Anniversary Of A Tragic Day Approaching
THE WORST DAY...
I've already given you a rundown on the agenda for the Costa Mesa City Council meeting next Tuesday, March 17, 2015. What I DIDN'T do was remind you that it is also the fourth anniversary of what may be THE most tragic day in the history of our city - the day the then-and-current council majority decided to issue layoff notices to more than 200 City employees to launch their scheme to outsource virtually all services within the city, which prompted young maintenance worker, Huy Pham, to leap to his death from the roof of City Hall.
THE PAIN HAS NOT LEFT
The anguish felt by most City employees, and many residents, persists to this day. The lawsuit filed about this move remains unsettled four years later. With this entry I offer you a chance to revisit that day and the next few weeks that followed as presented on these pages. Perhaps it will help you recall those events and some of the positive elements of them. I provide them to you today, Friday the 13th, because it seems appropriate and you'll have the weekend to wade through the various entries listed below if you choose to do so. Click on the title to view the entry.
March 17, 2011 - Suicide At City Hall
March 18, 2011 - Costa Mesa Issues Press Release About Huy Pham
March 18, 2011 - Press Conference Pending on Thursday's Tragedy
March 18, 2011 - Mohahan's Prepared Statement Released
TWO VIDEO CLIPS
Next comes two video clips. The first is the KCAL 9 news clip on the event and the press conference. It runs about 2:46. The second is a 10 minute clip of the entire press conference - maybe the most ill-advised and poorly conducted such event I've ever seen.
MORE ENTRIES
March 19, 2011 - Of Loving, Lameness And Losers
March 20, 2011 - CMCEA Statement & Memorial Gathering
March 21, 2011 - Two "Healing" Events Scheduled Today
March 21, 2011 - Today The Healing Began - Or Did It?
March 24, 2011 - Lobdell As A Lightning Rod
March 31, 2011 - Geoff & Steve - Conjoined Twins
April 3, 2011 - "Outsourcing" Polarizes Community
April 5, 2011 - Tonight's Council Meeting Could Get Rowdy
April 5, 2011 - Mandoki Resigns!
April 6, 2011 - "The People" Spoke - Did The Council Listen?
REMEMBERING
Remembrances have been held in Pham's honor, including a tree being planted in his name near the rear of City Hall.
THE BEGINNING OF THE SLIDE
Since that time we've seen a dramatic shift in the governance of our city. Those who have been continuously in charge since that tragic date have systematically dismantled one of the best city governments in the county, and maybe the state.
DISMANTLING OF THE CMPD
Perhaps the most cataclysmic change has been with the Costa Mesa Police Department - one of the most highly-regarded law enforcement organizations in the state. This group arrived and two of them promptly told then-Interim Chief Steve Staveley - a man with more than four decades of law enforcement leadership under his belt at the time - that he didn't need 144 officers to police the city - he only needed 125! They also completely ignored the consultants hired to perform an assessment of the CMPD, the result of which was an opinion that the proper staffing level was 136. An interesting sidebar- current Assistant Chief Executive Officer Tammy Letourneau was a consultant and part of that team.
STAVELEY TOSSES A GRENADE ON THE WAY OUT
That was the beginning of the downfall of the CMPD. It wasn't too long until Staveley had enough. On June 20, 2011 abruptly resigned, leaving in his wake a scathing memo outlining just why he was taking his action. You can read my entry, including his entire resignation letter, HERE. However, perhaps the most memorable segment of that letter reads as follows: "I
have never, however, seen a council such as this one. They lack
skill, training, education, knowledge, they fail to study (or at least
learn). The majority either lies or are so lacking in the necessary
skills that they actually believe the junk they say. They act as if
they are owners of the business that is the municipal government of the
City of Costa Mesa, but they are not, they are merely trustees of these
public assets both human and physical and they fail in that role
completely. They are in my opinion incompetent, unskilled and
unethical." These words have proven to be right on the money. Chief Executive Officer Tom Hatch, who had only been in his job a few months, rejected Staveley's characterization of the circumstances and hired another highly-respected law enforcement leader, Dennis Kies, as another Interim Chief while the search continued for a permanent leader for the CMPD.
