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August 6, 2010·scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0)·Wayback capture
August 6, 2010 – Daily Brief, Up Against the Wall! Edition
By Jeff— Jeff Wilson
From the Did He Just Say that? Files: Congressman Buck McKeon tells The Signal that places in the USA are “almost on the verge of revolution” over having their will “thwarted” by minority interest groups, like the gays. Other local pols also talked about their reaction to the Proposition 8 ruling. SIGNAL
Unemployment stays at 9.5% as private employers add 71,000 jobs in July, but overall the country lost 131,000 jobs last month. There’s no doubt the economy slowed down in the spring, says the NY TIMES
“The City has no intention of banning any books,” Gail Ortiz tells KHTS. “Our intent is to run a first class, high service library to serve the people of this community.” It’s not the City I’m worried about…ahhhh nevermind KHTS
Speaking of the library matter, the COLA Librarian says that if the City were to takeover the operation of our three libraries, it might lose out on $1.5 million in tax revenue SCV voters approved of back in 1996. The City disputes that, saying that on the basis of Carl Newton’s analysis, they’ll be able to keep proceeds from the law. SIGNAL
Last month The Signal reported that City Manager Ken Pulskamp made $241,000 year overseeing the City of Santa Clarita. In a database released today by the LA Times, Pulskamp’s 2009 taxable compensation is listed as $257,579 (with the caveat that that number has been annualized for comparison to other cities.) If you sort by salary, Pulskamp is the 12th highest paid administrator in Los Angeles County (though he leads the 5th largest city in terms of population.) The LA Times report finds that the average City Manager makes $210,000 LA TIMES
Same sex marriage ruling not turning out to be a big issue for all four California Gubernatorial and Senate candidates LA TIMES
A Castaic area tow truck company emailed a bunch of media contacts yesterday alleging that the SCV Sheriff’s Station has allowed a single, rival SCV tow-truck company to monopolize all LASD-ordered tow jobs. Preffered Towing, the aggrieved party, compares the situation to the City of Bell and says that for two years, the SCV Sheriff’s Station sent 1091 calls out of 1095 to a tow company called Rolf’s Towing resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars for that company. I’ve already asked the LASD to comment.
Food costs rising at SCV supermarkets SIGNAL By the way, the new Sprouts Market is coming along; the interior is almost all built out. Pics coming
Congressman McKeon and a whole bunch of other House Members and California Senators want an official probe into what went wrong with the Station Fire LA TIMES
Captain Paul Becker of the SCV Sheriff’s Station will hold a community open house for residents Thursday August 19 at City Hall from 5pm to 7pm WRB
Crazy: A 39 year old Lancaster man has been sentenced to 64 years to life in prison for shooting & killing a man with a crossbow in 2008 LA TIMES
Colorado GOP Gubernatorial candidate says Denver’s popular bicycle sharing program is a “very well disguised” United Nations plot DENVER POST
Big John Boston has some swashbuckling tales for you in this week’s Time Ranger column, including details on my favorite SCV bandito, Tiburcio “Tibby” Vasquez, the last of the Californio banditos, a dashing, womanizing, hard drinking, hard charging horseman of yesteryear. Also, did you know that Art Deco-inspired Newhall Elementary School auditorium was built using FDR’s New Deal money? WEST RANCH BEACON
Romero Canyon site for Castaic High School has “well known and documented flaws,” says this LTE WRITER.
I Heart SCV -well known for his bird whispering abilities- caught up with that Red Shouldered hawk yesterday that flew into City Hall. Here’s what the Hawk had to say: “I, however, was able to reach the hawk, and it had a lot to say–per usual for the species. It told me that it has been looking for a home since its oak tree at Romero Canyon was hacked down by Larry Rasmussen’s minions, eager as they were to clear the site even before it was chosen to host the new high school. It relocated to McBean, living in a mature sycamore near Newhall Memorial. When that tree also met the chainsaw, it moved to a cottonwood in Newhall Ranch, but recently heard that that area would soon be developed as well. Understandably, it intended a protest flight into boss man Ken Pulskamp’s office but missed, hitting the lesser Ken’s office instead.”
August 6, 2010 – Daily Brief, Up Against the Wall! Edition
Comments (24)
RemStarAugust 6, 2010 at 7:47 am
Surprising to see Lancaster and Palmdale pay their city managers so more than Santa Clarita. Isn’t the cost of living in the AV half of that here in the SCV?
derrickAugust 6, 2010 at 8:30 am
While cost of living is less, you also have to think that it might be harder for Lancaster and Palmdale to attract a higher-caliber person based on their location and local issues in the area. One way to compensate that is to give a higher salary.
LStaedtlerAugust 6, 2010 at 8:27 am
One quick correction Jeff: Santa Clarita is the 4th largest city in LA County, not 5th.
scvtruthsquadAugust 6, 2010 at 9:38 am
Just because the people vote for something does not mean that it can not be unconstitutional. The judge made the right call.
Natalie EverettAugust 6, 2010 at 10:40 am
To clarify: The Signal listed Pulskamp’s salary at $242K; Burbank’s manager at $218K; Lancaster’s manager at $244K; Pasadena’s manager at $266K; and Glendale’s manager at $245K. The Signal used the base salaries of both the city managers and city councils of the cities we compared. Our story is apples, LATimes is oranges. Best, Natalie Everett neverett@the-signal.com
JeffAugust 6, 2010 at 10:47 am
I figured it was something like that. Didn’t meant to imply your story was factually incorrect. There’s just different ways of looking at it, as you pointed out.
Natalie EverettAugust 6, 2010 at 11:08 am
No worries, just wanted your loyal commenters to be fully informed.
mikeAugust 6, 2010 at 11:11 am
Keep up the good work!
John AdamsAugust 6, 2010 at 11:13 am
I heard obama is taking his magician act to “Americas Got Talent”? I bet he has a shot at winning! Hell I have never heard of any other acts that can make 3.5 million jobs disappear.
scvtruthsquadAugust 6, 2010 at 1:34 pm
you sir are a moron
John AdamsAugust 7, 2010 at 7:17 am
Excellent rebuttal sir! Going to miss you in 4 weeks
cashAugust 6, 2010 at 1:22 pm
http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/citypayroll/?appSession=865254427477918 Check out the neighborhood empowerment salaries. And Kenny the Scamp can pay for the CCOC!
@ cash, as you are well aware the CCAC does not qualify as a Neighborhood Council. Right off the bat, read the RULES for official recognition by Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment aka DONE and it is evident the CCAC would never be officially recognized as representing Canyon Country.
Alan FerdmanAugust 7, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Cash Looking at the list of jobs and salaries of Los Angeles Neighborhood Empowerment Division anyone can easily reach the conclusion that LA takes this program seriously. If Santa Clarita would just invest an equivalent of the top management salaries on this issue here in Santa Clarita we would have a top notch program. Too bad they are not interested.
Berta González-HarperAugust 7, 2010 at 12:54 pm
@ Alan Ferdman, you forgot to mention that the City of Los Angeles is on the verge of bankruptcy. Since the City of Santa Clarita currently enjoys a balanced budget thanks to the prudent stewardship of our City leaders, I certainly hope you are not suggesting residents should push the City of Santa Clarita into insolvency by demanding even more unfunded mandates. Therefore, I suppose you are willing to spearhead the tax increase initiative or the bond measure and put it before the voters to generate money to fund a Department of Neighborhood Empowerment for us here in Santa Clarita. Al, you would be the biggest loser under a Neighborhood Council system since there are strict oversight rules to prevent exactly the shenanigans you have been pulling as Chair of the CCAC.
