OMG: In San Marino, the end justifies the means according to Mayor Steven Huang

Mayor Steve Huang attended the Preserving San Marino meeting on Tues Dec 3rd.  

I asked the Mayor if the public safety tax did not pass, would the City Council really lay off all but 1 firefighter and 1 policeman.  He replied they would find the money.  I added:...like from the reserves?  

That means the fear mongering message from the Committee of San Marino Residents for Measure SM of only having 2 first responders is NOT TRUE.  Then I said the Committee of SM Residents for Measure SM placed an ad that says all but 2 first responders would be laid off and the City Council did not refute this claim but also signed and endorsed another ad from the same Committee for Measure SM.  

Mayor Huang's response was "Whatever works."  

I guess the "end justifies the means" is the MO of San Marino.   What ever happened to honesty and integrity?

San Marino High School Visual and Performing Arts Car Wash Fundraiser

In this flyer, Friends of SMHS VAPA state: "Tax Deductible Checks can be made to Friends of SMHS VAPA."

This is not so according to the IRS.  If a benefit is received by the donor, e.g. a car wash, then the value of the car wash is not tax deductible.  Let's obey the tax laws.

Get a Tax Deductible San Marino HS Car Wash on Scribd

October 25, 2019 San Marino CA 91108 City Council Meeting

I attended the City Council Meeting and the first item on the agenda was the hiring of the new Finance Director.

Councilman Ken Ude asked if Mr. Paul Chung is "coachable."  Mr. Chung is an analyst and does not have experience as a Finance Director.  City Manager Marlowe said "yes."  Mr. Ude asked if the City Council can be involved in the coaching.  Ms. Marlowe said "no, he reports to me."  Marlowe must have forgotten she reports to the City Council.

The City Manager said Mr. Chung is available to start work on Monday November 25th.  I asked to be heard and explained the following to the Council which went completely over their heads:

1) Week of Nov 24th is a short week since it is Thanksgiving.
2) Why pay someone 5 days to work 3; plus most staff leave early on Wednesday before Thanksgiving

Plus the staff Mr. Chung needs to meet might not be in during that short week.

But since the City Council members are not hiring for their own business or practice and it's only our taxpayer dollars, wasting 2 days' salary is not an issue.

The Councilmembers need to be "COACHED" to think of the City's money as their own money.  Spend the City's money as if you are spending your own money.

They need to lead by example.  San Marino has a revenue and expense problem according to the City Manager and the Council because it needs to have a Utility Tax and a Special Public Safety Tax in order to operate. 

Let's start reducing expenses, NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE REDUCTION THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO START.  Don't be led by the City Manager.  Manage the City Manager for once.

The San Marino Tribune Will Never Print This Letter

I sent this letter to Tribune writer Mitch Lehman.  Another San Marino resident went down to the Tribune office to submit his "Dear Editor" letter and was given an indication that it would be printed.  No such luck.  Very one-side publication but how can an objective newspaper stand by false information and data?  Fake News!

The group "San Marino Residents for Measure SM" is saying defeat of this Special Public Safety Tax will leave San Marino CA 91108 with 2 first responders: 1 firefighter and 1 police officer.

This group must have confirmed with the City Council that the Council will allow this to happen; the City Council will not eliminate other non-essential expenses and programs in order to protect the lives and properties of San Marino residents.  That would be a first anywhere.  A City Council will not adjust the City's budget to make sure fire and police protection remain intact.

The Truth Behind San Marino Parcel Tax Measure SM on Scribd

聖馬力諾拒絕 710 號高速公路計劃

聖馬力諾拒絕 710 號高速公路計劃

大都會交通局(Metro) 目前正在提議一系列項目，計劃讓地方街道從710 號公路的盡頭修到210 號公路，而不是延長710 號公路，讓它從阿罕布拉山谷大道(Valley Blvd in Alhambra) 一路通車到210 號公路。

大都會交通局將支付 32 萬美元給聖馬力諾，以拓寬橫穿我們城市的亨廷頓大道 (Huntington Drive) ，使交通量增加。這些項目對我們的社區有不利影響：我們孩子的安全、空氣質量，最重要的是影響我們在寧靜的聖馬力諾市的生活質量。

目前通過聖馬力諾時，車輛在亨廷頓大道上的行駛速度一般高達 48 英里/小時，公佈的限速是 40 英里/小時。大都會交通局估計，在交通燈和加寬亨廷頓大道的共同作用下，限速將提高 16%，達到 56 英里/小時。

亨廷頓大道沿線有 6 所學校（ 4 所公立學校、1 所教區附屬學校和 1 所私立學校）。我們想讓汽車在上學和放學期間以每小時 56 英里的速度通過嗎？不！這對步行或騎自行車上學的學生來說太危險了。

隨著越來越多的汽車高速駛過，額外的廢氣污染將影響聖馬力諾及其周圍的空氣。亨廷頓大道沿線增加的噪音以及停車困難問題會影響我們的安全和生活質量。我們喜歡我們安靜、寧靜的城市，並希望保持這種狀態。

還記得 2011年的“Carmageddon”嗎？耗資 10 億美元的西側 405 號高速公路塞浦爾維達通道 (Sepulveda Pass) 拓寬項目。加州交通局已經承認，現在的通行時間比拓寬之前更長，因為在拓寬的 405 路段通過塞浦爾維達通道的汽車更多了。

大都會交通局高級執行官 Abdollah Ansari 說：“這筆錢只用於提高通行能力、改善運行狀況、實現交通同步、使車輛通過，而不是用於交通穩靜措施。”

