Please contact me. My attorney’s office has started filing for sanctions against the county in every case and so far have been successful. We need to get a coordinated effort going with everyone’s case as the county has been allowed to do this for far too long.
If there is something I have learned in the past year, it is how to get Jim Erwin to react. He is so predictable once you know his triggers.
First, mention he is going to prison and surely there will be a spat of comments on his blog and mine calling me a kook, nutblog, and all the rest. I’ve been told that in reality the comments come from his son and his wife, Karen. Whatever. I couldn’t care less. It’s not my husband or father going to prison for a long time. And believe me, if Mike Ramos gets no one else, he will not stop until the steel doors close behind Jim. I am not even remotely suggesting that is right or just; I’m simply stating a fact.
A reader asked me that question and I don’t know the answer. I do remember the Ventura decision contributed to the high pensions and I think that was around 2006. Can anyone provide additional details?
Click on image below to read:
I added the op-ed piece below by Paul Mahoney because it points out several things the newspapers seem to be overlooking on purpose. It, along with several other recent articles, reminded me of some things I had totally forgotten about.
I have defended Judge Christopher Warner many times on this blog. As I have written before, I was his first secretary when he was appointed to the bench. Although it is certainly possible to be corrupted in a system that is so inherently corrupt, I find that hard to believe in this instance. I guess that is why I found the Sun stories attacking Judge Warner and Justice Panelli so offensive. I simply do not believe that either of them did what the District Attorney’s office, Attorney General, and Dennis Wagner are accusing them of doing.
That brings me to Dennis Wagner. And I shall preface the rest of this post by saying that what I am about to describe is based on conversations with Jim Erwin and Mark Kirk at the time. Both have lied to me in the past and may have been lying during this episode but this is what they led me to believe.
The initiatives now have accounts in Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, and StumbleUpon. All of them are called “ReformSBCounty.”
Here are a couple of links:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002877074346
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ReformSBCounty
iePolitics has learned that yet another Erwin extortion investigation may very well be underway. It seems that another victim is claiming that Erwin threatened them if they did not perform certain acts in connection with the Third District race. We shall see if anything comes of it.
As a child growing up with a mother who prescribed to old-fashioned thoughts about medical care, I was always told never to allow doctors to operate on cancer because exposing cancer cells to air would cause them to grow exponentially. Of course, today we know how to use surgery to cure an otherwise fatal tumor.
Several years ago all of Southern California watched the crisis at the Los Angeles County-run King-Drew Medical Center. If history can predict the future, we have a similar, fatal cancer growing at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) that needs to be excised fully and quickly.
The residents of San Bernardino County are being led to believe that the current investigations and accusations at San Bernardino County’s only county-run hospital are routine and relatively minor. We keep hearing that they are part of the “learning process.” ARMC has been in business for over 10 years and San Bernardino county has operated a hospital for decades before that. If the county hasn’t learned how to run a hospital by now, I’m not sure it ever will. Continue reading
Thank you Richard for making a very stressful day less stressful. Lots of free ads once the situation we discussed today is resolved.
Someone needs to get a hold of the restraining order against Captain Yoder. From what I gather, that happened a long time ago so it is not online. Does anyone remember approximately when and what area of the county the incidents may have occurred?
Thank you
San Bernardino County Employees for Change
Linda Haugan
I shall not go into details of the circumstances but today I had a situation that needed Board of Supervisors’ intervention. County Executive Officer Greg Devereaux was asked by a board office to look into the situation.
Now, I have heard a variety of things about employees who choose to cross Devereaux. I have certainly been led to believe that lying to the man would not be a good idea.
And there was a time when an employee, any employee, but especially a director or an AAO, lied to a board member or to the CEO, it would result in an instant boot out the door.
Imagine my surprise today when I get an email from my attorney letting me know that the law firm that the county hired to fight me on my writ, and which just sent us pages and pages of lies, would like my cooperation in a deposition in the case of Mark Uffer. Yes, the county hired the same law firm to fight both Mark and me.
Mike Ramos and Rod Hoops
Some may remember when iePolitics broke the story about the lack of supervisorial decision-making at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department during the Baby Wyatt incident. Well the results of that same sergeant’s decision-making capabilitiesmade headlines once again.
