Feb
26
Dean Grose resigns as Mayor but not from the City Council, effective Monday
Filed Under Decency, National Issues
(by Dave Emerson) The Orange County Register reported tonight that Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose said that he “will resign from his post” on Monday because the controversy surrounding his White House watermelon garden e-mail “has impeded his ability to lead the city.”
Here at least part of the text of Grose’s e-mail , which was released tonight, 2/26:
My actions are a disappointment to my family, friends, citizens and supporters in our community. Those who truly know me are aware of the person I am and the commitment I’ve had for many, many years in this small community. The attention brought to this matter has sadly created an image of me which is most unfortunate. I recognize that I’ve made a mistake and have taken steps to make sure this is never repeated. I have apologized to Ms. Price as well as my colleagues on the City Council and our dedicated city staff.
At our Council Meeting on March 2nd, I will step down as Mayor.
I think there’s probably more to the e-mail then that, but that’s all I’ve been able to piece together so far. If someone has a complete copy of the Mayor’s latest e-mail, please share it or the link with us in the comment section below.
First of all, let me say that soon-to-be former Mayor Grose is to be commended for taking action to do something that must have been very difficult for him. He appears to be moving in the right direction.
But it also appears that what we have here, once again, is only a partial step towards a solution.
I guess that shouldn’t surprise anyone. It’s pretty much like the Mayor’s previous responses to this firestorm, starting with his initial response to Keyanus Price’s mild rebuke of the e-mail.
The image Mayor Grose forwarded with the heading, "No Easter Egg hunt this year."
Upon initially receiving the e-mail from Grose, you’ll recall, Ms. price e-mailed back to the Mayor:
Hey, that’s not nice at all. Not all black people like watermelon… you should know better than that.
The Mayor’s misguided response to Ms Price’s gentle rebuke was what she says really upset her:
The way things are today, you gotta laugh every now and then. I wanna see the coloring contests.
Later, Ms. Price’s boss, the owner of one of the largest sales tax generating businesses in the city, e-mailed the Mayor to complain. Even this time, the Mayor’s e-mailed response gave evidence that he still didn’t get it:
I am deeply embarrassed in receiving your email, and for any harm or hurt that it may have caused. It was poor judgement on my part and was never intended to be offensive to Ms. Price, your company or anyone in the African American Community. I have exchanged emails with Ms. Price in the past.
I can fully understand your concerns and comments. Please be advised that I have left a voice mail for Ms. Price and will also be sending her a separate email with my apology. You can be assured that I will not allow this to happen again. I in no way was representing the City of Los Alamitos, or my role as a council member in sending this out and it went via my private business email. That doesn’t justify the fact that it was sent, however, we gratefully appreciate the contributions that your company makes to our community and I wish to publically apologize to anyone within the firm or organization that may have been offended.
I am truly sorry.
Dean Grose
That e-mail sounds like a kid whose Mom just caught him with his hand in the cookie jar:
Oops. I wasn’t trying to get a cookie–just checking to see how many were left. And I washed my hands before I put reached in. I’m sorry if it caused a problem. I promise it won’t happen again.
By the way, Mom, I love you and you make the best cookies!
As long as my hand’s in here, is it OK if I just grab a cookie?
Now we get Dean’s latest e-mail, which still seems to be all about him:
The attention brought to this matter has sadly created an image of me which is most unfortunate.
What’s he sad about? What “the attention brought to this matter” did. Not what his actions resulted in, not what he e-mail and previous responses resulted in, but what the public attention resulted in.
Simply stated, he’s sorry he got caught.
And why is he sorry he got caught? Because he offended millions of people across the nation and around the world? Because he made our town synonymous with racism to millions? Because every Los Alamitos resident and business will be dealing with that racist stereotype for the next five years? Because the City Staff and City Council have been flooded with disruptions?
No. Dean Grose is sorry that, “sadly,” an “unfortunate image of me” was created.”
Were his actions racist? Were they wrong? Were they insensitive? No, according to Grose’s latest e-mail, it was just a “disappointment” to his family and friends.
In his latest e-mail it looks like he spent more time polishing his image than apologizing for what he did. Actually, he didn’t apologize at all, at least not in the excerpts I’ve been able to find so far. He just told us he alreeady had apologized to Ms. Price, the City Council, and the City staff. Never mind the citizens, residents, and businesses of Los Alamitos. Or the American people. Or President Obama. Or African Americans across the nation.
