Some people can be educated.  I don’t mean brainwashed, I mean taught by exposing them to facts, principles, and mathematical rules.  Obviously some can’t or choose to remain ignorant.

In Dixon, we have this insidious element of control freak politicians who are very good at what they do.  Rather than looking at a specific issue, they bring in other elements which only peripherally have something to do with the observed problem.  Such has occurred over the last two council meetings.  This is designed to confuse the issue, to dupe the dummies who are  naive and can’t understand how a shell game works.

Last night, we were looking at our garbage company on three specific issues: rates, recycling, and street sweeping.  The staff report was a cheerleading effort for the company, touting all the wonderful things they do for our community as volunteers.  While it may be appreciated by many, the acceptance of their “gifts” help some ignore overcharging, paying for more than is needed, forcing you to pay for a service you don’t want, and with street sweeping a little bit of all of that.  All I can say to that is to use a term from the past which has seemingly gone to the wayside: SUCKER!!!

For those of you politically opposed to me who thought that I was going to control this council with the addition of Thom Bogue, you must be pleasantly surprised.  If all it takes for Thom to vote for something or to establish a position is to help him out on something of personal interest to him like the Teen Center, I guess I need to put my overalls on and volunteer to drop a transmission or two for him for free.

Maybe I should volunteer to wax his “beater” truck.  That would be as applicable to determining correct rates on fees throughout the city for permits as his logic in defending contracts that are out of whack on the basis of the company’s charity work.  So Thom doesn’t get it.  But do you?

Some would like smaller trash containers with smaller corresponding charges.  Isn’t that what we did for our sewer charges based on usage?  Yes, some are now paying more but they are paying for what they are using instead of being subsidized by those who use less.  That isn’t a conceptual, moral or principle based problem unless you are a socialist.  Even this is an aside.

The real issue was the monthly rate being charged.  There was a 33% reduction in dumping fees to the company.  This supposedly amounts to a $1.50 per month reduction.  Yet Dixon saw no reduction.  When asked for an explanation, they (Scott Pardini) told the council that there were a number of other charges that countered this reduction.  Let’s look at this concept alone.

How is it that Recology told us that there was a 1.7% drop in the cost of living index which does not allow them to raise rates, yet they are now telling us that their costs were up by $1.50 prior to receiving the notice that their disposal rates were going down by that much.  If you are able to absorb that much in profit reduction, you must have a pretty hefty profit margin to begin with.

In addition, they had the notorious non-cash expense of depreciation in this calculation.  I asked the question, “are the costs of replacing the vehicles included in the rates or do you pay cash then raise rates?”  The question was answered by saying that if a truck is needed they go out and purchase it.  The fact that the depreciation expense is included in the calculations says the opposite.

The nonsense on recycling is more of the same.  The worry from our liberal fascist boss on the dais is that we will have to abandon the program if we allow everyone who wants to opt out to do so.  I say that we need to see how many people actually want to opt out.  If the program isn’t viable at a reasonable cost after this is done, then simply to force your liberal progressive agenda on the rest of us is morally and constitutionally wrong and the program needs to be ended.

Finally we have the street sweeping issue.  If we put it out to bid, we get the citizens the lowest possible cost.  How should we pay for it?  Do we take it out of the general fund which is the recipient of the 10% franchise fee, tax, bribe, inducement to allow Recology to act as a monopoly or do we ask the citizens to pay a second time or in addition to what they are already paying?

As usual this comes back to budgetary issues.  What is the reason we don’t have a balanced budget?  Is it because of the employees who enjoy the higher pay given to them by previous councils at the behest of the ex-city manager who touts keeping the same system?  Being accused of making the employees my whipping post by the ex-vice mayor must be true unless you can give me an alternative reason for our looming bankruptcy.

Now the question remains, am I off base on any three of these issues?  How is it that once again I heard little from my comrades, my supposed team?  Yet I heard plenty of defense coming from a mayor who accepts large campaign contributions from the company.