DISBANDING A.B.L.E.
The first of July the council majority summarily disbanded the Airborne Law Enforcement (A.B.L.E.) organization - the joint venture between Costa Mesa and Newport Beach which had served the communities for four decades and had been the model for municipal airborne law enforcement organizations throughout the country. Read about A.B.L.E.'s final day HERE. The loss of that organization - a force multiplier in law enforcement parlance - made the job on the streets just that much more difficult, and it only got worse.
GAZSI ARRIVES...
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Early in September Hatch hired Tom Gazsi, a nearly life-long Costa Mesa resident, who brought with him three decades of experience with the Newport Beach Police Department, as the new Chief of the Costa Mesa Police Department. His choice seemed to be the answer to the unstable leadership in that organization and he went about trying to rebuild morale and making changes - including a revamping of the entire command staff - to return the organization to it's once-proud position. However, that was not to be.
MEDDLING
He was handcuffed by the interference, meddling and the toxic atmosphere caused by the current council majority that created great unrest within City government and, in particular, within the CMPD. Senior officers resigned to other venues or opted for a much earlier than planned retirement. Over one 12 month period we saw nearly 50 members of the CMPD depart. That number has grown. And, the council majority refused to let Chief Gazsi recruit new officers for most of a year, so the department kept falling farther and farther behind the curve. And the mayor and mayor pro tem sued the men and women of the Costa Mesa Police Department - a case that is still pending.
LACK OF SUPPORT CHASES HIM AWAY
After three years trying to manage the organization with virtually no support and with promises made to him going unfulfilled for years, Gazsi finally retired from the CMPD and took a new position as Deputy Chief of Operations at the Port Of Los Angeles Police Department, protecting "America's Port", HERE. As it stands today, there are fewer than 100 officers able to report for duty - in recent weeks that number has actually slipped to 85. Specialty units, like the Gang Detail and Narcotics, have been abandoned due to staffing shortages. The Narcotics unit brought in nearly $1 million per year in asset forfeiture dollars - a revenue source that is all but lost now. This can be laid right at the doorstep of Mayor Steve Mensinger, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer and the lamest of lame ducks, Councilman Gary Monahan. Another outstanding law enforcement leader, new Interim Chief Ron Lowenberg, will try to hold the pieces together while a new permanent chief is identified.
TURMOIL CREATES APPREHENSION
Meanwhile, the turmoil throughout City government continued. Months passed without labor contracts being resolved and when the so-called "Miscellaneous Employees" - the members of the CMCEA who had received those layoff notices nearly four years earlier - finally signed a contract it was an agreement that took them back decades. It's no wonder at all why so many employees who CAN leave are doing so, and it's not a surprise that recruitment - particularly for public safety positions - is so difficult for The City.
DON'T FORGET WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
So, as we mark the anniversary of the event that actually lit the fuse on this destruction of City Government in Costa Mesa, remember just exactly who is responsible for this debacle - the council majority, who would rather fill potholes than provide adequate public safety. This is the majority who refused to listen to the will of the people, who resoundingly rejected Jim Righeimer's Charter scheme, and put another such document on the ballot two years later, only to see it also fail dramatically. On their watch we've spent millions of dollars on legal fees, defending their stupid, ill-advised actions. On their watch Costa Mesa has become the "Rehab Riviera" of Orange County, with more than a quarter of all sober living facilities in the county falling within its borders. And, it appears that we will soon become the Medical Marijuana center for the county as well.
HIS PASSING WAS THE BEGINNING...
When poor Huy Pham jumped to his death it was not the exclamation point at the end of a terrible day. His death was the capital letter at the beginning of the first sentence in a drama that chronicled the beginning of a terrible time in Costa Mesa. The young man is missed by his peers and family and friends. Sound government seems to have died with him. Please do not forget Huy Pham... mourn for him, and for the government of our city, too.