The soon to be ex Mayor is, once again, indicted by his own words and actions.
Speaking of actions, so far there are none. He hasn’t resigned yet. All he did was send an e-mail that he was going to resign Monday. At the Council meeting, of all places. And I already thought it was going to be a zoo. With all the local and national media there to cover the actual resignation, there won’t even be any room for local citizens to get in! You’d better arrive a couple hours early!
When he does resign, he’s not resigning from the Council. Just his position as Mayor.
And being Mayor in Los Alamitos isn’t at all like being Mayor in New York or Chicago. In Los Alamitos, the Mayor is very little more than the chairman of the City Council. He’s elected by the Council, and has little extra authority other than to chair Council meetings.
Great. We’ll no longer have a racist Mayor–just a racist Council Member. I’m sure sensitive people across the country will feel so much better about that.
Wouldn’t that be a little like Richard Nixon resigning as President but wanting to stay on as White House Chief of Staff?
Or, perhaps more to the point, it would be like Dogers’ G.M. Al Campanis resigning as G.M. but staying on as Chief of Baseball Operations after his infamous remarks about African Americans “not having the necessities” to be major or minor league managers.
Or the police taking a crowd of Klansmen’s torches away but letting them hold onto their nooses?
As long as Dean Grose is sitting on the dias, Los Alamitos is in the news and everyone’s distracted.
And racism and insensitivity have been excused because the racist said he was sorry that his actions hurt his image so he’ll let someone else run the Council meetings for the rest of this year.
“But wait,” as they like to say on those infonmercials. “There’s more!”
What about the other 3 Council Members who voted to skip protocol and recent tradition and make Grose Mayor this year rather than appoint Gerri Mejia, last year’s Mayor Pro Tem?
Every one of them had worked very closely with Dean Grose. Two of them had known him for years and the other, Ken Stephens, had Grose very closely involved in his campaign. I find it hard to believe that they could spend that much time with Mr. Grose and not have any inkling that he might be a bad choice for Mayor.
Shoot, after spending ten minutes with him in his office last August I knew he was crude, rude, and not all that bright. I appreciated the time he spent with me, the unexpected candidate for City Council, but before our meeting was done I was already suspicious of his strong support for controversial local businessman and political activist George Briggeman.
I’m not saying Dean Grose is evil, an idiot, or a raving racist. He’s human, just like you and me. I am saying he was and is a poor choice to represent the City of Los Alamitos as either a Mayor or a Council Member, especially now. I’m also that the 4 – 1 Council majority that knowingly put Grose in the prominent position of Mayor is actually a much bigger problem than Dea Grose.
The fact is, as long as Los Alamitos 5 member City Council is controlled by Grose and his three buddies, nothing’s really changed.
Dean needs to resign from the Council, and at least one of his friends needs to go with him. Then the remaining three Council members need to work together to recruit and unanimously approve at least two independent, intelligent Los Alamitos ciizens with stellar reputations and integrity to begin actually rebuilding the city’s reputation and working to deal with the city’s pressing short and long term challenges.
This rebuilding needs to be a very open process, with citizens free to suggest good prospective Council Members, an open interview process televised on Los Al’s local cable channel, and a public, open, televised process all the way. It might be a good idea for the two people chosen to commit to only serve until the November, 2010 election, and to also commit to not running for reelection at that time. We need people who are committed to the community, not to their own political future. (And no, I really would rather not be one of those people.)
But wait, there’s still more. . .
Lots more, in fact. Through public information requests your blogger has obtained copies of the Mayor’s and other Council Members city e-mails. They supply even more evidence of the need for at least one additional member of the majority that elected Grose to resign.
We’ve also been reviewing the late campaign statements, and you won’t believe the lengths Briggeman went to to conceal his support for Poe and Stephens. Or the amount of money one member of the current majority paid for some of the “push” polling to guarantee the election’s results.
Dean Grose certainly needs to step down not just as mayor but also from the Council. And at least one other member of the majority also needs to resign. And great care needs to be taken as to how their replacements are selected.
Stay tuned for details.
In the meantime, your thoughts and comments are welcome. I’ve just told you what I think, but I could be wrong.
