TMC: Thirty Miles of Corruption

 “What does talent have to do with people’s mistakes?” – Moreno Valley City Manager Henry Garcia

Yep, this was Garcia’s response to the shenanigans encountered by former City of Riverside Assistant Manager Tom DeSantis.  Of course, referring to the controversy over the purchase of Police Department guns by him and former City Manager Brad Hudson and the use of untraceable license plates by top city officials, including DeSantis.  Then the alleged brandishing of a firearm and threats made to a mother and child in a Hemet parking lot.   Questions linger as to why he originally left the County, as well as the City of Riverside.  Allegations of sexual harassment have been brought forward by those within the intersactum.  Even with overwhelming evidence of wrong doing, we had elected officials such as Councilman Mike Gardner who was noted in complimenting DeSantis’s work, “I respected his ability and dedication to the city”.  But Moreno Valley’s City Manager Henry Garcia felt Tom DeSantis was the right person for the job of Interim Human Resources Director regardless of his alleged behavioral issues and mistakes.  The key appears to be talent.  In searching for talent, Garcia fired Human Resources Director Juris “Sonny” Morkus and Public Works Director Chris Vogt.  The story now is to find what the real story is from Morkus and Vogt. If any of you two are out their, email us anonymously with your “dirt”, we sure would like to hear your side of the story!  But if you were given seperation pay and reviews of good performance, even though you were fired, we get it!  Garcia, formerly city manager of Rialto, said he has known DeSantis more than 20 years since both were administrators in San Bernardino County.  I wonder what Riverside’s Human Resource Director Rhonda Strout thinks about all this?  Even when she knew of the details of DeSantis’s release from the City of Riverside.

DeSantis allegedly has a BS from a correspondence school and not the required Masters in Public Administration required for a Human Resource Director. In the City of Riverside, this requirement was allegedly downgraded by Former City of Riverside City Manager Brad Hudson.  This then allowed Tom Desantis to legally fill the position of Assistant City Manager.  Did the same happen in Moreno Valley?  DeSantis worked for a short times as a Public Works consultant for the city of Moreno Valley before given the position in lieu of his questionable qualifications.  Wasn’t the City of Riverside’s Human Resource Director Rhonda Strout even considered for the position by alleged long time boyfriend Moreno Valley City Manager Henry Garcia, or would this have been a conflict or even nepotism? The question many are asking is she the best person to evaluate new guidelines and policies in lieu of the recent meeting on nepotism and in house relationships, leaving questions regarding relationships lingering behind the Human Resource desk of Rhonda Strout.  Questions remain of Strout’s relationship with Garcia in lieu of Strout’s ex-husband allegedly still working for public works in the City of Riverside.

I’m the EX-Girlfrien of Rhonda Strouts SON Jeff Strout… Rhonda has been Dating Henry since I dated her son in 2005.  They like to keep it “IN THE FAMILY”  -Ashllye, commenter on TMC

As reported in the Press Enterprise, the mayor speculated that perhaps DeSantis’ report criticizing public works for foot dragging and stalled projects contributed to releasing Vogt.  After the report came out, the city moved supervision of the land development division, formerly under public works, to economic development.  Well, this gets quite interesting, Moreno Valley’s Economic Development Director is no other than Barry Foster.  Incidently, Barry Foster is married to former Riverside Public Works Director Siobhan Foster, who is now in the middle of several law suits.  Even then employee insiders allegedly had questioned her qualifications when she asked them what a “pot hole” was, they in turn had to explain.  She is now working as public works director for the City of Pasadena, under City Manager Michael Beck, who formally worked as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Riverside.  Favoritism?  But it also appears Garcia and Strout, together, did some relationship building seminars as consultants for the cities of Desert Hot Springs and Ridgecrest.  To this day Henry Garcia is still one of the highest paid city managers with a salary and benefits package at around 400K.  What, that’s it?  I’d imagine it’s time to give himself a raise.  Is public service about public service? Or just a great racket to be in?  The bottom line, isn’t this all about keeping it in the family?  Or just part of the family business?

UPDATE:11/01/2011: FORMER CITY MANAGER ROBERT RIZZO SUES CITY OF BELL FOR BACK PAY.

UPDATE:11/02/2011: JOHN CHIANG AUDITS MONTEBELLO INVESTIGATES ENGINEERING FIRM AAE, HIRED BY THE CITY TO SERVE AS CITY ENGINEER.  INSTEAD THE FIRM AWARDED $ 2 MILLON IN CONTRACTS TO ITSELF, NOT TO MENTION $500,000.00 AS THEIR FEE TO SERVE AS CITY ENGINEER. THIS WAS ONLY JOHN CHIANG’S INVESTIGATION OF ONE YEAR OF MONTEBELLO’S RECORDS.  THE INVESTIGATION INTO MONTEBELLO WAS ORIGINALLY LAUNCHED BECAUSE OF CONCERNS THAT FINANCIAL REPORTS WERE FALSE.  IN ADDITION, THE CITY OF LA PUENTE SUES AAE FOR SHABBY SEWER WORK.

UPDATE:11/02/2011: DOING WHAT IS RIGHT, MONTEBELLO CITY COUNCIL NOW WANTS TO CLOSE THE GAP ON HOW COUNCILMEMBERS COMMUNICATE.  THIS COMES ABOUT WHEN WHISTLEBLOWER, MONTEBELLO COUNCILWOMAN CHRISTINA CORTEZ REQUESTED OUTSIDE AGENCIES, SUCH AS THE STATE CONTROLLERS OFFICE, TO INVESTIGATE THEIR CITY FOR POSSIBLE CORRUPTION.

UPDATE:11/02/2011: LA TIMES ARTICLE WRITTEN 11/23/2011 REPORTS CITY OF MONTEBELLO MADE IT A HABIT OF UTILIZING RESTRICTED FUNDS TO COVER BUDGET AND CASH SHORTFALLS.

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