MURRIETA OPEN FORUM - Get it said, get it read, communications for the community.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

My lawyer's bigger than your lawyer...

Alexander homes has apparently succeeded in intimidating the planning commission with legal threats, and yet another condo might be built in already condo-rich Murrieta. The neighboring property owners, lacking the cash that Alexander is apparently able to field, will just have to suck it up.

Critisism of the Sonrisa tract, and referring to it as an "eyesore", has made the neighboring estate-property owner's position quite clear, but it is now up to the council to either call their bluff, or sit back and watch the developers railroad anything they want past the city government.

It is interesting to note that the lawsuit is with regards to "retaliation" for political contributions made to the anti-recall effort by Alexander; in essence a retaliation to a retaliation.

posted by J. L. Kunkle at Thursday, October 13, 2005

35 Comments:

  • And John Harper anticipates a difficult defense?

    By Blogger J. L. Kunkle, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 8:37:00 AM  

  • Well I attended the Planning Commission meeting last evening.

    In all fairness to the Commissioners, it was clear that they felt that their hands were tied because of the MU3 zoning. (I hope I got the correct zoning acronymn)

    Randon Lane, who voted against the project because he felt it was not "a good fit" for that area, read off the list of establishments that could be built in an MU3 zone. That list showed that the Council needs to visit the MU3 zoning on the west side quickly.

    The real objection to this project is that the condo project is just too much crammed into too small a space. It looks like Orange County and LA County development.

    I certainly agree with Mr. Lane that its not a good fit. But I spoke against the project for another reason.

    Alexander Communities (AC) has used up any goodwill that Murrietans ought to feel towards it.

    First, it used money (political contributions) to influence the City Council. AC was one of Stephenson's major contributors in the anti-recall campaign. As such, AC was a participant in the deceptive lying that tried to control the outcome. The object of AC's participation clearly was to maintain its desired voting block favorable to developers.

    Second, when the recall blew apart the existing voting block, AC sued three of our council members claiming that their vote against the condo project was motivated by revenge against AC for its financial contributions against the recall.

    This is what is really troubling. Reduced to its essentials, AC's "revenge" rant is nothing more than its outrage over spending so much money and only buying two votes. So here we have a large out-of-the area developer (AC is a Costa Mesa based operation) who tried to back-door its condo project through the Council now claiming that it is the target of revenge.

    AC's complaint is rediculous. AC climbed into the ring and took some body blows from Murrietans. Now AC whines about getting slugged. Hey, that's the game AC chose to play.

    I argued to the Planning Commission that AC is no longer a desirable partner for Murrieta's development. While other developers have put as much, even more, money into the attempt to buy our council, only AC has, to date, taken the route of individually suing our council members when they were doing their elected jobs.

    Murrieta out to say "Adios" to AC and its condo development. Not only is the condo project not "a good fit" -- AC no longer fits Murrieta either.

    Edward Faunce

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 8:45:00 AM  

  • So interesting. K. Seyarto has never come across in any of his writings or at council as having some great set of ideals. Except when it comes to apartments and condos. Which happens to be the best route to political brownie points with state-level government officials. The state’s housing director has lavished praise on Seyarto’s efforts, stating that Murrieta could become the “poster child” for bottom-rung housing. Seyarto either eats up that kind of praise, or is looking for the benefit of high-level future political support. We already know the kind of powerful financial support he gets from the development community (all the while, he claims, saying to those developers “No, No, please don’t spend money on me.”) Yes, we already know about the developer support angle. And we know Seyarto has never come across as an idealistic person. So this other part - where he’s willing to make Murrieta the sacrificial lamb of low-rung housing for the sake of political praise - just adds to the mounting evidence of the kind of motivations that dominate the thinking of the man.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 9:21:00 AM  

  • “No, No, please don’t spend money on me.”

    Councilman Seyarto is Murrieta's Brer Rabbit.

