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Public Record Requests Questionable in Chula Vista
Bensoussan, Mayor Cox and Laura Hunter all made comments about "moving forward" and to "not look back". Of course! None of them want to be held accountable to the public for the 6+ months of chicanery and under-handed back room maneuvering that wasted between $140K to $200K+ of tax payer money. (That money could have funded the Norman Senior Center which is in danger of being drastically cut back). Let us the public look back and take steps (via Council action and regulation) to ensure that nothing like this Power Plant/Dyergy/CV fiasco happens ever again. Lessons learned and needing correction in the future: 1) need tighter approval, accounting and reporting of City money spent; 2) need more rapid and complete City responses to citizen information and records request; 3) need requirements to officially consult, inform, and cooperate with other related agencies (e.g. the Port; the current Council resolution re Dynergy needs to be codified for future situations); 4) need constraints on Mayor and Council as to meetings, actions, negotiations with outside agencies and entities; and 5) need investigation by FEPC and others regarding possible Brown Act or other violations by Cox and Bensoussan.— March 26, 2011 9:59 a.m.
Public Record Requests Questionable in Chula Vista
Thankfully the CV City Council ignored Mayor Cox' last minute (unsuccessful) weak but lengthy attempts to justify her pre-emption of the Port of San Diego (and her unsuccessful attempts to place blame on the Port). Council voted unanimously to cease any and all direct discussion with Dynergy unless the Port cooperates and approves. (Cox had not bothered to pick up the phone or drive 15 minutes north to coordinate, or at least inform, the Port during the 6 months she, Bensoussan and David Malcolm were making fools of themselves with Dynergy). Ms. Bensoussan, appropriately seated to Cox' immediate left, seemed speechless given the amount of testimony and evidence that clearly indicated she was one of the instigators, and/or message-bearer, for the huge waste of Chula Vista time and taxpayer money on the SB Power Plant/Dynergy fiasco. Mayor Cox was clearly implicated also - but didn't leave and email/paper trail, unlike Bensoussan. ("What were they thinking?"; Answer: they weren't doing much thinking, but were too busy maneuvering and manipulating). Ms. Bensoussan, if she has any sense (not heretofore evident) would not run for re-election to Council. Cheryl Cox might consider a Palin-like move and remove herself from her current office, well before her term ends. The Cox-Bensoussan Dyamic Duo should slink away quietly - but they probably won't.— March 25, 2011 8:06 p.m.
David Malcolm a Negotiator for South Bay Power Plant Cleanup?
DAVID MALCOLM: A CONVICTED FELON for previously taking large sums of under-the-table graft from Duke Power regarding this same South Bay Power Plant (SBPP) while he was a San Diego Port Commissioner representing (more like fleecing and undermining!) Chula Vista. EXPUNGED?? - more like politically connected enough to have a friendly judge remove or delete the conviction from his personal criminal record. His FELONY CONVICTION may be gone from court records, but is still a matter of record in the South Bay (widely covered by the Union Tribune and SD Reader then). NEGOTIATOR?? Mayor Cheryl Cox freely admits to being in contact and recently involving David Malcolm with Dynergy and future demolition, cleanup and remediation of the SBPP site - how stupid can a politician and mayor be?: Hey, lets call up the same felon who fleeced us earlier on this deal and see if he can do an encore for us. Malcolm is lurking in this muck in hopes of collecting yet another pay check from the same bank he heisted earlier. ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLEANUP?? That is even more insane and idiotic than involving David Malcolm - another hare-brained idea from Mayor Cox (seconded by her yes-woman, Councilwoman Pam Bensoussan). Most entities would gladly pay large sums of money to DIVEST and ELIMINATE responsibility for demolition, cleanup and remediation - but Cheryl wants the Chula Vista taxpayers (who currently have a negative balance in their municipal coffers) to ASSUME responsibility and liability for this legal and financial time bomb and can of worms. The Port of San Diego and Dynergy currently have those responsibilities and the City of Chula Vista should give thanks three times a day that those other agencies now have those liabilities and not CV.— March 22, 2011 9:19 a.m.
What Can Chula Vista Do with the South Bay Power Plant?
The (minor) correction re the unions, EHC and Gaylord is correct. It was the union and EHC folks that demanded the local labor clause, and this WAS a primary reason Gaylord pulled out of the CV bayfront deal - so the net result WAS that EHC/unions killed the deal. EHC and the unions are not located in CV and have miniscule (hardly any) voter representation in CV. Why anyone cares what David Malcolm thinks about CV or Port matters is beyond me. He is a convicted corrupt official who keeps meddling and offering opinions when he should be hiding in shame elsewhere instead of slinking around and offering press interviews. Mayor Cox should be recalled for involving this criminal in matters in the same place where his thievery took place some years ago. No shame (nor common sense) is apparent in either of these people.— March 18, 2011 5:58 a.m.
