“The Banning White House Has Destroyed Our Neighborhood”

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8/29/11 – For about 9 months now, a Banning residence, pretentiously named the “Banning White House”, has advertised itself as a  “for hire” facility  for corporate events, meetings, overnight accommodations and weddings. Now over 50 neighbors are up in arms : they claim that vastly increased traffic, loud noises, drunk drivers and speeding cars going up and down to the “Banning White House” have ruined their once quite neighborhood. And as you would expect, the City of Banning does nothing to stop the alleged nuisance.

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NO COMMERCIAL PERMITS – NO BUSINESS LICENSE –  NO LIQUOR LICENSE – NO TAX REVENUE

As we had pointed out in two previous articles ( view here and here ) , the “Banning White House” is operating without a business license, without commercial permits, without compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), without a liquor license, without commercial safety and fire inspections and without paying any business or transient occupancy taxes to the City of Banning.

How in the world is this even possible, you may ask ? The answer is simple :  “Banning White House” director, Pamela Scott, maintains very close knit connections with Banning’s corrupt Mayor, Barbara Hanna, who has shown in the past that her vote is for sale (more). Hanna, who has identified the “Banning White House” as her “hands-down favorite place in Banning” (source ), owns a mysterious consulting business named “Hanna & Associates”. However, as one would expect from her, Hanna refuses to disclose the identity of her clients. Because of a legal loophole in reporting requirements,

Hanna is allowed to do so, as long as her consulting contracts remain below $ 10,000 per client.

Does Hanna have a financial interest in the “Banning White House” ?  Her relentless promotion of the facility seems to suggest that she does. Why else would a Mayor promote as her “favorite place” a facility that does not have a business license and does not pay any business taxes ?

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“WE HAVE LOST OUR NEIGHBORHOOD”

Almost every weekend, the facility is used for one

event after another ( see event calendar). Residents say dozens of cars drive up and down the street, sometimes until the wee hours of the morning.  They also claim that the events take up most if not all residential parking, that cars speed up to 40-45 mph and even pass each other going up and down Silver Star Drive.

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Banning Informer reporter Pam Rein attended a public White House

event in March of 2011, during which alcoholic beverages were served, despite the fact that the facility was never granted a liquor license. On this occasion, both Mayor Barbara Hanna and Council member Don Robinson consumed alcoholic beverages.

Loud noises and music are said to continue sometimes past midnight. “We have lost our neighborhood” says Tracy Youngblood, who lives right next to the driveway leading up the “Banning White House”.  “We have been here for 14 years”, remarks neighbor Brent Kohrell. “I just want my peace and quiet back”.  Both Youngblood and the Kohrells recently have been accused by “Banning White House” attorney, Louis C. Novak, of libelous conduct, ( see letter),  a claim which both of them reject as an attempt to silence them.

According to residents, there are not only increased traffic, speeding cars and loudly honking cars, but also drivers that appear to be drunk. “ I’m concerned about the safety of my 4 year old son David” says Paul Shibalovic, who lives right across the driveway of the White House.

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OVER 50 NEIGHBORS SIGN A PETITION

Neighbors around Silver Star Drive have now gotten together and have circulated a petition,  collecting more than 50 signatures. They demand that the City of Banning “restore order” and “stop the Banning White House from doing illegal business on residential property”, ( view petition document ).  “Banning White House” director Pamela Scott could not be reached for comment on the issues.

Will the City enforce the law ? Unlike in other, legitimately run Cities, in Banning  the Mayor will unduly use her influence to override the enforcement of laws and ordinances. Banning has a long history of being run like a dictatorship : last year the Riverside County Grand Jury determined that the Mayor and City Council were engaged in unduly micromanaging ( i.e. giving direct orders to ) City staff, ( view Grand Jury Report). Any preferential treatment of the “Banning White House” would also fall into this category.

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CONCLUSION

Where is the local print media in all of this ? When was the last time you saw the “presstitutes” of the Record Gazette and Press Enterprise expose ongoing corruption in the City of Banning ?

Since the Banning Informer first reported on the issue 9 months ago, neither publication, let alone any member of Banning City Council, has ever taken issue with the highly questionable activities of the “Banning White House”.

Both print media and the City Council appear to work hand in hand, so you the public will have no idea of just how ugly things really are in Banning. The “Banning White House” debacle is living proof that the cancer of lawlessness and corruption that has long befallen the City of Banning.

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