Like the Mayor, we’re all human. The goal of this blog is to provide a place where the citizens and businesspeople of Los Alamitos can come together and civilly discuss issues affecting the city in real time in cyberspace.
The comments of others are, of course welcome as well, especially in this case. But please stay on topic, maintain a polite and respectful tone, and use family friendly language appropriate to what I hope to someday again be able to refer to as our “quiet little town.”
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47 Responses to “Dean Grose resigns as Mayor but not from the City Council, effective Monday”
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From the OCR
[...] because the controversy surrounding his White House watermelon garden e-mail “has impeded his Read More|||The Associated Press is reporting that Mayor Dean Grose will resign his post at Monday night’s [...]
Note from Dave: this “comment” is a “pingback” from another blog which hyperlinked back to this blog. I normally delete these comments, but this one’s kind of interesting since it’s to a bilingual blog. I don’t even know what language it’s in. If you do, and it’s not family-friendly, please let me know. I checked around the site briefly and the English parts I found seemed innocent enough.
Interesting how widespread is the attention our Mayor has brought to our town.
Dave, you nailed it again. Grose does not seem to condemn his own actions, he defends them. He offers excuses and states that he is sorry (sorry for getting caught). He also tries to potray a false fascia of being mis-understood. I like how he promises that he won’t do it again. That sounds to me like he doesn’t plan on changing his behavior but, hiding it instead. He just doesn’t get it and I don’t think he ever will. The scary part about this is he is stepping down from the Mayor’s position but, he does not state that he is stepping down from his councilman’s position. I will be outraged if he thinks he can stay.
At this point it’s pretty clear that he only intends to resign as Mayor. In fact, I just changed the headline for this post to make that crystal clear. Additional information keeps coming up.
Most people outside of California think of the Mayor as a separate elected city executive, as in New York, so it’s very easy for the national media and bloggers to completely miss this. I suspect the Mayor’s advisers were aware of this nuance and are seeking to exploit it. Local residents who are perusing nationwide online media reports may want to point out this distinction in a comment. Feel free to hyperlink this post.
As for me, I actually have a lot of “real” work to do today. Hopefully I’ll get back here this afternoon with some of the information that’s emerging from local public info requests.
Unbelievable! Sounds like another Grose error in the making! The people and the businesses of Los Alamitos get the losing end of the stick again.
Dave,
Do you know if the citizens of Los Alamitos have any rights in a situation like this?
There has been “Grose” ethics misconduct (no pun intended). Some members of the current council have already demonstrated countless times that they are not concerned with what the citizens of Los Alamitos have to say about their city. If Grose decides to stay on the city council are we stuck with him until the next election? I believe some of the council members were elected because people did not know enough about what kind of leaders they really are.
Just to clarify, this is not a “witch hunt”. Many people feel they are powerless to make a difference, which leads to indifference.
My mother gave me a piece of advice that I utilize daily – “when people show you who they really are, believe them”. I believe Dean Grose is exactly what his actions portray, and I am not swayed by his dog and pony show. He should be stricken from the City Council. How do we get that going?
http://pabloonpolitics.com/images/postcards.jpg
I would say that the first step is to show up at Monday’s meeting and voice your desire. Next, send n e-mail or written letter to the city would be a way to voice your desire. Both would even be better.
From there, it wuld depend on the council and Grose’s reaction.
just another example of what cockroaches do when you turn the light on.Thanks to the media for turning this light on!
JM,
That is the shortest and most imformative information you have posted here. Many thinks!
I just hope not too many people flood council chambers Monday night. If the resulting traffic backs up as far east as Carrier Row, you know who will be here whining with his usual 800-1000 word post.
I say we re-elect Kenny Parker….he is an astute business man and has been a long time resident of our great city!!!!!!
What a stud! You are so kewl. You made a play of my name. Wow, I’m impressed. You are almost childlike enough to be mayor of Los Alamitos (according to the 2009 standard).
In all fairness to Mayor Grose, there might be a reasonable explanation for his lack of common sense. Read more about an Arkansas Mayor.
The mayor of an Arkansas town resigned on Wednesday, claiming he was abducted and brainwashed by Satan worshippers nearly three decades ago.
Centerton Mayor Ken Williams said he has been living under an assumed name for nearly 30 years. He had been mayor since 2001.
