KBUU Newswire Wed Feb 2: SCE Launches Probe Into Stratospheric SCE Bills; Villanueva Asks For State Investigation, But State Investigates Him For Abuse Of Power
Written by 991KBU on February 2, 2022
=. Power bills are triple-sized … and Edison is investigating why.
=. Malibu should never – underline never – allow homeless in tents or tiny houses … says a Malibu task force.
=. Sheriff Alex Villanueva asked the state Attorney General to investigate his political enemies …
=. But now the state AG is investigating Alex Villanueva for possibly abusing his power.
=. The race to replace Sheila Kuehl as Malibu’s county supervisor takes an unexpected twist.
=. And now … free Covid 19 PCR tests for Malibu residents …. over the hill … every other day.
====
This is Malibu’s Only Local Daily News … the Wednesday edition … I’m Hans Laetz reporting.
Coastal Electric Bills Doubling, Tripling, And SCE Launches Investigation Why
Complaints continue to pour in about electric bills doubling or tripling. And Southern California Edison says Malibu may not be the only place where something may have gone wrong.
An Edison official is telling Malibu residence that the company has received several inquiries from coastal communities experiencing higher electric bills”
Rudy Gonzalez… The principal manager for government relations at Southern California Edison… Says the company has received several inquiries from coastal communities.
He says and we quote … “e are conducting an analysis to determine the primary reasons for these increases.”
At least one Malibu resident has filed a formal complaint with California public utilities commission… Which has kicked the complaint up several notches at Southern California Edison.
It’s a complicated picture… Calculating electric bills. But most Malibu residents get their power generated by CPA the clean power alliance. And CPA has not raised its rates… Not since last summer. In fact CPA rates are supposed to drop 6% next month.
But Edison has raised its rates and shifted billing procedures around for the delivery charges that it slaps onto the CPA costs.
Delivery costs are skyrocketing because the Woolsey fire and grid hardening costs may be factored into those.
This comes as Southern California Edison is again conducting aerial inspections … drones and/or helicopters.
Broad Beach, Trancas, Malibu Park and Kanan Dume.
These inspections are not cheap… And it looks like the bills are coming due.
It’s important to remember that Southern California Edison is authorized under state law to tack on 11% guaranteed profit on top of the additional inspection costs.
Safety first has its price … with investor owned utilities.
===
Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Foundation.
The Malibu Foundation underwrote the KBUU solar panels and batteries at the transmitter … which keeps KBUU’s FM transmitting on 99.1 during storms and blackouts… 24 seven… on clean renewable Malibu sunshine.
Homeless Task Force: Malibu Should Never, Underline NEVER Allow Homeless Tents, Tiny Houses Or Pods
Malibu should reject the idea of ever allowing homeless people to stay in tents inside the city.
That’s one of several strong statements made by the cities homeless task force yesterday… As it grappled was coming up with a homeless policy for the city Council to consider.
The task force members stressed that they think the city should never… with an underline under the word never … never allow individual tents, tiny homes, pallet houses, pods or similar forms of temporary shelter in Malibu.
That means driving the homeless person to another city,
Chris Frost is chairman of the public safety commission and he also sits on the homeless task force… and Frost says diverting sheriffs deputies in the taxi driving something the city cannot afford.
NEWSCART A73069 HTF FROST
“I think that sacrificing resources to roll people into other cities and towns… We can’t do that with the Sheriff self that we have now. We would end up having with too many of the resources that we need for law-enforcement leaving the city. If we send one car out in the middle of the night on Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday or Thursday… We only have one car in the city then.”
But the stark reality is… There may be no place in the City of Malibu where a homeless shelter can overcome two major obstacles.
Neighborhood opposition… And cost.
Even the old Courts building in the Civic Center… oncene mentioned as a possible site… Draws intense opposition from people in houses a quarter mile away.
Malibu lawyer Bill Sampson is on the task force.
NEWSCART A73067 HTF SAMPSON
“I like your hypothetical of Venice. I assure you if I tell any of my neighbors here in my neighborhood ‘oh …we’ve got several drug houses here … we’re going to bring in some more’… they’re … they’re going to draw and quarter me.”
Kelly Pessis is a Malibu Realtor who has been researching homeless centers in SantaMonica and Venice … including one near Western Avenue at Slauson.
NEWSCART A73068 HTF PESSIS
“In terms of shipping out our homeless… And removing our problem or however it’s been phrased… We absolutely can partner with somebody like a Salvation Army… A Hope X… A peoples concern… And basically start something up that immediately takes care of our needs. Because right now… Just as you can’t get a police car or a sheriff’s car… You can’t get beds anywhere.’
The commission spent two hours yesterday hashing over a comprehensive city plan … on homelessness …. For the city council to consider.
And the task force agreed that putting homeless persons in any other city … should be done in partnership with that other city’s government.
Alex Villanueva Asks For State Investigated, But Gets Investigated Himself Instead
Double trouble for embattled L A County sheriff Alex Villanueva.
The state attorney general yesterday opened an investigation into a secret squad… Set up by Villanueva… that is investigating his critics for possible lawbreaking.
This comes as the sheriff says the squad has investigated the LA County Civilian overseer of his office … the inspector general appointed by the Board of Supervisors to look over Villanueva’s handling of the three billion dollar sheriff’s department.
The secret unit has wrapped up its investigation into Inspector general Max Huntsman … and presented its findings to the state Attorney General for possible criminal charges.
That was two months ago.
No charges were filed against Huntsman …. And instead … the AG’s office is reviewing the sheriff amidst allegations that he is using deputies in a political witch hunt.
Last month … the chief lawyer for the LA County board of supervisors urged the state Attorney General to take control of the secret squad.
