Mayor Morris explains his daughter's city contract
The following was submitted to this reporter via email at 3:52 p.m. in response to calls to discuss Mayor Pat Morris' daughter, Kathleen Willis, being contracted with the city for two years without the knowledge of any councilmembers, the city attorney or city manager.
Mayor Pat Morris writes: "The Inland Empire Gymnastics Academy has very small contractual relationship with the City that predates my election as Mayor. My daughter, Katie Willis, is the owner and operator of this local business. The relationship provides community children the opportunity to sign-up for gymnastics classes at the Academy through the Parks & Recreation Department. The Department has a similar relationship with a number of other recreational contractors. Over the last 2 years, the total amount of money that has come to the Inland Empire Gymnastics Academy from signups through the Department has totaled $5,247, which conservatively represents approximately 1.6% of the Academy’s total gross revenue over this same period ...
In fact, the Academy makes no profit from its contractual relationship with the Department. The classes for the Parks & Recreation Department barely break even or sometimes lose money because of staffing costs. Despite not making any money, the Academy has continued to provide this opportunity as a service to the Department and children in our community who otherwise would not have an opportunity to participate in gymnastics.
I had absolutely nothing to do with the Department’s origination or continuation of the contractual relationship with the Inland Empire Gymnastics Academy, and neither did the City Manager or the Director of Parks & Recreation. The decision to execute a contract with the Inland Empire Gymnastics Academy in 2005, and the decision to continue the contract, was made solely by the Recreational Superintendent and his staff. This is the same process used for every other recreational contractor, and the decision is based on Departmental needs and children’s interest.
During my administration, I can only recall the Recreational Superintendent being involved in perhaps two large group meetings attended by myself or my staff, each of which involved Operation Phoenix. In those meetings and during my entire administration, there has never been any discussion or even mention of contractual recreational services or the Inland Empire Gymnastics Academy with the Parks & Recreation Department. Every procedure and rule was followed by the Parks & Recreation Department in executing and continuing this contractual relationship. There is simply nothing remotely illegal, unethical, impermissible, or even questionable about this contractual relationship. To imply otherwise is ludicrous.
Sadly, Jim Penman and his closest ally and best friend Wendy McCammack have been digging around for weeks in a failed attempt to find some mud to throw at me. Both of these politicians are up for re-election and I have endorsed their opponents. The fact that they would attempt to make something out of nothing just because they could attach my daughter’s name to it, is a sad commentary about their character.”
****
There it is. Morris says there has never been any discussion by him during his administration about his daughter's company's contract with the city.
It should be noted, however, that Willis put Sally Morris' name on her application. Did mid-level officials know this was a mayoral candidate's daughter? Not sure.
Comments
Quoting the Mayor: "The fact that they would attempt to make something out of nothing just because they could attach my daughter’s name to it, is a sad commentary about their character.”
hmm? As I see it... From day one that Pat Morris took office as Mayor of the City of San Bernardino, Ca
he could of and should have
simply disclosed that a family member was under contract with a Department in the city.
Not only would that have been the proper thing to do...
Then, chances of this story even making it to the newspapers, a blog or so much as making a ripple in a pond were none!
And, now the Mayor is blaming others for his knowingly
never disclosing this information. Whew!
.... It is truly a sad commentary about his character.
Posted by: David C. Owens | October 17, 2007 7:12 AM
Okay, I have had it with all this mud slinging by Penman and attempts to get dirt on Ms. Milligan and the Mayor because he is supporting her.
Ask yourselves, during this campaign has he done anything to show how he will help the forward direction of the City in these tough times? No. All he has done is try and sully his opponent. Enough already. After 20 years of him in office are we any better as a City? It's not so much that I am a Milligan supporter, but this City needs a change and a new direction. As a person who lives and works here, 4 more years of Penman and his antics are not going to get us anywhere. Any change would be better than the mess we are in. City Hall is held captive because of Penman, nothing can get accomplished. I hope the voters are listening to what he is doing and how he is NOT instilling confidence in my vote. Enough already with the attempts to trash his opponent! Focus on the serious issues, win on your laurels not because you ran a smear campaign. The sad thing is that Penman doesn't have a whole lot of recent laurels to rest on. It's time for a change and moving in a positive direction for the City of San Bernardino.
