And Rightly So

My first recollection of meeting the vivacious Suzanne Gambill was at a Chamber of Commerce mixer at Doc Tad Lonergan’s office in July of 1999. This remembrance is so vivid because I had decided to have my nomination papers signed at this particular event, which would place my name on the ballot as a candidate for mayor. I knew some, but not all of the people who attended this particular get-together. Before I knew what hit me, this attractively petite woman motioned me over to where she was sitting to talk with her – that was my first encounter with the surprisingly feisty Suzanne Gambill.

Suzanne proceeded to tell me what was wrong with the city council, the lack of city services – especially police, code enforcement, and the terrible condition of some of the city’s streets – and she was really livid about the city’s reneging on the $1.4 million Trans-Note bond. Then Suzanne, without taking a breath, added something about that if I wanted to be elected as the Mayor of Desert Hot Springs I needed to know about these important things, and to watch my back. Just as quickly as she had motioned me over to talk with me, Suzanne got up and moved to talk with someone else. Aside from me saying, “Hi, I’m Matt Weyuker,” I never got a word in edgewise in our first meeting.

After I became the Mayor of our unique city, I could count on my weekly phone conversations with Suzanne in which she would pass on some vital or interesting information to me. During these weekly phone calls, and at city functions where we would both be in attendance with our spouses, I got to know Suzanne as a woman, outspoken about the city that she loved. I also found her to be a fun and caring individual. Also, that she loved her Buzz and “her boys” (Suzanne and Buzz’s Shi-Tzus) to pieces. I was proud to number Suzanne among my dear friends.

When Marlene and I found about Suzanne’s Alzheimer’s Disease we were both shocked and saddened. I missed the once vibrant person she had been. When Buzz had Suzanne with him at events, she was quiet and saddened, instead of her usual outgoing self. Although her personal warmth still glowed through her disease caused heartbreakingly cheerless demeanor.
Something that I won’t soon forget was last November’s election night. Marlene and I were at Mayor Yvonne Parks’ victory party when Buzz and Suzanne showed up to cover the event and take some pictures. Buzz had told us that sometimes Suzanne didn’t know who he was. So, when she squealed in instant recognition as she came over to where Marlene and I were, I was thrilled! Suzanne gave me a big hug, and then planted a kiss on my lips. Then she did the same with Marlene.

When Marlene and I last saw this precious lady, Suzanne was recovering from a broken hip and her surgery to repair it, and she had just been transferred to a rehab facility and we weren’t prepared for what we saw. This once attractive and feisty woman that we had come to know and love seemed to be fading away – preparing to leave her troubled and painful world of dementia, for a happier place.

My almost immediate reaction was tears – I felt so sad for her. I didn’t know what to do or say, and in my anguished disappointment over what I had just seen, I moved my power wheelchair out of her room before Suzanne could see me weeping.

When Buzz emailed us that his precious Suzanne had passed away on February 8th, at a hospice facility, Marlene and I were saddened, but not surprised. Although my wheelchair was in need of repair, we probably wouldn’t have been able to attend Suzanne’s memorial service, as it would have upset me to such an extent that it would have put at risk my own precarious health situation.

So Suzanne, this is my loving way of telling you how much I will miss you. In this world of hustle and bustle, one doesn’t meet many vivacious people like Suzanne Gambill – Suzanne; you were one in a million! – And rightly so.
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There's an old saying that goes like this - It never rains but it pours! That adage is especially appropriate after seeing the two local newspapers stories, one about former DHS City Manager Anne Marie Gallant's alleged violation of her contract settlement agreement; the other regarding Cathedral City's plan to annex 1,471 acres north of Interstate 10, adjacent to Palm Drive.

The former City Manager was warned in a letter from Desert Hot Springs City Attorney Duran on behalf of the city, "To demand that you immediately cease and desist from engaging in any further activity in violation of the Settlement Agreement and Release of all Claims between you and the city." This formal legal letter from the city's lawyer came about a day after several of our community's more naïve citizens held a "Bring Back Anne Marie Rally."

Apparently Ms. Gallant received $119,000 out of Desert Hot Springs' meager and hard-pressed treasury for signing the August Tenth Settlement Agreement. The City Attorney further specifically alleged that that he has heard "multiple reports" that the former DHS City Manager has told "several individuals about the issues and facts leading up" to her August Ninth resignation.

City Attorney Duran further alleges that Ms. Gallant has told people she was fired, and that the City Council violated the Brown Act. The city's legal-beagle alleged further that the former City Manager has leaked that her performance evaluation was in retaliation or retribution for (her) purported on, or feelings towards one or more "developers." Duran's letter added a stipulation that these reports " have caused the city and its officials considerable harm and distress."

All of this claptrap has further maligned Desert Hot Springs troubled image, the one that Ms. Gallant had publicly stated that she was going to "fix." Some of our city's people have no understanding about how a city should and/or shouldn't be managed and operated, and they hold "rallies" to bring this or that City Manager back.

Like it or not, the California Government Code specifies that the Mayor and City Council are responsible for the hiring and firing of two city employees - the City Manager and City Attorney. They are also responsible for the making and setting of the city's policy - and oh yes by acting like a legislative body they are responsible for much of the city's image and reputation.

On the other hand, the same code book dictates that in a City Council/City Manager form of local government, that the City Manager is responsible for executing the Mayor and Councilor's direction, hiring and firing City Hall's non-sworn (not Police Officers) employees, and not involving themselves in the city's politics or "image." The city has had more than its share of highly paid chief executives who have tended to lose their way and involve themselves in the people's elected representative's civic duties and concerns.

Now to Cathedral City's plans to annex 1,471 acres of prime commercial acreage north of the Interstate Ten's Palm Drive exit, smack-dab in Desert Hot Springs so-called "sphere of influence." The Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has already approved this unbelievable mugging and raiding of premier commercial property that most common sense tells us belongs to Desert Hot Springs. One can't help but feel that this LAFCO action in granting approval to Cathedral City's incursion into our city's "sphere of influence," as being synonymous to being a case of out-and-out "favoritism."

Not since, then Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono and his administration came north of the Interstate Ten freeway at the Indian Avenue off-ramp ten years ago when they moved three or four miles further north to acquire some valuable land on which to place those inveterate west valley environmental eyesores that provide that city with plenty of ill-gotten tax revenue - the windmills - have we seen such brazen behavior by a "neighbor city."

Our city officials have got to remain vigilant, not let the fact that very soon our community will be mired in our local elections, and most of the other valley cities doesn't have a municipal election as a distraction, stop Desert Hot Springs' "sphere of influence" land from being grabbed by our neighboring cities, such as both Palm Springs and Cathedral City got away with, to use for commercial development. In addition to providing public safety, balancing the budget, etal, one would think that another major responsibility that our Mayor and City Council have is making sure that our municipal borders and "sphere" are secure from future outright thievery by our neighbors to the south - and rightly so.

I think that it was William Shakespeare who said something about a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. Here in our teeming-with-all-kinds-of-growth Coachella Valley, (except in Desert Hot Springs, where commercial construction is at a stand-still), there is something unquestionably rotten going on that has the stench of dishonesty and/or mistaken decisions reeking from the Valley's regional arm of local government, and isn't "sweet smelling!"

