ABSTRACT: An OPEN LETTER TO ENDORSERS OF MAYOR SUE McCLOUD, consisting of comments made by former city employee Stephanie Pearce and designer and developer John Mandurrago, information from on-leave Human Resources Manager Jane Miller's lawsuit against the City, and concluding with five questions to endorsers of Mayor Sue McCloud, is presented.
OPEN LETTER TO ENDORSERS OF MAYOR SUE McCLOUD:
Edith Adams
Jane Addicott
Susan Addicott
Carmen Ajan
Pat and Mike Allen
Amber Archangel
Robert Ballard
Sigrid Banks
Mitsu and Bart Bartron
Carolina Bayne
Victoria Beach
Susan and Bob Belk
Carol Bergere
Sarah and Clay Berling
Judy and Woody Beville
Roger Bolgard
Angele and Silvio Borello
Justin Borello
Phil Bowhay
Helen and Beau Breck
Sylvia and Buck Breiholz
Paul Brocchini
Sarah Brown
Pam and Chris Carroll
Joseph Chaffers
Sarah and Gary Chang
Terry Christiansen
Gene and Bob Clifford
Pat and Lee Cogan
Gene Conley
Marilyn and Lee Cox
Mary Kay Crockett
Julie Culver
Lori and Erik Davidson
Nancy and Bill Doolittle
Jean Draper
Francis Duda
Corky Duke
Eldana and Herb Eggleston
Pat and Bill Eggleston
Gloria and Lee Eldred
Janis and Randy Elliott
Mary Ann and Joe Ford
Joyce and Jerry Frasca
Richard Frederickson
Midge Frick
Karol and Gerry Gleason
Patricia Golman
Dolores (Dee) Hagey
Jon Hagstrom
Diane and Bruce Hanger
Lindsey Hanna
Harriet Harrell
Lillian Hazdovac
Pat Hazdovac
Paula Hazdovac
Alex Heid
Jim Heilig
Dale Hekhuis
Dorothy and Howard Herning
Connie and Ken Hess
Steve Hillyard
Kay and Don Holz
Todd Hornik
David How
Angie Irvine
Carl Iverson
Ralph Jacobs
Donna Jett
Casey Jones
Mary Jones
Sally and William Kadell
Les Kadis
Carol and Jesse Kahn, MD
Pam and Clyde Klaumann
Ann Marie Kors
Marguerite and John Krisher
Elinor Laiolo
Gary LaMar
Doris Lawton
Jill Lee
Marian Leidig
Tom Leverone
Denny Levett
Keira and Matt Little
Judy and Gary Logan
Mary and Warren Luch
Vicki and Michael Lynch
Caroline MacDonald
Sally Magee
Sheila and Joe Mark
Don McBride
Linda and Walter McCarthy
Ruth McClendon
Gene McFarland
Judy and Phil Melrose
Sharon and Stanley Meresman
Pam and Steve Meyer
Wayne Moon
Gisela and Peter Murray
Maria Murray
Lillian and Warren Neidenberg
Diz Newman
Marge and Dick Nystrom
Lani and Tom O’Day
Lynn and Bob O’Neill
Karl Pallastrini
Roger Parkes
Herschel Peak
Burt Pike
Jane and Jim Price
Judy Profeta
Debra Quayle
Ruth Rachel
Jan and Niels Reimers
Mary and John Ricksen
Nita Robbins
Dio Roberts
Chris and Graeme Robertson
Paige and Carl Roetter
Gerard Rose
Robin Rote
Anne Rurka
Terry Russey
Sam Salerno
Jonathan Sapp
Gail and Bill Scearce
Debbie and Dennis Sharp
Karen and David Sharp
Kathy and Bill Sharpe
Jill Sheffield
Donna Shore
Pat and Dick Sippel
Mary Jane and Kurt Sligar
Connie Smith
Flo Snyder
Jean Sonoda
Connie and Bob Spencer
Pat Steele
Cathy Stewart
Dick Stewart
Pat and Ron Stofle
Clyde Sturges
Nancie and Merv Sutton
Ken Talmage
Ann and Chris Tescher
Judy Thodos
Paula and George Tipton
Hilary Traynor-Duda
William Tyler
Patricia VanKirk
Joan and Dick Volberg
Patricia and George Walker
Jack Wheatley
Carla and Jeff White
Susan Willey
Marian and Ron Wormser
Renate and Don Wunsch
Anna Yateman
Linda Yelllich
Edna Young
Within the last months, former 34-year city employee Stephanie Pearce has publicly commented that Carmel lacks integrity. Some of Pearce’s comments, as follows:
• “...I was outraged by the hostile punitive actions I saw carried out by the city administrator against other long time dedicated employees. I believe these actions were approved by the mayor."
• “I have a long personal knowledge of Carmel working conditions and I speak out on behalf of all the individuals quietly forced out of their jobs and on behalf of the remaining city employees who continue to work in a toxic, stressful workplace. This toxic environment exists in large part because other certain special employees were given fast-track promotions, substantial salary increases and policy-making roles beyond their job descriptions.”
