February 21, 2014 – Daily Brief

By Josh Premako

Will Digital Billboards Turn us Into Vegas?: All of the City Council candidates, save Dennis Conn and Paul Wieczorerk, were at Thursday morning's forum at the Hyatt, discussing everything from billboards to council districts. The Signal
Billboards on Council Agenda: While candidates debate billboards, the current City Council is poised to vote Tuesday night to remove 118 billboards from the MTA right-of-way, and pave the way for three digital billboards. SCVNews
Jewel Thief on the Loose: A Town Center jewelry store was held up yesterday. No word on how much was stolen. The Signal
Students Clean up the Community: Students team up with the city's graffiti removal team to clean up graffiti near Rio Vista Elementary School. Video from SCVTV
Amgen Tour Returns: The Amgen Tour of California returns to SCV, this time with rolling through downtown Newhall. No word yet on whether cyclists will use the roundabout. Signal report features the comments you've come to expect. The Signal
Wrong-Way Driver Case Going to Trial: A Burbank man charged with two counts of murder following a wrong-way crash on State Route 14 that left two people dead in June has been ordered to stand trial. The Signal
In Case You Missed It: "I’m committed to transparency, to ethical behavior, to ensuring that all of the rules are enforced,” he added. “We don’t break the law to enforce the law.” The Daily News interviews interim Sheriff John Scott. Daily News
Newhall District Parent Summit: Coming up next week, the Newhall School District's Parent Summit will reportedly discuss the state’s Local Control Funding Formula, Common Core Standards including the Smarter Balanced Assessment, and the district's mission statement in light of these changes. KHTS
She's a Celebrity, but She's no Waiter: Star of Hitchcock classic "The Birds" and operator of the Shambala animal preserve, Tippi Hedren is headlining the SCV Senior Center's Celebrity Waiter Dinner tomorrow night at the Hyatt. A few tickets still available; proceeds support the Senior Center's many programs SCVNews
Could a JEDI Save Newhall?: "Santa Clarita was a relative late-comer to redevelopment, and it was nowhere near done bringing new businesses and economic activity back to Newhall when the state pulled the plug." Leon Worden opines on redevelopment and the JEDI Act, a potential ballot measure that would secure a place for it in the state constitution. SCVNews
"You are the biggest nightmare for people who attend public events": Two men sentenced for beating Bryan Stow nearly to death after a 2011 Dodgers/Giants game. AP via The Signal
No Drought of Opinions: "When it works, it’s a marvel. Golden Gate Park is green. Los Angeles has a river (sort of). The fragrance of fruit trees fills Fresno. But what if there is no snow, no rain, and nothing left in the aquifers underground?" The New York Times' Tim Egan on California's "nature defiance." NY Times

And there you have it, your Friday brief. Hopefully your weekend is filled with at least a few moments to relax and not be driven too crazy by all that's going on in the world. Turn off the TV, put away your laptop, get out of the house and take a walk. Breathe some fresh air. Hug someone you love. Make a point to be refreshed before Monday morning smacks you upside the head. I'll see you then, with the Monday brief.

Comments (12)

larmccFriday, February 21st, 2014 at 9:06 am

The only thing that will 'save' downtown Newhall is a bulldozer. It would need to be taken to the houses and apartments directly east and west of Main Street. A properly designed high density development would bring in customers needed to sustain the area. But this ain't happening. Maybe we can build high speed rail between Old Town and the mall. It's only taxpayer money, so let's go crazy.

IHeartSCVFriday, February 21st, 2014 at 9:29 am

You're so pessimistic. Ceramic Artist Studio, Inc. just opened down there; perhaps Newhall will be saved by clay, wheel, and kiln.

larmccFriday, February 21st, 2014 at 9:40 am

I prefer to think of myself as a realist. I hope in time I am proven wrong.

ToddSaturday, February 22nd, 2014 at 11:39 pm

larmcc, patented Newhall hater. (TM)

timothymyers02Friday, February 21st, 2014 at 11:22 am

Council candidates will need 4000-4500 votes to secure the "open" council seat and maybe 4500-5000 to unseat an incumbent. Going to these mass candidate forums seems like the least efficient way to secure those votes (other than arguments among candidates on Facebook pages).

larmccFriday, February 21st, 2014 at 3:04 pm

Don't they have city council races in Irvine?

timothymyers02Friday, February 21st, 2014 at 3:17 pm

Only in November and only in even numbered years. I live in Aliso Viejo where the last time around (2012) they booted out two incumbents. Irvine has "consecutive" term limits where council members have to sit out for two years but then can run again, and at least two have.

Bill ReynoldsSunday, February 23rd, 2014 at 7:36 am

Yeah Timmy.... take a hike & mind your own city council business!

ToddSaturday, February 22nd, 2014 at 11:49 pm

I find great irony in the fact that the guns behind Prop 13 are the ones trying to revive redevelopment. Prop 13 is the single worst thing that happened to the State of California. History will prove me right. When you have commercial properties worth billions of dollars in the real world, held under a corporation or llc, that are sitting on the assessor's rolls at a value of hundreds of thousands of dollars, someone is getting the shaft. When you have grandkids that move into Grandma's old craftsman house that she's owned (and placed in trust) since 1958, and they can't afford to pay for any sort of property upkeep despite living in a home worth a cool million, assessed at $78K... When you're saddled with 50 years of unreasonable payments on a property you purchase with it's "Mello Roos" because somehow we had to pay for that new fire station and property tax revenues alone won't cut it...and all those old grannies down the street get to use that fire station, new streets, send their grand kids off to beautiful new schools... all on my dime because they don't want to pay their fair share of property tax for fear of losing their home. Look, I get it. Unreasonable assessments and levies are bad. But artificially keeping property tax values low has left the state with a significant infrastructure problem that isn't and won't go away. Not until we all pay our fair share, and one neighbor isn't paying $500/year in property taxes while the other is paying $5000. On the same street. In the same floorplan. On the same size lot.