    Edward Faunce

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 10:27:00 AM  

  • As a Reagan Republican, I understand Mr. Rholmgren's well meaning intent in supporting Mr. Seyarto. I come from a hard core Republican family, and we don't believe in breaking ranks. Mr. Seyarto creates a dilemma for true Republicans. He claims to follow the conservative value system. He often talks the Republican talk, but he does not walk the true Republican walk. I don't care how many Republican endorsements of convenience he is able to pick up. The old saying that politics makes strange bedfellows is true. Kelly Seyarto is no Republican, I don't care how he has registered and whose endorsements he gains. He is no Republican. I believe he is a third rate political opportunist who is willing to turn his own town into a high density slum to achieve opportunistic political gains. That is by definition left wing social engineering of the Lyndon Johnson variety. A failed strategy by any name, and it galls me to my soul to see this kind of person dragging the party banner into the gutter of his own petty ambitions.
    RRR

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 7:45:00 PM  

  • One person's Sonrisas "eyesore" is another person's Sonrisas treasure. I lived in a similar complex for a couple of years. I have nothing but great memories from my apartment and condo days. I am happy to see that Alexander was willing to make even more changes to meet the citie's demands. They have every right to develop their land as zoned. They also have the right to sue the city , or council members, if they feel their property rights are being infringed on. I also do not like the MU3 designation because at this point there is no clear picture as to how many multifamily dwellings are going to ultimately exist at buildout. Mr . Faunce for once I agree with you and do not worry; you have not entered the Twilight Zone.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 7:46:00 PM  

  • Mr. Kunkle how about a string about the upcoming election and its propositions? I am voting YES on all of them for various reasons. I think at this point anything that reduces public employees unions powers in Sacramento is a good thing. Their political power outweighs their numbers by a wide margin. I also like the idea of removing gerrymandering powers from the legislature. It seems unethical to me that they can draw their own districts and create "safe seats" How many incumbants lost their seats in the last election? I am still on the fence with the tenure initiative. I still need to weigh the pros and cons. I want to make sure that teachers are not losing too much of their job security. I hope this iniative does not make it too easy to fire a teacher. That would be unfair.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 7:58:00 PM  

  • 7:45 "RRR", THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. YOU HAVE MY THOUGHTS, BUT I CAN'T SAY THEM LIKE YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 8:13:00 PM  

  • Mr. Seyarto, You clearly think more of yourself than any reality check could justify. You are a supporter of failed half-baked ideologies, and that has nothing at all to do with pragmatism. Anyone who does not know what to make of you is simply thinking there must be more there than meets the eye. They are wrong. Sadly, they are very wrong.
    RRR

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, October 13, 2005 10:09:00 PM  

  • Finally a logical comment from the Councilman.

    Lets see RRR. Regan Republican. Was that contra-Republican or the standard conservative republican who's philosophy follows the ideology of Bush, Cheney, Rove, Frist, Delay, and Cunningham. Do whatever lying, cheating, stealing that it takes to force agendas and when someone questions those agendas try and scare them and if that doesn't work, call them unpatriotic, non-religious, gay and that they should just leave if you can't shove it down their throat. Go support Iraq with lies and death for oil, scare us with more National secruity warnings. Call Dobson and Perkins to preach fear and hate and begin the start of religious wars. Great job. Big business continues to cheat the common man, politicians get richer and Arnold is making movies. You should be damn proud of your ideology.
    Jeff

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 6:55:00 AM  

  • Hey Jeff you spinning top of extremist hatred. The RR guy and people like him don't have to join your emotional fits of crying rage to get their points across. I'd tell you to throw in the towel, but you have to use something to soak up your never ending river of tears. And you extend a wet hand of friendship to KS, as soon as he admits to the world that there is no backbone running through what he stands for. Like a spider spinning webs, no backbone at all. Another example of what the RR writer called "strange bedfellows". KS seems to like "strange bedfellows". Maybe the two of you can fall in love now, rent a little apartment in Murrieta, and carry on your lover's spats there so the rest of the world doesn't have to hear all of it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 7:42:00 AM  

  • Kelly Seyarto,
    You seem to imply that a person who believes in the foundational tenants of a political philosophy - which could be Democrat or Republican or Libertarian - is following a lesser course of action than whatever course you choose to take.
    A true belief in the importance of the tenants of one's political philosophy does not turn them into whatever demeaning metaphor you might choose to use in describing them.
    In a way similar to one's religious beliefs, a person's political convictions can reflect a far deeper meaning than what you conveniently - to justify satisfaction of your personal desires - call "pragmatist".
    Those of us who are true Republicans, Democrats or believers in any other political philosophy are not the "sheep" you call us, any more than mathematicians are sheep for believing in the axioms behind the numerical tools they employ. The fact that you do not grasp deeper concepts does not make those concepts any less important.
    I have seen you write things in this blog, and then back pedal as if to say you did not really mean to cause the damage done. In any case, you are over time exposing the weak nature of your political soul, and in the process offending many good people with your sarcastic swipes at their belief systems. If having the power or ability to do such harm causes you to puff up your chest, there is a real problem, and you should consider seeking help for it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 8:56:00 AM  

