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“SPOTLIGHT” with Ed Scott on the Elections & the Open Council Seat

15 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Nieghborhood Watch, Rialto, Shawn O'Connell, Target, Uncategorized, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com Tags: climate, current-events, politics, transportation

Hello Rialto so you thought the elections were over right?

Wrong we still have an open council seat!!!!!!!

Ok so maybe the thought of more election pandering doesn’t excite you, if that’s the case this is right up your alley.

The city council has chosen to make an appointment verses spending money on an election. They gave candidates 3 days to get their letters of interest into the city clerk’s office (Friday 5pm) and now they have the task of choosing one of these people to fill the vacant seat for the remainder of the term (1.5 years).

Rumors are already circling that the 3 seated council members have already made up their minds? Is it simply rumor? Or is there something it?

There is no way to know what another person is thinking until you ask them to put it to writing. Here is the Interview from Ed Scott enjoy.

Ed Scott is seeking the open council seat

*What are your thoughts on how the local elections played out for citizens of Rialto?

I am happy with the two Councilmembers who were voted in. Obviously I am disappointed voters didn’t do more research on the Mayoral candidates as I feel the outcome would of been different. Having said that I am in full support of our new Mayor and wish her the best.

*In what ways will you try and remain a part of the work to make a better Rialto now that you’re no longer on the Council?

For 23 years I’ve been active in this community and will continue to do so in any way I can. I may run again sometime down the road.

*Are you seeking the appointed seat left vacant by your opponent for Mayor Deborah Robertson?

Yes I am I feel I would be a good asset to the new Council especially in business development and perchlorate.

*How do you thing this spot should be filled?

The Council should review applicants and pick a person qualified.

*What is the value of having it done now verses waiting till June in a special election?

We need leadership, there are major financial issues facing this city and a person with knowledge of these issues would be helpful.

*Can you explain the importance of having an odd number of people voting?

You certainly don’t want tied votes and if the council cannot come up with a consensus then a 3 – 2 votes is helpful. In a perfect situation if staff and the council are doing their homework a unanimous vote should take place. Voting on issues is not about one’s personal agenda it’s about what is good and right for the community.

*What was your greatest accomplishment & failure as a council member?

I think my hard work to bring new businesses into our community was important. i.e. Coco’s, Wal-Mart, Target, In & Out multiple distribution centers bringing job to Rialto and my work in bringing the perchlorate law suit to an end. But my greatest pleasure was when I could help a resident of small business with a problem and could leave them with the feeling that an elected official cared about them. There is no better feeling. As far as failures I don’t really look at anything that way. Would I have of done something’s different yes, hind sight is always important.

*There is talk of putting Measure “V” on the ballot again any thoughts on this? Why in your opinion did it fail in November?

It failed because people didn’t understand why the City was doing it and we let big oil companies come into our city and flat out lie to our residents. I worked for big oil companies for over twenty years and I tried to warn the city how ruthless they can be but my concerns fell on deaf ears.

*What in your opinion is the greatest hurdle in the community’s path between now and the next election?

Having enough money to keep the City solvent and at the same time maintain our necessary levels of service for public safety.

*Veolia will be the operator of both the Water and Waste Water for Rialto for the next 30 years, what are your thoughts on this? Can they handle both with minimal errors? Did you have a choice you wish was there instead?

Yes I am confident they can handle it my choice to run the water department was West Valley it just didn’t happen

*As a small business owner what can Rialto do to make this an attractive home for our local small businesses?

Make the permitting and government interaction easier. The City needs to understand that when a small business loses business because of safety concerns or because government is difficult to do business with it is devastating. Most small business people are not rich people they are hardworking residents.

*Residents of the country club area came out to the Coffee with the Chief in December commenting on the way the Golf Course has become a mess and attracts criminals and the wild life is moving in as well. What was done wrong there in your opinion?

The golf course was losing 20,000 a month the owners had a right to close it. The residents should have worked with the owners instead of suing them. No one won in that situation but lawyers. The best thing now is to support the new development at the golf course so it can be reopened and become prosperous.