Response time in Hesperia attempted murder investigated
Officials: First unit dispatched 41 minutes after first callJuly 22, 2011 3:39 PMStaff WriterHESPERIA • San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials have launched an investigation to answer why it took about 40 minutes to dispatch a deputy to a home where a mother and daughter were savagely attacked in front of the victim’s two young children, authorities said Friday.
“There is currently an administrative investigation taking place to see what happened,” Cindy Bachman, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department, said. “We’re concerned about the dispatch time.”
To read the rest of the story, click here.
The reason for delay is not really such a big secret. You see a whole briefing room witnessed it.
Happy 1 year Bill. It was tough at times but you made it!
SAN BERNARDINO) – The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors held its fourth redistricting workshop this afternoon in San Bernardino. San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States, and at over 20,000 square miles, is larger than any of the nine smallest states singularly and the four smallest states combined.
Despite the difficultly for residents to travel great distances to attend these meetings, the board has so far not made any effort to reach out to the residents in the outlying areas. That has not stopped residents from the San Bernardino mountains from attending the meetings and voicing their concerns about what has become politics as usual in “California’s most corrupt county.”
One estimate is that about 80 percent of all mountain residents who have expressed an opinion have requested that the mountain communities be represented by one supervisor when the new districts are drawn. One of the reasons they feel so strongly is that they have common issues not experienced in the desert and valley regions of the county. Also, as an undivided mountain, they are 50,000 residents strong, making their voice more important to the supervisor who represents them. Divided their voice is weaker and often goes unheard.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Politics as usual during San Bernardino County redistricting process – Los Angeles Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-los-angeles/politics-as-usual-during-san-bernardino-county-redistricting-process#ixzz1Ufjo0uUG
Hi Sharon,
Here are Animal Care & Control’s answers to your questions:
1. Are shelter staff required to go through psychological testing before being hired? Animal control officers?
Animal Care and Control staff are required to complete a variety of background checks including the completion of a “live scan” with the Sheriff’s Department to identify any past criminal history. In addition, the County utilizes the services of a company called Smart Hire which conducts a thorough background search, including driving records, credit rating, and verifies past employment and education history of all prospective applicants. The Human Resources Department reviews both the live scan and Smart Hire reports before authorizing an individual to begin their respective position assignments. No psychological testing, though.
Editor’s Note: Detractors take note . . . this is a positive story about an Explorer Scout.
August 07, 2011 12:04 PM
APPLE VALLEY • For many, their workplace becomes a home away from home and their co-workers become like a second family. That is especially true in the case of law enforcement. So when the staff at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Apple Valley station learned one of their longest-serving sergeants was ill, they rallied around him.
A few months ago, Sgt. Randy Gwaltney was feeling ill. After going to the doctor, he and his wife, Tammi Gwaltney received devastating news. He had stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Editor’s Note: I am a bit late in getting this posted due to lack of Internet access; however, I felt it is an important article. The Sun and Press Enterprise stories have been very one-sided and seem to be written to taint the jury pool on purpose.
I live in Los Angeles County and am not involved as a participant in any way in the Colonies litigation.
This is in response to your editorial “Appalling portrait of leadership,” July 27. Usually, the newspaper maintains high journalistic integrity, but that editorial did not measure up. It is almost as if the newspaper, with that editorial and prior expos type articles about the Colonies settlement, is attempting to convict the defendants before there has been a trial.
You continuously refuse to acknowledge that the plaintiffs’ demand to settle was $300 million and just assume the $102 million settlement was a wasteful gift of public funds. Had no settlement been reached and had a jury awarded $200 million, would you have written the same editorial criticizing the San Bernardino County supervisors for not attempting to settle the case for less than the jury awarded?
This was sent to me today:
I am writing to make you aware, if you are not already, of another Southern Californian who was killed by the police. On May 10th 2011 Allen Kephart of Crest Park CA (near Lake Arrowhead) died during a traffic stop after being slammed to the ground face down and repeatedly shot with a taser gun by at least 3 but as many as five cops. The San Bernardino Sheriff’s dept. says he ran a stop sign, then failed to pull over and then became combative with the deputy. Witnesses tell a different story. Witnesses also say that the police confiscated video footage. Allen was NOT in ANY WAY a criminal, nor was he ever at any time in his life violent. He was a law abiding, patriotic, and very active member of this community. Please find linked a youtube video that was released THE VERY DAY that Kelly Thomas was beaten in Fullerton that was produced by REASON TV that details the circumstances and facts regarding this incident.
