Council Person Disclaimers-An SCV History

By Timothy Myers SR. — Tim Myers

Fireworks will fire at the City Council meeting tonight for a variety of reasons, but not least when Council hopeful TimBen Boydston stands in front of the Council and states that he believes that Bob Kellar violated the City Code of Ethics when he made a speech at an anti-immigrant rally and did not disclaim that his views were his own and not in his capacity as an elected official. I thought as we sort through this over the next couple of days that a short history lesson might be in order to put this in the ever popular and elusive “context.”

In 1990 former council member Jill Klajic hit the SCV political scene beating an incumbent member of the founding City Council, Dennis Koontz, scoring one of only TWO victories over an incumbent in City history. Ironically, in 1994 she would narrowly lose to Clyde Smyth, father of our own assemblyman and retired Hart District superintendent, becoming only the SECOND incumbent to lose. Not to worry: She would storm back to reclaim her seat in 1996, becoming the ONLY former Council member to regain their seat after a loss.

It is an oversimplification, but Ms. Klajic’s politics can best be described as anti-growth, but probably more accurately anti-Newhall Land. She had a penchant for sending out letters on her Council letterhead to various interested parties with business before the City. According to legend she wrote letters to Princess Cruises exhorting them NOT to locate their headquarters in Valencia, alleging that Santa Clarita was not ‘business friendly.” It was confirmed that she wrote a letter to a transportation authority when the City was begging money for the Cross Valley Connector, now painfully near completion, stating that the road was “unnecessary” and that the 138 (Yes, that road from Gorman to Palmdale!) was a perfectly functional cross valley route.

At that time the Council could do nothing about these embarassing letters since there was no Code of Ethics. Klajic would leave the Council in 2000 after a paper weight throwing/tossing incident which requires a later post for context if wacky things unravel at the Council meeting on January 26, and the need for such a Code would recede until it was put in by the City much later.

So here we have the first allegation of a violation of this nature under the nascent Code of Ethics. In the ultimate act of irony, who replaced Klajic when she did not run for reelection in 2000? Bob Kellar! (I’m not kidding!) I am about as committed a Christian as one can be but I’m getting spooked by this whole Hindu karma thing playing itself out in our burg.

Comments (22)

cashJanuary 26, 2010 at 2:20 pm

It’s about time someone in local government acknowledges the financial drain. Seems Mike Antonovich and Bob Kellar are more concerned about the truth than they are about being politically correct. Thanks Mike and Bob.

SamJanuary 26, 2010 at 3:04 pm

So what was gained out of this SCV anti-immigrant rally? Loss of a “good” elected official? Did we see a decrease in illegals arriving as a result of the rally? Are some Santa Clarita residents now going to church in A.V. because they liked what they heard at the rally? Are the minutemen happy that the rally is getting coverage? Why are people afraid to be called a racist when we know that a good percentage of people that live in SCV live hear because they think the San Fernando Valley is mostly ghetto?

Drive66January 26, 2010 at 3:14 pm

The San Fernando Valley IS mostly a ghetto.

Vince HansJanuary 26, 2010 at 3:50 pm

not MY part of the SF Valley.

Kevin D. KorenthalJanuary 26, 2010 at 3:58 pm

The part of the San Fernando Valley that I work in is VERY ghetto.

Timothy MyersJanuary 26, 2010 at 4:37 pm

Cash: My mixed race grandchildren are still looking for you, so I have the following two suggestions: 1. Keep looking over your shoulder, and 2. Don’t step to any almond colored people.

navigatorJanuary 26, 2010 at 4:50 pm

“The part of the San Fernando Valley that I work in is VERY ghetto” Que?

