Debate continues
On efficiency in office, Milligan says she would bring the office into the 21st century.
New communications technology is critical, she says.
"It's how modern offices efficiently operate," she says.
Penman responds. He says when first elected there were more than 500 cases pending against the city. Now, only 61 cases, he says.
Penman says prosecuting more than 10,000 cases.
Background investigations of applicants for employment will be the best way to move, a clear dig at Milligan, who he has said he didnt know about her background because of a maiden name.
New question, what can attorneys office do for business community for fraudelent claims and metal theft.
Penman says felony crimes get most of the DAs attention. The attorney's office should be more aggressive with petty crimes. Can we make the owner of a scrap yard responsible for stolen scrap purchases? these are a few of many areas we are presently looking at.
Milligan says our business community is key to the future of our city"
She says fraudelent claims are a serious problem. "I don't think that one can provide a blanket solution to this problem."
She says must be accessible and cooperative with business community.
Both candidates meander a bit on the question.
Milligan runs out of time.
Question: Is crime increased or decreased? If increased, what plan?
Milligan, crime is a very serious issue. There has been a substantial decrease, citing stats from 2005 to 2006. Says mayr morris initiative of phoenix has been a reason in decrease. "It was clear to me that almost evedrfy single one of the neighbors we spoke with felt safer" she saw on a door to door survey.
"That's what I call success," she said. She says she believes in the broken window theory.
"I will prosecute slum landlords to the full extent of the law," she says.
Penman says that in 2006 with additional resources from other agencies, we saw a drop in crime, but not as great as in the mid 1990s with chief Lee Dean.
Crime is up this year he says over 2006. Crime is up he says.
Arrests are down, he says.
"The bottom line is there are more crimes being committed this year than last year" he says.
he says parolee housing is a variable we can control.
"Unfortunately the mayor and the majority of the city council refuse to act."
Comments
Jim Penman’s opponent is taking a page right out of the Board of Supervisor’s Postmus when he ran for an office he was unqualified for and won. He used a very rich campaign war chest and ran on the ticket of streamlining the Assessor’s Office. First thing he did when he was handed the election to Assessor was to invest millions of our tax dollars for new décor, furniture, carpeting, computers and also hired himself a handful of permanent “ASSISTANTS”. Now in my opinion, which one of us could not be more streamlined in our job if we had all those taxpayer provided benefits in our present jobs?
Is this what we will get if the Mayor’s and his employee son’s political machine gets her elected? I am sure that machine will keep her busy picking out curtains and the like for a long, long time so the Mayor and his four compadres Council persons can run the City down the path of destruction of the law and order promises he made when he was campaigning.
The City Attorney’s opponent drools all over the Mayor’s Op Phoney 20 block area and states that crime has decreased overall. Well, YEahHHH? If you have the San Bernardino Police shackled to that 20 block perimeter, why wouldn’t crime go down in that area. She puts a slant on her fairytale by stating that in a door to door survey she conducted, people in OP Phoney told her “they felt safer”. IS THAT WHAT A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CODE ENFORCEMENT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING? WAS SHE BORED ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY AND DECIDED TO GO OUT AND PROVE THAT op phoney WAS THE CAT’S MEOW? IS THAT WHY WE HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT LAWS AND ORDINANCES NOT BEING FOLLOWED SO DEPUTY DIRECTORS CAN GO OUT AND DO PHONEY SURVEYS? HOW MANY POLICE ACCOMPANIED HER ON THIS SURVEY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WORKING ELSEWHERE?
She goes on to state at the Council Chamber forum that fraudulent lawsuits can be costly to a city. You know she knows all about that FIRST HAND.
Posted by: Joe Ortiz | October 10, 2007 11:56 PM
Joe,
Jim Penman loaned his campaign over $60,000.00. He's hard-pressed to find ANYONE ( except the Ortiz family and a single page of folk, like Frank Guzman and nowhere-near-recently-former police leaders ) to endorse him, much less give ANY money to his bid for entering a THIRD DECADE of NO RESULTS.
Marianne Milligan, to the contrary, has almost $40,000.00 in contributions of $1.00 and up from the everyday people affected by the DECADES-LONG debacle-riddled tenancy of Jim Penman in the city attorney's office.
When one looks at the numbers, Marianne Milligan has 3:1 support over Penman and that's expressed with their pocketbooks ~ not any personal loan to her campaign.
How many people reading this would dip into personal debt $60,000.00+ for a 50:50 chance at retaining your job, knowing you've been failing your job performance reviews for years and administration (the voting public) had reached their limit with you?
Further, how many people reading this would want a person with those poor track records and decision making skills elected to office?
Vote With Reason, Vote Marianne Milligan, City Attorney!
Your Friend & Neighbor,
Susana Atanasova
Posted by: Susana Atanasova | October 12, 2007 2:30 AM
Far too many make voting decisions by the very last campaign lawn sign they saw as they drove or walked to the polling places.
It is up to those who know what is happening in City government to get the message out to everyone possible and not let the Morris political machine buy this election with misinformation via the Point of View press releases, public tirades by the Mayor attacking our City Attorney , a campaign war chest collected for the opponent by the existing mayor and enemies of the City and of Jim Penman going back to the investigations a decade ago that unseated former Council members, exposed corruption, bribery and the like. Added to these enemies are disgruntled developers who lost out when the corrupt city politicians were ousted, half way house absentee landlords who hate the present moratorium, and those who had to comply with the City codes in group home businesses. Possibly another group with a vendetta to join the anti-Penman coalition that is working in conjunction with the Morris machine are those who have plans for more low income housing for San Bernardino.
The voters cannot sit back and think that with the incompetence of the opponent being exposed for all to see on the debate forum, that this will be a cinch for Jim Penman to win. Unlimited funds from the Morris coalition can buy a lot of votes. Want proof? Look who is in the Mayor’s position today.
Posted by: Joe Ortiz | October 16, 2007 10:58 PM