As noted in blog comments at IE Politics, one of Vogler’s latest targets, David Holman, has in fact filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission. Campaign signs are required to have a disclosure statement on them. Vogler’s Political Action Committee (PAC), the Hesperia Free Press, which paid for the signs, was not identified on the signs. For that matter, there was no identification whatsoever as to what PAC was behind paying for and placing the signs.

Vogler has been the campaign manager for his wife, Rita’s, campaign for city council twice and board of supervisors once. Additionally, he assisted Paul Bosacki in his campaign two years ago as well as other city council and school board candidates. He pulled this same stunt during the primary when he attacked 59th Assembly District candidate Anthony Riley with similar signs.

In other words, Al know the rules. Feigned ignorance is typical of corrupt politicians, similar to what Al accuses the opposition of, but Al has no excuses with that many elections under his belt. We can only hope the FPPC comes down on him hard, as they should. A hefty fine will improve his memory and integrity next time around.

To learn more about City Council Candidate David Holman, please visit his Facebook page or his website.

Reprinted from IE Politics.com

For those of you running for Apple Valley Town Council, here is the FCC rule:

Section 73.1941 [47 CFR §73.1941] Equal Opportunities.

(a) General requirements. Except as other-wise indicated in §73.1944, no station licensee is required to permit the use of its facilities by any legally qualified candidate for public office, but if any licensee shall permit any such candidate to use its facilities, it shall afford equal opportunities to all other candidates for that office to use such facilities. Such licensee shall have no power of censorship over the material broadcast by any such candidate.

Barb currently broadcasts for five hours a week from KCAA. Each of you have the right to do the same. You can call (909) 885-8497 to request that you be given the same opportunity.

She also broadcasts for two hours a week from HDTV35. They can be contacted at (760) 693-1285. And she has a one-hour show each week on KTIE. They can be reached at (909) 885-6555.

Remember, these stations MUST give you equal air time free of charge just like they are giving her.

Reprinted from OurHesperia.com

Lee Rogers was interviewed by the Hesperia Star Friday September 24th and I felt that she was very sincere and looked forward to a new school board that see could work with on many of the challenging problems at Hesperia Unified School District. She spoke of changing staff in order to save the district money, but it looks like she is just moving around deck chairs on the Titanic just before it sinks. I will give Lee Roger the benefit of the doubt that when you are being interviewed you don’t want to get too radical and there is where the rubber meets the road.

If you look over the almost four years of her tenure on the school board you have to wonder what changed half way through and she started to separate herself from Robert Kirk and Hardy Black.

During the first two years Lee Rogers was on the school board, she completely supported the destructive direction of Robert Kirk, Hardy Black, and the Hesperia Teachers Association (HTA) that put our school district in the financial bind and disfunction we see today. Lee Rogers did not oppose them while Helen Rogers (no relation) and Bruce Minton (previous board members) where saying how Robert Kirk and Hardy Black were taking the school district in a direction that will hurt the students. She went along with them all the way until the spring of 2009 after Chris Bentley and Anthony Riley came on board as new board members. Since that time Lee Rogers has slid way from the new majority block and has been step and step with Chris Bentley most of the time.

Now you may think that’s good and Lee Rogers should be reelected, but if she had been her own vote on the board during her first two years, our school district would not be where we are today.

Many great programs were cut without doing any research on them to see if and how they were helping students. An administrative hit list that Robert Kirk and Hardy Black had, she could have said no! The excessive spending she could have said no! But she didn’t! Mrs. Rogers you rubber stamped all the destructive decision that were made over the first two years on the school board.

I have met Lee Rogers one time in passing and she was very personable, but what your voting decisions have done to Hesperia Unified School District will take many years to fix and for that reason I will not be supporting you for reelection. I am sure if you had to do it all over again you would have done it different, but it’s time to move on.

