Sierra Madre Bombarded with Outside Propaganda
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VOTE AS IF YOUR CITY'S FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT...... BECAUSE IT DOES! SIERRA MADRE EDITION SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2018 VOLUME 12 NO. 14 ELECTION DAY SIERRA MADRE BOMBARDED APRIL 10, 2018 WITH OUTSIDE PROPAGANDA The Mountain Views News endorses the following Sierra Madre is truly an All-American city. Safe anonymous, listing themselves as “Little Bird, candidates: neighborhoods, good schools, a good police and contributor”. For City Council: Rachelle Arizmendi, Gene Goss fire department, an independent, very close, tight and Denise Delmar. The Mountain Views News also encourages voters to vote NO on knit community. It is also a community with One resident who contacted the Mountain Views MEASURE D. diverse opinions politically united by one mission, News said, “Who are these people? Do they live protecting the sanctity of the city. Differences of here? Why are they using Sierra Madre as Guinea CITY OF SIERRA MADRE ELECTION NOTICES ARE ON PAGE 4 opinion regarding methodology on exactly how to Pigs for their ideas? Why are we being attacked?” the only way to solve the problem is to repeal achieve that exist, but the town remains united on VOTE NO ON the Utility User’s Tax, stripping $2.6 million keeping Sierra Madre as it is. Another resident who is actually an anti-tax from our General Fund. This is the synopsis person in general, indicated that the Gazette of their “Taxpayer Gazette” that was strewn So, when “The Taxpayer Gazette” appeared on the helped change his vote. He was inclined to vote MEASURE D across our sidewalks and doorsteps and their doorsteps of residents earlier in the week with a yes but after receiving the ‘Gazette’ he said he sent rather provocative headline, “The Empire Strikes in his ballot with a No vote. His reason, “…..these By City Councilman and Former Mayor, John arguments in the ballot statements. Of course, Harabedian the first two assertions are patently untrue. Back!”, the initial response from some residents people need to MYOB and leave us alone”. (MYOB was shock, disapproval and outrage because no = Mind Your Own Business). One of the most fascinating developments in First, as stated above, our pension liability is Sierra Madre resident’s name was associated politics in recent history was the emergence of managed properly and aggressively. Second, with it. Several residents wanted to see what the As referenced in John Harabedian’s article, much the Rent Is Too Damn High Party in New York our employees are paid less than any of our ‘gazette’ was all about. It became crystal clear after of the information in the ‘Gazette’ is misleading city in 2005. The Party’s platform was self- peer cities and continue to receive below- reading the first few lines that it was a piece written and/or outdated. The city has actually performed evident, and it gained attention because it was market salaries. Just compare the salaries of in support of Measure D, a ballot measure calling better than expectations since 2016 streamlining both humorous and undeniably true. Rent in our top managers with those in a city like La for the repeal of the city’s Utility Users Tax. staff efficiency, fully funding the city’s Police and New York city was and still is too high. But the Canada Flintridge, which does not even operate Fire Departments and much more. Rent Is Too Damn High Party did nothing to its own Police and Fire Departments. What’s When the question was asked who printed the solve the problem it was seeking to address— more, nearly a third of the positions the TeaPac Gazette that is supporting the measure, the answer One thing that became very clear, residents of in fact, the problem has only become worse— lists in its ballot statements and website have been eliminated or remain unfilled. In other is, not one identifiable resident or business owner Sierra Madre want to make their own decisions, because it failed to address the complex issues in Sierra Madre. Turns out, Michael T. Alexander, fight their own battles among themselves and underlying the problem it allegedly sought to fix words, the City is spending $0 on them. Thus, the TeaPac’s assertions are baseless, just like is the primary author. Alexander is the President resent being subjected to the influence of outside or, more importantly, develop any empirically of the California Tax Limitation Committee, and entities for the sake of outside agendas. “Perhaps tested, fact-based solutions. The Party quickly their assertion that Sierra Madre’s expenditures grew by 46% from 2006 to 2016. In reality, on according to his own statement a few years ago, the Empire needs to Go Back”, piped up one upset became a