Fullerton Water Rates

Is there any basis for a rate hike? 

Administrative law judge Douglas Long thinks the Suburban Water District's recent attempt to hike rates for customers in Whittier and La Mirada nearly 40% was excessive. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that the judge has recommended a reduction in Suburban Water System's rate-hike request now before the state Public Utilities Commission.

I can only imagine what the judge would think of Fullerton's recent attempt to jack water rates by 90%.

City Hall has had a tough time accounting for how they determine what you should pay and why.  It seems the rate structure is either a trade secret (think franchise tax) or too complex for words (think indefensible).

Keep a weary eye on your water bill...

FERPing - It's as bad as it sounds

Back in April 2010 I brought you FERPing. 

The Faculty Early Retirement Program, as the name implies, allows faculty to retire early and then come right back to work. On the surface it creates a lower fiscal burden on local university funding which looks like a cost savings for guys like Milton A. Gordon, who gets $302,042 per year while living rent-free at the El Dorado Ranch. The reality is that it costs tax payers and students statewide more than utilizing the lower paid part-time faculty who, under FERP, are forced out.

Even the Fullerton Observer could see the problem with FERPing.

Now FERPing is back but this time the Orange County Register picked up the story.  As the Register's Timothy Sandoval surmises about one professor, "Kreiner benefits from an obscure California State University program that allows professors and librarians to retire and continue to work part time, collecting both a pension and a paycheck."

The bottom line is simple:  WE PAY MORE.  We get nothing in return.  Students have to pay higher fees and tuition while full-time faculty cash in.

CSU faculty apparently aren't afraid to strut their sense of entitlement either:

"I think it's fair," Kreiner said. "If you work for a place for 40 years and contribute to its growth, you have earned it."
Kreiner said in addition to classes, he advises graduate students and continues to conduct research papers, which adds to the university's reputation. He also notes that he is one of the "founding fathers" of the mechanical engineering department at the school.

FERP is by far the clearest form of pension abuse.  As Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association said to the OC Register, "When someone retires one week and shows up for work on Monday – even if it is part-time work – it is a reflection of a system with a low retirement age."

Many government workers retire from government job "A" and go to work at government job "B".  Then they retire AGAIN and go to work for government job "C".  They do this while collecting multiple pensions.  The double and triple dipping, as it is often referred to, is indicative of a broken retirement system.

People used to retire because they could no longer work productively at a given age, such as 65 or 70.  Now public employees retire simply because they can, some as early as age 38.  Then they skip off to the next public trough until they hit 50 or 55.  Many head to yet the third trough.  And who can blame them for gaming the system...

Another county sues municipality over redevelopment merger

The Ventura County Star is reporting a familiar story being played out throughout California.  Redevelopment agencies have been attempting to merge their zones or areas into a single massive redevelopment area.

According to the Ventura County Star, Simi Valley merged three redevelopment areas into one last June.  Ventura County objected and has sued.  The County claims the area is not blighted.

Sound familiar?  It should!  Fullerton has done the same thing with their massive merger of redevelopment areas. 

The Fullerton Redevelopment Agency merged areas in 2009 and was sued by the County of Orange as well as a local resident and businessman.  Fullerton ended up paying millions for their greed to the County in property tax revenue that the County was going lose.  Over the next 45 years, the City could pay out as much as $500-million. 

Many of these legal battles may not be fought in the courtroom at all.  The California Supreme Court has been asked by the State's 425 redevelopment agencies to overturn the state legislation passed earlier this year which abolishes all redevelopment agencies unless they pay a "fee" to cover some of the lost revenue. 

It's somewhat satisfying to watch agencies fight one another over taxes.  The Cities, through their redevelopment agencies are like little Tea Parties trying to pay as little in taxes as possible.  It's really quite funny until you realize its all OUR money.  The City, County, and State took my money, squandered most of it on "overhead", and then gave what was left to another agency...

Special thanks to Redevelopment.us for bringing this story to my attention.

For more on Fullerton's Redevelopment Agency, CLICK HERE.