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Pro-Arroyo Grande mayor group slams police

October 27, 2014
Mayor Tony Ferrara

Mayor Tony Ferrara

OPINION By OTIS PAGE

The new internet site “Free the AG Council”  says the Arroyo Grande Police Officers Association has “issued a unanimous vote of no-confidence in Mayor Ferrara and City Manager Steve Adams and has focused relentlessly on a fiction perpetuated by a stridently vocal group over the last few weeks.”

A fiction? This statement directly pertains to each of the five police officers who were called on the evening of July 3 to find City Manager Steve Adams and Teresa McClish, director of community development, at City Hall.

The police officers documented their visits as directed. They have stood as one body through its organization, the AGPOA, saying, in a spirit of political discretion, all was not told.

The new site alleges the police report of the incident is a fiction, a story that is untrue, a malicious yarn spun “by a stridently vocal group” concerned about the Adams/McClish matter.

While asserting the fiction, the site also claims the AGPOA uses “any means available to attempt to intimidate and humiliate the mayor and members of the council,” and that they are intimidated by this fiction, a fiction authored by the AGPOA.

The site then contradicts itself and admits “genuinely appreciating the service of uniformed police officers,” those intimidating the mayor and council by their fiction.

There is no fiction here. The matter of the “fiction” is now subject to a controversial reexamination by a retired police officer of the Sintra Group.

But there are no sworn depositions and no list of deponents that should include other city management and the council as insisted on by citizens testifying in public comment and in writings to the council.

The site appears to represent a cadre of citizens who wish to dismiss the reality of the present scandal, a congregation ignoring the witness and evidence provided by the five courageous police officers. They seem to want to believe the police officers lied.

Now, this is not fiction: It is a fact that in an attempt to keep the matter closed from the public scrutiny, a cover up, was administered from the time of the incident on July 3 until a disclosure by CalCoastNews on Aug. 19 — a period approximating one month and a half.

Pivotal in this matter may be the testimony of at least one person who was allegedly pressured to keep the matter quiet. There hangs in the arena of political and legal probability a profound matter of denying the truth by intimidation to sustain the cover up.

Again, the site in characterizing the matter insists it is “a fiction perpetuated by a stridently vocal group.” This disparages those citizens who were told on Aug. 26 that a “process” and “transparency” would prevail to reveal the facts.

Process and transparency? The whole matter has been secretly managed in the confines of “closed meetings,” suggesting political issues were not considered — it was only a personnel matter. Talk about fiction.

The site obviously intends to offend the many citizens who are rightfully concerned about this matter and its obvious cover up. In doing so it ignores the truth here: For the police officers have not lied.

The site has disparaged the witness of the honored members of AGPOA who dedicate their lives to protect the citizens.


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If anyone REALLY wants to know just how our city thugs, YES THUGS, operate, I highly suggest you visit any of the merchants or businesses displaying a Write-In Jim Hill sign.

Their stories are unbelievable!

Thinly veiled threats, intimidation, and the like are apparently the norm.

Dare to step out of line, or question the powers that be? Be prepared for a building inspector to show up for no reason, guaranteed he’ll find some “issue” which will of course require the payment of a fee to get you off the hook for the time being.

No wonder so many business owners avoid Arroyo Grande if they can.

Bullying doesn’t begin to describe what our city officials do to business owners. They should be ashamed!

And Mr. Fellows claims his group is intimidated? What a joke!

He needs to talk to the folks so are trying to business in this city, they’ll give him and earful about intimidation!


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I’m so tired of a City Council that sticks up for Adams when many people in the Village especially knew Adams and McClish were too friendly (and I’m being nice here) .


The Council had to know and hear the rumors from staff, merchants and others in town. One trip to the Village Cafe and you can bring up lots of dope on City Hall. Guess they are out of touch with their constituents?


One has to wonder why they ALL are willing to have both Adams and Ferrara’s back.

ADAMS should be fired because he has brought SHAME to his family and our City.


