Category: Op-Ed

Vol. 2, No. 2 – March 2019

MM has waited a long time to publish this headline story: 1 1/2 years. We know it’s late – other papers have already reported it – but computer problems prevented it from going out until today. The Redlands Daily Facts reported on March 7 that Mayor Foster had stated on February 19 that Redlands had no plans to take over Mentone in the foreseeable future, perhaps raising the question, “then why are we doing this?”; however, that article omitted to mention that, immediately after his comment, the City Council voted to approve the very Annexation “Agreement” that is attached to the Complaint. When asked about the “need” for the annexation “agreement,” the City Attorney’s statement was basically that “we’re doing this because we voted to do it,” and – inexplicably – “otherwise Mentone would get a free ride.” Moreover, this paper gives interested readers the actual allegations contained in the Complaint and attaches the latest actual “agreement” in its last pages so readers can see for themselves all of what Redlands demands.

The City has 30 days to answer the complaint or file other documents challenging the lawsuit. In the past it has hired many high-powered and expensive lawyers – seemingly everyone who is anyone from here to and including the San Fernando Valley and Orange County – so we can expect Redlands to employ any and all kinds of tactics. However,Mentone is in it for the duration.

The many “Whereas” paragraphs in the infamous “Agreement” contain legislature-enacted code sections which, however, do not give it the authority to violate the law against extortion. What attorney would draft such a document as Measure U, advising the violation of law? Extortion is like “Criminal Law 101” second or third year in law school, depending on where you go. Or maybe MM is missing something somewhere. Of course, we will keep you posted as to the case’s progress.

As always, if you know someone who doesn’t receive Mentone Matters, please ask them to subscribe. When the website is up and running, soon, it appears, everyone in the world will be able to read Mentone’s news but, until then, we are limited to this e-mail newspaper. MM

Vol. 1, No. 19 — December 2018

In our most recent edition we stated our ignorance of how the Chamber got involved in the tax fight (due to lack of time to call everyone who might have been involved and ferret out the whole story, before getting back to much more pressing matters). Shortly after publishing that edition we received the following e-mail:

“The Chamber of Commerce was asked to lend its name to the list of complainants. The Board was surveyed, and approved the request. In none of the correspondence, with the principles, (sic) was there any mention of financial contributions. So, rather than ‘getting a free ride’, we have been waiting for further communications. If there is a request for funds, it will be presented to the Board of Directors of the Chamber, for discussion, and action. Prior to publication of the December Mentone Matters, the Chamber was not contacted by the editor to clarify any of the story.”

(Signed)

David W Wilder, President, Mentone Chamber of Commerce

Mentone Matters stands corrected. We hope all who were copied on the e-mail enjoy the rest of this edition.  -MM

Archive: Vol. 1, No. 18 — DECEMBER 2018

Sorry, readers, that there has been no little or news to report: MACA and the Chamber were dark during December, and the Chamber also did not meet in November. When MACA meetings resume in January, MM hopes that there will be something positive about having a school crossing guard on Crafton, like there is on Wabash. Also, your editor has been swamped with personal tasks and is still awaiting the completion of MentoneMatters. com.

Some readers may wonder where the fire tax [see lead story] came from, particularly for properties in the Valley. The Board of Supervisors sneakily took a 12-year-old vote in one territory and applied it to the whole County. We quote extensively from the complaint because it has so many important details: the excuses for taxing everyone, what is said will be done and what is really done, and so on. MM believed that readers would not want to wade through all 113 paragraphs of legalese, necessarily repetitious. Readers may note that one of the grounds of the lawsuit is CEQA; that was the point on which the Greenspot folks won; hopefully, if the Constitutional grounds are ignored, the Court will still look at the CEQA violations. In most Civil cases “discovery” is done, with each side being able to submit their questions and requests for evidence to the opposing side. It is not presently being conducted in this case but we would be interested to know exactly how many protests the County acknowledges receiving, out of the total number actually sent out.

Presumably the Chamber is getting a “free ride” as to the attorney fees and costs because, although MM attends its meetings, the lawsuit was only tangentially referenced in the October meeting and, to MM’s knowledge, no funds were voted to pay for Mentone’s participation. -MM