IE Chatter

Real Estate Prices to Continue Decline

The Press Enterprise is running a story with commentary from a noted economist who foreshadowed the current drop and recession we are now facing.  Very fascinating. 

Christopher Thornburg believes that the housing decline will bottom out in late 2010 with the average price of a home in Riverside and San Bernardino counties dropping to $198,000 and $165,000, respectively.  Unemployment will climb above 12%!

Three years ago, economist Christopher Thornberg was one of the first to suggest housing prices were likely to collapse, dragging the rest of the economy down with them. He even used the hated word, "recession."

Wednesday, Thornberg and several of his colleagues from Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics told a group of Inland Southern California business leaders not to expect a recovery for two years.

Home prices and employment levels will probably hit bottom in Riverside and San Bernardino counties in the fourth quarter of 2010. Unemployment, now at 9.1 percent, will top 12 percent by the summer of 2010 and the region could lose more than 100,000 more jobs. It will likely take three more years to reach pre-recession jobless levels in the 5 to 6 percent range.

Whoa! That is a lot of mouths to feed...

From the "better you than me" files comes this tale of a family of 16 and their ability to manage on a budget of $80,000 a year.

Incredible.

It would be difficult to find anyone more affected by the rise and fall of gas and grocery prices than Christi and Dave Cason and their 14 children.

The Lake Elsinore couple and their mammoth family -- they claim to be one of the nation's largest --burns through 28 boxes of cereal every two weeks, 70 gallons of milk in a month and more than $10,000 in gasoline each year.

Community College Enrollment Rises; Economy Cited

The Daily Bulletin is reporting that enrollment at area community colleges is on the rise.

Enrollment numbers are spiking at area community colleges as a weak economy spurs career-changing adults back into classrooms, officials say.

At least 100,000 more students are enrolled in community colleges this year than last year at this time, according to Ron Owens of California Community Colleges.

"Basically, during tough economic times, people look at their existing skill sets and want to make themselves more marketable," Owens said. "We offer a wide variety of courses and training to help improve a skill set to get a second job."

Although the article mentions some overcrowding issues, one point that is worth mentioning is that these adult students going back to school must also deal with being placed at the bottom of the queue when it comes to registration priority.  Many of these institutions put those who already have four year degrees at the bottom of the list.

Earning Your Wings & Sleeping with Female Corpses!

Do you ever read or hear something that is so shocking...you think to yourself: What the &%@#!?

I was reading a story about the Mongols biker gang and had that reaction.  Biker gangs are always kind of sexy reading material.  They are colorful and exotic and interesting to observe and read about given their abnormal subculture lifestyle.

Well, this biker gang has an interesting internal "bonding" mechanism whereby a member of the gang can earn "wings".  One method of earning wings are:

There also are patches associated with the gang's alleged sexual rituals. Members are awarded wings of varying colors for engaging in sex acts with women at prearranged "wing parties," the indictment states. For example, members who have sex with a woman with venereal disease are given green wings, according to the indictment.

The story has since been edited with the dead corpse section redacted.  Not sure why that is the case...perhaps, there was an error.  However, if you google "Mongols" and "corpse" in the news section you can see the link to the original version of the article.

Leader of Republican Group Resigns

After several days of what became a national controversy, Diane Fedele has resigned as the leader of the Chaffey Republican Women's, Federated.

She was responsible for sending out a picutre of Obama on a "food stamp" surrounded by stereotypical food products (watermelon, fried chicken, etc.).

Fedele drew the ire of some club members, politicians and readers across the country after she put the illustration in the club newsletter as a way to criticize Obama's statement that he doesn't look like the president on other dollar bills. The cartoon, which Fedele said was sent to her via e-mail, showed Obama's head on a donkey's body surrounded by a bucket of chicken, a slice of watermelon, a slab of ribs and a pitcher of Kool-Aid on a fake $10 food stamp.

One only wonders, what took her so long? 

San Bernardino County Employee Targeted Due to Blog Entries (UPDATE)

A couple of weeks or so ago, I highlighted a story featuring Sharon Gilbert.  She is a San Bernardino County employee who runs a blog...called..."Sharon's Blog".

She has posted an update regarding her situation.  She was recently suspended and threatened with termination due to her blogging activities.

Zodiac Ties to Riverside Killing?