Williams told authorities he was born Don LaRose and that in the mid-1970s, he was a preacher in Indiana. He said he was abducted and brainwashed into forgetting all about his life as Don LaRose.
It was a double-life he had never acknowledged, Williams said, because he didn’t even realize it existed until he had recently taken a truth-serum injection.
As Williams regained his memory, he said, he realized that he had a wife and two kids but that he had decided to leave and take on a new identity to protect them.
“I had no choice. The choice was to watch my family killed before my eyes or go with these people, and I chose instead to run,” Williams said.
He wouldn’t explain from who he was running, saying only that he had been brainwashed.
“I had multiple shock treatments,” Williams said. “It took five years to get my memory back.”
Williams said he took his current identity in 1980 when he moved to Centerton. His full name — Bruce Kent Williams — was taken from a man who died in a car crash back in 1958, he said.
“What happened in 1980 — whether it was right or wrong — I did it under the threat of my family and for my own survival,” he said.
The information went public, Williams said, because he runs a Web site about Don LaRose and his disappearance. LaRose’s former family found the Web site and started inquiring about its author. They found the site registered to a Ken Williams and went from there.
Williams said his current wife is standing by him and the two of them want to continue living in Centerton. He said he plans to continue living as Ken Williams.
Also, his resignation was signed with two names, he said.
Over 350 comment posts on the OCR website. About 50% of them from 10 people. And what an interesting take they have. I just hope that they don’t show up Monday night or the Chief will have his hands full.
I would love to get an idea of how many people feel Grose should resign because of his racism, because of the way he has damaged the image of the city, or because he showed no leadership and never took responsibility for his actions (which, if he had would have never let this become a national story).
My personal feeling is that while 1 and 2 were bad, and together they may have risen to the point of demanding his resignation from the council. It was three, even it it had been all alone, that sets my teeth on edge. When you take a leadership position you have to be able to do the right thing, and the botched apologies (the first blaming the victim, the second with a known lie) were solid examples that Grose doesn’t have the skills or temperament to be a civic leader and elected official.
Your thoughts…
This morning I heard that Dean was resigning.
I almost thought there was a thread of decency in him… oh well
It was only temporary.
On channel 9 Dean was quoted saying that he would not step down from the council, only as mayor. The only way he would leave was through an election.
I guess he doesn’t want to let it go, after all it took him a long time to get in office. I’m sure his fingers are still raw from all the scratching and clawing to get there.
How arrogant!! For him to actually expect to use the taxpayers money (because he has no backbone) to pay for his lack in character and judgement. We are in a recession – again serving himself and proving his inability to represent the citizens of Los Al.
Save the money and move up the next candidate from the previous election. It was only a few months ago and should still reflect the peoples voice without wasting time or our money.
My take on why he should step down is
1. He is so foolish, no brainer do NOT send an e-mail that slams African Americans to an African American, if you do, when called out on it and told it was in poor taste, do NOT rub the persons nose in it and say so what (all of this only applies if you are a public office holder) if a regular joe does it you will likely just lose a bunch of friends.
2. He is then foolish enough to first admit he did it and then decided he wasn’t sure what he did was wrong because he really didn’t even understand what he was sending…We call this adding insult to injury.
3. The racist or bigoted nature is obvious but I think everyone harbors some type of this whether it be for color, sex, religion, this is not a deal killer the stupidity is.
I can say with 100% certainty, STEPHEN DID NOT THROW THE WATERMELON
Brad,
Great idea about moving up the next candidate from the previous election. We were talking about that this afternoon. I don’t know who would be next, but any would be better than what we have.
I also think that the gavel should be passed on to Geri as it should have been in the first place. Marilyn could remain pro-tem, but as far as most of us are concerned Poe, Edgar and Stephens should all step down along with Grose. They are one in the same. None deserve to be there. That also includes Grose stepping down from the council as well as mayor. Does he really think that we will stand for him to continue on our council. He is playing in chemically dosed waters!!
Nice point Diane! Yeah, they had no problem side stepping Gerri to give ithe Mayorship to Dean, so why should they have a problem side stepping our most trusted voice!
I’m sure they’ll find a way to explain that one!!!
Should we expect less…No!
Dean Grose can’t even put the best interest of the city in front of his own!
I’m sure glad that we all are getting to see what really matters to this man…himself!
