(April 21)  Less than two years after he left Congress following his defeat by sister Democrat Gloria Negrete-McLeod in the 35th Congressional District, Joe Baca is vying to return to the House of Representatives in the 31st District.
After serving nearly 13 years in Congress, in 2012, Baca was blindsided by more than $3.7 million  that was provided to Negrete-McLeod through a political action committee controlled by Republican New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, which funded a hard-hitting attack campaign against Baca in the final month before the November 2012 election.
Incumbent Gary Miller is not running for reelection in the 31stDistrict,  where he and another Republican, Bob Dutton, defeated four Democrats in the 2012 open primary, despite the 41 to 33 percent Democratic registration advantage in the district. This year, Baca is joined by three other Democrats –  Eloise Gomez Reyes, Danny Tillman and Pete Aguilar – and three Republicans – Lesli Gooch, Paul Chabot and Ryan Downing – in the sweepstakes to represent the 31st  in Washington, D.C.
Baca insists it is his decades-long experience as both a state and federal legislator and his seniority in Congress,  together with his proven ability to bring home the bacon that separates him from his six competitors.
“It matters who we send to Congress,” Baca said. “I am a veteran in both senses of the word. I am a military veteran and a veteran of Congress. On day one I will be able to regain my seniority and I will be the only representative from San Bernardino County with any seniority to speak of and the only one with the experience and knowledge needed to obtain funding for our district and direct grant money here. Gary Miller is the last Congressman from our county with any seniority, and he is leaving. Obviously, you cannot be effective in Washington without seniority. I was number three on the agricultural committee before I left and I will be number two on the same committee if I return. When I was there before, I developed the knowledge and ability to be effective. I brought in $40 million to fight hunger. I was effective, out of knowledge and compassion. At one point, a long time ago, I was on welfare. Because I know the stigma that accompanied using food stamps, I changed that to EBT cards. I knew what it was like to stand in lines with no dignity. I can get right back in there and go to work again.”
Knowing the legislative ropes, Baca said he can facilitate the passage of what were once called pork barrel bills to deliver funding to local districts by using the new legislative methodology consists of earmarks.
Baca was in the California Assembly from 1992 until 1998 and then was elected to the California Senate. While he was in the State Senate, he won a special election to replace former Congressman George Brown, who died in office in 1999.
He has proven himself in steering funding back to serve his constituents, he said.
“I brought in $540 million in stimulus money,” he said. “Just before I left, I brought in $175 million in appropriations money. We fixed highways with that money, the 210, the 215 freeways, the Pepper Street off-ramp, the Cypress off-ramp, the extension of the 219, the sbX Bus system in San Bernardino. I brought in another $32 million for the railroad crossing in Colton. Most of the infrastructure money was funding that was earmarked for this area specifically. Freshmen congressman could not do that. Many times, freshmen cannot even speak in committee. Your effectiveness is based on seniority. Those who advance to chairs do so based on seniority. The other six candidates can talk about what they want to do, but they are not going to be able to fix Washington, D.C.  Business is done there now as it has always been done. No freshman is going to go there and change that, much less change the attitudes of the 434 other Congressman.  There are rules: cloture, rules where you have to have 50 votes to bring legislation forward, filibuster tactics that both parties use, ploys that neither side will give up because of the power it brings them. I understand these things. Seniority plays an important part, that and experience. I have the advantage of seniority and experience. I will use earmarks to bring funding home. If I can’t use earmarks on a particular bill, there is still a grant process where I can help out. These are things the others can talk about but you need experience to make it work. There is pressure on both sides of the aisle. I have been bipartisan, working right down the middle.  That’s why the Democrats sometimes do not support me.  I believe in what is best for America, which most of the time comes down to being right in the middle. I have been effective on getting my legislation voted on and approved in both houses.”
In sizing up what he considered to be the major issues in the campaign, Baca said, “The issues for the district are jobs and the economy. We need to bring manufacturing jobs into the area. Much of the infrastructure is here. We have the roads and highways. We have to do more to bring in manufacturing jobs rather than distribution jobs. Manufacturing is pivotal.  We need to put incentives and tax breaks into legislation to create economic development. The other issue is education. We have to make sure we receive the best K through 12 education and then make sure higher education is affordable so our students can go to community college or state college and universities and not be in debt for the rest of their lives. They need to be able to go to school and become productive citizens and contribute back to society, as leaders and workers and as taxpayers. We are not getting our fair share of federal dollars back to the state of California. Another issue is affordable health care. We have to make sure the health care we provide is affordable. People should be allowed to choose the plan they want and not be penalized. If this means extending the deadlines, then we should do it. We need to make sure that prescription drugs are affordable.  We have to protect Social Security and Medicare. We cannot have those two things privatized. We have to protect our veterans. They have done so much to protect us, we have to make sure we take care of them when they come back and their spouses as well.  We have to see about providing housing for our veterans who are homeless.  We need to deal with infrastructure. We need additional funding for highways and freeways, which improve the quality of life and the quality of the air. The railroad  funds I brought in made it so trains aren’t just idling and polluting the air. We need less pollution and more transportation. The Inland Empire is the hub of transportation in Southern California. San Bernardino International Airport is right at the logical end of the Alameda Corridor  and the Gold Line. We should be moving goods through the ports and past San Bernardino and up the Cajon Pass. The transition of Rialto Airport into a developed area will bring jobs in here.”
