Tag Archives: Josie Gonzales

iePolitics: Time for Gonzales to resign

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If only I had a brain

When Supervisor Neil Derry was charged, but not yet convicted, of money laundering, the local media was quick to call for his resignation.  However, we have not seen the same indignation towards other members of the Board of Supervisors who have been involved in far more serious scandals.

San Bernardino County Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Josie Gonzales has been involved in one way or another in three of four FBI raids in this county.  Gonzales was the major contributor to the coverup of wrongdoing at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.  She even chided doctors for speaking out at a Board of Supervisors meeting after their behind-the-scenes pleas for help were covered up.  She has strongly supported Dr. Dev GnanaDev and many feel it is because he has covered for her.

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iePolitics: A bit perturbed

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If my piece yesterday sounded like I was a bit perturbed, it is because I was perturbed and irritated with newspaper reporters/publishers and politicians who try to claim they are taking the high road when they are just as corrupt or more corrupt than those they report about or prosecute.  Let’s face it.  Frank Pine is not the least bit interested in ending corruption in San Bernardino County.  Without corruption stories, the Sun is nothing.

Good government does not make headlines.  Corruption stories sell newspapers and the more sensational, the more papers sold.  I can’t wait to hear these newspaper execs cry foul play when a judge rules that their one-sided sensationalized reporting has tainted the jury pool to the point that the Colonies cases must legitimately be moved out of county.  These guys do not seek justice, they seek revenue.

If Frank Pine was truly interested in seeing corruption cleaned up in this county, he would pursue the stories for which he has been provided documentation and eyewitness accounts from victims.  The same goes for the Press Enterprise’s Cassie MacDuff.

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iePolitics: More on Colonies

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Wow.  There is a slew of new articles on the Colonies scandal tonight.  Two are especially interesting to me.

The first is on Mark Kirk and his control of Gary Ovitt.  Reading the article jogged my memory of a conversation I had with him towards the end of our friendship.  He said he was pushing to allow chiefs of staff in closed session.  His reasoning was, and these are his descriptions not mine, that COSes are “smarter,” “younger,” and “better looking.”  He said he was getting push back because some of the supervisors were jealous of the COSes due to the amount of influence they have.  Gee, doesn’t that fit right in with Grand Jury testimony?

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iePolitics: Gonzales deletes three staff positions

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If only I had a brain

Supervisor Josie Gonzales has announced she is cutting three positions from her staff.  The first is an intern with only weeks left on his contract anyway.  The remaining two are Frances Vasquez, who will be forced to retire, and Alex Carballo, her special projects coordinator.  It is unknown if another county position will be found for Carballo as that is usually what is done.

iePolitics: Trying to remember

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The first Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) complaint I ever filed was against First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt and Reggie King from Young Homes.  I can’t remember the details except that King was trying to hide his campaign contribution through a defunct corporation or something like that.  I believe I filed under the money laudering section of the code.  Brad was required to amend his FPPC 460 and King received a warning letter.

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iePolitics: Blood Stains On Their Hands–Originally posted January 19, 2010

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That’s the night that they hung an innocent man
Don’t trust your soul with no back woods southern lawyer
Cause the judge in the town’s got blood stains on his hands

 

Not long after Thanksgiving I was at a friend’s house and we were discussing my situation at the time.  This friend is a very strong Christian and he and his wife have helped me in many ways with their only request being that I not identify them.  We were talking about the fact that most of those who have helped me out were non-Christians and how the so-called “Christians” had really let me down.  The conversation naturally gravitated to Jim Erwin and Mark Kirk, two of my most high-profile friends.  I commented about how Jim, someone who I don’t believe has ever had a personal relationship with Christ, has been a Godsend to me and helped me over and over when I’ve needed it most.  Mark, who I know to be a strong Christian, has let me down every time, never keeping his word to me.

