Thursday, June 23, 2011

Jones & Mayer Bounces Staveley

JONES & MAYER FEELS THE HEAT...
In what must have been a case of the contractor bowing to pressure from the client, Jones & Mayer - the firm that provides contract legal services to the tune of at least $1 million annually based on recent numbers - tossed aside former Interim Police Chief Steve Staveley today.

...AND DUMPS THE CHIEF
In an article by Mike Reicher in the Daily Pilot today, HERE, Richard D. Jones -
a partner at Jones & Mayer - was extremely critical of Staveley for his letter sent to the CMPD troops when he stepped away from his job on Monday. Staveley has been a long-time consultant with Jones & Mayer, which is how he ended up serving Costa Mesa twice as Interim Police Chief. They now apparently have severed all ties with Staveley

WHY? WE SUSPECT DOLLARS
We don't know exactly what kind of pressure was brought on Jones & Mayer in this situation, but I suspect officials from our city wanted his scalp for the way he characterized members of the council and their actions and likely made that point in terms any contractor would understand - dollars.


PERRY VALANTINE SETS THE TONE
Just to make things a little clearer, please know that there were many speakers at
Tuesday's council meeting who were supportive of the Chief. Let's set the tone for that meeting. Here's the level-headed and persuasive Perry Valantine delivering a message to the council during public comments. Jim Righeimer rips the crowd, Monahan demands "professionalism" - oh, really?













GENIS READS STAVELEY
Very shortly thereafter former mayor Sandra Genis - who has never stopped being involved in civic issues and brings a tenacity and expertise that's rare in council chambers - felt moved to read the text of Staveley's letter to the troops:
















CHAMNESS PRAISES "THE CHIEF"

Then Costa Mesa Police Association President Jason Chamness, apparently move
d by Genis' recitation, stepped up to deliver what might have been a eulogy for Staveley - at least a eulogy for his professional career:













EPPERSON REQUESTS CALM DELIBERATION
Then retired Costa Mesa Police lieutenant Clay Epperson stepped to the microphone and provided further support for Staveley and asked the council to take the time to calmly deliberate their actions on the budget and the police restructuring:













WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE?
I could go on and on, but I'd burn your bandwidth with more video messages. Suffice i
t to say that Steve Staveley had it exactly right and the quicker the residents of this city realize that fact, the greater the chance we have of reining these clowns in before they totally destroy this city to enhance Righeimer's political profile.

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20 Comments:

Blogger feral390 said...

Have you noticed that anyone who crosses Righeimer ends up unemployed?

6/23/2011 09:25:00 PM  
Anonymous BananaRepublic said...

Chief Staveley gets the boot for defending the need for adequate police service in Costa Mesa. Perry Valantine gets the boot by not getting reappointed to the Building Appeals Board (there were 9 applicants for 7 positions). The four Costa Mesa police officer candidates have been eliminated as contenders for appointment as the new Chief.

6/23/2011 09:32:00 PM  
Blogger Bruce Krochman said...

I hate to be the contrarian here, yet again. OK, I enjoy playing the devil's advocate and Geoff knows that about me.

So, if Righeimer was all powerful, Barlow would not just be gone from the dais, but she would have been dropped from JM as well. She wasn't.

As I also work with contract labor in the IT field, including Project Managers, Accountants and Legal hired guns, I can tell you that an organization looks pretty critically on unprofessional behavior.

Am I calling Stavely unprofessional? No. I am calling his email unprofessional behavior.

Why? because in the consulting business, as much as you may despise a client, you do not publicly say so.

No one is going to feel comfortable hiring you knowing that you are might go postal on them with insider information, accurate or not. If you have a history of doing that, well, that is just the kiss of death.

My read is JM simply decided that he was now damaged goods and didn't want him on the roster any more.

I personally don't respect him any less! As an observer of the soap opera "As The Costa Mesa Turns" I found it a great plot twist and his email certainly put the majority on the defensive for a few minutes. I love that stuff. Would I want JM to put him on one of my project? Hell No!!

So, there you go, a different perspective.

6/23/2011 09:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Tom Egan said...

Pot Stirrer: I like having the exact links in your blog to some of the topics you comment on. It makes life a lot easier for the reader.

I know it's significantly more work for you to provide these aids for us. I appreciate all your efforts.

While I'm at it, kudos to you for the colorful graphics you attach to illustrate the subjects. Without them, the expanses of gray wouldn't be as inviting.

6/23/2011 09:48:00 PM  
Blogger The Pot Stirrer said...

Hey, Krochman, who asked you?! :-) Only kidding... your views, no matter how wrong they might be, are always welcome here. :-) I do understand your position on Staveley...

Tom Egan, thanks... I'm aiming for the comic book crowd here, so the images help... kind of like the old days with the Sunday comics being read to us by some guy on the radio. Geez, are we old! :-)

6/23/2011 10:02:00 PM  
Anonymous barewire said...

