BMX bike what?

One of Mayor Lopez's greatest achievements was securing a $500,000 government grant for a state-of-the art BMX park. What the f*%k? One of the poorest communities in California has a bike park? Does anyone in the town even have a bike? Hell, can they afford one? My guess is "No"! I'm thinking they might be a little more concerned with putting food in their mouths than they would be about providing junior with an expensive bike. But you know, things are not always what they appear to be. Read the article published in the Fresno Bee and make your own conclusions!


"ORANGE COVE SPENT LAVISHLY ON BMX BIKE PARK THAT IS HARDLY USED"
An investigation found that the project ended up as a big loss for residents.
Records and interviews show the city spent lavishly on a park that today... is hardly used. The park has, however, caught the attention of state auditors, who wonder why the city can't account for some of the costs.

If Orange Cove can't satisfy all of the auditor's questions, the California State Parks Department might not release the $490,000 grant. That would force the city to dig into its meager budget of $1.7 million or tap reserves to cover the costs -- a heavy blow in a town where more than one in three workers is unemployed.

Records and interviews show that city officials broke their own rules in handling the project. They awarded no-bid contracts without City Council approval, kept incomplete records, failed to have all parties sign contracts and paid an electrical-supply company nearly $139,000 -- even though it didn't have a contract with the city.

The city put the son of Mayor Victor Lopez in charge of overseeing the park's construction, even though he had no engineering experience. He also got paid for construction security work that he says he never did. In addition, he was paid to provide security for the city's adjacent skate park for 31/2 years, even though his contract was supposed to last only six months.

The Bee interviewed more than a dozen current and former officials from Orange Cove and other government agencies for this story and reviewed hundreds of pages of documents.

Mayor Lopez, 66, denies any wrongdoing and insists there are explanations for any irregularities in the city's financial records. "I've been here for 30 years and can hold my head high," Lopez said. "We've done nothing wrong."

When work began on the bike park in the summer of 2006, Lopez was facing one of his most competitive re-election challenges. Odilon Ortiz, the city's former finance manager, contends that the mayor so desperately wanted the park built before Election Day that he classified the project as an emergency and told city officials to ignore normal contract bidding rules.

Ortiz was finance manager from November 2005 until he was fired in June 2007 after the city manager at the time accused him of having a "bad attitude." He has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit; city officials won't comment on Ortiz because of the suit.

In the end, the park cost about $800,000 to build -- including the city's share of about $300,000. One contractor who worked on the project and who has helped build other BMX parks said most comparable projects cost about $100,000.

"I couldn't believe they were spending that kind of money on that thing," said Bill Wilson, who manages Tulare-based Valley Pump & Dairy Systems, which helped build the park's drainage system and retaining walls. "It was a little overkill, but that's what they wanted. If we suggested something, they suggested something a little nicer."

Mayor Lopez said the project was worth the taxpayer money because it is a "first-class" facility that helps boost the community's image.

But despite the big investment, few residents benefit. The park's hours are limited and city officials acknowledge that hardly anyone uses it.

Posted at 11:35 AM on Tuesday, May. 26, 2009
By Chris Collins / The Fresno Be

Orange Cove City Council

Before I start wading into the "cesspool" that is the Lopez administration, I must first identify the major players involved! Brief summary below:

1) Mayor Victor Lopez: A man who considers himself a crusader, a champion of farm worker rights! Instrumental in securing funding for a lavish BMX bike park in the city. Built a child development center, a community center, and is currently a member of the Latino Water Coalition (I will go more in depth regarding these "achievements" later on in this blog).Controversy surrounds this guy at every turn! You either despise him, or worship him...there's no middle ground!

2)Bertha Del Bosque: Councilwoman, school teacher, and one of Mayor Lopez's strongest allies!

3)Esther Gonzalez: Councilwoman, outspoken critic of Mayor Lopez. Recently voted that the city would no longer pay Lopez's travel expenses.

4)Gilbert Garcia: Councilman, also voted to end the cities funding of Lopez's travel expenses

5)Glenda Hill: Mayor Pro-Tem: President of the Orange Cove Area Chamber of Commerce, real estate agent, and central figure in a smear campaign led by Lopez's cohorts.

It should also be noted that Gonzalez, Garcia, and Hill voted to revive the cities police force. Lopez (who disbanded it in 1982) and Del Bosque voted against it!

Mayor Victor Lopez

There he is! Mayor Victor Lopez! One time lightweight boxer and longtime Orange Cove mayor! There are those who consider him a "hero" someone who is behind the "little guy" and wants what is best for the town and its citizens. To others he is a man consumed with power, one they deem so corrupt that rumors of election fraud run rampant every time he is re-elected.

My first observation of Lopez was one bewilderment! "This is the man everyone talks about?" "This is the one people fear?". I thought maybe I was missing something so I read article after article and watched interview after interview, yet still saw nothing that impressed me nor made me the least bit intimidated (growing up in L.A. may have desensitized me). No, what I saw was a man with shirt unbuttoned down to there, hair up to here...a man with a penchant for spewing obscenities in live interviews and town hall meetings, regardless of who is watching or listening...ahem, women & children. A man who constantly refers to himself in the third person and spews out lines that are reminiscent of 1970's cop shows...bad 70's cop shows!A man who names buildings, BUILDINGS, for christ sakes, after himself or other irrelevant members of his family and who calls comedian Paul Rodriguez "a close friend". Let's be honest, Paul Rodriguez, who's only claim to fame is some bad "B' movies and that horrible show "AKA Pablo" is the equivalent of me saying that I'm close friends with the guy who played Donatello in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Also irrelevant!

Anyway, two things came to mind! Just how much money changed hands to get this tool re-elected time and time again! And is this Guyana all over again...with Lopez the poor man's version of Jim Jones? In which case..DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID..kidding of course!

"Welcome to the O.C."

No, not that "O.C"! The one with the beautiful beaches, the freakishly gorgeous people, multimillion dollar mansions on every corner and fabulous cars parked in every driveway....No, the O.C. I'm referring to is good ol' Orange Cove, California! A small town located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. It is a small farming community of about ten thousand residents with a median income of about $22,000 dollars per family. It is a city almost completely cut off from human civilization and surrounded by orange groves. But that is not what makes Orange Cove "unique". No, it's that, upon closer inspection, you see a town so out of touch with reality, so archaic in their way of thinking..that you fear you've ventured into some alternate realm..some other planet. How else does one explain a city run by a man who calls himself the "Mayor", yet his actions run more along the lines of "Dictator"..and man who has held this position for close to three decades, who disbanded the town's police department close to twenty years ago, who had enough gumption to request that dancing be banned in the town AND WAS GRANTED THAT REQUEST? I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's first take a look at said "Mayor"

New Blog

Loyal followers. Yes, this is a new blog that you've come upon!I chose to create one that related to Orange Cove and Orange Cove only! I wasn't aware of the firestorm that I created by posting about Mayor Lopez, and how passionate you all were in regards to your disdain for the man. And for those of you who support him, you are more than welcome to comment here also. Comments will be allowed shortly. The only requirement is that you DO NOT POST REPEATEDLY UNDER FAKE NAMES! As I've stated this is a new blog, so please be patient as I combine portions of my old blog with this one!

Peace, j-side