  • RRR People make the mistake that being a hard core Republican automatically means that we are non thinkers and that we have to turn to some manual or talk show in order to figure out our positions. Also, too often we are labeled as "haters" and anti civil rights. I am right wing and yet I could support gay marraige rights. I am also a supporter of pro choice. Some extremist right wingers will say that by taking these two political positions I am not a Conservative. Conservatism is not based on only these two issues! It is a broad based belief system and there are many variations within the Republican Party. I would vote for a Democrat if that Democrat had Conservative values. Unfortunately the Democratic party today is so far over to the Left that their values do not represent the mainstream. Why do you think they keep losing elections? I think Jeff personifies the Lefties perfectly. He is negative and critical of his surrroundings and of critical issues of the day. He can only be against what others are for. Seldom is he for anything and seldom will he put forth ideas with productive solutions to the things he complains about. Earlier, in another post, I wanted to see if there was any interest to solving the percieved problem of a lack of park space. There was none. Jeff, just like today's Democrats, love to complain and be critical but you can forget it when it comes to submitting ideas to solve problems. On the National level the House passed a Bill to streamline regulation and offer incentives to oil companies to make it easier to build oil refineries. It currently takes 10 years to build one because of all the regulatory hoops that need to be jumped through. And no new refineries have been built in 29 years. We are running refineries at 98% capacity and so the market can be disrupted by any refinery problem. Katrina proved this. The Democrats were the ones complaining the loudest in the media about higher gas prices, but when it came down to productive solutions they mostly voted against increasing refinery capacity. We are lucky that their votes were in the minority because the bill passed. Do we want to pay higher gas prices? Do nothing and complain about it and gas prices will keep rising. Or should we stand behind those with ideas and a forward vision who want to take actions that will improve the future gasoline maket? I will remain a Conservative for the forseeable future unless a more productive and fair ideology comes along.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 9:53:00 AM  

  • It is a remarkable turn of events that in this string the two most offensively obnoxious characters, Rholmgren and Seyarto, have both admitted the essentially baseless and self-centered nature of their belief systems. These are men with their entire mental structures built upon sand.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 10:31:00 AM  

  • To all readers.
    Someone was bringing up their familys politics. Our family has values too. We are not all republican or all democrat. The one thing we have been taught to beware of is people who have no real beliefs. It includes people whose only beliefs are in themselves or their own way of thinking. I did not know it until today but councilman Seyarto falls in this last sort of belief. Mr. Rholmgren has followed 99.9% of every move in this website that Mr. Seyarto has taken and there are I think many others who have done the same thing. I don't have any thing else to add to this.
    Just a citizen

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 11:49:00 AM  

  • Wait I do have one thing to add. Jeff is someone who I dont very often agree with, but at least he has a real values. That gets my vote. If I were building apartments and had no values other than that I would stay with my old vote.
    Just a citizen

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 11:55:00 AM  

  • Love this string, but how about some humor?

    I'm no developer, but if that was my calling I'd say this to KS:

    You know what, KS? I'm going to donate to your campaign whether you like it or not! So there! You know why? Because you're going to approve my zillion unit apartment complex and make me rich, rich, rich! Just try to stop me from donating to your campaign! Just try! I dare ya! Come on. Hey, why aren't you trying to stop me? Oh, I see. It's because you're a saint if you overrun Murrieta with apartments. I get it. That's really a good one!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 12:27:00 PM  

  • 7:42,
    See what I have been saying all along through my posts about Republicans and conservatives. They have no defense for the agendas of George Bush or the conservative policies of Karl Rove or the incredibly scary rantings of Pat Robertson so all they have left is name calling to belittle the person that has challenged their pathetic ideology.

    "Jeff you spinning top of extemist hatred". LOL. "Emotional fits of crying rage". LOL.