It is discouraging when you know you are right, can prove you are right, but can’t get anything done because your colleagues would rather feel warm and fuzzy about a company than about those who elected them…

* * * * *

One other thing from last night, the school district had a special meeting that no one knew about to correct holding a questionably noticed or conducted meeting of last Thursday supposedly to give the “citizens” another opportunity to address the board.  How exactly do you accomplish this when no one knows or expects the meeting to occur?

In addition to that, the board was told that one of the items on the closed session agenda was incorrectly listed as a dismissal related to discipline when it was simply giving pink slips to 14 temporary employees because of budget constraints.  You can’t hold a closed session on budget issues even if it is related to employee dismissal.  The district’s excuse relayed through their demented delusional superintendent?  It would be embarrassing to the employees to be named.  They are public employees.  Get over it.

We talk about transparency and trust, yet the district does its best at every turn to hide anything and everything from the public.  In this, they get aided by outside well paid attorneys who write opinion letters at the behest and direction of staff to condone misconduct then back that up by getting county counsel (who wouldn’t know how to interpret the Brown Act if it bit them – see Fraser vs DUSD) to second the opinion.  Dennis Bunting who sat as the judge in the Fraser case is now evidently training Carrie Scarlata who was just elected president of the Solano Bar Assn. in his “bad old boy” style of government.

What is so damn difficult in going beyond the requirements of the law to create trust?  Why interpret every issue as something the public doesn’t need to know?  As Mr. Rogers would have said, “can you say sunshine …”

* * * * *

The previous council meeting actions has brought a few comments from the unintelligent as well as the outright ignorant.  In some cases, both terms apply.

We approved “safe and sane” fireworks despite the disgruntled disapproval from the former fire chief who got the ban in placed to begin with.  It didn’t look like the current chief was all that thrilled either.  However 11 or more “non-profits” have now come out of the woodwork to wholeheartedly make the Fourth of July more traditional in its celebration.

Unfortunately for all involved, government in the form of the fire department wants to put in their draconian regulations to make it as difficult as possible for the free market to work.  Limit the amount of booths, divvy up the proceeds, determine where appropriate locations are.  I don’t remember the council giving them direction to do anything other than to design an ordinance.  Evidently the control police aren’t stopping there with their cry baby attitudes.

From what I gathered at last night’s meeting from the carping of Warren Salmons, he believes I said both of us watched the immense roll of firecrackers being ignited alongside each other.  I did not say that as that did not happen.  What actually happened was my observing him outside his house from my second story window as the crackers exploded.  The point was that as a city manager you would have thought he would have been on the phone to the gendarmes immediately for this grave violation of the law.  As usual with Warren, the law was only a political tool to be used against his enemies or that of the council.

My final item for your consideration is who will be the negotiators for the city, and by city I do not mean city staff but rather the citizens of Dixon?  No one has represented you in the past.  Should it remain as the city manager?  Salmons was down endorsing that too.  Was it merely as personal validation for the suspect or outright financial debilitation of the city’s balance sheet by Salmons, something he has a hard time seeing through his miasma of self grandeur?

Not far behind him in buffoonery was Rick Fooler in his statements outright attacking a fellow councilman rather than addressing the issue which as an outright violation of Robert’s Rules of Order.  I can excuse that as I understand his passion for his hierarchical former position in city government that clouds his duty to the citizens who elected him to protect their tax money.  Once an employee pretty much always an employee no matter what Rick says to the contrary.

Then we have a James Goodland who makes some outrageous claims about sexism on my part.  Put down the Kool-Aid buddy and drink some bottled water.  Before you write any more letters to the editor, I suggest you get your facts straight and don’t substitute your delusional opinions for the same.

The fact of the matter is you won’t get a different result doing things the same way they have always been done.  The fact is that the city manager has skin in this game no matter what my opponents say.  The fact that anyone can be a negotiator is borne out by various books on the subject.

The final fact is you can be a sucker and buy into the lies, hypocrisy, and outright bull designed to confuse you or you can look at the results from the past.  You can look at the impact on the salary of the negotiator if her subordinates have to take cuts.  Most of all you only have to look at the quick vote on Local One’s contract after the last election results came in to determine whose side she is really on.

