Penman v. Milligan, part deux
City Attorney Jim Penman and challenger Marianne Milligan squared off in council chambers for the second time Tuesday night, with a much different result.
In the first debate, sponsored by the chamber of commerce earlier this month, a hyper-aggressive Penman riddled the challenger with criticisms, had a raucous crowd thoroughly behind him and landed blow-after-blow to her public image with nary a response.
Milligan clearly changed her strategy in this debate, to her favor. Who won is not for this reporter to decide, but Milligan's scrapping of the "no response" tactic against Penman's ferocious onslaught was clearly a wise move.
Here is a clip below of Milligan going on the offensive:
Click below for more recap, analysis of the issues, photos and clips ...
Milligan started early, saying she wished to "set the record straight" on a number of points Penman has heretofore wielded to his advantage.
"The problems" .... "existed long before I arrived there," Milligan said of her previous job as a city attorney in Costa Mesa, a record for which she has caught flak because she filed a complaint against her boss.
"I was the first person brave enough to come forward," she said, regarding misconduct in the office. She then waived an "internal memo" from that city and read from it.
Here is more Milligan:
Although the memo said "there is no evidence of unlawful harrassment, discrimmination or retaliation, there are several "serious" issues in the office, the memo said, according to Milligan.
"There were problems" she said.
Essentially, Milligan admitted that there was nothing unlawful occurring in the department against which she filed a claim, but there were serious "issues."
The "issues" were not unlike the ones in this city attorney's office, she said.
Milligan went on. She said the city council in Costa Mesa decided to disband the department, but not because of her complaint, rather, it was because of the "problems" in the department.
Milligan then hit on a key point: Penman has slammed her for her application to his office, which he has implied was a cover for her background because she didn't divulge her former married name Reger.
Milligan all but admitted that she didn't provide that name, but said she did provide her social security number.
"Any minimal background check would have provided my married name that my opponent seems to say he never knew anything about," she said.
She said her strong performance earned her a swift promotion, and that she was being "groomed" to take Penman's place in the event that he beat Pat Morris for mayor in early 2006.
She said he later demoted her because "I had now become a threat to him."
Then, Milligan moved to her candidate statement, which a judge ruled contained three words that were unlawful.
She said she has never run for public office before. She admitted that she should have been more "diligent."
"It was certainly not my intent to mislead anyone, and I apologize if I did," she said.
She then said Penman was asked point blank (presumably by this reporter) if he had put anyone up to filing the lawsuit against Milligan that resulted in the judge's ruling. Penman has maintained that he did not, but Milligan pointed out that after the lawsuit, Penman reported roughly $20,000 in legal fees contributed to his campaign by the firm that prosecuted her.
"Now that is what I call false and misleading," she said.
Penman fired back, repeatedly holding up props to illustrate his points, even more so than he did in the first debate.
Penman stayed on his main points: Mainly that Milligan cannot be trusted because a judge found that she had used "false and misleading" language on her campaign statement, that she had destroyed the Costa Mesa office with her bogus complaint, and that she is an outsider who has been tapped to run by Penman's archenemy, Mayor Morris.
Here is some Penman:
"It's this constant duplicity that has finally caught up with her," he said.
He noted that after her complaint she signed a settlement giving her former Costa Mesa boss a $750,000 settlement.
There was another interesting element to the debate, one that to this point has not really surfaced.
Milligan, building on her "nonpolitical city attorney" argument for why she should hold the post, slammed Penman for contributing "thousands" to councilmembers' campaigns in the past, which Penman has.
Penman countered strongly that Milligan, who first broached the issue, has contributed to another city officials' campaign during this election. Milligan admitted that she has contributed money to City Clerk Rachel Clark's campaign. Although it wasn't mentioned, Mayor Pat Morris has contributed to her campaign as well.
Milligan said Clark is "not a policy maker." She added that since she is not yet elected, she can contribute without having the same conflicts Penman does.
"I am not an elected city attorney, I am a citizen," she said, adding again that as city attorney she would not contribute because it does create a "conflict of interest."
Here is Milligan:
That is a brief brush over the debate. In sum, Milligan wisely shifted her strategy to take on Penman. Penman still had the crowd, although it was smaller than last time, maybe 30 or 40 people.
As for the issues on which Penman has hit her before, Milligan probably fought to a draw. A recap:
1) That she destroyed the Costa Mesa office with her complaint:
Analysis - Milligan admits that no unlawful actions were found, but that investigators found unspecified "problems." She adds that the office was running woefully inefficiently anyway, and implies that its destruction was probably good for that city. Not sure if this is good or bad for Milligan, but it's probably an improvement over just absorbing Penman's attacks on this front.
