Drummond: Yorba Linda reporting a revenue bump, best year for golfing

• April 13, 2023

Yorba Linda has been buoyed by some good financial news lately: City revenues are up, led by a significant increase in sales tax collections, and income from the city-owned Black Gold Golf Club will lead to a sooner-than-expected payoff of the club’s outstanding debt.

City operating revenue will be about $1.4 million more than expected at the end of the fiscal year June 30, according to a report to the City Council by Finance Director Dianna Honeywell.

The increased income will be led by a predicted $400,000 boost in sales taxes, reaching an anticipated $9 million. Operating revenue is projected to total $44.8 million.

“Increases in sales tax are driven mainly by gasoline sales, heavy industrial equipment sales and the rebound in local restaurants with people venturing out more since the end of the pandemic,” Honeywell reported.

Other expected increases include $300,000 in building permit and plan check fees and $289,000 in recreation fees.

A projected $106,000 in reduced revenue from property transfer and transit occupancy tax income is partly attributed to a “slowing of the housing market.” Other expected declines: Interest, recreation brochure advertising, cable TV franchise fees and oil well certificates.

A strikingly upbeat report on finances at the 22-year-old, city-owned golf course also was presented to the council, prepared by General Manager Rich Cessna. He called the most recently completed fiscal year “the most successful…in Black Gold’s history.”

A highlight of his report is a sooner-than-expected settlement of the club’s $2.3 million debt to the city. Final payment had been expected in 2030, but now the projected payoff is June 2028.

Cessna said club revenue totaled $9.1 million, with a net profit of some $1 million.

“This was a record-setting year, as golf demand continues to be at an all-time high, reinvigorated by the COVID pandemic.”

“However,” Cessna advised, “golf has not been historically recession-proof, and demand for golf is anticipated to soften over time, so this level of profit should not be counted on moving forward.”

Cessna also noted: “With the demand at the highest in golf’s history, Black Gold was forced to limit the number of golfers per day to maintain an acceptable pace of play” and to “prevent the golf course from becoming damaged from just the sheer volume of visitors.”

He added that the goal of reducing the number of rounds was successful, but Black Gold still produced more than 6,000 rounds beyond the normal targeted average of 58,000 – “obviously a good problem.”

Correction: My math was off in my Feb. 16 column reporting Ryan Bent’s per-vote spending in the Nov. 8 council election. He spent $10,714 to win 12,334 votes for 87 cents per-vote.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

Susan Shelley: The ‘housing first’ approach is a failure in California for obvious reasons

• April 13, 2023

If you would like to see graphic evidence of the catastrophic failure of the “Housing First” model to address what is called the homelessness crisis, look no further than the story of the Skid Row Housing Trust in Los Angeles.

The Skid Row Housing Trust owns 29 buildings that provide housing for 1,500 tenants described by City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto as “among the most vulnerable people in our City, requiring health services, security and daily assistance.”

The occasion of the city attorney’s statement was a court decision on Friday to place all 29 of the buildings owned by the trust into receivership. Initially, L.A. Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff considered placing just 26 of the buildings into receivership, but when a deputy city attorney presented information about recent overdose deaths, the judge put all the buildings under the control of the new receiver.

A provision of the state health and safety code allows a court-appointed receiver to borrow against the value of the buildings in order to rehab them.

The core of the problem is that it’s not just the buildings that need rehab.

By state law, specifically Senate Bill 1380 enacted in 2016, all housing programs using public funding must adhere to the requirements of the “Housing First” model. The key principle is this: no one may be required to be clean and sober, or to participate in programs and services of any kind, as a condition of receiving housing from the government-funded program.

Now let’s take a look at what happened in and to the 29 buildings owned by the Skid Row Housing Trust.

A recent report in the L.A. Times noted that “soaring maintenance costs to keep aging buildings habitable took a financial toll,” but the age of the buildings is only part of the story. “Some of the people the nonprofit served had substance abuse and other issues that could lead them to damage buildings and inflict chaos on residents,” the Times reported.