Last Friday when I heard the news of the findings in the Hostile Work Environment investigation against District Attorney Mike Ramos, my heart sank.  I immediately called Cheryl Ristow and the pain in her voice was heartbreaking.  I could relate because, I too, had been let down by our leaders who have in their power the ability to do the right thing with integrity and instead choose to make decisions in their own best interests and not care about how many others they hurt.  We are all nothing but collateral damage to them, unimportant and unworthy of their concern or help. Continue reading →

iePolitics: Subpoenas and Johnson letters

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Both the Sun and Press Enterprise are running stories tonight to tell you what we already did.  Four supervisors are being subpoenaed—Brad Mitzelfelt, Neil Derry, Gary Ovitt, and Josie Gonzales—to testify before a special grand jury convened since former Assessor Bill Postmus signed a plea deal to cooperate in the ongoing corruption investigations.

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iePolitics: Time for BOS to call for Hoops’ resignation

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The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors appointed Rod Hoops to the position of Sheriff despite our warnings and the warnings of others that he had many skeletons in his closet.  And now that a very large skeleton is becoming public despite all of their attempts to keep it hidden, it is time for the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to reverse its action and remove Hoops if he does not resign on his own.

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PE: Changes on Pension Panel

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Editor’s Note:  We wonder if Rutherford will show any  more integrity with the retirement board than she has with her ethics group.

10:00 PM PST on Friday, February 25, 2011
Cassie MacDuff

A new appointment to the San Bernardino County retirement board signals the county is serious about curbing pension costs.

The fund faces a $115 million deficit over the next five years due to investment losses and increasing payouts to retirees.

Several long-serving board members have been replaced in the past year as county leaders sought a philosophical shift. Now, more new blood is coming.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will receive the resignation of Supervisor Gary Ovitt from the retirement board and consider appointing Supervisor Janice Rutherford.

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iePolitics: Attention Medical Cannabis Proponents

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I need to talk to you guys regarding the expected San Bernardino County Planning Commission’s ban on dispensaries in the county and how it relates to marijuana use by members of the Board of Supervisors, their staffs, and their family members.  Please contact me at iepolitics2010@gmail.com.  Please spread the word asap.

iePolitics: Just a reminder about how to get a $50,000 a year raise

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This is what Measure P said on your ballot:

Measure P – County of

San Bernardino – Ballot Text

PROPOSED COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT TO ESTABLISH TERM LIMITS FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND TO ESTABLISH A REVISED FORMULA FOR DETERMINING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. “Shall the Charter of the County of San Bernardino be amended to establish term limits for members of the Board of Supervisors and to establish a revised formula for determining salaries of members of the Board of Supervisors?”
Yes

No

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iePolitics: More lessons from Orange County

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There was a follow-up story to the story about the Orange County Board of Supervisors allowing their five percent pay cut expire.  The measures taken saved the county about $13.7 million over the past 18 months.  But rather than continue the savings, the Supes opted for larger paychecks for themselves and their executives.

The most amazing part of this story is that when asked about this in relation to the their current budget deficit and an anticipated $100 million in pension costs over the next five years, CEO Tom Mauk replied, “We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

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iePolitics: Are ARMC employees violating HIPAA or is Gonzales planting supporters?

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Gonzales always ethical

Posted: 01/22/2011 07:13:14 PM PST

Re “Attempt to enact ethics panel thwarted time and again,” Jan. 12, by San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry.Almost 30 years ago, I had an 1,800-pound horse throw itself on top of me, and broke much of my back. After a divorce following 26 years of marriage, I was left almost destitute, and have been treated at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) over the past five years, both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. I have gotten to know many employees in various departments at ARMC and especially Physical Therapy and OMT (Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy). In PT, I am often there for an hour at a time, several visits per week. Supervisor Josie Gonzales’ name has come up in many conversations.

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iePolitics: Is Dennis Hansberger back in the game?

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Numerous sources are telling iePolitics that Dennis Hansberger is bored and wants his old job back.   Former BOS Chairman Ovitt appointed Hansberger to a board without consulting first with Supervisor Derry.

Hansberger is working with Supervisor Josie Gonzales to deliver payback to Supervisors Neil Derry and Brad Mitzelfelt.   The chatter is that both Supervisor Gary Ovitt and Supervisor Janice Rutherford have aligned themselves with Josie against Derry and Mitzelfelt.

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iePolitics: How many of you remember voting to give the BOS a $50,000-a-year raise?

