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Ian Parkinson’s tax woes

May 12, 2010

Ian Parkinson

By KAREN VELIE

Tax collectors have filed six tax liens in the past 10 years against Ian Parkinson, the current front runner for the office of San Luis Obispo County Sheriff, because of his failure to pay taxes on properties and recreational vehicles.

In June 2006, the county of Monterey sent Parkinson a bill for $1,546 for a property he owned at 44250 Via Canada in King City. More than a year later, after Monterey County had placed a tax lien on the property, Parkinson paid the bill, according to the Monterey Tax Collector’s office.

In addition, the San Luis Obispo County Tax Collector’s office has placed five liens on boats Parkinson owned because he had not paid his taxes on time. In all five cases, Parkinson paid the bills within a few months of having a lien placed on his recreational vehicle, said Art Bacon, San Luis Obispo County principal financial analyst.

In an interview earlier this week on the Dave Congalton KVEC radio show, Parkinson said the public was confusing him with someone else.

“I think you have the wrong person,” Parkinson said when asked about the tax liens. “I have never had a county tax lien that I am aware of. I have always paid my taxes.”

However, the addresses associated with these properties either match the address Parkinson filed as his home on his campaign filing form or his previous address.

The sheriff oversees a staff of 375 and a $57 million budget. The department patrols all unincorporated areas in the county and several cities including Nipomo, Shandon and Avila Beach.

Parkinson is running alongside deputy sheriff Mark Adams, retired Pismo Beach Police Chief Joe Cortez, sheriff’s commander Ben Hall, retired SLO police sergeant and former county supervisor Jerry Lenthall and retired CHP officer Michael “Tex” Teixeira.

Parkinson, currently serving as the San Luis Obispo Police Department’s public information officer, did not return requests for comment.


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I am still voting for Lenthall. All this has done is confirmed that my decision was sound. That budget is too big for any mistakes and Lenthall is the only one with the level of experience. The deputies need some true, honest leadership and the community deserves the same.


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Well, Jerry showed his stuff on the Supes, and was thrown out in a landslide. That tells me a lot. His performance there with the others in the ‘gang of three’ was atrocious. His refusal to hear and take advice on various land planning issues was bone headed wrong-he even went against his own planning rep.


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Seems to me Jerry worked within the confines of existing planning documents, whereas the planning department operates using proposed future planning regs as if they are current law. I appreciate Jerry for that, and I appreciate that he has the cajones to stand up for what is right even if it is not what is popular.


Regardless, of one’s opinion regarding his land use ethic, what we ought to focus on is how we think he will do as head cop.


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If it were not for Lenthal, many of seniors or elderly living in mobile homes would have been out of house or home. I think he though deeply on issues rather than superficial.

You vote your own conscious and conscience.


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I was really hoping that he would explain rather than word his way around it. I was disappointed from the standpoint of his owning the issue.

Secondly lets all get one thing clear as he spoke of needing over a year of general ed requirements for a degree, any police officer in California has to by state mandate take advanced officer classes every two years, any P.O.S.T. certified courses of training like defensive tactics instructor, drug recognition cert, and hundreds of others are all taught through the Jr College system and units are earned, so a man withIan’s years on gets to collect huge amounts of college units that are all but useless when it comes to a recognized transferable course of curriculum for a state college or university degree It would be like taking dozens of medical related classes over 20 yrs and saying I have enough units to be a doctor, just not in the right order.

Right now this county needs someone with a real education, measurable success as the LEADER, not some one who is subordinate to others in a dept and has “potential and good ideas and plans” Clear verifiable budget success, leadership at the TOP.

Any one in law enforcement will tell you that a police chief position in any town gets hundreds of applications, not five or six like we are picking from. We have the candidate who twice had risen to the top of a hiring list as chief, did the job with remarkable, measurable, verifiable success and wants to help this agency rise to the respected place its employees want it to be. If politician who used to be a sergeant , got elected to position that he lost in the last election is who you want, well then by all means. If a deputy sheriff needs advice from a CHP sergeant on something he can flag one down on the freeway all day, we dont have to elect one sheriff. And if Joe Cortez isn’t the best candidate for the job for a measurable verifiable reason, then we are all in trouble. Joe Cortez will not embarrass the badge, and he will respect the voters enough to always be honest and accountable for his acts as he always has been. No excuses for his lack of education, no lying about his personal fiscal responsibilities and he will talk to you about any issue right now, he wont be hiding from comment.


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Capt. Parkinson prides himself on being a quick learner with much experience. I think, perhaps, he has learned to much about how to be a politician and should remember that honesty is the best policy. Perhaps saying I have never had a lein is a little like another politician who could have gained much respect by facing the public and admitting his failings when asked directly about having sex with an intern.


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I am wondering if Captain Parkinson may have tried to “fudge” the truth when he was asked about his tax situation; the question, I believe was “Do you have any tax liens?” Once they are paid, there is no longer a lien, just a record of having had a lien, so if the answer is “No, I do not”, that could be an abbreviation of “No, I do not at this time”. If the question had been “Have you EVER had a tax lien filed against you?” and he then stated a bald-faced lie such as “No, I have never had a lien” then he would be totally caught in a lie, absolutely no question. His attempt at slithering around the truth reminds me of the famous quote from President Clinton when he stated “Well, it depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is.” Very slippery, very unbecoming of someone wanting to be the head of our top law enforcement position in the county. Shame on you Mr. Parkinson.


