Transparency

Mar 192012
 
Mayor Stephen Cassidy: From Lawyer to Law Breaker in Just One Day?

Stephen Cassidy describes himself a consumer attorney, but since he became Mayor of San Leandro he has spent more time breaking the law than arguing it in court.  I have written before – and I have written to him – about some of the numerous Brown Act violations that the San Leandro City Council has committed under his leadership.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have any plans to stop and indeed is now moving ahead into actions that the law considers misdemeanors. At the last City Council meeting, Cassidy told Councilman Prola to ask John Chiang, the State Controller, to [Continue Reading]

Feb 212012
 
City Council Moves to Ban Entertainment in Most of San Leandro

It’s an Acknowledgement that they Violated Faith Fellowship’s Constitutional Rights but… is it good Public Policy? Unfortunately it seems that most of my analysis below was right.  Read this short update about the Tuesday night City Council meeting. Do you want to open a wrestling venue in the industrial area of San Leandro?  How about a comedy club, a lecture hall, a dance school offering recitals, a skating ring, something new and fun and family friendly? Right now, all you have to do is get a conditional use permit and you’re free to go.   But if you want to open [Continue Reading]

Feb 062012
 
San Leandro City Council Systematically Violates Open Meeting Laws

It’s worse than I thought, but is it intentional or just careless? Just ask public officials, perhaps over a few beers, how they feel about the pesky public looking over their shoulder as they try to “get things done.”   They hate it.  Public oversight means they have to worry about following the law, hiding any corrupt deals and being held accountable for their actions. As the corruption facilitated by secrecy has dire consequences for society at large (just think of the City of Bell), the California legislature long ago passed the Brown Act to guarantee the public notice and access to [Continue Reading]

Feb 012012
 
City Council Quietly Negotiates Sale of Albertson's Property

According to the latest agenda, the San Leandro City Council will meet on Feb. 6th to discuss the price and terms of payment for the former Albertson’s property to developer David Irmer (president of Innisfree Co.), who plans to turn it into a strip mall.   Apparently, the City Council has already quietly agreed to sell the property to him. The City bought the property for $6M in April 2009 and then immediately turned it over to Irmer to develop.  Three years later, it is selling it to Irmer for about $2.5M*, 60% less than it paid for it and a [Continue Reading]

Nov 022011
 
Sexism vs. Racism at SLPD: the documents

Read the legal documents on the allegations of racial and sexual harassment and the SLPD. (This post has been revised and re-revised since its original publication). In early 2008, a number of female police officers at the San Leandro Police Department made internal complaints regarding sexual harassment by then sergeant DeWayne Stancill.  The city responded by promptly hiring an outside investigator to look into the complaints.  The report concluded that the complaints were unfounded, but that Stancill’s behavior had at times been inappropriate.  A second investigation prompted by reports of sexual harassment and retaliation made by Officer Debra Trujillo against [Continue Reading]