Congratulations to Rancho Santa Margarita for being named by the FBI as California's safest city of population over 20,000 for 2009!
Many thanks to our city leaders for managing so effectively.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Same candidate, different day
Here we go again. It seems that not only does RSM City Council candidate Jesse Petrilla repeatedly violate City and SAMLARC sign regulations with no apology, now he's trying to claim the city's sign ordinance is unconstitutional as a defense to his misdeeds. Of course the city's sign ordinance has nothing to do with his repeated violation of the SAMLARC sign rules that has caused SAMLARC to institute legal action against him.
In defending his actions, Jesse tells the OC Register that the city ordinance is unenforceable, citing a federal court case with different circumstances in a different jurisdiction. The OC Register reporter who spoke with him contacted a local expert in election law, and he disagreed. Besides, how is that relevant to the SAMLARC issue?
Whenever Jesse gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he threatens legal action, tries to make a new law for his own benefit, blames the incumbents, or misuses existing legal precedents.
Jesse constantly complains about the bias against the young. Wrong again, Jesse, it's bias against someone who walks around with a chip on his shoulder and doesn't know how to work well with others. The RSM Watchdog has yet to see Mr. Petrilla behave like an adult, which he claims to be.
When will he learn to play by the rules? Oh, I guess the answer is never because that would require him to understand them first...
In defending his actions, Jesse tells the OC Register that the city ordinance is unenforceable, citing a federal court case with different circumstances in a different jurisdiction. The OC Register reporter who spoke with him contacted a local expert in election law, and he disagreed. Besides, how is that relevant to the SAMLARC issue?
Whenever Jesse gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he threatens legal action, tries to make a new law for his own benefit, blames the incumbents, or misuses existing legal precedents.
Jesse constantly complains about the bias against the young. Wrong again, Jesse, it's bias against someone who walks around with a chip on his shoulder and doesn't know how to work well with others. The RSM Watchdog has yet to see Mr. Petrilla behave like an adult, which he claims to be.
When will he learn to play by the rules? Oh, I guess the answer is never because that would require him to understand them first...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
It's War in Rancho Santa Margarita and SAMLARC fights back!
City Council Candidate Jesse Petrilla is at it again. From his campaign literature to his campaign signs, he is doing everything he can to turn Rancho Santa Margarita into a war zone. His campaign pieces stress both how he will fight for the residents and his military service record as his qualification for the city council seat, but say little else.
Over the past couple of weeks, Jesse has turned RSM into his own personal battlefield. He has continuously placed illegal campaign signs throughout town on City and SAMLARC (the Master Homeowners Association representing 80% of the residents) owned property. He illegally posted a campaign sign right next to the banner announcing the City Council Candidates' Forum sponsored by the Community Associations of Rancho (including SAMLARC). As soon as the signs are taken down by the authorities, new illegal signs show up in other areas of town. It costs city residents and homeowners each time the authorities have to send staff out to pick up the signs.
At the Candidates' Forum, which was recorded by Cox Communications and can be seen on Cox Cable Channel 3 and On Demand, Jesse proudly announced that he was going to hold the Homeowners Association (HOA) Board of Directors' feet to the fire if he was elected. The City and the HOAs have separate jurisdiction, so this statement is nothing more than inflammatory, and doesn't bode well for him as a member of the council, which must work cooperatively with the HOAs in areas such as community event planning and city beautification projects.
On Friday, SAMLARC finally struck back. They issued a press release announcing that they have initiated legal action against Jesse Petrilla for continuing violation of SAMLARC rules regarding candidate signs. It will be interesting to see how Jesse responds. Will he cooperate, or take this battle to the next level?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
As the weather heats up, so does the RSM City Council race
From a reliable source...Rumor has it that City Council candidate Jesse Petrilla is concerned that the City of Rancho Santa Margarita spent too much money on the bus shelters it installed using Community Development Block Grant and restricted use funds. It seems that Jesse doesn't believe that working members of the community who need to utilize the bus system as their means of transportation need to be protected from the wind, rain, and right now, the bright fall sunshine. With the record heat today, would the users of our already limited public transit system have been able to tolerate a long wait for the bus in full sun? Is it even humane to expect them to do so? Is that the standard of living that RSM wants to set?The other conclusion that can be drawn from Jesse's statement is that Jesse wants to lower the design standards for our community to a level below what RSM residents have come to expect. Feedback from the community has shown strong support and numerous compliments for the bus shelters.
Why is Jesse so out of touch with RSM? How can anyone who has only lived in RSM for a couple of years truly understand the community's vision of itself, and their desire to maintain such high standards? Maybe Jesse didn't live in RSM when they were installed, and doesn't understand the community's needs. Or maybe he did live in RSM, but was still voting in Mission Viejo...
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Coming soon! A new RSM City Council member
The city of Rancho Santa Margarita will have a new council member after the November election. There are three open seats and only two incumbents. The two incumbents, Neil Blais and Gary Thompson are well-respected and widely recognized as two of the most important visionaries in Rancho's cityhood efforts and subsequent development that has RSM ranked consistently as one of the best places to live in the country and one of California's safest cities.
There are three new candidates running for city council this November. They are RSM Planning Commissioner Steve Baric, retired business owner Larry McCook, and military reservist Jesse Petrilla.