Posted by: TruthSeeker | October 17, 2007 8:02 AM
How sad for Jim Penman. Here is a situation where Kathleen Willis was contracted for a position that predates her father's election as Mayor. Obviously, the Mayor in no way was able to make that contract happen when he wasn't even in office. The fact the relationship with Willis and the city has continued after Morris became mayor is irrelevant. Come on Jim, I thought you were slicker than that. Well throw some mud maybe some will stick....
Posted by: SB watcher | October 17, 2007 8:29 AM
nep•o•tism
patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics
From dictionary.com
While I doubt that this particular incident is nepotism, it isn't surprising that some people may question this due to Mayor Morris "hiring" his son as his Chief of Staff.
Of course, EVERYONE knows this is not for financial profit because the younger Mr. Morris does not receive a salary for his 40+ hours of work per week. However, it does raise the old question: In the entire city there was no one else that could perform this position? Another question, (not any of our business but people do wonder) how he can support his expanding family without his salary?
I have heard the Mayor's son feels this is community service.
Now there is this - GymGate.....a small contract that by all accounts is more trouble than it is worth. Not passed by the City Manager or City Attorney, not disclosed by the Mayor (after he took office). And the Mayor's daughter stated in the article that she feels this is community service.
Why is everyone so worked up about a little community service?
Posted by: Suzie Q | October 17, 2007 2:43 PM
truthseeker states "City Hall is held captive because of Penman". Penman does not get to vote or have veto power over the City Council. When some bozo wants to submit a new law or action that contradicts state or federal law, all Penman can do is advise against it. He may also mention the cost of potential lawsuits against the city due to the proposal. The council can still do whatever the heck they want. Don't blame Penman for your lack of understanding about how the council works.
Posted by: devoregirl | October 17, 2007 3:33 PM
Talk about the Morris Machine having its' dirty laundry hung out to dry..This still had all the BIOLOGICAL stains on it. Remember when Valles had the City subsidizing her brother? I guess dirty birds of kind really do flock together. This is a shameful and disgraceful bunch of caca that Morris now wants to spin into a "blame anyone else but him."
The Morris sandbox is not quite full, but getting close. that is the primary reason he wants Jim Penman out. Much more to follow.
Posted by: Joe Ortiz | October 17, 2007 5:16 PM
Has anyone at SBNow Blog ever enrolled their child in Tumble Tots, or any other gymnastics program, as we have provided for our children’s development? I would imagine so, and that the failure to mention the following is an oversight, so here it is:
At any gymnastics program, you have the students, the siblings, the parents, the grandparents, the involved neighbors stopping by to see for themselves if they should enroll their child/ren, too ~ and more! You have the gymnasts’ classmates from their diverse other campuses and those children’s parents & involved others, coming by to see if they should join, too; you have their swim and other lesson peers popping in with their parents to check it out; you have cousins and second cousins and third cousins once removed and all manner of folk associated to one degree or another coming to the classes to ask questions, to observe, to sign up, to take movies and photos... It is far from a quiet, secret, dark back room!
NONE of these folks cared a hoot about Kathleen’s bloodline ~ they cared about her capabilities with regard to teaching Susie to summersault or Victor to vault. Period. If she weren’t accomplishing that, #1: She wouldn’t have 200 students ~ gymnastics classes are easy to come by, just like karate; #2: She wouldn’t be around year in & year out, “back by popular demand”, again & again.
The ONLY person giving a hoot is Penman. And only now, at election time ~ when he perennially goes into his “lookie-lookie” mode ~ somehow always managing to notice things about others, but never about himself ~ and seldom after Election Day.
The fact is, way back when her daddy was just her daddy, not Mayor Morris, on her own merits she obtained the contract.
The fact is, since way back, on her own merits, she has been able to prove herself worthy of contract renewal.