It does appear from the Desert Hot_Springs Springs City Council scheduled agenda for the September 7th meeting that the Mayor and Councilors are going to reconsider rejoining their Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) confreres in approving the Coachella Valley Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP).

Apparently CVAG is offering those Desert Hot Springs landowners who own ten acres or less, a pot of money totaling $5 million to purchase these parcels. Knowing this, it has caused me to ponder the $5 million question - If CVAG operates on a tight budget, where in the world did they get the $5 million pot of money to entice those small property owners to sell the property to CVAG? Another question that demands answers is: What about the larger property owners? Isn't CVAG just asking to be sued by a bunch of larger parcel owner-litigants?

If CVAG has a restricted operating budget, could it be that CVAG is planning to use "Measure A" revenue? If so, how do they rationalize using dollars that are meant for arterial and freeway road construction and maintenance to purchase a lot of ten-acres or less property? Can we all ask, "Where's the money going to come from to provide for Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail; Indian Avenue; and Date Palm Drive's long-needed interchange improvements at the I-10?"

Locally, that $5 million would go a long way toward improving such heavily traveled thoroughfares such as Mountain View Road, Pierson Boulevard, and the small part of Indian Avenue that is in our city.

The "yes or no" decision to rescind the previous Desert Hot Springs City Council's refusal to go along with CVAG, Riverside County's Board of Supervisors, and the "environmentalists," in those three entities attempted "blackmailing" of both valley cities and developers into "going along" with the unnecessary taxpayer's expense of the CVMSHCP borders on being illegal. Our city's voters should pay strict attention to this particular important decision that will impact the future growth of our "Simply Above The Rest" community.
The City Manager's resignation didn't surprise me - Ms. Gallant's published resume alleges that she doesn't stay on the job more than about eighteen months.
She took our city for plenty of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Ms. Gallant also left as a legacy, several pending lawsuits that could wind up costing DHS many more taxpayer dollars.

Former Deputy City Manager John Soulliere, would make a good choice for an Interim City Manager. He has lived in our city for over a dozen years, he knows both the city and the water district well."

There is the matter of the upcoming November election where Desert Hot Springs electors get to make a decision about who they want for their Mayor and two City Council members. There are at least two well-known "electeds" and a "wannabe" running for the office of Mayor. City Councilor

Yvonne Parks has announced her intentions to seek the Mayor's seat; incumbent Mayor Alex Bias is running for re-election; and perennial loser, Adam Sanchez has made noises about being in the hunt for that leadership office.

As of this writing, all of the City Council candidates have not turned in their nomination papers, but I've heard that hardworking and experienced City Council representatives Hank Hohenstein and Mary Stephens are planning on seeking re-election.

A thumbnail description of my views on these three Mayoral candidates is as follows: Council Member Yvonne Parks is bright, articulate, she is not afraid to make a decision, has a good deal of government experience, does her homework, works hard at being a good representative Councilor, and I believe that Yvonne has the time and will spend the many hours that it takes to be an outstanding Mayor. The incumbent, Alex Bias has been an unmitigated failure as the city's Mayor. First and foremost, he refused to heed the advice of then City Manager, former County Supervisor, and former CVAG CEO (and Riverside County local government icon), Corky Larsen. Mr. Bias rejected the legal guidance and opinions of the former City Attorney, who obviously knew more about the duties of the Mayor than the Mayor did He has taken thousands of dollars from windmill operators.
Mr. Bias has delusions of adequacy, and he has shown a propensity to not be a leader, which the city sorely needs. Adam Sanchez is very ambitious, so much so that he has run for the Mission Springs Water Board once, and for the DHS City Council three times with the results always being the same - the people refused to elect Sanchez - and rightly so.

There’s an old axiom that goes something like this – the wheels of government grind very slowly. There are four diverse subjects that prove this maxim to not only be correct, but also to be “politically incorrect.” There have been some strange “goings on” having to do with either a lack of action, or some dubious decisions that bear having some honest answers by our city and county leaders.

Although he was an outspoken democrat curmudgeon of the 1920s and 30s, Will Rogers was, and still is, one of my favorite political commentators and wits. Will Rogers had this acerbic comment about government, ‘I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.”

As I wrote at the outset of this iteration of “And Rightly So,” I hope to ask some questions, and by doing that, get some much-needed answers about four issues that affect our community and its potential future. The four significant subjects that cry out for some sort of investigation, and/or answers, are the following: - 1 – The proposed, and much needed Desert Hot Springs Medical Center that was being discussed as long as 5 years ago; 2 – What city gets the western campus of College of the Desert (COD), that has been talked about since 2003, is it Palm Springs or Desert Hot Springs? 3 – The so-called “reconsideration” of The Riverside County Local Agency Commission’s (LAFCO) prior approval of the City of Desert Hot Springs’ annexation of 1800+ acres of Riverside County land to have the coveted Palmwood project move forward; and 4 – The campaign-cash rich “Windmill Projects” approval by the Board of Supervisors.

The residents of the City of Desert Hot Springs deserve to know what’s holding up the potentially life saving, much talked about, needed and wanted “Medical Center.” I view this important, and potentially life saving “Health Center” to not only be a community priority, but a reflection of our city’s commitment to providing its residents with local, quality health care within the city’s boundaries. In my opinion there is not a more important matter than completing the long overdue Desert Hot Springs Medical Center for the City Management to deal with, and bring to completion. As residents of this once thriving community, we ought to be asking, no demanding, that the City Manager empanel an investigating team to look into what has happened to the construction of this vital health center.

Another series of queries that need to be addressed are where is the College of the Desert (COD) Board of Trustees on the subject of which city gets to locate the new western campus of the two-year community college. Will it be in the City of Palm Springs? Or will the COD Board choose Desert Hot Springs?

Never mind the overwhelming statistical and unsettling reality check that the school’s officials have all but refused to use as part of the equation, that the main Palm Desert campus has over 40% of the school’s enrollment who reside in Desert Hot Springs, and whose census numbers have over half of the city’s estimated 25,000 residents under 18 years of age. Another little known factoid is that the majority of Palm Springs homes are childless.

But as you and I know, the decision of where to locate the new COD western campus will be political, pure and simple – and there’s nothing much that the city’s citizens can do to stop the damagingly questionable preference by the COD board. As the great Greek statesman/orator Pericles once said, “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean that politics won’t take an interest in you!”

Let’s look at the “reconsideration” issue planned for the next meeting of LAFCO, at which the previously approved annexation by the City of Desert Hot Springs to acquire the desirable Palmwood development that proposes to include more than 1 million square feet of retail space. Who asked for the “reconsideration,” you ask? If you guessed that the answer was: The Coachella Valley Conservation Commission and the County of Riverside, you get a Gold Star! The “why” of the more than questionable decision for LAFCO to allow this important to our community annexation, is a question that merits some tangible answers.

