Sierra Madre: It's Still Crimesville, Right?

There was an interview with our new Chief of Police Larry Giannone the other day on The Patch (click here). Much of what Chief Giannone had to say there appeared to be in response to some of the criticism we posted in an article about the Matheson and EVG cases (click here). Naturally we were pleased to see our concerns addressed. Here is what the Chief had to say about the EVG case in his interview:

On the EVG Credit Card Scam: "This time last year, we were working on the EVG fraud scam. There's still talk in the community that nothing was done. We are still actively working with the FBI and Secret Service on this case. They are making headway on the case. It just hasn't been put in a box and put away. We are still investigating that and hoping to have some word out to the public in the near future with the results of that case."

While we are all very anxious to hear what those results might be, I am not certain that when people read the Chief's assurances they actually believed anything would happen quite this soon. Nor did many believe that if they were to read about a case of credit card identity theft at a gas station in Sierra Madre now, it would be quite like what is found in today's Pasadena Star News (click here):

Sierra Madre police seek victims of gas station scam - Investigators are looking for more victims of a scam after a customer of a local gas station reported that his credit card information was later used to buy items at other places.

Police took an identity theft report on Jan. 5 and suspect it could be tied to a Dec. 27 vandalism case at the Valero Gas station located case at the Valero Gas station located at 4 N. Baldwin Ave.

Officers found one of the gas pump doors pried open and evidence that a skimming device was placed inside the pumps and then removed, according to Chief Larry Giannone.

It's deja vu all over again.

Now I know that skepticism is regarded with suspicion by members of the Civility Block Watch Program here in town, but we're going to stick our necks out here and express some anyway. If the FBI, Secret Service and, of course, the Sierra Madre Police Department are working hard to investigate and bring to a conclusion last year's credit card skimming case at the gas station formerly known as EVG, why are these kinds of criminals still operating here? After all, we only have two gas stations to protect. You'd think that with a couple of the most highly regarded law enforcement branches of the Federal Government on the case, in addition to our own SMPD, this kind of thing wouldn't be happening here anymore.

You would have to hope that with so massive an investigative law enforcement presence due to the previous gas station credit card skimming case, all such criminals would have been scared far away. But apparently that is not the case.

Hopefully we will have some of that promised information from the Sierra Madre Police Department and our new Chief soon.

The City Council's "Mandatory Water Conservation Ordinance Update." Is it really a Disguised Water Rate Hike?

Unfortunately the City of Sierra Madre has not been very forthcoming or honest with its information on water rate related cost increases for a while now. Last year we were told that our water rates would have to go up due to needed water infrastructure repairs, only to find out later it was actually about raising money to satisfy some old bond debt obligations. And now we are hearing from Mayor Buchanan that water related Utility User Tax (UUT) rates have to go up in order to specifically fund public safety services such as the Paramedics. Which obviously sidesteps an inconvenient reality since our UUT is actually a general fund tax and can be used for anything the Mayor wants.

At this evening's City Council meeting the matter of levying heavy fines for excessive water use is to be discussed. This has been greeted with suspicion in certain parts of the community, with some suggesting that the real impetus behind these rather draconian fines is to get even more money out of the residents for water.

The City's rationale for establishing these robust fines is water conservation. Should the current drought lead to water shortages later this summer, City Hall apparently believes that they'll need an ugly stick in the form of heavy financial penalties to enforce any demands for water conservation.

However, does this ring true? Are these folks really all that concerned about water conservation? I personally have my doubts. If this City was truly all about conserving our limited water supplies, they wouldn't be allowing for any more development, right? Instead they are pushing for high density low-mod housing, a homeless shelter on E. Montecito for who knows how many transients, the Kensington and its potentially large population of old and infirm, and about as many McMansions at Stonegate as they developer is capable of selling.

Does this sound like the kinds of things people authentically worried about conserving our limited water supplies should be doing?

My suspicion is this is potentially a disguised water rate hike dressed up in a pretty party dress called conservation. Done in hopes of avoiding another Prop 218 debacle. Depending on who is calling the shots, fines for excessive water rate use could affect a very few people. Or they could end up in the water bills of a lot of people, including you, dear reader. It is that arbitrary. And if you consider all of the dishonest things claimed by the City during last year's water rate increase "process," how much would you want to trust these same individuals this time around?

The State of California doesn't want our City Hall after all

The latest word from Sacramento is that "successor agencies" to the soon to be disbanded 400 CRAs in the state will be allowed to maintain control of such buildings as their City Halls. So it looks like our little municipal palace won't be sold after all. Though things like any relevant bond debt will still need to be paid. I guess we should all be relieved about that.

And besides, what would Sacramento have done with a bunch of old City Hall buildings anyway? In today's troubled real estate market they would have certainly been a hard sell. Better to just leave them in the hands of the cities and collect their money that way.

50,000 Hits

Reader traffic on The Tattler continues to grow. We briefly went over the 50,000 hits mark yesterday, a record for any 30 day period in this blog's history. Certainly some of that can be credited to the Matheson case. Our no limits coverage on that issue brought us a lot of attention over the last few weeks. But it also brought with it some controversy, which is also good for web traffic.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the people lurking behind the gauzy lavender mosquito veil of the now vanished Lady Elizabeth Wistar for all their hard work. A lot of people heard about The Tattler for the first time through the efforts of these folks and, expecting the worst, came here and checked us out. And when they did they apparently liked what they saw because they have continued coming back for more.

I guess you could call that an unintended consequence. And a very happy one for us.

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