I've already given you a rundown on the agenda for the Costa Mesa City Council meeting next Tuesday, March 17, 2015. What I DIDN'T do was remind you that it is also the fourth anniversary of what may be THE most tragic day in the history of our city - the day the then-and-current council majority decided to issue layoff notices to more than 200 City employees to launch their scheme to outsource virtually all services within the city, which prompted young maintenance worker, Huy Pham, to leap to his death from the roof of City Hall.THE PAIN HAS NOT LEFT
The anguish felt by most City employees, and many residents, persists to this day. The lawsuit filed about this move remains unsettled four years later. With this entry I offer you a chance to revisit that day and the next few weeks that followed as presented on these pages. Perhaps it will help you recall those events and some of the positive elements of them. I provide them to you today, Friday the 13th, because it seems appropriate and you'll have the weekend to wade through the various entries listed below if you choose to do so. Click on the title to view the entry.March 17, 2011 - Suicide At City Hall
March 18, 2011 - Costa Mesa Issues Press Release About Huy Pham
March 18, 2011 - Press Conference Pending on Thursday's Tragedy
March 18, 2011 - Mohahan's Prepared Statement Released
TWO VIDEO CLIPS
Next comes two video clips. The first is the KCAL 9 news clip on the event and the press conference. It runs about 2:46. The second is a 10 minute clip of the entire press conference - maybe the most ill-advised and poorly conducted such event I've ever seen.
MORE ENTRIES
March 19, 2011 - Of Loving, Lameness And Losers
March 20, 2011 - CMCEA Statement & Memorial Gathering
March 21, 2011 - Two "Healing" Events Scheduled Today
March 21, 2011 - Today The Healing Began - Or Did It?
March 24, 2011 - Lobdell As A Lightning Rod
March 31, 2011 - Geoff & Steve - Conjoined Twins
April 3, 2011 - "Outsourcing" Polarizes Community
April 5, 2011 - Tonight's Council Meeting Could Get Rowdy
April 5, 2011 - Mandoki Resigns!
April 6, 2011 - "The People" Spoke - Did The Council Listen?
REMEMBERING
Remembrances have been held in Pham's honor, including a tree being planted in his name near the rear of City Hall. THE BEGINNING OF THE SLIDE
Since that time we've seen a dramatic shift in the governance of our city. Those who have been continuously in charge since that tragic date have systematically dismantled one of the best city governments in the county, and maybe the state.DISMANTLING OF THE CMPD
Perhaps the most cataclysmic change has been with the Costa Mesa Police Department - one of the most highly-regarded law enforcement organizations in the state. This group arrived and two of them promptly told then-Interim Chief Steve Staveley - a man with more than four decades of law enforcement leadership under his belt at the time - that he didn't need 144 officers to police the city - he only needed 125! They also completely ignored the consultants hired to perform an assessment of the CMPD, the result of which was an opinion that the proper staffing level was 136. An interesting sidebar- current Assistant Chief Executive Officer Tammy Letourneau was a consultant and part of that team.STAVELEY TOSSES A GRENADE ON THE WAY OUT
That was the beginning of the downfall of the CMPD. It wasn't too long until Staveley had enough. On June 20, 2011 abruptly resigned, leaving in his wake a scathing memo outlining just why he was taking his action. You can read my entry, including his entire resignation letter, HERE. However, perhaps the most memorable segment of that letter reads as follows: "I
have never, however, seen a council such as this one. They lack
skill, training, education, knowledge, they fail to study (or at least
learn). The majority either lies or are so lacking in the necessary
skills that they actually believe the junk they say. They act as if
they are owners of the business that is the municipal government of the
City of Costa Mesa, but they are not, they are merely trustees of these
public assets both human and physical and they fail in that role
completely. They are in my opinion incompetent, unskilled and
unethical." These words have proven to be right on the money. Chief Executive Officer Tom Hatch, who had only been in his job a few months, rejected Staveley's characterization of the circumstances and hired another highly-respected law enforcement leader, Dennis Kies, as another Interim Chief while the search continued for a permanent leader for the CMPD.DISBANDING A.B.L.E.