Over the years, there has always been speculation that the Zodiac Killer was behind the murder of a college student behind Riverside Community College.  The Press-Enterprise reports that we might very well soon find out with the following article that is chilling and fascinating.

You have to read the account given by a relative who believes that his stepfather was the person responsible for the Zodiac killings.

Recently, he was cleaning out the house and found an old public address system that his stepfather always said he wanted. In with the electronic components, he found a hood, he said.

The Zodiac Killer was described as wearing an executioner-style hood in one of the killings.

"It's not just something you find lying around usually," Kaufman said.

"I just about had a heart attack. ... I couldn't believe it, but I could because I knew how Jack was."

In his stepfather's belongings, he also discovered a knife covered with what could be blood and undeveloped rolls of film containing images of what appeared to be people who had been killed.

Republican Group Sends Out Controversial Newsletter

I am a little late to the party, but a group of republican women in San Bernardino County sure became the center of  a controversial storm after it sent out a newsletter depicting Barack Obama on a food stamp next to food items that have been stereotypically used to denigrate African Americans.

The food items: watermelon, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Kool-Aid and ribs.

The controversy was fueled by the remarks made by the organization's president, Diane Fedele.  She authored the newsletter and was responsible for the picture in question.  She maintains that she isn't a racist and that the items on the food stamp bill never conjured up any racist connotation to her. 

Since the story broke in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, it has made international news with segments on the local news channels as well as CNN.

I find it very hard to imagine that Fedele is that oblivious to racial stereotypes that she didn't think that their inclusion on this bill would stir any controversy.

Here is a link to Google news featuring the search terms "Fedele" and "Obama".  Since many articles generically refer to the controversy without identifying Fedele, there are numerous other references if you do a search via Google with other terms. 

Truth Stranger Than Fiction

Here is a scenario for you.

A city councilman suffers the tragedy of having his father in law "murdered by a drunk driver".  He then becomes a member of MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

I am speaking of Pomona City Councilman Elliot Rothman.

He says:

"When you get there and everybody's crying, and you've got your kids and you've got relatives and in-laws and siblings, it hits you at 5:30 in the morning that your father- in-law has just been killed," he said.

"It's a tragedy that I hope none of you have to endure. It's something that'll leave you for the rest of your life feeling very angry and upset," Rothman said.

Such an act takes away a family's loved one and inflicts great pain, he said.

"It just ruins everybody's lives, and you cannot really imagine how many people are connected to one person when they're killed like that," he said.

Flash forward to the present.  Councilman Rothman who is running for mayor gets pulled over for...you guessed it...DUI.  He was initially pulled over for having a broken license plate light and subsequently failed a sobriety test.

Unbelievable.

You decide to run for mayor

Like Clockwork: Santa Ana's & Fires in the IE

You can set your watch to it.

The Santa Ana's are here and so are the fires.  Along the 215 freeway in downtown San Bernardino, two separate fires broke out today charring much of the median and shoulders.  The "forbidden city" of palm tree soldiers were ablaze like cnadles on a birthday cake.

Reports are suggesting that at least two commerical structures were completely engulfed in flames and one home may have been partially damage.  It is unknown whether or not the commercial buildings were vacant or not.  Many of these buildings are empty after being purchased by the government as it expands the 215 through San Bernardino.

The freeway was shut down completely for a considerable amount of time in both directions causing significant traffic issues throughout the region.

Fox 11 News is reporting that much, if not all, of the fire is contained and limited to the aforementinoed commercial structures.

Lake Elsinore Campaign Finance Reports

Lake Elsinore Campaign Finance Reports

Councilman Bob Magee is the runaway money favorite boosted by his incumbency factor.  He has raised over $40,000 this year, but also had over $80,000 cash on hand coming into the  year. 

The next closest is the fraudulent Amy Bhutta who is a teacher and claims to be a doctor even though that has been revealed as a lie.  She has raised just under $15,000.

FPPC Investigating Two Temecula City Council Members

I previously mentioned a complaint that was filed against a city councilman in Temecula due to an alleged conflict of interest regarding a vote that may or may not have benefited himself and/or his employer.

The article reads:

The complaint against Comerchero alleges he voted with City Council colleagues to acquire property in which he had a financial interest, an accusation Comerchero contends is without foundation. Naggar said he is unaware of the basis for the complaint against him.