Bill has an interesting story about a warning of a second credit downgrade: S&P
Mark Kirk
I was caught a little off guard last night when I was told that an iePolitics.com post was part of the documents in the Grand Jury proceedings to indict Jeff Burum, Paul Biane, Mark Kirk, and Jim Erwin. Supposedly, it was used by one of the defense attorneys as part of an argument that an indictment should not occur. That makes zero sense to me. Does anyone know anything about this?
I may have it spelled wrong but everyone knows who he is. We’ve been hearing for some time he is being groomed as the next Sheriff. It’s always nice to know that neither the Board of Supervisors or the voters get a choice in the matter.
It seems our readers were right. The Lieutenant who did the crappy I/A in the Emmons tasing incident has been promoted to Captain. Now is anyone really surprised. Job well done Lt. Torres. Hope you enjoy your reward. The taxpayers get to enjoy it until you expire in your old age. As I said, it is the gift that keeps on giving.
If my piece yesterday sounded like I was a bit perturbed, it is because I was perturbed and irritated with newspaper reporters/publishers and politicians who try to claim they are taking the high road when they are just as corrupt or more corrupt than those they report about or prosecute. Let’s face it. Frank Pine is not the least bit interested in ending corruption in San Bernardino County. Without corruption stories, the Sun is nothing.
Good government does not make headlines. Corruption stories sell newspapers and the more sensational, the more papers sold. I can’t wait to hear these newspaper execs cry foul play when a judge rules that their one-sided sensationalized reporting has tainted the jury pool to the point that the Colonies cases must legitimately be moved out of county. These guys do not seek justice, they seek revenue.
If Frank Pine was truly interested in seeing corruption cleaned up in this county, he would pursue the stories for which he has been provided documentation and eyewitness accounts from victims. The same goes for the Press Enterprise’s Cassie MacDuff.
It seems that William “Beef” Abernathie is back with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in the same cushy position from which he left. What else would we expect?
This morning San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge John Martin raised bail on Nathan Gastineau due to his postings on Facebook. He is quoted as writing:
The facts are that my reputation has been destroyed, my job has been nuked, and my best friend is in jail. . . . A philosopher once said ‘When faced with untenable alternatives you should consider your imperative.’
War is our imperative. And if right now victory seems like an impossibility, then we have something else to reach for: revenge, payback. So we will fight. Because in the end it’s the only alternative my enemy has left us. I say let’s make them understand that as long as I still have a breath in me, that this war, that they started, will not be over. Thank you everyone for the support.
Somehow this is not surprising. Not long after his arrest I noticed comments both on this blog and on Jim’s blog that were from Gastineau or one of his supporters attempting to out, intimidate, and disparage the Explorer. I think I deleted all of them here. I’m not sure what Jim did. This is typical behavior for a predator and it appears to me that Gastineau is a typical pedophile. We shall see.
I thought I would take just a minute and discuss the Employment Services Program employees’ least favorite employee: Deputy Director Michael de la Rosa. Every time I print something negative about him, several of my TAD contacts call me to tell me, “He’s changed.” From TAD’s perspective he may have; otherwise he would have received the job given to Diana Alexander.
But from ESP’s perspective, Michael has run the program into the ground and then some. I still communicate with numerous ESP employees and managers. They hate him. I mean they HATE him.
Well we hear that San Bernardino County Transitional Deputy Director Michael de la Rosa got passed over for the Assistant Director position, a job everyone thought was created just for him. Now this may very well have something to do with the documentation I was sent. I haven’t been able to get it scanned in, but will.
Anyway, the winner of the Linda Haugen brown-nosing contest this time around is no other than Diana Alexander. ESP employees know her as the PERC manager or by her moniker “teeth.” She is known best for her ass kissing abilities and her phony sickenly sweet disposition. She was also a favorite of Mark Uffer, which says a lot. I’m told Diana started her career as an Eligibility Worker for TAD, so I guess we should have seen this coming.
I received an email today about a fraud investigator who won his case against the county. Can anyone provide us with additional information?
Apparently we ruffled a feather or two when we posted the letter about the tasing incident with Sergeant Emmons. It seems the victim has made Group 1 on the promotion list and doesn’t want it found out that he lied to cover for Emmons. He claims the issue has been investigated by Internal Affairs twice. The problem is that those investigations did not include interviewing the witnesses who would tell a very different story.
So folks, you’ve heard it from a future SBSD supervisor. STOP sending SBSD corruption tips. It makes ‘em look like the liars they are.
