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Ms. Lam the owner and inventor of KiwiFrost yogurt has endorsed Paul Schrader for Sheriff. She has invited my supporters to stop by on March 13th, Saturday between 12:30 PM and 9:00 PM to purchase some yogurt. A portion of all sells that day will go to our campaign. You must tell her that Paul Schrader sent you, for us to receive money from your purchase. Enjoy and I will be there throughout the day.

Let’s Roll,

Paul Schrader
www.sheriffpaul.net

Paul talked to people around the county regarding Carry Conceal Weapon’s permits (CCW). This video #53 contains information regarding issues with CCW’s in San Bernardino County.

Community Responsibility- A Sheriff’s Department that accepts its responsibility to the community, and works with the community to improve
conditions for all.

The other day I was in Chino Hills. I was talking with a guy by the name of John. He said he would like to see the Department executives reaching out to the community, finding out what needs and concerns they have.  He said when he has tried to reach anyone of any rank, he is directed to a patrol deputy.  He is frustrated.

While in Victor Valley I talked to Helen. She had a few of her friends with her. She said she wanted a group to help bring the Department and community together. She said the Department said she could volunteer. She tried to call the Sheriff’s Office and was redirected to a patrol deputy. She does not want to be a volunteer, she would love to be part of a community group that could partner with the Department. She is frustrated.

I hear this throughout the county. Deputies are being utilized to answer questions that should go through Department executives. Our deputies are trying to provide law enforcement services and need tools to do the job even better.

I will have community groups in every area of the county. We will meet and work together, ensuring they are getting service needed in their area. I will be available to citizens. This is being done in Departments all over the State.

The underlying scheme of Ramos’ recent interest in “cleaning up corruption in San Bernardino County” is oft-discussed by political insiders.  His crusade came about only after his power base took a major hit due to the defeat of political crony and powerbroker, San Bernardino County Third District Supervisor Dennis Hansberger, by dark horse candidate Neil Derry.

However, Brown’s sudden interest came as a bit of a surprise.  The surprise was not so much that he would have interest in a large scandal during an election year, but rather that he would condone and participate in a clear case of prosecutorial misconduct, seeming completely uninformed as to the merits of the Colonies decision, its history, and the ramifications of re-opening the case.  Brown seemed to play right into Ramos’ hands and insiders continue to wonder what Brown will think and do when he realizes he has been had by the nefarious acts of our unscrupulous district attorney.

But is Brown yet another victim of Ramos’ deceit or is he as culpable as Ramos himself?  Sources suggest Brown has his own scurrilous agenda and the Colonies Settlement is being used in a roundabout way to discredit his expected opponent, Meg Whitman.

Jeff Burum has been a Meg Whitman supporter from early on when she first suggested she may put in a bid for the governorship.  Jeff is so much of a supporter that in early 2009 he hosted an event to introduce Whitman to local Republicans.  Ramos attended that event and gained inside information.

As Whitman’s intentions to run for governor solidified, Burum was slated to become Whitman’s statewide finance chair.   Sources say Ramos provided Brown with inside information to aid Brown in exchange for assistance with Ramos’ own campaign of deceit to gain favor with the voters in an expected Congressional bid in 2012.  Now Brown is participating in a campaign to publicly humiliate and discredit Burum based on legal fallacies that any experienced attorney should recognize in order to cast a shadow on Whitman’s decision-making abilities.

Last month’s press conference left many scratching their heads as Brown seemed to have lost it.  Maybe he has lost it . . . lost his sense of ethics in search of political assassination.

Since leaving the facility on October 23, 2009, I have shared some inside information as to the inner workings of ARMC, but have done so with a sense of guilt.  When I was put to work there Mark Uffer and I made an agreement I would not burn ARMC on the blog.  And it was an agreement I kept until Mark dropped his side of the bargain and had me removed from ARMC.  At the time I was stunned at Uffer’s move, but as more and more information unfolds, the reasons for it also become more obvious.

Within a very short time after I started working for ARMC, I was approached by a group of employees who wanted to know if I had any connections with the media as they were scared and appalled by what was going on in the Behavioral Health unit.  As the Sentinel story below exposes, staff members became alarmed at the barbaric treatment of some patients, so much so, that they knew if exposed staff could lose their licenses and even face criminal prosecution.

Staff accused other staff members of falsifying records in order not to have to deal with difficult patients.  This was being done at the direction of DBH manager Paula Martin.  Patient records were being altered in order to justify keeping patients in restraints, in some cases up to four months.  Patients were not being bathed or properly cared for.  Records were, and apparently continue to be, falsified to keep 5150 patients hospitalized longer than allowed by law because certain staff members want to punish certain patients, especially those known as “frequent flyers” to discourage their return or from seeking help during subsequent crises.

