City of Fillmore
City of Fillmore

FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL
TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2010
REGULAR MEETING
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
6:30 P.M.
FILLMORE CITY HALL
CENTRAL PARK PLAZA
250 CENTRAL AVENUE
FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA 93015-1907

AGENDA

ITEM
REFERENCE
1.
CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Oral
2.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Oral
3.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Oral
4.
CITY COUNCIL CONSENT CALENDAR CONTINUED »

 


 
Senator George Runner
Senator George Runner
Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

Kids do it when they’re in trouble. Husbands do it when they want to watch a game instead of doing chores. Dogs do it when they bring you a toy after they’ve had an “accident.” Even army generals do it when they want to disguise their retreat or find a devious way to win. And, according to Machiavelli, so do politicians.

That’s what is happening with the California Forward budget reform proposals introduced by Democrat legislative leaders - they are a distraction to facilitate deception.

Maybe we should call the proposal a diversion - a game or smokescreen - instead of reform. The real goal of this effort is to allow Democrats to raise taxes with a majority vote and eliminate the power Republicans have to stop their overspending.

The proposed “reforms” are riddled with loopholes that will render them useless, but the major hole in budget policy - the reduced vote count to raise taxes - will allow Democrats to carry on with their drunken spending barrier free--despite what voters have said they want in every poll taken since Proposition 13 was passed in 1978.

At a time when all state leaders should be CONTINUED »

 


 
Congressman Elton Gallegly
Congressman Elton Gallegly
Serving the 24th Congressional District encompasses most of Ventura County and inland Santa Barbara County.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) today released the following statement after voting against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s healthcare plan.

“If Congress wants to remove fraud and abuse from the healthcare system, it can start by overturning this bill.

“The Congressional Budget Office released an updated analysis of Speaker Pelosi’s $1 trillion bill on Saturday. The analysis confirmed that this bill will raise healthcare premiums $2,100 more a year for millions of families than if Speaker Pelosi had left healthcare alone.

“It also confirmed that as many as 9 million people now enrolled in employer-based plans will lose their coverage.

“At a time when our military men and women are fighting terrorists around the world, the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars urged Congress to vote the bill down because it does not protect veteran healthcare plans.

“At a time when unemployment has hit a record 11.6 percent in Ventura County and 10.4 percent in Santa Barbara County, Speaker Pelosi’s bill adds $569.2 billion of additional taxes onto the backs of American families and $52 billion on struggling employers.

“It hurts seniors with $200 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage and raids Medicare and Social Security to fund the new mandate and hide the true cost of the bill.

“This bill must be overturned before the bulk of its provisions take effect in 2014. I support real reform that reduces premiums, reduces government spending and protects the doctor-patient relationship.

“I cosponsored a bill that would provide real reform, but Speaker Pelosi will not allow a vote on it. It includes:

“Allowing small businesses to band together to purchase health insurance for employees and use their combined bargaining power to negotiate better health benefits at lower prices.
“Reforming medical liability laws to discourage unnecessary and frivolous lawsuits, which only drive up prices for everyone and force doctors to practice defensive medicine.
“Removing unnecessary regulations that prevent health insurance companies from operating across state lines – which will provide the competition without government-run health care.
“Establishing high-risk pools to help people with pre-existing conditions find affordable insurance.
“I and many of my colleagues believe issues of portability, increasing costs and rescinding coverage must be addressed. However, in doing so, we must also protect a patient’s right to choose the best coverage for him or herself in a vibrant, competitive marketplace, not force Americans into a one-size-fits-all government-run program designed by Speaker Pelosi.”

 
 

Written By Robert A. Hall, MEd, CAE
March 16, 2009

I´ll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce, and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I´ve worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven´t called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn´t inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there´s no retirement in sight, and I´m tired. Very tired.

I´m tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth around" to... http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/94762

 
A former American general blamed "open homosexuality" in the Dutch army for the failure to prevent the Srebrenica massacre in 1995

The Dutch government condemned the comments by Gen John Sheehan, a former Nato commander and senior marine officer, as outrageous.

Gen Sheehan made the remarks at a Senate hearing where he argued against plans by President Barack Obama to end a ban on allowing gays to serve openly in the US military.

Gen Sheehan said that... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7478738/Gay-D...

