Housing Eleminet - RDA DEBT and the Economy

It has been predicted in this very blog that the City Council's and RDA's persistent drive to have housing prices and values increase beyond rational reason, and thus allowing financial institutions and Realtors take their cut of the false increase in value and amounts mortgaged, and the City being the RDA's cosigner for all the Debt they use to acquire property, even under threat of the use of Eminent Domain for Private Development Use... should all be in front of your mind when you read the city is going to have a public meeting on housing... or the Housing Element.

Here you have it friends.

The city needs to get out of the Realty Business, and the Development Business and if there is to Be a "Redevelopment" it should be RE development not NEW Development. Particularly when the RE development competes with existing businesses. NEVER should the city chase people off their land or homes so some one else can put it to "Better USE".

Now that is said, and one hopes this economy has chased them off the back of their high horse. What is appropriate actions for the City Council in aiding Grand Terrace Citizens and land owners in the economy. IT is called Sustainability..

The City Council could do some interesting things:

Bring back Agriculture: Allow small home flock of 6 chickens if you have a home with a back yard. Or allow a couple of small milk goats with the billy to be on Ag Reserve Zoned land. Promote the planting of food producing gardens and trees. Then have a local farmer's market where barter is part of the participation of the market place.

Make Maximum Speed Limit 35 mph in the entire city. This will allow for the reasonable use of Light Electric Vehicles to get around town. This will keep spending money in Grand Terrace. It will reduce the ware on the roads. It will reduce the cost of auto insurance. It will reduce the impact on the environment. It may provide additional business opportunities in GT for LEV sales, modifications and repair.

Audit and post public all payments and receipts of the City and City Staff Hours and Activities. The Public does want to know... The Public is just beaten down and is tired of asking. Historically the next action of the repressed public is not always a good one.

Job Development other than Retail and Drug and Alcohol Sales should be a priority. Light Manufacturing, and Making things. It is fiction that Retail Sales Tax is sufficient to run a sustainable city economy.

Have all homes designated as Businesses. Each being activated by a 40.00 first time fee and a 20.00 per year renewal. The city will provide a service for on line banking / sales and at point of sale or time of sale and payment will collect sales tax on all sales, including a service fee of .5 percent of sale. (This would be like a half cent city sales tax.)

The city should open all bids for local businesses and offer them a 5 percent premium to their bid if they are employers of GT Citizens and ALL must have a GT Business License prior to having a bid considered. All Businesses doing business in GT shall verify that all employees are Legal Citizens legally available to work in the USA.

The City should have a Day Labor Center in City Hall where Grand Terrace/ USA Citizens can be available for hire for day jobs within Grand Terrace.

The City should provide a bus stop for the RTA 215 line at the Barton Rd Off ramps N and S... connecting commuters to work via public transportation.

The City Should provide a early bus to RTA 25 route riders... so they can make connections and get to work on time.

The above buses should go to the Metro Link Station and the Bus Stations for connections.

Now if the City Council Members are yet a bit more self aware of the impact on their part in the Inflation / Financial / Failure and all related folly, they should look at what an Inflated Self Ego has done for a man many of them supported.

Note how many houses he has acquired.... draw your own conclusions of where we collectively as a Nation are headed. Why hasn't Bill just filed a change of address card to jail... save us all the blather of pity me... I am addicted to drugs... He knew what he was doing and he has used public funds to pay for his addiction. Nope. If your a druggie and an elected to office, go to jail directly to jail first... before a citizen goes to jail for the same violation.



Assessor Bill Postmus arrested
By Stacia Glenn on January 15, 2009 10:25 AM
San Bernardino County District Attorney investigators arrested Assessor Bill Postmus this morning on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and possession of paraphernalia for unlawful use.

About 50 investigators and investigative technicians served search warrants at 10 locations in six cities, including San Bernardino , Highland , Apple Valley , Victorville, Rancho Cucamonga and Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County .

"Evidence of narcotics violations" was discovered at his Rancho Cucamonga home, said DA spokeswoman Susan Mickey.
Lab tests are scheduled for the substances seized, officials said.
stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com

DA investigators at Board of Supervisors, Assessor's Office
By Melissa Pinion Whitt on January 15, 2009 8:31 AM
The San Bernardino County District's Office has investigators at the offices of Assessor Bill Postmus and Supervisor Neil Derry's chief of staff this morning.

Derry confirmed receiving a courtesy call from District Attorney Michael A. Ramos, informing him that investigators were serving search warrants at the office of Jim Erwin, his top staffer.

Postmus has been under investigation following a grand jury report released last June that found he misused the power of his office, hiring under-qualified executive level staff while running a political shop out of it.

Adam Aleman, a longtime friend and his former assistant assessor, was later arrested for destroying and altering evidence sought by investigators.

Erwin is also a former assistant assessor of Postmus'. He and Postmus had a falling out more than a year ago, which led to Irwin leaving and receiving a large severance package.

Three investigators and a fourth county employee left Postmus' office around 9 a.m. One was carrying a box filled with manilla envelopes and a PC hard drive. They loaded the box into a car and swiftly drove off.

Postmus has announced he will not run for re-election. In a recent speech to the Board of Supervisors, Postmus acknowledged that he had had a drug addiction.

Postmus had been under scrutiny for allegations of drug abuse for nearly a year. Several sources close to the assessor have said he had battled a methamphetamine addiction, and had gone to rehab at least twice.

During his speech to the supervisors, Postmus did not discuss what sort of addiction he had.

george.watson@inlandnewspapers.com