Lastly, the Riverside County Board of Supervisor’s predictable approval of the Oregon based windmill manufacturing and construction operation. Did any of the Supervisor’s think to challenge the alleged altruistic “alternative energy production” myth? If not, why not? These windmill operators get all kinds of government tax breaks. Why didn’t our trusted county government examine the amount of those tax breaks? Has anyone from the government offered any of us a “tax break” lately? As I wrote in a column about 2 months ago, the County Board of Supervisors never met a windmill development that they didn’t like!

“There is no distinctly native American criminal class – save politicians with questionable ethics,” the bitingly droll and sardonic American humorist Mark Twain once said – and rightly so.

About a year ago a lot of the network and cable news "talking heads" were going on and on about the real estate market "bubble." These "experts" readily admitted that the overall economy was good, with unemployment levels being close to an all-time low, interest rates being at a low level, and inflation being held in check. Yet they panicked our country into believing that the real estate "bubble" bursting was imminent.

Frankly, they reminded me of the little kid's story about Chicken Little - y'know where Chicken Little tells his barnyard buddy, "Henny-Penny, the sky is falling!" But this tale of woe that was shown over and over again on these television "news" programs were far more serious than a children's fairy tale. The so-called "news-media" were destroying a large national industry, creating chaos among builders and their financial backers, putting a lot of construction craftsmen and real estate professionals out of work, and wiping out millions of personal home equity nest eggs that many people were counting on for their retirement.

I have noticed this media-bias phenomenon at least one other time - and like the real estate "bubble," they focused on another sector of the economy. It happened about a year before the first President Bush was about to run for reelection against an upstart democrat Arkansas governor by the name of Bill Clinton. After the Gulf War had begun, the elder President Bush looked to be unbeatable. His approval rating was in the 70 and 80 percent range.

The media, which doesn't particularly like either of the Presidents Bush, came up with a strategy that was meant to take the "boredom" out of the 1992 campaign for the White House and make a "horse race" out of the Bush-Clinton Presidential election. The network and cable "news shows" featuring so-called "economic expert talking heads" who repeated a clamorous drumbeat that somehow the nation's financial markets were in trouble. Do you remember Mr. Clinton's campaign cacophony that trumpeted, "It's the economy, stupid!"

The media has earned the disrespect that most of us as Americans hold for them. In a poll taken last year about which "professions" that most of our countrymen trusted, the answers were a little disturbing. On the bottom of the list were used and new car salesmen, then came the President, right above him were high-level politicians (U.S. Senators, Congressman, Governors and State Legislators), and just a little higher than these people was the media. Circulation is down among the so-called major newspapers - the L.A. Times has lost 200,000 subscribers, the N.Y. Times a like amount, and the once highly thought of Washington Post has just completed its second "reorganization" in that many years. These, and other metropolitan newspapers count heavily upon advertising revenue, and these marketing dollar formulas are predicated on circulation numbers - which are clearly on the decline.

The network "news" shows are in a ratings freefall dilemma. NBC Nightly News ratings numbers have fallen off the chart, CBS News had become so desperate for a ratings boost that they hired NBC's Today Show co-host Katie Couric, and ABC has moved Good Morning America co-host Charles Gibson to be its anchor. ABC News currently leads the ratings race among the networks. But in our distrust of the so-called "mainstream news networks," a lot of us Americans are turning to cable news stations, such as Fox News, CNN, and others - and they are making significant dents into what was once considered the invincible Big Three of "mainstream news."

This leads us back to the subject of the bursting of the so-called "real estate bubble" by the mainstream media. Knowing what we know about these charlatans, how then could we let them stir the real estate pot until it boiled over with doubt about what was really happening and what was, and is destructive conjecture. Using that line of "newsworthy" reasoning, let's look at the "Henny-Penny the sky is falling" children's story a little more closely. What was actually going on? Chicken Little was passing on "information" that he mistakenly thought needed to be broadcast. But not so with the "mainstream media" - they went at the housing market "bubble" with a vengeance! In the valley, home sales are down 25.4% from a year ago. Here in Desert Hot Springs, the figure is a whopping 50% - and the median home sale price has dropped 12.2% over the past year!

Most of us lead busy lives and look to receiving fast "news" like newspaper headlines, car radios, and/or television. In these uncertain times, we sure don't need these "pundits" frightening us with their version of "Henny-Penny the sky is falling" undisciplined and upsetting gossipy baloney. This is why we need an honest local newspaper like the Valley Breeze, that we know we can count on to tell it like it is - and rightly so.

Will Rogers, the well-known Oklahoma democrat and politically comedic curmudgeon of the 1920s and 30s, once said these wise words, "Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." It looks like we the voters of Desert Hot Springs finally figured that conundrum out when we elected Scott Matas to the City Council on March 6th. To have voted in any one of the "also-rans" would have been a colossal case of "bad judgment."

With the exception of Mayor Bias, our city is again fortunate to have four adult councilors (we were blessed with the city's number one volunteer, Dot Reed, who served these last four-plus months as a first-rate councilor) who will continue to work like a team for the good of the city - not feathering their own political nest or that of outside-of-the-city "special interests." This doesn't mean the end of any disagreements among the four individuals. It does mean they will tend to handle any disputes like mature grown-ups, and not get involved in the rancorous or outlandish "debates" that have proven to be embarrassing to the city and its residents.

I can't get over the hypocrisy of the so-called "Friends of Desert Hot Springs," when they endorsed the sitting Mayor and council candidate Sanchez, both of whom received a lot of campaign money from windmill operators - then the so-called "friends of our city" claimed they were opposed to the construction of more wind farms. With "friends" like these, our city can't afford any enemies.

The City Council has a lot on its plate. For openers we have the you-knew-it-was-coming-lawsuit by the environmental extremist group known as The Sierra Club. John Muir has probably rolled over in his grave, when the conservation club that he founded along with others like former President Teddy Roosevelt, has gone off the deep-end time and time again in the last forty-plus years - all in the name of stymieing provable needed responsible growth. The I-10 interchange expansions at Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail; Indian Avenue; and Date Palm Drive are valid cases in point. Environmental-whacko organizations have stopped these traffic congestion relief projects since 1991!

We can almost say the following in one breath - the Coachella Valley Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP). Desert Hot Springs is supposedly not in the current plan. But I'll bet you money, marbles or chalk, if our city dropped its opposition to this most specious land-grab in recent valley history, paid its share of the taxpayer supported "mitigation," the Sierra Club would drop its ill-conceived, frivolous lawsuit. Talk about duplicity! The name of this ecological con game is blackmail - millions of taxpayer dollars being spent on mitigation, so that these environmental groups can coerce the valley cities and the county into playing their very expensive game by providing the tax dollars to buy over 60,000 acres of valley property! Most of the valley cities have been bludgeoned into not doing their due-diligence in this critically expensive matter of putting its residents ahead of a bunch of critters and weeds.

In the coming months, we can expect a lot of mud slinging and smearing of the reputations of two courageous public servants - councilors Hank Hohenstein and Mary Stephens, by the so-called "Friends of DHS." Please, for the sake of our community's future, filter out this hateful drivel - remember where it comes from and then handle the politically motivated baloney accordingly.