    They scare themsleves into being afraid of everything and everybody because that is the basis for the ideology. Be afraid of terrorists.....bomb the snot out of everybody that looks like a terrorist. Be afraid of gays....hate them and everything about them because your children will turn if they see them loving each other. Be afraid of Unions......as the Corporations steal from their employees (I don't back either). Be afraid of illegal aliens....but don't punish companies employing them. Be afraid of judges who rule according to the Constitution.....they will only support liberal agendas. Be afraid......of everything and Father George will protect you....as hundreds died and thousands suffered because he was on vacation during Katrina.

    Is that hate or just the plain and simple truth. Lets see, the poll I'm reading today says 61% believe exactly what I just wrote. Extremist thoughts.....only at the local NRA club.

    I don't support Seyarto in much including the apartment complexes, I don't know where you got that wrong after all my posts, but I agree that we all should use our heads and hearts when deciding whats right and wrong, not what Ronald Reagan or George Bush or Karl Rove or for that matter Ted Kennedy tells us. We are seeing that they are men with agendas and liars and cheats. Agendas are created by men who are not open minded. Closed minded people. Thats all conservatives of the far right and liberals of the far left offer. I want someone governing me that thinks with his own mind and has enough room to add what he feels in his heart.
    Jeff

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 5:28:00 PM  

  • Rholmgren,
    My solution was to slow down growth not halt it. Set a limit of apartments and condos. Slow down these huge developments until the infrastructure is in place to support them. Require parks for a certain amount of homes in an area. Fix the streets we already have or the sewer problems that have them in the condition they are in. Build police and fire department staffs before we overwhelm them with more developments allowing them to train first not later. Require public meetings before areas are allowed to be developed and give information to all the residents around the areas affected. Require that any business campaign donations go into a general fund for purposes such as our library or police funds. We need Council unity, no matter what the personal issues are, and make the work sessions they have public, so we can monitor any issues they have. Make the matter of our overcrowded schools at the head of the Councils agenda. Limit any connections between the City Council and City Manager's office and the Chamber of Commerce. Plan some educational programs for residents who don't understand the workings of the City Council, Planning Commission and Manager's office for the many new homeowners in Murrieta. Allow only one campaign sign per candidate every half mile. Let's plan some of our remaining land for entertainment purposes such as the Water Park I mentioned or some city hiking trails in the mountains to our West. Limit the amount of cars that a resident can park on the street. Some homes have all their vehicles and work vehicles which can number 6 or more parked on the city streets instead of the garage or driveway they own. A Christmas carnival in one of our parks.

    Rholmgren, just a few things that are in my posts over the last few months.
    Jeff

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 5:46:00 PM  

  • I can agree with some of your goals Jeff. I think we just maybe want to reach those goals different ways. I never got a response about my park idea. Why not turn a complaint into positive action? I enjoy debating but at times I want to achieve positive concrete results. Like the old cliche "turn lemons into lemonade." Thanks for the positive post.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 14, 2005 7:33:00 PM  

  • "They scare themsleves into being afraid of everything and everybody because that is the basis for the ideology." Says Jeff. And yet he spouts endless fear of everything he sees as the evil republican empire. What a pathetic joke, his endless repetitive drivel. And what good does he accomplish with all this? Nothing. He just chooses to relieve himself on us. Yes, the stuff that comes out of Jeff's mind should be flushed into the sewer. And now of course he's going to give us another heaping helping of his waste in response to this. Come on, Jeff. Give us your very best. We can't wait.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Saturday, October 15, 2005 9:36:00 AM  

  • 9:36 - First, I just want to say I don't think Jeff deserves to be attacked for expressing his beliefs. I can respect anyone who is not afraid to show who they really are. Jeff is that kind of person.
    Jeff's stand has been so consistant and well defined that it has even caused Kelly Seyarto to start modifying his political identity. Although Mr. Seyarto will deny this, I believe in his most recent posts that he has very much disavowed the Republican Party.
    Jeff's willingness to take a clear and unambiguous stand is very rare in the political world. We know exactly where he is coming from. Exactly opposite is Mr. Seyarto, who it appears does not have a clear idea even in his own head of what he stands for. Except one thing, and that is that Mr. Seyarto stands for himself.
    If it ever came right down to it, I'd be in Jeff's platoon in any fire fight. I know where he's coming from. And I know he'd never shoot me in the back.
    You can take a lesson from Jeff, Mr. Seyarto.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Saturday, October 15, 2005 10:16:00 AM  