Genis is hardly rare. She speaks on everything and is very irritating in her speech tone and pattern even when she is right, which is the "rare" part. Couple that with the blowhard style of Hupphries and the show is unwatchable, especially with Leffler choking up over changes. That's why the majority of residents who agree with council don't go. Why go through two hours of lies from the libs to speak for three minutes and get booed? Easier to watch tape the next day and skip the union commercials. Genis reading the chiefs letter was a low point, that whole letter is laughable and unprofessional. Mayer cut ties because the guy is nuts and made serious claims with no evidence. Since an attorney sits right there on the dais during meetings Stavely was saying they missed calling out all the illegalities occuring. He called out the law firm and the law firm says he is wrong. City CEO says he is wrong, citizens say he is wrong. Genis thinks it is beautiful prose and it is enough to make Leffler cry.

6/24/2011 08:11:00 AM  
Blogger Bruce Krochman said...

LOL Goeff!!

One other point is the possible conflict if the city does take action against Staveley on the libel allegation or who knows what else, maybe a contract issue. That would put JM in an rather embarrassing predicament.

6/24/2011 08:22:00 AM  
Anonymous CharacterMatters said...

Krochy. You haven't a clue buddy. Contract City Attorney Kimberly Barlow is the number one practicing lawyer at Jones & Mayer. Jones is a figure head, politician hugger and rain maker. They loose Barlow the lights go out at J&M. Jones is not stupid. Also, character, honesty and loyalty among sworn law enforcement officers is the Badge of Honor. Unlike private contractors that cater to the "hand" that feeds them and money is Job One.

6/24/2011 08:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Al said...

Staveley became toxic, everyone is running from that guy. If you actually read Dick Jones' letter you will see it's the manner he conducted himself. He has become a liability for anyone that associates with him. No one wants to be around this arrogrant clown. Glad he's out of our City. A bad choice by Mr. Hatch. Hopefully history will not repeat itself!

6/24/2011 08:49:00 AM  
Anonymous CM said...

Chief Staveley did the right thing and he is penalized for it - BIG TIME! Heck, he can do and say the right thing because he has already achieved much (financial stability and sterling reputation) that he need not kiss the assess of these 4 Council morons. Too bad I can't say the same thing about Tom Hatch. Poor thing - he's job is always on the line that he already numbed himself from what is right and what is not.

6/24/2011 08:56:00 AM  
Anonymous CM said...

Btw, where do you get your cartoons? iphoto? Great choices to give an exclamation point to your opinions.

6/24/2011 08:57:00 AM  
Blogger The Pot Stirrer said...

CM, glad you enjoy them... a variety of sources. Sometimes they help make a point, sometimes they just bring a smile - not a bad thing, I think.

6/24/2011 09:02:00 AM  
Anonymous Mike said...

There was no libel/slander there, and there will be no lawsuits.

Jones & Mayer will continue to clean our coffers with increased attorney's fees as they cozy up to the council - guess the CC better find a few more dollars for the legal budget, because they're spending like drunken sailors on shore leave.

6/24/2011 09:02:00 AM  
Blogger Flo Martin said...

Geoff, old boy, you seem to have forgotten: in our era, the Sunday "comics" were called the Sunday funnies.

6/24/2011 09:30:00 AM  
Anonymous look deeper young grasshopper said...

Duarte,Hatch and the 4-1 custom council are disposable when this is over. Some think its the gop. It is and will be development. Money for this seems to be oil. Maybe when they allow off shore drilling they will run a pipe line up the river to costa mesa. The west side de sal plant or refinery. Politics are changing. not redevelopment but development and greed will change cm. Stavely was a temp. Only problem he was a temp with a concience unlike the frikkin 4

6/24/2011 09:32:00 AM  
Blogger Colin said...

barewire - you guys sure do make a lot of excuses as to why the opposition is never at the city meetings. Why are the "libs" as you call them, always outnumbering the ones that are in support of the council? If your ideas are fair, logical and help the people that are putting them in place, then the platform you have sells it's self. But it is none of these things, and doesn't help anyone but the rich and GOP, so that's why it's not selling and people are against it and showing up to protest. And the platform is not strong enough to keep your troops fired up and supporting the platform. If they were passionate and supportive, they would be at those meetings, giving reasons for supporting your platform, and why unions and what not should be disbanded.

I think your side views this as a "game" to win, and they want to be on the winning team, regardless of facts or even what they are fighting for. And a man defending his job and family will always win over those who are just playing a game. Always.

6/24/2011 11:02:00 AM  
Anonymous Roswell said...

Is there any connection betweeen Jones and Mayer and Mark Bucher? Any past relationships or allegiances?

Would be interesting to find if there is some nexus. All of these guys seem to be pretty inbred and running in the same circles.

6/24/2011 11:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Buh-bye! said...

Stavely didn't "step down" or "move on" or any other false characterization: He bolted. And he ran when the brave men and women on the force needed him most. The PD is better off without him. Maybe they'll get someone with some you-know-whats this time - someone who has the backs of the force we owe so much to.

6/24/2011 11:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Pentagon Hexagram said...

So Jones and Mayer billed over 120,000 in one month.

Their rate from the contract is $177 per hour.

So that's 678 hours in one month

Or, spread over 22 working days, a staggering 31 hours per day of legal billing to the city of Costa Mesa.

That's four attorneys working eight hours a day every day.

But we need to lay off employees.

6/24/2011 01:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Cedric Wilson said...

"Maybe da' City could hire my attorney...
Larry H. Parker, he got me 2.1 million dollars!!!!".

6/24/2011 02:22:00 PM  

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