The fact is, if she weren’t passing muster, those fickle, (as in picky), parents would vote with their pocketbooks and take their children elsewhere, leaving the class defunct ~ just like California Youth Spirit Corps classes in San Bernardino ~ remember them? History! That’s a far cry from the 200 student enrollment of this gymnastics class in question.
This isn’t a testament to any ugliness from The Morris Family; this is further substantiation of my earlier posts highlighting examples throughout SBNow Blog as to why Petulant Penman needs to go.
When a grown man, and father of children purporting to care about our citizenry, disregards essential work he has been elected to accomplish and is paid a six-figure salary to attend to, decides finding solutions to gang groups, drug den denizens, pimps, prostitutes, philanderers and panhandlers, to name but a few of the matters needing attention, are of less importance than gunning after a genteel woman’s successful efforts at providing a venue for economical gymnastics to area youth at a level that balloons the enrollment to 200 students, it is time for those who elected him to decide enough is enough and vote Marianne Milligan for City Attorney.
Posted by: Susana Atanasova | October 18, 2007 5:44 AM
The problem is Mayor Morris has called himself the reform candidate yet this shows he is following in the footsteps of his predecessors. The city of San Bernardino has a very long history of passing on contracts and or jobs to familiy members of elected officials. Go back as far as you can and you will find this taking place. If Mayor Morris wishes to be viewed as anything other than a continuation of the problems which led to the decline of San Bernardino then he needs to set the example. Change begins with leadership. So lead Mayor Morris.
Posted by: Ty | October 18, 2007 10:31 AM
To Marianne and those who support her position for change and modernization if elected.
Prior to the Penman era, pro-active legal action on behalf of the City was rarely the case. When Penman won the office, he found only one case where the City was suing anyone. ONE case!! Is that appealing, Marianne? Maybe that will allow more time for shopping in the O C for the “modernization” you will be making in the Office.
Marianne, what will you do with the fifty or seventy five cases that there may be pending against those who have harmed or cost the City and the taxpayers? I know, farm them out to Timmy; it’s only taxpayer money and you know that Morris will be right behind you to back you up, after all someone had to pay back all those special interests that put you, Marianne, in the C.A. office.
Marianne, when you were about twenty-five years old, Jim Penman had to look at the specter of facing over 500 law suits against the City when he took the C.A. office. These were leftover from the C.A. that Jim Penman replaced in that election. What would you do if you had to look at those 500 plus lawsuits against the City, Marianne? How many do you think there might be now due to Jim Penman’s aggressive approach in safe guarding taxpayers’ money? Do you think you might be lucky and that there might only be 20, 30, 40, or 50 cases? A real HONEST to goodness C.A., Jim Penman, brought the 500 cases pending against the City to just a few cases. He did this with hard work, honesty, respect and dedication to his position.
Marianne, you had better pray very hard that the Morris machine does not get its vendetta and vengeance satisfaction, because no matter how you hard you will try to pretend to be a City Attorney, and no matter how much extra payroll and assistants the Judge gives you, hizoner’s term is only about two more years. The city of San Bernardino cannot afford you and you should really consider the awesome responsibility that a true City Attorney has to contend with day in and day out. Of course, the Costa Mesa newspaper, the Daily Pilot has information on Marianne Reger, the real attorney. this is available at Daily Pilot.com Isn’t that right, Ms. Reger?
Posted by: Pen Name | October 19, 2007 1:57 PM
Proud Wife & Mother writing under yet another alias,
Again, for the upteenth time:
What has James F. "Jim" Penman done in the way of positives for SB in recent years? Can you list anything? If so, please stop delaying and list it already ~ you are going on 2 months of pure hyperbole, so far. The election will be here in 2 weeks. List something, if you can.
Until then, try to learn these 10 points, again ~ you seem incapable of retaining them ~ as you may soon be proven incapable of retaining your candidate in office:
1. Jim Penman maintains a full house of attorneys and Staff in the SB Office of CA & it has been this way for at least as long as he has been reporting to the FPPC that the value of his annual country club membership has a fair market value of $150.00 ~ that's one hundred and fifty dollars, total, after declining responsibility for his wife's half of the supposed $300 annual value ~ wouldn't want to overpay, you know!