Ask yourself who is looking out for your, the citizen and taxpayer’s, best interest.  It isn’t Jack Batchelor, Rick Fuller, nor was it Fluffster Cayler.  It isn’t the city manager who did their bidding.  That only leaves three left to choose from.

And one who can’t figure out whether he is a sucker or Darth’s brother …

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Feel Free to Email: Tedhick@gmail.com

 

 

From the email bag…Drive Thru-Tri-Tip Dinner

 

 

Ted: I am working with a group of kids from Dixon FFA on a drive-thru BBQ fundraiser, Friday, March 11^th from 4-7 p.m. Who wants to cook on a Friday night when you can just drive to the Tractor Supply parking lot, show your ticket and get hot dinner to go without leaving your car?

The tickets are $12 each and dinner includes: BBQ Tri-Tip, beans, corn, cole claw, rolls/butter, and A sweet treat. If you are interested, let me know how many tickets and I will make arrangements to get them to you or they are also available at Dixon Power Equipment.  Please feel free to pass this along to friends and family that may be interested.   Thanks, Kelly Fletcher-707-592-2328
 

Ted: It’s been a long time since we’ve communicated. Probably close to 40 yrs. I stumbled on to your web site and saw the letter re: Richard Farshler. I can personally attest to his effect on me which was profound. I went from Dixon to receive a BA in theater from UCLA and on to a career with Walt Disney Imagineering that spanned 20 yrs ultimately as SR VP of worldwide production. I’ve lived and worked all over the world and have managed nearly 4 billion in project work in the theme parks and resort industries. Placing Dick’s name on the performing arts center is an absolute must. Without him, there would be far less joy and creativity in Dixon and the World. Sincerely, Matthew Priddy          Ted:  I was eating lunch just before President’s Day with my 10 year old grandson when his mom asked him “What is tomorrow?”  He said “It’s President’s Day” She asked “What does that mean?”  I was waiting for something profound…He said, “President’s Day is when President Obama steps out of the White House and if he sees his shadow, we have two more years of unemployment.”…Sorry, but this is pretty funny, no matter who you are. J.B. Dixon

 

 

 

 

I’m Anti-Cop?

 

                                                                                

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                        Good Cop                                               

         

 

  At the Chamber mixer last week I had someone tell me they couldn’t believe that someone told them, I was “anti-cop”. I found it interesting too since I have always supported the police and fire departments realizing the value they ad to our community. Over the years, and maybe even fairly recently, I have had run-ins with a gun toting members of the departments. I can’t say members of the community because most don’t live here.

            In my 12 years on the city council and years as editor of the Dixon Tribune my pushing brought about the first Spanish speaking police officer, the first Hispanic officer, the first woman police officer, the first bike patrols, etc. The departments have always had my full support…some of it members, maybe not so much.

            Basically there are three types of police officers you see in a city; the good, the not so good and the ugly (or at least not so pretty the way they do things).   Here they are all big fish in a small pond and some might not make it if it was the other way around. The ones I have a problem are those that fit into what I call the “Barney Fife” (who was made to carry one bullet in his shirt pocket so he wouldn’t go off half cocked) and “Dirty Harry” (who acted as if he was the law) categories. The good guys are just that…good.  You give some folks a badge and they pay attention to the oath they take and work to serve the public that pays their salaries (I know they hate to hear that phrase but TS). Others however get affected by the job and become authoritarian and bloated with the power that comes when you let a high school graduate decide to hold court on the streets and give them the power to deprive you of your freedom and put you in jail. And they wonder why many in the community don’t trust them…duh. The public hears the stories too.

            I have always respected the badge, just not so much some that have worn it. To get respect you have to give it and I think some cops get to the point where they only see the bad in people and then think all people must have bad in them. I don’t expect special treatment but I also don’t expected to be treated like criminal or some dirtball off the streets…No regular, honest citizens should be treated with anything but respect…don’t you think?