My first mistake at ARMC was trusting that Mark Uffer would do the right thing.  After listening to employee concerns, I called Mark.  We have criticized Mark in the most serious of ways on this blog, but there are two things I would stake my life on about Mark and that is his love of animals and his love of ARMC.  Healthcare is a passion for Mark.  And my reasoning was that our county has had enough scandals and that if these accusations were accurate, he would want to address and correct them rather than allow scandal at his beloved hospital.

Mark listened and he had me speak with Patrick Petre about the complaints.  The complaints were investigated and the messengers were killed while the deeds were covered up.  And I put the first nail in my coffin at ARMC.

]]> http://iepolitics.com/2010/03/07/iepolitics-the-armc-mess-part-1/feed/ 1 http://iepolitics.com/2010/03/07/from-the-sentinel/ http://iepolitics.com/2010/03/07/from-the-sentinel/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:46:09 +0000 Administrator http://iepolitics.com/?p=1062 Investigators Looking Into Arrowhead Regional’s Operations

Allegations of malpractice, licensing shortcomings, operational and managerial miscues and substandard accounting practices at the county hospital are the focus of separate inquiries by federal and state agencies, the Sentinel has learned.

The Sentinel was unable to ascertain whether a rumored survey of the hospital’s operations by auditors working at the behest of the board of supervisors is actually underway.

The issues being looked into include current practices as well as those extending back nearly a decade at the Colton-based facility, which is known as the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.

The sharpest focus is that on the administrative action of Dev GnanaDev, who is both the current medical director of Arrowhead Regional as well as its head of surgery. GnanaDev also happens to be the president of the California Medical Association.
Some of the suspected problems at the hospital originated at a level well below that of GnanaDev and involved several instances of medical malpractice and faulty diagnoses. Others have been attributed to GnanaDev directly.

One known case,  the Sentinel is informed, elicited the interest of federal investigators and involved a thirteen year old girl who had suffered a dislocated neck. Physicians and staff failed to adequately recognize or diagnose the condition, resulting in the child becoming permanently paralyzed. The medical staff further stands accused of having lied to the parents about the situation.

Questions have been raised as well about non-medical issues, specifically fiduciary ones in the hospital’s operations. One area under examination is billing and potential fraud with regard to descriptions of services rendered and billing procedure. Another pertains to a major conflict of interest GnanaDev is said to have participated in under the authority of former county administrative officer Mark Uffer. Uffer signed off on GnanaDev negotiating with his own medical group, Arrowhead Regional Surgical Group, Inc., for the provision of services to the county hospital. Uffer was the director of Arrowhead Regional prior to his 2004 elevation to the post of county administrative officer.

GnanaDev’s apparent conflict of interest has resulted in the manifestation of specific problems at the medical center which have gone unredressed.

In December, the Center For Medicare Services launched an investigation, the Sentinel has learned, on the strength of a call to the state of California about shortcomings in the care of a patent. And while no final report of that accreditation body’s inquiry has been delivered, it is known that the investigators were notified there had not been peer review with regard to some practices and  that a free discussion of treatment modalities and protocols had been discouraged by GnanaDev.

You shouldn’t hide things,” said one hospital employee. “If you bring it out and you take corrective action you’re okay. Some don’t want to be embarrassed, so nothing is done to change or fix things. It is now catching up with them.”

Furthermore, GnanaDev’s comportment has come under question with regard to a situation in which another surgical service provider wrote a complaint about the Arrowhead Regional Surgical Group’s activities. GnanaDev’s reaction, according to one well placed source, was to threaten to cancel the contract of the complaining entity. Specifics with regard to this incident, the Sentinel was told, were kept from the board of supervisors.

At one point, a hospital employee, concerned that GnanaDev’s dual role as head of surgery and medical director represented a circumstance under which the issue could not be dealt with in a forthright manner, approached the hospital’s director, Patrick Petre.

“Patrick, who doesn’t like confrontation and is afraid of Dev, ignored it,” a source employed at the hospital told the Sentinel. “Later on, he [Petre] said he never heard about it.”

Another hospital employee explained the issue thusly: “GnanaDev controls Arrowhead Surgical Services. He runs it and operates it. Theoretically he reports to himself and he negotiated his own contract.”

The Arrowhead Community Surgical Group’s contract, a copy of which has been obtained by the Sentinel, designates the group as the provider of the directors of some of the hospital’s departments, including general surgery, including trauma, otolaryngology, burn surgery, oral surgery, neurological surgery, plastic surgery, opthalmologic surgery and transplant surgery.
According to employees at the medical center, other administrators and higher-ups there have engaged in questionable practices.

