VENTURA THE ART CITY, OR IS IT THE GAMBLING CITY? [The $2,000,000 bet on Players Club] The City Council has failed in their last two efforts to increase the taxes of the citizens of this community; however, our City Manager and the Council continue, facing another $2,000,000 shortfall in the next budget, are exploring new […]
THE WAV REVISITED In August, 2011 we suggested that you take a walk and visit the WAV, located at 175 South Ventura Avenue, Ventura. If not, take a virtual tour by clicking here. This is a subsidized housing project consisting of 54 residential units for low income artists, 15 units […]
How Ventura is Really Governed [Look to the right, look to the left, blame your Neighbor!] In August we provided our readers information about the November City Council elections, listed the candidates and urged our citizens to vote. This was an important election but your neighbors did not vote. Why? What do the statistics tell […]
CANDIDATES FORUM NOVEMBER COUNCIL ELECTION (MARRIOTT HOTEL – THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011, 6 P.M.) The Political Action Committee (PAC) of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce will present a candidates forum to the citizens of Ventura, at the Marriott Beach Hotel, located at 2055 East Harbor Boulevard, Ventura, commencing at 7 P.M. A City Council election […]
COUNCIL APPROVES PENSION SPIKING [Fleecing Time – Again!] At the Ventura City Council meeting on Monday, May 16, 2011, on a vote of 5 to 2 the Council approved to an employment contract amendment to the Ventura Police Officers Association (VPOA) and Ventura Police Management Association (VPMA) employment contracts. Mayor Fulton and Councilmen Tracy, Brennan […]
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSION TRANSPARENCY ACT We previously reported that there is a bill is currently pending in Congress (HR567) and the Senate (S347) encouraging governments at all levels to switch from a “defined benefit” plan to a “defined contribution” plan by requiring public entities to reveal to the voters the true magnitude of the unfunded […]
HMS TITANIC [Moving Deck Chairs to Avoid a Disaster over Pensions] The story of the sinking of the HMS Titanic and the causes are known to all. Had the ship not been traveling too fast, or had the officer on the bridge ordered a change of course earlier the collision with the iceberg would not […]
THE VENTURA UNIFIED SCHOOL TAX MEASURE [MEASURE H – SOUR GRAPES IN BUNCHES] In the November 2, 2010 election, voters in the City of Ventura were asked by the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) to approve Measure H, a parcel tax, which if approved, would have imposed a cost of $96 per year per single […]
THE VENTURA UNIFIED SCHOOL TAX MEASURE [MEASURE H—A PARCEL TAX] On November 2, 2010, voters in the City of Ventura will be asked to approve Measure H. That measure, adopted by the Ventura Unified School Board, proposes to place a special parcel tax upon each parcel of real property in the City of Ventura. This […]
THE SOUND OF THE BELL [SHEARING TIME?] Three years ago nobody in city government would pay attention to the voices of caution who warned the City Council about the money excessive public employee salaries cost and the unfunded pensions of public employees. Now, thanks to the City of Bell perhaps the citizens of this community […]