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“Online rumors” caused chief’s departure?

March 28, 2012

John Hamon

Two Paso Robles city council members have penned a “viewpoint” in The Tribune shoveling praise on fallen police chief Lisa Solomon, slamming county residents who have commented on her public behavior and sexual conduct, and criticizing news reports for causing her downfall.

Nick Gilman and John Hamon signed the commentary, in which they said “online rumors” were the cause of Solomon’s “voluntary” departure.

Hamon said “Lisa is a trusted friend and I will always support her.”

Gilman also said he supports and respects Solomon.

“The atmosphere caused by the online attacks was making it extraordinarily difficult for Lisa, and I was being sympathetic,” Gilman said. “I have had, and still have, the utmost respect for Lisa and the way she ran the department.”

Nick Gilman

The council members’ comments fly in the face of accusations by numerous former and current police officers and department personnel about her on- and off-duty behavior.

Both men said they could “see the toll the rumors and mean-spirited attacks on her character — the majority of them from anonymous bloggers and other online sources — were taking on her.”

They added that they “accepted her resignation with regret.”

The council then unanimously voted to hand her a $250,000 walk-away package and not to challenge her recent disability benefits filing slated to allow her to start receiving benefits before she turns 50. In addition, if her disability is approved, a portion of her retirement will no longer be taxable, increasing her monthly payments.


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QUOTING ARTICLE:

Nick Gilman and John Hamon signed the commentary, in which they said “online rumors” were the cause of Solomon’s “voluntary” departure.


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Well, the authors have certainly made it easier for voters to decide which of the Paso city council members to vote out of office in the next elections.


It would have taken political activists a lot of time and resources to educate the public regarding, first, why the status-quo supporting council members needed to be voted out of office, and then to educate them who were the status-quo council members.


Council members Gilman and Hamon, by signing the Solomon-coverup “editorial,” have made it very clear they are willing to go on record as being part of the problem that has driven Paso Robles into the ditch.


You don’t often see city council members schilling for a corrupt and incompetent police chief, who has been accused by multiple subordinates of sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimidation, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Nice of Gilman and Hamon to proudly, if stupidly, show that they are on the side of wrong.


Now, if Gilman and Hamon would just put their money where there mouths are, and pay for Solomon’s retirement and workers compensation benefits, which they voted to approve, then at least we could at hope they really believe Solomon has been wronged and that she should be paid off for having to leave her position as police chief.


Unfortunately, what we got from Gilman and Hamon is just more of the same bull$hit we’ve seen from city officials, city attorneys, and city manager: attack the residents who criticize the outrageous (and criminal) behavior Solomon has been allowed, by city officials, to get away with…AND, worst of all, to make city taxpayers pay for the outrageously incompetent decisions made by the city council.


This Paso city government tactic both serves as a cover-your-kiester maneuver by outright lying about why Solomon was forced to resign or be terminated, AND to attempt to divide city voters, turning resident against resident. By the “divide and conquer” tactic, the status-quo candidates (Gilman and Hamon) could continue serving their own best interests as council members by decreasing their chances to be unelected in the next election, while continuing to support employee actions which drive the city deeper and deeper into fiscal and safety degradation.


If Gilman and Hamon feel so strongly about the magnificence of Solomon, then they can pay for her pay-off hush-money themselves.


And while they are at it, since they are afraid to release the results of the investigation the taxpayers will have to pay for, Gilman and Hamon can pay for the damned investigation themselves, as well.


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Mary,


The Council members in question just didn’t know when to SHUT UP! The horse is already out of the barn with 250K in traveling money, therefore, why implicate yourself to any further disdain by uphholding said horse in the way they did? All they had to do was to STFU! As if their additional statments are going to get them any gold stars at election time!


This is the mentality that Paso has to try and work with. Truly sad.


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After this statement by Hamon and Gilman, and a number of people calling the Paso Robles City Council, Mayor, Attorney and Business Manager a bunch of clowns, and the way this city is run is like a big circus, they all piled in this one little itsybitsy car and drove off.


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AMAZING! Gilman and Hamon, put on your dunce caps and stand in the corner until you are ousted. These guys are either complete idiots or conspirators to withhold the truth. Either way, they are totally unfit for office. And SLO “Pravda”, er, Tribune, should cease to exist, they are worthless.


Printing something like CCN did about Solomon, if untrue, is a clear cut case of defamation. Solomon would have simply filed suit, got a huge settlement and a retraction. The one and only reason this did not happen is that not only are the accusations true, they can be easily proven to be true in court. If any one of US had been accused of such actions by ONE officer, we’d be sitting in jail right now, and would end up as a registered sex offender. Clearly, there are two sets of laws: one for the pions, another for the rulers.


Now Paso Robles city government is conspiring to engage in fraud, if they are assisting Solomon in getting disability which she is most likely NOT entitled to.


Forget about Paso’s crime rate, the biggest criminals are in office. The question is, how long will Paso’s citizens put up with this crap??


