Riverside City Hall: Changing of the Guard?

"A bit of musicality, please!"





---Strictly Ballroom





***Riverside County TAP rally at the County Administrative headquarters between noon and 12:30 p.m.***




It's interesting listening to the discussions that are taking place involving the dynamics of the new city council in Riverside. Who's in charge, who's aligned with who on what, when and who's on the penalty bench. What new voting bloc's forming if any and who's on its outside.



I've been told by members of the anonymous peanut gallery that I don't know "squat" about politics and what it takes to be a leader just like I've been told by members of the above that although I am apparently a "wise one", I don't know anything about management and labor union activities. These were some of the more highbrow comments among those below-rock dwellers who raved about men wearing female underwear and being spanked, erupted into bodily noises after ranting that I was a control freak or whined that I sounded taller on the radio. I didn't know sometimes if these people hated me or simply mistook me for Dear Abby. Perhaps both and perhaps these nameless individuals who ranted on activities, politics and leadership were the ones who knew what they were talking about when it comes to these things. Perhaps not.




"Now, here you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that."


---Lewis Carroll




That's probably the truth on both counts about politics and activities (although I'm not as sure about being the "wise one") and I am very thankful for that. The average person in this city has no idea who's who in the political dramas that play day in and day out and it's very difficult to keep up because the rules are always changing. There are some things after all that it's best to leave to the experts, rather than trying to wander through their labyrinths to figure out what's going on in the assorted political arenas. But watching the politics among the leaders from different venues in Riverside is still very interesting as well as being very educational and in a sense, necessary if you want to have some idea of what's going on in Riverside and why it is.

Both tell those who are left watching it all play out a lot about the truth of the status of the city or at least the part of it that never quite makes its way into the mayor's annual address and that's part of what makes them important. Those who lead any council, ward or any organization have to face the challenges of uniting factions, to be as attentive to those who didn't support or vote for them as they are towards those who did. And often it's important to be most attentive to the individuals who didn't vote at all especially those who feel disenfranchised by the process.

Those elected should evolve as leaders but always ask themselves as a reminder who they were when they ran for elected office and more importantly, why they ran. It's clear that some of those on the dais for example haven't asked themselves this question in a long time.

What's been most interesting is watching the emergence of the city council members who are among the more polite brigade on the dais. These are the ones who really listen when people speak no matter what is being said. They don't engage in displays of eye rolling, sighing, grunting or sinking into their chairs doing any or all of the above. They don't converse with each other while people are addressing them from the podium. They don't engage in one-manship conduct, they don't call people who are at the podium, liars, they don't laugh at them and so far they haven't called for the arrest or removal of elderly women from the podium. They don't look like they'd rather be any place but where they are at.

They probably behave in very much the same way that the consultant hired to teach etiquette skills to the elected officials up the road in Colton wishes that they would behave.

On the other hand, the conduct displayed regularly by several the other council members on the dais probably and indeed does fall into the category of dysfunctional behavior noted by Colton's instructor in dais decorum, according to what was described in Press Enterprise Columnist Cassie MacDuff's column on the issue. These may include several individuals who may be quite surprised that business hasn't picked up where it had left off, that new faces on the dais really means new faces and that if they engage in juvenile conduct on the dais, they might now be playing to an empty house of embarrassed faces.


So who have people been talking about?


Emerging strong on the city council front has been Ward One Councilman Mike Gardner who's been successful with his votes on the dais on several key issues and has taken leadership on issues that is not commonly seen in junior council members. He emerged from one of the most competitive city council elections in recent history and parlayed his victory into a relatively strong first 100 days. Even his strongest critics, those who supported his rival, have grown more quiet lately.

He's joined by another new councilman, Rusty Bailey from the third ward. People have said that since they've taken office, more is getting done during a time period when many people who supported one losing candidate in particular were so sure things would fall apart. Still, it's early in the game to make any firm determination but both have received some high marks from various corners. When individuals come to me and ask me what elected officials that they should meet with or talk to, these are the first two who come to mind.

But it's interesting and indeed refreshing to see the city council members who seem interested in what the public has to say even if it's critical and actually remember who their constituents are and act like it, leading the pack whether they are newly elected representatives or ones who have served on the dais longer and have shaken their heads at some of the dais antics of the last several years.


Someone who supported a losing city councilman chided me several weeks ago in a matter of speaking for the failure of getting "good candidates" elected but sometimes I think the better ones get elected despite ourselves and that's what happened in Election 2007. And who ultimately decides who gets elected? The voters in the ward in question. You can throw money into a campaign and you can walk precincts including those which aren't yours, but it all comes down to those who vote in the elections. That is as it is and should be.

However, several city councilmen including one of the ones ousted last November believed that all runoff elections for city council should be decided by voters citywide. It was difficult to read that as anything but endorsing the process that they believed would best benefit them or in one case, reverse an election loss. But ward representatives should be elected by their ward residents. The mayor of course is elected by voters citywide.



Struggling a bit is the curious duo of Ward Four Councilman Frank Schiavone who's the current mayor pro tem and new councilman, Chris MacArthur who's been giving his stance on the city's labor unions a second look which has created some surprise in some circles. Perhaps MacArthur is learning that City Hall is much more complicated and it's not the labor unions who are causing the problems. There's some speculation about that and why people feel his views might be changing. MacArthur is probably one of two city council members who show up at the most public meetings being very visible at different venues in the city since his election.

While not yet BFF in the same note as the noteworthy "FRED" of ages past, they've forged an interesting exercise in body language on the dais, reminiscent of the days of "FRED". And Steve Adams, who is he again? He used to time after time rant from the dais at residents from his own ward who disagreed with him. Today, he sits a councilman by 16 mere votes over a candidate who he outspent considerably.