            When I’ve come across the abusive types, from police officers to police chiefs, I’ve stood my ground. Suffice it to say they, for the most part, are gone and I’m still here. I don’t drink, smoke or do illegal drugs and try to obey all laws. There are a couple of members of the CHP, and the local PD I suppose that would love to see me in jail. I’ve done two non-flattering stories on the CHP bullying (which, by the way, were loved by many in the CHP) but have laid off the couple of local questionable actions after notifying Chief Jon Cox (who is a great, caring, community oriented person by they way) of apparent need for additional training.

            In reality in the past several years I’ve only had a set-to with two police officers, (one of each sex just to prove I’m not a sexist). Each time it was on non-legal matters, they just “don’t like my attitude” and non- subservient manner. They are still here and so am I. They aren’t paid to like or dislike me…they are paid to do their job and I’ve never interfered with that.

            They may bad mouth me, but I got along before I met them and I’ll get along after they are gone. They can whine about me all they want…they may be wise not abuse their power in any way again, with either me or my family, unless they want to have a PUBLIC battle…which of course is always my MO…and there are many stories out there. I will still continue to support the vast majority of good professionals we have and oppose any who work against the honest public’s best interest; badge or no badge.

            All of the new officers I’ve met or had any dealings with appear to be a differently trained breed which seems to value the public’s support and know what the acronym PR stands for.

            `So…me anti-cop? I don’t think so. Am I anti bully or an ego-eccentric centered personality in a uniform with a gun…guilty as charged. We’ve had a couple of cops over the years go off the deep end and we could do without any more posing a danger, mental or physical, to law abiding citizens don’t you think? 

 

 

True Local Blond Stories

 

 

1. 1.      A blonde & her husband are lying in bed listening to the next door neighbor’s dog. It has been in the backyard barking for hours & hours. The blonde jumps up out of bed and says, “I’ve had enough of this”. She goes downstairs. The blonde finally comes back up to bed and her husband Eddie says, “The dog is still barking, what you have been doing?” Judy says, “I put the dog in our backyard, let’s see how THEY like it!
2. 2. Two Blondes with hammers…Kathy and Judy were doing some carpentry work on a Habitat for Humanity House.  Kathy was nailing down house siding, would reach into her nail pouch, pull out a nail & either toss it over her shoulder or nail it in. Judy, figuring this was worth looking into, asked, ‘Why are you throwing those nails away?’ Kathy explained, ‘When I pull a nail out of my pouch, about half of them have the head on the wrong end & I throw them away.’ Judy got completely upset and yelled, ‘You moron! Those nails aren’t defective!  They’re for the other side of the house!’
3. 3. Did you hear about the two blondes who froze to death in a drive-in movie?  They had gone to see ‘Closed for the Winter.’

  

 

 

Actual TSA scanner photo

 

 

 

 

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Rich Reeser

 

 …Three Times in Three Weeks

 

 Officers from three law enforcement agencies recognize violations, seize evidence. A San Francisco man was recently caught poaching abalone during the closed season – for the third time in three weeks. The last arrest came on Feb. 19, 2011, when game wardens from the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) arrested Qiong Wang, 31, for felony conspiracy andtake of abalone for commercial purposes, among other charges. Wardens also arrested Wang’s companion, David Trevors, 28, of San Francisco,on similar charges.

 On Feb. 2, an officer from the Petaluma Police Department contacted Wang and Trevors in Petaluma during an investigation of another crime.
He found them in possession of five abalone. The officer was aware that abalone season was closed. He cited and released Wang for four poaching misdemeanors (unlawful take, take of abalone out of season, possession of an over limit and failure to tag).

 On Feb. 12, a Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Wang for speeding on Highway 28 near Boonville. The deputy found two wet duffel bags containing fresh abalone in the back seat and contacted his dispatch to request assistance from a DFG warden. Warden Don Powers responded and discovered 36 red abalone, five of which were undersize. Powers also found five SCUBA tanks and associated SCUBA diving gear in the trunk of Wang’s car. Wang was booked into Mendocino County Jail
for possession of abalone for commercial sale. His Toyota sedan and all dive gear were seized as evidence.