From all accounts, Steve Baric is the one to beat. Besides being a planning commissioner, he is a high-ranking official in the California Republican party, and has the financing and endorsements to show for it.
Larry McCook was a last minute candidate who didn't have the opportunity to submit a ballot statement. He doesn't have the name recognition or backing, but all agree he has good intentions.
Then, there's Jesse Petrilla. With Jesse, there is much more to him than meets the eye.
Jesse first appeared on the political scene in RSM last year when he scheduled a meeting with then-Mayor Gary Thompson, and told him that he was planning to run for city council as a stepping stone to higher office. After that, he went to the city council and asked them to impose term limits. When he was turned down, he decided to pursue a ballot initiative, which he never completed, and cost the city close to $15,000, at a time where significant budget cuts are necessary.
Jesse has been to exactly three city council meetings, including the one where he asked for term limits. At one of the other two meetings, he attended just to make a speech about spending cuts that he felt should be made on the 2010-2011 city budget. At that meeting, he chastised the council for including things in the budget that had already been cut, then left immediately after his speech, before hearing city staff correct his mistakes. Note that he had no problem spending the city's money for his personal agenda, but didn't have a clue as to what was actually in the budget. Why would anyone want such a self-centered individual making their budgetary decisions?
When it came time for ballot statements, Jesse tried to fluff up his military credentials and got caught. When the city clerk called him on it per the advice of the city attorney, he threatened the city with a lawsuit and threatened the clerk's job. Again, is this someone the residents can rely upon to act in the city's best interest?
Jesse has made running for City Council his full-time job. He's done an excellent job of canvassing the city to let everyone know he is running. He claims to be a business owner, but that is a sham. His business name is Petrilla Entertainment. What does Petrilla Entertainment do? It has developed several crude video games all targeted towards his anti-jihadist activities, which have included organizing a hanging in effigy of Osama bin Laden in front of a Los Angeles County Mosque. His website, or is it former website? www.petrillaentertainment.com , says it all, which is nothing.
According to the California Secretary of State's office, he dissolved his business entity at the end of 2008. Jesse's claim to fame in RSM is being a founding member of the recently formed RSM Business Alliance. The RSM Watchdog is still looking for Jesse's business...
If anyone has proof that Jesse Petrilla is a businessman and not a self-serving opportunist using the title of businessman as a front, the RSM Watchdog would love to see it.
Remember to vote for the best qualified candidates for City Council on November 2nd, when you will have the opportunity to once again prove that Rancho Santa Margarita deserves to be called one of the best places to live in the USA!
There are three new candidates running for city council this November. They are RSM Planning Commissioner Steve Baric, retired business owner Larry McCook, and military reservist Jesse Petrilla.
From all accounts, Steve Baric is the one to beat. Besides being a planning commissioner, he is a high-ranking official in the California Republican party, and has the financing and endorsements to show for it.
Larry McCook was a last minute candidate who didn't have the opportunity to submit a ballot statement. He doesn't have the name recognition or backing, but all agree he has good intentions.
Then, there's Jesse Petrilla. With Jesse, there is much more to him than meets the eye.
Jesse first appeared on the political scene in RSM last year when he scheduled a meeting with then-Mayor Gary Thompson, and told him that he was planning to run for city council as a stepping stone to higher office. After that, he went to the city council and asked them to impose term limits. When he was turned down, he decided to pursue a ballot initiative, which he never completed, and cost the city close to $15,000, at a time where significant budget cuts are necessary.
Jesse has been to exactly three city council meetings, including the one where he asked for term limits. At one of the other two meetings, he attended just to make a speech about spending cuts that he felt should be made on the 2010-2011 city budget. At that meeting, he chastised the council for including things in the budget that had already been cut, then left immediately after his speech, before hearing city staff correct his mistakes. Note that he had no problem spending the city's money for his personal agenda, but didn't have a clue as to what was actually in the budget. Why would anyone want such a self-centered individual making their budgetary decisions?
When it came time for ballot statements, Jesse tried to fluff up his military credentials and got caught. When the city clerk called him on it per the advice of the city attorney, he threatened the city with a lawsuit and threatened the clerk's job. Again, is this someone the residents can rely upon to act in the city's best interest?
Jesse has made running for City Council his full-time job. He's done an excellent job of canvassing the city to let everyone know he is running. He claims to be a business owner, but that is a sham. His business name is Petrilla Entertainment. What does Petrilla Entertainment do? It has developed several crude video games all targeted towards his anti-jihadist activities, which have included organizing a hanging in effigy of Osama bin Laden in front of a Los Angeles County Mosque. His website, or is it former website? www.petrillaentertainment.com , says it all, which is nothing.
According to the California Secretary of State's office, he dissolved his business entity at the end of 2008. Jesse's claim to fame in RSM is being a founding member of the recently formed RSM Business Alliance. The RSM Watchdog is still looking for Jesse's business...
If anyone has proof that Jesse Petrilla is a businessman and not a self-serving opportunist using the title of businessman as a front, the RSM Watchdog would love to see it.
Remember to vote for the best qualified candidates for City Council on November 2nd, when you will have the opportunity to once again prove that Rancho Santa Margarita deserves to be called one of the best places to live in the USA!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Which candidate for city council didn't vote in RSM in the last election?
From the mouths of babes...One candidate for RSM City Council admits that he lived in RSM during the previous City Council election, yet voted in another city.
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