Monday, January 27, 2014

Where Are The 60th Anniversary Documents? (Amended)

NOTE:  In response to this post over the weekend I was advised by Communication Director Bill Lobdell early this morning that information on the release of the documents was posted on the City Website, under "Latest News".  Well, I went there and the one-line entry was there - on the second page.  It's since been moved to the front page.  So, all of you poised to dive through those documents may have Super Bowl weekend to do it.  Based on previous promises, I'd suggest you don't hold your breath.  Waiting for Friday, humming the Jeopardy! theme...

DOCUMENT RELEASE STILL DELAYED
At the last Costa Mesa City Council meeting City Chief Executive Officer Tom Hatch told the council and audience that he expected the long-delayed release of important documents dealing with bills paid and contracts for the much-ballyhooed 60th Anniversary Celebration to happen by last Friday.  It didn't!

FRIDAY PASSED AND NO WORD...
He told us if they were not released by Friday there would be regular "status reports" on this issue, but we've heard not a single word.

WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF?
We fear that these documents have been delayed because Hatch and the men he works for on the City Council realize that the resultant firestorm of criticism once the documents are analyzed by members of the news media and concerned residents may have serious legal and political repercussions.

SO MUCH FOR "TRANSPARENCY"...
This has become a very disconcerting pattern of behavior by those in charge of our city lately.  The Chip Espinosa "Listening" exercise report was delayed over and over again as we paid him to massage the message to make it more politically acceptable.

MORE STALLING, THEN OVER-REACTION
The consultant's audit report on the Costa Mesa Senior Center operations - for which the City spent over $25,000 - was delayed for nearly two months, then Mayor Jim Righeimer went berserk about it from the dais before the Senior Center Board and Executive Director even had a chance to review it and comment.

WE DEMAND TO KNOW!
At that last council meeting resident committee member and activist Sue Lester stood before the council and demanded the 60th Anniversary Celebration information be released.  It's been more than 6 months since the event and huge dark clouds surround it.  Questions of impropriety by city staffers and indicted vendors and presumed ties to the politically powerful all need to be answered.  The members of the committee who put the event on, and the residents of this city who paid much more than they were told it would cost, deserve to know what happened, how it happened and why.

NO MORE STONEWALLING!
So, Mr. Hatch... When will we hear about those documents?  What kind of an investigation takes this long to resolve?  Is this now in the hands of the District Attorney?  If so, just tell us, for goodness sake!  You and the men you work for can no longer stonewall the public on this matter!

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4 Comments:

Anonymous Mike McNiff said...

Will they be heavily redacted?

1/27/2014 06:21:00 AM  
Anonymous Hold em accountable said...

Geoff,
Transparency is in the eye of the beholder.
Transparency is good when it benefits the rulers of Costa Mesa. They will stonewall if it makes them look negative.

Is it November yet? These Chumps have to go!

1/27/2014 10:48:00 AM  
Blogger Joe said...

Das Rigmarshal loves das lawsuits. Here's a blast from the past:

http://www.occonnect.com/eltoro/archive00/arch.cgi?noframes%3Bread=4183

1/28/2014 09:35:00 AM  
Anonymous Terry Koken said...

Say, have you noticed that under "Online Services" the city presents us an opportunity to sign up for the 60th anniversary celebration? Surely this cannot be time-travel; but to me, this seems to be quantum-entangled with Hatch's promise to post the 60th anniversary documents on Friday... I notice, though, that he doesn't say which Friday.

1/28/2014 01:40:00 PM  

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