In lawsuits filed last year on behalf of residents of two of the trust’s buildings, residents “alleged a lack of security” as well as “violence by other tenants.”

The Times said it found “similar issues in other buildings where tenants said that drug use and prostitution were a problem. They put the blame on lax security that gave intruders easy access.”

But the access is always easy when a resident opens the door from the inside. What residential security could possibly protect against that?

SB 1380, authored by then-senator and now L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, requires the operator of the building to accept tenants with severe substance use disorder. It assumes that four walls and a ceiling will have a miraculous ability to cure the problems that caused that person to be on the street in the first place. In reality, the law enables addicts to inflict harm on themselves and others, at taxpayer expense.

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One obvious problem with “Housing First” is that it takes only a few residents to throw the whole building into chaos, disrepair and financial distress. Everybody else in the building is a victim.

There is absolutely no justification for continuing this destructive and dangerous policy.

We need housing for residents who won’t destroy it, quality mental health hospitals and residential rehab facilities for people who need care, shelters for people in crisis, and the return of the city streets and sidewalks to their intended purpose. As I have written before, we can accomplish this by repealing SB 1380’s “Housing First” mandate, and by asking the federal government for a waiver from the “IMD (Institutions of Mental Disease) exclusion” that prevents Medicaid reimbursement of patient care in mental health facilities with more than 16 beds, and by building both emergency and long-term shelters sufficient to allow the enforcement of anti-camping ordinances.

Instead, California is spending $20 billion and counting on the same failed policies, as homelessness experts and non-profit executives draw lavish salaries and big contracts, all funded by taxpayers, to continue the policies that are destroying what once were livable cities.

This has to stop. Call your city, county and state representatives and tell them that.

Write [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @Susan_Shelley

​ Orange County Register 

How a tax extension can delay your business loan application

• April 13, 2023

About 19 million individuals and businesses filed for an extension on their tax returns last year, many due to unexpected circumstances such as IRS backlog delays. No matter the reason, filing for an extension only gives you more time to file, not to pay, which can put you at risk of overpayment, or hefty late payment fees if you underpay based on your estimation.

In addition to these risks, filing for a tax extension can also affect a business’s ability to get financing. If you’re planning to apply for a business loan this year, understand the impact an extension could have so you can keep your finances on track.

How tax returns factor into business loan applications

While every institution is different, most traditional lenders and banks look at profit and debt service coverage ratio, or DSCR, as key factors in determining a business’s ability to repay a loan. Profit is revenue minus expenses, while DSCR speaks to a business’s ability to take on new debt while covering current debt obligations.

Because tax returns are the most common place where businesses report revenue and profit, they are crucial documents when a lender is determining whether or not to approve a business loan application.

The impact of an extension

Many lenders simply will not move forward without a business’s most recent tax returns, but even if a lender is willing to underwrite based on older tax returns and financial statements, it may skew the financial picture you’re painting.

“Banks usually take the average of the most recently filed two years of returns, so if you had a strong year in your business, you’ll want to ensure that income is counted,” said Anjali Jariwala, a certified financial planner and founder of FIT Advisors, a financial planning firm, in an email.

A lender may review internally prepared or interim financial statements like balance sheets or profit and loss statements to get an idea of the state of the business, but “they are not going to be able to include that income until the tax return is filed,” said Jariwala.

Additionally, lenders may view an extension as an issue of credibility, according to Samuel Fuentes, a bank executive with over seven years of experience in business lending. “If there is no urgency to file taxes, then some banks view this as the company trying to work the numbers to pay less taxes, or perhaps as irresponsibility with money management,” Fuentes said in an email.

Personal taxes matter too

If you are a sole proprietor, LLC or S corporation, any delays in filing personal returns will directly affect the timely filing of a business tax return and vice versa. That’s because these formations are pass-through entities, which means business income flows through to personal tax returns, and is taxed on the personal side.

