Check out the hottest voice to hit the vocal scene this year Jessica Avila introduces the IE to her new song on the Let’s Talk Community radio show.
To see the entire interview click here
City of Rialto Travel Under Community Scrutiny
22 Feb 2016 1 Comment
Travel spending in Rialto has been an issue for years. At one time it was so bad that City Council had to request a special audit and change policies that allowed Elected Officials in Rialto to take what many called lucrative vacations at the cities expense. Since Councilman Ed Scott came back to the council things have began to move back towards the old days.
Now we ALWAYS question travel because we never see ANY benefit for it. Nobody gives a briefing on what they learned at the training and even when the city goes to ICSC the International Convention for Shopping Centers where developers meet protective cities we still get Mc Donalds, Chipolte (2) more tire centers and fast food like Carls Jr and Wendys. Where is our innovative development? Is the In and Out pad or last and only option?
Now we have used the years of advocating for the public to understand each line item of most expense request forms but this is another example of the we don’t care how your money gets spent attitude.
- First off is we pay people very good money to fill out a simple form and apparently Commissioner Britt is stuck in a time warp of some sort because his whole week is stuck in one day Tuesday, March 10, 2016 – Friday, March 10, 2016
- Second is this part of the form Individual requesting travel and/or training authorization: you see in speaking with Mr. Britt he knew nothing of this form or even some of the money that is being requested on his behalf.
- So the $265 & $495 are the registration fees for this event ok that’s easy.
- Meals are $95 ok……….
- Only one Commissioner is getting lodging at the cost of $400 for a Conference in Long Beach?
- Thank God nobody is flying to Long Beach
- What is that $80 other charge? It is for a Reception & Banquet? How does this bring value to Rialto? Why are my tax dollars being spent this way?
- What will the commissioners be doing at this conference?
?????Love, Companionship & Intimacy for Today’s Senior?????
Most of these are at an additional cost:
Love, Companionship for Today’s Senior (3/8/16) $24
NAYS Youth Sports Administrators Academy (3/8/16) $376
From Coves to Marketplaces – Anaheim Walking Workshop (3/8/16) $36
More to Aquatics Than Just Water (3/8/16) $48
Mini SuperCal: Energizing Supervision (3/8/16) $48
There is a Mayors Session I wonder if Mayor Robertson will be at this one?
All three days is full of workshops with additional costs you can view them here file:///C:/Users/Marketing/Downloads/Conference_Registration_Form.pdf
The people of Rialto need to start asking for more accountability when it comes to our money. What does this provide for Rialto? Who else is going? How many PAID staff are attending this Conference and are they staying in hotels too?
If this upsets you please email these people:
Perry Brents – pbrents@rialtoca.gov
Mike Story – mstory@rialtoca.gov
Councilman O’Connell – soconnell@rialtoca.gov
Mayor Pro Tem Baca – jbaca@rialtoca.gov
Rialto Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem & Councilman Spin Miss-use of Public Funds Into Tears and Past Tragedy’s
22 Feb 2016 Leave a comment
Questions over the Mayors use of public funds for her State of the Woman started with a request from City Treasurer Ed Carrillo to the state and county organizations that are responsible for keeping elected officials from overstepping their authority and keeping them honest. Ed Carrillo (as seen in our prior story) reported Mayor Deborah Robertson for her use of public funds, city resources and staff to put the event together, repair bathrooms and other misuse of funds (Here it from the City Treasurer Below):
As you can see from the City Treasurer he has many concerns. Two years ago when the city succeeded in selling the community on Measure “U” a measure that imposed hire fees on the Gasoline Tank Storage farm in the south end of the freeway. When the city went on their PR push for this measure the city promised these things:
- The City told us that they would be transparent with all money that was spent here in Rialto no matter the source grant funds to general tax fund expenditures the money would be spent wisely.
- A Yes vote on Measure U will finally require the billion dollar oil and gas companies who store their fuel in the “tank farm” on South Riverside to sacrifice just like Rialto residents and small business have.
- If Measure U passes, Rialto residents will get a break in the form of lower utility taxes with a cut the utility tax by 2%.
- Safety measures for the dangerous rails to trails project.
None of these things are happening and we doubt they ever will. What is happening and what was happening as these promises were being made was a raid of Rialto’s general fund and city resources. When was the last time the city came by and covered the cost of repairing your roof? Fixing your plumbing? Redoing your bathrooms? When was the last time the city ever covered the cost of turning on your utilities or even paying the bill?