Rialto PD Community Liason Cpl. Cameron Nelson shops with kids

22 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Budget, Burglury, Ca, City of Rialto, davidsMarketing, Family, Family Sports, Fontana PD, Fun, Holidays, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, Inland Empire, Poor, Public Safety, Redlands PD, Rialto, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, San Bernardino PD, San Bernardino Police, SCAT, Steven's Hope for Children, Street Crime Attack Team, SWAT, Target, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, youth

Rialto police Cpl. Cameron Nelson shops for Christmas presents with brothers Nicholas and Kristian Mingl for the Police Department’s second annual Shop With a Cop event. Nicholas might have been disappointed that he didn’t get a sleigh ride but he did get a much brighter holiday. (Melissa Pinion-Whitt Staff

RIALTO – The lights and siren on Rialto police Cpl. Cameron Nelson’s patrol car left 5-year-old Nicholas Mingl doubting it had anything to do with Christmas.

“This ain’t a Santa sleigh,” the Rialto boy said.

But thanks to Rialto police officers who took needy children on a Christmas shopping spree Wednesday, the boy’s outlook on the police and the holidays grew brighter.

Law enforcement and fire agencies around the Inland Empire have been holding gift-giveaways for disadvantaged families the last few weeks. Many police departments participated in Shop With a Cop-style events, using donations to take children to stores for presents.

“These kids would not have a Christmas if it wasn’t for this,” said Karen Huerta, Nicholas’ grandmother.

Rialto police took 14 children to Walmart in Rialto, buying each child $50 in presents and another $40 for their parents or guardians. Families filled out applications and were selected by officers based on need.

“Hopefully it gives them a better outlook on police officers – that we’re not just enforcers,” Nelson said.

The Kiwanis Club, Rialto’s Police Officer Benefit Association and other donors pitched in for the gift money.

Rialto Officer Cheri Schaffer walked the aisles with 6-year-old Julina Castro, who picked a few dolls and some clothes off the shelves. She also used some of her $50 to buy her mother a present.

“It makes you feel good to come out with the kids and see their faces light up,” Schaffer said.

_________________________________________________________________

Visit their website and Childrens Boutique.
http://stevenshope.org/
Steven’s Hope for Children, Inc.
1014 W. Foothill Blvd. Suite #B, Upland, CA 91786

_____________________________________________________________________

San Bernardino police used a different method to select children for their Shop With a Cop event. Police detectives picked children who were victims in physical abuse cases.

Detectives, along with officers in uniform, accompanied nine children ranging from 5 to about 12-years-old, for a shopping spree. The department received $1,500 in donations from the Walmart Foundation.

“It lets them know that your case is done, but we didn’t forget you,” said police Lt. Paul Williams.

In Redlands, police took 27 children to Target, where they bought $1,800 in presents through police and community donations.

Other agencies may not call their events “Shop With a Cop,” but it’s the same concept.

Fontana police, who call their shopping spree “Heroes and Helpers” took 50 children shopping at Target on Dec. 15. They were selected by school district officials who recognized the children had a need for holiday help.

But it wasn’t just police officers who took children on shopping sprees.

Colton firefighters, along with the Colton Unified School District and Walmart donated money so 50 needy children could each receive $100 Christmas presents.

Council Meeting Re-cap Part 2

14 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Andy Carrizales, Bad Commerce, Budget, Burglury, Ca, City of Rialto, Crime, Currupt, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Grace Vargas, In & Out, Inland Empire, Mike Story, Rialto, Rialto Police Department, Small Business, Target, Twitter @IEBeatriz., Uncategorized, youth

Last night we covered the massive tax grab that is before Rialto voters this next year (2013).

Well let’s ease your fears not everything I saw last night before leaving at 8pm was bad. They are moving along with some great projects that will bring commerce to the city of Rialto.

We saw the intern class of 2012 and it looked like a good group of educated young men and women looking to make their mark on city government. The program’s goal is to increase young people desire to enter working for a city.

City Staff Introduced the Intern Class of 2012

First off they are helping Target move forward smoothly on the construction of its massive cold storage facility they are building on Alder and Easton up by the 210 freeway. This cold storage facility will handle all distribution of all cold storage items for the entire west coast. Target has a great grocery program and great deals and this facility will be busy and create tons of new jobs in the Rialto area.

Second is the best news of all In & Out project is underway.

It seems the city finally understands that we want this fast food restaurant like YESTERDAY. The cities contractors are working on providing the In & Out Contractors a working useable pad. This means that the parking and egress will be complete then In & Out says it can complete the building in 180 days (150 days of construction 30 day grace period). Below is a picture of the stats provided by Robb Steel.