Turning to the purview of Congress beyond the local area, Baca said, “At the national level, there are  so many issues. The Voting Rights Act is one. Another is comprehensive immigration reform. That is local and national. Everyone else is come lately on this issue and they talk about comprehensive immigration reform but I was always outspoken about the need for immigration reform legislation.  Housing is an important issue. The American Dream is to own you own home. We should control interest rates at the national level. We can’t let Wall Street control interest rates. We have to be responsible in terms of reducing fraud in our social assistance programs. That does not mean we do not have social programs, but where the taxpayers are being cheated, either by individual recipients, or counties or states, we need to cut out fraud and abuse and make sure those federal government dollars are used in accordance with how those programs were proposed and approved.”
Baca said he felt the need to set the record straight following the negative advertising blitz he endured at the hands of Negrete-McLeod utilizing Bloomberg’s money.
“They lied,” he said. “They said I was in favor of putting guns in the hands of criminals and felons and the mentally ill. That was not true. I believe in sensible legislation  to ban assault weapons and clips and require background checks. I think there should be background checks on those who purchase weapons at gun shows. But I do believe the American people have the right to bear arms.  I believe any regulation  needs to be done within the framework of the Second Amendment. They told even worse lies about me when they said I was in favor of polluting our water. No one is in favor of polluting our water. I am not. There was never any legislation passed calling for the polluting of water. I worked, tirelessly, to get over $75 million for the cleanup of perchlorate from our groundwater. Those ads on television did not depict me accurately. I implore the voters to examine my record before they cast their votes this year and that they not rely on the misrepresentations of fast talking political consultants.”
Baca attended Barstow High School and Barstow Community College and served in the U.S. Army from 1966 until 1968 with the 101st  Airborne and 82nd Airborne divisions. He completed his A.A. degree at Barstow Community College and then attended U.C. Davis  and then UCLA, obtaining a B.A. in sociology with a minor in kinesiology. He subsequently worked as a counselor at UCLA and then was employed by General Telephone,  which merged with Contel and later became Verizon. He was elected to the San Bernardino  Community College District Board in 1979 and unsuccessfully vied for state assembly twice before he was elected in 1992. He and his wife Barbara have four children.

(April 22)  First Solar LLC, the owner and operator of the Ivanpah Solar Project in the northeast corner of San Bernardino County, will pay the county a one-time fee of $202,000 and at least  $187,000 per year thereafter to secure fire protection service for the solar plant from the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District.
Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar Inc.’s  2.6 square mile Stateline Solar Project, which is to be located just west of the California/Nevada border near Primm, Nevada in the Ivanpah Valley, will utilize mirrors to focus the sun’s rays on a heating tower to run a steam turbine, thereby yielding roughly 223 megawatts, adequate electricity for 82,800 households.
According to a report dated April 22, 2014 by  Greg  Devereaux, the county’s chief executive officer and Mark Hartwig, the county fire chief/fire warden, “This revenue agreement will mitigate the impacts on fire and emergency services generated by the Ivanpah Solar Project by requiring a one-time capital contribution of
$202,000 and an ongoing annual operations and maintenance contribution to the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District in the amount of $187,000 (with an annual employment cost index adjustment). This solar project will generate property and sales tax revenue for the county. Up to fifty percent of the one-time capital payment will be offset by any sales and/or use tax generated from the Ivanpah project and paid to the county, resulting in a minimum one-time capital contribution payment of $101,000 to the fire protection district. Additionally, a portion of the ongoing operation and maintenance contribution will be offset by annual property tax and/or possessory interest tax revenue. It is estimated that the county will receive a minimum of $112,200 annually in property and/or possessory interest tax revenue from the Ivanpah Solar Project, resulting in an estimated annual minimum payment to the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District from First Solar LLC in the amount of $74,800.”