Can anyone shed some light on what I have been sent so far?
Hello Sharon,I notice you have a track record of exposing corruption.I have a huge scandal to share with you, if you are interested, that involves San Bernardino County Sheriffs, a judge and public officials who are connected to someone involved in a highly publicized incident. In this case Sheriff Deputies framed a mentally ill man for a crime that was caused by a highly connected businessman and his employees. I have gathered much information from months of research to prove the scandal and connections to public officials. If you would like to help take it a little further and expose it, I would like to meet with you and share some of my documents and the story.If you are interested, please contact me.
Really? Ya think?
So a male Explorer coordinator from Victorville invites two female Explorers to his home and they go. When the brass finds out about it, they tell him that it was “not too smart.”
Well said, boys.
From www.indianrunner.net:
New Security Director at MCRS
Jose Troncoso has been named the new Security Director at the Morongo Casino. Mr Troncoso has 28 years experience in local and federal law enforcement as a U.S. Marshal and as a former North Las Vegas chief of police. Mr Troncoso has an additional 9 years experience and corporate background most recently as the Station Casinos vice president of corporate Security & Surveillance.
We welcome Jose and wish him success. One has to wonder how someone like William Abernathie could have ever even been a consideration?
We have been hearing for a couple of weeks that the casino withdrew Beef’s job offer and that Beef withdrew his retirement papers and plans to return to the Sheriff’s Department. Can anyone confirm, deny, or clarify?
I had a chance to speak with a new worker today. I have been at a loss as to why the county seems so confident in denying my request. I now know why.
Based on what the worker told me, the form I submitted has been altered by someone at the county, i.e., my signature, date and month have been removed. When I speaking with her, I knew I had signed the forms but couldn’t argue because I did not have them in front of me. I have requested that she send me a copy from C-IV and have checked my copies to be sure.
Linda Haugan
To the person who sent me the documents:
I have not been able to pick up my mail for over a month. I finally able to get my mail today and your package was among the mail I picked up. It will take me a day or two, but I will get a story up. Thank you.
If anyone else has information on unethical/illegal behavior by Linda Haugen/Andrew Lamberto or any other government official, you can send it to PO Box 2722, Apple Valley, California 92307.
I wonder if Supervisor Gary Ovitt even noticed or comprehended what was said about him in the Grand Jury proceedings. “Empty vessel” is a rather accurate description of two of our five county supervisors. Ovitt should be embarrassed by what was said about him, but I doubt he is cognizant enough to feel that shame.
Jeff Burum
Due to the lack of an internet connection I have had to sit on the sidelines watching things transpire since the release of the transcripts last Friday. I noticed the very BIG difference in reporting between the Sun and the Press Enterprise. The Sun’s first story was just terrible. It was choppy and didn’t make sense. They have now revised it several times and it is a bit better.
The Press Enterprise, on the other hand, seemed to try for quality rather than speed and produced much better articles. That being said, there is one gigantic omission in the Press Enterprise stories that make a big difference.
California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10850(a) reads:
Except as otherwise provided in this section, all applications and records concerning any individual made or kept by any public officer or agency in connection with the administration of any provision of this code relating to any form of public social services for which grants-in-aid are received by this state from the United States government shall be confidential, and shall not be open to examination for any purpose not directly connected with the administration of that program, or any investigation, prosecution, or criminal or civil proceeding conducted in connection with the administration of any such program. The disclosure of any information that identifies by name or address any applicant for or recipient of these grants-in-aid to any committee or legislative body is prohibited, except as provided in subdivision (b).
California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10850(d) reads:
Any person, including every public officer and employee, who knowingly secures or possesses, other than in the course of official duty, an official list or a list compiled from official sources, published or disclosed in violation of this section, of persons who have applied for or who have been granted any form of public social services for which state or federal funds are made available to the counties is guilty of a misdemeanor.
So when the county of San Bernardino, aka Linda Haugen, Michael de la Rosa and Nancy Swanson, enacted a program where every employee would be checked against the welfare data base to determine if they or anyone in their household was connected with a welfare case anywhere, why were they not prosecuted? It would seem those involved with cross-referencing employees and the welfare data base would be guilty of maybe 1000 misdemeanor counts or more.
Are one, two or all three sleeping with Mikey? What is the story here? This seems like a clear-cut case of selective prosecution not to mention civil rights violations and more. These are real crimes and should be prosecuted as such. What gives?
