We’ll have to wait a century for a repeat of the 11-11-11 phenomena. Come to think of it, that might have been a bit fanciful, Saying ‘we’ that is. In my case I’d certainly have the last laugh on social security. For now, though, we can all boast that we experienced a “repunit palindriome.” How’s that for a mouthful? ‘Repunit’ means a number such as 11, 111, 1111 that contains only the digit “1”.

The number mania got me so curious that I looked closely at my odometer and saw that in 102 miles I would hit 111,111 miles. I hung a note on the visor to remind me to try and show my grandson the milestone, or if I’m on a commute, at least to honk and act crazy. Life is short. Why not recycle the teenage years?

True to to form, Las Vegas had their own way of celebrating 11-11-11 as 200 couples got married at the Little White Chapel. Here’s hoping that some of them have a repunit anniversary!

Antioch may have no wedding chapels but it was not to be outdone. It added its own exclamation to the calendar extravaganza by starting its fourth annual Veterans Day parade at 11 a.m. We had, then, an 11-11-11-11 happening. Best yet, though we had our drizzles, rain or sleet wasn’t going to dampen this affair.

One citizen shared with me the thought of the day; “Lord knows, our men and women in uniform put up with far worse conditions than suffering some measly raindrops. It is the least we can do to honor them.” I say amen to that sentiment.

Honor we did. There was a healthy crowd packing historic Second Street. State Sen. Mark Desaulnier attended as did Antioch Mayor Jim Davis, and Council Members Gary Agopian and Wade Harper and Antioch School Board President Diane Gibson Gray, Vice President Claire Smith and Trustee Walter Ruehlig.

There were four bands, motorcycle groups; representation from all armed forces branches; a dazzling array of civic marching units, all given an introduction by emcee and Asst. Superintendent of Antioch Schools Tim Forrester; Boy and Girl Scouts galore; an overhead helicopter; the splendid East County Military families float; a heartfelt poem by the Mayor’s wife, Sue Davis. Thanks go to Sue and her husband, Jim, and to those who served with them on the organizational committee.

Seems that it was more than the 11-11-11-11 fascination that brought people to the Parade on a damp day. You could tell from the cheers that this event has really captured the heart of Antioch. Plain and simple – they love their veterans.

Walter Ruehlig

Sometimes it takes showing off your prized possession to make you appreciate it even more. Antioch got that prideful boost in the arm at the Antioch Community Center this past week as on back-to-back nights it hosted a Town Hall meeting put on by newly redistricted County Supervisor Mary Piepho and then the rotating monthly Mayor’s Conference.

The newly minted Prewett Park facility received raves by consecutive large crowds on November 2nd and 3rd. The attendees were uniformly impressed with the signature blue drop entrance art work, the earth-toned building nestled into the hills and the fact that the facility even boasts a burrowing owl habitat.

If they needed any further proof of the viability of the Center, it was provided by an informal tour. The gym was abuzz with practicing cheerleading squads and the library was packed. Nothing staged; just a typical night at a hopping place.

At the Supervisor’s Town Hall meeting some 125 people heard from Ms. Piepho and representatives from the Planning and Building Department, Housing Authority, Highway Bypass Authority, Veterans Services, Probation, East County Transit Authority and Sheriff’s Office.

The Mayor’s Conference featured Sheriff David Livingstone talking on the realignment caused by state release of certain categories of inmates, known as non-non-nons. Due to some current 300 extra beds in our County system at least for the time being we were told by the Sheriff that nobody will be running loose. We will, in fact, be able to house these transfers.

A presentation was also made on the County Flood and Control District and Channel Safety Awareness Program. This program was prompted by the recent tragic boating deaths of two teens. Upcoming Board and Commission vacancies were announced; the League of California Cities gave an update; and the Mayors had an opportunity to share news.

The Antioch City Hall event organizers also didn’t overlook the amenities. A Deer Valley High Jazz ensemble, led by Band Director Larry Widnener, greeted incoming guests and the Divine Voices, led by Vocal Director Michelle Stark, sang the National Anthem. Dinner, for those wishing to stay after the business meeting, was catered by Lone Tree Golf and Event Center. The meal received praise for transcending the typically bland fare offered at these conferences.

The next Mayors Conference will be held in Brentwood December 1st with a holiday fruit and nut theme.

Walter Ruehlig
President, Antioch Mello Roos Board

Although I comprehend the city’s settlement of a lawsuit filed by Bay Area Legal Aid in which plaintiffs claimed the Antioch Police Department unlawfully discriminated against black tenants in Section 8 housing, I resent the fact that they received one dime, although thankfully the city’s liability insurance covered all but a $50,000 deductible. (Let’s just hope the premiums don’t go up.)