As a condition of certification of the Ivanpah Project, the California Energy Commission required First Solar LLC to negotiate with the county to determine the funding of capital and operating costs for fire protection and emergency response impacts created by the Ivanpah Project.

(April 22)  The San Bernardino City Council has signed off on Mayor Carey Davis’ hiring the same public relations firm that he used to coordinate his mayoral campaign to serve in the capacity of his chief-of-staff.
MICA-PR, which is led by Michael McKinney, will receive $62.50 per hour to serve in the capacity of mayoral chief of staff. McKinney served as Davis’ campaign manager in his fall campaign and again during the February run-off. Since Davis was sworn in, he has been serving as Davis’ unofficial chief-of-staff.
In addition to running Davis’ campaign, McKinney headed up last year’s successful campaign to recall city attorney James F. Penman and councilwoman Wendy McCammack. Though McCammack was recalled in November, she was simultaneously on the ballot as a candidate for mayor, garnering  3,091 votes or 24.03 percent for first place. Davis, who placed second in that contest with 3,023 votes or 23.5 percent, qualified for the February run-off, in which he prevailed over McCammack.  McKinney has worked on more than 200 political campaigns in various capacities, including serving as campaign chairman and key advisor with regard to strategy.
The hiring of MICA-PR generated controversy, with some questioning the firm’s qualifications for serving in a managerial role, given its nature as a public relations firm.  San Bernardino, as a charter city, infuses the mayor with greater managerial authority than is the case in general law cities, such that the mayor and his chief-of-staff have authority that rivals that of the city manager.
Ironically, Davis has called for charter reform, in particular doing away with a provision that guarantees that the city’s safety employees – police officers and firemen – be paid at a rate comparable to firefighters and police in ten comparatively-sized California cities. There are other potential areas for reform being contemplated, including reducing the authority of the mayor and his chief of staff.
MICA-PR’s  contract is set to run through November, at which point those potential charter reforms will likely have been submitted to the voters.
When Davis earlier floated the proposal to hire MICA-PR to serve as chief-of-staff, the San Bernardino police union railed against it, suggesting Davis was searching for a means to make “a gift of public funds” to pay for his campaign’s outstanding debt to MICA-PR and McKinney. That proposal was temporarily rescinded but was brought back this week.
McKinney previously served on the staff of two congressmen and was also a vice president in charge of governmental affairs with the Lewis Group of Companies.
His contract, which does not specify his duties, has a not-to-exceed limit of $100,000. The contract does not state what MICA-PR’s job criteria as chief of staff are.

(April 22)  The county of San Bernardino’s Children and Family Services Division will pull up its stakes in the Carousel Mall in Downtown San Bernardino at the end of next month.
On March 29, 2005  the board of supervisors approved a ten-year lease agreement with two five-year options to extend for 28,892 square feet of office space at 128 Carousel Mall, Building G, in San Bernardino for use by the Children and Family Services Division. The original term of the lease was from September 1, 2005 through August 31, 2015. In the nine years since the lease was originally executed, the board has approved two amendments reflecting ownership changes from Placo San Bernardino, LLC, to the Redevelopment Agency of the city of San Bernardino  to the San Bernardino Economic Development Corporation.
Because of the dissolution of the RDA, the San Bernardino Economic Development Corporation transferred title to Carousel Mall, LLC, a California limited liability company, on December 19, 2011. The city of San Bernardino has acquired management and control of the property on behalf of the Carousel Mall, LLC. At the direction of the city of San Bernardino, the county of San Bernardino has been tendering rental payments to the city of San Bernardino as successor agency for the redevelopment agency of the city of San Bernardino on behalf of the Carousel Mall, LLC.
The original lease provided for $624,067 in tenant improvements to be amortized over the initial ten-year term ending August 31, 2015. Upon early termination, the lease states that any unamortized tenant improvement costs will be due the landlord.
The county has found another location for the San Bernardino office of the Children and Family Services division at 1094 South E Street.
According to Janet Lowe, the assistant director of the county’s  Real Estate Services Department, the county has agreed to a lease of the South E Street property “and we anticipate the tenant improvements will be completed by the end of May.”
This week the board of supervisors approved a third amendment to the lease agreement with Carousel Mall, LLC to reflect a change in ownership effective December 19, 2011, modify the 90-day right to terminate provision of the lease to provide for 40-days’ notice to terminate effective May 31, 2014, and specify that $78,008 will be due the landlord for early termination of the lease which is the amount of unamortized tenant improvement costs for 28,892 square feet of office space in San Bernardino for Children and Family Services.
