California Archives - Checks and Balances Project

City Attorney: Bakersfield Spent Over $12,000 Fighting Public Records Request on Vote to Kill PACE

2018-04-9

Bakersfield City Council members could have saved taxpayers thousands of dollars in lawyers and staff costs if they had just agreed to “cure and correct” their alleged Brown Act violation and hold a full public revote on the PACE program last year.

Kern County’s Claims That Behind-the-Scenes Meetings to Kill PACE Didn’t Happen Undercut by Lobbyist’s Subpoenaed Records

2018-03-17

Jimmy Yee’s records detail extensive contact with Kern County officials and point strongly in the direction of a public records act violation and state-prohibited “serial” meetings.

Kern County District Attorney’s Look Into “All Allegations” Should Include Brown Act Violations

2018-02-22

As the District Attorney starts her probe, we encourage her to ensure that any money from the now-infamous “political cover” grant application by the Bakersfield Association of Realtors (BAR) was used properly.

Records Suggest Bakersfield City Council Members Had Illegal “Serial Meetings” to Kill Homeowner Access to Popular PACE Financing

2018-02-15

What are Bakersfield council members still hiding about their coordination with realtor lobbyists?

California Association of Realtors Ducks Subpoena Questions About Vote to Kill PACE

2018-02-1

Despite Being a Signatory to Kim Schaefer’s “Political Cover” Grant Application, State Realtor Lobby Refuses to Give Up a Single Record of Its Lobbyist’s Communications on Issue

Realtor Lobbyists Subpoenaed for Records on Vote to Kill Homeowner Access to PACE

2018-01-17

The City and County have failed to meet some of our lawful records requests, forcing us to turn to subpoenas to enforce public access to understand how public policy decisions were reached.

Mortgage Broker Boasted of Access to Kern County Board Chair Before He Voted to Kill PACE

2017-12-6

If Kern County CA responded to our records request accurately, then the only record of Zack Scrivner actively seeking information about PACE was from Tammy Engel.

Checks and Balances Project Seeks State Probe of Ridgecrest CA Mayor’s Potential Financial Conflicts

2017-11-20

Our complaint to Calif. Fair Political Practices Commission Asks for Investigation of Mayor Peggy Breeden After City Attorney Ignores Questions

Ridgecrest City Attorney Claims Mayor Breeden Isn’t Conflicted, But Won’t Give Reasons Why

2017-11-9

Possible Financial Conflict of Interest in PACE Vote Raises Questions In the eight years we’ve been asking questions about the ethical conduct of dozens of government officials and the influence of lobbyists and corporate managers, we’ve never come across a response quite like the one we received on October 30, 2017, from City of Ridgecrest’s… Read more »

National Assoc of Realtors Lobbyist Jeanne Radsick Misstates Facts About PACE to Taft CA City Council

2017-11-2

Ms. Radsick likes to refer to herself as a “local realtor” when she lobbies government officials. But, in fact, she is a director of the National Association of Realtors and the California Association of Realtors.