Here’s the facts behind the baseless allegations, one case which Antioch won outright and one which was dropped by plaintiffs when they realized they were going to lose.

During the period when the lawsuit was filed, the City of Antioch had a greater portion of Section 8 tenants than warranted and there were some bad apples in the bunch. When neighbors called the Police Department to complain that there were nuisance, criminal or drug activities occurring at specific residences, the department’s CAT (Community Action Team) officers responded to the complaints.

According to former Police Chief Jim Hyde, only 114 of Antioch’s 1,496 Section 8 homes and apartments had been contacted by CAT as of June 2007, which was only 7.6% of the total Section 8 households, proving race was not the factor in their response; rather the specific complaint was.

Ultimately, a subsequent audit of the County Housing Authority by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department caused the county Board of Supervisors to acknowledge problems within the agency and replace the Housing Authority Executive Director. The new director made a decision to require Section 8 applicants to undergo thorough scrutiny and the sheriff’s department to conduct full criminal background checks.

Unclaimed Funds
On another topic, a legal notice ran in the October 27th Contra Costa Times stating that funds which have been in the possession of the City of Antioch and unclaimed for at least 2 years will become the property of the City on November 17, 2011. Claims may be submitted to the City by contacting Bernie Abejuela, Accountant I for the City at 779-6175.

I, of course, scanned the list and noted that the city was holding some funds from Allied Waste Services, Allied Waste Services Inc., Antioch Sworn Mgmt. Association, California Tactical Dispatcher Assoc, Contra Costa County Office of the Clerk, Dept. of Fish and Game and World Savings and Loan-REO and World Savings/Wachovia. Frankly, it’s hard to comprehend that the City couldn’t find a way to return their funds!

The phrase “Advice not sought is seldom heeded” came to mind when I read that, during the Antioch Unified School District board’s discussion as to whether or not to put a bond measure authorizing a property tax to modernize Antioch High School on next June’s ballot, board vice president Claire Smith stated, in regard to surveying residents prior to doing so, “I don’t know if a poll would be really relevant. The need at Antioch High is so great that we have to try it.“

Has the Board, which makes policy, approves district budgets and adopts curriculum, given up reading newspapers and watching TV. People are “occupying” Wall Street, and other streets around the country, including Lone Tree Way in front of Deer Valley High, protesting the lack of jobs (Contra Costa County’s unemployment remains over 10%), loss of homes through foreclosure and a stagnant economy which is negatively impacting most of the population. (The Public Policy Institute of CA conducted a poll last month and 67% of respondents stated that jobs and the economy are their prime concern.)

Now is definitely not the time for the school district to attempt to push a second bond measure costing residents in the city’s non Mello Roos Districts an annual parcel tax of between $50 and $55 per $100,000 of accessed property value which would increase each year for the life of the bond.

The very same residents are still impacted by the district’s 2008 $61,600.00 bond measure to fund improvements at older non Mello-Roos schools. That one was cleverly structured as a school facilities improvement district (SFID) which is similar to a Mello-Roos district, the only difference being that, although both Mello-Roos and SFID district property owners are assessed a parcel tax to pay off the bonds, it takes 2/3 vote to pass a Mello Roos tax but only 55% voter approval for a SFID district tax.

According to Board member Walter Ruehling, the parcel tax measure hasn’t been voted on – so far it’s merely a discussion but if it does go, it would again only need 55% voter approval to pass. He stated that he’ll bring up the subject of an exemption for senior citizens which was not done in the prior bond measure.

There’s been a lot of criticism about the amount of taxpayer money spent to send numerous Bay Area transit officials to attend the annual American Public Transportation Agency (APTA) conference in New Orleans.

Attending were 4 elected BART directors (Board President Bob Franklin, VP John McPartland, Directors Joel Keller and Gail Murray) plus 9 BART employees, 8 Tri Delta Transit board members, including Antioch Mayor Jim Davis and County Supervisor Federal Glover, plus 3 staffers (a 9th board member Mary Erbez paid her own way), 5 County Connection board members and 2 executives, 2 board members and 1 staffer from A.C. Transit (2 other employees went but the agency didn’t pay their costs) and no board members and just one employee from Wheels, the Tri-Valley transit counterpart.