Picture shows money and time frames

Finally the moratorium on Cash For Gold businesses was extended for a year to allow city staff and police personnel develop working guide lines for these types of businesses. At the last coffee with the chief we were informed by Chief Farrar that an investigation was done and found that the existing Cash For Gold businesses were buying Gold that was stolen and not asking for ID then just sending it off to be melted and sold. For this reason the Moratorium was originally put in place to keep thefts from rising even higher and more of these places pop up. Let me begin by saying our Chief of police and his officers don’t just accuse you of doing something they get proof and then catch you doing the crime or wrongful act. So while this TAB item was being discussed Ed Palmer and Ed Scott said they visited 2 of these businesses and saw them doing everything right and wanted to make sure they were brought in on the formulation of the new guide lines so to be given a fair shot at complying with these new rules. These two almost went as far to say that this seemed like a witch hunt on reputable businesses that have done nothing wrong. That’s funny Chief Farrar pointed out all three as the ones buying stolen gold without taking the proper ID techniques.

Then the most irritating portion of the two hours I saw (besides the massive tax grab) was when someone asked if these new rules would apply to door to door Gold Buyers? Then Mayor Vargas said yes I had someone come to my door and ask if I had gold I wanted to sell, after those two homes on my street were broken into. She wasn’t sure if the two incidents were connected but had concerns. Then one of the council members said oh Grace is referring to people passing out flyers for Gold buying businesses and that people didn’t buy gold as an independent buy without a shop. It showed the ignorance of the people leading our city. As a security guard for a shopping mall we were kicking independent gold buyers out of the mall all the time. They would both hover around the Cash for gold stores and kiosks and tell people that the price they were being offered was to low and try and steal the sale, or hit up people eating in the food court. People like these do exist; they are aggressive and can be very underhanded. They carry a small jeweler’s magnifying glass and sometimes a small chemical test kit. If someone like this approaches your home inform the police and then send them down to council chambers to educate the city council and staff.

Question & Awnser Events With Rialto Officals

24 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, Deborah Robertson, Edgar Montes, Flores Park, Inland Empire, Small Business, Target, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Ok so everyone’s biggest complaint with politics and voting is “my vote doesn’t count” or “how can you know someone from their campaign mailers”?

This election is bigger than just the president race its tons of Ballot measures and local and regional offices, people with a say on what happens daily in YOUR LIFE.

Well here is your chance to see where FOUR Local people stand on issues that matter to YOU!!!!!!

Shawn O’Connell running for City Council – These 2 seats are going to be very important with Rialto moving forward while its massive neighbor San Bernardino struggles with Bankruptcy and Internal Strife. We must have people willing to actually speak to the community and not hide information to stress out or break the spirits of the local community. Come out and ask Shawn what’s important to YOU!!!

http://www.facebook.com/events/104179109739352/

www.Shawn4Rialto.com

Joe Britt is also running for City Council and has spent a long time acting as the Gadfly to our local government as well as sitting on the Parks and Recreation board. Come out to OUR park and ask him what YOU want to know from someone who is now asking for the responsibility of making bigger decisions on OUR behalf.

http://www.facebook.com/events/145313615611286/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Britt-for-Rialto-City-Council/302607623134033

Deborah Robertson is currently a Council Woman and is running for the seat vacated by Grace Vargas. She has worked with Flores Park Neighborhood Watch on different projects showing she is able and ready to work for and with the community. Come out and see where she stands on issues that matter most to YOU!!!!

http://www.facebook.com/events/488986811120175/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Councilmember-Deborah-Robertson-for-Rialto-Mayor/157653127704436

Nancy O’Kelley is running for Rialto Unified School District Board. Who really knows anyone on this board or ever took any time to get to know the person your voting for? Nancy O’Kelley has worked at RUSD for years and was one of the top principles at Eisenhower High School. Come out and ask her what her plans are for OUR CHILDREN. Parents of children with special needs this is your opportunity to lay out how you feel RUSD special ed program has effected your child. Come out and let her know what we expect from her and see what her plans are. Ask her what YOU think is important!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.facebook.com/events/467287593303064/

www.nancyokelley.com

RIALTO AIRPORT: Move to San Bernardino advances or miss-use of Water Sale Money

14 Sep 2012 2 Comments

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Cancer Society, American Water, Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, Cancer, City of Rialto, Currupt, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Grace Vargas, In & Out, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, June Hayes, Lewis Properties, Mayor Pat Morris, Protest, Public Safety, Target, Taxes, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Below you will find a story from the Press Enterprise Newspaper. The articles purpose is to highlight the work moving forward at the San Bernardino Airport with the closing of the Rialto Airport. We were told that the $30 Million the city would secure by selling off our water for 30 years and raising our rates over four years by more than 100% was going to go to allow the city to afford the types of upgrades necessary when your developing land where there isn’t drainage, adequate streets for expected traffic along with street lights and signals. Reading below at first sight you think your reading about the continued relocation of the airport to move forward with its closure, but that’s not the case to those of us who still fight against this evil deal.