The commission's letter warns against drawing any conclusions from its decision to investigate.

"Please be advised that we have not made any determinations about the validity of the allegation you have made or about the culpability if any, of the person(s) you identified," Porter wrote in the letter dated Oct. 6 to Lutz. It was also copied to Comerchero and Naggar.

As I mentioned before, this wreaks of political shenanigans given the timing of the complaint.  Additionally, Comerchero has stated that his votes were made after consulting with the city attorney.

Unless Comerchero is not being honest...this is an issue that I do not think is going to go anywhere.

Murrieta: Emilia Rychener Candidate Profile (Write-In Candidate)

Emilia Rychener Candidate Profile

Sitting through a City Council meeting this summer in which current leaders seemed to be insulted by three voter-backed initiatives to impose term limits on council members and cap city officials' compensation, Emilia Rychener did not like what she heard.

"I think by them putting them off, they're not putting the people first," Rychener said of the council's decision to request reports on each initiative, which pushed their eligibility for the public to vote on them past the deadline to make it on the November ballot.

A week later, the 38-year-old day care investor filed paperwork and qualified as a write-in candidate for one of two council seats that will open in November. She joins six other candidates, whose names will be on the ballot, to compete for the two four-year terms.

The other candidates are: high school teacher Paul Clay, 50; incumbent and electrical contractor Warnie Enochs, 59; local publisher Nancy Knight, 64; management consultant David Landriscina, 53; planning commissioner and telecommunications executive Randon Lane, 39; and incumbent and telecommunications executive Doug McAllister, 49.

Distinguishing herself from the pack, Rychener is the only candidate who has publicly supported all three initiatives.

The initiatives aim to impose term limits that would prevent council members from serving more than two consecutive terms, cap the compensation that city council members receive, and cap the salary of top administrators to 2.5 times the median household income in Murrieta.

Though legal reviews found loopholes in the initiatives' language, Rychener said she feels their underlying points are important to incorporate into law in Murrieta.

"I don't see the city as a corporation," Rychener said. "I see the city (manager) as a public servant, as the general of the United States Army. People who want to work for a city are there because they want to make a change, not because they want to make more than $200,000."

Another key issue for Rychener is expanding services for the city's youth.

Pulling from her experience fostering two children, Rychener said too many youth activities in the city require parental participation.

The brother and sister she was fostering were required always to be under the supervision of adults trained in dealing with displaced children. So they couldn't just hang out at the Boys & Girls Club, she said.

That opened her eyes to how often some children are left without much they can participate in if their parents work during the day or are no longer in the picture.

"We have a lot of organized sports, but if you can't get to the (field) on foot, then you can't go," Rychener said. "We need a place where kids can go at any given time of the day."

Rychener said she also would focus on offering a bigger variety of recreational opportunities at public parks. Rather than calling for more "tot lots," Rychener said she would push for the city to put in horse shoe courses for seniors to use, and play areas with more complicated equipment where older children can challenge themselves while younger playmates practice their agility on a smaller scale.

"I don't want to be a person who complains," Rychener said. "I want to be involved in the solution."

Emilia Rychener

-- Age: 38

-- Occupation: Day care center investor

-- Civic involvement: Riverside County Black Republican Council, member; Mentoring Today for Tomorrow, mentor; Limited Government Political Action Committee, member; Church of Christ, member.

-- E-mail: info@lgpac.com

Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid in San Berdoo

San Beranrdino City Councilwoman Wendy McCammack is alleging that some of her fellow councilmembers violated the Brown Act and met and discussed an important matter before a council session.

I have no idea whether or nto this specific allegation is true.  But, I believe that city councils throughout the state violate the Brown Act all the time via winks and nods and so forth.  Some folks say that the Brown Act is so burdensome that it is inevitable that violations will occur.

Anyway...back to San Berdoo.

Councilwoman McCammack is going to have an uphill battle with this fight as she even admits that short of a confession it is going to be difficult to prove her allegations.  In other words...this is going nowhere.

So, I kind of wonder what her motivation behind this charge is...and what she hopes to accomplish.

Here is a bit from the article:

She said Tuesday morning she is intent upon reporting her allegations to the District Attorney's Office.

"I'm working on those details as we speak," she said.

------------

McCammack acknowledged her allegations would be difficult to prove without a confession.