The aforementioned Will Rogers used to tell this amusing story about the communicating of political "misinformation" and it went like this: "After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept on roaring until a hunter came along and shot him dead.

The moral of this story - when you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut!" - and rightly so.

In his timeless classic entitled "A Tale of Two Cities," Charles Dickens opens this immortal book with these words - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." These words can be used to describe our city. We too are like a city that faces two distinct possibilities. One can fulfill our dreams for Desert Hot Springs to live up to its potential. The other would continue being torn apart by those that don't offer any solutions to the city's challenges, just harmful criticism.

We are facing a significant time in our city's often-calamitous history. First of all is the all-important special election of March 6th to fill the un-expired term of the late Gary Bosworth. Of all the candidates that are running for this seat, in my opinion, the contenders are Scott Matas, Karl Baker, and Adam Sanchez. Bobby Bentley and Ted Mayrhofen haven't raised any money to make a run at this seat. As the legendary former Speaker of the Assembly Jesse Unruh was known to have said, "Money is the mother's-milk of politics."

It's important to know about where the candidates are getting their major financial support. As an example, Sanchez, who has aspirations to seek higher political office, is getting a lot of greenbacks from the major windmill operators. He's also getting "in-kind" backing from the Boys and Girls Club - Sanchez as CEO of the local club, has the young boys and girls circulating the "other Desert Hot Springs newspaper" that contains Sanchez's campaign material. I'll wager that Sanchez doesn't report that information in his campaign reporting statement.
Matas, a life-long Desert Hot Springs resident, is getting the bulk of his financial support within the city. A city business owner, Matas is a long-time volunteer fire fighter, and Chairman of the all-important Public Safety Commission. Baker is a long time activist-critic of most of the City Councils that have served this community for the past ten to twelve years. He has been endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats.

On another subject - the county's Local Agency Formation Committee (LAFCO) has approved Cathedral City's application to annex 46 acres of prime land into its "sphere of influence."
This acreage, located on the east side of Palm Drive just north of the I-10, is important to Desert Hot Springs for a number of reasons. Foremost of those is the overriding fact that Palm Drive is the main entry into Desert Hot Springs from the I-10. Another factoid is that this acreage also contains the vital on/off ramps included in the Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail overpass widening that is scheduled to be completed in late 2009. Our city's City Manager Ann-Marie Gallant was quoted in the Desert Sun as saying something about maintaining friendships with our neighboring cities. Like we did when Palm Springs came across the I-10 in the early 90s to take advantage of the construction of many of the windmill farms - is that what you meant by your statement, Ms. Gallant?

What Desert Hot Springs should have requested be done at this important-to-the-city's-future LAFCO meeting, is that our city's representatives should have insisted that a decision delay be the "order-of-the-day." Some city officials wanting to be a "good neighbor" will affect a great many people. Cathedral City is clearly the winner in this legalized land grab - and the residents of Desert Hot Springs, as well as our city's future, has been dealt a severe blow.

The Coachella Valley Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP), less Desert Hot Springs, is about to get the green light from CVAG. This plan, loaded with a great deal of shoddy pseudo-science, will permit the environmental extremists to extort many thousands of acres of privately owned property to assuage critters and weeds that are supposed to be living on this land. Another factor is the exorbitant fees (over $6,000 an acre) that will be extorted from developers.

What really is so inane about all of this bow-to-the-shake-down pressure being wrung out of the CVAG member city elected officials, is that surely they must know that environmental-whackos won't stop with the adoption of the CVMSHCP.
These "electeds" should oppose this blackmail plan before it's too late -
and rightly so.

In his book, "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America," former CBS newsman Bernard Goldberg makes this critically astute observation about the relevance of his book, "It's about a country where as long as anything goes, as a friend puts it, sooner or later everything will go." Mr. Goldberg refers to these "100" people as America Bashers.

Desert Hot Springs citizens will have a special election coming in March for a City Council seat to fill deceased Councilor Bosworth's un-expired term of office. I believe that we're going to be overwhelmed during the "campaigning" by most of the 5 announced candidates with a lot of Desert Hot Springs Bashing - at least from the majority of the candidates and a certain "angry blogger".

As most us of are aware, the most serious responsibility that a City Councilor has is the approval of the budgets - General Fund, Public Safety, and Redevelopment Agency (RDA). Some of the 5 candidates haven't got a clue once you start talking about thousands of dollars, let alone millions - so voters, we have to pay attention to what these candidates are really saying - not what they want you to fall for in the way of campaign rhetoric.

Check these 5 candidates out, their real backgrounds, their prior employment, or lack of, what real experience they've had in dealing with all of the complex issues that go into developing budgets that go into the millions of dollars. Ask yourselves the following questions about these 5 candidates.
Why are they really running? What business/financial experience do they have? What out-of-town entities are they receiving campaign money from (and what do they expect in return)? How much are they beholden to the Desert Hot Springs Bashers? How much real support, both financial and grassroots, do any and all of the 5 candidates have coming from within our city?

Just who are these 5 candidates and what do they do for a living? What experience do any of them have in public service? I'll list the "Fab 5" alphabetically - Karl Baker, "Bobby" Bentley, Scott Matas, Ted Mayrhofen, and Adam Sanchez. Let's evaluate them individually to see what has motivated them to seek the office of City Councilor and to determine whether or not their attempt at serving our community will be a positive or a drawback.

Karl Baker - Mr. Baker claims to be a former businessman in Orange County and a schoolteacher. The last I knew, he was teaching in the state prison way out in Blythe - 150 miles from Desert Hot Springs! Why? He has also run for a seat on the City Council at least 4 times, and this will be his 5th run at attempting to get himself elected. Maybe Baker has a Norman Thomas complex, a well-known Socialist Party candidate who ran for President at least 5 times and never seemed to get the message.

Bobby Bentley - Mr. Bentley ran in November 2005 as Robert and finished down near the bottom.
His claim to fame is that he served one year on the Public Safety Commission.
Bentley alleges that he's going to law school at the present time. As the father of a law student about 24 years ago, I remember our son burning a lot of "midnight oil" both reading law material and writing briefs while he attended the University of the Pacific McGeorge Law School. If Bentley is indeed going to law school, he won't be able to spend the time required of a City Councilor - especially a new one.

Scott Matas - Mr. Matas is Chairman of the city's Public Safety Commission, a Desert Hot Springs native son, and the owner of the UPS Store. As a local businessman and longtime resident, Matas is well aware of the city's pressing need for economic development that will lead to additional sales tax revenue that is urgently needed to provide additional city services - especially added Police and Fire personnel. If by reading this bit of information about Scott Matas, you have deduced that I'm endorsing him, you have guessed correctly.

Ted Mayrhofen - Mr. Mayrhofen surprised a lot of people with his good showing when he ran for Mayor in November 2005. Some who have been around city politics awhile, thought that his electoral efforts helped elect our present Mayor Bias. Mayrhofen served in 2000-01 on what is now the Community and Cultural Affairs Commission and was not reappointed.