The first of July the council majority summarily disbanded the Airborne Law Enforcement (A.B.L.E.) organization - the joint venture between Costa Mesa and Newport Beach which had served the communities for four decades and had been the model for municipal airborne law enforcement organizations throughout the country. Read about A.B.L.E.'s final day HERE. The loss of that organization - a force multiplier in law enforcement parlance - made the job on the streets just that much more difficult, and it only got worse.GAZSI ARRIVES...
Early in September Hatch hired Tom Gazsi, a nearly life-long Costa Mesa resident, who brought with him three decades of experience with the Newport Beach Police Department, as the new Chief of the Costa Mesa Police Department. His choice seemed to be the answer to the unstable leadership in that organization and he went about trying to rebuild morale and making changes - including a revamping of the entire command staff - to return the organization to it's once-proud position. However, that was not to be.MEDDLING
He was handcuffed by the interference, meddling and the toxic atmosphere caused by the current council majority that created great unrest within City government and, in particular, within the CMPD. Senior officers resigned to other venues or opted for a much earlier than planned retirement. Over one 12 month period we saw nearly 50 members of the CMPD depart. That number has grown. And, the council majority refused to let Chief Gazsi recruit new officers for most of a year, so the department kept falling farther and farther behind the curve. And the mayor and mayor pro tem sued the men and women of the Costa Mesa Police Department - a case that is still pending. LACK OF SUPPORT CHASES HIM AWAY
After three years trying to manage the organization with virtually no support and with promises made to him going unfulfilled for years, Gazsi finally retired from the CMPD and took a new position as Deputy Chief of Operations at the Port Of Los Angeles Police Department, protecting "America's Port", HERE. As it stands today, there are fewer than 100 officers able to report for duty - in recent weeks that number has actually slipped to 85. Specialty units, like the Gang Detail and Narcotics, have been abandoned due to staffing shortages. The Narcotics unit brought in nearly $1 million per year in asset forfeiture dollars - a revenue source that is all but lost now. This can be laid right at the doorstep of Mayor Steve Mensinger, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer and the lamest of lame ducks, Councilman Gary Monahan. Another outstanding law enforcement leader, new Interim Chief Ron Lowenberg, will try to hold the pieces together while a new permanent chief is identified.TURMOIL CREATES APPREHENSION
Meanwhile, the turmoil throughout City government continued. Months passed without labor contracts being resolved and when the so-called "Miscellaneous Employees" - the members of the CMCEA who had received those layoff notices nearly four years earlier - finally signed a contract it was an agreement that took them back decades. It's no wonder at all why so many employees who CAN leave are doing so, and it's not a surprise that recruitment - particularly for public safety positions - is so difficult for The City.DON'T FORGET WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
So, as we mark the anniversary of the event that actually lit the fuse on this destruction of City Government in Costa Mesa, remember just exactly who is responsible for this debacle - the council majority, who would rather fill potholes than provide adequate public safety. This is the majority who refused to listen to the will of the people, who resoundingly rejected Jim Righeimer's Charter scheme, and put another such document on the ballot two years later, only to see it also fail dramatically. On their watch we've spent millions of dollars on legal fees, defending their stupid, ill-advised actions. On their watch Costa Mesa has become the "Rehab Riviera" of Orange County, with more than a quarter of all sober living facilities in the county falling within its borders. And, it appears that we will soon become the Medical Marijuana center for the county as well.HIS PASSING WAS THE BEGINNING...
When poor Huy Pham jumped to his death it was not the exclamation point at the end of a terrible day. His death was the capital letter at the beginning of the first sentence in a drama that chronicled the beginning of a terrible time in Costa Mesa. The young man is missed by his peers and family and friends. Sound government seems to have died with him. Please do not forget Huy Pham... mourn for him, and for the government of our city, too.Labels: Dennis Kies, Gary Armstrong, Huy Pham, Jim Righeimer, outsourcing, Ron Lowenberg, Steve Mensinger, Steve Staveley, Tammy Letourneau, Tom Gazsi, Tom Hatch
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 3/13/2015 03:29:00 AM
13 Comments:
Not that he contributes anything anyway, but considering it is St. Patrick's Day, will Monahan be at the city council meeting this Tuesday?