2. The number of cases Penman found waiting for him when he first took office, 2 decades ago, has no bearing on anything here.
3. It was a county position that was touted as the one spending all the money on revamping the office, not a city office, though it is located within the city limits. Again, it has no bearing on anything here.
4. Marianne Milligan has not earned the support of some of California's highest judiciaries by spending her days shopping as you flatly make up. Penman, on the other hand, is documented here, in SBNow Blog, blogging from 8A-5P, on a non-holiday workday. See:
http://www.insidesocal.com/sb/sbnow/2007/10/crime_stats_tell_puzzling_tale.html#comments
So, if your thing is making sure the SBCA is at work, there you have it: A documented reason to vote for Marianne Milligan!
5. All your typing "it may be..." this & that is pure silliness ~ it may be a pie in the sky, for goodness' sake! I'm doing all I can to see Marianne elected and nobody would call me "special interest" ~ there are MANY like me, trying our very best to improve San Bernardino.
6. Considering what Marianne has accomplished at the age she has attained ~ around about the age Jim was during the decades old time you're rehashing here, and considering that her law school ranking, from the same one as Jim, is SUPERIOR to his, I'd say you've given some great reasons for voting for Marianne. Thanks!
7. I know this is hard to believe from someone in Penman's camp, but, despite what you seem to be used to over there, this campaign over here has ZERO to do about vendettas,(which there is no reason for ~ or, can you name some reasons for a vendetta? If so, please do.) vengeance, (which is the Lord they God's, friend), or anything negative. Please. Wake up to this reality. Let's talk ISSUES!
8. Were it that all this extra payroll for all these extra "assistants" you always mention were to materialize, where do you suggest Marianne house them? Have you not been to the offices in recent years? For at least almost 2 decades now, the open-airy space is cramped with desks along desks in columns and rows with those flimsy half wall height ( kind of like a fabric covered 4'x 8' panel), for "privacy & "walls". There's not room up there for anything more than CHANGE ~ and that's just want I hope the voters provide in 2 weeks' time!
9. You consistently seem to forget, Marianne is a HIGHLY REGARDED & EXPERIENCED MUNICIPAL ATTORNEY... Haven't you read your ballot? It's right there, in B & W.
10. The name is Milligan, Marianne Milligan. Maybe you'll get it right once she's in office.
Posted by: Susana Atanasova | October 20, 2007 12:51 AM
How 'bout that latest "poll" the Morris camp did earlier this week? I hear Penman is winning 2 to 1.
No wonder the Morris camp had to bring up the country club memberships. It isn't like Penman just got one - this didn't come up during the Mayoral Race.......they held it for future use, I'm sure.
Truthseeker states "any change would be better" than Penman - if that is all Marianne Milligan has to her credit, it's scary.
Marianne Milligan was according to Truthseeker (in another blog thread) working in an advisory capacity - the real City Attorney's Office is Costa Mesa had already been disbanded.
So for qualifications, according to Truthseeker - who some speculate is Jim Morris - Marianne Milligan doesn't really have the qualifications to be a City Attorney but is better than the other choice - in his opinion.
WOW! There is an endorsement!
Posted by: Suzie Q | October 20, 2007 4:18 PM
Penman's people will seemingly do ANYTHING to stay in his good graces. That's a sad commentary indeed.
The fact is, there was no "poll" and Marianne Milligan volunteers are breaking a sweat trying to keep up with the demand for her signs!
I was at a volunteer's home yesterday and the place was bustling with people from the community coming by to pick up signs for their yards ~ a far cry from the tall tales of signs being placed without permission. Just how does one put a sign in one's yard without permission after one has gone all the way across town to pick up the sign and haul it back home in the first place? In the couple of minutes I was there TWO different families arrived to pick up signs for their yards!
When leaving, I was given a slip of paper with an address and asked to drop off signs on my way to accomplish other things. I did as asked of me. Gracious! You would think I was Publisher's Clearing
House come bearing that famous check! They were SO HAPPY to be getting their yard signs! Marianne is seen as the city's savior from years of ickiness.