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The year was 2006.  If you voted in 2006, you probably voted to do just that.

A county charter is similar to a state constitution or the Constitution of the United States.    It can only be changed by a vote of the residents of that county.

San Bernardino is one of only 14 counties in California which is governed by a County Charter.  San Bernardino County Board of Supervisor salary is part of the County Charter.

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iePolitics: BOS wimps out again

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It’s been over a year since we first started writing about the abuses at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), San Bernardino County’s only county-run hospital.  And it’s been over six months since doctors appeared at the Board of Supervisors meeting to express their own concerns.  During this same period of time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided ARMC and took boxes of records.

And how has our Board of Supervisors responded?  Do I have to ask?  We all know the answer.

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Mountain News: True to His Principles

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Though he created what’s shaping up as a hornet’s nest of indignation and bitterness by opposing Supervisor Josie Gonzales’ bid for the chairmanship of the county board of supervisors last week, Supervisor Neil Derry could have done nothing else, as we see it.

Ever since joining the board in December 2008, Derry has carved out the reputation of reformer. After campaigning on a platform of battling the culture of corruption that has tainted San Bernardino County for too long, Derry soon began delivering on his promises.

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iePolitics: Depositions start to fly in the civil corruption cases

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Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth?

Some defendants in the civil corruption cases have started receiving depo notices.  Bill Postmus, Jim Erwin, Greg Eyler, Rex Gutierrez, and Adam Aleman are all named in the lawsuit.

In response, the defense is sending similar notices to specific members of the Board of Supervisors, their current/former chiefs of staff and other current and past staffers who  are familiar with time card fraud and campaign work on county time.   Let the fireworks begin as the county’s hypocrisy is made public for all to see, that is if those depo’d tell the truth.  We shall see.

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Examiner.com: First Hispanic woman elected chairman in county history

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Editor’s Note:  Sorry, it should work now.

The most heated dispute over chairmanship in decades resulted in members of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors electing the first-ever Hispanic woman to serve as chairman of the board.  San Bernardino County, at almost 21,000 square miles, is the largest county in the contiguous United States.  Gonzales is the only Latina to ever serve on the board.

On Tuesday, Supervisor Josie Gonzales, who represents Colton, Bloomington, Muscoy, and Rialto, as well as parts of the cities of San Bernardino and Fontana, won the top spot in a 3-2 split vote with Supervisors Neil Derry and Brad Mitzelfelt voting against her appointment.  Speculation had been surfacing for months as to whether Gonzales would be allowed to be elevated to the position.  She has served as vice chairman for the past two years and has been the subject of a great deal of criticism by other board members and the public alike.

To read the rest of the story, click here.

Supervisor Neil Derry: Response to Supervisor Josie Gonzales’ Personal Attacks

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Supervisor Neil Derry

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – In various published reports in today’s papers, Supervisor Josie Gonzales chose to engage in personal attacks and smears to deflect from the factual observations Supervisor Neil Derry  made at yesterday’s board meeting when he announced the reasoning behind his opposition to her being elected chairperson.

The following points briefly summarize his vote to oppose Supervisor Gonzales’ nomination:

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iePolitics: How we really feel

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Supervisor Janice Rutherford

I have to say we have very mixed feelings about what happened at the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors today.  On one hand, Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt needed a wake up call.  But I seriously doubt he got the message.  He is too far removed from his constituents and from this valley to know what is going on or why there is so much animosity towards him.  In the end, however, he does not deserve to be chairman.

As far as Supervisor Josie Gonzales goes, I honestly don’t care.  She is useless and will simply be a tool of Devereaux and Ovitt.  Gary would not have controlled Brad but Greg would have, so no harm, no foul here.

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Supervisor Janice Rutherford: Supervisor Rutherford Statement on Selection of Chairwoman Gonzales

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SAN BERNARDINO – Second District Supervisor Janice Rutherford issued the following statement on Tuesday regarding the selection of Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales to serve as Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors.

“My decision to support Chairwoman Gonzales is based on a 40-year Board policy and best practice that provides for an orderly and equitable rotation of the chairmanship. The policy clearly states that each member should be given the opportunity to serve as the chairperson unless they do not desire to assume that responsibility, and Chairwoman Gonzales has assured me she is ready, willing, and able to fill this leadership role.