 
 

Another day, another no-show for the Obamacare reconciliation bill. House Democrats were quick to shift blame to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) with Rep. Robert Andrews telling The Hill that the delay “has been much more technical than substantive. … It’s not like what tax has to go or what spending has to go.” Which is an interesting claim, since Politico reported that AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was summoned to the White House yesterday afternoon “to discuss a higher-than-expected excise tax on some health care plans.” In fact, Politico added: “A labor source said Trumka’s meeting would focus on the entire bill, not just the excise tax question.” Sounds like more than just technical details are still in flux.

But in reality, none of these discussions really matter. The reconciliation bill... http://blog.heritage.org/2010/03/18/morning-bell-what-the-senate-bill-wo...

 

Health Overhaul: We were harshly criticized last September for an IBD/TIPP Poll that showed 45% of doctors would consider leaving medicine if a health care takeover passed. A new poll has vindicated our findings.

Our questionnaire went out Aug. 28 to some 25,600 doctors nationwide. Of that substantial sample, we got 1,476 responses. One hundred of those were retired, leaving 1,376.

At the time, virtually no one had stopped to ask doctors... http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=527698

 

Written by Michelle Horstman

Despite the fact that I’m about ¾ Irish, my dad wanted to name me “Bridget” and I have vivid memories of my elderly uncles pulling their whiskey bottles out from under the kitchen sink, the struggle of the Irish was never something talked about in my family or in history class. It just wasn’t something they dwelled on. When I learned just how tough it really has been over the centuries, I am amazed at where Irish Americans are today and what we can learn from their experiences.

The Irish immigrants came to America with a... http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/03/17/irish-americans-embracing-the-mel...

 

In theory, the federal government has $2.5 trillion stashed away in a nondescript office building in the sleepy little town of Parkersburg, West Virginia. That is where the Treasury Department keeps stacks of nonnegotiable Treasury bonds payable to the Social Security Administration. But as the Associated Press reported yesterday, for the first time since the 1980s, the federal government will not be adding to that stack. Thanks to an aging population and slow economy, Social Security will pay out $29 billion more this year than it takes in. And the Congressional Budget Office reports that after small surpluses in 2014 and 2015, the program is projected to be in the red from 2016 until forever.

But what about Al Gore’s Social Security “Lock Box?” Can’t we just... http://blog.heritage.org/2010/03/16/morning-bell-is-now-really-the-time-...

 
Promised pensions benefits for public-sector employees represent a massive overhang that threatens the financial future of many cities and states

LIKE A CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE, populist rage burns over bloated executive compensation and unrepentant avarice on Wall Street.

Deserving as these targets may or may not be, most Americans have ignored at their own peril a far bigger pocket of privilege -- the lush pensions that the 23 million active and retired state and local public employees, from cops and garbage collectors to city managers and teachers, have wangled from taxpayers.

Some 80% of these public employees are... http://online.barrons.com/article/SB126843815871861303.html#articleTabs_...

 
Voters' intent with Jessica's Law is clear: Keep dangerous sex offenders off the streets
Senator George Runner
Senator George Runner
Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

I am shaken to the core by the tragic deaths of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. My heart goes out to their families and the tremendous loss they are forced to endure. No parent should ever have to experience such heartbreak.

That's why it's not surprising that when I said goodbye to my daughter last week (she is returning to Key West for Coast Guard duties) I gave her an extra hug and told her to be safe.

As parents we worry incessantly about the safety of our children in this precarious world of ours. We preach and instill values that we hope will keep them out of harm's way.

When our children grow to be responsible adolescents or adults we are delighted, but our ability to protect them from threats of criminal violence is limited.

That's why it's necessary for our society to pass sensible legislation, like Jessica's Law, that protects our children, serves justice and punishes criminals.

Thanks to the intransigence of a liberal-controlled Legislature, CONTINUED »

 

Rohrabacher Praises Poizner’s “Conservative Leadership”

Long-time conservative leader in California and Orange County, U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher endorsed Steve Poizner for governor. In making his endorsement, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher praised Steve Poizner’s “conservative leadership." You can view the video of Rep. Rohrabacher's endorsement below.

“Steve Poizner is the only candidate for governor who is willing to address the illegal immigration problem that California faces. We need a governor, like Steve Poizner, who is going to take a leadership role in turning off the magnets that drive illegal immigration and Steve is the only candidate willing to do that,” said Rep. Rohrabacher. “I trust Steve Poizner’s conservative leadership and I’m proud to endorse him to be our next governor.”