Upon the board’s approval of that amendment, the director of the County Real Estate Services Department delivered a 40-day termination notice on April 22, 2014 to terminate the lease agreement effective May 31, 2014.

(April 23)  Lesli Gooch said she is running for Congress because “I want to continue what I have been  doing my entire career, advocating for the people of the 31st District. I have learned how to get things done. I have been working over a decade on behalf of Inland Empire families. We have been fighting and winning matters dealing with economic growth. I am running for Congress because I don’t want to see our hard work stopped because Congressman Miller is retiring. I believe it is important to continue to work on behalf of Inland Empire Families. I do not want to see the next representative of the 31st District advocate or vote for policies that will be harmful to this area. My candidacy is all about getting things done for the Inland Empire.”
Miller, the Republican incumbent in the 31st District, is not seeking reelection. Gooch and two other Republicans, Ryan Downing and Paul Chabot, are competing against four Democrats – Eloise Gomez Reyes, Danny Tillman, Pete Aguilar and Joe Baca – to see who will next represent the district, which includes the cities of  Rancho Cucamonga, Loma Linda, Grand Terrace  and portions of Fontana, Colton, Rialto and San Bernardino and the community of Muscoy.
Gooch said she had gained valuable experience as Miller’s legislative assistant, staff director of the committees he chaired or cochaired and as his senior policy director. Miller was the chairman of the Committee on International Monetary Policy and Trade.
“From my experience I  know it  takes two things to grow the Inland Empire’s economy,” Gooch said. “We need an expansion of the construction industry and we need exports and trade. We need to create jobs and grow our economy. Economists forecasting what is to happen in our state economy see a lot of real opportunities for growth. We have to take advantage of having all of the logistics at our disposal. We have goods coming from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. We need to take advantage of that. We need to support construction, which is another area where we can see growth. We need commercial and residential housing in the future. Part of a strong economy is balancing the budget to make sure government  is not overregulating businesses which are responsible for job creation There was more regulation coming out of Washington, D.C. this year than any year in the federal registry. That regulation is killing the opportunity to grow and create jobs.”
Gooch continued, “Another major issue in the 31st District is that in order for jobs to be created, we need a work force that is skilled for the current economy. I know of vacancies locally, ones involving $40 per hour jobs, but the work force here is not trained to fill those. We need to figure out how best to grow the economy to match our work force with available jobs. We need to make the education system provide the training so we can bring in skilled workers who can fill those jobs.”
Gooch said good legislation and policy aimed at improving the situation with regard to national challenges redounds to the betterment of local areas such as the 31st District.
“It all works together,” she said. “I saw through my work as the staff director with the International Monetary and Trade Committee that improvements to our ports will make companies located there more competitive and that when companies are competitive the economy improves. Consumers around  the world want to buy American products but our taxes and regulations put on American goods price us out of reach. We need to stop doing that to be competitive in the global economy. We clearly have some significant foreign policy challenges we need to face. We need to make sure we handle threats to our national security in the right way. I am concerned this [the Barack Obama] administration  has not performed in the right way.”
Congress needs to rethink and revisit the issue of health care, Gooch said. “The question is: with the Affordable Care Act are we taking a step in the wrong direction.” Gooch said. “Is this approach actually making health care less affordable than in the past?. This upside down approach is hurting more than it is helping. We have to make sure consumers can choose their doctors and afford the level of care they want.”
Gooch said she represents the best choice among candidates in the 31st District because “There are important things going on in Washington, things that are not a job for amateurs. People are tired of waiting for competent leadership. Congressman Miller was a bright light in a dysfunctional Congress. We were able to go in there and did things and got things done. We were able to pass policies so that companies could export goods and create jobs. That takes experience and commitment. I am the leader the people of this district are looking for. I have a PhD in how Congress works. I am a listener. I have been addressing those problems throughout my career.  We need someone in Washington who can deliver. In Congress you have show horses and you have workhorses. We need a workhorse. I am the candidate who can do that and hit the ground running right away. Look at my track record. It is clear we have solved problems.”
Gooch said she represents a transcendence over politics as usual.
“If people are looking for a candidate who will be a rubber stamp for Nancy Pelosi or John Boehner, I am not the right person for that,” she said. “I am a candidate who will advocate for the people of the 31st District. I am the candidate of smaller government, one who will reduce taxes and big, liberal government, who will stop the expenditure of wasted tax dollars in the name of the economic stimulus. I will not contribute to the gridlock in Washington. That is not why I am running. My intent is to solve problems and move us forward. I am not one of those who will not know what is in the bill she is voting on. I wrote bills and I know how the people are represented in the legislation that goes through.”