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iePolitics: D-Day is upon us

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Well it could be Brad, or Josie, or Gary, or Neil.  How is that for a prognostication?

Seriously, all four of them are rumored to be taking the top spot tomorrow.  Josie has promised to be a capital B if she doesn’t get it.  Neil has his own plans.  And Brad and Gary are so out of touch with everyone and everything they probably won’t know if they are elected chairman or not.  Perhaps we should just give it to the new kid on the block and make it easier on everyone.

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iePolitics: Will our BOS follow Brown’s lead?

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Governor Jerry Brown

Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, is returning $7 million to the state’s treasury and cutting his office budget by 25 percent.  According to an article in the January 8, 2011, edition of the San Francisco Chronicle:

As expected, Brown axed the secretary of education position, an advisory office under the governor that was worth $1.9 million annually. Brown also returned the lion’s share of transition funds allocated to him, spending just $120,000 of the $770,000 available.

He also cut $4.5 million from the governor’s office’s $18 million annual budget, in part by eliminating the office of the first lady. Brown’s wife, Anne Gust Brown, has already taken an unpaid position as special counsel to the governor.

“California is facing a huge deficit and it is necessary to find savings throughout all of government,” Brown said in a written statement. “We all have to make cuts and I’m starting with my own office.”

In order to cut one-quarter from his office’s budget, Brown eliminated the position of cabinet secretary and all deputy cabinet secretaries. He cut press and communications staff; closed field offices in San Diego, Riverside and Fresno; and cut the governor’s Washington, D.C., office staff. Additionally, as Brown announced in December, he eliminated the office of Laura Chick, the special inspector general appointed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to audit federal stimulus spending in California. That position was temporary and set to expire midyear.

So, if a Democrat can do it, how about our four Republican members of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors?  Do you all really need deputy chiefs of staff, district directors, or media relations staff?  Do you really need more than one field office?    We think not.

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iePolitics: It’s time to get serious about the new chairman

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Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt

We have had some fun opining over whether the next chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will be Neil Derry, Brad Mitzelfelt, or Josie Gonzales.  The decision will be made Tuesday and it is time to get serious.  Whoever is elected will direct county policy for the next two years.  And that is a very big job as we have seen with all the new policies put into effect these past two years.

Chairmans make some very rough decisions.  Think about it.  Chairman Gary Ovitt had to address the elevator schedule for rides to the Fifth Floor so that Fifth Floor execs wouldn’t be inconvenienced by the little people . . . we mean non-exempt employees . . . trying to get from one floor to another to get work done.  And then there are those pesky constituents who might show up on the Fifth Floor expecting to speak with their elected representative.  I know from experience lower echelon employees are forbidden from gracing those hallowed halls even with an invitation so there must be policy on how to keep them out.

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 InlandPolitics: ‘New direction’ or ‘business as usual’ for Rutherford?

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Rutherford

www.inlandpolitics.com

Thursday, January 6, 2011 – 10:00 a.m.
Last Updated: January 6, 2011 – 08:25 p.m.

It’s Crunch time!

Just five more days and we’ll all know the answer to the big question.

Will newly-elected County Supervisor Janice Rutherford keep her campaign pledge of ethics and reform, or will it be ‘go along, get along” business as usual?

A practice, which has plagued San Bernardino County for years.

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iePolitics: WWIII on the Fifth Floor

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It seems our five little minds up on the fifth floor cannot agree on which one of them should be leader.  Maybe they should ask their mommies who to vote for.

We are being told to expect either a 3-2 vote in favor of Brad Mitzelfelt as chairman or a 4-1 vote in favor of Josie Gonzales.  Either way it may be a spectacle.