A scandal that is looming just below the surface of public consciousness, one employee, said, consists of inadequate supervision and oversight in the emergency room.

It has been said that chief financial officer Frank Arambla has been using non-medical criteria in dictating the hospital’s emergency room admissions policy.

“The CFO has been telling the emergency room doctors which patients to admit and which ones they can’t,” said one employee.
“Residents are running the emergency room,” said another employee. “They are letting physician assistants do whatever they want. The nurses are up in arms.”

Allegations of mis- and malfeasance in the department of behavioral health have also surfaced. Specifically, patients, who by law are not to be kept in restraints for more than six hours, were in some cases physically immobilized by straps or other bindings for as long as four months, the Sentinel has been told. These restraints were maintained even while the patients were eating and showering. In some cases, after family members lodged a complaint the restraints were removed. In other cases, where no family members were present to take note of the practice and even in some cases where family members did, the restraints were not removed.

“Some patients were tied to a bed for months on end,” one employee at the medical center told the Sentinel. “It’s like an image out of a horror movie.”

Guillermo Valenzuela, the medical center’s associate medical director and the president of the county medical society and chairman of the women’s health division, and Rodney Borger, the chairman of the county medical society, were derided by some medical center employees as having been too subservient to GnanaDev. It is known that both Valenzuela and Borger recently approached supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt and sought to reassure him about the sufficiency of operations at the hospital, arguing that there is no need for substantial changes in the way the facility is being run.

Valenzuela is a registered lobbyist and there have been reports of irregularities in the methods GnanaDev and those in his orbit have utilized in seeking to keep the county board of supervisors from bringing its authority to bear to change policies at the hospital.

Two county hospital employees told the Sentinel that GnanaDev has made a practice of directing those with whom he is professionally associated to put up money, which he then forwards to the electioneering funds of various supervisors in an effort to curry favor with them.

A recurrent report from those working at the hospital is that at least three of the members of the board of supervisors as well as members of their staffs and families have been provided with medical care at the medical center to which they were not entitled.
“I can tell you there were some county VIPs who were given treatment at the hospital they were not supposed to get,” said one employee. “Because of who they were – members of the board or their people – they were moved to the front of the line. They were never billed or the bills disappeared. This was improper because this was outside the scope of the medical plan and the mission of the hospital to provide quality care for all citizens regardless of their ability to pay. I know at one time hospital staff was talking about a clinic that was to be devoted to county employees.”

The provision of the free medical service to members of the board of supervisors, the Sentinel was told, appeared to be one means by which GnanaDev had prevented the board from holding GnanaDev and other administrators at the hospital accountable for their actions.

“That free medical care to the supervisors was not reported on their [California Form] 700s,” a hospital employee said.
California Form 700s are statements of economic interest that must be filled out by California public officials, including those in elective office. The hospital employee suggested that the failure of the county supervisors who had received medical care at the county hospital to disclose that free care on their Form 700s provided GnanaDev with blackmail material by which the medical center’s officials were able to limit a critical evaluation of the medical center’s function.

On the non-medical end, there is overwhelming evidence that billing for services at the hospital was done improperly.  In one of the divisions at the hospital, billings were delayed for over two years. This was hugely problematic, since most insurance companies do not accept bills that are more than two months delinquent and Medicare will not accept billings that are more than one year old.

“This came about because someone wasn’t doing the work that was supposed to get done,” a county hospital employee said. “At one point there was two years’ worth of work that had just piled up. At that point it was too late to bill the insurance companies and too late to bill Medicare or Medical. In some cases they did bill the patients.”

When one county employee assigned to tracking certain phases of the hospital’s billing set to work on that assignment, in fewer than seven hours she found over $1 million worth of services to patients to whom no bills for service had been posted. In scores of cases, billings for operating room services went out in a way that only one of every four units was posted. An unofficial internal tally of operations showed that in one year there was a $10 million shortfall in operating room billing.

The same informal audit of the hospital’s operations turned up fraud or lack of follow-through in the 1011 program, through which the county seeks reimbursement for services rendered to illegal aliens.

There were reports in late February that the board of supervisors was considering bringing in a consultant to examine the medical center’s operations. The Sentinel, however was unable to confirm that such an effort was ongoing.

The examination of the hospital’s operations by the Health Care Facilities Accreditation Program run by the American Osteopathic Association, the Center for Medicare Services or federal investigators could result in the medical center losing its accreditation, meaning the hospital would no longer be eligible to care for Medicare patients.

At press time, the Sentinel’s efforts to reach Petre and GnanaDev at the medical center were not successful.

sheriffpaul@charter.net.

