Grand Jury Video Flashback :  Who is responsible for funding the Banning Cultural Alliance ?

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The Grand Jury has found :

“The redevelopment agency board should enforce the immediate return of $162,000 of public money from the Banning Cultural Alliance in accordance with the terms of the contracts. The amount arises from the Alliance failing to meet its contractual requirement to use $34,000 to develop a PBID ; to use $110,000 for a marketing program between 2006 and 2008; and $18,000 to develop a PBID between 2008 and 2009. A reasonable rate of interest on the amount should also be included.”

“An examination of the relationship between the Alliance and the redevelopment agency revealed a willingness by the board to fund the group without any measure of accountability, without measures of success or failure and without demands for return of funds not spent on contractual obligations. No other outside organization in Banning has been treated this way by the board of the redevelopment agency.”

TO READ THE FULL GRAND JURY REPORT CLICK HERE

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3/9/10 – Let’s look back at who voted for funding the Banning Cultural Alliance with complete lack of oversight  : on June 23, 2009, the Community Redevelopment Agency voted to fund the Alliance with an additional $ 131,500. The following videos are from this session.

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RESPONSIBLE : COUNCIL MEMBER BARBARA HANNA

Barbara Hanna has never been critical of the Banning Cultural Alliance. To the contrary, she has always been a complete sellout when it comes to the Alliance. In her speech she makes it up as she goes :  “we are very lucky “ to have the Alliance – –   “people feel safer” downtown because of the Alliance   —   the Police is burdened less because of the Alliance   —   we would have not attracted the Court to locate in Banning if it wasn’t for the Alliance   —   what they’re doing is  “absolutely fantastic”, “amazing” and “wonderful”

All of Hanna’s statements, of course, are backed up by absolutely nothing : The City never conducted a study that would suggest that people “feel safer” because of the Alliance. There is no crime statistic that would suggest that Banning Police is “less burdened” because of the Alliance.  There is no evidence whatsoever that the Court located to Banning because of the Banning Cultural Alliance. Hanna’s statements are completely fabricated – they are just hype and hot air.

But what else would you expect from  Barbara “Pelosi” Hanna ? Her entire speech is nothing more than an obscene pump job for an organization that at the time of her speech had already ripped off the taxpayer for $ 162,000. Hanna had no concerns : she voted to fund the Alliance.

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RESPONSIBLE : COUNCIL MEMBER JOHN MACHISIC

John Machisic states he fully supports the Alliance. He also says he did not read a 20 page expose that warned against further funding of the Alliance and that explains the PBID issue. It’s too much to read for him. So he just voted to fund the Alliance .

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RESPONSIBLE : MAYOR BOB BOTTS

Bob Botts is a former Vice President of the Alliance . His wife Ann serves on the Board of the Alliance. Therefore,  Botts makes all kinds of excuses for the poor performance of the Alliance. In particular, Botts addresses the issue of the PBID (a voluntary merchant taxation union). He is trying to justify more funding for the Alliance in the amount of yet another $ 131,500. His speech shows clearly that Botts knew that the Alliance did not perform their duties under the contract (PBID). Then watch Alliance spokesperson Newkirk change the subject and start talking about the Phineas festival. Botts voted to fund the Alliance.

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RESPONSIBLE : COUNCIL MEMBER DON ROBINSON

Robinsons wife serves on the Board of the Alliance. As Botts’ “Mini Me”, Don Robinson did not speak at all about funding the Alliance. He let “Dr. Evil” Botts do all the talking . In 2009, Robinson voted exactly like Bob Botts – 100% of the time. (view article). This time was no exception : he voted to fund the Alliance, no questions asked.

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THE FINAL VOTE  :