Volume 44 - No. 40
by lyle e davis
There is a long held belief that our cities are run by our legislators. Not true.
Never has been, is not now, never will be.
Our cities are run by city staff. Oh, the legislators set policy. But who guides that policy? Who has the ear of the legislators more often? You? The public in general? Or . . . staff?
Staff has learned to manipulate legislators. Some staff members are more efficient at manipulation than others. They also are efficient at concealing the truth . . . or “stretching the truth,” or downright lying. Take the case of former Escondido Chief of Police, Jim Maher.
Clay Phillips, Escondido City Manager, played a significant role in manipulating the forced ‘retirement’ of Chief Maher.
It appears Phillips successfully turned Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, a one-time strong supporter of Chief Maher, into an ally in forcing Maher out. He may have also recruited City Attorney Jeff Epp in what ultimately appears to have taken on the appearance of a conspiracy.
Often, staff members manage to cover up various activities that, were they known publicly, would have thousands of people marching on city hall with a bucket of tar and a boatload of feathers.
Every now and then, however, someone comes forward to spill the sack of beans. Someone who gets fed up with lies and deception. It can be someone from within city hall, from within ‘the inner circle,’ from outside city hall, from within another city department. One just never knows from whence ‘reliably informed sources,’ come from. But they are there. The ‘whistleblowers’ have to be careful, however. Sometimes it can mean their jobs, their The Paper - 760.747.7119
website:www.thecommunitypaper.com
email: thepaper@cox.net
The Smoking Gun?
October 09, 2014
August 20, 2013
To Whom It May Concern:
City Manager Clay Phillips
Mayor Sam Abed
City Attorney Jeff Epp
On January 31 , 2013, the Escondido City Council approved my application for a CalPERS Industrial Disability Retirement, to which I was entitled to as a result of various work related injuries I sustained over my long career with the City. Since the time I retired from the City of Escondido in January 2013, much speculation has occurred both publicly in the media and in the community regarding the events surrounding my retirement. I would like to state publicly that I enjoyed a thirty-two year career in law enforcement with the City of Escondido. During my tenure, much was accomplished. When I retired, both the City and I agreed that a Severance Agreement would be an appropriate means to ensure that my individual rights as an employee were protected while also ensuring that the City maintained a smooth transition of leadership in the Police Department. The City Manager had bona fide, work-related reasons for wanting a change of leadership in the Police Department. Some public accounts have said that the City Manager and I disagreed about a decision by me to forego a raise until other members also had their salaries increased. In fact, there was no such disagreement and I received the salary increase on the date that I desired. The Agreement between the City and myself, has allowed me to retire from the City of Escondido while also ensuring that the leadership of the City of Escondido Police Department was capably maintained. Specifically, upon my retirement, the City Manager appointed an interim Police Chief allowing for a formal selection process to be conducted , which resulted in the recently appointed successor Chief of Police, Craig Carter. Press accounts and rumors have also circulated to the effect that I want to run for a seat on the Escondido City Council or run for Mayor in the next election. Nothing could be further from the truth. I do not live in the City and while I have a fondness for the City of Escondido and the community that I served for over thirty years, I live and reside in Riverside County and consider it my community. I have no intention whatsoever to seek elective office or assist any candidate in running for elective office in the City of Escondido during the next election. I am enjoying my retirement with my family and have no interest whatsoever in being involved with City of Escondido politics. The leadership of the City, including the position of Chief of Police, is under the capable authority of the City Manager who carries forth the policies set by the elected City Council. I appreciate everyone who has supported me over the last several years and respectfully request that you understand that I freely chose to retire and I am thoroughly enjoying this new chapter of my life.
______________________________ Jim Maher Former Chief Jim Maher
careers,
Thanks to them, however, and their courage, we are able to piece together a series of events and questions - and to offer evidence of wrongdoing, and quite possibly, criminal wrongdoing.
The political bombshell wound up being a simple letter. A letter that was not written by Jim Maher but was written by the city of Escondido, at the direc-
tion of City Manager Clay Phillips, with the full knowledge and approval of the City Attorney’s office. That letter is reproduced, in full, on this page. The Paper obtained a copy of the letter from an anonymous “reliable informed source.” It did NOT come from Jim Maher. If you right click on the pdf file and come up with “Properties” you see the paper trail which shows that the letter was writ-
ten/authored by Jennifer McCain, a deputy city attorney in Jeff Epp’s office. Jeff Epp is Escondido’s City Attorney.
The letter is dated 8/20/2013 and was prepared for Jim Maher’s signature. To his credit, Jim Maher refused to sign it, knowing full well that to do so would involve him as a co-conspirator in what may well prove to be a felony criminal conspiracy.
The Smoking Gun Continued on Page 2