 On Feb. 19, five days after being released from jail for the last poaching incident, Wang and Trevors were spotted using SCUBA gear to poach abalone from a rented kayak in Van Damme State Park. For approximately two hours, wardens watched as the partners kayaked into the ocean and collected 55 abalone. The men returned to shore, stashed the abalone near the beach and drove to the Sub-Surface Progression dive shop in Fort Bragg to return the rented kayak. Wardens contacted the pair at the dive shop. Both men were arrested and booked into Mendocino County Jail. Wardens recovered the hidden abalone and Trevors’ vehicle and all related dive gear were seized.

 Despite aggressive enforcement and prosecution, wardens have noticed an increase in abalone poaching over the last few years, on the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts in particular. “For many abalone poachers, the profit from the illegal sale of abalone clearly outweighs the risks of getting caught,” said DFG Assistant Chief Tony Warrington. Abalone season closed Dec. 1, and does not reopen until April 1.

 

 

California Outdoors Q&A’s… What to Do For a Lonely Osprey?

 
Question: We keep our sailboat in the Alamitos Bay Marina and recently have been seeing an osprey perching on another sailboat mast across from ours. This same bird was there last year and there was another osprey flying around with him. This year he is the only one there and he just cries and cries and gets no answer. My husband is very worried about him. Is there anyone we can talk to about this? (Lois and Chuck M., Los Alamitos)
 
Answer: You can assure your husband that there’s no reason to worry about this lone osprey you’re seeing. According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Seabird Biologist Laird Henkel, although osprey are typically monogamous, after their breeding season (probably in the Pacific Northwest for these birds) concludes each year, the two members of a pair will separate and migrate to different wintering sites. Since they don’t nest in southern California, any osprey you may see during the winter in your region are likely migrating or just wintering there locally. Because of this, the two birds you saw last year were almost certainly not a mated pair. It’s also unlikely they were a parent / juvenile pair as juveniles also migrate separately from their parents.
 
The second bird you saw last year may be around again this winter but just in a different part of the bay, or it may have been a bird that has died since last year.
 
Osprey can live for more than 20 years and will typically return to the same wintering site year after year, so you may end up seeing this same individual on your neighbor’s mast for years to come. Osprey will call for a variety of reasons, but most typically if they are annoyed or they are announcing their territory (including a winter feeding territory) to other birds. It’s hard to say what the “crying” you hear might mean, but I’ll bet the bird is not calling for its missing “friend.”  

 

 

Why no fishing license displays?

 

Question: Can you tell me the reason why anglers are not required to display their fishing licenses anymore? How are wardens supposed to catch poachers and unlicensed people? I know we have fewer wardens than needed, but this just makes their job harder and decreases revenue for the state in the form of fines. (Danny F.)

Answer: The Fish and Game Commission agreed to do away with the required display law this year because fishermen have been asking for it to be overturned for a number of years. People were constantly complaining about losing their licenses or finding it to be a big hassle. Our enforcement staff too said this law didn’t help them that much because they still had to walk up to the person to see the license to make sure it was valid. Many people were making copies of licenses and displaying the illegal license while fishing. The theory that more people would purchase a license due to peer pressure did not prove to be true.  Many people would be upset when a game warden asked to see the license because it was already visible, yet the only way to check if it was valid was to have it removed from the case.

While it may cause a decline in fine revenue, it was the predominant voice of the anglers in California to not have to display their licenses above their waist anymore, and so the Commission finally agreed. Although it’s no longer the law, many anglers do still choose to proudly display their licenses.

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Do any of you actually think about the events happening all around you?  Do you challenge the logic behind the repercussions of those actions?  When you start thinking about the basic issues in your life, you begin to wonder just how much in control you are of the daily requirements of survival.  I am here to tell you that you have more control than you think you have.

How do you like the prices at the gas pump?  I hate to use the word conspiracy so I will call it self fulfilling prophecy instead.  There are those in government as well as the environmentalist eco-terrorist movement who want to see $6 to $10 per gallon gas to force us to buy their unsafe alternative fuel vehicles.  So any crisis  that comes up shouldn’t be wasted to achieve their desired goal. 