Speaking of city council dynamics, there's another meeting today. It starts a bit later than usual but is filled with the same loaded to the gills consent calendar and discussion agenda lite, though instead of there being about 30 or so items on the consent calendar, the schedule is rather trim at around a dozen.


Whether it's an update on the graffiti program which can be discussed or the status of a $5 million interfund loan which can't, there's something for everyone. And for now, attending meetings is free.




Surprise, surprise, actually it's a surprise to few people that the public hearing to be sponsored by DHL and Polar Express on a pending partnership between the two that will impact the sleeping habits of Riversiders, has been canceled. The meeting was allegedly canceled in order to await the results of an environmental impact study. But the reasons for canceling it rather than rescheduling had something to do with the reasoning that it was too popular to not cancel or something like that. That makes a hell of a lot of sense if you're in Wonderland perhaps.


(excerpt, Press Enterprise)



DHL has identified a short-term interim solution to accommodate the needs of our customers but is looking forward to the JPA acting quickly to address the Polar Air application as Riverside is an important part of our global network," DHL spokesman Richard Gibbs said in an e-mail.

Riverside Councilman Frank Schiavone, the authority's chairman, said he asked that the meeting be canceled instead of rescheduled to keep the issue from being pushed back again.

"There's so much interest in it, and especially by the city of Riverside, that we want to make sure this doesn't become continuously continued," he said.




The only thing that can be said about the DHL issue is that it's important to keep an eye on what is playing out both in terms of the March Joint Powers Authority with the bonus being that two of its current members are running for election for the District One Board of Supervisors position. That makes the political situation much more interesting than it would be otherwise but what does that mean for those who live in Orangecrest, Mission Grove, Sycamore Canyon and Canyoncrest who have had great difficulty sleeping through the early morning din created by the DHL fleet?

The other thing is that DHL can talk about the importance of Riverside County as part of its global network given the $900,000 hemorrhage it took last year after trying to expand into an already very competitive market. But DHL not only wants to keep playing its nightly concert which begins at 2:55 a.m. sharp, it actually wants to expand it. Due to popular demand from the companies doing major business in ear plugs no doubt.




Being an elected official must be attractive. At least 19 people want to run for city council in Menifee if it becomes a new city.




What's a huge expense in Hemet's budget? Legal fees paid to attorneys.




The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is investigating an off-duty officer involved shooting in Temecula.


The information's scant but here's a few more details on the shooting here.







An individual who aided bicyclists who were struck by a deputy driving a squad car, said that he thought that the deputy involved had fallen asleep at the wheel.


Two cyclists including an Olympic hopeful were killed. The close knit cycling community in Santa Clara County is heartbroken.




(excerpt, San Jose Mercury)



One of Brasse's friends, Matt Peterson, 30, was already dead. Another, Christopher Knapp, 20, was writhing in agony, with two limbs broken. And the third, 31-year-old Kristianna Gough, her leg severed and her head bleeding, was gasping for air.

As he pedaled toward the gruesome scene, all Brasse could hear were screams.

"Screams of pain," he said, his voice cracking.

Today, Brasse told his story for the first time and the Bay Area cycling community continued to grapple with the deaths of two popular riders, one of them an Olympic hopeful. But the one question on everyone's mind remained: how, exactly, the deputy's white cruiser on a routine patrol came to veer across a double yellow line.

Brasse, who ran to Gough's side in the aftermath of the 10:30 a.m. crash, his first-aid training coming to life, never spoke with the deputy, 27-year-old James Council. But another cyclist, who had parked his car near the scene and had come to help the fallen riders, said the deputy was in a state of shock.

"I saw the officer pacing back and forth on the roadway. He said 'I must have fallen asleep,' " said Bryce Renshaw, a San Jose chiropractor.





Gough later died, her dreams dying with her. She had hoped to compete in a pre-qualifying trial for the Olympics in upcoming weeks.


(excerpt)


"I thought she'd pull through because she survived at the scene, she was so strong," Clarkson said. "We all thought she would."




Controversy also erupted over news that the involved deputy might not have his blood tested for alcohol even though witnesses said that he behaved as if he were disoriented after the accident.

The CHP which is investigating the accident said that it wasn't necessary to test the deputy for alcohol or drug intoxication even as the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department which employed the deputy said it was a matter of routine to test its deputies if they were involved in major incidents.






The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board takes to task various city officials who are feuding about who will be in charge of gang intervention programs.






In New York City, the trial of three of its police officers in connection with the fatal shooting of Sean Bell in 2006 continues into its second week.


The latest witness said that no list was kept of people of entering or leaving what was supposed to be a crime scene.




(excerpt, New York Daily News)



David Rivera, a retired NYPD crime scene investigator, was one of the officers responsible for securing the scene so that all the physical evidence could be collected.

"Were you subsequently furnished an entry and exit log of the people entering the scene?" asked defense attorney James Culleton.

"I never received such a list, sir," said Rivera.

"Is that unusual if it never happened?"

"Yes," Rivera said. "It would be."





The New York Times reporters seem captivated with trying to figure out what's going on behind Justice Arthur J. Cooperman's poker face.







Did Kathleen Savio have a will?




A Chicago Sun-Times article asks that question and the answer depends on who you ask. Her divorce attorney said, no. Her ex-husband Drew Peterson said she did and produced one.


(excerpt)


Attorney Harry Smith's statement raises new questions about a two-page, handwritten will that Drew Peterson unveiled 15 days after his ex-wife drowned in her bathtub in 2004.


The will -- dated March 2, 1997 -- named Peterson's uncle James B. Carroll as executor of Savio's estate. Carroll later awarded Peterson control of virtually all of Savio's assets, although Peterson and his third wife already had divorced.


Will the reclassification of Savio's death as a homicide impact local election races?