Mayor Robertson worked very hard to insulate herself from these bad choices by having City Administrator Mike Story say he was the one who authorized the city staff to make repairs on a privately owned building, turn on utilities, pay utility bills and use staff time and resources to set up this event. Special sound and camera equipment were also purchased for this event. City Administrator Mike Story said that the use of the building was donated so the additional costs were appropriate. Normally when you rent a facility the costs are not $20 thousand and your not required to make improvements to the rental property.
To make matters worse is there is a private trust attached to this event and the GENERAL FUND!!!!!! This private trust cost the city of Rialto’s General Fund an additional $10,500 due to improper reporting practices!!!!! So lets do the math…….
10,500 + 20,000 + 9,000= $39,500
As you see from the image above the Mayor Deborah Robertson’s event is only supposed to cost $9,000 not $39,500. You see the Mayor Robertson thinks she is above being questioned. She thinks she is better than the rest of Rialto. So over the last few years we watched our former airport and beautiful fields that used to be filled with wildflowers of all different colors being filled with big ugly warehouses right in the communities back yard. Can you guess where Mayor Robertson is holding her self promotion events now? Inside the very warehouses she pushed on our small community. Mayor Robertson complains that there is nowhere BIG ENOUGH to hold her event. Yet it is unclear if the Mayor has ever looked to use one of the three gyms that at any of the Rialto High Schools or even asked to rent space from Calvary Chapel Rialto, Sunrise Church or Lighthouse for the Blind all who have large newer buildings that would accommodate the Mayors event.
Councilman explains his issues with the money being spent on this event.
Below is a complete record of the tab item where Ed Scott uses his sons death and the Mayor cries to try and cloud the issue with emotion and taking your eyes off of all the money being spent on the mayors private event.
To Hack Or Not to Hack Is The Question
17 Feb 2016 Leave a comment
in and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy, Bad Commerce, Ca, Colton, Crime, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Inland Empire, Public Safety, Rialto, San Bernardino, San Bernardino PD, San Bernardino Police
Photo Credit from http://whatsupic.com/science-tech-usa/1426280017.html
The debate over cyber security has kicked into high gear with the FBI’s lack of access to the I Phone 5 of the San Bernardino Terrorists. I Phone Technology will deleate all the info on a device once the wrong password is entered incorrectly 10 times. So to avoid lossing information that the FBI thinks is vital to understanding the minds of the two terrorists in San Bernardino.
Apple has refused to assist the FBI with accessing the information and the Terrorists turned off the Automatic Updates to the Cloud storage system making the phone even more valuable. Now 2 months later the Federal Goverment has finally obtained a court order that should force Apple to assist in unlocking the phone.
Some seem to think that Apple will refuse to abide by the order citing customer information is private even if it is the phone of two terrorists. So were are you on this issue should Apple open the phone or not?
Are New School Policies Putting Your Child In Danger
17 Feb 2016 Leave a comment
in and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy, Assemblymember-Elect Cheryl Brown, Ca, Colton, Crime, Edgar Montes, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Inland Empire, joseph williams, Rialto, San Bernardino, youth
Local schools in the Inland Empire are adopting some dangerous new rules when it comes to students meeting appropriate consequences for actions that dangerous in nature.
All over the Inland Empire schools seem to be rolling over and removing the consequences that help our students develop a sense of right and wrong that is vital to being a healthy adult. If it wasn’t for the chance of a speeding ticket many more people would speed and drive reckless.
Steven Chapman of Highland told us “consequences now help our young people weigh the cost bad choices, learn the lesson now when your young rather than when your older and the consquences are much worse”.
Check back next week when we will cover some of the local school districts implementing these very dangerous new rules.
Rialto High Cheerleaders Honored At Rialto City Hall
10 Feb 2016 Leave a comment
On Tuesday night the Rialto High School Cheer Squad received recognition for finishing number one for the 4th year in a row at City Hall during the Council Meeting. Rialto High Cheer just placed first at the CheerPros State Championships at the Citizens Bank Arena. They also won a full paid bid to the “Best of the West” Invitational in Long Beach. The Best of the West is on March 6th at CSULB and Nationals is March 18-20th at the Anaheim Convention Center.
The Cheer Team was recognized for their skill and dedication by Mayor Pro Tem Joe Baca Jr.
Most of the players were called up one at a time to receive their individual awards of recognition. There was a bit of an uncomfortable moment as Mayor Pro Tem left out four players who the awards were not printed.
The Team here at Rialto Now would like once again congratulate the team and wish them luck as they take on the Best of The West next month.