You may also stop in without an RSVP. You can visit the web site at http://www.sheriffpaul.net and prepay for this event by going to the donation page. Thank you for your support. Paul Schrader

Here’s more info:

Please join the friends of Paul Schrader for a fundraising dinner honoring Paul Schrader, Candidate for Sheriff.

Thursday, March 11, 2010, between 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Senor Baja 8865 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga, Reception and dinner ongoing.

$20.00 donation for dinner.

Please RSVP your attendance to Judith Schrader at (909) 732-5680 or via email to: sheriffpaul@charter.net.

You may also stop in without an RSVP.

You can visit the web site at http://www.sheriffpaul.net and prepay for this event by going to the donation page.

Directions:
From South Orange County- take the 5 North to the 57 North. Stay in the right lanes to stay off the 60 Fwy.
Take the 57 North to the 10 East.
Take the CA 83/Euclid Ave exit towards Ontario/Upland.
Turn left onto S. Euclid Ave.
Turn Right onto E. Foothill Blvd., go 2.3 miles to 8865 E. Foothill Blvd., Ste.103, Rancho Cucamonga. Senor Baja will be on the right. 909.989.0468

Thank you for your support.

I attended the last fundraiser at the Cable Airport and it is a very cool place.  Mike’s fundraisers and auctions are always interesting.

Washington, D.C. – In an effort to help provide tax relief for Americans facing extreme financial pressure in these tough economic times, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) today introduced legislation (H.R. 4718) to suspend federal income taxes on those Americans who have been forced to collect unemployment compensation due to the loss of jobs and/or inability to find a new job as a result of the current tough economic climate.  Bono Mack issued the following statement: 

“This legislation offers tax relief to individuals and families who have been hardest hit by this economic crisis and helps them with additional resources to make ends meet during these tough times,” said Bono Mack.  “Over 10% of Americans are currently unemployed and over 14% of local residents in Riverside County.  This bill will provide help at a time when individuals and families need it the most. 

“Relieving the tax burden is an important part of the pro-growth policies that will help get our economy running again and get more Americans back to work.” 

Click here for a PDF of H.R. 4718, the Stop Unfair Taxes Act of 2010. 

Bono Mack:  Partisan Health Care Overhaul is Wrong Approach

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Emphasizing overwhelming opposition to the partisan health care bill to initiate a government-run overhaul of America’s health care system, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) today sent a letter to the President and Congressional Democrat leadership calling for a meaningful, bipartisan approach that will make health care more affordable and accessible to the American people. 

“Congress should be focused on improving our health care system for every day Americans, not on scoring political points and pursuing a massive overhaul of health care that Americans have clearly rejected,” said Bono Mack.  “The Majority has the opportunity to do the right thing and work with all Members of Congress on health care reforms that are in the best interest of the American people, instead of putting the government in charge of medical decisions that should be made by patients and their doctors.

“As the daughter and granddaughter of physicians and Representative for a district that would greatly benefit from real health care reform, I urge the Majority leadership to reconsider this reckless decision to move ahead with such a partisan and fundamentally flawed piece of legislation.  This is not the ‘bipartisan’ approach that was promised. 

“It is my hope that the Majority changes direction and reaches beyond partisan politics to craft a more balanced and effective bill that improves our health care system at a price we can afford.” 

View Bono Mack’s letter to the President and Congressional Democrat leadership calling for a meaningful, bipartisan approach to health care reform.  

I am sick to death of the Sheriff’s Department telling me they are trying to help when they have been one of the biggest contributors to my problems.  HOOPS NEEDS TO GO!  We need a sheriff in there with some integrity.

And we need a Chairman of the Board of Supervisors also with some integrity, including in their chief of staff.  If the only way to get rid of Mark Kirk is to get rid of Gary Ovitt, so be it.

I would like to make one thing very clear.  On Thanksgiving Day I was sitting in the parking lot of the hospital in Kingman Arizona trying to down a bottle of prescription pain killers.  Naomi kept hitting me with her bad leg because she wanted to go potty.  That’s when I panicked about the dogs and contacted Jim and he talked me into coming home.  Anything else is a lie and I’m very disappointed that someone I thought was a friend would write what they wrote.

Another thing I want to point out is that as Administrator I can see who posted some of the offers of help.  Most of those offers came from one person, someone who is very unstable and unable to act on the offers they made.  In other words, the offers were fake.

I have tried to contact those that made legitimate offers; however, I cannot dial out on my phone. As I said, I’ve been sleeping a lot so I’ve missed some calls and cannot return them.

I’m not sure where things are headed but I’m trying to get it together.  Don’t expect many updates from me for a while as I have no easy internet access.

Thank you to all of those who have said a prayer for me. It is greatly appreciated.