I think he put it in a comment too, but here is an email I received today:
I read and replied to the post about county fire layoffs well im hear to tell you about the fraud that you dont know about. The union members from our county fire department say they took a 7% paycut i say BULL on the serface they look like heros but let me tell you the truth with that arrangment for that 7% cut they got the fire chief to buy off on keeping many open spots so they can work basicly unlimited overtime and they seem proud of the fact that they make between $800 and $1200 dollars a day for this who wouldent like to work for that much money what fraud.
Editor’s Note: Please read and leave comments on the story. Naomi will thank you.
SAN BERNARDINO – In Bell-esque fashion, it was learned today that a significant number of San Bernardino County’s top cops receive over $200,000 a year in retirement benefits. The highest paid retiree in San Bernardino County is a former undersheriff who grosses over $24,000 per month in benefits for an annual retirement benefit of $290,901.96.
The third highest earner is former assistant sheriff Mike Stodelle, who receives $254,640.36 per year. He was recently indicted as part of the scandal involving San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department employees who falsified POST training records to obtain higher levels of pay. He is currently charged with perjury and grand theft after the San Bernardino County Grand Jury indicted him and six others in the scheme. Up to 63 additional employees are being handled administratively rather than criminally. It is unknown how many of them are receiving retirement benefits.
This showed up this morning:
Date & time:7/07 2:02 AM
IP address:194.60.38.198
Country: United Kingdom
Organisation:Houses Of Parliament
And what were they reading? Stories about the SBSD!
I was talking with a deputy today and the conversation reminded me of a conversation I was a part of many years ago when I worked for the courts. The conversation took place with a few female bailiffs. Now, I’m going to put the page break in right here. Do not click to read more if you are prudish, faint of heart, or easily disgusted.
Some of you suggested I owed Beef an apology when we suggested he was not exactly being above board during the POST scandal, etc. Hmm . . . so can you still say that Beef did not lie to all of you? That he did what was best for SEBA members? Or perhaps he cut a deal to take care of himself and screw all of you. And he just about screwed you all over in a big way. Fortunately, there are 23 members who saw through it.
Now I have a question for all SEBA members. When you originally voted Beef in as SEBA president, did he tell you about his past and how he owed everything to Sheriff’s brass for even having a job? I’m curious if rank-and-file who were not around in 1986 knew what they were voting for.
I just now received a notification from Google that my gmail account was accessed by a San Bernardino County computer. Because I am logged in on my computer and someone else logged in from another computer (it was a SBCO IP address) at the same time, Google sent me a warning and suggested I log out of all computers. So who do you think that might be?
For those who have not seen it, here is the promotions and transfer list: Promotions and Transfers effective 081311
We just might have to go through these names and discuss the familial relationships and disciplines of the past. It only supports our premise that one can commit any crime and still be promoted in the Sheriff’s Department as long as you are related to the right person and/or are screwing the right person and/or close, personal friends with the right person.
From what I have been told, the letter below with the blanks filled in was sent by certified mail to the Sheriff, SEBA, and Internal Affairs.
I am filing this complaint because members of the department are not treated the same during the discipline process. If you are a friend or relative to upper management things are over looked when comparing them to all other employees.
I was present during a briefing when Sergeant John Emmons initially upholstered his taser, pointed it at Deputy ____ _____ and shot him. The deputy reacted to the taser and fell to the ground. I thought for sure all the deputies in the briefing would be questioned by Lieutenant Torres about the incident but no one was asked what happened. If I was questioned I would have told the story back then and not a year later. Continue reading
As indicated in a comment below and on the SEBA website, the lawsuit against SEBA was withdrawn and the votes were counted. Fifty-five percent of the deputies eligible to vote cast a ballot. I guess 45 percent don’t care what their paychecks look like it. The measure lost.
Safety management voted to approve the contract concessions. I do not know if they have a “me too” clause or not. Maybe some can let us know.
There are two local stories with regional implications I want to write but need your help as I need some explanations. They are long overdue.
The first is the city of Victorville. Love her or hate her, right now it appears Angela Valles is the only sane person on that city council. I cannot believe the decisions Ryan McEachron is making. We expect that from the other three but never thought Ryan would totally sell out the city. I would especially appreciate any information that can be provided on Buck Johns relationship with Ryan and/or what is going on behind the scenes.