Adam Sanchez - Mr. Sanchez is the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club. A very politically ambitious guy, Sanchez would do just about anything to get elected - including taking thousands of dollars from the windmill operators, which he did during the November 2005 campaign. Mr. Sanchez is yet another guy who doesn't get it when the voters say "No." He's run for the Water Board once and City Council twice - each time without his "rubber stamp" board's OK.

I began this latest iteration of "And Rightly So" by quoting from "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America." I want to close this column by attributing a statement from the angry blogger, who said something to the affect that, the Chamber of Commerce receives tax-payer dollars as part of the city's support of that organization, therefore the Chamber should not be involved in city politics. Does this mean that the Chamber should not have invited the Mayor to speak at its luncheon to offer his "State of the City"?

Earth to angry blogger - earth to angry blogger - can you hear me? There isn't a Chamber of Commerce in the Coachella Valley, or just about anywhere else, who isn't involved in its city's politics - and most of them receive taxpayer dollars. To deny the Chamber their Constitutional rights to be involved in our city's politics is tantamount to tyranny of the worst sort. To do what the chamber is doing is as it should be, involved - and rightly so.

The Super Bowl hasn't been played yet, it comes later this month, but don't you hear off in the distance the home-team half of baseball's 7th inning, with the game crowd singing a line from the immortal "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," that goes like this - "Cause It's Strike One, Two, Three, Then You're Out, At The Old Ballgame!"

Our city faces more than 3 distinctly different "strikes" that may shape the future of Desert Hot Springs for years, if the City Council, the Palm Springs Unified School Board, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, and our old "friends" at the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) have any say in these potentially dangerous to our city proposals.

These impending threats to our city's previously optimistic outlook are the following: - 1 - More money from developers to "protect" the "much-in-need-of-environmental-'protection' fringe-toed lizard;" 2 - The continued failure of and by CVAG to remedy both a traffic safety and a human ecological problem by releasing the funding for wider over-crossings, on and off-ramps at the I-10 at Indian Avenue, Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail, and Date Palm Drive; 3 - The addition of 45 more immense wind turbines, 327 feet tall, towering over the existing ones, blocking developable views, with blades that are as wide as four lanes of freeway; 4 - The construction of two new schools, one an elementary, the other a middle school, directly behind a housing development accommodating predominantly "seasoned citizens."

I'll take the last one first. When I was your Mayor, I started holding quarterly meetings with the PSUSD Superintendent Dr. Bill Dietrich and the President of the PSUSD Board of Trustees late in 2000, until mid 2004, to inform them of the city's progress in obtaining quality development - to forewarn them that the once sleepy little town was going to be a thriving community with numerous new home developments, so they had better be looking for parcels to purchase to erect the much needed schools.

Before they questionably used "eminent domain" against 25 acres of the 70 acres of view property and approved the two new schools, the school district did not do the required following: an auto traffic study, an environmental impact analysis, and/or the effect that student foot traffic will have on the neighborhood. The nearby housing development contains "local collector" streets that are small, connecting to intersections that were not designed to handle heavy traffic levels that PSUSD plans to dump on the area. So - they waited until the end of 2006 to make a decision (on a 4 to 1 vote - Palm Springs Police Chief Jeandron voting "No") to misuse the school district's so-called right of eminent domain of many acres of the city's fast-disappearing view property. This, in defiance of new law changes coming January 1, 2007 that restricts the use of eminent domain by local government. Is this one of the reasons that the citizenry has so little faith and trust in our local governance?

Next is the fee increase to developers from $600 to almost $2,400 (a 400% increase!) to protect an additional 2,260 acres for the woe-begotten fringe-toed lizard. This would raise another $32 million for "habitat." Most of the land is adjacent to Desert Hot Springs. Why? It's become very clear to me that CVAG is attempting to both punish our city for casting the lone "No" vote, while coercing our city into voting for a new Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan that is due out in August 2007.

The 400% fee increase will drive up the price of new homes and condos in an already cooling housing market. In what has been deemed as "protected" blow sand acreage for the infamous lizard, off the I-10 freeway at Monterey, both the cities of Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage are erecting edifices to the shopping gods - how do they get away with this environmental no-no? The answer is simple - mitigation (that's another name for money, and lots of it).

The much-needed and long-promised I-10 freeway intersection construction at Indian Avenue, Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail, and Date Palm Drive. Did you know that the expansion Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail interchange went on both CVAG's and CalTrans list of "to-do" priorities in 1991? What, and who has been behind the 15- year hold up you ask? The environmentalist-extremist element demanding money (oops, mitigation), in order to release the mystical hold that they have on certain individuals at CVAG that may lead to the eventual construction of the widened overpasses and off-onramps by the end of the decade.

The ever-growing danger of the coming-home-from-work-traffic on the I-10 freeway, trying to get off at the aforementioned off-ramps, only to remain unsafely extended out on to the right lane of the freeway in jeopardy of getting hit by a big-rig or another car and perhaps loss of life is an increasing traffic safety problem.

About a month ago, Marlene drove me to my physical therapy session in Rancho Mirage. We traversed Palm Drive. From the time we arrived at the signal at the Chevron station to travel the quarter-mile to the other side of the overpass, it took us 14 minutes. I would imagine that the nitrous oxide and the carbon monoxide exhaust fumes emitted by the hundreds of cars moving at a stop-and-go pace, killed a great many desert weeds and critters. I know it sure didn't do us any good.

The windmills are conundrum. While the production of electrical energy should be a priority, windmill turbines seem to be expensive to construct, operate, and maintain. They are environmentally unfriendly, harmful to birds, other wildlife, and they block out views for humans. If you believe that these windmill operators are constructing these unsightly behemoths for altruistic reasons, then you'll be buying underwater property in Louisiana. With the sun shining on our valley 330 days a year, we should be looking at newer technology affecting the development of solar energy. Our City Council did the right thing at its December 19th meeting when they adopted a non-binding resolution on a 4 to 1 vote (Mayor Bias voting "No"). Do you recall my mentioning all of the thousands of dollars in campaign money both Bias and his mentor Bosworth received from some windmill operators? You can check it out in the City Clerk's office. Although many of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors never met a windmill turbine they didn't like or vote for, these massive monsters should be voted down! And rightly so.

As I wrote at the beginning of my last column, we Americans are a truly blessed people. During our nation’s birthing we were permitted a handful of special leaders that history has referred to as our Founding Fathers. These Founding Fathers did nothing out of the ordinary – unless you consider these exceptional and extraordinary accomplishments: the brilliantly motivated writing and approval of The Declaration of Independence; the incredible winning of The War for Independence against overwhelming odds; The Formation of the First Formal Government of the United States of America and the Approval of the U.S. Constitution; and the inspired addition and approval of the Bill of Rights by the first U.S. Congress.

Religious freedom, freedom of speech (not “expression”), of the press, the right to meet peaceably, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances are all contained in the First Amendment as a restriction on the powers of the United States Congress, as in, “Congress shall make no law restricting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” etal. To my freethinking mind that bold and accepted statement has stood many time-tested assaults – that is, until the last 40 or so judicial-activist years.