FERRARA should RESIGN because he was unwilling to lead this City. INSTEAD he has only inflamed the problem, blamed the POLICE instead of ADAMS and has been completely crippled by accusations of intimidation, threats, bullies and underhanded dealings with merchants and staff.


Mr. Mayor quit now it will look better on your resume and take your puppy ADAMS with you!


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It’s so sad to see these newbees that are here to save our city. Don’t you think that the other city employees have something to say. But, their jobs are important to support their families. The city council needs to thank Steve for his service, hire an interim mmanager,hire a head hunter to find candidates for the City Managers position,find an impartial group to select the top three candidate (if three want to work for this council) and find a larger meeting place so people can go to the meetings. I know that this is a lot for this group to do, but it is time for the tail to stop wagging the dog.


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I think Tony and group are like cock roaches, they run from light. Those fools on the council who keep backing him are short lived.


He is like Hitler, he runs with an iron hand, and everyone does as told. Do I think all of those people under Hitler would have killed all those people, NO! they were under the rule of a tyrant, and self preservation came into play.


Same with Tony! People don’t like to do as he says I hope and believe, but they need to save them selves.


Stand up against him NOW, make history, take back your power. It is now or never


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LeAnn hits the nail on the head: “I am sure they will tell you they want to remain anonymous because they are afraid of retribution from the other group—yes, because we have targeted people—NOT!!!!!!”


From what I’ve been hearing / seeing from a variety of sources, the City Council and high ranking City Staff are the ones who are using heavy handed RETALIATION against anyone who isn’t favored by them and / or isn’t toeing the “official line”. When this new group says it fears retaliation, that reveals that they fear from others what they and those they defend are already doing. Worse, they retaliate by maligning the integrity of the police. It’s outrageous that the less firm the ground that they stand on, the more they try to discredit fine public servants.


The attempt to cover up what many believe has been a long term inappropriate, intimate relationship brought ugly skeletons out of the closet. More and more misdeeds and corruption keep being uncovered.


Our police are again being thrown under the bus, but in the long run as the City’s dirty dealings come to light the police will be exonerated.


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It’s not fear of retribution. They don’t want to have to talk to you people.


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Hi Ish, hope all is well.


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Thanks, Ag. Right backatcha.


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That’s the beauty of it Ish–they don’t have to talk to us, they really don’t.


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People that talk to plants are considered odd at best, but usually are clinically insane.


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Ish, you must have short term memory loss…that’s not what you said in your 11:58 post on the same day !

You Ish are a Spoon. It is your life mission to stir the shit, sit back and enjoy the odor you create. You are not an interested party to this issue, nor are you interesting.

I won’t be responding to any more of your inane posts, it’s just not that fun and it stinks.


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That’s not insulting. Just the kind of thing I was talking about.

You all are begging for support, but let someone ask for more than the first layer of platitudes in defense of your positions and they are labelled stupid or a spoon.

I can’t thank you enough, however, for the promise not to attack me again.


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The posts are not contradictory. Call public figures what you like — they’re public figures — but don’t expect them to just sit and take it. I take exception to the way you treat the public who come here looking for answers. It’s precisely why I haven’t stopped to chat on one of the street-corners.


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The save city hall people don’t want to talk to you all, is what I meant. If I didn’t want to talk to you all, I’d not. I will admit that every time I try, my side of the dialogue becomes “why you gotta be so mean?”, but I’ll take none of the responsibility for why it does so.


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Keep it up Otis, the lamebrains in office need a serious wake up call. Hope the write in mayoral candidate wins.


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“The world is not fair, and often fools, cowards, liars and the selfish hide in high places.” —

Bryant H. McGill


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They can’t hide forever though—light, like water, seeps through tiny cracks in facades and flows in…the light is not hitting the very things that have been hidden—


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I meant to type “the light is now hitting…”


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Chuck Fellows announced the newly formed group at the last city council meeting–so I would imagine he has plenty do with this website’s creation.


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