The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
In my little community behind the Orange Curtain, cloistered under the shadow of Saddleback Mountain, my city councilman (who I supported a couple of years ago) is making good and making headlines.
Unlike a certain infamous California community that achieved an alarm-ringing degree of notoriety for bilking its citizens out of millions of dollars for outrageous salaries and benefits, Rancho Santa Margarita City Councilman Jesse Petrilla and mayor pro tem Steve Baric are encouraging other RSM city council members to forego monthly benefits entitled to them. It's not a lot of money - for former (indicted) City of Bell officials this is just "chump change", but it is the principle of the gesture.
The Republican Party needs to keep their eyes on Petrilla. I have a feeling that he has a future at a more prominent level.
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May '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
Brian, was that photo taken just a couple of weeks ago after that last big, cold front?
I'm not sure what I think of Jesse, yet. I have a friend who is a council member, and I've heard interesting things.
Jun '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
Admittedly, the photo was taken a few years ago during another blast of global cooling.
When not serving in the Army National Guard, Petrilla holds (I believe) a weekly get together at a restaurant to speak with folks in the community. I spoke with him several times over email, on the phone and in person prior to his election and found him quite unassuming and straightforward.
Mar '11
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
I often wish I weren't so cynical but...
From my experience, when councilmen show signs of self sacrifice it is too often done as misdirection. My guess is that there is something a lot bigger than their monthly goodies at stake here.
Politicians are guilty until proven innocent.
May '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
Gus Marvinson: I often wish I weren't so cynical but...
From my experience, when councilmen show signs of self sacrifice it is too often done as misdirection. My guess is that there is something a lot bigger than their monthly goodies at stake here.
Politicians are guilty until proven innocent. · 8 hours ago
Such a cynic! How can you doubt a man with such an impeccable jawline?!
Nov '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
A close personal friend of mine is a council member at a Cal mid-state city. He works long hours for $300 per month stipend (he doesn't take city benefits because he gets those through his day job so that's not at issue). He basically turns that $300 back into the various things he has to attend each month on behalf of the city (he never takes a VIP pass).
I like the way he operates. Have a real job and help out the best he can on the civic side.
We need more politicians like this.
BTW Gus, the cynical thing probably starts where the size of the bureaucracy is beyond the smaller cities -- particularly in semi-rural mid state (Bell the noted exception that brakes the rule on small. However Bell is urban so my theory still holds, I believe).
Edited on March 30, 2012 at 12:47amSep '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
yet another reason to love Orange County.
May '11
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
Part time municipal positions in CA have been a scam due to pension benefits. The numbers below may be slightly off, but are illustrative.
Even if you are drawing a $100 per month stipend, you pay your 5% (or whatever) of that to the PERS and get a full year of pension credit. After 17 years, you buy 5 more years by paying only $300 out of your pocket, so that you have 22 years of service. You then get appointed or elected to a full time position at 6 figures and work for only three years and collect a pension at the same rate as someone who has been full time for 25 years at a 6-figure job.
Edited on March 30, 2012 at 1:53pmDec '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
Ah, be careful. My Borough of Phoenixville, PA had a case that went to the Commonwealth Supreme Court over this issue.
See, to decline payment is to change your pay in the middle of your term-- even if it is changing it down. The PA Constitution forbids this-- although I'm unsure if this rule applied to all officeholders, or just municipal folks-- mostly because you want to avoid the prospect of people giving themselves raises in the middle of their terms.
Given this precedent (although I don't know jack about the California Constitution) I would suggest your buddy consider not skipping the compensation, but accepting it and then donating it.
Jun '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
Brian: Nice avatar change. Gets rid of the odd gargoyle and joins the crowd of dog lovers. What did the pooch put his nose in?
Jun '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
Thanks. She put her snout in mud and then wondered why I wouldn't let her in the house.
Jun '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
KarlUB: Ah, be careful. My Borough of Phoenixville, PA had a case that went to the Commonwealth Supreme Court over this issue.
See, to decline payment is to change your pay in the middle of your term-- even if it is changing itdown. The PA Constitution forbids this-- although I'm unsure if this rule applied to all officeholders, or just municipal folks-- mostly because you want to avoid the prospect of people giving themselves raises in the middle of their terms.
Given this precedent (although I don't know jack about the California Constitution) I would suggest your buddy consider not skippingthe compensation, but accepting it and then donating it. · 1 hour ago
Sounds like the PA Constitution could use an amendment to allow for scaling back salaries and benefits in mid-term. It shouldn't be that difficult to reduce salaries and benefits and it should be incredibly restrictive to raise them. Giving reductions and raises equal status seems to me to frustrate the will of the people.
The latest developments from the RSM city council suggest that this will be put to a vote to RSM citizens...now it's all in the timing.
Jun '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
....by the way, aren't most gargoyles odd?
Dec '10
Re: The Anti-City of Bell, California - Rancho Santa Margarita
Brian Watt
Sounds like the PA Constitution could use an amendment to allow for scaling back salaries and benefits in mid-term...
Pay-raises are indeed rather controversial in our neck of the woods, and there is a movement afoot for the Constitutional Convention. Haven't had one since the late sixties.
But there are all sorts of establishment types-- in both parties-- that want no part of that.