“Dana Rohrabacher is one of the most accomplished Republican leaders in the United States Congress and I am honored to accept his endorsement,” said Poizner. “It is time for California to halt the damaging regulations that have led us into our current economic mess and I look forward to Congressman Rohrabacher’s guidance as we work to get California back on track.”

Commissioner Poizner has also been endorsed by an overwhelming majority of Republican leaders and local elected officials including the California Republican Assembly, Rep. Tom McClintock, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich. In addition to Rep. Rohrabacher, Steve's support in Orange County is decidedly strong:

U.S. Congressman Gary Miller
Senator Bob Huff
Senator Tom Harman
Senator Mimi Walters
Assemblyman Curt Hagman
Assemblywoman Diane Harkey
Assemblyman Van Tran
Assemblyman Jeff Miller
Assemblyman Jim Silva
Former Senator Bob Margett
Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas
Orange County Republican Party Chairman Emeritus Tom Fuentes
Supervisor Pat Bates

 
How a call to jihad shows the duplicity of American “moderate” Muslim groups

The first American to be charged with treason since World War II was back in the news Sunday, both for a new videotape he released and for reports of his capture that turned out to be false. In the videotape, al-Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn, an American convert to Islam, praised the Fort Hood jihad murderer and called upon Muslims to carry out jihad attacks in the United States. The reports that Gadahn had been captured caused... http://frontpagemag.com/2010/03/08/the-lessons-of-adam-gadahn/

 
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
California State Governor

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster declaration for Calaveras, Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Siskiyou counties after winter storms pounded the state beginning in January. This declaration will release federal funds to help communities recover from the effects of these storms.

"This action by President Obama will get assistance where it's needed most. It will also help reduce a significant portion of the financial burden the storms have placed on communities throughout California," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "It's important that we're doing all we can to help these communities recover from the damaging effects of those powerful storms."

The Governor requested the major disaster declaration on February 11 after a series of preliminary damage assessments conducted by representatives of the California Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the affected counties identified more than $59.1 million in estimated costs eligible for reimbursement by FEMA and more than $33.3 million in estimated costs eligible for reimbursement by the Federal Highway Administration.

The declaration, signed by President Obama, makes CONTINUED »

 
City of Fillmore
City of Fillmore

FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010
REGULAR MEETING
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
6:30 P.M.
FILLMORE CITY HALL
CENTRAL PARK PLAZA
250 CENTRAL AVENUE
FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA 93015-1907

AGENDA
1.
CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Oral
2.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Oral
3.
ANNOUNCEMENTS CONTINUED »

 

Despite as many as 100 explosions which killed at least 38 people in Baghdad, Iraqis defied a desperate insurgency yesterday and turned out in strong numbers to choose a new Parliament. According to The New York Times, “turnout was higher than expected, and certainly higher than in the last parliamentary election in 2005. … Sunnis who largely boycotted previous elections voted in force, and an intense competition for Shiite votes drove up participation in Baghdad and the south.” The NYT went on to describe the election as “arguably the most open, most competitive election in the nation’s long history of colonial rule, dictatorship and war.”

The United States still has much work to do in Iraq, but... http://blog.heritage.org/2010/03/08/morning-bell-a-first-step-toward-fre...

 

Parental Rights Advocate Jim Holman Backs Poizner For Governor

Republican candidate for governor Steve Poizner today announced his support for the California Parental Notification Initiative. If passed, the initiative would change the California Constitution to prohibit a minor from having an abortion until the physician notifies the minor’s parent or legal guardian. The initiative provides exceptions for a medical emergency, parental waiver, or parental abuse.

“As a leader in the parental notification movement, I strongly believe that Steve Poizner is the only candidate in the race for governor who will stand up for the goals of the parental notification movement and work to protect the safety of minors,” said Jim Holman, Newspaper Publisher and Parental Rights Advocate. “Steve Poizner’s endorsement of the parental notification initiative further reinforces my strong support for Steve’s candidacy and proves that, unlike other candidates, Steve Poizner is willing to take a clear stand on issues that matter to social conservatives.”

Holman joins Don Sebastiani, former member of the California State Assembly and another leader in the parental notification movement, in endorsing Steve Poizner for governor because of his principled stand on the California Parental Notification Initiative and other issues of importance to values voters.

“I believe that we should work to drive the number of abortions in California down to zero,” said Commissioner Poizner. “As a father, I fully support parental notification and I strongly urge voters on all sides of this issue to come together to back this important initiative.”