Drive66January 26, 2010 at 5:04 pm

Maybe I should have emphasize MOSTLY. 8-B

cashJanuary 26, 2010 at 5:27 pm

Timmy your grandkids are welcome anytime. But here are some no-agenda numbers: * There were 2.8 million illegal immigrants living in California in 2006, the last year for which there are relatively good figures, according to the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. That represented about 8% of the state’s population and roughly a quarter of the nation’s illegal immigrants. About 90% of California’s illegal immigrants were from Latin America; 65% from Mexico. * There are roughly 19,000 illegal immigrants in state prisons, representing 11% of all inmates. That’s costing $970 million during the current fiscal year. The feds kick in a measly $111 million, leaving the state with an $859 million tab. * Schools are the toughest to calculate. Administrators don’t ask kids about citizenship status. Anyway, many children of illegal immigrants were born in this country and automatically became U.S. citizens. If you figure that the children of illegal immigrants attending K-12 schools approximates the proportion of illegal immigrants in the population, the bill currently comes to roughly $4 billion. Most is state money; some local property taxes. * Illegal immigrants aren’t entitled to welfare, called CalWORKs. But their citizen children are. Roughly 190,000 kids are receiving welfare checks that pass through their parents. The cost: about $500 million, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. Schwarzenegger has proposed removing these children from the welfare rolls after five years. It’s part of a broader proposal to also boot off, after five years, the children of U.S. citizens who aren’t meeting federal work requirements. There’d be a combined savings of $522 million. * The state is spending $775 million on Medi-Cal healthcare for illegal immigrants, according to the legislative analyst. Of that, $642 million goes into direct benefits. Practically all the rest is paid to counties to administer the program. The feds generally match the state dollar-for-dollar on mandatory programs. So-called emergency services are the biggest state cost: $536 million. Prenatal care is $59 million. Not counted in the overall total is the cost of baby delivery — $108 million — because the newborns aren’t illegal immigrants. The state also pays $47 million for programs that Washington does not require: Non-emergency care (breast and cervical cancer treatment), $25 million; long-term nursing home care, $19 million; abortions, $3 million. Schwarzenegger has proposed requiring illegal immigrants to requalify every month for Medi-Cal benefits, except pregnancy-related emergencies. There also are other taxpayer costs — especially through local governments — but those are the biggies for the state. Add them all up and the state spends well over $5 billion a year on illegal immigrants and their families. Of course, illegal immigrants do pay state taxes. But no way do they pay enough to replenish what they’re drawing in services. Their main revenue contribution would be the sales tax, but they can’t afford to be big consumers, and food and prescription drugs are exempt. Source LA Times

cashJanuary 26, 2010 at 5:37 pm

Only eat IN-N-OUT! They seldom screw up your order because of communication issues.

Drive66January 26, 2010 at 5:39 pm

That is the real world, the real numbers that NO ONE talks about.

Berta González-HarperJanuary 26, 2010 at 6:07 pm

Cash: We actually agree on this issue much to my surprise. Right on.

Drive66January 26, 2010 at 7:09 pm

NickelDime I agree on starting with employers but, you need people to buy your goods and services and when you drive down wages to lower your costs you will eventually be shooting yourself in the foot because no one can afford your goods due to the lower wages. It amazes me how people don’t get that. The middle class is being destroyed slowly but surely.

SCVFanJanuary 26, 2010 at 8:55 pm

oh the applause from the council meeting tonight made my HEART SWELL. So proud of Bob.

RockyJanuary 26, 2010 at 10:53 pm

City Council Candidate TimBen Boydston Addresses Santa Clarita City Council Meeting Regarding Controversy Surrounding City Councilmember’s Remarks Candidate Boydston Outlines Position and Makes Proposals I am Former Councilman TimBen Boydston and in the interest of full disclosure I am a candidate for City Council in our April election. When I was on the City Council in 2007, I worked very hard to establish a Code of Ethics for our City. This very Council with the exception of Council Member Ender who was not yet elected, passed our Ethics Code. A violation of our City’s ethics code is a serious matter. This code dictates the way that you, as representatives of the people, are to conduct yourselves while serving the citizens of our great City. On January 16th Council member Kellar exercised one of the great freedoms that we have in America, The Freedom of Free Speech. While I disagree with some of the things that Mr. Kellar said, I stand in his defense for his right to say them. In fact while serving my country in the military, I pledged my very life to preserve this freedom, as did Mr. Kellar when he served. However, during our term as City Council Members, we are not allowed to advocate, without declaring, that we are not speaking for the City Council. The Law is very clear on this and there is no ambiguity. I quote “[members] shall explicitly state that they do not represent their body or the City of Santa Clarita.” In watching the video of the January 16th event, this statement is never made. Council member Kellar was introduced as a public official from our City. It was his responsibility to state that He was not representing the City. As to the contents of Mr. Kellar’s speech, I believe that Mr. Kellar did not intend for his remarks to come out the way they did. The assertion that Mr. Kellar made using the term racist is not appropriate in any context. It is inflammatory. The persuasive device used “if this then that” failed miserably. I appreciate that Mr. Kellar said in an interview with KHTS that he wished he had not used that word. A simple apology for the use of that phrase, and for an unintended breach in our ethics code would be all that would be needed to put this turmoil to rest. I call upon our honorable City Council to ask for that simple apology. As to the illegal immigration issue, that discussion does not belong in a forum of shouters in an outdoor park, but rather here in our representatives’ chambers. Illegal immigration is a Federal issue but our Federal Government has failed to address this issue, and it impacts all of us. So I recommend that the City Council form a citizen’s task force made up of all of the diverse elements of our great City to study this issue, and bring forward recommendations to the City Council of ways in which we the people of Santa Clarita can encourage and help our State and Federal Government to solve this problem. May God Bless the City of Santa Clarita, and May God Bless America.

RyantherayJanuary 27, 2010 at 12:44 am

Bob Kellar started a dialog about illegal immigration that needed to be started. He had the guts to stand by his convictions and address the issue. The cost of illegal immigration is way more than most politicians will admit to. Either they want amnesty for the illegals and see them as future Democrats or if they tell the public what the actual cost are they’ll be taken to task as to why they let it get so bad and didn’t stop it. But we need to start now. Billions are spent on illegals and in addition to that our natural resources are being depleted and our environment contaminated by over population. Look at East LA and most towns. Whole towns with houses with bars on all the windows and doors. Graffiti everywhere and prisons we can no longer afford. Studies show that if not curtailed we will be equal to China in population density. Those are what we need to address.

Interesred GirlJanuary 27, 2010 at 9:32 am

@Berta González-Harper great to meet you last night! Looks like channel 2 news liked what you said, Did you catch that?

Berta González-HarperJanuary 27, 2010 at 2:32 pm

Interested Girl: Great to meet you too! I apologize for leaving without saying good night and thanking you for being there to support Bob. I’ll take this opportunity to thank you and everyone else that came out to support justice. Both for Bob and the illegal immigration issue. I did catch myself on the news since some friends called me to say they recognized me from a “teaser” on channel 11. Channel 2 also? Wow, good thing I’m not on a Wanted List or Dog would know where to find me… Hope to see you again around Santa Clarita!

SCV GuyJanuary 28, 2010 at 1:13 pm

NickelDime says “illegals are paying into a social security system without getting benefits. That’s a net inflow.” @NickelDime – not true My SSN was stolen and an illegal used it for 18 months to gain employment in N Cal. He claimed 20 dependents!! so had NO taxes taken out of his paycheck. Guess who they called to pay those taxes… ME! And it only took me 20 months to clean it up with the IRS. Please educate yourself on facts before you spew nonfactual lies.

mikeJanuary 28, 2010 at 2:58 pm

dependents can negate payroll tax? How so?

SCV GuyFebruary 5, 2010 at 4:28 pm

@Mike, I’m not saying these businesses are not paying in their part – its the illegal workers using other people SSN’s are not. For a small lesson on how taxes work – Yes, you can claim more dependents to have LESS taken out of your income taxes on your pay check. Disclaimer: These comments are not designed to provide any tax advise. For more information on taxes you should talk to an accredited tax consultant.

Timothy MyersFebruary 5, 2010 at 4:31 pm

SCV Guy and Mike: Mike is right that exemptions do not lower PAYROLL tax. SCVGuy is right that exemptions lower income tax WITHHOLDING. Can’t we all just get along?

cashJanuary 26, 2010 at 2:20 pm
It’s about time someone in local government acknowledges the financial drain. Seems Mike Antonovich and Bob Kellar are more concerned about the truth than they are about being politically correct. Thanks Mike and Bob.
SamJanuary 26, 2010 at 3:04 pm
So what was gained out of this SCV anti-immigrant rally? Loss of a “good” elected official? Did we see a decrease in illegals arriving as a result of the rally? Are some Santa Clarita residents now going to church in A.V. because they liked what they heard at the rally? Are the minutemen happy that the rally is getting coverage? Why are people afraid to be called a racist when we know that a good percentage of people that live in SCV live hear because they think the San Fernando Valley is mostly ghetto?
Drive66January 26, 2010 at 3:14 pm
The San Fernando Valley IS mostly a ghetto.
Vince HansJanuary 26, 2010 at 3:50 pm
not MY part of the SF Valley.
Kevin D. KorenthalJanuary 26, 2010 at 3:58 pm
The part of the San Fernando Valley that I work in is VERY ghetto.
Timothy MyersJanuary 26, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Cash: My mixed race grandchildren are still looking for you, so I have the following two suggestions: 1. Keep looking over your shoulder, and 2. Don’t step to any almond colored people.
navigatorJanuary 26, 2010 at 4:50 pm
“The part of the San Fernando Valley that I work in is VERY ghetto” Que?
Drive66January 26, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Maybe I should have emphasize MOSTLY. 8-B
cashJanuary 26, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Timmy your grandkids are welcome anytime. But here are some no-agenda numbers: * There were 2.8 million illegal immigrants living in California in 2006, the last year for which there are relatively good figures, according to the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. That represented about 8% of the state’s population and roughly a quarter of the nation’s illegal immigrants. About 90% of California’s illegal immigrants were from Latin America; 65% from Mexico. * There are roughly 19,000 illegal immigrants in state prisons, representing 11% of all inmates. That’s costing $970 million during the current fiscal year. The feds kick in a measly $111 million, leaving the state with an $859 million tab. * Schools are the toughest to calculate. Administrators don’t ask kids about citizenship status. Anyway, many children of illegal immigrants were born in this country and automatically became U.S. citizens. If you figure that the children of illegal immigrants attending K-12 schools approximates the proportion of illegal immigrants in the population, the bill currently comes to roughly $4 billion. Most is state money; some local property taxes. * Illegal immigrants aren’t entitled to welfare, called CalWORKs. But their citizen children are. Roughly 190,000 kids are receiving welfare checks that pass through their parents. The cost: about $500 million, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. Schwarzenegger has proposed removing these children from the welfare rolls after five years. It’s part of a broader proposal to also boot off, after five years, the children of U.S. citizens who aren’t meeting federal work requirements. There’d be a combined savings of $522 million. * The state is spending $775 million on Medi-Cal healthcare for illegal immigrants, according to the legislative analyst. Of that, $642 million goes into direct benefits. Practically all the rest is paid to counties to administer the program. The feds generally match the state dollar-for-dollar on mandatory programs. So-called emergency services are the biggest state cost: $536 million. Prenatal care is $59 million. Not counted in the overall total is the cost of baby delivery — $108 million — because the newborns aren’t illegal immigrants. The state also pays $47 million for programs that Washington does not require: Non-emergency care (breast and cervical cancer treatment), $25 million; long-term nursing home care, $19 million; abortions, $3 million. Schwarzenegger has proposed requiring illegal immigrants to requalify every month for Medi-Cal benefits, except pregnancy-related emergencies. There also are other taxpayer costs — especially through local governments — but those are the biggies for the state. Add them all up and the state spends well over $5 billion a year on illegal immigrants and their families. Of course, illegal immigrants do pay state taxes. But no way do they pay enough to replenish what they’re drawing in services. Their main revenue contribution would be the sales tax, but they can’t afford to be big consumers, and food and prescription drugs are exempt. Source LA Times
cashJanuary 26, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Only eat IN-N-OUT! They seldom screw up your order because of communication issues.
Drive66January 26, 2010 at 5:39 pm
That is the real world, the real numbers that NO ONE talks about.
Berta González-HarperJanuary 26, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Cash: We actually agree on this issue much to my surprise. Right on.
Drive66January 26, 2010 at 7:09 pm
NickelDime I agree on starting with employers but, you need people to buy your goods and services and when you drive down wages to lower your costs you will eventually be shooting yourself in the foot because no one can afford your goods due to the lower wages. It amazes me how people don’t get that. The middle class is being destroyed slowly but surely.
SCVFanJanuary 26, 2010 at 8:55 pm
oh the applause from the council meeting tonight made my HEART SWELL. So proud of Bob.
RockyJanuary 26, 2010 at 10:53 pm
