Faith-based Blogging…..

……IS WHAT ZAK IS ALL ABOUT

Some folk might wonder why Wildomar Magazine exists and why Zak Turango, it’s talented editor and prime contributor, takes the time to interject his thoughts and comments into Wildomar’s “conversation.”  It’s simple, really.  God makes him do it. Despite the above image, God does not have a computer. (It’s a cartoon, not a photo). 

But God does have a sense of humor and enjoys watching Zak skewer silly politicians and silly politics. You may doubt this but then you don’t see the comments that Zak gets from Him at zakturango@excite.com.

Giving freely of his volunteer services to the community of Wildomar, long before Scott, Marsha, Bridgette or Sheryl were around, Zak was a contemporary of the “early” Bob Cashman, then the president of the Chamber of Commerce, oddly, when Wildomar had no commerce and no reason for a “chamber.”

It has recently been suggested by the Anti-Zak blogger (you’ll have to find that site on your own) that Zak should seek solace for his soul at Cornerstone, where it’s suggested he’d be welcomed.  Zak would not seek succor for any spiritual need, should he need succor, from a church who’s Wildomar foot-in-the-door presence was established by the serendipitous fist of a felon. 

You may add to the Heavenly comments at zakturango@excite.com but try to make them happy ones. 

Free Cheese For Everybody? :-)

WILDOMAR’S BUTTON TO GET PUSHED FIRST TIME ON WEDNESDAY

The City of Wildomar’s Council Agenda Item 11 for consideration at the August 27, 2008 City Council meeting reads as follows:

“Consider the request from the Wildomar Community Council Street Fair and Car Show, dated August 3, 2008.”

The Wildomar Community Council (“WCC”) is going to ask the City Council to forego permit fees and to absorb the costs of police and traffic control for their Street Fair and Car Show that might run more that 1,000 slices of Free Cheese. This is the first application for special consideration to come before the City Council and the Council’s response to the request will have a long term effect on future donations of taxpayer’s cheese.

Let’s consider who is behind the asking for the Free Cheese:

• former cityhood activists
• political allies and past and present supporters of several members of the Council
• activists/political allies with b*lls (* can = “a” or “i”)

It seems that the folks that helped to make Wildomar a city now want to call in their markers and get their city official “friends” to underwrite their special project by providing them with Free Cheese.  But what then will the Council say to the next “worthy” group that approaches them for a donation?

This b*llsy request is asking Zak and other taxpayers to participate in supporting WCC’s Street Fair and Car Show, whether they want to or not.  Wildomar Magazine doesn’t give a sh*t (* only makes sense as an “i”) if the County or Supervisor Bob Buster supported the Street Fair in the past. This is now Wildomar and the city has a different economic base than the county. Perhaps WCC can call Buster and ask him to continue to support their show.  

Let’s consider who will be asking for Free Cheese in the future, if this request is approved:

• charities that can’t wait to get their hand out once they hear of the easy cheese in Wildomar
• the Wildomar Chamber of Commerce (an emotional slam dunk)
• churches in Wildomar
• Wildomar Magazine’s ”Charity for the Preservation of Conservative Ideals in Local Government.” (This request for Free Cheese will be for a conference, chaired by Zak, on economic conservatism. Once approved, the conference will be convened at the Pechanga Casino. Zak always likes to support local businesses).

Comments are welcomed at zakturango@excite.com and any good ones might get published.

Eeek, a mouse……

CASHMAN FREAKS OUT IN PUBLIC OVER RIVERSIDE COUNTY’S PAST ”FAILURE” TO IMPOSE A STEPHEN’S KANGAROO RAT SANCTUARY IN WILDOMAR.

Wildomar City Mayor Bob Cashman displayed odd emotional public behaviors at a recent meeting of the Riverside County Integrated Plan organization (“RCIP”), where Cashman is the designated representative for Wildomar. 

According to Wildomar Magazine sources, Cashman was visibly upset and angrily engaged other attendees to the meeting as he remonstrated them as there were no areas within the Wildomar city boundaries that had been set aside for the preservation of the Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat, pictured above, in the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan (“MSHCP”).

