Category Archives: California

R.B. schools have received enough – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Mitch Kimball

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Mike

The Redondo Beach School Board and Superintendent Keller should be ashamed of themselves. Putting another bond on the ballot four years after the last $140 million Measure C is a slap in the face to all the parents who constantly support the fundraisers, the never-ending cash requests and the Ed Foundation donations.

What’s worse are the deceptive glossy mailers coming to our homes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Elections, Letters to the Editor, Political Corruption, Politics, Redondo Beach, Tax Policy and Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on R.B. schools have received enough – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Mitch Kimball

Not Another Bond – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Sanford Motte

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Mike

Are you as exasperated with yet another school bond as I am? If Measure Q passes, it will be the third bond in the last 11 years totaling a quarter of a billion dollars in property tax hikes for homeowners in Redondo Beach. For people who purchased their homes in the late 90s or within the last 12 years, you will assume an abnormally large portion of this property tax increase. People who have homes valued between $600,000 and $1 million will see very noticeable increases to your already expensive tax bill. … Continue reading →

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No New Taxes – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Mike

Please vote “yes” on Proposition 32 and “no” on all tax and bond measures, including 30 ($6 billion/year income and sales tax hike), 38 ($10 billion/year income tax hike), 39 ($1 billion/year tax hike); L.A. County Measure J (another 30 year sales tax hike), and El Camino Community College District Measure E ($350 million in new bond debt, probably costing about $700 million with interest).

Taxes are too high, and we also pay business taxes which are passed on to us as consumers. Bond measures create additional debt and require taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often cost double the amount borrowed with interest. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Elections, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No New Taxes – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Supporting Proposition 32 – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Mike

South Bay and other California cities are at much greater risk of bankruptcy than residents are being told. Unrealistic optimistic revenue projections by city finance directors have not come to fruition, just as I warned would happen in El Segundo. City revenues actually declined.

Voters can and must help protect against city bankruptcies by voting “YES” on Proposition 32. It puts voters first by cutting the money tie between politicians and special interests and ensuring every individual contribution is made voluntarily.

Special interests have already contributed $43 million to defeat Proposition 32 with totally deceptive campaign ads. The same government employee unions that have been driving cities and school districts toward bankruptcy with astronomical and unsustainable salaries, benefits and pensions have contributed 98 percent of that campaign money ($42 million).

Proposition 32 will break the stranglehold government employee unions have on Sacramento and local government — that has blocked real and meaningful compensation and pension reform, and Senate Bill 1530, which would have made it easier to dismiss teachers who sexually abuse their students. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Letters to the Editor, Political Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Supporting Proposition 32 – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

State Ballot Measures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Mike

Please vote “yes” on Proposition 32 (bans direct union and corporate contributions to candidates) and “no” on Propositions 30 (income and sales tax hike), 34 (repeals death penalty), 36 (three-strikes dilution), 38 (income tax hike), and 40 (gerrymandered redistricting plan).

Proposition 32 helps prevent El Segundo and other South Bay and California cities from being pushed toward bankruptcy by city employee unions and corporations that buy influence with politicians who then pay them back with our tax money and raise our taxes and fees to pay for it. Typical payoffs are one million tax dollars for every thousand donated.

Corrupt and wildly overpaid firefighter and police unions are spending millions of dollars in deceptive campaign ads to defeat Proposition 32. These unions have been bankrupting our cities and jacking up our taxes and fees, so they can get total compensation of $150,000 to more than $300,000 per year, and retire at age 50 or 55, with a guaranteed pension paying up to 90 percent of their single highest year salary. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, El Segundo, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State Ballot Measures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Stockton Syndrome Found – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Douglas Heitkamp

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Mike

El Segundo like many other cities in California appears to have some of the symptoms of an affliction now common throughout California. It has been observed in Vallejo, San Jose, San Diego, San Bernardino County and Stockton. I will refer to this malady as the “Stockton Syndrome”. Some of its symptoms include the lack of a balanced budget, loss of revenue from sales and real-estate taxes, investment income and electric utility tax. Other symptoms include unexpected personnel costs. Annual budges that must also cope with ever increasing yearly growth in salaries, pension and medical costs is common. Moody’s has taken notice of this in their recent announcement to review the bond ratings of all California cities. … Continue reading →

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Voter Recommendation Summary for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Mike

Voter Recommendation Summary for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Last updated November 2, 2012 at 5:04 a.m. PT.

BALLOT MEASURES

There are extremely good and extremely bad ballot measures for this election.

Here are recommendations for California statewide Propositions 30 – 40; Los Angeles County Measures A, B, and J; and El Camino Community College District Measure E, followed by a brief summary for selected ballot measures.

Check back before you vote for any updates.