Anyway, I was texting with one of them today and the subject of the next series of arrests came up.  Usually the arrests take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays and we’re betting there will be arrests next week because it is close to the filing deadline for the election.  He seemed to think it would be Kirk and Biane arrested next but I disagree.  I still don’t believe a judge will sign an arrest warrant for either because we know the charges are phoney and there would be too much political fallout in the future.  My bet is either Patrick O’Reilly, except that won’t garner much press, or Jeff Burum.  Jeff’s arrest would appease the angry mob and gain a great deal of political capital, not only for Mike Ramos, but for any judge brave enough to sign the warrant.  I mean wouldn’t that somewhat offset the rage felt against the judge who refused to sign the restraining order that resulted in the death of the 9-month-old child?

So, let’s see who gets arrested first:  Mark Kirk or Jeff Burum.  My bet is with Burum.  Sorry Jeff.  I’d rather see Mark arrested too.

Now for the rumor part.  Serious rumors continue to float around that Mikey is being investigated in a big way.  Also in the rumor mill is that another Grand Jury has been meeting for about two weeks regarding the Colonies settlement with the purpose of handing down indictments for all of those Attorney General Brown refused to charge two weeks ago.  We’ll know soon if there is any truth to either rumor.

See y’all in soon in the Cayman Islands.

Yes, you still can be a Republican and be gay. Maybe Senator Ashburn needs to talk to goproud.org and get some advice. Unfortunately voting against LGBT equality is just as important to most legislative Republicans as is voting with the labor unions with the Democratic Party.

I do not expect the senator to resign like Assemblyman Duvall, but he should stay and make some effective change during his last year in office and make up for the votes against the community that he is allegedly a part of. Now there should be no need to be secretive or self-reckless in the need to maintain one’s status in the Republican closet.

Looking at the candidate filing status reports from the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters makes me puzzled at some of the people who put their hat in the ring for the June Primary.  Who are these individuals?

For one, I am glad Supervisor Ovitt has a challenger. However it took me a bit of detective work to figure out who is Ronald Wall. Ronald Wall is a Democratic Party activist, but what is Ronald Wall also good for?  I know that San Bernardino County needs to be cleaned up, but how will Ronald Wall clean up San Bernardino County government and represent the fourth district effectively?

In the 32^nd State Senate District, the Republican Party has an announced challenger and he is yet another dark horse candidate. Who is Michael T. Bryant from Ontario, California? He used to have his email address listed, but it was taken down when I tried to ask about his candidacy.  I don’t want to end up knocking on his doorstep asking for details about his campaign since he did not leave a phone number, web site or e-mail address.

It would be appreciated for future canidates to have at least a public address even from a place such as hotmail or yahoo so people could offer their support or ask a few questions so they would be informed voters.

If you are any of these individuals feel free to leave a reply on this post, or better yet get in contact with the administration here for an account where you can post your press releases and speeches on how you can make our communities better.

County Counsel

20)

Approve Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 09-0038 with Irell & Manella, LLP, to increase the funding to handle the civil litigation regarding former Assessor Bill Postmus and the improper expenditure of public funds while he was in office (Four votes required).

Talk about a group of individuals that just won’t learn.  You’re not going to win these cases so why keep feeding Ruth’s flame? If you dumped Ruth and Hueston, you might be able to hire a seasoned litigator who could mete sage legal advice instead of telling you what you want to hear.

But we know, it’s not your money, so who cares how many lawsuits the county loses.

Wonder if you will all be singing the same tune when you are given deposition notices where you will be asked about similar situations involving yourselves and you campaign contributors.  So how quickly will Ruth be gone then?  We bet it will be about two weeks after Ruth’s latest screwup is revealed.

And as to those notices of depos beind handed out soon, have fun Biane and Kirk as I know you two are at the top of the list for depos.  Maybe your high-priced attorneys will come in handy after all.

If you’re one of those people who feel they can’t handle it any more, if you can learn anything from this: it’s that there are people out there who really care. You might not think so . . . but there are people who really, really care. And before you take that final decision, check it out again . . . talk to somebody. And for those families who have members who they fear are susceptible to this kind of behavior, don’t ignore it, don’t rationalize it. Extend a hand.

I’ve taken my share of criticism from those who have not been there.  ASKING FOR HELP IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.  One knows they need help and even wants help but asking for it is truly impossible.

This past Wednesday I was already in near meltdown stage due to the Hartford decision.  When my attorney told me what county attorneys were saying, I totally lost it.  I told him exactly what I was going to do.  His response was “You need to go over to Kaiser.”  I explained that the county had cut off my insurance.  He then said, “Go see someone at ARMC.”  I told him I will never go back to that hell hole again.  He shrugged and I said, “Fine.  This is it.  You will never see me again,” and left.  He did not give a shit that I was about to kill myself.