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iePolitics: Dancing on the table at the China Vagina

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Josie Gonzales

Boy, when you get some former Fifth Floor staffers together who happen to all have all gone to Hong Kong together on an International Trade Trip on the county dime, do you ever get some stories.  Dancing on the tables . . . jello shots . . . flirting with board members . . . between board members . . . with staff . . . did I mention getting drunk and dancing on the tables?

iePolitics: It’s not about being brown, it’s about being yellow

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First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt

Two years ago iePolitics strongly supported Supervisor Josie Gonzales being elected as vice chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.  At the time, newly elected Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt was attempting to bypass tradition and take his turn out of line for the vice chairman position.  We pointed out how it would look if the four white guys did that to the only minority and the only woman on the board.

Now two years later—after two years of the most weak-kneed, yellow-bellied, leadership in decades—we no longer care about what is politically correct.  The citizens of San Bernardino County just want real leadership whether it is white, brown, green or purple.

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iePolitics: ARMC Update

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We understand that many of those who received Federal Grand Jury subpoenas then received letters that they did not have to appear.  However, the FBI has followed up with “intensive” interrogation of witnesses.  The emphasis seems to be on free medical care and conflict of interest.

We will keep you posted.

iePolitics: BOS Salaries

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Bill Tuck Jr. asked for the salaries for the Second District.  Here are  the salary and benefit packages for all of the board staff.  This list does not include John Richardson, Mary O’Toole, Mark Kirk, Bob Page, and the other analyst whose name I forget from the Fourth District whose positions were transferred to the County Administrative Office budget.   That equals at least another million dollars.

For those who would like to download the spreadsheets from the county, here there are:  2010-11 Board Staff (all)

First District:

Chief of Staff – $242.403; District Director – $145,082; Executive Secretary – $102,078; Executive Secretary III – $52,003; Field Rep – $127,524; Field Rep – $141,564; Field Rep – $139,143; Special Assistant – $166,978 (Employee Reimbursed by Joint Powers Authority – $110,206); Special Projects Coordinator – $43,070; Community Service Liaison – $3,472; Community Service Liaison – $5667; Community Service Liaison – $5532; Community Service Liaison – $5667; Community Service Liaison – $5667

Second District:

Chief of Staff – $187,883; Deputy Chief of Staff – $184,166; Executive Secretary – $91,089; Field Representative – $144,409; Field Representative – $128,965; Field Representative – $128,965 Special Projects Coordinator – $56,026 (Contract terminates June 30, 2011); Special Projects Coordinator – $15,394 (Contract terminates June 30, 2011)

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iePolitics: Potential Opponents

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We have taken a bit of criticism for suggesting possible opponents for Supervisors Mitzelfelt, Derry and Gonzales.  Those who pride themselves in their astute political analysis have been quick to point out where we are wrong.  What few are considering is the effect redistricting will have on the 2012 elections.

Politicians are politicians, meaning their political careers are foremost in their minds.  Many could never earn what they earn if they had to work a real job.  Getting re-elected so they can maintain their power and lifestyle is all that is important.  Continue reading →

iePolitics: Devereaux to BOS: A warning shot

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Yesterday’s sentencing of Rex Gutierrez to 32 months in prison was a warning shot.  Judge Rouse said it was a warning to public officials.  But really it was a warning to the Board of Supervisors and their staffs—not a warning from Rouse but rather a warning from their new power-hungry County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux.

Devereaux has had the evidence for months that Human Resources Director Andrew Lamberto lied under oath in the three hearings involving Rex Gutierrez.  This is not only a crime, but a violation of county ethics.  But Lamberto is protected by Devereaux, and for good reason.

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InlandPolitics: Federal Grand Jury begins activites

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www.inlandpolitics.com

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 – 03:45 p.m.

Sources tell The Insider a federal grand jury has convened to examine evidence and hear testimony related the ongoing investigation into possible illegal activities involving public officials at San Bernardino County-owned and operated Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. (ARMC)

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iePolitics: All signs point to Mitzelfelt

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First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt

San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt appears to have positioned himself as the swing vote in the upcoming election for chairman of the board.  This is an especially enviable position to be in when one wants the position for himself.

Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales has expressed her intention of seeking the position with Supervisor Gary Ovitt’s support, and we here at iePolitics sometimes feel like the Board of Supervisors and county management really deserve to have her as Chairman of the Board.  But the citizens of San Bernardino County do not.

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iePolitics: Blood in the water?