The last “oil crisis” we had, when speculators drove the price of a barrel of oil to $140 per barrel, saw gasoline prices topping four dollars a gallon.  Somehow we are approaching that now with oil barely over $100 per barrel.  Does that make sense to you?

How is it that no oil flow has been disrupted nor have refineries had to scale back production yet we see these higher prices already?  Why is it that they aren’t waiting for the real impact to occur?  It is because they don’t have to.  Whether you like it or not, the oil industry is an oligopoly as opposed to a monopoly which means there are a few players instead of just one.  The fact of the matter is the oil companies could decide on their own that gas will now be $10 per gallon.  So what can we do?

The liberals, led by the grand socialist/Marxist of our generation, refuse to allow drilling off our coasts on continental shelves.  They also don’t want clean, green nuclear power.  So we can either accept this or we can use our vehicles minimally.  Better yet, we can tell them we know exactly what they are doing and we don’t like it.

Normally the free markets would take care of this problem.  In economics there is a concept known as the “ease of entry and exit” to and from markets.  As there is a high cost of entering the market and the governmental interference involved with permitting of refineries or nuclear facilities, we have allowed government to constrict the market rather than let it work for our benefit.

In a free market, the oil and gasoline products would back up in storage, just like they did during the Carter make believe oil crisis of the seventies.  I had a neighbor who worked for a local alarm company who happened to be in one refinery office when a head honcho received a call and responded where am I supposed to put that shipment, we are full.  The company would have the choice of less profits at a high price or greater profit by reducing the price and selling more.  The equilibrium point is where the highest profits are generated based on equating supply and demand.

The point is we as consumers can force the issue on a number of fronts.  Quit electing morons who don’t understand economics.  Lobby your present representatives to be less regulatory and encourage the free market.  Write letters to your local papers.  Use U-Tube and the internet to get your voice heard.  Read and educate yourselves.

I’ll let you decide which is the most important …

* * * * *

Another library commission meeting and another demonstration of governmental incompetence.  Commission chair Greta, pronounced greeta, Galindo knows nothing of the Brown act and apparently is nothing better than a stooge for the duo of district librarian Greg Atkins and school superintendent Roger Halberg.  Why do I say that?

For those of you who don’t know or haven’t been following the developing story, Atkins has fired 4 of his five librarians and is working on the fifth, Susan Werrin.  Werrin’s crime is demonstrative of this whole Carnegie carnage in that she made the mistake of helping someone who Atkins doesn’t like, namely Byron Chapman.  Chapman had the nerve to demand that the disabled lift, which enables the ambulatory deficient to get to the elevated area of the old Carnegie portion of the library, be made functional as it had been broken down for four months.  While he was at it, Chapman reviewed the “disabled” bathroom which had become a storage unit for three 55 gallon drums of who knows what.

After corrections were made, Chapman was back inspecting the changes.  At this point, Werrin questioned Chapman as to whether a small table could be added to the bathroom for patrons’ convenience.  This action on her part initiated a reprimand from Atkins.  All of this was stated at the library commission meeting.  A meeting that had been moved from the council chambers where it could be broadcast, to the school board offices where they chose not to televise it.

For those of you who need a picture drawn, the prior meetings of both school board and library commission were held in the council chambers.  The school district had purchased the right to broadcast from Granicus who also provides the same service for the city.  There were no other meetings scheduled that Monday night for the chambers.  So much for transparency and building trust.  This was an attempt to keep the altercation from becoming more embarrassing to them by hiding it from the public.

Every one of the fired employees voiced their experience either at the prior commission meeting or at Monday night’s meeting in the non-ADA compliant school board offices.  Galindo managed to miss the first session where Jennifer Springfield made a long trip from her new home in Chico for the purposes of supporting her fellow workers and attempting to educate the dupes sitting at the dais.  Embarrassment, humiliation, degradation were the terms used to describe their work environment.  It is one thing for one disgruntled employee to voice her concerns but four out of five?  Now the fifth is too afraid for her job to come forth?  Come on people.

