Save RSM Please Vote -- BLOG

By Larry McCook

Time to wake up, be informed and separate distorted political spin from the truth!

First I want to thank the 5,392 RSM Voters that entrusted me with a vote of confidence in 2012. People that know me personally appreciate my direct and blunt honesty. Some the following statements are graphic and you may not want to read them.

The election next Tuesday is critical and will shape the future of our wonderful city (which I love) for years. There is a whole lot that the average citizen and voter don’t have a clue about in RSM. Most voters have never attended a city council meeting and only get the propaganda which is either emailed or postal mailed to them.

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There is very little transparency to no transparency of/for reasons why the council votes a certain way and/or the True Story in RSM. I have attended more council meetings over the last six years than even some sitting and past council members and more than any other voter in RSM. This why I feel qualified to tell you the True Story as I see it.

FINANCIALS:

Yes, RSM has a healthy reserve of our taxpayer money and this is good. But, any intelligent person can plug in the numbers which are supplied by the city staff combined with history and projections for the future. Our mayors and council members take far to much credit for the cash reserve. This is an expected duty that comes with their job. RSM is lucky because we are a new city and have few surprises with little fear of collapse from a relatively new non aged infrastructure.

I think many residents would like to see the end of Mello Roos than for the city to continually receive financial kick backs from the County of Orange. The current and past incumbents have lost an estimated over $1,000,000.00+ of taxpayer money in failed business/economic development! This includes payments to failed economic development experts, annual council members and staff economic development trips to Las Vegas and legal fees fighting business development. All of this using & wasting taxpayer money.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:

As mentioned in the prior paragraph, The City of RSM has a long history of failed business development efforts which has cost our city not only tax dollars but also new jobs. The council members are quick to show up for photo ops at Grand Openings even when they had nothing to do with bringing a small business to RSM.

Proposition Z is by far the main economic issue on the table at this election. As you know this is about resurrecting the defunct Nissan property on Santa Margarita Parkway. Three Nissan auto dealerships failed at this location and it set empty for five years before a company purchased the property two years ago. The new owners knew that the property was zoned auto related only but, felt that they might have the expertise to bring an auto dealership to this property.

After two years and contacts to over 1000 auto related businesses, it has become obvious that not one of these businesses want to move to RSM. There has not been either/or a valid bid for the property from our local auto dealerships. There was a a serious negotiation with our local Toyota management and the new owners but this collapsed.

Is it true that our Mayor Carol Gamble contacted and interfered with this potential sale? The property was prior zoned General Commercial on The Master Plan created by Orange County. Both the the medical complex and In and Out Burgers are allowed outside of auto zoning.

Why won’t the City Council return the zoning to General Commercial? How many more years should the new owners sit on their good faith business development investment in the City of RSM? I urge you to vote YES on Z to change our image to Business Friendly city!

CRIME:

I feel we have the finest law enforcement possible in RSM. The RSM Sheriff Department should and has been rightfully commended for exemplary service to our community. Is there crime in RSM? Of course there is. I am aware of three murders over the years in RSM (one of them a woman) I was told she was beheaded and her head was recovered down in Trabuco Canyon.

The RSM Sheriffs Department and Gang Task Force has quelled two Hispanic gangs which were operating in RSM. It seems, hopefully, that the rash of Trabuco Mesa area home burglaries have calmed down due to our OCSD intensified investigative and surveillance efforts.

There continues to be a bicycle theft ring operating in RSM. There have been 6 bikes stolen on my street including one belonging to my youngest son. These bikes were all locked with strong steel braided cables but the thieves used portable diamond blade saws to cut right through these cables. The thieves simply ride off on the bikes. Robberies? Yes. Reported sexual crimes? Yes, numerous including child molestation.

POLITICS:

In my my opinion, and in many other people’s opinions, politicians have gotten totally out of line with the good for our residents (the people). There are vehement attacks against anyone that stands up or has a different opinion. The politicians continually distort the truth even when asked a direct question. RSM deserves better.

The wife of our 3 or 4 times former mayor appointed herself as the head of The RSM Republican Assembly (CRA). With only a few active members, she has used this as a trumped up endorsement for their selective “Yes Men” candidates. She has made public displays of anger when the Nissan Property signatures were being gathered. Her husband was rebuked by The Orange County Republican Central Committee and the the OCRCC refused to endorse their City Council candidates.

The OCRCC called Mr. Beall’s personal organized attacks on sitting Councilman Petrilla at a live Council Meeting as “Despicable.” This is a major embarrassment to our City of RSM’s REPUTATION! The locals mailed a deceptive voters list with two fake RNC Elephants on each corner.

CANDIDATES: To my knowledge, all of the 7 candidates are good citizens and family people. Two are lawyers and/but we already have one other sitting lawyer in Tony Beall on the council.

My recommendation for the total good of RSM (in reverse order from the Voters Pamphlet) are :

• John Webb­ Successful businessman, civic activist and former United States Marine

• Don Chadd­ Retired School District Administrator and hardworking civic activist

• Laurie Biehl­ Successful businesswoman and hardworking community volunteer

• Jesse Petrilla­ City Councilman and an Officer in the California Army National Guard

A vote for any three of the above four will bring new positive and much needed ideas to RSM ALL OF THE PRECEDING ARE MY SINCERE PERSONAL OPINIONS. THANKS FOR READING AND PLEASE VOTE!

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