Even for businesses that don’t report pass-through income, extensions may still impact lending because of something called global debt service coverage ratio, a combination of the business DSCR and the personal DSCR of all owners or potential guarantors. Because many lenders require all majority business owners to guarantee or personally back a business loan, they need to look at personal financial information as well.

“Unlike business accounting, there is no income statement or balance sheet that can be produced for personal taxes to fill in the gap for underwriting purposes,” Fuentes said. “If their personal taxes are on extension, then the loan most likely cannot move forward.”

What business owners can do

Ultimately, what’s right for you will depend on your business and your goals for the year. One important benefit of filing an extension is that it gives owners more time to correctly report income and expenses that may be deductible, according to Kara Halfaker, a business consultant, certified public accountant and owner at No Fear Finance, an accounting firm with a focus on financial education.

“If a business owner has complex tax transactions or multiple businesses, it may take longer to gather documentation,” Halfaker said in an email. “It’s rarely a good idea to rush your taxes in order to get a loan through.”

If the threat of a large payment to the IRS has you dragging your feet, Fuentes recommends filing as soon as possible, especially if you have definitive plans to borrow within the next year.

“A bank would rather see you owe taxes and be making payments, than avoiding the taxes,” Fuentes said. “That builds ‘character’ if you show your company pays what they owe.”

The most consistent piece of expert advice is to make sure you’re on top of your bookkeeping, with both your internal processes and by hiring the right professionals. According to Jariwala, the biggest problem she sees is lack of proper bookkeeping that results in the business owner having to go back and fix years of mistakes, sometimes requiring amended tax returns. To mitigate this, Fuentes advises meeting with your accountant at least once a quarter.

Preparation is key, according to Halfaker. “The No. 1 thing business owners can do to be prepared before they need a loan is having their accounting system in place,” she said. “Business owners ideally should have a plan for a loan timeline and make sure they are doing their part to gather tax documents in advance to make preparation easier.”

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Cooking with Judy: A fish dish worth gathering over

• April 13, 2023

They say three’s a crowd, but my friends Barbara Rosen and Barbara Levine and I don’t find that to be so.

We call ourselves Judy and the Barbs – like the Three Musketeers, but without all the blood and swashbuckling. And, we get together occasionally with our friend Elaine Asa for Friday night Sabbath dinner, rotating among our Fullerton homes, sometimes joined by other local or visiting guests.

The host prepares the main dish, and we each bring a dish potluck style.

Our entrée usually is fish. While salmon is a popular choice, I like to try other varieties, like the Moroccan fish featured here, which I plan to serve next time.

I seem to be on a chickpea kick. Chickpeas, otherwise known as garbanzo beans, are great in soups and stews, smashed in sandwiches and, of course, are a main ingredient of hummus.

I love them in salads – do rinse and dry them first. Last week, I roasted them for the first time. The secret is to dry them really well with a kitchen towel and slip off the skins if you can.

Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until nice and crisp. Sprinkle with your favorite spice mixture: chili, curry, even everything bagel seasoning.

I topped an Indian chicken dish with the roasted chickpeas for a bit of crunch. They also make a great snack, but they are crispest used the day they’re made.

Chickpeas are legumes and a healthy source of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. They are full of inflammation-fighting nutrients and low-glycemic carbohydrates. Vegetarians and vegans consider this plant-based protein a staple, as it easily substitutes for meat in savory dishes or for eggs in desserts. Some vegan recipes even call for the canned liquid (called aquafaba) as an egg substitute.

This fish recipe comes from my cousin Abbe’s sister-in-law Martine, who was born in Meknes, Morocco, and emigrated to Israel with her family when she was 8.

In Morocco, this fish is traditionally served for Friday night dinner.

For the sauce, tomatoes are very slowly simmered with lots of cilantro. “Without cilantro, fish is not fish,” Martine instructed. (Despite Martine’s injunction, some people are genetically predisposed to think cilantro tastes like soap. Parsley makes a fine substitute.)