I’m beating about the proverbial bush about writing about the celebrations of the rich and vivid Judeo-Christian heritage holidays – Hanukah and Christmas. There’s every reason to believe that these two old and traditional holidays are protected under this, one of the deep-rooted tenets of our political system – the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The wonder of the Maccabbean War with the astonishing and miraculous lighting of the Menorah for eight days that people of the Jewish faith will be observing on December Sixteenth - Hanukah. The other exceptionally wonderful day will be December Twenty Fifth, when Christians come together to celebrate the birth of The Prince of Peace – Christmas. These two long-standing, old-fashioned religious holidays are steeped in the deep-rooted principles of what the First Amendment speaks about as being almost sacred.

What I’m talking about here is our right to articulate our spiritual beliefs in places other than our churches and homes, (religious freedom plus freedom of speech). Otherwise the First Amendment is valueless – unless you hate America and you’ve a mind to “express yourself” by burning an American Flag. Christmas and Hanukah are not only imbued in long-held beliefs and traditions, they are celebrated and commemorated worldwide. So, what seems to be the problem? Could it be that the ACLU and its friends have pulled “it” off and gone and made a mockery out of “protecting our Constitutional rights” – by illegitimating and ridiculing, while sitting in judgment over banning any mention of any of the religious symbols suggestive of these religious holidays? This, all in the name of some “enlightened” tilt toward more secularism in the public square – a disease of the public mind.

There’s a Christmas song on a Roberta Flack – Peabo Bryson CD entitled, “As Long As There’s Christmas” that has a line in it that says, “As long as there’s Christmas, I truly believe, that hope is the greatest of the gifts that we’ll receive.” I guess that just about sums up my love of the Christmas Season and my antipathy for the politically correct “happy holidays” meaninglessness that some people greet one another with these days. Not only that, but at some of our better-known retail establishments, the management has given strict instructions to their employees to not offer a “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukah” to the store’s customers, but to utter the hollow “happy holidays” instead.

One of the great Chaplain’s of the United States Senate, the late Doctor Peter Marshall when asked what holiday was most special and precious to him, answered with this most eloquent, and yet very straight forward Scotsmen like way, “Why it’s Christmas of course, you get a chance to keep it every day!” – And rightly so. From Marlene and I, we wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukah!

As Americans we are surely a blessed people and we have a lot to be thankful for – or ought to be. We live in the freest, most prosperous and successful republic that Providence has ever set apart in such a special way for such a unique purpose in modern history. Having said that, I’m really so thankful that the recent election cycle is at last over – and not for some of the reasons that you may believe.

Since the President’s re-election in November 2004, the media drumbeat has echoed the Democrat party machine pattern, the so-called “non-partisan” pollsters and eventually resonated with the voters. But what was the message that got the voters dander up on Election Day? There was talk of “corruption,” what with an admitted homosexual pedophile Republican Congressman “hitting” on House Pages, and then there was the scandal surrounding the lobbyist Jack Abrahamoff. Are these things of any real global importance, given the world’s rather fragile situation?

How about the economy? Both the Dow-Jones and the NASDQ were at all time highs – and the unemployment rate was at a 5 year low, standing at 4.2%. Maybe it was the price of gasoline at the pump, but had fallen about $.25 a gallon by Election Day. President Bush’s steady hand on the national financial rudder never got the credit that he deserved.

Was it the “war on terror?” If you mean the war in Iraq – yes! That tom-tom beat has never let up on the President, and that negativity and disapproval has filtered down to our GI’s doing the fighting and dieing over there. As for the Islam-extremist’s Jihad, it is picking up steam all around the world. Add the radical leaders of Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea to the world’s tinderbox and we have a world that is just about ready for Armageddon.

Contrary to the criticism of the media ultraliberals like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, and much of the major “network news” shows, President Bush’s resolute policies have made our country much safer from attack by Islam-extremists terrorists. A good deal of thanks and credit has to go to President George W. Bush for not only standing firm, but pushing for legislation for both the formation of the Homeland Security Department and the implementation of the carefully crafted Patriot Act.

As some of you know, I’ve been active in local, state, and national politics for nearly 45 years.
I know that some of the ultraliberal media has tried to sell us the “mandate for change” scenario with all of the Republican losses, especially in the House – but they’ve missed one very salient point - the redistricting of 2002. Do you know what smart incumbents do to try to make sure that they get reelected? They carve themselves out as “safe” a district as possible. Most, if not all, of the Democrats that won, “upset” Republicans who either were outspoken in support of the President, the War in Iraq, or were in “leadership” posts. However, these districts either have Republican majority registration or “lean” GOP. So these freshmen Democrat Congressional representatives are going to have to be careful when it comes to voting the Speaker Pelosi ultraliberal party line if they want to be more than one-term members of Congress. As the legendary one time Speaker of The Assembly Jesse M. Unruh said to my one-time boss and I when we went to the new Assembly Member orientation, “Your number one job is to get reelected!”

We just finished what many irreverently call “turkey day,” but what the greatest President our nation has ever been privileged to ever have hold that most high office – President Abraham Lincoln – who by proclamation brought our Thanksgiving Day into being. He called it a “most noble holiday.” Had Jay Leno been around when Mr. Lincoln was our President, he would have made a lot of bad jokes about him too, just as he has President Bush. By the way, has anyone seen Leno’s Phi Beta Kappa key? He’s seemed to have misplaced it.

We keep reading the awful statistics about the dead and wounded American GI’s in Iraq and Afghanistan in the newspapers and they are alarming – over 2,500 dead and climbing. But did you know that there were over 600,000 dead and wounded in the 4 year “War Between the States” (Civil War) and more than that during the 3 year 5 month war with Germany and 3 year 8+ month war with Japan. These young men and women on the front lines are protecting our freedoms and don’t you forget it! Whether or not you agree with the war, it’s come down to this – we all need to recognize the clear fact that these Islam-extremists literally hate us as infidels – and we need to support our armed forces by remembering to include them in our prayers of thanksgiving everyday –and rightly so.

Matt Weyuker is the immediate past and three term mayor of Desert Hot Springs, CA.

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It seems to me that we're at a crossroads in our nation's history where nothing seems to make any sense. The illusive "they" have, and are, having their dubiously anti-American way in the multi-level worlds of jurisprudence, politics, religion, education, immigration "rights", economics, social engineering, culture, and national pride. It goes to the very heart and soul of what the United States of America is losing and what we once were all about.

Among the things that upset me are high court rulings. I've read the writings of the "Father of the U.S. Constitution," James Madison, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Learned Hand, and most of the Founding Fathers quite extensively, and it is a pitiable shame what the ACLU and other off-the-wall ultraliberal zealots have done to our "nation of laws." Why is it that a teenage girl has to obtain her parents approval before she can have a tooth extracted and for other physical surgical procedures, yet can get an abortion without so much as a "may I?" And where does it say that it's OK to defame the God of the Christians and Jews, but it's not OK to denigrate any other Gods? In this whacked-out topsy-turvy modern world, where "political-correctness" is not only expected, it's demanded. Otherwise, we get called on it, or maybe find ourselves in court.