Bill ReynoldsSunday, February 23rd, 2014 at 7:39 am

Perhaps if our State would stop wasting our $$'s on ridiculous entitlements and bloated public union wages/pensions we would have enough to make infrastructure improvements!

ed samuelsonSunday, February 23rd, 2014 at 7:03 pm

One thing you forgot to mention is the house that was purchase in 1958 has been paying taxes since 1958. $500 a year for 56 years is 28K. Their house cost probably was not 28K in 1950. The cost to build the firestation and local streets has long been paid. Paying $5000 a year property tax is nonsense on a house that cost 28K. You have just moved in, and have not paid any property tax. Todays costs are a lot more than they were almost 60 years ago. Your property tax is justified. In 50 years the house will cost 50 Million, and the property tax will be 5 Million. Your 5K taxes will be considered a bargain.

Ex-EverywhereMonday, February 24th, 2014 at 12:06 pm

Except for the young family who was gifted that house in 1978 and 1998 and 2018 -- thanks to Prop 13 and its subsequent related props, that property tax basis remains... $500 per year (plus 2% each year max). Each of the those families are sucking off the state teat while the neighbors pay more than their fair share.

larmccFriday, February 21st, 2014 at 9:06 am
The only thing that will 'save' downtown Newhall is a bulldozer. It would need to be taken to the houses and apartments directly east and west of Main Street. A properly designed high density development would bring in customers needed to sustain the area. But this ain't happening. Maybe we can build high speed rail between Old Town and the mall. It's only taxpayer money, so let's go crazy.
IHeartSCVFriday, February 21st, 2014 at 9:29 am
You're so pessimistic. Ceramic Artist Studio, Inc. just opened down there; perhaps Newhall will be saved by clay, wheel, and kiln.
larmccFriday, February 21st, 2014 at 9:40 am
I prefer to think of myself as a realist. I hope in time I am proven wrong.
ToddSaturday, February 22nd, 2014 at 11:39 pm
larmcc, patented Newhall hater. (TM)
timothymyers02Friday, February 21st, 2014 at 11:22 am
Council candidates will need 4000-4500 votes to secure the "open" council seat and maybe 4500-5000 to unseat an incumbent. Going to these mass candidate forums seems like the least efficient way to secure those votes (other than arguments among candidates on Facebook pages).
larmccFriday, February 21st, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Don't they have city council races in Irvine?
timothymyers02Friday, February 21st, 2014 at 3:17 pm
Only in November and only in even numbered years. I live in Aliso Viejo where the last time around (2012) they booted out two incumbents. Irvine has "consecutive" term limits where council members have to sit out for two years but then can run again, and at least two have.
Bill ReynoldsSunday, February 23rd, 2014 at 7:36 am
Yeah Timmy.... take a hike & mind your own city council business!
ToddSaturday, February 22nd, 2014 at 11:49 pm
I find great irony in the fact that the guns behind Prop 13 are the ones trying to revive redevelopment. Prop 13 is the single worst thing that happened to the State of California. History will prove me right. When you have commercial properties worth billions of dollars in the real world, held under a corporation or llc, that are sitting on the assessor's rolls at a value of hundreds of thousands of dollars, someone is getting the shaft. When you have grandkids that move into Grandma's old craftsman house that she's owned (and placed in trust) since 1958, and they can't afford to pay for any sort of property upkeep despite living in a home worth a cool million, assessed at $78K... When you're saddled with 50 years of unreasonable payments on a property you purchase with it's "Mello Roos" because somehow we had to pay for that new fire station and property tax revenues alone won't cut it...and all those old grannies down the street get to use that fire station, new streets, send their grand kids off to beautiful new schools... all on my dime because they don't want to pay their fair share of property tax for fear of losing their home. Look, I get it. Unreasonable assessments and levies are bad. But artificially keeping property tax values low has left the state with a significant infrastructure problem that isn't and won't go away. Not until we all pay our fair share, and one neighbor isn't paying $500/year in property taxes while the other is paying $5000. On the same street. In the same floorplan. On the same size lot.
Bill ReynoldsSunday, February 23rd, 2014 at 7:39 am
Perhaps if our State would stop wasting our $$'s on ridiculous entitlements and bloated public union wages/pensions we would have enough to make infrastructure improvements!
ed samuelsonSunday, February 23rd, 2014 at 7:03 pm
One thing you forgot to mention is the house that was purchase in 1958 has been paying taxes since 1958. $500 a year for 56 years is 28K. Their house cost probably was not 28K in 1950. The cost to build the firestation and local streets has long been paid. Paying $5000 a year property tax is nonsense on a house that cost 28K. You have just moved in, and have not paid any property tax. Todays costs are a lot more than they were almost 60 years ago. Your property tax is justified. In 50 years the house will cost 50 Million, and the property tax will be 5 Million. Your 5K taxes will be considered a bargain.
Ex-EverywhereMonday, February 24th, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Except for the young family who was gifted that house in 1978 and 1998 and 2018 -- thanks to Prop 13 and its subsequent related props, that property tax basis remains... $500 per year (plus 2% each year max). Each of the those families are sucking off the state teat while the neighbors pay more than their fair share.