2) On not providing her maiden name to Penman's office when applying for a job:
Analysis - She said there was no place for it on the application but that she provided her social security number, which presumably would have revealed the name on a cursory background check. Her argument is probably strong here, but she certainly should have made it earlier.
3) On her court-ordered changes to her candidate statement:
Analysis - Yes, her offenses here were not grievous, but the judge said she was wrong and she admitted it, obviously not a good faux pas for an attorney to make. Her best move here was to finally hit Penman for having the lawsuit conducted by a high-powered firm as a campaign donation. Penman has said he didn't arrange the lawsuit, but then reported it on his campaign contribution statement, which he explained by saying he reports anything that "benefits his campaign." Obviously, people have a hard time believing that, and Milligan finally seized on it.
4) On the campaign contributions Penman has historically made to favored councilpersons:
Analysis - Milligan may have had a strong strategy here, but the fact that Penman could come back at her for making and taking contributions to and from local elected officials left her vulnerable. Obviously, one could wonder how she left herself open to Penman's wide-open "duplicity" counterpunch.
So there it is. Not handicapping the race or saying who is better fit for the office, but interesting points were raised in this debate, mostly by Milligan, who finally went on some offense of her own.
That's the story.
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the debate was hardly a draw! Penman clearly did better than Milligan. I will say that Milligan did better in this debate than the last one, but she certainly did not do as well as Penman did!
I have to agree that Penman once again came out on top. Milligan is out of her league.
In The Know
It should be expected that Penman would do better in all debates, no matter who is running against him, since he has been singing the same old song and doing the same old dance for 20 years now. And, I might add, with the same old results ( or non-results depending on how you look at it). How sad for us, the residents of San Bernardino.
I think Marianne did a fantastic job. This election is about change. Can't the City benefit from a change. Nothing has happened for 20 years. I, for one, do not want to let the next four years just slide. Let's see what a difference can make in City Hall.
Well, alrighty then Hopeful for SB! That's the kind of optimism that will take SB up to the next rung on this ladder to regaining our former status as All American City ~ one of the reasons I moved here!
Marianne did a great job at the televised forum last evening! Observers could clearly see, and have commented, that it seems as though Marianne's courtroom experience and decorum carries through. She had points to make and she made them in a manner that no judge would interrupt proceedings for to curtail. Unfortunately, and truly to my utter amazement, Jim Penman deliberately began picking up his poster boards and, like a 2 year-old, holding them between his fingertips, then, letting them drop ~ most of us have seen toddlers do this with their Cheerios, at the highchair. This was done outside the camera's angle, at the dias, while Marianne continued during her alloted time to speak. Had this infantile theatric been performed in any courtroom, Penman would have been minimally warned by the judge on how to behave. As it was not a courtroom and was being televised live, we could only sit in stunned silence while Penman picked first one poster board, then another, then another, then another and dramatically hoisted them over and in front of himself. Then, one by one, he held them aloft from the floor and allowed them to free-fall, landing against the hallow raised wooden platform of the dias with a resounding THUMP! pause THUMP! pause THUMP! pause THUMP! until he was out of ammunition.
To Marianne's credit, she never batted an eye and continued on with her presentation in a polished and professional manner.
Those who were not present at the forum will never know this was going on within arm's reach of her as she spoke on camera.
Those who watch and hear the forum on TV as it rebroadcasts this Sunday, at 1:00PM, will hear the series of THUMP! pause THUMP! over & over, as outlined above.
Also, the viewing audience will notice that Jim Penman, with 20 years of experience at City Hall with televised events of all manner decided willfully to leave his microphone on, then THWACK! against it with a long rod of some sort he had taken up to the dias with him. THAT is the disruptive noise heard without any visible cues as Marianne is filling the screen, speaking undeterred.
All of these things are "dirty pool". A 3rd grader knows better. Penman surely knows better.
That he made the conscious decisions, over & over to do bad things at the forum, such as the repeated thumps and the thwacking of the microphone tells of the lengths to which he will go and the measures he will undertake to sully the performances of others in order to appear better.
It bears noting that Marianne continued her presentation with Penman within arms reach doing all these spiteful things to mess up her live television coverage without batting an eye, losing her place, taking his bully's bait to turn from the camera and use up her alloted time to communicate with the voters to reprimand Penman, or ask him to stop it. (I mention this because, at Monday's City Council Candidates' Forum, Bette Dean couldn't control her impulses under far less severe circumstances and reduced here final segment to a repetition of "I don't want to use up my time doing this but..." over & over, until her time was up).
