To illustrate just how the money is returned to Mr. Johns read the following Daily Press story.
Power play
$13 million to Inland Energy as power projects dim
March 14, 2009 6:08 PM
BROOKE EDWARDS Staff Writer
VICTORVILLE • The city has paid more than $13 million to Inland Energy since August 2005, primarily to lay groundwork on energy projects — projects that may never happen.
By far the largest sum was $11.2 million toward the development of the $1.2 billion Victorville 2 power plant.
As developer of the project, Inland Energy has secured a permit from the California Energy Commission and an agreement with contractor Kiewit, retain investment banking firm Goldman Sachs and create an emission off-set plan — "all of the activities that make that project one that can be financed and constructed," Inland's Vice President Tom Barnett said.
The city hopes to get the project started and then sell it to a private developer to construct and operate, with a projected $7 million or so in annual revenue then coming to Victorville.
"To take a project to the point VV2 is now involves a whole array of activities that are all time consuming," he said. "But without that, a buyer couldn't decide whether to buy it or not."
Inland Energy president William Buck Johns said he's very confident that a buyer will be lined up, with 11 or 12 currently interested in the project.
However the city is four months past due paying General Electric $126 million for equipment for the plant, and risks losing a $50 million deposit and rights to build VV2 if another buyer can't be found soon.
The next largest expenditure was $1.1 million consulting for the Foxborough power project, which has now been abandoned by the city.
Inland has also been paid anywhere from $83,288 to $330,201 since 2006 to consult on projects including the city's hopes to become an inland port for Long Beach, building a facility to burn trash and the EB-5 Visa Program, exchanging green cards for an investment from foreign nationals.
"I have no idea what the city is getting for all the money other than consulting work," Councilwoman JoAnn Almond said. "We need to cut the ties, I think, until we find out where we stand and what we need as a city."
When asked to discuss the city's contract with Inland Energy and what services have been provided, Interim City Manager Jim Cox said he hadn't had time to go over that subject enough to give a response.
City spokeswoman Yvonne Hester also deferred back to Inland Energy, saying the only person who knew details of those dealings was former City Manager Jon Roberts.
Councilman Mike Rothschild declined to speak to the Daily Press, while Mayor Rudy Cabriales and Councilman Terry Caldwell couldn't be reached for comment.
However Johns said Caldwell has been instrumental in moving the vision of these projects forward.
Just for fun I have decided to post the political contributions from Buck Johns and his PAC's to local candidates and a few state candidates. I'll post the latest first.
Jun 4, 2009 COMMITTE TO ELECT RYAN MCEACHRON $1,250.00
Apr 16, 2009 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT $2,000.00
Jan 21, 2009 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRIAN PIERCE $1,000.00
May 11, 2009 COMMITTEE TO ELECT GARY OVITT FOR SUPERVISOR $500.00
Apr 29, 2009 FRIENDS OF MIKE RAMOS SBDO DA $100.00
May 6, 2009 KNIGHT FOR ASSEMBLY 2008 STATE ASSEMBLY 36 $625.00
Apr 10, 2009 MIKE DUVALL FOR ASSEMBLY 2010 STATE ASSEMBLY 72 $300.00
Apr 6, 2009 ROD PACHECO FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY 2010 $300.00
Jun 23, 2009 STEVE KNIGHT FOR ASSEMBLY 2010 STATE ASSEMBLY 36 $1,000.00
From 2007 to the end of 2008. $138,453.07 of expeditures
Jun 11, 2008 COMMITTE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT $3,500.00
Mar 15, 2007 COMMITTE TO ELECT MIKE ROTHSCHILD, MIKE $500.00
Apr 23, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT ANTHONY ADAMS, ANTHONY $750.00
Feb 27, 2008 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS $1,000.00
Feb 20, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS, $1,250.00
Jun 21, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT, $5,000.00
Feb 16, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT, $1,500.00
Nov 8, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT, $1,500.00