Asked why she is convinced state law was broken, she said "you knew straight up. Based on their conversation."

The Brown Act prohibits a majority of council members from meeting out of the public eye to settle official business. The law makes it illegal for politicians to meet in a proverbial back room or to reach an agreement through a series of communications.

Daily Bulletin Endorses Fontana City Council Incumbents

The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin announced its endorsement of Fontana City Council incumbents Acquanetta Warren (left) and Janice Rutherford (right).

Fontana's successes over the past several years are thanks in large part to the efforts of these women. Though tough economic times may cast shadows over the city's plans for the future, both have proven they have the determination needed to keep Fontana moving ahead.

Dow Plummets Again

Yesterday, the DJIA dropped three hundred points after being down 800 points on the day.  Today, the market dropped over 500 points.

The index has now lost about 4500 points in the last two years.

Yowser!

Various Candidate Statements (San Bernardino County)

Here is a link to a blog on the Daily Bulletin website that features candidate statements from various candidates throughout San Bernardino County.

It doesn't appear to be exhaustive and there may be addtions over time.  Some of the candidates featured are:

2008.10.07: Acquanetta Warren, Fontana City Council incumbent

2008.10.07: George Hunter, Pomona mayor candidate

2008.10.06: Dr. Guillermo A. Canjura Jr., Etiwanda School District board candidate

2008.10.06: Primo Castro, Pomona City Council District 4 candidate

2008.10.06: Paula Lantz, Pomona City Council District 4 incumbent

2008.10.06: Linda Angona, Upland Unified School District board incumbent

2008.10.06: James V. Curatalo, Cucamonga Valley Water District board incumbent

2008.10.06: Dave Roberts, Alta Loma School District board candidate

2008.10.06: Elliott Rothman, Pomona mayor candidate

2008.10.06: Robert H. Bennett, Upland Unified School District board candidate

2008.10.06: Tomas Ursua, Pomona mayor candidate

2008.10.06: John 'JP' Pomierski, Upland incumbent mayor

2008.10.03: Dan Morgan, Upland city treasurer

2008.10.03: Silver Aguilar, Chino Valley Unified School District board candidate

2008.10.03: Floyd Clark Sr., Cucamonga Valley Water District board incumbent

2008.10.03: Sharon Baer, Cucamonga Valley Water District board candidate

2008.10.03: Ray Musser, Upland mayor candidate

2008.10.03: David Dreier, 26th Congressional District incumbent

2008.10.03: Angel Santiago, Fontana City Council candidate

2008.10.03: Carol Schlaepfer, Pomona City Council District 6 candidate

2008.10.03: Ken Willis, Upland City Council incumbent

2008.10.03: John Benoit, 37th State Senate District candidate

2008.10.03: Brandon Blanchard, Chino Valley Unified School District board candidate

2008.10.03: Pete Peterson, Alta Loma School District board incumbent

2008.10.03: Gabe Chavez, Ontario-Montclair School District board candidate

2008.10.02: Michael Calta, Chino Valley Unified School District board incumbent

2008.10.02: James B. Downs, Ontario-Montclair School District board candidate

2008.10.02: John Mendoza, Pomona City Council District 6

2008.10.02: Janice Rutherford, Fontana City Council incumbent

2008.10.02: Ron Stark, Rancho Cucamonga city clerk candidate

2008.10.02: Wendy Maier, 61st Assembly District candidate

2008.10.02: Norma Torres, 61st Assembly District

2008.10.02: Don Galleano, Western Municipal Water District board, Division 4 incumbent

2008.10.02: Brad Buller, Alta Loma School District board

2008.10.02: Jim Moffatt, Rancho Cucamonga City Council candidate

2008.10.02: Steven Frazee, Upland Unified School District board incumbent

2008.09.30: Ken White, Ontario City Council candidate

2008.09.30: Danielle Soto, Pomona City Council District 1 candidate

2008.09.30: Sue Ovitt, Chaffey Joint Union High School District board candidate

2008.09.30: James C. Frost, Rancho Cucamonga city treasurer incumbent

2008.09.30: Fred Youngblood, Chino Valley Unified School District board incumbent

2008.09.29: Henry Stoy, Cucamonga Valley Water District board candidate

2008.09.29: John H. Pruitt Jr., Chino Valley Unified School District board candidate