Thinner fillets will cook in 8 minutes or so, thicker steaks in about 15, but longer simmering in this flavorful sauce doesn’t seem to hurt.

In Martine’s family, cumin is served in a shaker at the table, like salt, she told me. I love its flavor with this fish, which has become a favorite in my house too.

Fullerton’s Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook.” Her website is cookingjewish.com.

MOROCCAN FISH WITH CHICKPEAS

From “Cooking Jewish” by Judy Bart Kancigor; yields 4 servings.

Martine’s favorite fish choices are salmon and tilapia. Cod, striped bass, whiting, red snapper, orange roughy and ocean perch are other possibilities.

Ingredients:

For fish and marinade:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 pounds salmon, tilapia, or other fish of choice
White pepper, to taste
Good-quality paprika, preferably Spanish, to taste

For sauce:

5 ripe medium-size to large tomatoes, peeled (reserve juice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 teaspoon good-quality paprika, preferably Spanish
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch saffron threads
1 teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste (optional)
White pepper, to taste
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Method:

1.  Place lemon juice in a 13-by-9-inch nonreactive baking dish, and dip fish in it, coating both sides. Sprinkle both sides of fish with white pepper and paprika, and set aside to marinate.

2.  Sauce: Chop peeled tomatoes, and place them, with their juice, in large saucepan. Add oil, cilantro, garlic, paprika, cumin, saffron, and salt. Cover pan and simmer slowly until tomatoes are very soft, about 40 minutes. Add fish and continue simmering until it is cooked through, 8 to 15 minutes more, depending on thickness. Add sugar if using, and season with white pepper. Add more salt if needed.

3.  Arrange chickpeas around fish and continue cooking for a minute or so, just to heat through. Serve immediately, spooning sauce and chickpeas on top.

​ Orange County Register 

Suspect arrested in killing of San Francisco tech executive Bob Lee

• April 13, 2023

SAN FRANCISCO — A suspect was arrested Thursday morning in the stabbing death April 4 of CashApp founder Bob Lee, authorities said.

San Francisco jail records showed that Nima Momeni, 38, was booked on suspicion of homicide after 9 a.m. Thursday. The arrest of Momeni, the owner of an Emeryville tech company known as Expand IT, was first reported by Mission Local.

Mission Local reported that Momeni was arrested in Emeryville. The arrest was made by San Francisco police.

Police did not publicly announce the arrest, and did not say what led them to Momeni as a suspect. Authorities have not specified an alleged motive in the killing.

Lee, the creator of the CashApp payment service and an executive at MobileCoin, was fatally stabbed about 2:30 a.m. April 4 in the 300 block of Main Street in the Rincon Hill.

Lee had been chief product officer at MobileCoin, a cryptocurrency and digital payments startup, since 2021. Previous posts included chief technology officer at Square — where he created CashApp, originally known as Square Cash — and software engineer at Google. He also invested in and advised numerous startups.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

​ Orange County Register 

AnaCon returns this weekend to Anaheim Public Library

• April 13, 2023

The Anaheim Public Library is back this weekend with its AnaCon.

The library’s comic convention type event will feature several authors and illustrators, a Hobbit-themed storytime, screenings and fantasy literature, superhero and sci-fi trivia, among other offerings. And it wouldn’t be a con without cosplay – this contest is open to all ages.

Anaheim’s own poet laureate will be participating; Wendy Van Camp draws from “cutting edge technology, astronomy, and daydreams” in her work and is a graduate of the Ad Astra Speculative Fiction Workshop.

The Fallen Stars will perform a concert at 3 p.m.

If  you go

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 15

Where: Anaheim Central Library, 500 W. Broadway

Cost: Free

Information: Anaheim.net

​ Orange County Register 

Ramón Ayala, KZ Tandingan and more headed to Southern California casinos next week

• April 13, 2023

Whether you want to catch a legendary norteño singer with his accordion, a Filipino rapper or comedian, Southern California casinos have an eclectic entertainment roster for the week of April 17-23.