Marianne Milligan sailed through the onslaught of audio disturbances and poster boards being lifted aloft and dropped on edge to her right deliberately contrived by Penman to detract from her pointed messages of substance. She's a real trooper ~ and a winner!
If Penman needs to resort to attempting to distract voters turning up, or tuning in, to view the forum, his campaign is in even worse shape than is widely known.
If Penman had dropped ONE posterboard. OK. We ALL make mistakes. It happens. But he kept doing it over & over & over... Then, he thwacked the microphone ~ which he knew better than to have turned on during his time off camera... Even the Political Science students, new to the button controlled microphones learned to push them on & off in one session ~ do you really suppose Penman did all this "on accident"?
It's been said over & over for endless reasons, now it needs to be said yet again, "Shame-shame-shame, Jim Penman".
Your Friend & Neighbor Voting for Marianne Milligan As Our New City Attorney,
Susana Atanasova
If it "should be expected" that Penman would do better in the debates, what else "should be expected" to do better? The position of City Attorney?
The silence after each of Ms. Milligan's comments at the forum were very telling.
And Mr. Penman clearly "rattled" Ms. Milligan's cage - note her demeanor during her concluding statements.
What is Marianne Milligan's record?
She devistated the City Attorney's Office in Costa Mesa.
She was demoted in the San Bernardino City Attorney's Office.
She is currently running the Code Enforcement department into the ground. The department works on a reactive system to violators, not a proactive system that would clean up this city.
Is that the way she plans on running the San Bernardino City Attorney's Office?
YES! She has said that she is there as a resource. She does not advocate any action without the Mayor's approval - BUT that is why the Mayor handpicked her to run against Mr. Penman.
Many in these blogs are calling for change. "Can't the City benefit from a change"......can the City afford to change to what Marianne Milligan has to offer? The attitude that "anything" is better than Mr. Penman shows how truly desperate the Milligan/Morris camp has become.
The article states:
Although the memo said "there is no evidence of unlawful harassment, discrimination or retaliation, there are several "serious" issues in the office, the memo said, according to Milligan.
"There were problems" she said.
Essentially, Milligan admitted that there was nothing unlawful occurring in the department against which she filed a claim, but there were serious "issues."
Okay……Ms. Milligan has attended law school, passed the bar, and by this time has almost a decade of experience. Yet she files a harassment/discrimination suit that is determined to have NO EVIDENCE.
The Costa Mesa City Attorney’s office had “serious issues” with management and her “fix” for the problem was to file a harassment/discrimination suit. This “fix” cost the City of Costa Mesa $750,000 for the settlement – not including the cost of attorney, etc.
This is the type of attorney that we want to RUN our City Attorney’s Office?
TO ALL CITIZENS OF SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA
Well, well, well! Mr. Mayor what are we gonna do about you? I suggest that on November 7, 2007 after Mr Penman's victory party, the people of this city execute a recall. It's time for all citizens of San Bernardino to recognize the fact that enough is enough! I don't particularly care for that process because it's just too darn easy. But frankly sir, you went to lunch and never came back! You and your "come-alongs" are constantly slamming the City Attorney with prevarication, not to mention your juvenile phone message(s) - good grief!
There's not a problem, and it is your prerogative to promote an individual of your choice for City Attorney, however in this instance you are taking it much too far and it is totally out of line. You have made it perfectly clear that you don't care who sits in that chair (right or wrong, good or bad - makes no difference) as long as it's not James Penman. The citizens can (now) see that you don't give a .... about this city, it's all about you, you, you and that's wrong, wrong, wrong. You people have the audacity to use words like antics and shenanigans and all the other garb you let roll off your broken tongues in reference to The City Attorney. He doesn't resort to that kind of behavior, why do you insist on doing so? I have been looking and listening long and hard at you Mr. Mayor Morris, and the outlandishness of Judge James J. McCartney comes to mind, another interesting individual the people of San Bernardino were exposed to in the sixties. This guy was a real boob, unworthy of the robe, and you sir, are derogating your position as Mayor, and it angers me greatly to know that the Mayor of San Bernardino is an embarrassment, as if the citizens didn't have enough to contend with, we now have to be concerned with someone's faculties! I don't like the idea of bashing or condemning anyone, but after all sir, you set the tone, so perhaps the time has come. Someone out there has the power to investigate ALL departments at City Hall, I'll bet (if I were a gambler) the population of our local detention center would increase significantly - WATCH! - Mark My Words.