September 23, 2010 4:57 PM
Brooke Edwards – Daily Press

VICTORVILLE • The same firm that’s handled Victorville’s audits for four of the last five years is now under scrutiny itself for financial reports Mayer Hoffman McCann prepared for the embattled City of Bell, according to officials with the State Controller’s office.

State Controller John Chiang on Thursday released the first of three audits focusing on Bell’s mismanaged finances, focused largely on actions taken by Robert Rizzo, former CAO for Bell and Hesperia’s original city manager. The report found Bell’s internal controls were “virtually non-existent,” resulting in the city making inappropriate payroll, illegally raising taxes, mismanaging bond funds and entering into questionable contracts and land purchases.

“Our audit found the city had almost no accounting controls — no checks or balances — and the General Fund was run like a petty cash drawer,” Chiang said in a statement.

Mayer Hoffman McCann was retained in November to audit Bell’s finances. Now Garin Casaleggio, spokesman for the Controller’s office, said financial reports prepared by the firm are the subject of a separate audit, due out by the end of October.

“It’s hard to believe a CPA firm could miss the abuses we found,” Casaleggio said by phone Thursday. “And we found them rather quickly.”

A call to Mayer Hoffman McCann wasn’t immediately returned Thursday afternoon.

Victorville rehired Mayer Hoffman, which had audited the city’s financial records from the 2005-06 fiscal year, in May 2009 to complete an audit that was already four months overdue.

The move came in the wake of a delayed and highly critical review of Victorville’s 2007 financial statements by auditors Caporicci & Larson. That firm declined to even issue an opinion on the city’s finances, stating Victorville had “not maintained adequate internal control and accounting records.”

Newly rehired Mayer Hoffman McCann gave the city an unqualified or “clean” opinion for the 2007-08 fiscal year, putting a couple hundred million dollars worth of assets that were stripped away by Caporicci & Larson back on city books.

The firm did express doubts about whether Victorville could continue to stay afloat, in a caution repeated on the city’s 2008-09 audit.

Mayer Hoffman McCann is still at work on Victorville’s 2009-10 review, due out in January.

City spokeswoman Yvonne Hester said Thursday that Victorville had no comment on the situation, or on Mayer Hoffman McCann’s performance.

If the Controller’s office finds evidence of deficiencies in Mayer Hoffman’s work relative to the City of Bell, Casaleggio they could turn that information over to the California Board of Accountancy for possible disciplinary action against the firm.

To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

Billboards, signs along Main Street posted by Al Vogler
September 23, 2010 6:22 PM
Beau Yarbrough – Hesperia Star
Staff Writer

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Hesperia City Council, local resident Debra Ann Peterson wanted to talk about the city council campaign.

Specifically, during the meeting’s public comment section, she wanted to know which candidate was anonymously putting up ads — a billboard on Main Street near G Avenue and several smaller signs — telling voters to vote “No on Smith, Blewett, Holman,” referring to Mayor Thurston “Smitty” Smith and fellow candidates Russ Blewett and Dave Holman.
“Being a real estate broker, I’m always distraught whenever I see anything negative,” Peterson said Thursday. “I didn’t know who it was, and I was very upset that it didn’t say ‘this sign was sponsored by.’ You know, like in a Meg [Whitman] commercial? … I thought it was very little to hide behind a big yellow sign. … I thought ‘is there a candidate doing this?’”

Later in the meeting, she got her answer.

“For the record, the person behind the ‘no’ signs is Al Vogler,” said his wife, Councilwoman Rita Vogler.

The three candidates targeted by Vogler, who disagree on a number of issues, have been brought together by the signage. A letter, written by Blewett, but signed by all three, was delivered to the Star on Thursday.

“One thing we do all agree about is the destructive, self-serving nature of Al Vogler,” the letter reads in part. “This man never has a good thing to say about anyone and has opposed most things except the recent attempt to raise the sales tax on our economically distressed citizens.”

“I figured Al was going to come at me,” Smith said Thursday. “He loaned my campaign $7,500 four years ago, and he’s going to claim I’m on the take from [other donors].”

“People are unhappy with the negativity,” said Blewett. “Al Vogler, he has talent and he has a lot of energy, but he uses it in a totally negative way.”

“You’ll notice that me and Russ stood up against the half-cent sales tax, and obviously, Smitty voted against it,” said Holman. “I think that’s the only thing we all have in common.”

Holman sent a complaint to the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission about the anonymous signs on Wednesday, he said.

Read the rest of the story in the Hesperia Star…..

Victorville Daily Press
September 21, 2010 12:10 PM
From Staff Reports

VICTORVILLE • With the November general election just seven weeks away, the Daily Press and Victor Valley College are partnering on a series of local candidate forums.

Daily Press news staff will moderate the forums designed to give candidates an equal opportunity to respond to questions and voice their positions. Public question-and-answer periods are also planned.

All five forums are free and open to the public.

• Apple Valley Town Council, 6 to 7:20 p.m. Sept. 29 at VVC Performing Arts Center;

• Victorville City Council, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 29 at VVC Performing Arts Center;

• Adelanto City Council, 6 to 7:20 p.m. Sept. 30 at VVC Performing Arts Center;

• Hesperia City Council, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 30 at VVC Performing Arts Center;

• Victor Valley College Board, 6 to 7:20 p.m. Oct. 13 at VVC Student Activities Center.

To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Former mayor of Hesperia indicted three years ago this month
September 20, 2010 3:13 PM – Beau Yarbrough Staff Writer Hesperia Star

The criminal case of former Hesperia mayor Tad Honeycutt inched forward Monday.

Honeycutt, and co-defendant C. Steven Cox, were in Fontana Superior Court Monday morning. It was a have-a-meeting-to-plan-a-meeting sort of court date, the kind little seen on television but common in reality, intended to help choose a judge for the pair’s trial.

Honeycutt and Cox were arrested on Sept. 2007 on charges related to the collapse of the California Charter Academy. At its peak, CCA was the largest chain of charter schools in the state, with 36 schools around the state. An audit, commissioned by the California Department of Education, and released in April 2005, accused Cox, Honeycutt and others of misappropriating $23 million in state and federal taxpayer funds.

They face a total of 117 felony charges between them, all related to an alleged $5.5 million in illegal transactions between the CCA and a for-profit subsidiary run by Honeycutt.

Honeycutt is charged with 15 counts of Misappropriation of Public Funds, 15 counts of Grand Theft, three counts of failure to file a state tax return and a single count filing a false tax return. If convicted, Honeycutt could face 20 years in prison.

Phelan resident Cox is charged with 56 counts of Misappropriation of Public Funds, 56 counts of Grand Theft and a single count of failing to file a tax return. If convicted, Cox faces up to 64 years in prison.

But more than three years on, the pair’s journey to an actual criminal trial has been incredibly slow, due in part to Honeycutt’s political connection. In addition to his two terms on the Hesperia city council and political connections through his association with the High Desert Young Republicans association, Honeycutt comes from something of a political dynasty: His father, Theron, was a councilman from 1991 to 1995. His mother, Kathleen, represented the 34th Assembly District in the California State Legislature from 1993 to 1994.

As a result, Judge Art Harrison, who presided over their case on Monday, is the sixth judge the pair have stood before. The venue for their trial was moved out of the Victor Valley in June, after the third and final felony court judge in Victorville disqualified himself, because of ties to Honeycutt.

Click here to read the rest of the story in the Hesperia Star…..

With the ramped up new memberships that is accelerating Facebook into one of the most powerful social networking tools today, I am seeing a new effect that is bubbling to the surface. Yes, Facebook is starting to have a darker side and that’s negative campaigning.

In Hesperia I have seen the Facebook membership numbers increase almost 2,000 just over the last 30 days. Facebook gives its members an easy avenue to say what is on their minds, what they have done, or are going to do next.