Be sure to check the official websites for the latest concert information.

Ramón Ayala

Norteño singer Ramón Ayala has earned the nickname “The King of the accordion.” Ayala got his start in music early, first learning how to play the accordion from his father at the age of five in his hometown of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Eventually, he got his shot at the big time and recorded an album in the early ’60s, which set the path for his career. Mexican norteño fans didn’t embrace Ayala’s style of music right away, but it gained popularity in the U.S., particularly in Texas. Some of Ayala’s hits include “Un Puño de Tierra,” “Tragos Amargos” and “La Rama del Mesquite.” 9 p.m. Friday, April 21 at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon. Tickets start at $79. 951-849 3080. morongocasinoresort.com.

Bamboo & KZ Tandingan

Filipino-American singer Bamboo and Filipino singer-rapper KZ Tandingan are joining forces to perform for the casino crowd. Bamboo began his career as the frontman of the group Rivermaya before going solo in 2011. Some of the singer’s most familiar tunes include “Hallelujah,” “Tatsulok” and “So Far Away.” KZ Tandingan rose to prominence after winning the reality competition show “The X Factor Philippines” in 2012. Her hits include “Till My Heartaches End,” “Mahal Ko O Mahal Ako” and “Halik Sa Hangin.” 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio. $68-$128. 800-827-2946. fantasyspringsresort.com.

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America

Although the rock band is named America, the group was initially formed in London in 1970 by Americans Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley, who were all sons of U.S. Air Force servicemen stationed in Britain. The band was inspired to name itself America after the Americana jukebox in their local mess hall and didn’t want audiences to think they were British musicians trying to sound American. The band is known for classic songs like “Ventura Highway,” “You Can Do Magic” and “A Horse with No Name.” 8 p.m. April 22 at Pechanga Resort Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula. Tickets start at $50. 877-711-2946. pechanga.com.

Vice Ganda

Vice Ganda is a Filipino comedian, talk show host, television presenter, actor, entrepreneur, and singer. Ganda has amassed a massive following over their career, including with audiences on social media. Ganda’s stand-up style is known for its incorporation of observational comedy, situational irony, and sarcasm about Filipino culture and human sexuality. Some of Ganda’s most notable films include “The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin,” “Die Beautiful,” and “The Panti Sisters.” 5 p.m. Sunday, April 23 at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, 777 San Manuel Blvd., Highland. $78-$228; 21-and-older only. 909-864-5050. yaamava.com.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels Q&A: What are these ‘sweepers’ that Shohei Ohtani started throwing?

• April 13, 2023

BOSTON — Two weeks into the season, the Angels have done little to warrant moving off the preseason expectations for this team. On paper they looked like a team that would be a little better than .500, and they’re 7-5.

The starting rotation ranks eighth in the majors with a 3.68 ERA and the bullpen ranks 12th with a 3.74 mark. The offense is 14th with a .739 OPS and seventh with 5.4 runs per game.

And, of course, Shohei Ohtani is just as good as he was in each of the past two years, maybe better.

In our first regular-season Q&A, Ohtani is the inspiration for a question that plenty of people have been asking over the past couple of months.

Actually, many questions, but we’ll address one that doesn’t require a dollar sign.

Q: What is a sweeper? Seems the broadcasters got the memo this morning but I have no idea what it is. Is it a slider or slurve? — @leo_arc1

A: The sweeper seemingly emerged out of nowhere as a popular pitch in the majors, and no one throws them more often, or better, than Ohtani.

After Ohtani threw 51 sweepers on Tuesday night – more than half of his pitches – he was asked about the origin of the pitch.

“I’ve been throwing it since my days in Japan,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I have always had the smaller slider and the bigger slider. These days they call it the sweeper.”

Although people around the game have started using the term sweeper this year, it’s really nothing but a new word for a traditional pitch.