In reference to the letter so eloquently expressed by Mr. Henry Empeno "Penman has courage to uphold city laws." Sir, you got it right! A vast majority of our citizens realize the fact that you and the entire staff in the City Attorney's office work very diligently and definitely beyond the call of duty. I don't believe your boss would want it any other way, simply put - the staff is the best of the best. Always sincere and eager to assist in all situations, a very professional office indeed, which seems to escape the general population at 300 North 'D' Street. I'd like to know what exactly it is that irks the Mayor to the escalated degree of antipathy. Is it envy, jealousy, or is it because the City Attorney's Office gets it done when it needs to be - the dawn of correction so to speak. While the Mayor and members of the City Council are dragging their hooves, the CAO is trying to avoid the eve of destruction. So what's the problem???????? The next 13 days things are going to get more interesting, each day is going to be filled with more accusations, innuendoes, a tremendous amount of false allegations and stupidity, lots of stupidity. More questions than answers. Mr. Empeno, you should be honored for your keen insight into the inner workings of the City Attorney's Office and having the ability (nineteen years) to tell it like it really is, (and I thank you) rather than reading the propaganda of "Your Friend and Neighbor." Once again, "Sir, I thank you". Keep up the great work!
One last word, our hearts and prayers go out to all victims of the recent fires. From my family to yours, God bless and take care.
Thank you,
JRD2U
10-25-07
Everyone should keep in mind that of course Penman's staff are going to write good things about him. They are "at will" employees with no civil service protection. If he goes, they probably go too, especially the one's Penman had turn on Milligan when he lost the Mayor's race and he deemed her a threat.
Most of you blogging here seem pretty sure of Penman's victory, but I hope not. Imagine the aftermath if he does win. He will spend the next four years getting even. He is a very vindictive person and never forgets. The real sadness is that this City is going to continue in a downward spiral if he wins. He is an obstructionist in every sense of the word and has an ego that is beyond description.
And the person posting above was correct, Penman acted horribly at the debate last night. Perhaps if he does lose he can throw a tantrum on Jerry Springer.
Hopeful for SB:
I am sure that all of us posting on this blog are hoping to turn around the downward spiral; however not all of us believe that Mr. Penman is the cause of the downward spiral.
Mr. Penman is JUST the City Attorney. The politician who determines the course of the city is the Mayor. He has been in office for nineteen months. Most of the agenda items that he has asked for to turn the city around have been granted to him by the City Council (not popularly but granted nonetheless) and the voters. AND the continued downward spiral is Mr. Penman’s’ fault? That is stretching it a bit far…….
You state “he is an obstructionist and has an ego beyond description”. Mr. Penman tried to work with the Mayor, and show me ANY politician that doesn’t have an ego. PLEASE!
How many citizens have stood at the podium during Public Comments and censured the MAYOR for his behavior at City Council meetings?
Our Mayor seems to think he still sits on the bench if you look at his recent behavior at City Council meetings. During public comments he has provided rebuttal, and even decided to not allow public comments at one point. Kent Paxton referred to the Mayor as “Your Honor” during one of the televised shows on Channel 3.
I don’t know if you were watching the same debate that I watched but Mr. Penman’s behavior was not rude. Mr. Penman, being the City Watchdog that he is, was merely informing the citizens of San Bernardino who they would be electing if they voted for Ms. Milligan.
You speculate on the aftermath of the city if Mr. Penman is re-elected.
A more scary scenario is the aftermath of the city if Marianne Milligan is elected.
Keep in mind that this is the woman that took a PAYCHECK from the City of San Bernardino City Attorneys Office for doing "NOTHING" - her own words, not Penman's.
Milligan's own words, "doing nothing" for her paycheck was the nail in her coffin. I went to the debate with an open mind. Now my mind is firmly made up; Re-elect Jim Penman for City Attorney.
Kay-"Your Honor" is the proper title to call the Mayor. Mr. Penman does it too.
And sorry to disagree, I was embarrassed by Penman's antics. He was not professional in his behavior. But you and others who follow him blindly will have to deal with the aftermath if he wins. Just the way I see it. Good luck.
Oops! My bad! Thank you for the information.
My apologies to the Mayor!
"Hopeful for San Bernardino" is right, the aftermath if Penman wins will be sad for the City of San Bernardino. Penman and the same two people that write letters for him (or I should say sign his letters for him) will no longer be of use to Penman and no longer made to feel important. Enjoy "puppetdom" while you can, soon you folks will be cast aside as he focuses on what he is best at, revenge. As you think about this, ask yourselves, what has Penman really promised for our City's future? Nothing. His entire campaign has been based on attacks of others and constant reiteration of supposed past accomplishments (going all the way back to his high school days, rather sad for a man of his age).
It seems rather simple-minded to me to think that Penman is your man because he constantly harps on the subject of parolees. Like people are in favor of parolees!!?? To cultivate fear but offer no real long-term solutions is truly hurting the public you say you represent. But to follow this man blindly and not take the time to listen and understand the issues is ten-times worse!
Show us something that you plan to do for the future Mr. Penman (to clarify, no need to mention clogging up the wheels of city government with revenge and self-glorifying actions, you already get credit for that...it's a given)!
If someone would kindly look into the records of Drug Court and go find at least 100 people who were "assigned" to Drug Court as a punishment and do a followup to see "where are they now" you will have a projected answer as to how effective operation Phonies is/will be within San Bernardino.
How did crime get so rampant? Easy answer. It was easy for criminals in San Bernardino. Where better to go and practice crime but in a city that throws money and free gifts at problems and gives criminals the front page in the local paper on a weekly basis. And lets not forget to read the writing on the walls - literally! Maybe if the city would get tough on graffitti it would have a trickle effect.
San Bernardino needs to get tough again, like back in the day. You screw up, you pay! From what I read and hear, Penman is prevented from using this approach most of the time. Put Milligan in there and the city will have a powder cake who will agree with the Mayor on everything, thus dropping the city further into the hole. At least Penman is still fighting for our city!
To Mrs. S of the last posting on the blog.
I can attest to one of at least 100, and probably more, who were assigned to Drug Court as punishment with a follow-up to see where they are now.
My husband now, got into trouble with the law back in 1993/94 and did his time, was ordered to the drug court program. Although he initially went in unwillingly, and later as further punishment continued as a result of not complying with the program, the further he went into the program, the more he changed for the better. Old habits do die hard, but it is not impossible to change, and I do believe in the impossible.
After a year of attending Narcotics Anonymous and networking with others who are in the same position, people can begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. And I will have you know that I faithfully attended those sessions with my husband, because people need support. That may be one of the things that is lacking in society and in family relations--no support. So let's start there and maybe things can begin to change.
I have a friend whose husband went thru the same program, and she can attest to the same--I am thankful that Judge Morris (at that time) made those mandates, and that he had the belief that with a little bit of help and support and a hand-up, people could change and become productvie citizens in the community.
And, to that end, where is he today? My husband has a a good job working with Omnitrans, he has a home in his very own name, is involved in community activities along with his wife, and supports this great city of ours!
Dena ~
Kudos to you and your husband! Good to know that one person made it. You are right, family is everything! Without the proper family support there is little hope of someone making it to the other side of addiction or criminal activity. It starts at home and then goes into the community. Your husband is blessed to have you and most of all, he was a good man at the core so he knew he could make it through. For him it was a wicked phase, not a permanent, imbedded need. He knows the limits of temptation and has made the choice to ignore them on a daily basis.
My point in the previous post is that the programs are not working in the big picture world. They work in isolated cases. I am sure we can easily find the ones who made it through and live beyond, the ones who didn't are either in jail, dead or doing "anything" to get the next fix.