Summary Information:


Please vote "YES" on Propositions 32 and 35, and
"NO" on all others, including all tax and bond measures,
all Los Angeles County measures (except neutral on
L.A. County Measure B requiring condoms for adult movies),
and El Camino Community College District Measure E.

Taxes are unreasonably high. We’re forced to pay for
wildly excessive and unsustainable government employee
salaries, raises, benefits and pensions; massive welfare
fraud (at least 25 percent, billions of dollars per year
statewide); and K-12 education costs for illegal alien
children who are not supposed to be in California
(about 40 percent, $20 billion per year).


Prop #  Vote     Type of Measure / Subject / Measure Web Site

30      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Income and Sales Tax Hikes (Jerry Brown)

Tax hikes will only be used to pay for wildly excessive and
unsustainable government employee union and manager
salaries, benefits, and pensions that are bankrupting cities,
counties, and the state.

http://www.StopProp30.com/

31      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Two-Year Budget Cycle & Related Governance Changes
(California Forward)

32      YES      Statute
Prohibits direct union and corporate contributions to
political candidates, and prohibits automatic payroll
deductions for political purposes (Paycheck Protection).

Employees and other individuals can still make voluntary
contributions to candidates of their choice.

Necessary to help prevent city and county bankruptcies
due to wildly excessive and unsustainable salaries,
benefits, and pensions given in exchange for union
campaign contributions.

Government employee unions contributed 98% of
the $43 million in campaign money to defeat it.

http://www.YesProp32.com/

33      NO       Statute
Auto Insurance Price Setting: Driver Coverage History
Proposition 33 repeals consumer protections provided
by Proposition 103. It allows insurance companies to
charge more for auto insurance if you let your
policy lapse for any reason.

34      NO       Statute
Repeals Death Penalty in all cases, no matter how many
victims, and even if murder prison guards or other
prisoners while serving a life sentence for murder.

Prevents saving money by using the threat of a
death penalty to get murderers to plead guilty and
avoid an expensive trial in return for a life sentence.

Put on ballot by long-time death penalty opponents.

35      YES      Statute
Human Trafficking: "Californians for Sexual Exploitation Act"

36      NO       Statute
"Three Strikes" Dilution

37      NO       Statute
Genetically-Engineered Foods: Mandatory Labeling
This is a Trial Lawyers Full-Time Employment Act.

It is a scam designed to allow trial lawyers to extort
money from farmers and grocers using shakedown
lawsuits even when there are no injuries or damages.

http://www.NoProp37.com

38      NO       Statute
Income Tax Hike: Education (Molly Munger)

Taxes are already excessive and tax hikes will chase
more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of the state.

39      NO       Statute
Taxes on Multi-State Businesses: Single Sales Factor

Taxes are already excessive and tax hikes will chase
more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of the state.

40      NO       Referendum
Overturn Citizens Redistricting Commission State Senate Plan
(A "NO" vote is a vote to overturn the gerrymandered
redistricting plan.)
 

Los Angeles County Ballot Measures:

 A      NO       Advisory Vote
Advises changing the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor
from an elected position to an appointed position
not accountable to the voters and taxpayers.

 B      NEUTRAL  Ordinance
Regulation of adult movie industry requiring
condoms for adult movies, public health permit,
proof of blood borne pathogen training course.
Will likely chase adult movie industry to other
counties.

 J      NO       Tax Increase
Measure J is another 30-year sales tax hike after the
previous 30-year sales tax hike approved as Measure R
in 2010. It is dishonest and deceptive to ask for yet
another 30-year sales tax increase in only two years.

Measure 30 will also increase the sales tax if it passes.

California will have the highest sales tax in the
country, pressuring consumers to purchase over
the internet from other states and countries,
reducing sales tax revenues.
 

El Camino Community College District Measure E:

 E      NO       Bond Measure
Measure E is $350 million in new bond debt, probably
costing about $700 million with interest.
Bond measures create additional debt and require
taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often
cost double the amount borrowed with interest.






President / Vice President:
Mitt Romney / Paul Ryan

The economy, jobs, business climate, $16 trillion national debt,
reduced national defense, and foreign policy all indicate it is
time for a positive change in the White House.

President Obama's presidency has been a re-run of a bad movie:
Jimmy Carter's failed presidency with a failed economy, high
unemployment, failed domestic policy, and failed foreign policy.

Many people are calling President Obama's presidency
"Jimmy Carter 2.0".

President Obama's actions follow a clear pattern to:

    

  1. Weaken and undermine America;
    2. 

  2. Weaken, undermine, alienate, and antagonize
longtime American allies; and
    3. 

  3. Strengthen, help, and embolden America's
enemies and competitors.
    4. 


Be sure to see the movie, "2016: Obama's America".

It is a documentary movie that clearly explains what
makes Obama tick, and how his upbringing and mentors
shaped his world view and his view of America's future
as a downsized, less powerful, less influential, and
less important player on the world stage of nations.