This year’s annual conference was held in conjunction with EXPO 2011 as it is every 3 years. Supposedly, the purpose of the EXPO is for suppliers to provide information regarding new products and promote public transportation. The website contains all usual propaganda, for example, public transit supports the national goal of energy independence, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, reduced traffic congestion, health and wellness and provides innovative energy solutions.

The next one APTA/EXPO in 2014 is being held in Houston, Texas which hopefully won’t hold the same allure, leading to another abuse of taxpayer dollars.

BART spent the most bucks sending 4 Directors and 9 staff members on the New Orleans trip and frankly, it has the weakest excuse because they’ve already chosen the supplier of their new fleet. If you check out their web site, you’ll find a link to their New Train Car Project site which contains a photo of BART’s Fleet of the Future, new train cars designed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

All the details are there, for example, 50 seats on cab cars and 68 seats in other cars, easier to clean, wipe able seats, clean, durable non-slip floors – no musty carpets, handholds and poles mounted on seat backs, bike racks on some train cars etc.

NOTE: In another blow to taxpayers, The Bay Area Toll Authority, an affiliate of MTC, voted 8 to 6 to give Metropolitan Transportation Commission the go ahead to spend $93 million dollars, funded in part by bridge toll money, for a new headquarters in San Francisco.

Incidentally, MTC is seeking approval for another 290 miles of combined toll and carpool lanes in the Bay Area and is contemplating polling voters for a possible ballot measure next year to raise gas taxes in the Bay Area by up to 10 cents per gallon to pay for roads, freeways and public transit.

Fortunately the ballot measure would require 2/3 approval of voters in the region and I can’t imagine happening in this faltering economy.

I’m not an Occupy Wall Street protestor but I do have some complaints I’d like to express.

First is the decision by the Contra Costa Community College District on a vote of 4-1 vote (John Nejedly opposed) to approve a “project labor agreement” for the $286 million Measure A bond approved by voters in June 2006. PLAs are discriminatory and anti-competitive and increase project costs by 12-18% because bidders must agree to abide by union work rules, pay union wages and contribute to union health and retirement funds, whether or not the employees they hire belong to a union.

The Concord Council is also considering mandating PLA agreements for development of Concord Naval Weapons Station land, and Governor Jerry Brown just signed legislation to “prohibit” measures passed by local governments that ban government-mandated PLAs. Antioch built its new community center/library without a PLA, enabling the project to come in consideraby below the anticipated cost of the project.

Politicians know that labor unions can get out the vote and contribute to election coffers. But what they might not realize is that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 the union membership rate was 11.9% – down from 12.3% a year earlier. In 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, union membership was 20.1%. Of note is the fact that in 2010 union membership for public sector workers was substantially higher than the rate for private sector workers (6.9%).

Secondly, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission continues to allege that it has outgrown its Oakland space and is still pursuing the purchase of a building in San Francisco, which its advisers say has a value of about $96 million. A state audit to determine whether it’s legal to use bridge toll money to do so is not yet completed.

Regrettably, MTC now has at least one ally. The Bay Area Toll Authority, which would share the building, voted 8-6 to approve the move. However, the Association of Bay Area Governments, also expected to share the building, voted not to join the move. Good for them.

Interesting to note is that the building MTC wishes to purchase sold for $60 million in 2010, meaning it has appreciated by more than 30% in one year. Since we all know our homes have depreciated the past few years and commercial buildings stand vacant, something seems more than a little off to me. Maybe it’s the appraiser.

Speaking of decisions that don’t add up, Supervisor Federal Glover, who was chastised by outgoing county Auditor Steve Ybarra for overspending Keller Canyon Mitigation Fund monies, creating a deficit which has to be repaid and for distributing grants outside the areas impacted by the landfill, is still administering the fund.

Due to the deficit, grants have been cut to $766,796 this year vs. $1.37 million last year. So what does Glover do? He decides to use $132,604 from the fund to hire an employee in his office to “deal with Bay Point issues.” This is outrageous. According to Indeed.com, the cost of an auditor in Martinez is $84,000, 18% higher than average auditor salaries for job postings nationwide.

By Walter Ruehlig

You may have seen the obituary “Civility is dead after long illness.” Seems he passed his last gasp on the Jersey Shores and was buried alongside the graves of his mother and father, Courtesy and Decorum, and his departed brother, Respect.

The burial took place at Our Lady of Perpetual Partisanship Cemetery in Washington D.C. The pallbearers on opposite sides of the casket were Democrats and Republicans. Civility is survived by his infirm wife, Good Taste and ailing daughter, Good Manners.