Although the MSHCP was put together years before Wildomar was created as a city by voters, Cashman’s attendance at his first meeting representing the late-blooming City of Wildomar and his angry dismay over the failure to have habitat set aside in Wildomar was another embarrassment for the citizens of Wildomar to swallow.  (Weren’t you offended by Cashman at the VFW Re-dedication? Zak was).

Cashman’s reputation is becoming uncomfortably reminiscent of that of another political laughingstock, Lake Elsinore’s former Mayor Pam Brinley, who was mocked repeatedly behind her back by her political peers every time she opened her mouth at public meetings. Or current Lake Elsinore Mayor, Daryl “Mulch” Hickman.

Once December arrives and the opportunity finally arises again for the thinking members of the City Council to finally install Wildomar’s first qualified mayor, it had better be someone other than Cashman,  who is clearly unqualified as “honorary” mayor.  How many times will Councilperson Bridgette Moore have to assist Cashman with running council meetings by pointing to his agenda before most of you admit to the truth about Cashman?

Cashman needs to have someone put a little dunce cap on his head and then make him sit in the corner. 

Bob Cashman is clearly the poster boy for selecting mayors on the “traditional” basis of the total number of votes purchased with developer and vendor money.

You may contact Zak at zakturango@excite.com with your supporting comments.  You can’t see him at this time because he’s sitting in the opposite corner of the room with his own dunce cap.

Keep Your “Green Lien” Out of The Economy..

…AND SIMPLY PRODUCE ZAK’S WATER AND DISPOSE OF ZAK’S SEWAGE

And how about doing that without the “LEAPS Super Lien?” There’s a pile of something ”brown” that needs to be stopped from getting any more of Zak’s “green.”

When are the leaders of government and quasi-government bodies like Lake Elsinore’s Mayor “We’ll water the lawns from the back of my pick up truck” Hickman and the EVMWD going to realize that their lawn watering ideas only benefit those folks that are trying to keep their home values up so that they can sell their homes and get the hell out of Dodge? 

No wonder the two real estate agents,  EVMWD Directors  Williams and Guglielmana, recused themselves from the vote.  Reduced home values at sale means a reduced sales commission at close of escrow.  People like them go broke when you and I don’t move around a lot. Besides, if they voted to penalize their bank clients for brown lawns, they’d soon have brown lawns, too.

For the people who are not moving from the area, the current reduced value of their home does not affect them negatively so what benefit does EVMWD’s Green Lien idea provide? As a matter of fact, reduced housing prices have forced the County of Riverside to reduce their property taxes or at least stop the incremental  yearly tax increases due to the housing ”slump,” which actually benefits those who are not selling their homes.

In addition, if the empty foreclosed houses are not using any water, that delays the day  when EVMWD has to announce the next water rationing scheme, forcing us to reduce our water consumption but then comes the inevitable “reduced water consumption surcharge” they’ll have to impose to keep their cash flow coming their way to sustain the bloated reserves for the EVMWD.

Wildomar Magazine recommends that the EVMWD Directors, surely hardened political conservatives all, try to find their political compasses and recognize that this concern over brown lawns and house values are not a part of their scope of governance. 

You may contact Zak at zakturango@excite.com.  His is the fourth house from the corner with the brown lawn. Zak can’t afford to water his lawn due to his high water bills.

Delicious District Dilemmas….

 

 

…WHO HAS THE ANSWERS?

Wildomar Magazine was initially opposed to cityhood for the former county island known as Wildomar and voted No on Measure C.  Zak has since changed his mind, however, and now supports the city of Wildomar by commenting on it’s leaders foibles to help shape public opinion. It’s Zak’s gift to his community.

In addition, Zak, Wildomar Magazine’s editor and primary contributor, also voted Yes on Measure D, intentionally choosing, along with fifty-seven (57%) per cent of the voters, to divide Wildomar into voting districts.  Zak has not changed his mind on this issue.  The City Council will ignore the votes of the people at their political peril.