And that is my experience over the 16 months I have battled suicidal thoughts.  People honestly don’t care.  They say they want to help but then don’t follow thru.  I can drop a million hints of what’s going thru my mind and I find most people will pretend they didn’t notice.  Offers of help are not sincere.

But some people really do want to help and I know that.  And the only way to help is to be persistent.  Keep in regular contact no matter how many times calls and messages go unanswered.  And stop ignoring the hints.

I am of the belief that very few of those who kill themselves really want to do so.  Often, it’s a “I’ll show you” action in response to not being taken seriously.

I’ve been lectured by more than a few people that suicide is a “selfish” or “cowardly” act. When one is going thru the feelings, being cowardly or selfish is the last thing on ones mind.  It’s either “I’ll give them what they seem to want,” or as stated above, “I’ll show you.”

One last thing, I know when I’m feeling suicidal, what I need more than anything is someone to dump on—just being able to get it all out is so important.  But I also know that those who’ve allowed me to dump on them, often run the other way the next time around.  Don’t offer a hand if you don’t mean it.  It only exacerbates the feelings of suicide.  I know.  I’ve been there too many times.

Written by Blogger

04/12/2004      Earl Carter                        $  2,500.00

04/12/2004      Jim Spring                         $  2,500.00

08/11/2004      Jim Spring                         $  5,000.00

05/06/2005      Earl Carter                        $  5,000.00

05/06/2005      Jim Spring                         $  5,000.00

05/23/2005      Earl Carter                        $  5,000.00

05/23/2005      Jim Spring                         $  5,000.00

07/21/2006      Earl Carter                        $  5,000.00

07/21/2005      Jim Spring                         $  5,000.00

07/13/2007      Earl Carter                        $  7,000.00

07/13/2007      Jim Spring                         $  7,000.00

05/27/2008      Jim Spring                         $ 14,000.00

06/09/2009      Earl Carter                        $  5,000.00

06/09/2009      Jim Spring                         $  5,000.00

08/01/2009      Carter, Spring, Schank & O'Connor  $ 10,000.00

Total                                              $ 83,000.00 

A major allegation contained in the recent announcement of charges in the “windshield crack-like” corruption investigation into San Bernardino County government by District Attorney Mike Ramos and Attorney General Edmund “Jerry” Brown has some interesting twists.

Ramos earlier this week announced a series of reforms necessary to put the power of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors in check.

Strangely enough, one of the proposed reforms didn’t involve a measure to curb abuse in the expenditure of campaign funds.

One of the major cornerstones of the instant corruption case is the theory of bribes being paid as campaign donations to Political Action Committee’s, which are later diverted for use by officials in the form of payment of personal expenses like food, drinks, and travel.

You know what they say about throwing rocks from glass houses?

It seems not only did Ramos pay his wife $21,000 from his campaign funds over the last two years, he also did some heavy dipping into his campaign war-chest for apparently a myriad of expenses.

As a side note, effective January 1, 2010 it is now illegal to pay a spouse campaign funds.

The obvious problem here? We just can’t see what the expenses are for.

State law requires payment of $100.00 or more to the same vendor be itemized so the public can see where and what funds are being expended on.

Campaign finance records filed by Ramos with the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters for the period of July 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009 indicates a significant amount of credit card charges paid by campaign funds.

To read the rest of the story, click here.

A mother passing by her son’s bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up.  Then she saw an Envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to ‘Mom.’ With the worst premonition she opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Mom:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I’m writing you.  I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Dad and you.

But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercing, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am.  But it’ s not only the passion . . . Mom she’s pregnant.

Stacy said that we will be very happy.  She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter.  We share a dream of having many more children.  Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn’t really hurt anyone.  We’ll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy.

In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better.  She deserves it.  Don’t worry Mom.  I’m 15 and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I’m sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love, Your Son John

PS.  Mom, none of the above is true.

I’m over at Tommy’s house.

I Just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than a Report card That’s in my center desk drawer.

I love you.

Call me when it’s safe to come home.

Elizabeth.Barnhart@hartfordlife.com

I knew I should have stayed home.  Fortunately, I had the foresight to bring my painkillers, muscle relaxers, and sleeping pills with me.  I really wanted to die quietly at home but that was not meant to be.  I’m not about to go there now.

Please, please someone make sure Naomi has a good home.  I didn’t even get to give her a hug goodbye this morning as I was in such a hurry.  Remiel can go back to his first mom Laura Burleson, who can be found on Facebook.  Lucy can go back to Deanna at Animal Hospital at the Narrows.  Ask Deanna if she will place the other Boxers.  Animal Control will just kill them and they are wonderful, well-behaved dogs that deserve a good home.