You folks sure are busy…. And that’s good, that you care enough about our city to stay informed, be involved, voice your opinon. But where the heck were you all when the previous Council was spending $500,000 + on recruitment costs, severance pay for really bad department heads, $1 million for a park we could not afford, seminar trips that were not really necessary 9be honest now), special polo shirts, lap-tops, cell phones, credit cards, etc….? Good heavens, we’re only little Los Al, not Beverly Hills.
Again I say, yes, Mayor Grose needs to resign as Mayor and from the Council. He needs to reflect, do his mea culpa, as it were, and maybe find his way back to the path of sincere charity and volunteer work for which he was known. But please don’t tell me that Ken P was so great, or that Cat D. was good, because there’s unfortunately too much bad judgement and ego-centric proof of behavior on all their parts, if you want to be fair and objective about it. Everyone knows that Ivler is Cat’s lap dog, and Art whispers in Ken’s ear. At least be honest. But to tarnish Troy, who may have some culpability, has certainly not been proven, and then to move onto Poe who has honorably served the community, without the perks of her rescent predessors, and served honorably and selflessly for over a dozen year is really over-playing your predjudical hand a bit much, not to mention that your prejudical slip is really showing.
Dean should go, yes. Gerri, while being fairly green, and ill-trained by the previous members, is doing a pretty good job of making her own path (Why did Rudat go to Sacramento on the City’s dime?), so let’s not scream “Off with all of their heads” just now. Let’s try to help bring order and some dignity to Monday’s meeting and let’s, one and all, behave with restraint, manners, and not further embarrass our poor little Los Alamitos. Let’s everyone keep calm, be polite, not be sarcastic, but mind our manners, and show our neighbors that we can rise above the muck….. Please just think about it. Don’t be part of the problem – be part of the solution.
Rude behaviour at Council meetings is counter productive.
But I’m not nearly as concerned with the locals who post here as some of the crazy outsiders who are posting on some of the national blogs. Along with some of our old friends from the C.P.L.A. I’ve heard more booing, catcalls, and rude audience remarks from C.P.L.A. supporters over the past six months that I’ve been attending Council Meetings than from anyone else.
Mr. Ohler,
Thanks for posting with what I assume is your real name, and for the wise words about decorum in the last paragraph. Where were you when the C.P.L.A. was making a mockery of the Council public comment period last fall?
Cat and Ken weren’t perfect, but I found them to be more effective, more independent, more committed to the community, more genuine, and more sensitive than the gang of 4 who brought us the current circus with their selection of Dean as Mayor. How I wish they’d stuck with tradition and let Mayor Pro Tem Mejia move up. As you said, she’s spunky and independent. And she hardly even reads e-mails, let alone forward them.
Mr. Ohler,
Very nice CPLA hit. You people are relentless. Even when Cat Driscoll, my wife, isn’t in office, you manage to find a way to misinform and blame her for things that never happened quite the way you want people to believe.
First of all, Cat, Ken, Poe, Jempsa and Freeman all voted to use the recruitment process (5-0 vote) after Domiguez left on his own and Henry T. was out of time. Not just Ken and Cat!
Secondly, there was a vote of (5-0) to hire Lee Evett by Cat, Ken, Fred, Poe, and Jempsa along with the contract. Not just Ken and Cat!
Thirdly, he was just “one” city manager that didn’t work out for Ken and Cat (and the rest of the 5-0 group). Not just Ken and Cat! Not “many” failed city managers at a lot of cost…JUST ONE!
Next, Lucy Serlett Romero was not fired by Ken and Cat, but the newest majority decided to do that in 2007 at the tune of a couple hundred thousand dollars (vote 3-2). Mr. Fiscally responsible and Dean spent that tax dollar money! Not Cat and Ken!
Lastly, they did not put the city into a fiscal hole as you so want everyone to believe! If you haven’t noticed, we are in a recession!
Cat never spent city money suing a business owner for a sign. That was Troy at the cost of about $3k.
Cat didn’t send Dave Rudatt to a conference at the end of his tenure that cost the city $500 plus.
Cat didn’t propose that we maybe spend a couple hundred k ripping up Katella so that 24hr can have a really good left turn!
Cat doesn’t insult citizens, commissioners, and fellow council members while being filmed on LATV and sitting on the dais like Edgar.