When I was a youngster, I was privileged to grow up in a less-than middleclass home and "melting-pot" of ethnicities and religious beliefs neighborhood. I used the word "privileged", because I wouldn't have missed my developmental years for all of the tea in China. In my Queens, New York neighborhood in the 40s and early 50s you could find Irish, Italian, German, Slavic, Polish, Jewish, Black, Scandinavian, and Puerto Rican kids to play with - and did we have fun! We played all kinds of very physical sandlot games. Sometimes one of us would get hurt and the guys were always helpful. Sure, as kids, we sometimes called each other mean names. But when the chips were down, we knew that we could count on each other. One thing we never thought to be was "hyphenated Americans." We just accepted everyone at face value. So this dash American "politically-correct" stuff really is an anathema to me.

Another thing that really gets my goat (with apologies to Jack Webb's goats), is that after 217 years of one of the most successful self-governments ever in world history, why is it that the so-called "enlightened" want to throw away the inspired accomplishments of the people who had a great impact on our uniquely free nation's first 175 years or so. Court rulings, the media, educational institutions, and our so-called representative government, is selling our American soul for 30 pieces of silver. Multi-culturism has taken the place of melting pot.
Neitchze's "God-is-dead" depends upon whose God it is.
If it's the God of the Christians and the Jews, to our "enlightened" media and educators, God is indeed a pariah. If it's any other deity, then it's politically correct to be able to venerate that God. In case you hadn't noticed, both the print and on-the-air media is pretty near subject to liberal bias and control.

The ACLU and other ultra-liberal groups and individuals have effectively challenged the courts to throw out: prayer in public schools, religious symbols marking grave-sites in government owned cemeteries, nativity scenes, Christmas and Hanukah programs in public schools, religious images from city and county seals that were part of the entities charter, prayer to God before local government meetings, they permitted the burning of the Stars and Stripes, and on and on. These uncommonly critical enemies of traditional American values, almost succeeded in having the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. Is "in God we trust" on our coins and paper money next? The things that most of us took for granted as the essence of U.S. Constitutional 1st amendment protections, and as being part of the American fabric have been tossed away.

During the turbulent 1960s, William F. Buckley began his PBS "Firing Line" very entertaining and educational TV program. Among his frequent guests was a TV producer by the name of David Susskind. Susskind was an avowed ultraliberal and Buckley an acknowledged conservative. I have never forgotten this exchange. Buckley was talking about the sad state of affairs in higher education, what with the "filthy speech" and other "protests" happening at U.C. Berkeley and other college locations. Susskind responded with what has to be one of the most prophetic things that I've ever heard, when he said, "Well Bill, it won't be long until we liberals dominate the press, schools, courts, and religious organizations - because we are going to control their schools of higher learning."

As I indicated at the outset of this column, our nation is at a crucial juncture - and it is no accident that we find ourselves in this distressing predicament. Most of us either don't like, understand, or realize what has been deliberately taken from us in the form of lost freedoms. But the illusive "they" do!

Well, what can we do about it! In the movie Network, the actor Peter Finch played a news anchor, who in anger, told everyone to go to his or her doors and windows, open them, and yell these disturbing words - "I'm mad as h___, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" Maybe we should become angry enough to let the powers that be know how frustrated and outraged we've become - and rightly so.

When I was musing about what to write for this issue of the Valley Breeze while sitting in front of my trusty Gateway, I thought at first that I would dedicate this column to the 5th anniversary of “9/11.” However, the more I deliberated, as important as that date is to all of us as Americans, the more I knew that I had to record my thoughts about the now infamous August 29, 2006 Desert Hot Springs City Council meeting.

During this session, our illustrious Mayor, Alex Bias, put on a dazzling exhibition of as arrogant, duplicitous, and spiteful examples of how not to conduct oneself in a public setting. Also, it may have been one of the most egregious examples of personal attack that the city’s council meeting aficionados have ever seen. This extended display was not only a visibly painful attack on 2 women city employees, but also extremely rude to his fellow Councilors and the public that was in attendance at this meeting, what with the Mayor’s smirks and railing very noticeable in his “power-point” show.

While under a lengthy agenda item, the inconsiderate and boorish Mayor, long recognized for what he doesn’t know about being a leader, went into a protracted power-point presentation, where he chose to put on exhibition his complete lack of understanding about how local government functions. Added to that, would be the obtuse Mayor’s lack of sensitivity to both the City Manager and City Attorney’s aggravated frustration whenever his power-point diatribe would pose a question that they would answer over and over again. His malicious Spanish-Inquisition style interrogation of City Manager Gallant and City Attorney Eggebraten was a distasteful embarrassment for the entire city. When he attempted to prove how “cool” he thought he was being while waiting for answers to his attacks on these 2 women that he believed that he could refute, Mayor Bias displayed his disrespectful disdain for both his council colleagues and senior staff personal, by alternately whistling and humming under his breath.

This led to agenda item 10-F, where Council Member Parks made a motion to strip the Mayor of all of his intergovernmental relations activities in which Mr. Bias had represented Desert Hot Springs on regional government boards and committees. Council Member Hohenstein seconded the motion and it passed on a vote of 3 to 1, with the Mayor casting the lone “No” vote. In fact, the unreasonable and obstinate “city-leader” cast the lone dissenting “No” vote on all of the other 5 items under agenda item 10.

We’ve been hearing some rumors about Mayor Bias seeking legal help, especially from some groups such as NAACP. If being contemplated, that action would bring some unwarranted disgrace to his colleagues, city staff, and the entire community. I have never seen or heard anyone in our city’s government – either elected or employed, that has displayed any form of bigotry in my presence. The Mayor should throw away any misguided idea of using the race card in this instance. In stead he should get serious about addressing the people’s business and concerns about the city’s public safety needs, the growing traffic congestion, and the pressing need to annex to the I-10 – for starters.

In his zealousness to accomplish his version of “transparent” government, Mayor Bias has made several errors in judgment. The first, and perhaps most glaring gaffe is that he apparently has forgotten how to count to 3. Another noticeable failure is the Mayor’s apparent deficiency in knowing how much so-called “power” that he has at his disposal. Yet another glaring miscue is the very apparent degree of aggravation that senior staff people exhibit when he asks questions about the Mayor’s authority or on a point of meeting order, and then he argues with them.

I began this discourse on the disruption that Mayor Bias has palmed off on Desert Hot Springs, all in the name of a perception that the city has not tried to conduct its business in as open a way as humanly possible. Maybe the Mayor is protesting too much. Maybe we should be calling for an investigation of his activities as our city’s Mayor. In stripping Bias of his representing the city on regional boards and committees the Council acted judiciously, and by its action they hit the Mayor in the 2 places that he has shown an unquestionable weakness – his ego and his wallet - and rightly so.