The City Council has every right, however, no, even a significant obligation to look at every aspect and element of the impact and implications of district voting. And that takes time and money for districting experts to provide needed information for the City Council and citizens.  There cannot be a rump panel of citizens carving up a map of Wildomar and creating districts that would have Zak’s support. 

As to the timing, 2010 will arrive soon enough and Councilpersons Scott Farnam and Sheryl Ade are entitled to their entire two year terms that the voters gave them to serve the city and citizens.  Anything less would be taking away the rights of the voters who elected them for a two year term.  

Now, the delicious district dilemmas. 

First, the city will be divided into districts, most likely according to population and some geography.  There is great likelihood that current Mayor, Bob Cashman, who appears to live in some proximity to Councilwoman Ade will thus reside in her District 2 or District 4 .  Upon her desired re-election for a four year term, Cashman will be unable to run for re-election in 2012 unless he moves to another district, an unlikely scenario. If he does move into District 1, 3 or 5 so he can run, he may find himself running against Bridgette Moore or Marsha Swanson. Alas, Cashman will have to find a new home in whatever district will be unrepresented at that time.

Second, District 2 and 4 are tied personally and politically to Ade and Farnam.  Until the Council establishes the districts and they are identified as “2 and 4″ by an actual vote of the Council,  the identities of the districts are as mobile as Ade and Farnam’s whims as to where they wish to reside.  If either of them move to another area of the city, “Districts 2 and 4″ move with them.

Ironically, tied as they are to being the “two lowest vote-getters,” those who tossed up Cashman’s “top vote-getter” status as the reason for his being the mayor will now have to sit on their hands and bite their tongues as they witness the whim of Ade and Farnam with regard to where they might want to live and lead the city. Cashman cannot utter a word.  

Third, should Ade move from her current residence and hook her district to the rear bumper of a U-Haul trailer, any future city council candidates who might be a neighbor now can end their contemplation of seeking her seat as their replacement district 1, 3 or 5 will, as a result, not be voting until 2012. 

All in all, Wildomar’s turbulent district dilemmas prove that there is a God and that He or She watches and enjoys politics in Wildomar rather than network television.  There is no other explanation.

Zak is not taking any comments at this time. Rather, he wants those who have touted Cashman’s mayoralty on the basis of his top vote totals to ponder Cashman’s dilemma.  If it looks like a political wedgie, don’t blame Zak.

Church Silently Crushes Skateboarder’s Dreams

CHURCH CLOSES SKATE BOARD PARK ON CHURCH GROUNDS

The Press Enterprise recently reported on the closure of the Wildomar Skate Board Park which had been taken into the Cornerstone fold in December 2007.  It appears that the church no longer wishes to support the project. Re-reading the newspaper articles from last year, it does not appear that Cornerstone was ever that enthusiastic about having the park.

Fair enough.  They are a church, after all, working tirelessly, we hope, to rescue the perishing souls in a sin-filled world from perdition.  They should not have to bear the exposure to liability from a dangerous sport when a city operated park has built-in immunities for the city.

Sadly, however, they have chosen not to comment to the reporters on the situation, depriving the public of a chance to express their gratitude for the time Cornerstone did make a place for skateboarders.  They probably enjoyed the compliments when they took the skateboarders in.  It simply takes a comment that “we’re done.”  End of story and issue. Silence suggests some angst and discomfort over the closure. Cornerstone should be applauded for taking the skateboarders in, even for six months.

Perhaps the comments of one of the founding sisters tells the untold Cornerstone story best. “This didn’t work out,” Priscilla, 16, said. “But it’s not what we wanted. We want a park for Wildomar. This park was more for the church.”  As it should be. Wildomar Magazine has no criticism for Cornerstone on this issue.

This, however, is why Wildomar’s first city officials have had to learn to leave churches out of their civic stuff.  Cornerstone was always the easy ”go to” entity, whether for a skate board park or a city council meeting. It’s not  a church’s job, including Cornerstone, to carry the city on their backs. 