What Can Chula Vista Do with the South Bay Power Plant?
Sorry, I inadvertently left out Laura Hunter of the Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), and she deserves much recognition. Ms. Hunter was very active and proactive in the last failed attempt to develop the Chula Vista bayfront. In fact, EHC with fellow travelers from the SD Labor Council (Jerry Butkiewicz, et al) can claim full credit for sabotaging a desirable deal with Gaylord to develop the CV bayfront by demanding a sweetheart labor deal. Additionally, Ms. Hunter got a bogus over-paid CV City position for her protegee Alison Rolfe (ex-Audobon Society tout) with then CV Mayor Padilla, reputedly in exchange for Padilla's support of some the EHC agenda (often different from the citizen agenda) on the CV bayfront. Ms. Rolfe went on to peddle her services, at inflated prices, to Pacifica Corp. the wannabee developer of the CV bayfront. Further, part of that quid pro quo, scratch-my-back, back room deal was the subsequent appointment of Padilla to the Calif. Coastal Commission (brokered by EHC) after his Mayoral term expired. Despite their usual under the table shenanigans, occasionally (not often enough!) EHC does some public good. In the case of the South Bay Power Plant, they DID play a part in removing the eyesore power lines from the SB Power Plant. EHC also has some credible research and reports on the SB Power Plant. Too bad EHC can't desist from maneuvering in the shadows and political chicanery long enough to focus on positive environmental resources.— March 17, 2011 6:18 a.m.
What Can Chula Vista Do with the South Bay Power Plant?
I happen to know a bit about the SB Power Plant on the CV bayfront (I was on the Chula Vista City environmental commission (RCC) and Bayfront Citizens Advisory Committee, plus a degree in environmental engineering and another in mechanical engineering specializing in power generation). But most important is the cast of characters mentioned, many of whom I know personally and all of whom I know about: - Bensoussan: ignorant and uninformed on these matters; a lap dog for Mayor Cox - Padilla: bright, but overly ambitious and two-faced and untrustworthy - Cox: also ignorant on these matters and a complete fool for involving David Malcolm (already convicted once for selling out the Port re this power plant) - David Malcolm: a convicted felon, graft tainted politico, completely self centered and not to be trusted on anything - but has the gift of gab (like Padilla) and can chase a buck as long as it ends up in his own pocket - Ramirez: usually asleep at the switch as a CV Councilman; nice guy but not all that bright - Sandoval, CV City Mgr.: a loyal "soldier" which means he'd do most anything Mayor Cox wanted So out of almost everyone mentioned, this is a Ship of Fools and ego driven people out for their own interests and not necessarily the interests of the public and their constituency. The contract(s) with Dynergy passed muster with Port, and later City of CV, staff and attorneys and apparently none were bright enough to include usual contract provisions for liability and responsibility (for cleanup) - especially in the event of bankruptcy. Our tax dollars at work. What a mess.— March 16, 2011 1:37 p.m.
Southwestern College School Board Calls Special Meeting
For those that may not already know, Southwestern College (SWC) has had many major problems under the regimes of Pres/Supt. Zasueta and Chopra: accreditation problems (still), violation of civil rights (harassment, intimidation, free speech issues, threatened arrests of students, faculty and staff), votes of no confidence (by students, faculty and staff), misuse of public funds, etc. Lame Duck SWC Board Pres. Yolanda Salcido has been a continuing disaster with her micro-managing, (illegal) meddling, poor choices of Pres/Supt. (Chopra etc), questionable money relationships with contractors, etc. Supt. Chopra has been the perpetrator or cause of many of these disasters. SALCIDO FINALLY BEEN VOTED OUT OF OFFICE, but some of her Board lackeys, stooges and fellow travelers remain: notably Terri Valladolid and Jean Roesch, and to some extent Jorge Dominguez. Speculation is/was that Salcido may have tried to give Chopra an iron clad contract ammendment and "golden handshake" via her recent surprise short-noticed Board meeting. The SWC Board has received an infusion of needed new, and maybe/probably competent, talent. But it remains to be seen if Vallodolid and Roesch can finally be neutralized and out voted (and that is a dire need at SWC).— November 10, 2010 7:22 a.m.