For more information, also see:

Obama's Record: Investor's Business Daily series of editorials






United States Senator:
Elizabeth Emken

Her opponent Dianne Feinstein is 79 years old and will be
85 at the end of her six-year term if she is elected.
Feinstein is rabid enemy of the Constitution, Second
Amendment, self-defense rights, and property rights.
She also has been at the center of much corruption.

Feinstein may be suffering from onset Alzheimer's
Disease. She has refused to participate in any
debates or public appearances with Elizabeth Emlkin.






United States Representative:
Bill Bloomfield

Bloomfield is a former Republican who ran as an independent.
He is somewhat liberal, but not as extreme as his opponent,
Henry Waxman.

Waxman iis at best a socialist if not an outright Marxist.
He is a self-described "progressive".
Waxman does not respect individual liberty and property rights.

Detailed Information:

CLICK HERE to go to the Detailed Voter Recommendations for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election.

Continue reading →

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Voter Recommendations for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Mike

Voter Recommendations for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Last updated November 2, 2012 at 5:04 a.m. PT.

BALLOT MEASURES

There are extremely good and extremely bad ballot measures for this election.

Here are recommendations for California statewide Propositions 30 – 40; Los Angeles County Measures A, B, and J; and El Camino Community College District Measure E, followed by a brief summary for selected ballot measures.

Check back before you vote for any updates.

Summary Information:

Please vote "YES" on Propositions 32 and 35, and
"NO" on all others, including all tax and bond measures,
all Los Angeles County measures (except neutral on
L.A. County Measure B requiring condoms for adult movies),
and El Camino Community College District Measure E.

Taxes are unreasonably high. We’re forced to pay for
wildly excessive and unsustainable government employee
salaries, raises, benefits and pensions; massive welfare
fraud (at least 25 percent, billions of dollars per year
statewide); and K-12 education costs for illegal alien
children who are not supposed to be in California
(about 40 percent, $20 billion per year).
 

Prop #  Vote     Type of Measure / Subject / Measure Web Site

30      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Income and Sales Tax Hikes (Jerry Brown)

Tax hikes will only be used to pay for wildly excessive and
unsustainable government employee union and manager
salaries, benefits, and pensions that are bankrupting cities,
counties, and the state.

http://www.StopProp30.com/

31      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Two-Year Budget Cycle & Related Governance Changes
(California Forward)

32      YES      Statute
Prohibits direct union and corporate contributions to
political candidates, and prohibits automatic payroll
deductions for political purposes (Paycheck Protection).

Employees and other individuals can still make voluntary
contributions to candidates of their choice.

Necessary to help prevent city and county bankruptcies
due to wildly excessive and unsustainable salaries,
benefits, and pensions given in exchange for union
campaign contributions.

Government employee unions contributed 98% of
the $43 million in campaign money to defeat it.

http://www.YesProp32.com/

33      NO       Statute
Auto Insurance Price Setting: Driver Coverage History
Proposition 33 repeals consumer protections provided
by Proposition 103. It allows insurance companies to
charge more for auto insurance if you let your
policy lapse for any reason.

34      NO       Statute
Repeals Death Penalty in all cases, no matter how many
victims, and even if murder prison guards or other
prisoners while serving a life sentence for murder.

Prevents saving money by using the threat of a
death penalty to get murderers to plead guilty and
avoid an expensive trial in return for a life sentence.

Put on ballot by long-time death penalty opponents.

35      YES      Statute
Human Trafficking: "Californians for Sexual Exploitation Act"

36      NO       Statute
"Three Strikes" Dilution

37      NO       Statute
Genetically-Engineered Foods: Mandatory Labeling
This is a Trial Lawyers Full-Time Employment Act.

It is a scam designed to allow trial lawyers to extort
money from farmers and grocers using shakedown
lawsuits even when there are no injuries or damages.

http://www.NoProp37.com

38      NO       Statute
Income Tax Hike: Education (Molly Munger)

Taxes are already excessive and tax hikes will chase
more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of the state.

39      NO       Statute
Taxes on Multi-State Businesses: Single Sales Factor

Taxes are already excessive and tax hikes will chase
more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of the state.

40      NO       Referendum
Overturn Citizens Redistricting Commission State Senate Plan
(A "NO" vote is a vote to overturn the gerrymandered
redistricting plan.)
 

Los Angeles County Ballot Measures:

 A      NO       Advisory Vote
Advises changing the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor
from an elected position to an appointed position
not accountable to the voters and taxpayers.

 B      NEUTRAL  Ordinance
Regulation of adult movie industry requiring
condoms for adult movies, public health permit,
proof of blood borne pathogen training course.
Will likely chase adult movie industry to other
counties.

 J      NO       Tax Increase
Measure J is another 30-year sales tax hike after the
previous 30-year sales tax hike approved as Measure R
in 2010. It is dishonest and deceptive to ask for yet
another 30-year sales tax increase in only two years.