Your Web GuruAugust 6, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Buck McKeon runs to Victorville of all places to calm the disenfranchised rabble? VICTORVILLE?? Well, excuse me for not realizing that Victorville represents a vast cross-section of Californians, as opposed to a necessary evil you must drive through as quickly as possible to get to Las Vegas.
cashAugust 6, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Kenny the Skamp is paid what he is paid so the council and the GOB’s network need not worry that he will begin to roam. Up until the financial downturn, Kenny the Skamps job has been a cake walk. Plenty of taxpayer and developer money, along with relatively new infrastructure, made the job a snap. Time to freeze his salary!
CoastalSageAugust 6, 2010 at 3:13 pm
I found the story at the end of the SCVTalk link concerning bipartisan requests by House and Senate members into investigation of why the Station fire got SO out of control to be encouraging, in terms of the members’ cooperation and the chance that the investigation will lead to the full truth. However, learning the “full truth” will not make anyone who lost personal possessions, buildings or large trees in the fire. Assuming that Forest Service employees were negligent in failing to competently control the fire on the Federal government’s own land, the damaged property owners potentially have a money damages claim against the Federal government. HOWEVER, unless those with money damages from the file properly make claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act on time, with appropriate documentation, they cannot recover a dime from the Federal government….even if this inquiry requested by the Members of Congress produces clear cut evidence of negligency by Federal employees. So, get the word out SCVTALK readers. If you know anyone who was truly damaged by the Station Fire, they have to get to a competent plaintiffs’ attorney ASAP and make that Federal Tort Claim immediately. They should NOT wait for the outcome of the report.
Street KnowledgeAugust 6, 2010 at 3:33 pm
sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sue sudio whoa oh whoa
FrankAugust 8, 2010 at 2:40 am
I believe your Rolf’s towing should be: Wolf’s Towing & Auto Repair
GRAMPSAugust 8, 2010 at 8:04 am
Bairtaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Again, you need to WAKEUP and go back to sleep. Your posts are always, without doubt, inaccurate, insane and foolish. Check your MEDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe a few days or 72 hours at Olive View Medical Center would shed some light on your condition.
Berta González-HarperAugust 8, 2010 at 2:17 pm
@ GRAMPS, you call me foolish, ignorant, inaccurate, and insane while arrogantly dismissing my views because you do not concur. Your “go back to sleep comments” were never funny but insulting as intended. That says more about you than it does about me. I understand you are closing ranks to protect your “leader” and while I understand, I am disappointed. I realize that this is a common occurrence with many who share your chosen profession but had naively hoped you did not ascribe to the theory that your rights and those of your friends are worthy of protection, but not mine. Where is your outrage when my rights to express my opinion and later to rebut defamatory comments made about me are denied? Where is your outrage each time that approved meeting policies to ensure fair representation are constantly violated? Where is your outrage that my valid community concerns are not provided agenda time to discuss? Where is your outrage that an individual presents his personal opinions as though he is authorized to speak for the entire CCAC and Canyon Country when he is not? Did you swear to serve and protect only those who agree with you and your friends, or to uphold the rule of law? I guess I have my answer. You told me to go find another committee since according to you I do not belong, instead of requesting I receive a fair and impartial hearing regarding my legitimate grievances because it involved your buddy. It was never Al’s group or yours but OURS with each having an equal right and ability to individually opine and contribute. Are you one of the anonymous callers that threatens me and “knows where you live”? I am not shutting up or moving out, so deal with it. GRAMPS I do not accept your personal criticisms and I no longer respect your opinion as you have proven yet again that you are very biased towards me and cannot look past your “loyalty” and see the valid complaints I have been expressing for the last few years regarding your “leader”. You go ahead, remain loyal to Al, and attack me for questioning his tactics. I will remain involved, refuse to condone unethical behavior, and continue to exercise my rights whether you approve or not.
GangFangAugust 8, 2010 at 9:19 pm
BERTA BLOWS A BLOOD VESSEL TYPING RESPONSE ON LOCAL SCV BLOG, NEWS AT 11:00!
Comments (24)