Westminster-based Saigon National Bank is among 434 small banks and financial institutions that still owe the taxpayers a combined $15 billion, according to a report issued Wednesday by the inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. TARP,... »
It looks like David Rudat, acting Stockton fire chief and former Orange city manager, may have another fire to put out here at home. The Watchdog told you April 16 that Rudat was chief finance officer of a Westminster company that sells hydroponic equi... »
The state Department of Finance is challenging several Orange County cities over redevelopment bills – throwing into question the fate hundreds of millions of dollars that the cities say must be paid, while the state says, not so much. In Tustin, some... »
Local governments in California had 407 workers in the $300K club in 2010, according to the most recent numbers from the state controller’s office – and eight of those folks were from Orange County. There were 803,858 positions reported in county, cit... »
When David Noyes retired as general manager of Serrano Water District in late 2010, he dove right into his new job — as acting general manager of Serrano Water District. His consulting contract was effective the same day as his retirement. Noyes didn’... »
It’s easier to get an estimate on car repairs and kitchen remodels than it is to get an estimate on how much a hospital surgery will cost — despite California’s attempts to make it easier for us consumers, our colleagues at the Los Angeles Times wrote ... »
Federal prosecutors have filed a single count of wire fraud against former Medical Capital Holdings President Joseph J. “Joey” Lampariello, alleging that he made “Ponzi-type payments” to earlier investors. The charge, a felony, was contained in an info... »
The whole redevelopment wind-down conjures a bit of Scarlett O’Hara for us here at The Watchdog. “Land,” her papa told her in ”Gone with the Wind,“ ”is the only thing in the world worth workin’ for, worth fightin’ for, worth dyin’ for. Because it’s ... »
David Rudat, former city manager of Orange, might have a “chronic” problem. For the last year, Rudat has been acting fire chief of the financially embattled city of Stockton – a job that keeps him busy at $119 an hour. But Rudat also finds time to be... »
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is launching a probe into the business dealings of the embattled California High-Speed Rail Authority. Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from Vista down in San Diego County (which is not slated to ge... »
The deputy sheriffs’ union lost a round in court on Monday as an Orange County judge denied the union’s request to pull about 140 civilian workers out of the county jails. Judge Franz E. Miller ordered the county to negotiate with the Association of Or... »
Did an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent make a mistake last December when he took a shot at an Orange County-born carpenter outside an Anaheim school? An Anaheim police dispatcher, in a recorded conversation with a Buena Park dispatcher, calle... »
We’ve been talking about how attorney Doug Davert, former Tustin mayor, has been accused of professional misconduct by the granddaughter of the Trinity Broadcasting Network empire. Brittany Crouch Koper filed a suit against Davert and his partner, Dav... »
The electric bill in January 2011 was $150.23, the usual cost of the monthly bill and typical for this small Laguna Woods home. One year later, the bill was $514.34. What could have possibly caused this $364 increase — a leap of 243 percent? A new stat... »
The city of Keller, Texas, has 40,000 people — and three city managers. Well, two were assistant city managers, but you get the idea. When it came time to slice to accommodate a cash-strapped budget, City Manager Dan O’Leary decided the staff was a bit... »