Gooch graduated from Arlington High School in Riverside and attended UC Riverside before transferring to the  State University of New York at Brockport, where she obtained a degree in political science. She subsequently qualified for a graduate fellowship at the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma where she earned a Ph.D. in political science with a focus in congressional studies, public policy, and public administration.
Along the way she did internships with the clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court and New Jersey Congresswoman Marge Roukema. She was hired by Miller in 2003 to serve in his office, eventually becoming his senior policy advisor and legislative director. In 2007 she went to work for the county of San Bernardino Housing Authority, including representing the county in Washington. She subsequently represented two non-profit housing entities and  returned to Miller’s staff in 2011. Married, she has two children and four grandchildren.

(April 22) Larry Walker, the incumbent county treasurer and tax collector, who is also the county’s auditor and controller, said he believes the county’s voters should return him to office because of his demonstrated ability in leading those departments and his record of accomplishment.
Walker, who was on the board of supervisors representing the county’s Fourth District from 1986 until 1998, ran for the position of auditor-controller-recorder in 1998. He was reelected to those consolidated posts in 2002, 2006 and 2010, at which point the elected position of county treasurer/tax collector had been folded into the function of the auditor controller’s office.  The position of county recorder, which Walker had previously held, was moved over to the county assessor’s office.
“I am running again because we have a great staff, 300 employees who are doing a great job,” Walker said. “They are supported by a great senior staff and together we are continuing to improve and evolve the organization and improve customer service. We are developing systems of accountability and improving the electronic  systems so we can provide better service and reduce costs. I am excited about and enjoy the things we are doing to make that service available to the public and I am now asking the voters to keep me in that position.”
As to his overall priorities in the next four years, Walker said, “There are challenges to each specific part of the office, but we are building on success. The treasurer’s office has been doing an award winning comprehensive annual report, which actually was being produced before I was in office. We are now attempting to build on that success and turn out a 16-page popular summary of that report to make the county’s financial information more accessible to the average person.“
Walker continued, “We have eliminated a lot of inefficiencies and have replaced parts of the system that have lived past their usefulness. We are trying to provide more timely financial information to the board to allow it to make better decisions as well as to make the public more aware. In terms of past accomplishments, I initiated the idea when I ran in 1998 to have a fraud abuse hotline. I put that in place about a year-and-a-half after I took office, giving an opportunity for any employee or member of the public to express concerns about possible taxpayer abuse. I have worked to give proper accounting of all of the county’s financial issues, from the very simple to the very complex.  I believe I have had a positive impact on building up the county’s internal audit function and we are constantly looking at priority areas in terms of potential risk in an effort to keep us on the straight and narrow. We have built a process where on an annual basis, we measure risks by looking at the financing and investment activities of the county and judge the inherent risks. Some activities carry with them an inherently higher risk and we prioritize so that when we are going to audit we make sure we are looking at the inherently high risk activities as much or more than the low risk activities. We have a prioritization in our audit plan.”
Walker said, “The overall theme of what we do is service to the county’s constituents. That is something we have worked hard  to build into every aspect of what we do, to make sure the taxpayers get the information they need, that we have processes they can use which are accessible and that we have policies in place that give  the same answer to taxpayers asking the same questions. We are constantly looking at ways across the board to enhance services and save money.  We are committed to making information system improvements that allow us to achieve savings and increase customer service.”
Walker is being opposed in this year’s election by Ensen Mason, a certified public accountant and former member of the Victor Valley Union High School District Board of Trustees, who has since moved to Redlands.  Walker rejected the rallying cry of Mason supporters who advocate infusing the four consolidated county posts with new blood.
“Any argument between “new blood” and experience should question whether the experience is continuing to move in a positive direction of accomplishment and is the “new blood” capable of understanding what the issues are,” Walker said. “In the 16 years I have been here I have worked hard and on a continuous basis to find ways to improve the system. I did not just rely on how well the system was working and that everything was ok. I have worked 16 years to push the system that was largely based on paper filings to one that is 97 percent electronic payments. I moved the recorder’s office when I had it, from one that was an entirely paper system to one that is a majority electronic system.”
Of Mason, Walker said, “I don’t know much about him. He appears to have spent a few bucks on a billboard in the Victor Valley. He was apparently elected to the Victor Valley High School Board in November 2010 but did not serve an entire term on that board.”
Walker sought to deflect criticism about his willingness to take on the treasurer and tax collector duties while simultaneously serving as auditor and controller, which some have suggested are incompatible assignments that allow Walker, as auditor controller, to serve in the capacity of providing key oversight of his function as treasurer.