2008.09.29: Stephen Atchley, Pomona City Council District 6 incumbent

2008.09.29: Danilet Querubin, Pomona City Council District 6 candidate

2008.09.29: Debra Dorst-Porada, Ontario City Council candidate

2008.09.26: MaryAnne Margaret Avila, Ontario-Montclair School District board candidate

2008.09.26: Ron Sakala, Cucamonga Valley Water District board incumbent

2008.09.26: Paul Russell, Colton Joint Unified School District board candidate

2008.09.26: Paul Vincent Avila, Ontario City Council candidate

2008.09.25: Janice Reynolds, Rancho Cucamonga city clerk candidate

2008.09.23: Michael Mendez, 61st Assembly District candidate

2008.09.23: David Campio, Ontario-Montclair School District board candidate

2008.09.23: Frank Schiavone, Rancho Cucamonga City Council candidate

OOPS! Ontario City Council Candidate Campaign Statement Missing

This has to suck!

You are a candidate for city council.  You paid your filing fees just to run for office and you have paid the large sum to have your candidate statement published in the elections booklet that all voters receive.

You have spent hundreds of hours campaigning, knocking on doors and telling the voters where you stand.  You may have even spent numerous hours and resources raising donation sfor your campaign.

Then, you have the grave misfortune of suffering from a terrible blunder on the part of the Registrar of Voters.  Admittedly we are all human and mistakes happen.  But...some mistakes cant be rectified.

That is what happened to Ontario City Council candidate Debra Porada.  It appears that the registrar is doing her best to make it right so to speak.  The compomise solution is as follows:

At the request of Porada, a correction notice will be mailed out today. On the outside of the envelope, in bold red letters, will be wording indicating that there is official Registrar of Voters information which should be opened immediately, Verjil said.

Inside there will be a packet with the omitted candidate statement and copies of the other candidate statements, Verjil said.

Verjil said she had staff working late Monday to have those packets sent, via first class, by today. She said she expects voters to have the packets by Wednesday or Thursday.

Unfortunately, Porada is really getting screwed as a significant segment of the absentee voting population will have voted by then. 

Porada said she asked for the separate envelope because she was afraid residents would think the reprinted sample ballot was a duplicate and throw it away.

"Voters do not take candidates seriously when they do not see a candidate statement in the sample ballot," Porada said.

Verjil said, to her knowledge, this is the first time the Registrar's Office had made such an error, and she's still not clear about how much it will cost the county.

I have no idea what Porada is running on...and unfortunately, thousands of voters don't know either.  Good luck with this election and hopefully the election gods will right this wrong.

Temecula Councilman Jeff Comerchero: Conflict of Interest Allegations

A formal complaint has been filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Temecula Councilman Jeff Comerchero concerning a vote he made in 2003.

While I agree that the relationship between members of the council and Rancon do appear to be a little fishy...Comerchero is saying that he acted on the advice of the city attorney.  This smells of a political stunt to me, even if Comerchero isn't running for office this year.

This alleged conflict arose in 2003...why is this person bringing a complaint forward today one month out from a city council election?

You can read the article here with an excerpt posted below:

The complaint filed by Volker Lutz, the president of the citizens' group Rescue Temecula, was received by the commission Sept. 22, according to a copy of the complaint.

The allegations center on a December 2003 vote cast by Comerchero, then a consultant for the Rancon Group, in which multiple pieces of land in Old Town Temecula ---- where the new city hall is being built ---- were purchased from Rancon Real Estate.

Lutz contends the Rancon Group was and is tied to Rancon Real Estate. Hence, Lutz alleges Comerchero violated Section 87200 of the Government Code that states council members, when facing a vote on a project in which they have a financial interest, must publicly identify their interest and leave the room.

At that meeting, Comerchero moved to approve the staff recommendation to enter into sale agreements for the Rancon Real Estate property in Old Town. The motion was seconded by Councilman Ron Roberts and the four council members present voted to approve the purchase, according to minutes of the meeting.

-----

Comerchero said he sought and continues to rely on the counsel of City Attorney Peter Thorson to determine how to proceed with votes that may appear to present a conflict of interest.

"These matters are not judged on perception; they are judged by the law," Comerchero said. "The city attorney has determined there was no conflict of interest. I am not employed by Rancon Real Estate. That corporation has its own president, Mike Diaz."