Measure 30 will also increase the sales tax if it passes.

California will have the highest sales tax in the
country, pressuring consumers to purchase over
the internet from other states and countries,
reducing sales tax revenues.
 

El Camino Community College District Measure E:

 E      NO       Bond Measure
Measure E is $350 million in new bond debt, probably
costing about $700 million with interest.
Bond measures create additional debt and require
taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often
cost double the amount borrowed with interest.






President / Vice President:
Mitt Romney / Paul Ryan

The economy, jobs, business climate, $16 trillion national debt,
reduced national defense, and foreign policy all indicate it is
time for a positive change in the White House.

President Obama's presidency has been a re-run of a bad movie:
Jimmy Carter's failed presidency with a failed economy, high
unemployment, failed domestic policy, and failed foreign policy.

Many people are calling President Obama's presidency
"Jimmy Carter 2.0".

President Obama's actions follow a clear pattern to:

    

  1. Weaken and undermine America;
    2. 

  2. Weaken, undermine, alienate, and antagonize
longtime American allies; and
    3. 

  3. Strengthen, help, and embolden America's
enemies and competitors.
    4. 


Be sure to see the movie, "2016: Obama's America".

It is a documentary movie that clearly explains what
makes Obama tick, and how his upbringing and mentors
shaped his world view and his view of America's future
as a downsized, less powerful, less influential, and
less important player on the world stage of nations.

For more information, also see:

Obama's Record: Investor's Business Daily series of editorials






United States Senator:
Elizabeth Emken

Her opponent Dianne Feinstein is 79 years old and will be
85 at the end of her six-year term if she is elected.
Feinstein is rabid enemy of the Constitution, Second
Amendment, self-defense rights, and property rights.
She also has been at the center of much corruption.

Feinstein may be suffering from onset Alzheimer's
Disease. She has refused to participate in any
debates or public appearances with Elizabeth Emlkin.






United States Representative:
Bill Bloomfield

Bloomfield is a former Republican who ran as an independent.
He is somewhat liberal, but not as extreme as his opponent,
Henry Waxman.

Waxman iis at best a socialist if not an outright Marxist.
He is a self-described "progressive".
Waxman does not respect individual liberty and property rights.

Detailed Information:

… Continue reading →

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“New and Improved” Kinecta Federal Credit Union ATM Machine Crashes and Strands Customer

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Mike

“New and Improved” Kinecta Federal Credit Union ATM Machine Crashes and Strands Customer

by Michael D. Robbins
Director, Public Safety Project

http://PublicSafetyProject.org/
Twitter: @PSP_USA

August 27, 2012 at 6:34 PM PT

What do you do when the automated teller machine (ATM) you are using crashes and hangs up on you, freezing your personal banking account information on the display, and holding on to your ATM card? This is exactly what happened to the user of a Kinecta Federal Credit Union ATM machine located at 1970 E. Imperial Highway in El Segundo, California on Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 8:16 p.m.

She completed her first transaction, printing an account balance, without any problems. But when she tried to perform a second transaction, the ATM locked up on her and the keypad became non-responsive. No matter which buttons she pressed, the ATM machine would not clear her personal banking information from the screen, and it would not release her ATM card. Bummer!

A look inside the card slot with a flashlight revealed no visible evidence of the ATM card. It was transported somewhere inside the ATM, probably for security purposes.

This raised multiple concerns. If she left the machine, could someone else later have access to her accounts, withdraw cash from each account, and get her ATM card?

The adjacent Kinecta ATM machine had an even stranger situation. … Continue reading →

Posted in ATM Machines, Banking, California, El Segundo, El Segundo News, Identity Theft, Security | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “New and Improved” Kinecta Federal Credit Union ATM Machine Crashes and Strands Customer

New negotiation strategy – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Mike

Advice to the Hermosa Beach City Council for fire/police union contract negotiations to avoid bankruptcy:

Start negotiating from a blank sheet of paper to eliminate decades of union lawyer tricks and traps that ratcheted up costs.

Read, analyze, understand and price every provision and phrase in existing and new union contracts. Negotiate a not-to-exceed total contract cost based on specified staffing/service levels. Don’t write blank checks with taxpayer money as pension and insurance costs increase.

Do not base compensation on formulas involving compensation in other cities or costs will spiral upward. Do not give up inherent management rights to determine staffing levels, work assignments and layoffs, which are the city’s most important cost-control and bargaining tools.

Include a burden-sharing mechanism that includes thresholds and triggers which automatically reduce total contract costs by specified amounts, and optionally reopen negotiations, when unbudgeted, uncontrolled expenses and revenue declines exceed specified thresholds. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, El Segundo, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Hermosa Beach, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New negotiation strategy – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins