Follow Up Thoughts On The OC San District Rate Increase
Posted by: Jubal | 02/28/2008 5:26 PM
Some commenters have taken issue with me for singling out La Habra Mayor Rose Espinoza as the culprit in the OC Sanitation District Board of Directors 17-6 vote to approve a large, multi-year rate hike. They maintain the other "yes" vote are just as guilty, or though the blame equally sits with presumes "no" votes like Irvine Councilwoman Christina Shea.Shea and her alternate, Steven Choi, bear some responsibility if they would have been "no" votes. And I haven't found out yet how they would have voted.
At the previous OCSD Board meeting, the directors took a vote on whether or not to vote on the rate increase at the Feb. 27 meeting. Shea voted in favor of having last nights vote. Only Orange Councilman Jon Dumitru and Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu voted "no."
Last night, four directors who had voted with Shea to hold a vote on the increase wound up voting against the hike itself. Whether Shea would have been a fifth -- and fatal -- vote against the hike, I don't know yet.
I do think it was exceedingly lame that neither Shea nor Choi were there. It turns out they were both an Irvine Policeman of the Year dinner. Come on -- the OCSD is voting on a major, multi-year rate hike and neither Shea nor Choi could skip the dinner to cast a vote? After all, which event was more important. No excuses for this absence.
But the responsibility -- or blame -- still rests on Rose Espinoza's shoulders. On the first vote, the rate increase failed by a single vote, 16-6 with Espinoza abstaining.
In this situation, under the OCSD's parliamentary rules, only directors who had cast a "no" or "abstain" vote could ask for re-consideration -- which is what Espinoza did.
If Rose Espinoza had not asked for reconsideration, the hike would have died. It is solely due to her intervention that the rate increase ultimately passed.
CATEGORY:
At The Trough, Politics Behind the Orange Curtain
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
Jubal- Guess who Rose Espinosa sat next to?
That's right Sal Tinajero.
He chewed her ear off to make said motion and then immediately seconded said motion to reconsider.
He would have absolutely 100% voted "yes." Because he knew it was the right thing to do.
Thank you Rose for honoring Steve by doing the right thing!
He would have absolutely 100% voted "yes." Because he knew it was the right thing to do.
Thank you Rose for honoring Steve by doing the right thing!
Matt,
Rose deserves our ire - and so does Sal Tinajero. Thomas Gordon was at the meeting and he reported that Tinajero was the one who convinced Rose to vote for the rate increase.
All the directors who voted for the rate increase should be voted out of office as soon as they come up for reelection.
"Rose deserves our ire - and so does Sal Tinajero. Thomas Gordon was at the meeting and he reported that Tinajero was the one who convinced Rose to vote for the rate increase."
I spoke to Thomas Gordon earlier tonight and he said nothing of the sort. Thomas did not "report" that Sal "convinced" Rosie to vote for the rate increase. This is yet another one of Art Pedroza's fallacies. He thinks if he repeats it enough it will become fact.
I spoke to Sal and to Thomas and neither man confirmed Pedroza's version of the events. I don't know about you Jubal, but I'll take the word of those that were there over Pedroza's any day.
Jubal, what about Chris Norby? If Shea is taking heat for her absence, then where the hell was Norby and his alternate Janet Nguyen? Surely one of them could have been there to fight for the taxpayers.
These Republicans are hypocrites.
Sean,
You are lying again. Thomas did indeed tell me that after the first vote Sal leaned over and whispered to Rosie. She then called for a revote and changed her vote. I don't think Sal was talking to her about his favorite food at Claimjumper!
Obviously only Rosie and Sal know for sure what he told her. But it is easy to surmise that he led her to change her vote.
So the real villain in this story is your boy Sal. He is the same village idiot who when he was first elected called on the Santa Ana City Council to adopt the Kyoto Accords.
Sal's vote to raise the sewage rates is NOT unprecedented. Sal also voted last year to raise the Santa Ana water rates so high that we now pay more for our water than folks in Irvine and most of O.C. pay. So he has a record of raising rates.
Sean,
I spoke to Thomas again today. Here is what he said:
1. The vote was taken. Rose abstained. The motion failed.
2. Sal leaned over and whispered something to Rose.
3. Rose then immediately called for a revote and she changed her mind. This time she voted for the increase.
4. Before Rose could finish talking, Sal seconded the motion.
So there you go Sean. We do not know what Sal said to Rose. But after he said it we do know she changed her mind. And we know he seconded the motion.
You won't be able to cover up for your boy Sal this time Sean.
"Thomas did indeed tell me that after the first vote Sal leaned over and whispered to Rosie....Obviously only Rosie and Sal know for sure what he told her."
The only things Pedroza rant is lacking are the facts and the truth. He admits that only Sal and Rosie know what was said. That however does not stop Pedroza from opining as to what was said and staing it as if it were fact.
I spoke to Thomas and to Sal and neither man said that Sal convinced Rosie to change her vote. Perhaps someone should ask Rosie. Art, why don't you? A week or so ago you were championing Rosie as a star. Now you throw her under the bus. Another victim of Pedroza unstable behavior I guess.
Any video of the event? I say if there was nothing said Art goes away, if there was Sean resigns and goes away.
But that would take real men who stand by conviction.
As a new member without all the background Rosie should not have voted, an abstention was correct thing to do.
Anderson was a Director of Sanitaion for Midway, of course he would have supported this agency's efforts to increase revenue.
Sal tried to make the motion to re-consider and was told he could not by OCSD counsel, then he got Rosie to say she wanted to change vote. This is strange because usually only the winning position can re-consider, since Rosie took no position on first vote she wouldn't be allowed to make the motion. This is a strange board with policies that do not make this clear. Bottom line, bad fiscal plan. You can bet they will be coming for more money as soon as one of their assumption in this plan change.
This is strange because usually only the winning position can re-consider, since Rosie took no position on first vote she wouldn't be allowed to make the motion.
Just...asking:
Your earlier comment on that subject prompted me to ask Councilman Dumitru about it.
He, too, was under the same impression as you. he asked the district counsel about it, and was told the OCSD has it's own set of rules, and they differ from Robert's on this matter. Under OCSD rules, an abstainer can ask for reconsideration.
Which is a shame.
I heard the response by OCSD counsel and looked at OCSD rules. Unlike Roberts (which OCSD specifically does not use) and Rosenberg's rules which make this pretty clear, OCSD rules say nothing about who can make this motion. The motion to reconsider is the only one that matters who makes it, otherwise the dialogue and votes could go on forever.
If those in favor of the tax/fee hike were keeping track they could have seen they were in trouble gaining 2/3rd's. One of their members should have voted against, then made motion to reconsider. This would have given them time to seek a recess and work Rosie over in private to change her vote. This is how its done in the real world. This was a very sad episode in the way it went down.
I'd like to see those rules...........
Sean,
That is right. I won't stand by politicians who make stupid decisions, unlike you. I think you would stay loyal to Sal even if he ate a baby. I am sure you would opine the the baby had it coming.
Look, Sal voted for the increase. Why don't you try defending that retarded vote? Just don't hurt yourself spinning...