City Council Candidate TimBen Boydston Addresses Santa Clarita City Council Meeting Regarding Controversy Surrounding City Councilmember’s Remarks Candidate Boydston Outlines Position and Makes Proposals I am Former Councilman TimBen Boydston and in the interest of full disclosure I am a candidate for City Council in our April election. When I was on the City Council in 2007, I worked very hard to establish a Code of Ethics for our City. This very Council with the exception of Council Member Ender who was not yet elected, passed our Ethics Code. A violation of our City’s ethics code is a serious matter. This code dictates the way that you, as representatives of the people, are to conduct yourselves while serving the citizens of our great City. On January 16th Council member Kellar exercised one of the great freedoms that we have in America, The Freedom of Free Speech. While I disagree with some of the things that Mr. Kellar said, I stand in his defense for his right to say them. In fact while serving my country in the military, I pledged my very life to preserve this freedom, as did Mr. Kellar when he served. However, during our term as City Council Members, we are not allowed to advocate, without declaring, that we are not speaking for the City Council. The Law is very clear on this and there is no ambiguity. I quote “[members] shall explicitly state that they do not represent their body or the City of Santa Clarita.” In watching the video of the January 16th event, this statement is never made. Council member Kellar was introduced as a public official from our City. It was his responsibility to state that He was not representing the City. As to the contents of Mr. Kellar’s speech, I believe that Mr. Kellar did not intend for his remarks to come out the way they did. The assertion that Mr. Kellar made using the term racist is not appropriate in any context. It is inflammatory. The persuasive device used “if this then that” failed miserably. I appreciate that Mr. Kellar said in an interview with KHTS that he wished he had not used that word. A simple apology for the use of that phrase, and for an unintended breach in our ethics code would be all that would be needed to put this turmoil to rest. I call upon our honorable City Council to ask for that simple apology. As to the illegal immigration issue, that discussion does not belong in a forum of shouters in an outdoor park, but rather here in our representatives’ chambers. Illegal immigration is a Federal issue but our Federal Government has failed to address this issue, and it impacts all of us. So I recommend that the City Council form a citizen’s task force made up of all of the diverse elements of our great City to study this issue, and bring forward recommendations to the City Council of ways in which we the people of Santa Clarita can encourage and help our State and Federal Government to solve this problem. May God Bless the City of Santa Clarita, and May God Bless America.
RyantherayJanuary 27, 2010 at 12:44 am
Bob Kellar started a dialog about illegal immigration that needed to be started. He had the guts to stand by his convictions and address the issue. The cost of illegal immigration is way more than most politicians will admit to. Either they want amnesty for the illegals and see them as future Democrats or if they tell the public what the actual cost are they’ll be taken to task as to why they let it get so bad and didn’t stop it. But we need to start now. Billions are spent on illegals and in addition to that our natural resources are being depleted and our environment contaminated by over population. Look at East LA and most towns. Whole towns with houses with bars on all the windows and doors. Graffiti everywhere and prisons we can no longer afford. Studies show that if not curtailed we will be equal to China in population density. Those are what we need to address.
Interesred GirlJanuary 27, 2010 at 9:32 am
@Berta González-Harper great to meet you last night! Looks like channel 2 news liked what you said, Did you catch that?
Berta González-HarperJanuary 27, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Interested Girl: Great to meet you too! I apologize for leaving without saying good night and thanking you for being there to support Bob. I’ll take this opportunity to thank you and everyone else that came out to support justice. Both for Bob and the illegal immigration issue. I did catch myself on the news since some friends called me to say they recognized me from a “teaser” on channel 11. Channel 2 also? Wow, good thing I’m not on a Wanted List or Dog would know where to find me… Hope to see you again around Santa Clarita!
SCV GuyJanuary 28, 2010 at 1:13 pm
NickelDime says “illegals are paying into a social security system without getting benefits. That’s a net inflow.” @NickelDime – not true My SSN was stolen and an illegal used it for 18 months to gain employment in N Cal. He claimed 20 dependents!! so had NO taxes taken out of his paycheck. Guess who they called to pay those taxes… ME! And it only took me 20 months to clean it up with the IRS. Please educate yourself on facts before you spew nonfactual lies.
mikeJanuary 28, 2010 at 2:58 pm
dependents can negate payroll tax? How so?
SCV GuyFebruary 5, 2010 at 4:28 pm
@Mike, I’m not saying these businesses are not paying in their part – its the illegal workers using other people SSN’s are not. For a small lesson on how taxes work – Yes, you can claim more dependents to have LESS taken out of your income taxes on your pay check. Disclaimer: These comments are not designed to provide any tax advise. For more information on taxes you should talk to an accredited tax consultant.
Timothy MyersFebruary 5, 2010 at 4:31 pm
SCV Guy and Mike: Mike is right that exemptions do not lower PAYROLL tax. SCVGuy is right that exemptions lower income tax WITHHOLDING. Can’t we all just get along?