Cat didn’t make our city a national joke by thinking that it was funny to send a racist e-mail to a member of our community.
She never hid like a coward behind an imposter group like the CPLA!
She never wrote a worthless “Covenant” to hide behind while she was on the dais!
She never put hateful flyers that were filled with lies and misinformation on people’s doorsteps!
In addition, the park was a 5-0 vote once again by Poe, Jempsa, Parker, Freeman and Driscoll. Cat and Ken did not by the park by themselves…Sorry, but another medical building wouldn’t have been the best move.
BTW-Didn’t Cat and Ken also cause the OC bankruptcy a few years ago? In fact, I think they were involved with Enron and….you are a funny guy!!!!
Keep trying!
So, Mr. Ohler, you keep blaming Cat and Ken for everything and the rest of us will be keeping our focus on the truth and what we really care about…THIS CITY!!!!
Loren Driscoll
Oh Mr. Ohler,
You so quickly forget. Let me remind you. Point number one $500,000 on recruitment costs, severance pay for really bad department heads. Well let’s see who made those decisions. Marilyn Poe and Alice Jempsa voted for the Lee Evette. They (Poe & Jempsa) supported him leaving the City. Troy and Dean fired Luci and cost the city that money. Oh the park we could not afford. Why don’t you go and talk to the honorable Marilyn Poe and Alice Jempsa and tell them how ashamed you are of them spending that money on land that would have been sold off to Tenant. Conferences – I believe that Marilyn and Alice attended conferences just as Dean and Troy did too. Oh but that’s right they can do no wrong in your eyes. Oh how quicky you forget who was on the council and what the votes were.
Well as I can see from your latter comments about Ken Parker and Cat Driscoll on their choice of friends that you would prefer that they be friends with people who don’t really care about the City but who would rather spend all their time trying to destroy people’s lives.
Good Job to the one who walks with blinders on.
I am sorry. I did not mean to sound as if I were attacking anyone. I am only wanting things to calm down. I am simpley encouraging calm. I firmly believe that Mr. Grose must resign – no question there. I’m sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings. I just think things have been handeled poorly for many years. Please accept my apology. Mr. Driscoll, you are right to defend your wife. I did not mean to single her out. I am sorry.
Very well said, Mr. Ohler. If our Mayor had sent a similar response to Keyanus Price’s initial e-mail, none of this would have occurred.
You set a good example for us all.
I don’t know you, but I’m thinking we need to add a couple people you to our City Council!
Hey, I am NOT Cat’s lap dog. I am Thuy’s lap dog (my wife).
Let’s get down to brass tacks. On another thread I covered the things I have been involved with here in our fair city. Most of then were without Cat or Ken.
Unlike CPLA which shows up just in time for an election, I’m an actual real community activist. I don’t just show up at election time, but am annoying to the establishment year-round. I also call them out when they do right for the citizens. It helps to do that when there are more people on the dais who come from a community activist background. It’s not what political party they belong to, but the mindset of activism that makes them good. It focuses their thinking. Ken’s hardcore GOP and Cat’s hardcore Dem, you couldn’t find two people that would agree less politically, yet since they both came from the mindset of community activism they were able to find bonds across a very large partisan divide.
Today we have no members of the council that have championed community first as a citizen (Gerri, I know has a great deal of community involvement, but that truly is not the same). When we had two community activists on the dais I was able to slip silently away (I attended maybe 2-3 council meetings per year in the last 4 years) as they were watching out for the community and I didn’t have to as much.
My defense of Cat and Ken is generally because we have the same activist mindset (believe me Ken and I are very far apart on politics). We see city government having a supporting role to the community, working with the community and leading with a shared vision based on the communities input. Both Cat and Ken had the bonafides and background and that’s why I believed that they were good for the city.
The fact that both Cat and Ken are not on Briggeman’s payroll and stuck in his back pocket also had a great deal to do with my support for them. In fact it is one of the key reasons I support Gerri now. She isn’t for sale (and yes, in that statement I am saying that the Gang of Four are for sale. In fact, for the Freeman haters out there, they have more in common with Freeman than not.).
I think enough other people educated Mr. Ohler on the actual votes and other misinformation that he got from Briggeman’s money and mailers so I don’t think there is a need to go there, but I would like to point out that there is more than enough accurate information available so that the Mr. Ohlers of Los Alamitos can get it and review it for themselves.