I know some don’t understand.  I have asked for help from everywhere I know to ask.  My landlord is still holding many of the things I consider important hostage.  My storage units will be auctioned off next week.  And all of my jewelery, my mom’s jewelry and my grandma’s jewelry will be lost over the next few weeks.  The county cut off all payments to me as of last Thursday.  I have exactly $3 right now and my bank account is overdrawn.  There is no hope of any other money for possibly months to come.  I current landlord wants rent and I have nothing.

I have lost everything that is important to me.  I can’t live on air.  The county knows I’m suicidal and chooses to push me over the edge.  Hopefully, someone will hold Mark Kirk accountable for what he has done.

I’m sorry to my friends.  I know I’m hurting you.  But I also know a week from now no one will remember that I even existed.  That is life and I accept it.  But I hope someone steps forward and helps my family sue the county and Hartford for what they have done.

Hi-Desert Republican Women, Federated welcomed San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Gary Thomas, Ed.D., as their guest speaker today at the monthly membership meeting.  Of course this means that Thomas is a good Republican!

Thomas discussed both the successes and failures with the county’s sch0ol system.  San Bernardino County has a lot to be proud of including an on-going commitment to public/private/community-based partnerships to enhance their ability to provide services and education to our county’s youth.

Overall, countywide the Academic Performance Index (API) scores have increased 32 points despite a state-wide budget cut over two years of almost $17 billion.  Much of the cuts were made up by one-time stimulus funding.  Now, however, there is concern about the Governor’s “across-the-board” attitude regarding future cuts.  Thomas stated that the effects of maintaining quality education will bolster the budget and cuts should be made with care rather than across the board.

One area of failure is a very high dropout rate in this county.  After studying the problem, it was determined the most likely students to drop out are seniors and the SOS office is developing strategies to attack the problem.

The ladies asked about the effects of illegal immigration upon county school.  Much to the dismay of attendees, Thomas stated that those statistics are not know as they are not allowed to ask immigration status.  All youth must be served despite their status.

So our illustrious San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos is concerned about expenses paid by former Assessor Bill Postmus out of Postmus’ campaign war chest—not exactly new news.  And also not new news is the fact that what is good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander—pun totally intended—here in San Bernardino County.

Well  an examiniation of Ramos’ 460 for the period ending December 31, 2009 shows he paid $12,652.03 in charge card bills and stated that no single charge was $100 or more.  That means from July 1—December 31, 2009, Ramos had at least 127 credit card transactions paid for by his committee.  Hmm . . . how many salmon and wine dinners or boxes of condoms are we talking about here?

So, for all of you that want to contribute an article, here are the rules:

1. Articles can be no longer than 750 words.
2. Articles are accepted from registered Republicans only.
3. Articles cannot focus on your campaigns but rather on issues important to you.
4. Articles that bash other Republicans will not be published.
5. A press photo must accompany the article if you have not submitted one in the past or have an updated photo.
6. A very short bio must accompany the article if you have not submitted one in the past or have an updated version. (See example at the end of each article in the October newsletter:  sbcfrw_newsletter_1009_gm(2).)
7. Links to your campaign website, Twitter, and Facebooks accounts and contact information, i.e., email address and phone number, can be sent to me and will be included in the newsletter but cannot be included in the article itself.
8. Articles submitted in .pdf format will not be accepted.   Word, Pages, and generic text are allowed.  They can be submitted in the body of an email or as an attachment.
9. Articles must be submitted no later than February 27, 2010 via email to info@iepolitics.com.

I will be sending out personal invitations to participate to those whose email addresses I have as soon as I know for sure that I will be the editor again.  I lost my entire email list several months ago, so if you have not received email from me recently, I likely do not have your email address.

I am hopeful this newsletter will be delivered to about 9,000 Republicans countywide.  We are working on developing a list of solid email addresses.  In exchange for the free advertising you will be receiving for your campaigns, we will ask that you forward the newsletter on to everyone in your private email lists.  I hope some of the grassroots candidates comprehend the significance of this.

California Small Business Association Endorses Morrell

Upland, California – The California Small Business Association (CSBA), which represents over 203,000 California small business owners, has announced its support of Mike Morrell for the 63^rd State Assembly seat currently held by Bill Emmerson.

“We believe your commitment to the future of small business is deserving of the support from our organization,” said President Betty Jo Toccoli, “and you will do a great job representing us effectively in the Legislature.”

