By GREG WHITELos Alamos
The lawsuit can be easily legally avoided by abolishing the LAPD and transferring all the officers, duties and responsibilities to the LA Sheriff Dept. Maintaing the basic command structure. This is the ONLY LEGAL way to solve the issue AND make everyone happy as well as save $206,000 in salaries (except the police chief and deputy chief who will be out of a job and the county council who enjoy breaking the law). This would solve Mr. Chapmen’s concerns as well as Mr. and Mrs. Chandler and Mrs. O’leary’s.
To Mr./Ms. Concerned Citizen, please read my past letters not just skim them and you will see all of your points are addressed in law and you are wrong on all of them. Before writing again please look up and read the laws I have quoted for you.
Recently several people have asked me to “play nice in the sandbox”. This is not possible when the other kids keep stealing my pail and shovel (i.e. my and YOUR Constitutional Rights and violating their oath of office), and keep throwing sand in my face telling me to “tell the teacher if I don’t like it” (i.e. violating laws left and right, committing misfeasance and malfeasance of office and daring me to go to the FBI). So who’s being bullied? Apparently the people taking away other people’s rights rather than those whose rights are gone!
Whether it’s the Sheriff or the Rec improvements the council violates the will of the people. This violates the Constitution Sec. 2, which is a violation of their oath of office which IS a criminal offense. I tried to file the complaint with the A.G.’s civil/political division but they told me to file with the criminal division so I did. The misfeasance and malfeasance complaints were taken by the civil/political division.
We need to change the slogan of LA to “Home of the World’s Mind Readers”. As so many people who voted for the Rec Bond are playing spokesperson for those who did not. The same with 2 ladies who keep insisting the people who voted for the Sheriff were voting to pay the next Sheriff $69 K (SIXTY NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS) /YR to work half an hour per year riding in the County Fair parade. Did YOU vote to spend that much for a half hrs work ? I didn’t !!!
The opponents of the Sheriff have not a single law on their side so they resort to hyperbole, fake facts and outright lies. Whereas I’ve given at least 25 references to laws in my past letters and columns. As far as conflict of interest goes neither of the 2 pro Sheriff councilors, nor I, am friends of the Sheriff. We barely even speak to each other as we’re pursuing 4 different courses of action.
And while it’s a really bad idea for elected government officials to use their office to promote personal agendas, as opposed to serving the people, and I think there should be a law against it, the law actually specifically allows elected govt. officials to form PACs and be on their boards. Unlike the Good ol’ Boys and paranoids I follow the laws even when I don’t like them.
I don’t label myself as paranoid, though others do, for wanting clean government. But actions by county council over the last year and a half, refusing any compromise on the Sheriff, excessive spending for little to no return in sweetheart deals, refusing to do any independent studies of the citizens wishes, giving more than a million dollars for improvements to an old outdated facility that the group involved specifically asked to not be done, and we find out today councilors have been violating several laws by secretly talking on building a new golf course instead of using the funds as promised just a few days ago. Well if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck it’s probably a duck !
Your NOT in Kansas anymore Dorthy and Toto; nor, in Illinois Mr. Nebel, The corruption in Illinois politics is known far and wide. One of my best friends grew up there also, and insists when he dies to bury him there so he can remain active in politics. Saying the Sheriff wants a county car like the police have makes him corrupt, overreaching and a “patronage politician” is the height of hyperbole !!! An exempt Undersheriff is the law ! Please read the laws before responding. Term limits are also law but if the legislature changes that we could do worse, like the current police chief who doesn’t even require his officers know where the county owned buildings are so they can respond when I called last week to report a break in in progress. Or having to fight tooth and nail to get the guy who pulled a home invasion on me prosecuted. Both papers this week reported on criminals who remain out of jail because the police either don’t file charges or don’t show up in court.
When you don’t like the laws you work to change them not break them. That’s why I’m working for LE in this county that 1) knows the laws (how did they ever pass the NM LE Academy ? Perhaps they never attended, has anyone checked?) 2) Does not break the law (assuming the chief knows the law which is questionable). 3) Prosecutes criminals not just arrests them and releases them (in this state the police are responsible for prosecuting misdemeanors in local courts and filing felony charges with the district court).
I guess asking for educated, honest, knowledgeable and hard working LE is asking to much. I was gonna ask an officer I noticed in White Rock I thought was hiding behind bushes to catch speeders but it turned out he was just taking his noon siester.
You cite illegal activities of a couple of Sheriffs’ as if police chiefs don’t break laws. What about Espanola Police Chief Leo Montoya who was forced to resign over not charging one of his officers with DWI? Or the current Espanola Chief Matthew Vigil, just last week charged with felony child abuse ?
If anyone is a patronage politician it is Jaret McDonald. A Good ol’ Boy who even though wasn’t holding any office at the time was able to order the police chief to violate the Constitution which the chief and several officers were more than happy to. The ensuing State Police investigation ruled against LAPD. Which over the last 3 years has paid out $3 MILLION to settle law suits (but Susan isn’t worried about THAT liability) HELLO Mr. Nebel we already have the LE you are so afraid of.
Merriam-Webster defines Hyperbole as: language that describes something as better or worse than it really is. Anyone of reasonable intelligence would define as hyperbole comparing police having M-16’s (a weapon readily available to citizens of most states) to being the military. Granted I do not believe police should have armored personnel carriers topped with 50 caliber machine guns and tanks as both the Los Angeles PD and Ferguson PD have. And “slug technology”? Seriously ? A slug is a slug is a slug. Having been shot at as both a cop and in the military (what branch did you serve your country in Mr. Nebel) I can tell you both shotguns and M-16’s have a place in LE but neither is right for all occasions. If any 1 weapon was then there’d only be 1 weapon in the world.
As a veteran I take personal insult to anyone who doesn’t have the guts nor the appreciation for the rights enjoyed by Americans to serve this great country and who advocates to take those rights away !!! David wrote a very eloquent letter about immigrants. I agree with it. But Dave how have YOU served your country? Making a lot of money and taking away people’s rights is NOT serving. Try putting your life on the line.
As for comparing a Sheriff, Tommy Rodella, who was ONLY administratively certified by the NM LE academy to our Sheriff who is LE certified and has 27 yrs experience as an active duty LE Deputy, HYPERBOLE !!! The same for comparing Sheriff Garza where you again ignore the law by stating his deputies were personal friends as opposed to county employees which they were and still are under the law. Concerned citizen yes the Sheriff can hire deputies just as can the Clerk, Assessor, Probate Judge and even the un-elected county manager/treasury. And they are, as county employees, subject to all hiring conditions that the police are. Please read some laws rather than spout fake facts. And Sheriff Joe did NOT break the law ONLY the liberal traitorous opinion of a un-American federal judge!!!
You cite illegal activities of a couple of Sheriffs’ as if the police chiefs don’t break laws. What about Espanola Police Chief Leo Montoya who was forced to resign over not charging one of his officers with DWI ? Or the current Espanola Chief Matthew Vigil, just last week charged with felony child abuse?
Mr. Nebel why stop your self admitted paranoia with the Sheriff? Do away with the clerk, who needs free elections? It’s just a patronage position. We don’t have an elected treasurer, so what? So we don’t know who’s embezzling how much from the taxpayers. But that’s not patronage is it?
There’s only two roads to choose from. One leads to a lawsuit costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands which will result in 2 LE agencies in the county, Sheriff and police. The other road is abolish the police dept. and transfer ALL officers, duties and responsibilities to the Sheriff Dept.