It’s a slider thrown with a little less velocity and a little more movement than a standard slider. As recently as last year, pitchers would just say they have two different sliders. Sometimes one would be called a slurve because it was something in between a slider and a curveball.

Now, it’s a sweeper.

Q: Angels haven’t been stealing bases at all, is this to limit injuries? Seems like a big part of the game that they are not doing. — @Dan20175151

A: The Angels have just five stolen bases this season, which is mostly because they simply don’t have a lot of team speed. They only have five players who have above-average sprint speed, according to StatCast: Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Brett Phillips, Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo. Phillips doesn’t play much, and Rengifo is barely above average.

The others hit at the top of the lineup, with plenty of power behind them, so the last thing they want is to get caught stealing with a power hitter at the plate.

Besides all of that, there is the obvious risk of injury that you suggest. Remember that Ohtani is two players, so every time he does anything he’s putting a middle-of-the-order hitter and an ace pitcher at risk.

Q: This keeps getting asked, BUT any guess as to when we can expect Walsh to be back? There have been little to no updates on him. — @KylePulis20

A: It’s understandable to wonder, and maybe even be a little frustrated, at the lack of clarity on Jared Walsh’s situation. Walsh is currently at a facility in Utah undergoing treatment for headaches and insomnia.

The Angels have said these are real quality-of-life issues for Walsh, so they fully support him getting them addressed, however long that takes. They say he’s making progress, but there’s no real timetable.

The more time he misses, the more time it will take him to get up to game speed. So as soon as you read that Walsh has an end date for his treatment, you’ll get an estimate of how much time he’ll need to ramp up his baseball work. Until that happens, it’s impossible to say when he’ll be back.

Q: Logan O’Hoppe is doing so well in Stassi’s absence, will he remain the starting catcher when Stassi is healthy? — @angels30ryan

A: Max Stassi is in a similar situation as Walsh. He is also dealing with an uncertain timetable. In addition to his hip injury, Stassi has been faced with a family situation.

Given that we have no idea when he is coming back, it’s difficult to project what will happen at that time. It’s safe to say that as long as O’Hoppe is playing as well as he’s playing now, he’s going to stay in the lineup, though.

The more significant question is what happens to Matt Thaiss when Stassi comes back. Thaiss is out of options, and the Angels probably can’t keep three catchers. But it’s also too early to worry about that one.

Q: Can you tell me the percentages of challenges we’ve won and lost over the last 2 seasons? And where they rank in all of MLB. — @JDB442

A: Last season Phil Nevin was successful on 44% of his challenges, which ranked 26th among the 35 managers, including those who were fired. (Joe Maddon was last, at 29.4%.) The major league average was 49%. So far this year Nevin is 0 for 1.

Q: (José) Suarez had like 200+ innings of sub-4 ERA pitching prior to his rough start to this season. Do you see the Angels exercising more patience with him despite the other options on the MLB roster and in the high minors? — @shortstoppin_

A: In 2021-22, Suarez had a 3.86 ERA over 207-1/3 big league innings, so that’s nothing the Angels are going to discard after two bad starts to begin this season. Suarez is also 25.

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He’s out of options, so if the Angels designated him for assignment, he’d definitely get claimed.

It is fair to ask if they might stick him in the bullpen if he keeps struggling, though. They have Tucker Davidson and Griffin Canning, and Chase Silseth started the Triple-A season by pitching 11 scoreless innings. As for how long the Angels would wait to make that call, I don’t know. Suarez is getting at least one more start next week.

Q: Nothing against Wayne (Randazzo), who has been phenomenal. But when should we expect to hear games with Matty V behind the mic? — @Mike27TroutGOAT

A: Matt Vasgersian is scheduled to do the play-by-play on the Angels’ TV broadcasts for their series in Milwaukee, April 28-30. He will continue to do some games throughout the rest of the season, but the exact number isn’t yet determined.

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP Patrick Sandoval, 1-0, 1.64) at Red Sox (RHP Tanner Houck, 2-0, 4.50), Friday, 4:10 p.m., Apple TV+, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register