Kill Gadahn!

Gawd! I can't stand seeing that piece of [insert expletive] Adam Gadahn. 

The local boy gone traitor poked his head out of a cave recently to mock and ridicule the United States.

In a half hour video message, Adam Gadahn, who was raised on a Winchester goat farm, urged Pakistanis to unite against their government and U.S. forces, and taunted Americans over their economic crisis, relating it to their military interventions.

"The enemies of Islam are facing a crushing defeat, which is beginning to manifest itself in the expanding crisis their economy is experiencing," said Gadahn, in a clip of the message distributed by the SITE Intelligence Group, a Washington-based monitor of militant Web sites.

"A crisis whose primary cause, in addition to the abortive and unsustainable crusades they are waging in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq, is their turning their backs on Allah's revealed laws, which forbid interest-bearing transactions, exploitation, greed and injustice in all its forms."

Gadahn, 29, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana in 2005 and charged with one count of treason and two counts of providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

One can only hope he rots in hell...sooner, rather than later.

Hesperia City Council: Russ Blewett Article

Over at Sharon Gilbert's blog, there is an article about Russ Blewett, who is a candidate for Hesperia City Council.

It is a copy and paste, but since I don't really read the high desert papers, I thought I would post it for three reasons.  First, I think Blewett has an interesting idea on how to handle the foreclosure mess.  Second, I have profiled other candidates in various races when papers have run in depth articles on candidates.  Third, there is an interesting back story between Blewett's family and Mark Kirk's family.  Kirk is another candidate running for City Counicl.

He also has a prescription for the city’s ghost town’s worth of foreclosed homes.

“Right now, there’s 1,000 [foreclosed] homes and there’s probably going to be another 1,000. We need to get those cleaned up and in the hands of owners, not renters,” he said. “Nothing good is going to happen in this economy, for anyone, until we’ve solved this foreclosure problem.”

Blewett would have the city get into the business of second mortgages for buyers, paying for 15 percent of the cost of a home. The second mortgage wouldn’t have to be repaid, if the buyers (all of low-to-moderate income) live in their new house for 11 years. (Buyers would also have to take a class on building and maintaining good credit to qualify for the loans.)

“What have you done? You’ve created a stable neighborhood,” he said.

It would also eliminate vacant houses — a popular target for burglary and other crime in the city — and pump cash through the local economy.

“Just think about how nice it would be to have 1,500 [renovation projects’ worth of] flooring and window coverings and get some money to local businessmen.”

The program could be “up and running” in 60 days, he said.

And then there is this little blurb at the end of the article.

Blewett and Kirk

Blewett’s connections to Hesperia tangle him up with another candidate running for one of the two open seats on the Hesperia City Council: Mark Kirk.

Blewett moved to the High Desert in 2002, “but my daughter had been up here for a lot of years.”

His daughter, Lori Nielson, served on the Hesperia Unified School District school board from 1991 to 2003 and last year, she spearheaded an ultimately doomed attempt to recall three current board members, including school board president Robert Kirk, the father of Mark. It’s led to frayed nerves in both families, but Blewett said the pair have a non-aggression pact and would be able to work together if both were elected.

Russ Blewett has a blog that can be found here.  Mark Kirk has a website that can be found here.

SB Sun: Journalists Face Challenges of Blogging

There is an interesting column by Wesley Hughes of the San Bernardino Sun regarding blogs on official newspaper websites and the posting of anonymous comment, including references to a recent controversy surrounding one of the SB Sun blogs.

The problem hit The Sun two weeks ago on our "News 24/7" blog, when anonymous comments were made attacking a local police agency and its leadership with racist undertones. Not only that, but the comments drifted far off the original topic of a robbery. The newspaper compounded the problem with well-intentioned reporting about it and displaying the comments in print.

From The Idiot Files: Gangmember Defaces Courthouse, Gets Busted

What a dumbass!

A 29 year old "gangsta" was caught etching into a courthouse door with a thumbtack when a Sheriff's Deputy heard the scraping from an adjacent room.

Santillan, of Moreno Valley, agreed to plead guilty to a felony vandalism charge Friday.

The graffiti, which included references to a street gang from the Chino/Montclair area, cost about $2,000 to repair, Colclough said.