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Joe Baca Jr.

Well this is what happens when two people can’t sleep and start texting about politics.  This is purely speculation!

We cannot help but wonder what will happen if Supervisor Josie Gonzales is indicted and we are wondering if certain politicians are thinking the same thing.  Joe Baca Jr.’s announcement makes for interesting fodder.

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iePolitics: CAO interfering in BOS politics

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It seems County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux isn’t satisfied with all the new power he has been granted.  He continues to build on his power base as evidenced by his interference in selection of the Chairman to the Board of Supervisors.

Devereaux’s loyalty to Chairman Gary Ovitt stems from the years he served as city manager of Ontario when Ovitt was mayor.  It has been obvious from the beginning as Ovitt, and his then-chief of staff, Mark Kirk, orchestrated both former-County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer’s termination and Devereaux’s hiring.  The process took well over a year and the entire Fifth Floor knew that no one but Devereaux was being considered for the job.

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iePolitics: The next BOS chairman

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We are hearing rumors that Chairman Gary Ovitt is endorsing Vice Chairman Josie Gonzales to be the next chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.  And we think we have a worthless Board of Supervisors now, what would it be like with that dunce heading it up?  Well, it would give Devereaux even more power so you wanna bet who is behind Gary’s endorsement?

Besides all the reasons given over at www.inlandpolitics.com, it is very possible she could be indicted with the federal grand jury convenes next month.  Actually, if what we have been told by doctors is accurate, it is VERY likely both Supervisor Gonzales and by then former-Supervisor Paul Biane will be facing criminal indictments along with Mark Uffer, Jessica Brown and others.

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iePolitics: I hope you chose your words carefully

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Congressman Jerry Lewis

Today the High Desert moved closer to being a big city.  All of the San Bernardino County’s dignitaries were here to dedicate the new County Government Center.  First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt initiated the naming of the Jerry Lewis High Desert Government Center after minority maker Congressman Jerry Lewis and it was so named.

The center will house a dozen or more departments including the Assessor’s Office, County Clerk and Recorder, Code Enforcement, Environmental Health, and Veterans Affairs.  It is located in the center of Hesperia along with the library, police department and City Hall.

Among those seen at the event were Congressman Jerry Lewis, First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, Second District Supervisor Paul Biane, Third District Supervisor Josie Gonzales, Sheriff Rod Hoops, Auditor-Controller-Recorder-Tax Collector Larry Walker and his new assistant, Matt Brown.  We hear Matt was all smiles as he worked the crowd.

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iePolitics: Battle for the chairmanship

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This is one of those rare moments iePolitics is about to admit it made a mistake.  About two years ago we argued vehemently on Supervisor Josie Gonzales’ behalf as it was her turn to become vice chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

At that time, First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt was attempting to get the votes to beat her out.  It all hinged on the Fourth District.  Then-chief of staff, Mark Kirk, and I had several conversations about the subject and he could clearly see the pros and cons of both Mitzelfelt and Gonzales.  In the end, Supervisor Gary Ovitt did the “right” thing and voted for Josie.

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iePolitics: More on ARMC

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Reading the spin from county personnel on the issues at San Bernardino County-run Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) has been interesting.  Or perhaps disgusting is a better word.

Some of you may remember the Fair Political Practices Commission complaint I filed back in March against Mark Uffer and Supervisors Paul Biane and Josie Gonzales.  I received notice from the FPPC that there was no violation despite the fact that all three of them along with countless others had been given free medical care at ARMC and did not report this gift of public funds on their FPPC Form 700s.

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Editorial: BOS Should Postpone CAO/CEO Board Item to Allow Imput from Rutherford

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Supervisor-elect Janice Rutherford

www.grapevine.com

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is playing fast and loose with the rules once again.  And this time around it seems they may very well be in such a hurry so to prevent newcomer Supervisor-elect Janice Rutherford, who ran on a platform of ethics reform, from providing her input into a law that will affect her ability to serve her constituents  for her entire term of office and keeping her promises to voters.