“That issue was taken on not only by our county counsel but county counsels throughout the state and the state legislature,” Walker said. “My opponent may bring this up as an issue, but the criticism is simply wrong. Our county was not the first to combine the treasurer with the auditor controller. It is clearly allowable. People may question these policies for individual counties, but it is no different than combining the coroner’s office with the sheriff’s department. It is done increasingly in situations where you have a similarity of duties and a need to save money. The county saved a million dollars on an annual basis as a result of the consolidation. If my opponent wants to run on an issue from 2010 in 2014, on an arrangement that was put to rest four years ago, he has the option of running that kind of campaign.”
Walker, who was raised in Chino and attended Chino High School, obtained his bachelor’s degree in social science from UC Irvine and his law degree from UCLA Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1976 and practiced law for ten years in the areas of real estate, contract litigation, and family law. He was in the Naval Reserves, serving in the JAG Corps. He was on the city council from 1978 until 1980, and then was Chino Mayor from 1980 until 1986, when he was elected to the board of supervisors.  He is married with three children.

(April 22) Big Bear Mayor Jay Obernolte said his campaign for California Assembly in the 33rd District is a push toward righting the state’s overregulated business climate.
Obernolte said he was prompted to seek state office “mostly because of my kids. Twenty-five years ago I started a videogame development company in my dorm room. We developed games, creating them, designing them, doing the programming, art animation and sound. We made games that are compatible with consoles such as Nintendo, Plays Station, Wi and for hand held devices, such as iPhone.  My company, FarSight Studios, now has 25 full time employees up here in Big Bear. My children have aspirations of their own and they have confided in me that they one day want to start businesses of their own, and grow them as I did, so they can have jobs, and an income for their families. But I realized that with the toxic business environment we are in, even if they work as hard as I did in the last 25 years, they would not be able to succeed because of the business environment and the overregulation in the state of California. That is why I am running. We need more business experience in Sacramento. That is what convinced me to run.”
Of the major issues facing the 33rd District, Obernolte said, “Our primary problem is economic. We need more jobs and better paying jobs. We have way too many unemployed and underemployed. People are struggling.  We need to improve the business environment in California and in the 33rd District specifically, so more businesses come here and we create jobs. We need business here. We should be creating better paying jobs rather than driving them away, which is what we are doing now.“
Obernolte said he would be able to work on the problem  “through business experience. We need people in Sacramento who know what it is like to shepherd a business thorough upturns and downturns. We need them to understand how stifling the business climate is in California. We need legislators who know what it is like to be on your knees on Thursday night praying because you do not have enough money to cover payroll on Friday. We need lawmakers who understand that businesses face a lot of issues.”
There are other issues, Obernolte said, but he maintains that “If we solve the economic problems, a lot of the other difficulties will be eliminated.”
Turning to the challenges to the state beyond the limited confines of the 33rd District, Obernolte said the major focus, “on the state level, should be preserving Proposition 13. I am appalled there have been recent attempts to chip away at the taxpayer protection provisions of Proposition 13. I find particularly galling the way we are attempting to modify Proposition 13 to increase the tax on business property. We are sending a message to businesses that they are no longer welcome in California. What I would like us to do is stand firm and protect Proposition 13.”
Proposition 13 was an amendment of the Constitution of California passed by voters and enacted in  1978 that  decreased property taxes by assessing property values at their 1975 value and restricting annual increases of assessed value of real property to an inflation factor, not to exceed 2 percent per year.
With regard to other major state issues, Obernolte said, “We need a meaningful rainy day fund to protect the state against further economic downturns. I think the governor and legislature are being irresponsible with the current surplus. We cannot rely on deficit spending. We need to close the budget deficit and when the opportunity to do so presents itself we should  pay down the debt rather than spend it on programs.”
A Republican, Obernolte said he recognizes the disadvantage his party faces in the overwhelmingly Democratic state, but expressed a belief that a sober assessment of the means available to fiscal conservatives can be the basis for formulating an effective strategy for effectuating change.
“It is clear that no matter who is elected, no one will become master of the universe once they go to Sacramento,” Obernolte said. “I find it troubling that others in this race are making promises and commitments about what they will do that they will not be able to keep.  To succeed, it will take patience and perseverance, someone who over the years in office will gain the needed seniority and respect to deal with the problems facing the state. Solving the problems for the people in the 33rd District is going to require establishing relationships in Sacramento. It will entail more than just voting. It will require planning, patience, cultivating relationships and respect, perseverance, experience and execution. “
Obernolte said he believes he possesses the requisite traits to be the most effective representative of the constituents in the 33rd District.