This hurts as much even after four years. This once great city has been destroyed by the council majority in just a few short years of ego and incompetence.
Not to mention the links between Righeimer, Baugh and the sober living homes.
Neighbors leaving town, selling their homes. Its heartbreaking.
Its not only the CMPD that has been decimated. This entire town has been decimated by a majority of three incompetent fools.
And now Huy Pham's family continues on without their son.
Not only do I mourn his death, I mourn the city dying for lack of conscious and concern for its' well being. I weep for the demise of the character of a city, for its supposed called shepherds (in wolves clothing) that can't get enough self gratification and put aside their egos for the greater good. Hanky, pleaseš„
Those who have broken the law will eventually be brought to justice.
Please remember who's doing the dirty work for them - Tom "The Hatchet Man" Hatch. He needs to go....
RETRIBUTION
Though the mills of God grind slowly,
Yet they grind exceeding small;
Though with patience he stands waiting,
With exactness grinds he all.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Thanks for your excellent review of the past 4+ years, Pot Stirrer.
The breadth and detail of the review remind me of a prediction I made shortly after angry citizens formed Costa Mesans for Responsible Government. We CM4RGers found ourselves constantly behind the curve; we couldn't keep up with the dizzying progression of hurtful policies and actions the black hats kept unreeling from their playbook.
Attempting to gin up a positive thought on the situation, I hazarded the guess that, if the black hats continued to tear down the Costa Mesa that previous generations had carefully built, we would get to know them and their weaknesses well enough to turn the tide.
It's taken longer than I thought it would take, but we're there. We've reached critical mass in both citizenpower and understanding of the black hats' strengths and weaknesses. I can now predict that their grasp on power is doomed.
Just as a single lighted match can destroy in minutes a forest that nature took years to grow, the black hats have destroyed in only four years much of the Costa Mesa structure and ethos we value.
It will take longer than four years for us to repair. But we will. And the black hats and their cohort will have to watch from the chilly sidelines. For a long time.
Huy Pham's death marked not only a tragic loss of a good man and excellent city employee, it also marked the end of our city as we knew it.
We will never forget.
March 17th is the day Huy died and our excellent city employees became expendable in the OC GOP's "revolution, not 'St. Patrick's Day' for me.
We will bring our city back.
So sad. I've been thinking about Huy Pham as this date gets nearer. I remember him with sadness and his beautiful family and many friends with compassion and warmth. Some would say he was going to do this anyway, and maybe so. But the way he did it, and the way he aimed to land in the Councilmember parking area, sent an eloquent message to those in power. Then the screaming lack of empathy from our elected officials (except Wendy, who still keeps his picture to remind her to pray for the family) was a second tragedy. I still cannot understand how they could be so callous.
PS - Geoff, this post is a beautiful piece of writing.
I just re-watched the channel 9 news conference, omg what a farce, Mayor Monahan, was and IS such a screw up and embarassment. Our city is suffering as a result of these three ego maniacs and wannabees ... how low can we go? And Monahan showing up, my money is on, if he shows he will be leaving early..
The press release said "the City of Costa Mesa lost a member of it's family". Did the previous press release state on March 17th, today we are illegally giving layoff notices to about 200 of our FAMILY MEMBERS? The spin is just amazing!
The press release stated further, "This tragedy has affected the entire City of Costa Mesa family. Staff is reaching out to all City employees during this time. Crisis counselors are at City Hall to meet with employees and will be available at City Hall as long as needed."
Wonderful. Now the spin is we are all an ENTIRE FAMILY. However, word around city hall was that some FAMILY MEMBERS were ordered to remove the flowers and candles.
Seems like a strange way to treat your grieving FAMILY. Especially while implying in the press release you are trying to help with the grieving of you're ENTIRE FAMILY. Don't forget it was stated however long it's needed. Sure, let's make them take away the flowers and candles of their loved one. Because that demonstrates how we really are trying to help.
How HEARTLESS can some be?
RIP Huy and you were and are still family to some in our community!
But! The Miniman wanted to host a fundraiser for a fugitive pedophile and thief.
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