CM PRESS # 813

HERE'S the OC REGISTER article on the failure to deliver the charter papers to the Registrar in time


We, you and I, pay the City Clerk $ 163,230.46 per year in total compensation.

Is it too much to ask that a person earning this much pay attention and deliver the charter papers to the Registrar of Voters on time?

It's not as though it was a secret when the papers were to be delivered, and given the fact that the charter issue has been the BIG issue in Costa Mesa for months, it's hard to believe that someone wouldn't pay extra attention to getting the papers in on time.

Many folks think we could have had a minimum wage worker get the papers in on time and that this worker would be thankful for the job and might also provide other services such as sweeping the lobby or mowing the lawn at City Hall.

We think this situation is somewhat similar to someone who was going to take the BAR exam or some similar exam and they studied for it for months; it was the most important thing that they had in mind. Then, on the day of the exam, they didn't even show up.
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PALMDALE: SEVEN BLACKS ARRESTED AND MAY FACE HATE CRIME CHARGES IN BEATING OF HISPANIC TEEN

Even though the Blacks used racial hate terms, the cops don't sound sure that they'll file hate crime charges.

Imagine if it had been seven Whites beating a Black.  There would be no question about filing hate crime charges.

Are you catching on to the double standard yet?
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TRYING TO EXCUSE THE INEXCUSABLE

Over at the Daily Pilot, at least one dim wit is actually trying to blame Jim Righeimer because the City Clerk failed to timely file the charter paperwork with the Registrar of Voters.  We kid you not.

Let's be very clear about a few points:

--The City Clerk is not a file clerk or a clerk as the term is usually used.  She is a highly paid executive who is supposed to, at the very least, file papers on time.

--Those who are saying that this was "just a mistake," seem to think all "mistakes" are of the same gravity, as though failing to file the charter paperwork on time was the equivalent of  ordering more paper clips for her office. It wasn't.  A lot of money and time went into this charter matter. It was not a trifle, but a very important issue.

Articles and comments about the charter were in the newspapers almost every day since the subject came up. Furthermore, people have been talking about it at every City Council meeting--the City Clerk is always there and hears the talk. She was also reminded of the deadline by at least three emails. It's not something that just could easily get lost in the shuffle.

We don't know where this will go from here.  There may be lawsuits necessary to get people into depositions to find out exactly how this failure to file the paperwork  happened.  Time will tell.
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Those are our opinions.  Thanks for reading them.
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