"We don't want victims to think gangsters control the hallways here," Colclough said.

The IE Is Talking About This...

I came across this article in the Daily Bulletin involving a police chase where the driver and passenger of the fleeing vehicle were killed in a single car accident.  The driver was suspected of being under the influence, but not as yet confirmed.

There are over 250 comments on this article.

Terrible Tragedy in Rancho Cucamonga

What a truly unfortunate and tragic accident in Rancho Cucamonga.  A five year old child was accidentally run over and killed by the family's runaway SUV.

I can't even begin to fathom what the pain and suffering must be liek for these parents.

Bhutta's Decision Embarrassing & Illuminating

Lake Elsinore City Council candidate "Dr." Amy Bhutta has faced some controversy surrounding her doctorate degree.  She received her degree from an unaccredited diploma mill. 

She originally stated that she would distance herself from the degree and remove the reference in all campaign materials.  The Press Enterprise is now reporting that she will still refer to herself as a doctor even though the degree was acquired through a shady organization.

Bhutta says:

"I have earned college degrees from well-respected universities and I truly felt CULA was a good university at the time I attended. I did the work to earn my degree," Bhutta wrote in an e-mail this week.

This is an absurd justification.  Based on earlier reports, it was suggested that she only went to school for about a year to get the degree and her thesis paper was one third the length of traditional submissions.  IT WASN"T AN ACCREDITED UNIVERSITY.  HOW CAN SHE POSSIBLY SAY SHE DID THE "WORK"?

She obviously got her hand caught in the cookie jar and is embarassed.  But her weakness of character prevents her from doing the right thing.  The following quote from the article is so precise:

"I often liken this sort of thing to buying the $100 Rolex watch from the guy on the street: Either you know it is a fake or you have to assume it was stolen," Bear said. "Either Bhutta was trying to fool people, or her judgment in not doing due diligence on something as important as a doctorate is suspect."

To think that she is actually teaching students and showing by example that the ends justify the means is terrible.  It is frankly, disgusting.

More On The San Bernardino County Blogger Story

You know.  Ever since I posted the entry below on the story about the blogger being suspended for their blogging, a comment by Mark Uffer (the county administrative office) has been eating at me.

Uffer says that two of the people commenting were actually his neighbor.

I would like to see a reporter talk to this neighbor to get their version of events and I would also like to see a reporter ask Uffer to release his IP address and do an IP match.  If Uffer really isn't posting on the blog, he shouldn't havea  problem with giving this information up to a reporter to verify his statement that a zealous neighbor is defending his honor.

What do you think?

IDIOT!

Gotta love these two idiots.

The Idiot's Guide to Committing a Crime and Getting Caught states very clearly in Chapter 1:

Steal propert and sell it.  When you sell it, advertise your contact number so that police can catch you.

I am not making this stuff up.

Fascinating Story About San Bernardino County "Whistleblower" Blogger

As a blogger I found this story to be very interesting.  

The story is about a San Bernardino County employee that blogs about the happenings in San Bernardino County employment practices and personnel matters.  The article can be found here at the San Bernardino Sun.

The blogger is named Sharon Gilbert and she blogs at her blog which is named "Sharon's Blog".  I give her an F in originality with the name and an A for effort, cuz apparently she kicks of a hornets nest from time to time.  All kidding aside, the article is a fun read.

After San Bernardino County's Chief Administrative Officer Mark Uffer was getting criticized on the blog, he recently started receiving high praise from "three" readers of the blog.  The Sun stated that the comments were "ultra-positive".

However, these "three" readers share the same tone and IP address and the blogger confronted Uffer o these strange coincidences.  Oh...and it gets better.  Uffer lives in Highland, too.

Uffer admitted to Gilbert that two of them were the same person and they were his next door neighbor.

Now...the story takes another turn.  Gilbert, who has been on medical leave from the county returned to work after a 16 month absence and was promptly suspended without pay because of her blog.  Uffer refused to comment.

Gilbert considers herself a crusader against corruption and it would seem she has definitely touched a few nerves if this story is to be beieved from her perspective.  

Here is a direct link to Sharon's blog where she posts the very same article.  Given the importance of the article, I am a little suprised to see little to no commentary about this from readers or Sharon herslef, but i am sure that in time more will be revealed.