I also think it is important to give a shout-out to Gerri for the fine job she has been doing making sure that the community is aware of things like Stephen’s quid-pro-quo left on Katella and Rudat’s payoff from ???? well whomever decided to let him violate the council’s orders and spend our city’s money on boondoggles.
And yes, I find it amazing that things like Rudat are “in the past, move on” with Troy who less than four months ago had no problem bringing up every CPLA point from the dais as fact – even when they weren’t. It only makes me wonder exactly what he is trying to cover up.
Mr. Ohler,
Thank you for the apology! We should all try to work for the better good of the city, together.
Well said JM!
I am sitting here looking at the front page of the OC Register screeeaaaming!!!!!!!!!! What is wrong with the media. They say he quit. They say he resigned. He DIDN’T. He will still be on the city council and still out in the county and state representing us. He has embarresed our city and given us a black eye. He needs to go. People need to come Monday night or send letters to the other council members to ask for his COMPLETE resignation. Just saying I’m sorry isn’t enough. He was on CNN for peets sake! How is anyone ever going to take our city serious or him if he is still on the council. I think his comments to the press about I apologized and its over with it just show how little he cares. So he thinks I do something this stupid and racist and I can just say I’m sorry and that’s it. NO NO NO NO NO he needs to GO GO GO GO!
Again, to anyone I offended, including Mr. Ivler, I apologize. My only defense is that I am as frustrated as everyone else, and I’ve seen our City in trouble since the Taboada days. Like you, I want our City to be the great place it used to be. I believe that “activists” within the community are good, even if their opinions differ with others. At least everyone cares enough to pay attention, to participate, to think and attend the Council meetings.
I think that we are all in agreement that Mr. Grose must go. It is possible that I have my “facts” wrong about who did what, and when, it just that I believe that our City needs some very serious and focused guidance right now and I pray that eventually, hopefully before Monday, Mr. Grose will resign completely. The last thing we need right now is extended, expensive turmoil and litigation.
Personally, I am going to do some serious praying that Monday will work out. I’m a little afraid for what could happen, so please, let’s all try to be respectful and calm. We don’t want to continue to be in the news due to a major story on civil unrest. My intension is to inspire calm. Again, I’m sorry for my rudeness earlier.
Mr.Ohler,
While you were posting your comment, I was posting Monday’s Council agenda. As you can see from my opening remarks, we are pretty much thinking alike.
Personally, I found your comment about prayer especially convicting. It’s always a good idea to turn worries into prayers and constructive actions.
Dear Los Al reader, there are finally some things we can do to at least reduce further damage to our city’s reputation. Mr. Ohler makes some excellent suggestions in the last paragraph of his comment above, as well as my comments in “What’s planned for Monday’s Council Meeting.”
Mr.Ohler,
I was not offended. I just think it’s important to communicate and be clear. Thus my rather long winded explanation.
Loren,
It is possible for people with diverse views to get past their partisan natures and work together, as Ken and Cat did. I only hope we can see more of that in a new City Council. The key is having community activists working for the betterment of the community, not Briggeman.
Thank you both. I simply want to avoid anything close to a riot or any sort of violence. While we’re asking Mr. Grose to step down for the good of our city, perhaps we can include constructive ideas to the Open Communications.
Open communications is 5 minutes. If there are 50 people there to tell Dean to step down and they all use their 5 minutes it’s gonna be a very long night.
I am discussed with Dean Grose’s actions. He has humiliated Los Al citizens for the last time. It is not acceptable for him to stay on council. Who came in the next place should take his place. I am sure that would be Ken Parker. Why should we pay for a PR Rep and Police protection for his mistake. He needs to step off the council and pay for his own police protection and PR Firm. We have been embaresed enough by him. He can move away because he has never had the interest of Los Al citizens first. His own special interest and Cypress’s interest are more important to him. Be gone you evil one and leave us be. LW
Does anyone have the City phone number and email address where we can express our views directly?
We should start a sign up sheet for the meeting of those who think Dean should step down from the Council. We need to move ahead now while the fire is hot and the community is ready to act.
“We should start a sign up sheet for the meeting of those who think Dean should step down from the Council.”