According to The American Heritage Dictionary, the word “bombast” means: pompous speech or writing. I know of no one that fits that description better than that well-known “prince of bombast”, Bill Effinger. The clown-prince of “know-it-allism” has really shown his ignorance when he wrote his rant-like attack upon my early September Valley Breeze column.
In his “And Wrongly So” tirade, Effinger, apparently uninformed, missed the whole point of my column. In spite of the Effinger accusation that I’m “the poster boy for political spin”, the September A edition column was aimed at shedding some light on one of the root causes of Desert Hot Springs financial woes – namely the under-funded and mistake-ridden parcel tax. If he had been here in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004, Effinger, like the rest of our townspeople, would have heard me point out at those budget meetings, the glaring fact that the consulting firm that the city employed made some errors causing the public safety tax, (nee the parcel tax), to put an immediate strain on the general fund budget, that became exacerbated over the next 5 budget years. In fact, I repeatedly attempted to replace the consulting firm that gave the Council the erroneous data and this was finally accomplished in mid 2002.
One of the major reasons that the Council that was seated during 2001 thru 2005 were unable to take this issue back to the voters to straighten out the parcel tax mess, was due to fact of the elected city leader’s unanimous decision (yes Bill, Bosworth was part of the unanimity) to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.
From the city’s birth in September 1963, Desert Hot Springs municipal government was always short of adequate revenue. Effinger has seemingly disregarded our city’s long history of being under-funded. For much of 2005, the Desert Hot Springs Public Safety Commission studied both the city’s needs for enough police coverage, fire protection, code enforcement, and animal control services and the city’s ability to fund these important public safety essentials. They considered the present city requirements for these services and looked to the future, and in making their report to the City Council; the Public Safety Commission recommended that the city’s elected leaders revisit the “Public Safety Tax” (parcel tax) by taking the issue back to the voters.
The shoot from the lip impresario of bamboozle, (the definition of which means: to take in by elaborate methods of deceit; hoodwink) reiterated much of what I pointed out in my Valley Breeze column – namely, that the parcel tax was under-funded. Then he went to the “Jerry Hanson well” again. Poor Mr. Effinger – he is so angry at the former City Manager for not hiring him as the city’s Economic Development Director, that he just can’t restrain his anger, frustration and bombast.
His “know-it-all-ship” made yet another gaffe, when he raised the matter of Community Facility Districts. The 2002 City Council considered CFDs in one of its planning sessions and was told that the city’s bankruptcy would not permit the formation of these districts at this time. That reminds me of an anecdote that displays further how self-important and overbearing the renowned “bombast” can be. In one of his first appearances before the City Council under the “public comments” section of a meeting held in early 2005, Effinger chided the Council to make sure that we included language in the City Charter, to enable the city to enter into for-profit business, just as San Marcos had. When I tried to point out the fact that not only was that language included in Desert Hot Springs’ charter, but that it was “boiler-plate” words found in most, if not all, recent city charters – he insisted that it was “special language,” and not even the City Attorney could dissuade him.
Then there was the “coup de gras” – he took me to task over my recommendation that the city think about raising the transient occupancy tax (TOT) from the present 10% to 12%. Effinger wrote, “One wonders why he didn’t do that while he was mayor.” Well Bill, it’s like this – do you remember in my last article where I scolded our present mayor that in his post that he had to keep in mind that he had to be able to count to 3? The TOT increase where “the city’s tourists should be paying the freight”, was no different. With both the 2001 to 2003 and 2003 to 2005 City Councils I had only 2 votes in favor of this increase, Mary Stephens and me.
As to finding “the myriad of heretofore hidden and calamitous errors” that were left by my administration, as a human being, I know I made mistakes, but they weren’t hidden Bill, they were live and on television on a lot of Tuesdays.
You just gotta do your homework better Effinger – and do a better job of having your facts right, not just your “bombastic” opinions – and rightly so.

Matt Weyuker is the immediate past and three term mayor of Desert Hot Springs, CA. -VB

When I was musing about what to write for this issue of the Valley Breeze while sitting in front of my trusty Gateway, I thought at first that I would dedicate this column to the 5^th anniversary of “9/11.” However, the more I deliberated, as important as that date is to all of us as Americans, the more I knew that I had to record my thoughts about the now infamous August 29, 2006 Desert Hot Springs City Council meeting.

During this session, our illustrious Mayor, Alex Bias, put on a dazzling exhibition of as arrogant, duplicitous, and spiteful examples of how not to conduct oneself in a public setting. Also, it may have been one of the most egregious examples of personal attack that the city’s council meeting aficionados have ever seen. This extended display was not only a visibly painful attack on 2 women city employees, but also extremely rude to his fellow Councilors and the public that was in attendance at this meeting, what with the Mayor’s smirks and railing very noticeable in his “power-point” show.

While under a lengthy agenda item, the inconsiderate and boorish Mayor, long recognized for what he doesn’t know about being a leader, went into a protracted power-point presentation, where he chose to put on exhibition his complete lack of understanding about how local government functions. Added to that, would be the obtuse Mayor’s lack of sensitivity to both the City Manager and City Attorney’s aggravated frustration whenever his power-point diatribe would pose a question that they would answer over and over again. His malicious Spanish-Inquisition style interrogation of City Manager Gallant and City Attorney Eggebraten was a distasteful embarrassment for the entire city. When he attempted to prove how “cool” he thought he was being while waiting for answers to his attacks on these 2 women that he believed that he could refute, Mayor Bias displayed his disrespectful disdain for both his council colleagues and senior staff personal, by alternately whistling and humming under his breath.

This led to agenda item 10-F, where Council Member Parks made a motion to strip the Mayor of all of his intergovernmental relations activities in which Mr. Bias had represented Desert Hot Springs on regional government boards and committees. Council Member Hohenstein seconded the motion and it passed on a vote of 3 to 1, with the Mayor casting the lone “No” vote. In fact, the unreasonable and obstinate “city-leader” cast the lone dissenting “No” vote on all of the other 5 items under agenda item 10.

We’ve been hearing some rumors about Mayor Bias seeking legal help, especially from some groups such as NAACP. If being contemplated, that action would bring some unwarranted disgrace to his colleagues, city staff, and the entire community. I have never seen or heard anyone in our city’s government – either elected or employed, that has displayed any form of bigotry in my presence. The Mayor should throw away any misguided idea of using the race card in this instance. In stead he should get serious about addressing the people’s business and concerns about the city’s public safety needs, the growing traffic congestion, and the pressing need to annex to the I-10 – for starters.

In his zealousness to accomplish his version of “transparent” government, Mayor Bias has made several errors in judgment. The first, and perhaps most glaring gaffe is that he apparently has forgotten how to count to 3. Another noticeable failure is the Mayor’s apparent deficiency in knowing how much so-called “power” that he has at his disposal. Yet another glaring miscue is the very apparent degree of aggravation that senior staff people exhibit when he asks questions about the Mayor’s authority or on a point of meeting order, and then he argues with them.

I began this discourse on the disruption that Mayor Bias has palmed off on Desert Hot Springs, all in the name of a perception that the city has not tried to conduct its business in as open a way as humanly possible. Maybe the Mayor is protesting too much. Maybe we should be calling for an investigation of his activities as our city’s Mayor. In stripping Bias of his representing the city on regional boards and committees the Council acted judiciously, and by its action they hit the Mayor in the 2 places that he has shown an unquestionable weakness – his ego and his wallet - and rightly so