The following was never made clear to the public:

Anything about the bulk of land sales going to the San Bernardino Airport for relocation costs.
That now that the land is worthless and not desired by anyone, the city made another bad deal on our behalf to give away the supposed Capital Development money obtained from the bad water deal.

What makes the water deal and now the Airport Closure stink are:

Closing of the Airport puts our own Helicopter program in jeopardy. We will have to take our own helicopter to another Airport creating an unnecessary delay in response time (which newspaper article will we find tells us where our helicopter will be based since the city hates telling the community what they are doing).
$30 Million isn’t allot of money when it comes to large development. If a BULK of the money must go to San Bernardino what money is left for all the BUSINESS they think they can attract to come to RIALTO?
Why wont the city tell us all the people connected to the city who will make millions at Rialto Rate Payers Expense.
The statement from Councilman and Mayor Candidate ED SCOTT that the settlement money from the perchlorate cases wont be enough to repay Rialto businesses who paid perchlorate fees for years right along with Rialto residents. So Ed Scott wants us to promote him to Mayor and trust him with the responsibility of attracting new business to the city. He has his hands super dirty in being on the committee that hired failed Superior for graffiti removal services, being a council member that still likes and wants American Water as the servicer of Rialto’s failed water deal and calls the police and makes false accusations against Rialto Residents because he doesn’t like what they say.
Target, Super Wal-Mart and In & Out are the three projects on tap for the $30 million, if we have to give most of that money to San Bernardino how will any of these projects happen?

Read the article below, then email your council members and city administrator and ask them to finally be honest with us!!!!!

Little activity goes on at Rialto Airport these days. The last few tenants could find a new home at San Bernardino International Airport.

Seven years after an act of Congress ordered Rialto Municipal Airport closed, the effort to shift tenants to San Bernardino International Airport took a small step on Wednesday, Sept. 12.

The San Bernardino International Airport Authority awarded contracts worth up to $1.8 million combined for the design of hangars that will serve private pilots and the San Bernardino County sheriff’s aviation operation.

TR Design Group, a Riverside-based company that built a city call center at Riverside Municipal Airport as well as structures near March Air Reserve Base, was awarded up to $902,720 to develop plans, including architectural and engineering, for the sheriff’s hangar.

An $868,500 contract went to Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. for design work and oversight of the eventual construction of amenities for private pilots and their planes that would be relocated from Rialto to San Bernardino’s 32-acre site.

Funding will come from the authority’s related Inland Valley Development Agency. The agency has so far received approval from the state’s Department of Finance to use bond revenue for the new hangars and amenities. State law dissolved redevelopment agencies earlier this year and forced them to seek approval from the finance department when they want to spend property tax revenue on unfinished redevelopment projects.

The IVDA has estimated it could cost $9.55 million to build the sheriff’s hangar, according to the list of financial obligations approved by the state. The general aviation improvements could cost nearly $7 million.

In 2005, Congress made the rare move to close Rialto Airport because the city — the airport’s owner — wanted to see the land developed with homes, retail and other improvements. A large portion of the money earned from selling the land was supposed to have gone to the San Bernardino airport to create space for the tenants forced to move. But the economy soured, land values plummeted, and no land was sold or developed. Tenants still pay rent month-to-month at Rialto Airport, where weeds are visible sprouting from the runway.

Recently, the city of Rialto approved a complicated deal to contract out its water management in order to earn money to reimburse San Bernardino airport for a portion of the costs.

Rialto Airport, which has been further tangled in uncertainty because of the dissolution of the city’s redevelopment agency, is expected to close by 2014, said Chad Merrill, project manager for the IVDA and San Bernardino airport.

06 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Ca, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Crime, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Edgar Montes, Family, Family Sports, Flores Park, Grace Vargas, IE Gourmet Food Trucks, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Mike Story, Public Safety, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, SCAT, Steven's Hope for Children, Street Crime Attack Team, SWAT, Target, youth

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT TUESDAY, 8/7/12.
DOWNTOWN 5 – 8:30 PM.