It’s called a petition of grievances. Start one in your neighborhood and feel free to bring it in on Monday night and present it to the council. The more signatures, the better.
A simple statement of the case and a request to Dean to step down directly, and a request to the other members that he not be permitted to represent the city in any way if he doesn’t step down, unless of course he is re-elected to the Los Alamitos City Council.
I’m not a lawyer, but I believe that since he is a duly elected official, that the only way he can be removed, without his resignation, is by recall of the citizens. If Dean refuses to leave, I doubt if even all four of the others could force him off the dais. I think it’s recall or nothing. However, if you have hundreds or even thousands of signatures, that might further embarrass him publicly into resigning altogether. Nevermind that he violated over half of the items in that “Convenent” they wanted to pass 2 weeks ago, he is costing the city serious money in wasted employee time addressing this issue, not to mention the over-time for police presence, which will no doubt be needed. His only salvation is to apologize, step down, maybe continue with his charity or community work, keep his head low and ride this out. If he does that, he might be able to salvage some dignity, maybe learn some lessons, and become a better community member in the future.
Maybe we can have Troy bring the Covenant forward again for the third time, so the coucil can sign it again. Maybe they did not understand it the first two times it was brought forward and so quickly approved by the majority. It has become very clear now why Council Member Mejia was so against signing this Covenant, she knew, as we know, it is all smoke an mirrors for the new majority.
What is the city’s email and phone #?
one 4 Los Al. Go to the city website http://www.ci.los-alamitos.ca.us/ for the email and their phone number is 562.431.3538.
Well stated Mr. Ohler.
That is exactly what he should do. He needs to say he’s is sorry and walk completely away from public office. I will be interested to see if the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club want him to continue within thier organizations. I think he has shamed everything he has touched. What he did is not OK, people may forgive his ignorance, but they will never forget!!
The man needs counseling and treatment in a group therapy setting for people who hate. He could take the other haters of Los Al with him. Are you listening Chuck, Carolyn and Lisette.
Let’s go easy on Lisette. Based on what she’s posted on the Register website, she’s as outraged about the Mayor’s behavior as anyone. She clearly gets it. She’s called repeatedly for him to resign–not just as Mayor but also as Council Member.
Hopefully even the Sylvias will get it this time. This is the time for Los Alamitos citizens of diverse views to come together.
As I’ve said repeatedly, working together we still can fix Los Al!
The latest on CNN http://www.cnn.com/video/
Dave here, breaking in. Excellent link, Lynett T. Wow!
(After clicking on the link above, scroll down to “top stories” and look for the picture of Mayor Grose in shirt sleeves being interviewed in his office by Michele Gile and click. After a brief commercial, the CNN report will run. )
The mayor just keeps making things worse. . . . “I’ve learned that you don’t forward e-mails because no matter what type of e-mail it is or what kind of a joke it may seem like it could be offensive to somebody.” HE STILL DOESN’T GET IT!!!!! ARGGGG!!!!
Now, I’ll let Lynett T. finish her comment.
If I was on CNN in this light, I would have moved to Europe or Turkey (oh wait it’s hit there too. http://www.turkishweekly.net/other-news/210803/dean-grose-to-quit-as-los-alamitos-mayor-over-racial-cartoon-los-angeles-times.html
http://www.cnn.com/video/
It amazes me how this story is just multiplying. I went Junior Drag Racing this weekend with my family out at Barona Raceway and people out there even knew about this story. I heard one person say that Al Sharpton was supposed to be at the Monday night council meeting! Unbelievable!
Mr. Ohler’s remarks are very interesting. I fully agree with him about calm and prayer. I think it has gotten that dire. His remarks about past city history and “who did what to who” is a classic example of what happened to this town when 6 months ago, eveyone walked out on their doorsteps, picked up the colorful mailers, read them and took it as the “gospel truth” . There were many people here in town who drank that Kool-Aide. Where we are now is the end result.
I am glad that everyone is educating themselves, speaking out and getting involved (Yes, even Lisette). The points JM made about activism are dead on. I am a proud Republican, JM is 180 degrees opposite from me yet, we are on the same page about our city. We have our homes, our families and our lives here. As activists we want what is best for the city that we have invested so much into. I hope that there are more of you out there, who are fed up, and give activism a try too. It is what our town needs today as well as tommorrow!