  • 9:36 good post. I cannot remember the last time I took a political position based on fear or the scare tactics of others. I want representatives that take positive action to solve problems. Endless debating and complaining is uninspiring and those that operate that way will always wonder why their political power is withering away. It amazes me that people like Jeff think that Bush is controlled by Neocons. Based on his past and present decisions it looks like Bush is a remolded Republican. The last post from M.E. hit the nail on the head. It is hard to identify what would be considered a "standard" Republican position. I hope that there is enough flexibility among conservatives to accept that straying from party platform on some issues does not make us less conservative. I think that under Bush social spending has grown out of control. I also think more action needs to be taken to streamline regulations and reduce the paperwork requirements on indiduals and business. How about simplifying the tax code and simplifying the approval process to build nuclear power plants. There is a 70's mindset about nuclear energy. We are haunted by images of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Those plants were based on 40 year old technology. The time has come to construct a new generation of nuclear power plants based on new simpler designs. It would also make more sense to have a standard design than to custom build each plant. Alternative energy has its niche too, but as of today there is no alternative energy sources that can match the quantity of electricity that a nuclear plant produces without carbon emmisions.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Saturday, October 15, 2005 10:40:00 AM  

  • 10:16, Did Seyarto "disavow" the Republican party? I don't think so. But he did distance himself from it, and seemed proud of doing that. It's like he thinks Republicans should admire him for being just half of what they stand for. That's perverted logic.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Saturday, October 15, 2005 10:54:00 AM  

  • Thanks 10:16,
    I had a little time away so I couldn't respond.

    10:16,
    I don't have to give any response to you. Just read the political headlines coming out about conservatives in Washington and that's enough said. Or go pump your $3 a gallon gas, enough said again. Or watch as another 5 brave soldiers die each day. Enough said.
    Jeff

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Monday, October 17, 2005 2:42:00 PM  

  • Jeff where were more people murdered since the Iraq war started? Texas and Louisiana or Iraq? Both areas have roughly the same population. ANSWER: Texas and Louisiana. aprox 3000 murders Should we pull law enforcement out of there too? Three dollar gas Jeff? Tell the Dems in the Senate to pass the bill that encourages construction of new refineries. Otherwise we will pay 5 dollar gas in a few years.Even if we started to import 10 million more barrels of oil tommorow there would be NO effect on gas prices because there is NO way to refine it. Jeff I will have your crying towel ready for you after the 2006 elections. You are absolutely fantasizing if you think the Dems are going to gain more power. The same polls that have Bush's approval rating in the low forties have the House and Senate Dems in the low 30's. It seems that the Dems are hated more than Bush at this point. Go google some polls for yourself ;only make sure they are the complete versions of the polls and not the short versions that the networks tout. They skew their information often by ommision. If I recall correctly Clinton's lowest poll numbers were in the low thirties too. Keep in mind Jeff that Bush is not the future and we Conservatives are already looking ahead to 2008 while you and the Dems waste your time with the Bush bashing. Your time would be better spent trying to figure out who the next Republican President will be. I like J.C. Watts out of Oklahoma. It would be wonderful if the first African American President was a Republican! I wonder how many people were murdered in La. and Texas today? Anyway enough said right Jeff?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Monday, October 17, 2005 7:46:00 PM  

  • Rholmgren,
    If thats the way you are looking at our society then why not ask why we are so afraid of terrorism? How many people die from lung cancer everyday caused by smoking compared to the number that dies on 9-11? But we don't run in fear. We don't stop the huge business of Tabacco. NO...that would cut into the defense of the Republican Corporations. We don't adopt new laws to stop smoking. So if 2000 people die each day from the diseases caused by smoking why the big concern over 3000 that died on 9-11? Because it's the reasons behind why people die.

    I am not a Democrat. I want the right people in office. Ones that think more by their heads then their ideologies. I have said many times in this blog that I would not mind John McCain. He is a Republican. It is the neo-con I want out. Your again are wrong. Clinton's Monica numbers were in the mid-fifties. Go google that.

    I don't like that our country has turned to the evanglical leaders for the guidance of our politics. Yet, these are the men that continue to back the cheats and liars. Rove, Libby, maybe even Cheney may be indicted to go along with Delay. Soon to follow will be Frist. These are the conservative base. These are their leaders. We shall see what we shall see. Rholmgren, all you have left is to defend. Someone please read back and tell me if I have been saying this to each one that has defended the conservative base.