Rialto City Treasurer Calls Mayor & City Clerks Events Gift of Public Funds
07 Feb 2016 Leave a comment
Newly elected Rialto mayor Deborah Robertson sits down for an interview at her home in Rialto on Friday, Nov. 9, 2012. Robertson made history this November election with becoming Rialto’s first black mayor. (Rachel Luna / Staff Photographer)
What is the given tag line when T.V. cops are looking to find a criminal act? Follow the money. Well the publicly elected person that oversees the cities finances has called a foul on Mayor Deborah Robertson & City Clerk Barbara McGee. Accusations of gifts of public funds and misuse of city employee’s duties has led Edward Carrillo to file a complaint with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit on the actions of the Mayor and City Clerk when it comes to private events that get thousands of public tax dollars to fund them.
If the mayor had your neighbors roof repaired and repaired their bathrooms would that be a proper use of tax dollars? Below is a snap shot of one of many pages to Edward Carrillo’s complaints to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit asking for an investigation into these tactics.
Edward Carrillo says that the money spent over the years on events like those below were a misuse of public resources for their personal gain or benefit. So in a scramble to make these charges null and void the Mayor is trying to get the city council to call her events city events and not just into the future but PRIOR events as well. Mayor Robertson believes that if she can get two of her colleagues to go along she can skirt the investigation by the public integrity unit. What this has done is force the Mayor, City Clerk and other Council Members to try and cover their tracks.
The sad part is Mayor Robertson is lumping these events geared to promote her in a positive light in the community with real city events that are of a community interest.
State of Women Conference – ($9,000)
Run Around the Rocks – ($1,500) **Now we know why the Mayor skipped the Rialto Police Fallen Officer Memorial 5K
Below are a few of the many REAL public events that Mayor Robertson is using as leverage to get her private events approved. What is sad is in the two events above that shows another $10,500 that could be used to highlight Rialto Athletes or Really make a summer series that people want to attend.
Sports Hall of Fame – is a dynamic recognition ceremony that honors athletes that have brought honor and fame to the City of Rialto. The Athletes recognized range from individuals to championship teams.($3,800)
Summer Series – this event is designed to keep children entertained in a safe, affordable, productive environment during the summer months while school is out. There are combo movies/concert series, as well as other events in the parks with a variety of activities, like “Bark in the Park”, “Sounds of Rialto” and Pool Activities covering May through August.($9,000)
The answer is simple:
- Mayor Robertson should remove herself from the room as she has a conflict of interest in this item.
- Council should make a motion to approve all of the events except for the State of Women Conference & Run Around the Rocks
- Any Council member that try’s to help the mayor avoid a investigation by voting these two events in should be put on notice that this will effect re-elcetion.
Roberto told us “its not fair that the people we elect spend more time trying to hurt us rather than help us.
Cindy said in a quote “I voted for Mayor Robertson as did my family and she not only helped put her opponent back on council but she is doing the same things we expected from him (ed scott)”
Speaking of the election when looking for a photo for this story we stumbled on a story that Josh Dulaney did on the win over Ed Scott.
Robertson didn’t hesitate in saying she will bring a different kind of leadership than Vargas, who had a reputation for being swayed by other council members when it came time to vote.
“There’s a difference between Grace and I,” she said. “Grace was there and Grace was led. I’m there and I’m very comfortable with leading.”
Robertson pledges to bring transparency to City Hall, and says the top priorities are jobs, economic development, a healthy community and open space issues.
How is spending public money on non city events transparency? How are you leading if you are not listening to your colleagues?
Email Drobertson@rialtoca.gov and let the mayor know what you expect out of her as Rialto’s Mayor
Eisenhower High School Is Entered Into The NFL High School Honor Roll
05 Feb 2016 2 Comments
“The golden football represents accomplishment,” said Terrell Davis. “It validates a lot of hard work that I put it in. The fact that no matter where you come from … it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.” http://www.nfl.com/sbhonorroll
As part of the nationwide Super Bowl 50 celebration, the NFL started the Super Bowl High School Honor Roll program to acknowledge schools and communities that have directly influenced Super Bowl history and impacted the game for the better.
High schools across the country, and around the globe, will be given a Wilson Golden Football for every player or head coach who graduated from the school and was on an active Super Bowl roster. More than 2,000 high schools and roughly 3,000 players and coaches will be recognized this season.
Eisenhower High School was lucky enough to be able to receive three of these coveted balls. Rialto has been the launching pad for three NFL players that reached the big game the SUPER BOWL.