Four out of the five current supervisors supported Rutherford’s opponent and now they are pushing through a new county ordinance to transfer authority from the Board of Supervisors to their hand-selected County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux.  Devereaux appears to have little concern for ethics reform as evidenced by his handling of the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center scandal, which was highlighted this past week with his misstatements to the press and his covering for supervisors who are accused of wrongdoing.  Inside sources say that those supervisors were targeted in the search warrants and criminal charges against them are possible.

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InlandPolitics: The Insider: Names surfacing in FBI probe

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www.inlandpolitics.com

Sunday, November 7, 2010 – 09:15 a.m.

The Insider has learned that one of the areas newspapers has received a complete list of persons named in a search warrant served at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center by federal agents last week.

One has to admit it doesn’t take long for secrets to leak out in San Bernardino County.

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InlandPolitics: Sunday Morning Humor? Gonzales wants BOS chairmanship

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Gonzales

www.inlandpolitics.com

Sunday, November 7, 2010 – 9:20 a.m.

A Sunday morning laugh is always good.

Especially when it comes from the newspapers. And todays whopper is courtesy of an article in Sunday mornings Press-Enterprise.

This mornings story in question is in regards to the impending title change for Greg Devereaux from county administrative officer to chief executive officer.

A mundane issue.

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iePolitics: Time for a part-time BOS

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The article below details yet another example of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors giving the middle finger to the voters of this county.  Not only did they award an illegal contract to the County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux, they are now transferring power they do not have the power to transfer to him.  To hell with the voters.

Since the Board of Supervisors do not want the power vested in them by the Charter of San Bernardino County, it is time for them to be made a part-time body and for their pay to reflect that status. If this ordinance is passed, they will serve no useful purpose to the taxpayers of this county.

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SBGrapevine: BOS Attempts to Circumvent Will of the People

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Greg Devereaux

www.sbgrapevine.com

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is set on Tuesday for the first reading of an ordinance to make a de facto amendment to the Charter of the County of San Bernardino.  The Charter of the County of San Bernardino is the county equivalent of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of California, both of which were adopted through a vote of the people.  As such, the law is very specific as to how it can be changed.

The truth of the matter is that according to Constitution of California any change to any county charter must be approved by the vote of the electorate.  It CANNOT be made by ordinance as is being attempted by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

The Constitution of California, Article 11, Local Government, Sec. 3, states:

(a) For its own government, a county or city may adopt a charter by majority vote of its electors voting on the question. The charter is effective when filed with the Secretary of State. A charter may be amended, revised, or repealed in the same manner. A charter, amendment, revision, or repeal thereof shall be published in the official state statutes. County charters adopted pursuant to this section shall supersede any existing charter and all laws inconsistent therewith. The provisions of a charter are the law of the State and have the force and effect of legislative enactments.

We understand that the Board of Supervisors is enacting an ordinance, not enacting a change to the charter, but the effect is the same.   They are changing a key element of the Charter of the County of San Bernardino. And they simply do not have authority to do so.

What the Board of Supervisors is proposing on Tuesday, REQUIRES a vote of the people.  They choose, instead, to violate our right to vote on this change and ramrod its proposal through, hoping it flies under the radar of an uninterested electorate.

The Charter of the County of San Bernardino is very specific, and was enacted with that specificity in mind, as to the powers of the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.  From what we have been told, San Bernardino County is the only one of the state’s 58 counties to specify that the Chairman of the Board is the County’s Executive.   It states in pertinent part [emphasis added]:

Duties of the Chairman of the Board

SECTION 5. The Chairman of the Board of Supervisors shall be the general executive agent of the Board. It shall be his duty, subject to regulation and control by the Board, to exercise general supervision over the official conduct of all County officers and officers of all districts and other subdivisions of the County charged with the assessment, collection, safekeeping, management, or disbursement of public revenue; also over all County institutions, buildings and property. He shall report to the Board from time to time with such recommendations as he shall deem proper. He shall devote his entire time during usual office hours to the duties of his office. He shall keep an office in the room or rooms where the Board usually meets, and shall be in attendance at such office during usual office hours, except when elsewhere engaged in the performance of his official duties.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is proposing to instead to transfer those powers over to the County Administrative Officer by ordinance rather than charter amendment as required by the Constitution of California.

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