Negative campaigning has probably been around for thousands of years, but never has had the networking capabilities that we are seeing now. Now a new hitch has appeared and is going after Hesperia School Board candidate Martin Hover, so I started asking some questions.

Mr. Hoover is a graduate of Hesperia Unified School District and is currently a teacher at Encore High School in Hesperia. OK, no big deal so far, but come to find out Mr. Hover has been a very out spoken leader of the local Little League and has ruffled up many feathers in the Little League community. Where it gets more interesting is that Mr. Hover decided to run for a seat on the Hesperia Unified School District school board. From inside sources at Encore High School, many of Mr. Hoover’s fellow teachers tried to talk him out of being political at this time.

Click here to read the rest of this story on www.OurHesperia.com

At over 17,000 square miles, San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt holds the distinction of being the local elected official for an area larger than nine states. His First District is the largest county district in the lower 48 states. The fact that that there are only seven incorporated cities with relatively small spheres of influence within that expanse only increases the enormity of the job.

Mitzelfelt began his life in public service by joining the United States Marine Corps in 1986, where he served his country as part of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. He was a public affairs specialist. He reached the rank of Staff Sergeant and served a total of ten years between active duty and reserves.

In 1992, Mitzelfelt accepted his first political job working in communications for the California Republican Party. By 1993 he had become a field representative for Assemblywoman Kathleen Honeycutt. That same year he volunteered in Richard Riordan’s first campaign for mayor for the city of Los Angeles.

In 1994 Mitzelfelt added campaign consultant and manager to his résumé. He ran dozens of successful local campaigns over the next five years, including the 1994 campaign pitting Keith Olberg against Mike Rothschild for a high desert Assembly seat.

Mitzelfelt went on to work for the Building Industry Association, one of California’s most powerful lobbying organizations. He replaced Olberg as government affairs director, when Olberg left to assume his seat in the Assembly.

In 2000 Brad joined the Bill Postmus campaign as his senior advisor to help Postmus win the seat, becoming the youngest person to serve on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. When Postmus took office, Mitzelfelt became his chief of staff.

Mitzelfelt served the residents of San Bernardino County for seven years in that position until Postmus left to become county Assessor. In a 3-1 vote, the remaining supervisors chose Mitzelfelt to finish the term ending in 2008. In the June 2008 primary, Supervisor Mitzelfelt beat out three opponents to win the seat outright. His current term ends in 2012.

First as a chief of staff and now as the elected representative, Supervisor Mitzelfelt has helped the high desert region finally obtain its fair share of tax revenues, services, and programs. Fire and police services have increased substantially while continually funding road improvements, libraries, public health and social services, and other infrastructure.

Both an adult detention facility and a juvenile detention facility/court have been built in recent years. Several new fire stations and a library are now serving the district’s residents. A centralized county government center is scheduled to open later this year in Hesperia.

Click here to read the rest of the story on www.SbGrapevine.com …

James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Posted: 09/18/2010 04:28:09 PM PDT

PHELAN – For some candidates, campaigning boils down to letting voters know where they and their political parties stand.

For Darcel Woods, a Democrat running in the Republican-leaning 59th Assembly District, that’s part of the goal. The other part is letting voters know what separates her from other Democrats.

At a candidate forum Saturday, audience members asked Woods and two other candidates several standard questions about their platforms. Only one question was directed at an individual candidate: How would Woods, who has received endorsements from several labor unions, help fix the state’s overburdened pension system?

“I’m not beholden to anyone,” Woods said, noting that while she has numerous union endorsements, she’s received campaign contributions from just a few.

More than two dozen unions and other labor organizations have endorsed Woods. She’s received contributions from seven, though the contributions add up to $19,100 – more than half of her total contributions, according to data from the California Secretary of State’s office.

“I’ve never met a Democrat who wasn’t beholden to the unions,” said Robert Gosney, the American Independent Party candidate in the 59th District, lending voice to a common complaint among conservatives.

To read the rest of the story in the San Bernardino Sun, click here……