“I have by far the most business experience,” he said. “I am in the best position to fight against the overregulation of business that is stifling the economy of our state. As a two term mayor of Big Bear, I have the legislative experience to go into an environment where I am a member of minority party and still get things done for my constituents.”
A graduate of Edison Computech High School in Fresno where he was valedictorian, Obernolte attended Cal Tech, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied science. He then obtained his master’s degree in computer science from UCLA. He is married with two sons. Prior to  his elected service on the Big Bear City Council, he was a member of the board of the Big Bear City Airport District. He has been endorsed by the Republican Central Committee, the San Bernardino County Young Republicans and the National Tax Limitation Committee.

You can download the PDF version of the April 18 Sentinel by clicking on the portal below.

Sentinel 04-18-14

Four Upland residents with extensive financial management and business management experience have called upon the Upland City Council to move ahead with city employee pension reform and workforce reductions.
All four expressed the view that if the city does not make meaningful, substantial and immediate inroads on the amount of money it is shelling out to cover the cost of employing nonproductive personnel as well as the pensions of workers no longer employed by the city, it will in the next three to four years be forced to declare bankruptcy.
Bob Nelson, a certified public accountant and former chief financial officer for Star Medical who has taught cost and management accounting at Chaffey College, was chosen as a member of the city of Upland’s financial advisory task force last fall.  At that time he warned of the city’s growing unfunded pension liability and called for various steps to redress the situation, including imposing a hiring freeze on city staff, which he said would prevent the city from incurring any further future pensioners while efforts to rein in pension costs are ongoing. The full task force, however, rejected that suggestion.
This week, on April 14, Nelson came before the city council, using the four minutes allotted to anyone wishing to speak on items of civic import during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Nelson noted that the council was scheduled, later that evening, to approve a 19.2 percent sewer rate increase after setting in motion last month a 22 percent water rate increase. He noted that the city manager has signaled his intent to set aside a reserve fund equal to 28 percent of the city’s $39.6 million general fund.
While Nelson said the effort to set aside reserves was laudable, he expressed skepticism that the money to fill that reserve fund could be produced.
“Where is this cash cow coming from?” he asked. “We have this sewer rate increase, then water rate increases. Next, you will be considering a sales tax increase of one half of one percent. Where does it stop?”
Nelson warned that any new revenues the city takes in will be immediately eaten up by increased pension costs as more city employees retire.
“The city’s deficit is driven in large part by its pension obligation,” he told the Sentinel after the meeting. “The city needs to transition its pension system from one that provides defined benefits to one based on employee contributions. The present system is a house of cards that is going to collapse. The city is already dangerously close to a death spiral. If something is not done very rapidly, the only way out will be bankruptcy.”
At the April 14 meeting, Warren Bowers, who has lived in Upland for over 40 years and previously was the director of manufacturing engineering with an aerospace company and as such was responsible for transitioning the company’s projects from the engineering phase to the manufacturing phase and for and all of the company’s manufacturing start-up budgets, told the city council  he did not believe its management team had come to terms with the immensity of the financial tidal wave that is about to hit the city as a consequence  of mushrooming pension costs and that management does not have the will to stanch the future red ink by insisting that the generous pensions provided to city employees in the past be cut back or rescinded. “I know we have a financial crisis,” Bauer said. “I think we also have a management crisis. By management crisis, I mean we have a cultural problem in top management that runs the day-to-day operations of this city. I have a distinct impression they are not active, I should say proactive, in looking at all of the cost reduction options. I do not think they are motivated. Something has to be done about it. If that means you as a council must change top management, that is what you should do. We can’t have this same culture. We can’t have a rubber stamp. We can’t increase taxes. If you aren’t willing to make the hard calls, then let someone who is willing to do it take your seat.”
Bauer was followed by Larry Kinley, a 20-year Upland resident who worked for Bank of America for 42 years, the last 15 of which he was a manager in the problem loan administration dealing with borrowers with financial difficulties.
“The last CPA audit stated the city has suffered substantial recurring losses that raise substantial doubt about the city’s ability to continue as a going concern,” Kinley said. “Yet, when the CPA firm was here in person to review their report, no one person asked, ‘What is the cause of the recurring losses?’”
Kinley noted that when the CPA audit was passed along to the mayor and council by the city manager and the city’s administrative services director, the transmittal letter made no mention of the dire financial straits the city finds itself in. “The cover letter completely ignored the statement about the city’s ability to continue as a going concern,” Kinley said. “This is akin to presenting a financial statement to your bank listing your assets but failing to list the liabilities.  How in the world do you tolerate biased and slanted communications from your subordinates?”