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As pointed out today on Congalton, Ian was very clear about not having had any liens. And anyway, the proper answer would have been “yes, I had some but I paid them off long ago”. The Nixonian stonewall doesn’t work for us.


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Excellent hit piece! Kudos to Karen Velie, Dale Strobridge and Joe Cortez.. I wonder what we might find in the other candidates backgrounds? Nasty divorces? Lawsuits over failed real estate deals? Less than stellar performance evaluations from their employers?


I hope Cal Coast will take the time to check the courthouse and tax assessors offices for “dirt” on other candidates; I know you will find some. For starters you might want to go to some of the local city halls and see who wants to talk about the candidates. You can start at the Pismo Beach City Hall and ask them about Joe Cortez and his using his position as police chief to influence the city staff when it came time for his wife to start up one of their businesses.


I’m not a Parkinson supporter, but it’s clear this is a hit piece and poor old Ian is giving the other side ammunition. When Dale, et. al. feel they have roughed him up enough they will go after Lenthall, Hall, Teixera, etc. The only one who won’t get mud on himself will be Cortez.. Hmmmm……..


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Parkinson is not my first choice, so seemingly any bad news is good for me. However, Gordo brings up a good point by wondering who laid Ian’s trap.


I’ll go one further and wonder whether we want someone with that level of nefariousness in the sheriff’s office.


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Racket, Someone called this into the Congalton Show as a direct question to Ian. I’m not aware that any of us knew who it was. I didn’t recognize the voice and neither did anyone else I know. Karen then investigated it, at least that is my take on all this. When Ian Parkinson say’s that who ever had the 5 tax liens must be a different Ian Parkinson, it raises folks antenna’s and causes people to look and see if there could possibly be two Ian Parkinson’s in SLO County. That’s what I did, almost immediately. Then I looked in the entire state and there were 3 of them but he was the only one on the Central Coast. That was a very foolish thing for Ian to say. When people earn themselves a tax lien there are large late fees attached, just like when we receive our DMV annual fees or property taxes. It tells us how much more it is going to cost us if we are late. This guy did it 5 times, how do you forget something like that? I would be furious with myself if I had to pay a 30% fee for being late. I assure you I’d remember it if I did it once, five times is just ludicrous. Something here isn’t right, sounds like he has some procrastination issues and not just with his bills.


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I was already concerned about the cheating-on-his-exam issue, but this does it for me. Add to that his drug smuggling underlings and his palling around with Chitty and I’ve heard enough. I want better for this community.


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Karen will be on to explore this today. I hope Scarlet is wrong but fear she is right. I may be putting my money on Joe Cortez; he sounded like a level headed, humane and sharp person-just what we need for this position.


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Ditto, Scarlet and Hotdog. It is an honesty issue. Also, to some extent, a competence issue. He may have “overlooked” paying a few tax bills a few times. What might he “overlook” when he is running the Sherriff’s Department? Problem is, he and Lenthal both seem to have a lot of $$ backing them….


I got to talk to Joe Cortez this past weekend at the Wings and Wheels event at the Paso Warbirds Museum. I was really impressed with the guy. He seemed very thoughtful and smart, and displayed some great leadership qualities when I was asking him some “what if” questions. Always started by taking responsibility for the organization (training, procedures) to see if there were problems there before going after the underlings. He’s also got a great track record in Pismo, with lots of support in South County. Just not so well known in SLO or North County.


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I wonder about the flagging here. Citizen R got a thumbs down from someone, I wonder why. His comments were wise and fairly neutral, why would anyone say Nay?


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Well, I guess we are getting flamed by Ian’s people-or some knucklebrains who can’t stand free chat.


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I can understand how a person overextends themselves with a bunch of toys and gets behind in their taxes once in a while. But, SIX TIMES when you are making $150,000 a year and seeking to handle the taxpayers $57 million is beyond simple immaturity. The most important thing is that Parkinson LIED on the air when questioned about it. The lack of integrity is what we have been complaining about with the current Sheriff. An untruthful Sheriff is of no value to this community or the profession. How could he disappoint his supporters and family when the truth was only mildly damaging to his campaign? In fact, how can Parkinson even remain a peace officer when he can no longer be trusted to testify in court as the the true facts.


I was saddened to see the two officers under Parkinson’s command enter guilty pleas for drug smuggling. That was a terrible blow to the community but hoped it was simply a rare couple of bad apples. However, when an organizational leader lies to the public, cheats on his promotional application, insists on filing bank robbery charges after the real robber confessed and fails to pay his taxes on time, I am truly disgusted. We love our police officers and deputy sheriffs and support the hard working, honest men and women who protect us every day.


Sorry Mr. Parkinson, you have embarassed some really nice people that care about this community and have forfeited the privilege to be our next Sheriff.


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oh Come on. has the Shit slinging began?

boat taxes = only about 50-100$ and can be easily overlooked, especially when you move and the tax collector cant keep up. Give us a break Karen.


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I think the lack of telling the truth is the root problem slowtime.


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oops…. I guess I stumbled into the wrong neighborhood….lol


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