Graffiti was NOT removed as stated: "CRM #362877,

Date Closed: March 14, 2010 3:46 PM,

Reason closed: Graffiti removed 3/14/2010" – Not so fast.

Why do I find that some if not many work orders for graffiti abatement in the city of San Bernardino are closed without the work actually being completed?  This is a major issue for other residents I have spoken with and calls into question the trustworthiness of the crews and supervisors responsible for ensuring the work is completed accurately and in a timely manner.

Originally, when I first experienced CRM#'s being closed and the work was NOT completed, I assumed this was an isolated mistake or oversight.  It now has occurred with enough frequency at this point, I no longer believe this to be the case.

I am very troubled by the fact that there isn't more of a concern within the street department, by councilman Shorett or the Mayor and City Manager. To date, I have submitted over 875 CRM requests and this continues to occur after many months now of reporting and checking.  This lack of accuracy and oversight is unacceptable, in my view.

Voters may remember Mr. Shorett pledged to make sure residents, "get the most bang for their buck."  How's that working out, Shorett?  He promised accountability and ensured transparency, when he voted to more than double the cost of this program to taxpayers, and from what I can tell...you continue to sit silent, hold no one accountable, and have not so much as even publicly requested an update on this program.

I wonder Mr. Shorett if your idea of, "getting the most bang for our...I'll remind-you, taxpayer buck," is to spend $150,000 on a frivolous charter amendment campaign.  There are laws governing frivolous lawsuits throughout this country.  There ought to be laws governing frivolous taxpayer spending waste, but I don't suppose you’re concerned about this either. In fact you continue to vote for more and more of these frivolous expenditures, instead of spending on real priorities focused on improving the quality of life for residents.

This $150,000 could be spent better on priorities (even stemming from your own council retreat) on things like libraries, parks, filling a pot-hole, fixing a street light. For example: like the one on the southbound side of the bridge at Valencia and the 210, or helping to better fund CID. All of these things would actually do something good for the people in this community. Fix a sprinkler at a park, snake out a sewer as winter flooding approaches, put in a sidewalk ramp or fix a broken curb CRM# 419821.  There are frankly all kinds of smaller deferred maintenance projects throughout the city at large that would benefit from targeted spending on real priorities instead of attempts to silence voter rights.

All this talk about modernizing the charter language to realize better efficiencies is frankly a wild intangible with unknown outcomes, which the City Manager, Charles McNeely can't even quantify himself, when he was asked to do so by councilman Kelley during the 8/2/2010 council meeting. Most people care more about what is happening in their back yard like the two recent gang shootings in the last 3 weeks, around the 40th and Sierra area - than they do about the political structure of this city.

And, you all wonder why voter turn out is so low.  It's got a lot to do with the fact that many residents feel disenfranchised because those they elect are more concerned with protecting their power and getting reelected than they are with fixing our broken, streets, parks, sidewalks, and windows in our neighborhoods. But I digress.

The costs for graffiti abatement more than doubled when city crews were hired and equipment purchased, Mr. Shorett, you voted for this.  The taxpayer bill for graffiti abatement now tops 1 million dollars and for that price tag there was an expectation that graffiti would be removed in 24-48 hours.  Now, I do recognize some incremental improvements in "time to respond," but there is still way too much graffiti and blight and trash throughout the city of San Bernardino and it remains there for much too long. Little overall progress is being made to change our reputation and outward appearance for residents, travelers, and other communities.

Attempts to paint more-and-more, faster-and-faster (clearly, a band-aid approach) while not prosecuting enough of these individuals who blight our city, make cleaning up the city's reputation more-and-more difficult.

Mr. Shorett you also voted to approve a public relations assistant for the City Manager who as I recall was going to be specifically tasked with the lion’s share of improving the reputation of San Bernardino.  What is this person doing to ensure the graffiti program is meeting its goals or improving its relations working with other jurisdictions? Lack of jurisdictional cooperation only benefits one side of the street and the criminal – these other corners remain covered with obscenities, tags and gang symbols, all because a worker can't cross the street or make a field decision independent of a work order.  Why is this not addressed?

Why has it been months of silence regarding the cities attempts to form neighborhood-spotting teams?  Since, the city appears to be unwilling, reluctant or apathetic towards this need I want the residents listening, friends and neighbors living in San Bernardino to shoot me an email, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 866-565-0330 if you want to coordinate spotting efforts with me.  Leave me your name and contact number and we will get this effort underway, and I’ll get back to you. Working with neighborhood groups, and neighborhood watch groups we can form our own adopt-a-street teams and will be able to more effectively coordinate our reporting efforts to fan out, span more area of coverage and take back our streets, all of which those who voted for the graffiti program should be doing yourselves and demanding of paid staff.

I really wish there would be more of a cooperative agreement where the city can paint any jurisdiction in the area and bill the appropriate agency for the cost associated with the clean up.  Isn’t that the same logic being used to push forward a city-run tow yard, that is, to recoup the cost associated with policing?  Ok, well how about we recoup the costs associated with graffiti abatement in county pockets.  Work it out.  Work on the issue.  Capital follows certainty, so I’m told, right, Mr. Shorett.  Well make certain there is no graffiti in San Bernardino, regardless of what it takes and you might actually be able to attract a business to town that doesn’t fear property damage or threats to his customer base. It would sure make certian our city looks a whole lot better, throughout the major corridors, along the freeways, around business centers and throughout the city at large.  This should be your focus.

Some elected officials have chosen to focus council time on a frivolous charter amendment changes (you included) that will only further divide the city more and more the real problems will go unchecked and solutions avoided.  The neighborhoods are going to speak on this charter reform amendment just as they did regarding your ridiculous tax-hike proposals.

Lastly, when a CRM is closed, it means that the graffiti should ACTUALLY be removed, completely and thoroughly.  I should note here...”without a shadow remaining.”  When the CRM is closed and the work in NOT completed is gives the impression that Randy Kettle or the graffiti abatement program crews and supervisors are padding their response time stats.

Closing CRM's without doing the work is a breach of the public's trust and more attention and detail needs communicated to the department supervisors and crews with regards to tracking their CRM numbers otherwise the public (myself included) will grow to not trust the program statistics or the personnel responsible for ensuring the job is completed.  Somewhat reminiscent of the mistrust officials in the city Bell now experience.

Residents of San Bernardino have also been told that photos are taken before and after abatement efforts commence.  I have requested the "after" photos be attached to the closed CRM for accuracy.  I guess taxpayers know now why this doesn't happen.

And by the way, a charter amendment if approved, that would give the same group of individuals who can't get graffiti cleaned up -- more control and unchecked power over the people in this community and over many more areas of government responsibility is a losing solution to our problems.  Bigger appointed government, as will be the case if the charter amendment is approved - is never the solution.

For anyone interested… a full copy of this text is available on my web site: www.JoeArnett.com

As well as my recent comments regarding “public job classification pay salaries” actually being made public. Thank you for allowing me the time to speak.