Yes its that time of year again, time for National Night Out. This event is an annual event created to foster community awareness. Target, Rialto PD, Cardenas Markets and many more have teamed up to bring this event to Downtown Rialto again.

There will be tons of:
Vendors
Entertainment
Food
And

Demos from our wonderful Rialto Police Department.

This is a FREE event that draws people from all over the city. Its a time to get out and be around fellow citizens and have a good time.

Click the link below and Join the event group to be kept up to date on all the developments.

http://www.facebook.com/events/430826046967978/

Coffee With the Chief, Taste of Rialto and More………….

07 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Ca, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Crime, davidsMarketing, Family, Flores Park, Fun, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, http://www.guardianwatch.com/, IE Gourmet Food Trucks, Joe Baca Jr, Mike Story, Rialto Police Department, Rialto Rotary, Run Watcha Brung, Target, www.babyelepnatbooks.com, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, youth

Coffee with the Police Chief

June 12th from 8:00 to 9:00 am – A meet and greet with the Rialto Police Chief and staff! This will be a recurring event happening every 2nd Tuesday at Coffee Nutzz (119 E. Foothill Blvd.). Come out and learn more about your Police Deparment!

A Taste Of Rialto

You’re invited to join us for the 8th Annual Taste of Rialto on Thursday, June 7th from 5:00 – 8:00 pm in Downtown Rialto. The Rialto Chamber of Commerce, City of Rialto, and State Farm Insurance are sponsoring the “Taste of Rialto.” This event will highlight over a dozen of Rialto’s finest restaurants and will include wine and beer tasting from several participating wineries and breweries in the region. A wide variety of foods including African, American, BBQ, Cajun, Chinese, Mexican and International cuisine will be free for the tasting! The event will be held at the Downtown Park on the northeast corner of Rialto Avenue and Riverside and will include entertainment. Tickets for the event are $25.00 and are available from the Rialto Chamber of Commerce (909) 875-5364 and at the event. There will also be a Cruise Night on Friday, June 8th from 7:00 – 10:00 pm. See you there!

Run What You Brung Car Show

Come join us for the annual Run Whatcha Brung car show. This event takes place Saturday, June 9th, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in Downtown Rialto. Free admission to spectators.

2012 National Night Out

National Night Out is a nation-wide program co-sponsored by Target in where neighborhood watch groups come together one night a year with Target representatives, police, fire, school and city officials, to celebrate the concerted effort in fighting crime throughout the year. This year’s event will be held on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 from 5:00 – 8:30 pm.

National Night Out is a wonderful opportunity for our community to promote police-community partnerships, crime prevention, and neighborhood camaraderie. It represents the kind of spirit, energy, and determination that is helping make our neighborhoods safer places throughout the year. It is a night to celebrate safety and crime prevention success and to expand and strengthen our commitment throughout the year.

The Rialto Police Department and its personnel are proud to host such a great event and we would like to say a special “Thank You” to all of our citizens for their willingness to work with us to make this a better and safer Rialto.

Update on the American Water Petitions and Prop 218 Protest Letters

21 May 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Cancer Society, American Water, Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, Cancer, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, Grace Vargas, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, RDA, Sheet Metal Workers Union, Target, Terra Vista Shopping Center, The Circle Vision Quest, Uncategorized, Water, www.babyelepnatbooks.com, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Dear friends and neighbors:

As you know, we are fighting the American Water privatization deal in Rialto in two different ways: first, the petition we recently filed to require the City to place the American Water contract up for a vote of the people; and second, the Prop 218 process for Rialto property owners to block the rate hikes the City is trying to impose in order to pay for this misguided scheme.

I am writing to alert you to developments on both fronts.

Concerning the voter petition, the San Bernardino Sun reported today that the City has forwarded our petitions to the County of San Bernardino to certify whether we have submitted enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot. The County says that process will take about two weeks.

We expect the County to confirm that we have submitted more than enough votes to place this critical decision before the voters of Rialto. You can read the Sun’s article at the following link:

http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20648408/county-elections-staff-verifying-signatures-rialto-petition-vote

Concerning the Prop 218 process, we mailed protest cards today to all Rialto property owners. These cards provide property owners with a convenient way to tell the City that the people of Rialto reject these unfair rate hikes. We also included a postage-prepaid envelope to make it easy for impacted property owners to return the protest cards.

Under Proposition 218, if a majority of impacted property owners file protests with the City, the City cannot impose these rate hikes!