We know that America has long suffered in international cultural reputation. In 1958 the book “The Ugly American” disdainfully branded us as arrogant and ostentatious. Two years ago, though, things took a frightfully spiraling downward turn.

Civility was put on life support when, in the course of a few days, Congressman Joe Wilson screamed out to the President, “You lie!”, Serena Williams volleyed an expletive-laden tirade at an official, and Kanye West unceremoniously grabbed the mike from Grammy winner Taylor Swift and yelled that Beyonce deserved the award.

In the aftermath of the national rudeness orgy, President Obama lamented our cultural coarsening and CBS ran a report titled, “America the Rude-iful.” Since then a poll, unsurprisingly, indicated that 72 percent of Americans felt bad behavior was on the rise.

What exactly caused the worsening malady? Some argue that the Great Recession frayed nerves. Granted, it took its toll, but remember, civility endured the Great Depression.

Others argue that the internet accelerated the demise. For sure, America has long been known for sweeping informality, but digital anonymity has altered the landscape such that total disclosure and an undisciplined letting it all hang out is now off the charts.

Then, too, no reasoned person disputes the role of TV in vulgarizing America. After recently watching a rerun of the delightfully innocent Art Linkletter’s “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” I sadly reflected on our more recent fare, “Beavis and Butthead” and “South Park,” which, admittedly, can be mesmerizing in shock value.

For historical perspective, compare the enlightening conversations of Dr. Joyce Brothers with the brain-deadening knucklehead yell fests of Jerry Springer. The common denominator has, indeed, sunk immeasurably.

Am I that old-fashioned to find completely unfeminine the cussing L.A. Laker Girls? Need I really hear what’s on the mind of a Jersey Shores cast when I know that their world revolves around sex, body piercings and getting high?

We could also point a condemning finger at the bling-bling, steroid-popping image of sports figures. No excusing, either, our public square, the shamelessly pajama-clad shoppers at Wal-Marts, the buffoons sitting behind us at athletic arenas, the insensitive minions behind the wheel who think hogging the passing lane is their natural right, or the legions who use the “f-bomb” as if it were the preeminent adjective giving Shakespearean authority to any sentence.

Once the domain of sailors, salty public description of intimate bodily functions is now passe to housewives and high school students alike.

Lest we not forget the causative factor of partisan politics, toxically practiced on both sides of the aisle, politics has become mud-wrestling with no holds barred.

Gone are the non-demonizing times when a Hubert Humphrey, the Senate Majority Leader and self-proclaimed champion of the “politics of joy,” would go head to head in spirited debate on the Senate floor with Minority Leader Everret Dirksen, and then end the day together tipping beers. Now try imagining John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi sharing a brewski.

In the end, though, none of the debilitating factors listed takes full crippling blame. That honor goes to the parents. Obviously, you readily become what you see and hear at home.

When I taught in Turkey for the Peace Corps, students meeting me in the street would bow. In my wife’s native Philippines they kiss the hands of elders. What a far cry from the States where my 14-year-old neighbor called me “Walter.” Since when am I Walter to a 14-year-old?

Emily Post must roll over in her grave musing on a society where teaching etiquette at home or in the schools is so foreign.

Hope, though, springs eternal that the cultural phoenix can rise from the ashes. I was delighted at the recent Antioch Teacher of the Year dinner to hear County Superintendent of Schools Joe Ovick talk of a civility initiative. Sir, I gladly open the door for you.

There’s been a lot of press recently about the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s $180 million dollar decision to relocate from Oakland to San Francisco. The MTC oversees transit planning for the 9 counties that touch San Francisco Bay. Why should that decision concern us?

The answer is because:
1) We have two commissioners on the board – Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover and Orinda Councilmember Amy Rein Worth.

2) Commissioners didn’t wait for the results of a state audit to determine if it’s legal to use toll money ($6 just to cross a bridge) on real estate speculation.

3) They had to rescind their first vote to move because it violated the state open meeting law.

4) No public agency should be EXPANDING in this sour economy; rather they should be trimming staff and cutting costs.

5) Their idea to combine MTC, the Bay Area Area Quality Management District, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission under one roof backfired since ABAG declined to take part in the move.

I queried MTC in regard to the vote of moving offices from the Oakland location, which is right next to a BART station, to a new building in San Francisco that is not located near transit. Here’s what I learned. On the first vote our representatives Federal Glover and Amy Rein Worth voted against acceptance of the findings and recommendations of the ad hoc report.

Following the closed session, on a vote concerning the bidding process for that building, commissioners Cortese, Green, Haggerty, Liccardo and Amy Rein Worth voted no.