rialto-now

Tying The Police Hands & Violence Towards Police Hits Close To Home

18 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Ca, Colton, Crime, Currupt, Inland Empire, Public Safety, San Bernardino, San Bernardino PD, San Bernardino Police

In the past a bad guy would think twice about shooting at a police officer but according to new national statistics, 42 police officers were shot and killed in 2015. Four percent more law enforcement officers at the federal state, territorial and local levels died in the line of duty in 2015 than in 2014, according to a preliminary report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Local Law Enforcement supporters have watched the violence towards the police take place outside of the Inland Empire. Outside of the occasional gun battle between gangs and San Bernardino Police the IE has yet to have a random shooting at Law Enforcement until March 9th that is. Last week an unamred San Bernardino City Community Service Officer was shot at while in his vehicle. According to the ABC 7 news report below the officer was looking to recover a stolen vehicle when shots rang out and struck has patrol car. This happened on the border of Rialto and San Bernardino in the area of Meridian and Foothill. This area is known for rampant drug and gang activity as well as one of the highest concentrations of prostitution in the city of Rialto. The question is how long will it take San Bernardino Police to stop living in the shadow of San Bernardino’s Bankruptcy and Terrorist Attack and get to work cleaning up the mountain of crime? Where is the collaborative efforts to have Rialto Police work with San Bernardino to get things on the border under control?

http://abc7.com/news/san-bernardino-police-searching-for-suspect-who-shot-at-officer/1238774/

The scarey part is there is going to come a point where San Bernardino’s crime will become Rialto’s problem. Another question is are the anti cop crowd now attacking Inland Empire Cop’s?

We reached out to San Bernardino PD about this shooting. We had not heard back from SBPD so we decided to attend a Coffee with a Cop event at Farmer Boys in North San Bernardino. Lt Walker of San Bernardino PD said that they did detain multiple persons of interest but due to the trama of the shooting the CSO was unable to identify the person. They are waiting on DNA and gun powder residue to identify if any of the persons of interest match the evidence that was located.

On another note Lt Walker said that they will be hitting that complex hard with their gang team over the next two days to deal with the issues going on in that complex. Lt Walker said that five homicides in one week.

We had yet to hear from newly elected Councilwoman Littlefeild. People close to her camp have attacked us for asking her for a simple statement on this issue. We will have more on that story later………

Unboxing the Rialto Water Services Water Saving Kit

14 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

As you saw in our un-boxing video there are a number of things you can do inside of your home to save water and most of those things came in this water saver kit. In the video below Joel Greene host of Curiosity Quest shows you how to use the things inside this box and why they work.

Now Rialto Water Services claims to have increased customer service and is working to make your experience with them as painless as possible. What is funny is if you spell the name Rialto Water Services right in google you get this:

Rialto Water Services has not registered their new address with Google. Well who cares right its not like were living in a digital age where use google to locate places. Rialto Water Services spends money where it counts, on the pet projects of our elected officials. Go ahead try and get them to donate money to keep kids off drugs or help people without jobs get training that will help them find work. Unless your connected to one of the elected officials you will find ZERO help here.

Now if your having a bad day you might just stumble over the correct search as long as you don’t click Googles correction of your spelling of the name RialtoWaterServices.

So if your looking for Rialto Water its not as easy as they make it seem………..

Video by rialto-now

Rialto Mayor Goes After Rotary & Chamber of Commerce

13 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

Money and the way it is spent has been a hot topic over the last few council meetings. Reports of the mayors spending coming under possible investigation have led Mayor Robertson and Councilman Ed Scott to attack the events that have been a part of the fabric of Rialto for years.

Councilman Ed Scott was more subtle in his attacks on events and the city of Rialto. Councilman Scott attacked the very development firm that is tasked with bringing the dream of retail/restaurant/entertainment zone to where the Airport once stood. He seems to praise the warehouse developers (except for the Target cold storage facility) and do everything he can to shoot down the development the city really wants to see. It is dangerous to have Mr. Scott on the Economic Development Committee and the Sub Committee that is overseeing the projects under development in the old Airport zone. Looking at Mr. Scott’s Campaign Contributions it makes you wonder what is really going on here. Also Mr. Scott who last Council meeting took issue with the fact that the people in Las Colinas collected food and toys for the less fortunate. Now he is trying to drag the city of Rialto into looking to go to districts rather than an at large council? He claims that South Rialto is under represented where is his proof?

Mayor Deborah Robertson’s attack wasn’t so subtle. She called out to have organizations that hold events in the city of Rialto pay back the money that the city has contributed to the private events being held on city property. Mayor Robertson called out two organizations in particular the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. In the video below Mayor Robertson chooses to attack the organization that helps school children (Rotary) and the Chamber of Commerce an organization that strives to create a healthy environment for business to thrive in Rialto. It is dangerous for the mayor to attack the Chambers Taste of Rialto event because it has been the event that shows off the different business owners that are bringing the different food options to the customers of Rialto.

It sounds as though the Mayor is still trying to make her possible misuse of public funds from the General Fund over the last few years ok. The problem is the events she brought up are community interest events and the funds the city applies are pre-approved via the special events committee where the city provides services like street closures and other services that the event can’t hire out privately. The mayors event attached a PRIVATE TRUST FUND to the cities GENERAL FUND and then failed to report the trust fund and cost the city thousands in lost dollars in fines and penalties. Some on the Council called this floating loans from the General Fund. Also the Mayor claims the State of the Woman event comes at an annual cost to the city of only $9,000. We wish she could explain the $22,000 plus dollar figure that this event cost the city in 2013 when the city made repairs to a private building’s roof and bathrooms and spent thousands on special media equipment and staff time to make this location work.

Mayor Robertson would like to make this out as an attack on the State of the Woman event but it isn’t that at all it is and always was about the gross waste of money. When the voters approved the cities extra tax on the tank farms the voters were promised that the city would be wise with the money entrusted to them. Well from the looks of things not everyone was or is on board with this promise.

Video by rialto-now

New Vocal Sensation Jessica Avila

29 Feb 2016 Leave a comment

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

Video by rialto-now

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

Image by rialto-now

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.

Video by rialto-now

To Hack Or Not to Hack Is The Question

17 Feb 2016 Leave a comment

by rialto-now 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

by rialto-now 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.

Video by rialto-now

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

Image by rialto-now