    And yes, we should strengthen our police forces. Maybe instead of spending 8 billion dollars a month on Iraq what would that have bought in fire and police for OUR communities? But no, lets spend the money on people who won't give a damn in 5 years.

    Clinton was 5 years ago Rholmgren, he's been over a long time now. This is now Bush's nightmare. But with that said, what was the price of gas during Clinton? And how much was the deficit when he left office? The polls you want me to look at are on Hannity.com, or Rush.net. Let's look at the polls for the Republican run Congress. They are lower then the White House.

    Like people have said before, Murrieta should be our main concern and I am not going to win any arguments here about Iraq or the corruption in the White House.

    What we should be doing is fixing the place we have some real power in changing and thats Murrieta.
    Jeff

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Monday, October 17, 2005 8:59:00 PM  

  • Jeff's not a Democrat but he plays one on T.V... Your arguments sound as valid as your no park argument. Where are the parks Jeff and what Republican has been found guilty? Clinton's lowest poll number was in the low thirties get your info straight. It's O.K. I forgive you because I have to remember that this is the same person who cannot figure out where the multitude of parks are within half a mile of his house. Where are all the guilty Republicans? All I see is a non-producing political witchhunt that is leading nowhere. Jeff your blaming gas prices on the President is a simplstic and straight out of highschool arguement. Come on! You can do better than that. Why are gas prices so high Jeff. Think now:you can do it! Why is there a deficit? Come on think really hard. Do not give in to your initial emotional and illogical response. You can get it right; just think. Just add some numbers together like a real CEO would. (Maybe a hint will help : Dot Com bubble and 911) And no Jeff the tax cuts do not even com close to equalling the deficit number so do not even go there. Jeff the American public still does not trust the Dems on national security issues. If it takes 100 billion a year to improve the Middle East then so be it. Good news out of Iraq: It looks like their new Constitution will pass overwhelmingly. It took them 7 months to formulate their Constitution while it took us 7 years. THAT WAS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT. There is also a realestate boom occuring in Iraq. Do you think that this is proof that the FREE Iraqis have new found optimism in the future? There is also a construction boom happening outside of all of the war damage rebuilding.More new highrises are being built this year than the last 10 years combined. There has also been a huge in migration of Iraqis from overseas. You would think with all the violence that the opposite would be occurring. Also the stores in Iraq are overflowing with an amount of goods unheard of duiring Saddam's time. Anyway Jeff keep up with your sarcasms and criticisms of those making the hard decisions and sacrifices in order to make our country more secure and also change the entire dynamic of Middle Eastern politics. I am depending on you and all the other Democratic leaders to maintain the same policies and rhetoric. These positions have and will continue to erode the Liberal power base. Keep it up and I want to thank you and the Dems in advance for helping swing America more to the right with all of your irrational positions. Also keep watching and reading all the negative slanted news reports. Good news does not sell does it. So far 3 of my friends have served in Iraq and 1 more is on the way. I find that THEIR reports are more true to life than all the 60 second negative news report blatherers.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tuesday, October 18, 2005 9:11:00 PM  

  • Rholmgren,
    Just as I have said so many times. Your only defense of conservative thought and it's agenda are to attack personally anyone that challenges it or their thoughts. It's because that's all you have.

    Witch hunt? So breaking the law by the top law makers of this country is OK? So taking us to war on lies and doing whatever it takes to protect those lies is OK? What we are seeing is the conservative agenda in action. Lying is OK. Stealing is OK. Cheating the system is OK. Whatever it takes to push that agenda. Just look at the conservative news organization, Fox. They have three political consultants that are convicted felons. Liddy, Furhman and North and have another who became so power mad he thought he was President, Haig.

    Leading nowhere huh? So if these indicted politicians that represent the conservative agenda are found guilty after being indicted, where does that leave our country? Where does it leave your agenda? Do you think these charges are baseless? Of course you do. If it were a Democrat, the story would be flipped and you would be saying just the opposite. Ala Martha Stewart or Michael Jackson. I, an Independant feel the opposite. If it were a Democrat, I would be all over them too. I hate cheaters and liars and thieves that prey on my tax dollars. It doesn't matter what color, greed or religious background that they are.