It is so transparent that hopeful and voice are either Morris's employees or planted by the campaign to regularly post for MM. It is also outright lies that vindictive behavior is Penman's M.O. when it is Morris who has carried the campaign grudge for 18 months. Morris is the devisive one headline grabbing, spewing 15 or 20 minute tirades on councilmembers or Penman, again for headlines. Now that is divisive. He creates the infighting. For the most part it looks like the council mostly gets along. The only one that blows his fire breath for the TV or the papers is Morris. He is a spoiled boy (like father like son) who does not play well in the sand box. I am sorry that you two posters have been so brainwashed, but it is as evident that you would like to keep your jobs, also. And for the record anyone in the city attorney's office can get a job in any other city for the same or more money in a flash. They are talented, successful litigators and more importantly know how to solve problems, if anyone in city hall cared to ask. But they don't because they are afraid someone other than the Mayor will get credit. But, the his "honor's" dynasty is crumbling down around his hype. Murders up over last year's 12 month number in just 10 months. The city looks more blighted than ever before. People can't get police response to crimes in progress. More homes for sale now than in the past 15 years. Sadly, but luckily, maybe fire victims will need homes. This dynasty is famous for looking the other way on every possible broken windows level. Just like he did in drug court. 3 chances, 4, 5, 6 or whatever. Breaking the law is breaking the law. Maybe prison terms with proper rehab would clean them up quicker, but then Morris would have been out of a job. Self-perpetuation. What a brainwashing that goes on in city hall without a shred of solid proof. Everything is rumor-milled. Whisper campaigns is how people like that operate. The voters just want the truth. They want someone to fulfill campaign promises. Penman has ALWAYS promised to crack down on the people committing at least 10% of the crimes. But some in city hall. Won't let him. How can you promise to do something when you boneheads won't let him do it. But that would mean you couldn't look the other way anymore when parolees are roughed up a bit or kicked out of squalid living conditions. Shame on us for allowing those people to fail because city hall looks the other way. God have mercy on us!
PROUD WIFE AND MOTHER ~
You are quite right!
I have another question: Why is the Mayor's assistant his own son? This troubles me on many levels. The Mayors office needs an objective voice, not one bound by blood. Proof that the office does not want anyone who will disagree!
Once before, I stated that the second funniest part of The Sun was reading some of the articles submitted in the Voice section. If you did not read the Wednesday, October 31, 2007, article submitted by Lynn Merrill, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
The Mayor’s political group who want to oust James Penman had to dig pretty deep to get this writer, if in fact S/he is real. The writer starts right off the bat by stating S/he never worked for Mr. Penman or had any contact with him. S/he continues to write like the children’s “Chicken Little” tale where “Chicken Little” runs around yelling “the sky is falling, the sky is falling”. It would be interesting to know where this one was dug up.
For reference, the writer uses a past Chief of Police. This guy went on “sick leave” during the time of the worse crime spree in the City. This was right at the time that Mainesha was murdered by a gang group. This Chief then turned around to sue the City later and never did return to work. There is more about this guy, but that was just an example of the writer’s hero(?).
The writer also states that this is the anniversary of the Old Fire and it is time to make a change. What logic is there in that statement? should everyone who works at or for City Hall be replaced by incompetent new people at the anniversary of the Old Fire?
Like I said, the Mayor has been reading and passing on too many fictional fairy tales. Give us a break, Mayor and Lynn Merrill, stick to the record and this will tell you that James Penman is the right person for City Attorney.
Oh my, my, my! Just read the breaking news for today, October 31 and guess what???? Mayor Morris got a plug in about his Drug Court!!! Yeah, it's under breaking news, like it happened today and it was something that happened earlier this month. Another fine example of his office running feeding fodder to the masses!
Is it just me that has not seen one single person’s comments praising Milligan in the Voice section? Not one person who has worked for her in the past or who is working with her currently can attest to any value Milligan brings our City. She is currently in the City position that the Mayor gave her as a gift for being his instrument in trying to defeat James Penman.
Which citizen knows Milligan enough to praise any positive attribute. I mean praise concerning personal character, integrity, honesty, work ethic, or any other good to great traits that identify a good to great leader. I also mean praise from someone who worked with her in all the years she claims in her brochures to have been in Orange County.
Oh, I forgot, after she burned all those bridges in Costa Mesa and cost that City millions of dollars, she also burned the City Attorney office. Check the Costa Mesa Daily Pilot’s web site under REGER, her last name used. I guess anyone’s opinion that worked with her in the past would be a liability to the Mayor’s efforts to get her elected so she can collaborate with him.
Collaborating with the Mayor is a cinch for anyone elected on that premise. All they need to “collaborate and work together”. This means they show up and see which way the Mayor wants them to bob their head in agreement or disagreement with him. That is what Milligan certainly will do and what those trying to unseat the good council persons, Chas Kelley and Wendy McCammack, will also do
I certainly hope I have not given the Mayor’s political machine any ideas in having them trying to find someone to write in to attest to Milligan’s character. They will find it very hard to do as Hurricane Milligan has left very few survivors that could ever speak of any good personal or professional good qualities. As an example of their letter writing campaign, look at the “chicken little” writing to the Voice on Wednesday , October 31. That is truly a made up story just like the first made up name( Ly…nn) Of course you guessed it, this particular letter was an attack on James Penman. Please find it and read it, it will make you laugh aloud as you read the fable inspired by “Chicken Little”. Mayor, you need to really do better.