punchline, and remains on the fringe he does not and never has lived in Sierra Madre. resident. Clearly, the Empire isn’t welcome here. somewhere between reality and fantasy. an absolute basis, total expenditures increased by less than 1%. When adjusted for inflation, The only other ‘author’ noted in the ‘gazette’ is S. Henderson/MVNews The TeaPac – which is essentially the“Pensions expenditures actually decreased by more than Are Too Damn High Party” – and its latest $2.6 million, or approximately 10%. MEETING LOOKS AT the repair café idea to Sierra Madre. attempt through Measure D is shockingly similar, and should be similarly discarded. Putting all of that aside, if there were such a NEIGHBORHOOD “What a wonderful way to help your community, problem to fix, Measure D would not be the and to do zero waste and sustainability she said. No one can deny that we would all love to be solution. Indeed, it would only exacerbate the STRENGTHS AND PRIORITIES “We are such a throw-away society and it shouldn’t taxed less. And no one knowledgeable about supposed problem that the TeaPac is trying b e .” state and local government in California can to cure. It is illogical to think that slashing By Dean Lee deny that pension liabilities will continue to Sierra Madre’s general fund to the point where The idea is simple, someone in a community has be a serious ongoing problem that will require disincorporation or bankruptcy would occur Residents of Pasadena, Alatdena and Sierra Madre something broken, like a lamp, and someone else innovative solutions. Sierra Madre is not would somehow resolve our supposed budget got together Wednesday night for the second of a knows how to fix it. A day and place is set aside for immune to this – although our pension liability issues, including our pension liability. series of neighborhood summits discussing topics the repair café. is largely funded (75%) and relatively small that ranged from public safety to sustainability to compared to other cities ($10.7 million), we At a time when Sierra Madre continues to using nexdoor.com. “If your thinking about how to change our will continue to devote a material amount of operate fiscally responsibly, we should be economy, how we pay for things, earn money, our general fund to paying it and other post- endeavoring to find elegant solutions to real Collaborate PASadena event organizer, Brian what our priories economially, then you want employment benefits for our retired employees. problems, not wasting our time debating Biery, said the goal, “To inspire people to action, somebody who has been doing it.” Biery said. This is not news: pensions are deferred chaotic and half-baked proposals like Measure its also to increase their knowledge of what compensation that employees are rightfully and D. If the proposition is that the pensions activities are going on around them, and its also One of the moderators had done over 40 repair contractually owed, and we as a City have and are too damn high, then you have a receptive to give them ideas of how they can take action in cafés “so it’s a tested model” he said. will continue to honor our obligations. audience, including me. their neighborhoods and bridge relationships...” (Continued on page 10) But the proponents of Measure D would have Let’s continue crafting real solutions to that He said the meetings you think that Sierra Madre’s pension liability is problem after Measure D comes and goes like were also focused on a run-away train, that the City is ill-equipped to its failed predecessors before it, both near and people ingenuity and deal with it (which is evident by the exorbitant far. hard work. salaries it pays its current employees), and that “I was surprised at the turnout,” Biery said. “We had over 90 people here, everyone was engaged and everyone had a priority there were working on.” Sierra Madre Energy, Environment. & Natural Resources Commissioner Carolyn Dasher said she wanted to bring Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com 2 Mountain View News Saturday, April 7, 2018 COMMUNITY CALENDAR Weather Wise SIERRA 6-Day Forecast Sierra Madre, Ca. MADRE CITY Sun Sunny Hi 70s Lows 60s Mon: Sunny Hi 90s Lows 60s Tues: Sunny Hi 80s Lows 60s Wed: Sunny Hi 80s Lows 60s MEETINGS Thur: Ptly Cldy Hi 70s Lows 50s Fri: Ptly Cldy Hi 70s Lows 50s Regular City Council Meeting Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service Tuesday, April 24, 2018 6:30 pm CITY OF SIERRA MADRE Can’t make it to the meeting, but still want to CALENDAR OF EVENTS share your thoughts? You can mail or drop off a written statement to City Hall or email city@ Unless otherwise noted, all meetings listed below are held at cityofsierramadre.com before 30 the night of the meeting and your statement will be delivered to all City Hall 232 W.