    Now for the gas prices. Before Bush came into office the price of gas was 1.30. It's around 3.00 today. It is not the lack of refineries that is the problem. The oil companies are not raising prices to maintain their profits. They are adding to profits at our expense using the excuses of the natural disasters. OH....A HURRICANE IS CLOSE.....RAISE THE PRICES AND ADD ANOTHER 10% PROFIT!!! The hurricane does little damage, like Rita did. It had little impact but prices still shot up .25 cents. Did they come back down? NO. Bush said he was going to release the reserves after Katrina, that are today at 125% of what they were before he came into office. He said he would....but he never did. Why??? Because it gives the oil companies the shortage they need to exaggerate. On and On. Lying and cheating.

    So building some high rises in Iraq is worth say 20,000 American casualties? 150,000 Iraq casualties? Then we should attack every country that doesnt have a constitution and lacks a Democratic government. Lets put that to the vote of the American public. 20,000 American casualties for a Free Iraq? Want to know which way they'd vote? A construction and real estate boom....yea thats worth another 20K. Rholmgren, this is your agenda, your politicians and youve been brainwashed.

    I see that the power base is eroding slowly but it's not Democrats losing, it's Republicans being indicted, HAVING TO STEP DOWN and then put in jail.
    Do you for one second think that Bush and Cheney weren't totally involved in Plamegate? They are liars and all they do is play to the conservative, evangelical leaders of our country. Dobson, may be the new Vice President if Cheney has to step down. Heck, Meirs is a Supreme Court Justice, if you can get close enough to Bush as a friend maybe you can get to be Secretary of State.
    Jeff

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, October 19, 2005 6:46:00 AM  

  • Jeff refineries are the issue. Under normal cicumstances they run at 98 percent of the time. Any disruption big or small natural or manipulated puts an upward pressure on prices. It would do no good to release oil from the reserves because there is no way to refine it. There is only one way to create force that would have a downward effect on oil prices. Build more refineries and make sure that they are operated by as many independent entities as possible. At this point asking our foreign suppliers to increase shipments or increasing domestic oil production would have little effect at the pump. No new refineris have been built in 29 years and the number of refineries nationwide have dropped from the mid 300's to the 180's. Do not let your hate for corporations and profit cloud ypour judgement again. THINK. Your political comments are more network news and print news induced blather. It is pretty sad really. The Dems only hope is if the Republicans implode? I guess that is it. The Dems certainly could not win in the arena of ideas. Their agenda remains uninspiring.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, October 19, 2005 8:28:00 PM  

  • 29 years and no new refineries? Well that time period contains alot of Bushes, Reagans and some top heavy conservative agendas. Are you going to blame Clinton again? Or is it the homosexuals? Or maybe the Hurricanes that God has sent to punish us for the sins of the liberals?

    I'd be embarrassed as more news comes out each day about the conservatives in our government. The deficit grows daily. Bush can only cut programs for the poor to pay for Katrina and Rita and Iraq. The government is failing to improve and keeps failing and then you say," well Iraq has approved a constitution and is building highrises". Thats the problem. No ideology can see past the nose on it's face. They are built around people who are misguided by a limited few.

    Well those limited few are getting their just reward. I just read it's possible that 22 Republican, conservative members of the White House staff, and conservative slanted reporters who helped the ideology could be indicted. These indictments coming from a Republican prosecutor. The indictments could lead all the way to VP Cheney. Obstruction of justice, lying to law enforcement officers and possibly the Grand Jury. Add to this, there is an arrest warrent out for Delay and Frist is close to being indicted on Securities fraud.

    And I'm the radical. You have called me the coward and traitor. I believe any government official that has lied under oath, obstructed justice, cheated and lied to the American people deserves jail for being a traitor. People who lied taking us to a war for reasons that did not exist are the traitors. And with all the above said, statements from our President have the Prosecutor questioning these politicians and seeing if they will flip and tell the truth about what he, GW, knew as he was telling us all was right in the White House. I'd be ashamed to say that these are the people I listen to for the things I believe in.

    I once had an ideology. But I left it on a battlefield when I saw the only true ideology I have is with God and my family and the things I hold scared in my heart.

    Let this story unfold and be remebered.

    Why do any of you think I fight so hard against the unethical behavior of our own politicians. It's the exact same pattern. They are not trailed by ruthless writers, nor investigated by top notch newspapermen or all the hidden facts would come out on our Councilmen. But just as you see the most powerful fall from greed and the need for power, so to will the light shine on our little city in this valley. It started with Van Haaster and will not end, because the greed is too much to resist.