• “The open scandal that has pervaded city hall and demoralized city staff is not just “negativity” that must be kept confidential pending legal resolution. It is an egregious betrayal of the public trust to allow creation and continuance of a hostile workplace environment, showing profound lack of respect for city workers.”
• “There have been personal vendettas against individual workers, and the mayor has worked hand in glove with the city administrator whose inappropriate and unprofessional relationships have created a city workplace imbued with an atmosphere of stress, hostility and fear.”
• “...city government in Carmel is badly broken.”
• “...a pattern of avoiding and ignoring resident and staff concerns on the part of upper management. I observed the mayor pursue pet projects and ignore the compromising circumstances being reported about the city administrator. A majority of department managers were forced out, leaving a leaderless skeleton staff to provide non-safety services to residents.”
And comments from designer and developer John Mandurrago, as follows:
• “...I have watched Mayor Sue McCloud pursue personal vendettas and expose Carmel to extraordinary legal liability...for example, a Carmel City Hall employee handed me a fax that was addressed to all planning commissioners discussing one of my projects. The fax was sent by Sue McCloud, and, after putting forth substantive arguments against my project, it concluded “if we all hang together on this, we can kill this project.” Several elected Carmel officials told me McCloud’s fax was unethical conduct and a violation of the Brown Act.”
• “Shortly after McCloud was elected mayor, Rich Guillen asked me to meet with him and McCloud at city hall. McCloud had a scowl on her face, leaned over the table, and said “things are going to be different from now on,” a comment which I took as a threat.”
• “ Carmel residents and Carmel business owners deserve an ethical mayor. And Sue McCloud is not an ethical mayor.”
Additionally, on-leave Human Resources Manager Jane Miller filed a lawsuit against the City alleging sexual harassment, age-based and sex-based employment discrimination and retaliation. Miller’s court file includes information about four former city senior management employees who settled their claims of “hostile” work environment and being forced into early retirement for over $500,000.
Questions:
• Is it your expectation that elected city officials behave with integrity and in an ethical manner?
• Given the aforementioned credible assertions from numerous former and current city employees and a Carmel resident, why have you endorsed Mayor Sue McCloud for a sixth term?
• Is retaining “EXPERIENCE, CONTINUITY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY” more important to you as a voter than having an ethical and honest mayor?
• Why would anyone of integrity support an unethical mayor who has been dismissive of the serious concerns and complaints of city employees and residents?
• What does your endorsement of Mayor Sue McCloud say about your own characters, or lack of characters?
8 comments:
Many Carmelites excuse Sue McCloud for her egegious conduct because they either are for the position she has taken, ex. save the Homescapes building, or dislike the messenger more than the mayor, ex. John Mandurrago. Neither position is tenable.
Some McCloud supporters may not know or want to know about Jane Miller's lawsuit, or Stephanie Pearce's criticisms, etc. And some supporters may not care as long as they can continue on the good side of Sue.
Stephanie and Jane,
God bless you for your courage and commitment. We can only hope that the Carmel residents will show an ounce of similar courage in the privacy and anonymity of their voter's ballot and help us regain control of our City by-the-Sea.
Absolutely regarding your comments to Stephanie Pearce & Jane Miller. Here's to Carmel voters acting with courage!
In the final analysis, it is incumbent on supporters of Mayor Sue McCloud to confront her with the fact that city government is no place to pursue personal vendettas and expose the city to legal liability. Just because the city has escaped accountability for ten years does not mean supporters should continue to deny and sweep Sue's actions under the rug. Supporters cannot continue to support a mayor who thinks it is O.K. to circulate faxes or memos behind the backs of the public and write “if we all hang together on this, we can kill this project.” It is time for supporters to tell the mayor enough is enough. If the mayor really cared about the city, she would halt her campaign and retire now.
Has anyone considered delivering this "Open Letter" to the individuals who endorsed McCloud?...or as a Letter to the Editor in The Pine Cone or The Herald? It may be the only way that these lackeys come face to face with the scoundrel that they have endorsed and the neighbors that they see every day.
In an article in The Herald today, Carmel mayoral candidate calls out McCloud on rules, The Herald has finally exposed Sue McCloud as the public embarrassment she is. She consistently calls anything negative about her a “non-issue” or “it’s nothing.” Give us a break. Maybe her advocates think they can continue to stand by her, but even if they “win” the upcoming election, they have lost their integrity in the process.
In an article in The Herald today, Carmel mayoral candidate calls out McCloud on rules, The Herald has finally exposed Sue McCloud as the public embarrassment she is. She consistently calls anything negative about her a “non-issue” or “it’s nothing.” Give us a break. Maybe her advocates think they can continue to stand by her, but even if they “win” the upcoming election, they have lost their integrity in the process.
Character counts...or does it in Carmel-by-the-Sea??? Integrity counts...or does it in Carmel-by-the-Sea? Stay tuned...Tuesday, April 13, 2010.
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