In 15 minutes I dealt with 5 registered voter families face-to-face, ALL of them were so PRO MILLIGAN for city attorney, they placed yard signs. ZERO want another term with Penman in place.
Therefore, the LATEST "poll" reveals, 5 out of 5 voters want Marianne for City Attorney ~
The headline?
ZERO VOTERS WANT PENMAN FOR CITY ATTORNEY
How's that "poll" story working for you now?
This is getting eerie! How is it your post came AFTER that series of events occurred? This is just one in a LONG line of "coincidences" ~ Do you believe in coincidences? ~ MIRACLES... big & small... It's beginning to feel a lot like The Hand of Providence is at work this election season!
Sorry to turn all mystic, those of you who are repelled by this sort of talk, but it's gotten to the level of being undeniable now! Truly, AMAZING!
Only The Good Lord knows WHY we've had to suffer as we have ~ his ways are mysterious to the mortal mind ~ but in this, as in all things, in His good time, GOOD WILL PREVAIL!
Posted by: Susana Atanasova | October 21, 2007 4:40 AM
Susana -
You are a puppet for the Morris/Milligan Machine.
Do you think that they tell you everything? You are so important to their efforts to get a woman that has no investment in this city elected? I don't think so......
As Proud Wife and Mother has stated before - take your meds. They (the Morris/Milligan Machine) whisper "this and that" in your ear so that you will post their agenda on this blog. Get a clue!
"ZERO" voters for Penman? Get serious. My household will be voting for him, and next time you are driving "all over the city" doing "GOOD" take a look at the number of Penman signs on resident lawns.....they outnumber the Milligan lawn signs that you are pushing.
OH WAIT! Penman is putting those lawn signs up without permission, right?!? NOT! AND EVEN IF we were on the same meds you are, and BELIEVE that they were placed there without permission, you don't think the residents would leave them up, do you? Oh yeah - YOU probably do.....
Posted by: Suzie Q | October 22, 2007 8:26 AM
Susie Q / PW&M and all the other cowards spewing hatred-filled posts without substance,
There's no reason to worry about me taking my diabetes medication ~ I assure you, were I not to, I would be in a hospital, or dead ~ not posting here under my own name, unlike you who post under any alias the whim seems to suit.
I've got to go now ~ there's a candidate forum at City tonight, as I first reported yesterday and Robert was kind enough to lead today's blog with.
I hope you attend.
Come by for refreshments at intermission, tonight & tomorrow evening, if you like. It will be my pleasure to provide you with wholesome delicious treats.
Your Honest & Friendly Neighbor Supporting Local Community Betterment With Actions Instead of Trying To Look Better By Tearing Others Down Falsely Under The Cowardly Cover of An Alias, Like You ~
Please, reflect and reconsider the bilious nature of your life as represented here in the blog ~ Every day is a new opportunity to be better ~ YOU can be better, if you only let you of your bile and venom and give goodness a try. It's a truly lovely way to live a life. I invite and encourage you to try it.
Please, vote for Marianne Milligan in the race for City Attorney
Posted by: Susana Atanasova | October 22, 2007 2:37 PM
Talk about truth, Susana, you make it sound like YOU bought and paid for the refreshments. I heard the moderator say they were provided and paid for by Gerald Beard Realty? You believe your own hype.
Posted by: proud wife and mother | October 23, 2007 3:45 PM
I have no idea what you are talking about......my name is Suzie Quantrill. I suppose you (in all your glorious unfounded righteousness) have NEVER posted under an alias – NOT!
I went to the candidate forum last night……TO HEAR THE CANDIDATES. Refreshments? Geez!
The “meds” we refer to are for you obvious psychiatric problems – not any health problems you may have.
Your grasp of reality is nonexistent. You do not comprehend the simple fact that you are being used by the politicos in City Hall. As I said before – GET A CLUE!
You accuse me of tearing you down FALSELY…..have you read your own posts? You are arrogant, uninformed, and boorish to other people who post in these blogs
(even under their OWN names) yet when you receive the same treatment you whine?
If you can’t take the heat stay out of the kitchen……or go plant your trees in SILENCE!!!
Posted by: Suzie Q | October 23, 2007 5:56 PM