    Let this unfold also.
    Jeff

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, October 19, 2005 9:48:00 PM  

  • 411 apartments going in at Jefferson and Murrieta Hot Springs. A thousands cars added to the traffic nightmare this city lives with. Jefferson is still a bumpy disorganized leaking mess even after three complexes have been built bordering it. This is why Seyarto was prepping us with the needs of the young families who at this moment are packing in hopes of fleeing Murrieta and Southern California. Take a drive down Jefferson at 5pm tonight past the new Police station and tell me this road needs 1000 more cars. Show me how the developers of the complexes that are already in place have improved the infrastructure and Jefferson Ave as you splash through a water puddle or hit a pot hole.
    Jeff

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 21, 2005 8:10:00 AM  

  • Jeff's posts and world view depict a nightmare. I am just glad that I do not live in it. You poor soul. Any good news lately? Or more of the same Jeff doom and gloom? Get a clue Jeff. The good news is Jefferson will be widened before those "evil" apartments are built.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Friday, October 21, 2005 6:21:00 PM  

  • Mr Rholmgren, My thoughts are often the same as yours on many subjects, but not on this one. Like you, I spent time in an apartment at one time, and we understand the need. Apartments certainly have their place, and if community planning is done correctly they fit into the ideal capitalistic structure of a well planned, prosperous and business-oriented community. But this latest proposal looks like not Jeff's left wing nightmare, but instead it is some kind of socialist dream world. Murrieta's prime commercial land is being being proposed to be turned into a mass of multi story projects. This is not a true capitalist proposal, but rather an opportunist's proposal to suck the blood out of Murrieta's commercial heartland and then move on. Even from a dollars and cents standpoint, this apartment proposal would not work unless the city bows to the demand of the developer to take the most extreme case view of the maximum number of apartments that could be squeezed onto that property. This may be a political feather in the cap for local politicians with an eye toward higher office, but it's a knife in the back of the city, and a permanent death sentence for some of Murrieta's best remaining commercial land.
    I too am a developer, and proud to be one. A smaller scale developer, but one whose outlook for this area is a long one. Those who are proposing to do the dirty deed with these apartments no doubt have less to think about with regard to the future of Murrieta than those of us who plan to be around for the long term. And from what I've heard lately in this blog and from other sources in the community, I don't think there is any doubt that Mr. Seyarto's prime motive has something to do with getting into the good political graces of people in Sacramento. And getting into those good graces appears to have nothing to do with the good of our town, because it makes no sense to say you're doing something for the good of a town when you're doing something that will obviously hurt it badly. You don't help a commercial machine run better by pulling the land right out from under it, and that is exactly what is going on. It is the permanent destruction of a large amount of high-scale commercial potential, and with it the permanent destruction of the potential for a very high sales tax volume that could make this city one of the brightest financial stars of all the cities of Southern California. Instead, the city government of Murrieta has us pointed in the direction of permanent mediocrity.
    I admire your stand-by-your-man loyalty to Mr. Seyarto. Until I found out otherwise, I actually thought for a while there that you were someone in his immediate family writing under an assumed name. But on good authority, now I know you are not, and I apologize if that mistake is offensive to either you or Mr. Seyarto's family. But that's beside the point. I respect about 85% of your coservative stand on matters. I don't think Mr. Seyarto has a real stand on anything, except as defined by some undefined set of personal interests, so I can't say what percentage of anything he says or does is worthy of respect.
    I will support your views and those of Mr. Seyarto as long as they make sense for this city, and not just for some (possibly) well meaning but very misguided set of ideas. I've seen the good and the bad in politics and development in towns like this over a period of many years. From what I've seen in this blog, there are some others who have the same depth of experience. I hope that with enough participation by community members like yourself, Jeff, Mr. Faunce, JLM and many others, we will all learn from one another, and continue to grow in our knowledge.
    Been There

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Saturday, October 22, 2005 1:29:00 PM  

  • Been There you have alot of good points. I have been critical of people on this blog who seem to always be against any new apartment or condo construction. I am definitely not in the group that wants apartments and condos at every lot that is currently zoned for such development. I think the MU3 zoning designation issue needs to be addressed. I think that many future development battles can be averted if there is more clarity in terms of exactly how many condos and apartments will ultimately be constructed. Right now there is alot of uncertainty and fear as to how the MU3 zoned lots will be used. It would be smart for the council to address this issue.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Saturday, October 22, 2005 5:50:00 PM  

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