Los Angeles County Counsel Rodrigo Castro-Silva accused Villanueva of conducting “intimidating, politically motivated investigations.”
“Sheriff Villanueva has used these investigations to discourage legitimate oversight of himself and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and to retaliate against any public official who criticizes him or the Sheriff’s Department,” Castro-Silva said in the Dec. 6 letter, which was published in the LA Times.
Critics are unhappy that … at a time when the sheriff claims that he does not have enough deputies to patrol his 40+ cities… Including Malibu… The sheriff has used a half dozen deputies to investigate political enemies.
Inspector General Max Huntsman was accused by the sheriff off improperly downloading confidential personnel records on Villanueva and others.
The county lawyer says the Inspector General made a written request for the records and accessed them as part of his oversight duties.
And in the middle of all that … a subcommittee of the United States Congress is asking the US Justice Department to step in.
The congressional subcommittee has requested Justice Department investigation into what local Congress members call “criminal gangs” of deputies within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
These cliques of deputies celebrate deputy shootings and retaliate against whistleblowers.
Malibu Cosponsoring Free C-19 PCR Tests Over The Hill
Malibu and four other small cities are now sponsoring free COVID-19 testing … every other day this week … just over the hill.
The test are being administered in Calabasas every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9AM – 5PM.
This is the PCR (nasal swab) testing.
Results will be sent directly to you within 24 hours. T
he testing service is hosted by the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village, and Malibu.
The tests are given from 9 to 5 every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center … right near the Malibu Lost Hills sheriffs station.
That’s at 27040 Malibu Hills Rd., Calabasas.
No appointments are needed, but pre-registration is required at https://lablinqportal.com/PatientSignup.aspx?LabId=451.
====
You are listening to the latest news from Radio Malibu.
Support for KBUU’s radio covers from Orbit Homes Inc.
Prefabricated homes are the future of construction. Easy to get permits. Fast to build and install. Cost effective … little construction waste.
In Malibu, Orbit Homes has a showroom between City Hall and the Malibu racquet club.
Fire victims can check them out in person … and visit them on the web at www.orbithomes.us .
Pfizer Applies For Baby Vaxes, As US Sees Worst Covid Rate In Modern World
As we sort of predicted yesterday … Pfizer-BioNTech on Tuesday filed a submission for emergency use authorization to the federal government to allow babies and toddlers to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 disease effects.
Modeling by Scripps Health predicts that the current surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations should wind down by early March.
We are winding down into what scientists call an endemic of coronavirus.
A disease is considered endemic when infection totals are relatively stable and follow established patterns.
This is as opposed to major outbreaks continuing and prompting emergency response as has happened throughout the pandemic phase.
In the New York Times reports today that the United States has a Covid death rate for INXS of all the major western industrialized nations.
Credit antivaxxers for that.
The only industrialized countries to with higher Covid death rates than the USA this winter are Russia, the Ukraine, Poland, Greece and the Czech Republic … poorer nations where the best Covid treatments are relatively scarce
====
Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Brewing Company.
Malibu Brewing Company is a locally owned craft brewery, proudly supporting our community, and local public radio.
Just released: a limited, holiday-spiced Winter Ale … a perfect fireside companion.
It makes a special gift for the beer-lovers on your list.
Find Malibu Brewing Company premium craft beer in select retailers, or order direct at brew malibu dot com
=====
Support for KBUU Radio also comes the the Malibu Association of Realtors.
When choosing someone to represent you when you buy … sell or rent a house … local knowledge is very important.
Malibu zoning rules … Coastal Commission rules …
Members of the Malibu Association of Realtors are local experts.
The Malibu Association of Realtors … supporters of our local community … and supporters of local radio 99.1 KBUU.
Richard Bloom Drops Out Of Supervisorial Race, Leaving Hertzberg, Horvath, Stern
The race to replace Sheila Kuehl as the L A County supervisors who represents Malibu is shifting.
Richard Bloom announced yesterday that he is dropping out of the race to replace Sheila Kuehl as County Supervisor.
And that drastically changes the field for the hotly contested June primary.
Bloom was a the front runner in the race.
As of last summer, he had raised almost $1 million.
Three major candidates remain in the race now.
They include West Hollywood Councilwoman Lindsey P. Horvath, who is backed by Kuehl.
Also a major player from Sacramento … Senate president Bob Hertzberg of Van Nuys.
And state Senator Henry Stern, ..,. a Malibu native whose district includes Malibu.
The Third District Supervisor seat includes Malibu, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Agoura Hills and dozens of Westside neighborhoods.
70 Memorialize Alaska Airlines Crash Victims Off Pt Mugu
88 people were killed when Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed off the coast of Point Mugu.
It was Jan. 31, 2000.
About 70 people gathered at Hueneme Beach Park on Monday around the Memorial Sundial monument … to honor and remember those who lost their lives 22 years ago.
The plane was flying from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico when it crashed into the waters north of Anacapa Island.
The flight’s five crew members and 83 passengers all died in the crash.
Global Warming Affects Oceans Starting in 2014
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE:
A new study by the Monterey Bay Aquarium finds that global warming had reached a turning point in 2014, when over half of the world’s oceans experienced extreme heat.
Using what it calls an “atlas of extreme heat” to map out global ocean temperatures over time, the study was published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Climate.
It helps put into context the marine heat waves that occurred off the California Coast in recent years that disrupted the ecosystem and caused closures of the Dungeness crab and other fisheries. It’s also a reminder that climate change is not a future abstract occurrence but something that is already happening, coauthor Kyle Van Houtan said.
While half of the world’s oceans experienced marine heatwaves in 2014, they became common in some areas much earlier, including the South Atlantic Ocean in 1998 and the Indian Ocean in 2007, the study found. By 2019, up to 57% of the world’s oceans experienced extreme heat.