710 公路計劃及其項目只利於駕車者在聖馬力諾高速通過，對寧靜的聖馬力諾市及其市民沒有任何好處。

本請願書請求市議會不接受任何對我們城市安全和生活質量有不利影響的 710 公路計劃及資金。

我們城市的發展方向應該由納稅公民來決定，而不是由其他任何人來決定。

通過簽署這份請願書，我們要讓市議會知道，我們不希望在聖馬力諾有任何 710 公路計劃，也不希望改變街道以讓更多汽車通過我們的城市。

請訪問此鏈接並簽署請願書：http://chng.it/MsBPcxQpkK

SAN MARINO 91108 REJECTS METRO 710 FREEWAY PLANS AND FUNDING

San Marino Citizens and Parents of Sts Felicitas and Claibourn School Students, ask the San Marino City Council to REJECT the Metro plans that would widen Huntington Drive from Atlantic to Rosemead, synchronize traffic lights that will bring more traffic and increase the average speed to 56mph (by Metro's own estimates). 

These 710 Projects bring more cars, more air pollution, more noise pollution and decrease safety for our children who walk or bike to school.

Go to this link and sign the Petition to say NO 710 Projects in San  Marino  http://chng.it/MsBPcxQpkK

SAN MARINO REJECTS 710 FREEWAY PLAN

Instead of completing the 710 freeway from Valley Blvd in Alhambra all the way to the 210, Metro is now proposing a host of projects for local streets to carry traffic from the end of the 710 to the 210.

Metro is offering San Marino $32 million to widen Huntington Drive through our city that will increase traffic.  These projects have adverse effects on our community: safety of our children, air quality and most importantly our quality of life in our tranquil City of San Marino.

The prevailing speed on Huntington through San Marino is now up to 48 mph with a posted limit of 40 mph.  Metro estimates the speed limit would increase 16% to 56 mph aided by synchronized traffic lights and a widened Huntington Drive.

There are 6 schools (4 public, 1 parochial and 1 private) along Huntington Drive.  Do we want cars speeding through at 56 mph during the start and end of school periods? NO!  This is a danger to students who walk or bike to school.

With that many more cars speeding through, the additional exhaust pollution will affect the air in and around San Marino.  The added noise and more difficult parking along Huntington Drive affect our safety and quality of life.  We like our quiet, tranquil City; and want to keep it that way.

Remember the 2011 “Carmageddon” $1 Billion Westside 405 Sepulveda Pass Widening project?  Caltrans has conceded that commute times are now longer than before the project due to even more cars on the widened 405 section through Sepulveda Pass.

Metro Senior Executive Abdollah Ansari is quoted as saying “This money is only good for capacity enhancements, operational improvements, traffic synchronizations, items that pass the traffic through and not traffic calming measures”

The 710 PLAN and its projects BENEFIT DRIVERS SPEEDING THROUGH San Marino.  NO BENEFITS for the tranquil City of San Marino and its citizens.

This petition is to demand that the City Council DO NOT accept any 710 Plan and funding for our City that adversely affects our safety and quality of life.  

The direction of OUR City should be decided by its taxpaying citizens and not by anyone else.  

By signing this petition, we are letting  the City Council know that we DO NOT want any 710 Plan in San Marino or changes to our streets to accommodate more cars passing through our City.

PLEASE GO TO THIS LINK TO SIGN THE PETITION   http://chng.it/MsBPcxQpkK

San Marino City Council must provide leadership and oversight

To: San Marino City Council

From: Concerned Citizens of San Marino

Subject: The City Council must provide leadership and oversight. 

the undersign believe that our City suffers from lack of control over our expense budget leading to wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.  The functions performed by City departments are inconsistent and of poor quality.

In 2016, the City Council formed an Ad Hoc Committee supported by five San Marino residents. The goal of the Committee was to review the operations of the Administrative, Finance and Public Works Departments and make recommendations for improvement. The final Report was submitted and approved by the Council on January 3, 2017. The Report included 47 recommendations which the Committee highlighted that would reduce operating costs and improve service quality.

As an example, the Committee pointed out that the Public Works monthly personnel costs of $150,000 could not be justified by the work performed. In addition, the work of the Department was of poor quality and resulted in the taxpayers now being burdened by $50 million of deferred or neglected maintenance. Almost three years later, very few of the recommendations have been implemented and the City continues to waste taxpayer dollars and provide poor service. Where is the City Council leadership and oversight?

We ask the Council to direct the Staff to adopt the recommendations of the Committee and incorporate them in the 2019/2020 City budget which is now under review.

For 2 years, the current Mayor has called for a goal of reducing the City budget by 10%. It appears that the proposed budget is now up 10%.  Implementation of the Ad Hoc recommendations would assist in reaching the Mayor’s goal. If the City Manager is incapable of submitting a budget with a 10% reduction, the City Council needs to do a “Top Down” budget reduction for the City Manager.  Then it is the assigned task and responsibility for the City Manager and Departments to meet the reduced budget numbers.

Inconsistencies and poor quality in City services are due to lack of a Quality Management System.  In order to improve the City’s operations going forward, we Concerned Citizens of San Marino, ask the City Council to study and implement a Quality Management System for the City of San Marino and all City departments.  Specifically, implementation of International Standards Organization “ISO9001:2015” and “ISO 18091:2019” for local governments. 

By signing this petition, we are asking the City Council to do what is right for the citizens of San Marino. Verify legitimate spending, eliminate unnecessary spending and improve the quality of service in our City.

Go to this link to sign the petition:  https://www.change.org/p/concerned-citizens-of-san-marino-san-marino-city-council-must-provide-leadership-and-oversight