 43 - La Habra - Costa Mesa via Whittier Blvd/Harbor Blvd

Increase peak weekday time between trips from 10 to 15 minutes.  Increase Saturday time between trips from 20/15 minutes to 25/18 minutes. Increase Sunday time between trips from 15 to 18 minutes.

Line 46 - Los Alamitos - Orange via Ball Rd/Taft Ave

Delete 1 trip. Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 50 - Long Beach - Orange via Katella Ave

Service changed to Short Line service.

OCTA Cutting Our Chances of Economic Recovery - Pt 3

Once is not enough, apparently not when the OCTA cuts bus service.  Four routes are being cut twice - once in June and again in September.    Here are those routes and the impacts.

Line	Route	Impacts
20	La Habra to Yorba Linda	June Eliminate 6:44PM Eliminate 7:34 PM eastbound September Increase time between trips from 30 to 45 minutes Destinations Impacted:   Downtown Yorba Linda, Yorba Linda Community Center,  Brea Gateway Center, Brea Promenade, Brea Mall, La Habra Marketplace and 2 schools
33	Fullerton to Huntington Beach	June  Increase time between trips from 30 to 35 minutes September  On Sunday, increase time between trips from 60 to 65 minutes Destinations Impacted: 10 schools, Little Saigon, and Huntington State Beach
46	Los Alamitos to Orange	June Eliminate total of 8 trips during morning and afternoon peak periods.  Create a new short turn routing between The Village at Orange and Knott Avenue that terminates at Orange and Knott Avenues.  Increase the time between trips from 20 to 24 minutes during the afternoon. September  On Sunday, cut last eastbound trip. Destinations Impacted: 11 schools, Orange Library, Greyhound Station, Disneyland, Anaheim General Hospital, Western Medical Center  - Anaheim
177	Foothill Ranch to Laguna Hills	June Weekday cuts - Cut 6:38 PM & 7:13 PM northbound  and 5:15 AM  southbound trips. Saturday and Sunday cuts - Increase time between trips from 45 to 60 minutes all day September Saturday and Sunday - Increase time between trips from 60 minutes to 90 minutes all day Destinations Impacted: 1 school, Foothill Ranch Market Place, Foothill Ranch Towne Center, Baker Ranch Plaza, Foothill Corporate Centre, Laguna Hills Mall, Saddleback Hospital.

http://www.octa.net/