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It is sickening that her “disability retirement” is talked about like it is the expected standard procedure for a retiring police chief! What is her “disability” and why is it just coming to light now? The citizens of PR need to fight this scam that the chief is trying to perpetrate on the city.


Being a police officer is a demanding job that means dealing with a high level of stress and abuse from a variety of people. Are we supposed to believe that a few internet comments and rumors were more than the police chief could take? Someone that fragile should not pursue a law enforcement career!


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Gilman and Harmon are big talkers when they spout off about how wonderful Solomon is, and how she deserves the payoff hush-money (in the form of her workers comp and retirement silence-insurance money).


However, when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is, they, once again, force the taxpayers to pay the bill.


If they truly believe she deserves the pay-off, then they can pay for it themselves.


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Recall.. NOW!


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Pfffffftttttt. If she is such a great person and trusted friend, then give her 250K out of your own wallet. You should be ashamed of yourselves when 7+ sworn Officers have said that she is guilty of “SEXUAL ASSAULT”. I’ll just stop there before I say something that I shouldn’t.


BTW – Since when is it appropriate to dance on tables and bar tops and get drunk in public? You are both a disgrace to the city of Paso Robles along with that, incompetent, uneducated (online 8 core unit BS degree joke), dishonest (bankruptcy fraud), air head (unregistered stolen gun in car) bimbo (sex addicted).


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ITA, Cindy.


However, I find it interesting that only 2 out of 5 council members signed the opinion published in the Tribune. I don’t see Jim App’s signature, either.


More than 2 had to vote to issue the pay-off hush-money “retirement” pay. In fact, it was unanimously approved.


So why did only 2 council members sign this ridiculous published opinion?


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MM — These were the two who made public comments as reported in The Trib, and it’s quite apparent that App and Yang forced them walk back their comments because they were not supposed to discuss the issue, per the agreement, and opened the city to “liability.” More BS.


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Forgive my ignorance, but I’m not familiar with the term “walk back.” What does that mean?


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Okay, found it in the dictionary. Never mind.


I agree with Ted Slanders–they need to learn when to shut up.


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That’s Take Back MM


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Well, citizens of Paso Robles, we can all rest easy and sleep well tonight. From this viewpoint, it has to obvious that our fine city is being managed by a very excellant city council.

To paraphrase Gilman and Hamon, our poor, ex-police chief was unfairly and totally inaccurately subjected to insluting and unfounded accusations, ‘forcing’ her to unwillingly resign. And to ‘help’ her through these tough times, let’s give her a sweetheart early retirement payoff and unlimited disability payouts.

I can hardly wait for the ‘gold watch’ ceremony, a city wide parade, and the renaming of Spring Street to “Solomon Avenue”.

But let’s get real. Accusations were made by her own officers concernig her professional demeanor in local resturants and Monterey Hot Tubs. If these were completely unfounded – stand up and show this to be so. A supposedly independent investigation was conducted (at a huge cost to Paso Robles) What was found to be true, and what was found to be false? She was, maybe still is, an outstanding asset to our city, with over 20 years of excellant background and experience in police work. It would seem that she was highly qualified to be a Police Chief for many other cities (Bell, CA is still looking for one). Probably at a large salary increase. But, no, the investigation was stopped and sealed and she decided ‘on her own’ to take a large sum of Paso’s money. Just how dumb does our city government think we are?


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“Just how dumb does our city government think we are?”


Dumb enough to believe Gilman and Harmon’s cover-your-kiester attack on the residents of Paso Robles, AND to pay off the bimbo in chief solomon $$hundreds-of-thousands to keep her quiet so the city government doesn’t join Bell ex-mayor Rizzo in prison AND to, in spite of all of what has happened, still believe Harmon and Gilman AND to reelect those who voted for the solomon hush-money in the next elections.


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Interesting freudian “slip” in your comment: ” , our poor, ex-police chief was unfairly and totally inaccurately subjected to insluting and unfounded ….. ” since the word should be spelled “insulting” ; humous, in my opinion.


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I love that “error.” I’m going to start using it on my posts at the Tribune.


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Boys, your actions have done really nothing to add any light on the subject … and the large amount of taxpayer cash you have so easily handed over looks strange to those of us standing on the outside looking in.


Did she have to sign a nondisclosure agreement? Please tell me this isn’t ‘hush money?’


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Obedient servants Gilman and Hamon pledge their unswerving loyalty to their dominatrix Mistress Lisa:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1GrOwI7EBM


Thanks, guys, for publicly admitting what everyone already suspected.


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Gilman and Hamon are just part of the bigger problem which is the city council that they are members of and for any intelligent person to take them serious, negates the word “intelligent” … Incompetent jerks!


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I think App is the dom now and the city council members are his subbies.


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LMAO! MM, you crack me up!


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After reading about her behavior on/off duty, what reputation did she have to lose, that she was rewarded all this money? This is a sick, sick judgement for her to get rewarded for alleged licentious behavior and ineptness on the job.


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