If you are property owner in Rialto – or a renter who is responsible for paying the water or sewer bill – we encourage you to return the protest card as soon as you receive it. If you receive a mailing from SOS Rialto Water, please open it immediately; sign the enclosed protest card; and return it to us in the postage-prepaid envelope.

We will deliver every protest card we receive to the City Clerk’s office before the June 12 deadline.

Please remember – Rialto property owners can block these unfair rate hikes, but only if a sufficient number of protests are filed with the City by June 12. Please return your protest card to SOS Rialto Water immediately.

Thank you again for your support in blocking these unfair rate hikes.

Sincerely,

Mark Brooks

SOS Rialto Water and Utility Workers Union of America

Won this (Water) Battle, Yet Still forging on the War Front

15 May 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Cancer Society, American Water, Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, Cancer, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, Grace Vargas, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, In & Out, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, June Hayes, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, Protest, RDA, Ron Pharris, Sheet Metal Workers Union, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, Target, Taxes, The Circle Vision Quest, Water, www.babyelepnatbooks.com, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Below is the form email that went out from SOS Water, the organization that is spearheading the drive to allow City of Rialto Voters to vote on the decision to outsource our water and waste water systems. I hope this push proves a few things to the city council and mayor of Rialto:

Simple transperity isn’t enough when it comes to our water and a 30 year contract – Besides people who either work for the city, sit on a city commission/board or belong to a group or organization that is owned by the city government no one things that the information meetings were informative, they were more confusing. No other proposals were shown, staff presenting the information came off cocky and rude & people were left with more questions than answers.
When the people (Rialto Residents) speak listen – 80+ people signed up to speak on the impending vote on water services & the city council choose to instead listen to Union reps, possible future business owners, labor lobbies & inappropriate city mouth pieces (Ref June Hayes calling one of the speakers a card carving communist). When Rialto business owners and residents filled 4 rooms and spoke their piece and you still chose to ignore it, you work for us remember that.
For years this city government has made a choice to ignore the water system, now when RDA funds are gone we make a made dash for the first person willing to pay us off. How is this fair to the city? Why should the residents pay for your lack of leadership. It was best said today as Governor Brown was making his latest pitch for higher taxes he ask a reporter if she didn’t like his plan what did she think he should do and she said “THATS YOUR JOB”. IF the city water is in such disrepair then let’s get to work fixing it. Start off by using the 30 million dollars the Utility owes you and let’s get to work. Then lets talk about slow graduated increases that will hurt less over time to obtain the remainder of the money and finish the work. By the councils own admission this alone will bring business here that was avoiding us because of our water systems age and disrepair. I don’t agree that is why they are avoiding us but that’s for another post.
SOS is comprised from people out-of-state that have seen American Water at work and know first hand what type of service they provide. This doesnt bother me one bit because without the hard work and passion of the people of Rialto their efforts would have died out eons ago.

Dear friends and neighbors:

On Saturday, May 12, we filed our petition with the City Clerk with substantially more than enough signatures to place the water privatization scheme before the voters of Rialto. Under California law, this means that the City will be required to present this critical issue to a vote of the people.

We needed 10% of the registered voters of Rialto to qualify for the ballot – or just over 3,600 signatures. Instead, we turned in more than 6,400 signatures!

The people of Rialto really came through to let City Council know that the voters of Rialto deserve to have the final say on this misguided 30-year privatization scheme.

The next step is that the City will review our petition to verify that we have submitted a sufficient number of valid signatures. After that, this issue should be presented to a public ballot sometime over the next few months. We will need to re-double our efforts to make certain this water privatization contract is defeated at the ballot box.

In addition, in the next few days we will be sending Prop 218 protest cards to all Rialto property owner who are affected by the huge rate hikes that the City Council is trying to push through to finance this deal. If a majority of property owners protest these rate hikes, then the City cannot impose the rate increases and the entire water privatization scheme fails.

We will keep you posted on both of these efforts as we move forward.

Congratulations again for all of your hard work and for standing up for the future of Rialto.

Mark Brooks

SOS Rialto Water

P.S. I am posting below a link to the news story in the Sunday’s San Bernardino Sun concerning our success in getting the petition filed, and another link to a guest editorial from SOS Rialto Water members that was printed in the Sun on May 9.

http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20612243/more-than-6-000-rialto-residents-sign-petition

http://www.sbsun.com/pointofview/ci_20585383/rialto-voters-deserve-say-american-water-deal