It tends to create a sense of obligation within the city in favor of the church; a  thought of “we owe them.”

Thank God the Wildomar City Council appears to have gotten beyond that.

Comments to zakturango@excite.com will be saved for placement in the Time Capsule planted under the concrete slab at the future Wildomar Skate Board Park.

Voting Districts May Be Coming to Wildomar…..

                                   

….BUT THEY WON’T BE COMING THIS NOVEMBER AND THEY WON’T BE COMING BECAUSE ANYBODY’S LAWSUIT SAYS THEY ARE COMING

“Judge Bernard Schwartz, discussing his ruling from the bench, said a council needs a reasonable amount of time to determine how a city will be divided up into districts.

He cited state law that says forming boundaries must take into account population, topography, geography, cohesiveness, abutting territories and demographics.

Also, Schwartz noted that Wildomar wouldn’t have been able to meet the county’s June 27 deadline for scheduling an election in November because the city wasn’t incorporated until July 1….,”  according to Friday’s Californian.

Will the City have to fund a special election in 2009?  Maybe yes.  Maybe no.  If it does, the cost of the special election will be the sole responsibility of those who are trying to force the date that Wildomar must come to grips with LAFCO’s last minute addition of the “Vote By District” proposition at the last election.

On the other hand, if the City Council is permitted it’s reasonable time to deal with the issue, a Vote By District election for the three lowest vote-getters,  each of those Councilpersons up for re-election,  Sheryl Ade, Scott Farnam and Marsha Swanson, will have served their two year term and no one is deprived of their votes or opportunity to serve.
 
Now it becomes a question of the amount of hubris that the persons behind the ongoing litigation have in their expensive quest to save Wildomar from itself.  And how much of the City’s limited resources will be expended defending this litigation.

It would appear that the Courts are loathe to force an expensive, premature election on Wildomar and is going to allow the City a reasonable amount of time to resolve a complex matter.

Zak’s guess is that 2009 won’t be the year of the Voting District, either. 

Comments are only allowed to zakturango@excite.com but only if you are registered to vote in District 2 or District 4.  No At Large comments will be permitted at this time.

It Always Rolls Downhill….

               

…ALWAYS HAS, ALWAYS WILL!

LOWER-LEVEL STAFFERS AT EVMWD BLAMED FOR $600,000 GOOF

Despite everyone’s best efforts to put a happy face on a $600,000 “win-win” misunderstanding, the Lakeland Village/Wildomar Project Area Committee (“RDA PAC”) is going to re-vote to re-cant their recklessness with taxpayer’s money, hoping everyone will forgive and forget about their abject failure to conduct “due diligence” before making a decision.

However, as always, someone has to be blamed for the error.  In this case, it’s some faceless, clueless EVMWD employees that will have to take the hit for the real culprits.

According to today’s Californian article, Riverside County’s RDA PAC “babysitter,” Aurelio Aguirre said that the ”district’s general manager, Ron Young, didn’t know about the presentation or the funding discussion because the conversations about the project involved lower-level district staff members.

On Wednesday, the district’s spokesman, Greg Morrison, backed Aguirre’s account. “I think it’s as simple as lower-level staff members not communicating with management,” he said.”

Pause for a lucid minute with Wildomar Magazine.  “Lower -level” staffers at the EVMWD can induce an RDA committee run by citizen appointees to produce $600,000 on their own instigation?  Where are the controls at the EVMWD that even permit this to occur once?

How about Riverside County’s oversight? If Aguirre is in attendance to babysit the RDA PAC on behalf of the County, who is babysitting Aguirre, if this happens on his watch?  Was he not present at the meeting?  Shouldn’t he have questioned the presentation before the vote was taken?

Sorry but the old saw about sh*t rolling downhill won’t pass muster on this turd of a vote. Zak is pinching his nose over this explanation.  Something stills smells about the whole thing.

Zak predicts that the RDA PAC is going to approve the $600,000 again ’cause they aren’t any brighter than they were last week.

Zak will be sniffing for your comments to zakturango@excite.com.