“I am grateful for the support of the CSBA and for all the hard work they put in on behalf our state’s entrepreneurs and job creators,” said Morrell.  “The business climate in California has gone from bad to worse and while states like Arizona and Texas fight hard to take our jobs, it seems our government is working just as hard to lose our jobs.  If we are going to reduce unemployment, expand our economy, and improve quality of life, we must change the hostile business culture in the state.  I am committed to doing that.”

CSBA is a grass-roots, non-partisan, small business advocacy organization founded in 1980 by the 1980 California small business delegates to the White House Conference on Small Business.  Its mission is to provide a voice for California small businesses and stimulate the creation of jobs and the economy of California.

Mike and his wife Joanie live in Rancho Cucamonga.  They have been married for 32 years, and together they have three children, Kristen, David and Matthew.

]]> http://iepolitics.com/2010/02/23/mike-morrell-endorsement/feed/ 0 http://iepolitics.com/2010/02/23/senator-robert-dutton-jobs-bandwagon/ http://iepolitics.com/2010/02/23/senator-robert-dutton-jobs-bandwagon/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:39:43 +0000 Administrator http://iepolitics.com/?p=971

Thanks,

James V. Lacy

Sacramento – The results of a poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies show Senator/Taxpayer Advocate and Board of Equalization candidate George Runner as the clear frontrunner in the primary race for Board of Equalization.

The California Republican Primary Survey shows Runner was chosen by 56% of likely voters in the upcoming Republican primary, more than doubling the combined score of both of his opponents who each received 12% of the vote.

The survey also demonstrates the value of the endorsement from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association to the Runner campaign.

Here is the question that was asked –

In the race for Board of Equalization, there are three different candidates. I would now like to read you a brief statement about each and have you tell me which one you personally would be most likely to vote for in the June Primary election based on the descriptions. Here are the descriptions. (RANDOMIZE)

Tax Payer Advocate/Senator George Runner is trusted and being supported by the well known Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Board of Equalization Chief Deputy Barbara Alby has long worked with Board of Equalization member Bill Leonard, and Leonard is campaigning for Alby because of his confidence in her ability.

Physician and Board of Equalization Deputy Alan Nakanishi has the support of Board Member Michelle Park Steel because of his dedication to his job and to the people they serve.

Based on these statements, which candidate would you personally be most likely to vote for? (IF CHOICE, ASK:) And, would you DEFINITELY vote for (choice) based on the statements, or would you only PROBABLY vote for (choice)?

Combined Runner 56%

20% DEFINITELY RUNNER

36% PROBABLY RUNNER

Combined Alby 13%

4% DEFINITELY ALBY

9% PROBABLY ALBY

Combined Nakanishi 12%

2% DEFINITELY NAKANISHI

10% PROBABLY NAKANISHI

18% DON’T KNOW/UNDECIDED (DNR)

1% REFUSED (DNR)

The poll was conducted in early February 2010.

“I have worked on behalf of taxpayers of California for well over a decade and I am humbled by the voters’ clear understanding of my qualifications and ability to represent them on the Board of Equalization,” said Runner.

Runner has his largest advantage in the voter heavy southern portion of BOE District 2, where he has represented constituents for more than two decades on the City Council, State Assembly, and now State Senate.

George Runner currently represents a large southern portion of BOE District 2 in the State Senate. He authored the successful Amber Alert system and Jessica’s Law in 2006. He resides in Lancaster with his wife, former Assemblywoman

Sharon Runner.

# # #

The Sentinel is distributed throughout San Bernardino County – the largest geographical county in the United States. It is growing and so are its expenses.

Accordingly, we are humbly asking for your support of the continuation of the Sentinel’s journalistic mission. You can do this by becoming a subscriber at this critical time.  An annual subscription to the Sentinel is available for $30 per year. Subscribers will receive a physical copy of the paper each week or can elect to receive the e-mailed PDF version of the Sentinel. No one will be denied a copy of the Sentinel because they can’t afford the price of a subscription.

During its brief life, the Sentinel has covered various issues of public concern including the budgetary challenges within the county and city government. We have continually enlightened our readers of the problems of corruption that has plagued our Board of Supervisors and county administrators.  A great deal of investigative reporting went into the unethical decisions made by the district attorney and sheriff’s office. Our goal is to keep our readers informed on issues that impact the quality of life in San Bernardino County.

Those interested in becoming a paid Sentinel subscriber can do so by mailing a $30 check or money order together with a mailing address to 10808 Foothill Blvd. Suite 160-446 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.

Thank you for your continuing interest in the Sentinel. Please give us your comments at sbcsentinel@yahoo.com

If you would like an exclusive interview with Ken, please e-mail your requested time; either before or after the meeting.  If you have further questions, please reply to John G. Wurm or call him at (909) 336-5172.

For additional information about Ken, visit KenHunter.com