Kinley requested that the council come face-to-face with its pension crisis publicly by including an agenda item for its April 28 meeting “so that the citizens can hear from the city council what its members perceive as the cause of the city’s problem and their ideas for a permanent correction.” Kinley said he wanted the council to “freely express their thoughts because this will help the citizens decide the competency level of those in office and who to vote for in the next election.”
Less than a week before Monday’s meeting, another city resident, Bill Cary, who is a processing account manager with Tetra Pak Incorporated, on April 9 sent a letter to the mayor and city council in which he expressed grave concern about city finances.
“As Upland continues to move ever so much closer to bankruptcy, it is not very evident to the citizens of Upland what you are doing to stem the tide. Someone came up with the less than brilliant idea to raise the city sales tax to cover the shortfall in revenue. This is not getting to the root of the problem and you are once again asking the citizens of Upland to pay for the mistakes that our managing city council, be it past or present, created on their own. We put our faith in you to manage and make the tough decisions. Now it’s time to do just that.  Before you can ask the citizens to bail you out, it would be best to ensure you have our house in order and can make the tough choices if necessary.  The list of total compensation from police, fire and city top staff amounts to over $18 million. Police and fire alone accounted for over $15 million of this total. In the private sector, if we run into difficult times, we have been asked to take a cut in pay and even though we didn’t like it, we knew it was the only way to preserve our jobs for the future.”
Cary continued, “If police, fire and city staff were to take a 10 percent cut in total compensation it would provide almost $2 million in savings. I know the police and fire unions will scream bloody murder and say they have already given too much. These groups need to understand that they are not helping to come to a solution because they are the problem. By running a search of salaries from other cities in California, as well as large cities throughout the country, it is evident that Upland pays a lot more than all cities listed.”
Cary said excessive pay to city employees in Upland was not limited to the police and fire departments.
“We have a deputy public works director, Acquanetta Warren, who makes $163,000 a year total compensation and she is the mayor of Fontana. Where is her allegiance directed to? Was there no one in the city of Upland who could handle the job? And why is her salary that high? For that matter, why does the public works director make $230,000 a year? It seems to me that we don’t have the money to fix or repair our streets and sidewalks.  We really don’t need either of these two individuals, at least not at these salaries. Almost $400,000 for two managers whose department doesn’t have any money to do anything is ludicrous.”
Cary concluded, “I work for a privately held company and my compensation is based on how well I do. I am paid on a commission basis and if we don’t sell we don’t get paid. If we continue to not sell we will be replaced.  When someone reduces your pay based on the company’s performance, you learn real quick how to make the tough decisions.”
In 2013-2014 the city’s pension costs stand at $6.2 million. The most reliable figures currently available show the city will incur an additional $1.5 million in pension costs next year, 2014-15, escalating to $7.7 million the annual amount city pays  into the public employees’ retirement system.

The city of Victorville is on the brink of adding golfing legend Billy Casper and his corporation to its long and impressive list of legal adversaries.
In 2010, the city entered into an agreement with Billy Casper Golf to operate the Green Tree Golf Course, a major amenity in Victorville with a storied history stretching back three-quarters of a century. On its links and in its clubhouse, politicians, businessman, developers and officials discussed and even closed deals relating to major developments in the Victor Valley.
Nearly four years after Billy Casper Golf took on responsibility for the landmark, however, city officials have not seen it restored to the status of past grandeur they had envisaged.
On March 17, city officials informed the corporation that the golf course has remained in operation within the strictures of the agreed-upon annual budget and that the course has not been maintained “in reasonably good condition.”
Thus, the city said, Billy Casper Golf is “in default.
Billy Casper Golf Senior Vice President Bill Rehanek contests the city’s claim, maintaining the golf course to be in  “far better condition today than it was at the inception of our contract in June 2010.”
Casper, now 82, attended  the University of Notre Dame on a golf scholarship and  had 51 PGA Tour wins in his career, the first of which came in 1956. He is ranked seventh among golfers all time in terms of tournament wins. He was a member of the United States team in the Ryder Cup eight times, and has scored the most points in the Ryder Cup by an American player. He is widely recognized as the best putter of his era. He won at least one PGA Tour event for 16 straight seasons, from 1956 to 1971 inclusive.
On the senior circuit, Casper earned nine Senior PGA Tour victories.
Billy Casper Golf is the second largest operator of golf courses in the United States, and currently manages more than 140 golf facilities.
The city is currently involved in more than two dozen lawsuits and legal actions, including one in which it is contesting civil charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission that it defrauded investors in its issuance of bonds for improvements at Southern California Logistics Airport.