David Lang – Lang was drafted in the 12th round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. On April 27, 1995 he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent. On April 27, 1995, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent. That season he was named the special teams captain and set the franchise single-season record for special teams tackles with 30, until it was broken the next year by Jim Schwantz (32). The Cowboys started keeping the stat in 1990. He was part of Super Bowl XXX winning team and retired at the end of the season. Lang founded the nonprofit organization “Legends by Lang” to mentor urban youths. He was shot and killed on May 21, 2005.
Ronnie Lott – Lott was born May 8, 1959, He attended Frisbee Junior High and Eisenhower High School in Rialto where he played football under Coach Bill Christopher and graduated in 1977. Lott considered his time at Eisenhower High School the best years of his life. It is commonly thought that he was the best player on his team, he started as a wide receiver in 1975 as a sophomore, started at wide receiver and safety in 1976 as a junior, and in 1977 he started at quarterback and safety. Lott played football for USC and played in the NFL Lott played for the San Francisco 49ers, LA Raiders, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. The football stadium was recently named after Lott, even though he never played in the stadium. Lott was also the winner of the 1977 Ken Hubbs Award, given to the greater San Bernardino, California area’s top male high school athlete. Lott was part of Superbowl’s XVI, XIX, XXIII and XXIV.
Here is a great Ronnie Lott highlight video
Craig Newsome – He was born August 10, 1971. He played for Eisenhower High School and attended San Bernardino Valley College and later transferred to Arizona State University. The Packers drafted Newsome with the 32nd pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. He was the starting cornerback on the 1996 Green Bay Packers championship team. He also had a forced fumble and an interception in Super Bowl XXXI. On September 19, 1999 the Packers traded Newsome to the 49ers. Now he coaches pee-wee football for Holmen Youth players, where his son Craig Newsome Jr. plays. Newsome played in Superbowl XXXI
Here is Newsome’s Interseption in Superbowl XXXI
More footage of Newsome along with some color comentary
First round of Rialto Police Area Command meetings for 2016 review
04 Feb 2016 Leave a comment
So 2016 is underway and with that comes the first round of Area Command meetings held by the Rialto Police department. With recent retirements and promotions the program has gone through some major changes. Normally change would be bad but these changes have moved key people into great leadership roles. The Area Command program is now anchored once again by to great and passionate leaders in Lt. Kurkusky in the south and newly promoted Lt. Smith in the north.
We missed the first Area Command Meeting on the south end but covered the Area Command meeting in the north and since they share the same info this is a great breakdown of what happened.
Over 50 residents filled up an assembly room at the Sunrise church on north Riverside Ave. The program began with newly promoted Lt. Smith introducing himself.
After Lt. Smith’s introduction he had officer Wilson come up and talk about the Operation Lifesaver Program. Though the programs ideas sound good some are leary of it. One reason that people are leary of this program is the fact that we’re tracking people and creating a regular access point into someone’s home (“to change the battery”). Second is the style of equipment used it’s very old tech and reminds us of what was innovative back in the 80’s. Finally getting grants are good but with every grant comes a long list of rules you must follow and some out there don’t trust Washington at all.
Next up was Cpl. Marquez who had the original task of overseeing the Rialto Reentry Program but now has a long list of other programs that have been added to his plate. The Reentry program is the first thing Cpl. Marquez spoke about:
Next Cpl. Marquez spoke about the next program that he oversees which is the Crime Free Multi Housing Program. This is a program that is aimed at keeping multi housing projects safe:
Next Cpl. Marquez spoke about the Nixle Program a program where you can get direct information from the police department. He also goes over the Text to Tip portion of the program.
Next Cpl. Marquez talks about the Homeless Outreach program and explains what him team will do in this program.
Next up Councilman O’Connell goes over his first quarter Rialto Rap Up. This is where he talks about what is important to the community and he makes himself available to questions from the community. Here is a copy of the Press Release he is reading from:
Officer Anderson was next up to talk to the community about the Inland Regional Center Terrorist Attack in San Bernardino. Officer Anderson is a longtime SWAT Officer and former K9 Handler. He and his team were in the main fight when the two ISIS Terrorists were shot and killed.
Rialto Fire on scene at the San Bernardino Terrorist Attack.
Officer Anderson also talks about the Foundation that makes the Rialto Police K9 program possible The Friends Of Rialto Police K9 he invites the community to interact with the K9 program through their Facebook Page.
Next the Terrorism Detective from Rialto Police gave us a terrorism threat assessment training of some sort that was a little confusing. We have heard this Detective give presentations before and they seemed to flow better. The title of the powerpoint and a lot of the information that was given didn’t seem to match up.
Run Fight Hide
rialtonow 