But it doesn’t end there.  There was a closed session evaluation of Greg Atkins to be held prior to the regular meeting, a meeting which was shifted at the last minute from the council chambers to this other meeting room.  The public was there but was refused the right to comment before they heard the matter in another room with not only Atkins present but Sandy Myers who handles a number of tasks.  Sorry folks, but you just broke the law.  As I was not present before the meeting started, I wasn’t there to prevent this from happening.

When the commission came back out, Galindo attempted to proceed with the remainder of the meeting without hearing from the public.  Only one person challenged them and they heard more of the details of inappropriate behavior by Atkins.  The public can speak to any, and I do mean ANY, item on the agenda.  With overwhelming evidence and an hour and a half of hearing only Atkins’ side of the story, what did the commission decide to do?

They will be holding another closed session in a month to continue hearing the matter.  I have a better idea.  It is called “pack your bags and don’t let the door hit you as you leave”.  Education code section 18452 allows the library trustees, yes the same trustees that sit on the school board, to dissolve the commission.  Galindo, through emails I have obtained, attempted to cajole and coerce the board into refusing to hear from me at one of their regular meetings because they weren’t meeting as the governing board of the library.

The board must hear from the public on any issue under their purview.  Does the city council not hear from the public on redevelopment agency topics during public comment as well as hearing any complaints about parks, signs, or any other matters which they have the final say on?  Of course they do.  The larger question is why did Galindo want this kept before her commission?

The obvious reason is that the hand picked status quo bureaucrat supporters will always defend one of their own rather than delivering their responsibilities to the public.  Galindo is a librarian.  Which brings up another important clue which a birdie sang to me.  Galindo expects to inherit Atkins’ job upon his departure.  Wouldn’t want to upset the apple cart now would we?

A larger concern is that Atkins is leading the non-supported charge to build a larger library that few want and fewer feel is needed for our community.  Many are concerned about the preservation of the old Carnegie building which has just been added to the register of historical buildings.  As the majority of us are in no position financially to support yet another bond for someone’s pipe dream and Taj Mahal edifice, it appears that Atkins’ necessity on this point is waning.

You also have the personal friendship between Atkins and trustee Jim Ernst.  On any given day when the weather is good, I have observed them at the Firehouse Café having coffee and chatting outside.  Nothing wrong with that until you understand the employee/employer relationship which is becoming blurred.  This is the same “team” aspect that Mary Ann Courville touted as mayor which placed the city in the precarious financial position it now finds itself.

Can the school board, all of whom were present at this commission meeting less Gildardo Piñon, find the gumption to make a tough decision?  Herb Cross, who had four years experience on the council, sat silently as the “liaison” as the commission failed to fulfill its Brown Act obligation even after being implored by Irina Okhremtchouk, his fellow trustee, to take action.  If you don’t know the law it makes it quite difficult to enforce it or comply with it.

Galindo, on the other hand, took it one step further by attempting to interpret portions of the Brown act in supporting her positions.  It is amazing to me how Herb and Elsie’s granddaughter is protected, coddled, and made a useful idiot by her handlers.  Halberg stated to her in an email that I had no right to address the school board on the library district matter.  Isn’t this the same guy who refused to meet with his staff acting as union officials because he was afraid his viewpoints and stances would be “altered” in the translation?  This is one scary group.

Somehow Councilman Thom “Darth” Bogue got wind of this event.  I believe his comment was “this is unbelievable” along with being “equally appalled” at the treatment of the employees.  As I told him, and have told you many times, you think I am just making this stuff up?  Come on down and see it for yourselves.  That is the only way to stop this is to get involved.

The numbers are growing.  Despite this meeting being originally scheduled for the council chambers and shifted at the last minute to the board room, displayed on the library website at both locations at different times, and not being recorded, the attendance looked to be about 25 people.  Some of the testimony was recorded and is now posted on U-Tube.

Don’t you just hate it when your plans to keep the community in the dark don’t go your way?  Time to end this nonsense …

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