Apr 5, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT, $1,000.00
Nov 29, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT, $1,000.00
May 17, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT, $500.00
Nov 1, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT DICK LARSEN, $1,000.00
Sep 26, 2008 COMMITTEE TO ELECT DOUG SHUMWAY, $1,000.00
Sep 20, 2007 COMMITTEE TO ELECT GARY OVITT $3,000.00
Sep 22, 2008 COMMITTEE TO ELECT GARY OVITT $1,500.00
Oct 24, 2008 COMMITTEE TO ELECT MIKE LEONARD, $995.00
Aug 28, 2008 COMMITTEE TO ELECT MIKE ROTHSCHILD, $2,500.00
Feb 28, 2008 COMMITTEE TO ELECT RUDY CABRIALES $250.00
Aug 28, 2008 COMMITTEE TO ELECT RUDY CABRIALES, $2,500.00
Oct 29, 2007 FRIENDS OF RUSS BLEWETT, $1,000.00
Jan 18, 2007 GARY OVITT FOR SUPERVISOR, $2,500.00
Apr 1, 2007 GARY OVITT FOR SUPERVISOR, $495.00
Oct 24, 2008 GEORGE RUNNER FOR SENATE 2008 $1,500.00
Nov 5, 2007 GEORGE RUNNER FOR SENATE 2008, $1,000.00
Jul 23, 2008 HAGMAN FOR ASSEMBLY, CURT $250.00
Apr 16, 2007 HANSBERGER FOR SUPERVISOR, DENNIS $1,500.00
Feb 4, 2008 HIGH DESERT REPUBLICANS $250.00
Apr 24, 2007 HIGH DESERT YOUNG REPUBLICANS $600.00
Jun 14, 2007 JOSIE GONZALES FOR SUPERVISOR, $2,500.00
Sep 26, 2007 JOSIE GONZALES FOR SUPERVISOR, $600.00
Jan 9, 2007 JOSIE GONZALEZ FOR SUPERVISOR $1,200.00
Jun 12, 2008 MARK KIRK FOR CITY COUNCIL $1,000.00
Sep 26, 2008 MARK KIRK FOR CITY COUNCIL $1,000.00
Oct 30, 2007 MIKE DUVALL FOR ASSEMBLY 2006, $1,200.00
Aug 16, 2007 MIKE DUVALL FOR ASSEMBLY 2008, $300.00
Aug 16, 2007 MIKE DUVALL FOR ASSEMBLY 2008, $300.00
Mar 22, 2007 MIKE DUVALL FOR ASSEMBLY, $3,300.00
Sep 18, 2008 MIKE DUVALL FOR ASSEMBLY, $300.00
Aug 22, 2008 NEIL DERRY FOR SUPERVISOR, $1,000.00
Oct 15, 2007 PAUL BIANE FOR SUPERVISOR, $5,000.00
Jan 18, 2007 PAUL BIANE FOR SUPERVISOR, $2,500.00
Oct 21, 2008 PAUL BIANE FOR SUPERVISOR, $1,000.00
Oct 9, 2008 PROGRESS VICTORVILLE $5,000.00
Oct 6, 2008 PROGRESS VICTORVILLE $2,633.65
Oct 14, 2008 PROGRESS VICTORVILLE $1,449.18
Oct 9, 2008 PROGRESS VICTORVILLE $767.01
Oct 10, 2008 PROGRESS VICTORVILLE $215.00
Jun 20, 2007 PROGRESS VICTORVILLE $99.00
Oct 10, 2008 PROGRESS VICTORVILLE $18.38
Aug 28, 2008 SUPPORTERS OF BOB HUNTER, $1,500.00
Jul 14, 2008 SUPPORTERS OF BOB HUNTER, $1,000.00
Jul 27, 2007 TERRY CALDWELL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, TERRY $231.00
See if you can put the name to the government agency that might benefit Buck Johns if he were to control the vote.( Hint- scroll to the bottom of the page)
Apr 25, 2006 ANTHONY ADAMS FOR ASSEMBLY $1,300.00
Feb 22, 2006 ANTHONY ADAMS FOR ASSEMBLY $1,000.00
Mar 9, 2006 COMMITTE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS $5,000.00 May 10, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS $2,500.00
May 23, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS $2,500.00
Sep 25, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS, $3,000.00
Aug 23, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS, $1,000.00
May 31, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT DON WEBB $500.00
Apr 27, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT GARY OVIT FOR SUPERVISOR $500.00
Apr 27, 2006 COMMITTE TO ELECT GARY OVITT FOR SUPERVISOR $3,000.00
Sep 18, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT MIKE PAGE, $2,500.00
Aug 25, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT MIKE PAGE, $2,500.00
Sep 13, 2006 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BEV LOWRY, $2,500.00
Aug 23, 2006 COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT BEV LOWRY, $2,500.00
Aug 25, 2006 COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT JIM VENTURA, $2,500.00
Sep 18, 2006 COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT JIM VENTURA, $2,500.00
Sep 18, 2006 COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT TERRY CALDWELL, $2,500.00
Sep 18, 2006 COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT TERRY CALDWELL, $384.00
Nov 2, 2006 COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT TERRY CALDWELL, $320.00
Aug 8, 2006 FRIENDS OF JOANNE ALMOND $2,500.00
Feb 2, 2006 FRIENDS OF MIKE CARONA $1,500.00
Mar 30, 2006 GEORGE RUNNER FOR SENATE $500.00
Sep 13, 2006 PAUL BIANE FOR SUPERVISOR, PAUL $1,000.00
Oct 24, 2006 SAN BERNARDINO REPUBLICAN PARTY $1,000.00
Nov 2, 2006 SHARON RUNNER FOR ASSEMBLY 2006, $1,000.00
