To: Grand PaTerrace
Perhaps some of you folks are wondering why I kept asking the City about the 1996 Ford Crown Victoria that the City bought for Tom Schwab. My original document request asked for the deposition of the vehicles that were either traded in or sold when the City buys Mr. Schwab a new one and the amount they were sold for.
When I picked up the documents Mrs. Martinez told me there was no record of what happened to this particular City owned vehicle. Mrs. Martinez I hold blameless. She can only repeat what Mr. Schwab tells her to say.
Needless to say, I couldn't believe that City Hall (Mr. Schwab) had no record of what happened to a four door sedan owned by the City. What was the reason for this obvious lie.
So three times I went into the podium because it no longer was about just the vehicle, it was about yet another lie from the City Manager. " I have seen the long term signed leases" That was his statement at a Council meeting when questioned about a newspaper article. As we all know Jack Brown, president of Stater Brothers went into the podium and said " Jack Brown has signed nothing". We now know that Lowes had signed nothing. Yet Mr. Schwab said at a Council meeting he had sat in Mr. Jacobsens office and had seen the signed long term leases.
The Developer Agreement ran out on the 15TH of August. All the time extensions,everything. But at the Council meeting of the 24TH of August Mr. Schwab choose to ignore the question. If the Agreement has run out how can Mr. Jacobsen still be a consideration and going to have a new plan in 90 days? All his 90 days are up. In July there was a parcel of RDA land transferred to Mr. Jacobsen without the required by law public hearing. Why? Is Grand Terrace above the law? All the lawsuits seem to answer that one.
August 10TH I asked at Council to have Mr. Schwab make clear the status of the Senior Housing. Ms. Silverstein stood before this community and said that the apartments were to be for low to moderate income Seniors. Mr Schwab said the same thing many times. She said it at a Community meeting, a Planning Commission meeting and at two Council meetings and said our seniors would be on a list. Mrs. Harford is under the impression that our Seniors will qualify and that JoAnn Johnson will be the manager. The Corporation for Better Housing has their own management company.
Our City put in $9,000,000 on the $18,000,000 on the no open bid contract. State law requires open bids on anything over $5000. The Corporation for Better Housings part of the funds comes from the Government that requires the Senior Housing be Section 8 housing. In fact after the deal was done Ms. Silverstein was quoted in the newspapers as saying the Senior Housing was going to be now for low to low low incomes.
This, I am very sure, would eliminate most if not all of our Seniors from consideration for an apartment there. I went on the Corp for Better Housing website and called all their locations. Everyone of them is Section 8 housing so why would the Blue Mountain Villa's be different.
At the August 10 and and August 24TH Council meeting Councilman Miller and myself requested of Mr. Schwab to tell the community the truth about the Seniors Housing. He had to know from the outset of this project that it was Section 8 housing and just let our Seniors believe that they would qualify to get their support. At the August 24TH meeting Mr. Schwab choose to ignore the question.
Are you starting to catch on here folks. What I want to make clear is that four of the Council members were aware of the car deal. Councilman Miller was not and had asked questions also. Mr Miller also shared my concerns on the Senior Housing the rest of the Council sat there like gagged monkeys.
When any citizen comes into the podium and ask questions that are without a doubt being answered with lies or not all it's time for the Mayor to do her job. She should have instructed Mr. Schwab to answer about the car and the Senior Housing. By not doing so leads us to believe she is part and the enabler of the lies. Less we forget the Dodson property deal where she told the community that "no reportable action was taken" when in fact Councilman Hilkey said that a deal was done within ten minutes with former Councilman Carlstrom, owner of Terra Loma Reality and employer of Councilwoman Cortes and former Planning Commissioner Bidney.Mr. Hilkey stated at Council we paid too much for a piece of property the City did not need. Mr. Carlstrom now manages the property. It is if not interesting if not un-nerving to see how many parcels of property Mr. Carlstrom was given by the City to sell. They are even those that he has sold to the RDA and when the RDA found they could not be rehabbed they where then given to Mr. Carlstrom to sell again.
Here's a question that should bring more questions about the Dodson's property deal and possible conflicts. Before Mr. Schwab bought his RDA house with whom did he reside. Perhaps the other blogger in Grand Terrace would like to go into the podium and ask that."The Truth?" "You Can't Handle The Truth". Thanks Bogie.
Now are you getting the picture and why there are some of us that go into the podium and question. What shocks me is that we have a majority of a Council that are well aware of the repeated lies being told to the community and they tacitly give their approval. So, It's not about the car. It's about the lies and most likely illegal sale of a city owned vehicle. Why else would there "be no record" when Tom Schwab knew good and well what he did with a city owned vehicle and lied and made other people be part of the lie and finally be made at a council meeting to tell the truth.
You see why the recalls are important. Until there is a change brought about and the good honest citizens stand up and say enough of this "good ol boy" stuff we will just go on being over run by developers that contribute to Council members campaigns and City functions and get their projects approved over the objections of the hundreds of voters that have raised their voices. We don't disagree with development. We disagree with the way it is done. If everything was being done honestly and legally and in the open there would be no need to lie. When the Council allows this to happen all one can think is that they approve and are a party to it. It is time for a Federal Grand Jury investigation.
The car? It was sold to the assistance City manager. Anyone out there know about that and when the open bidding was on a piece public property. You think maybe that's why Mr. Schwab wouldn't answer what happened to it?
Bill Hays
Gramps adds:
Bill you are correct, and what else is under the iceburg. What the Citizens have discovered, watched, and become aware of is only the tip of the iceburg I fear. But, as with any fear it is better to inform one's self, and deal with the total problem. It is clear a Full Audit and Investigation of the City and City Manager is Due. Perhaps this information on the Car will result in a REAL Investigation into the actions of the City Manager, City Council, and "Friends" of the Council.
