Comments » 77

outsiderlookingin writes:

As an outsider looking in I think I have it straight - lets see.

Comnick has it out for the chief for, oh I don’t know, because he didn’t jump through some political hoop for her. Then you have Fincher and a few folks at the fire station that have it out for the chief for, oh I don’t know, because they were actually having to do their job and being held to a higher professional standard. So Comnick and Fincher and (from the blogs maybe even the secretary - she sounds like a piece of work) conspire to keep track of every little thing the chief does to come up with a list of items that can be construed as misconduct. Then, Comnick tells her fellow council/board members Schaefer and Webster of these “serious” wrong doings. They unwittingly fall into her trap and jump into the collusion (like lining up the investigator prior to the board meeting that put the chief on leave as an example). The investigator arrives and is directed to find any and all possible things so that they can use them to fire the chief without having to pay him anything (as confirmed by article of 6/17). Now we have an investigator (friend of Comnick - surprise - surprise) who has marching orders, not to investigate any single egregious act of wrong doing (because there probably is none), but as mentioned, find anything that can be construed as bad managerial practices. And will he find stuff? Come-on, what CEO could you not find who has a laundry list of BS things - their CEO’s they have certain unwritten authorities and privileges. I’ll bet the investigator himself when Police Chief, was as guilty of the same kinds of things he’s finding on the Chief. Oh they’ll find stuff and use words like fraud, miss use of company assets and so on - but it’ll all be a bunce of chicken*&^% little stuff. Now throw in the all the secret meetings and it sure does sound like a conspiracy and collusion all in an effort to simply not do the right thing. All Comnick has accomplished is poor morale in the department and community unrest - that’s not good leadership.

Seems like this is what should happen:

1. Comnick should resign or be recalled as a board member and probably from the City Council as well. I applaud the movement that seems to be developing to cause that to happen.
2. Schaefer & Webster, you guys need to buck up and become your own person and do the right thing here.
3. And the other board members (are there other board members? - This board structure is a messed up deal!), step up and be heard - do the right thing. Do you guys just abdicate your role because of the “powerful city council members”. Come on!
4. A new investigation should be started that should include interviewing people to collaborate the behind the scene meetings and action should be taken to others as appropriate.

outsiderlookingin writes:

and one more thought,
If the chief did something wrong then take APPROPRIATE disciplinary action. A decision to terminate without any severance package BEFORE the investigation even started is not appropriate. Do the right thing - no CEO should be treated this way.

AccountabilityinAnderson writes:

Neil Purcell rode in to Anderson on a white horse in his shining armor to save the town. Now he's leaving with armor tarnished and riding out of town on a donkey. Be interesting to see how many others ride into the sunset on the beast of burden.

Tiredofit writes:

outsiderlookingin-by george, I think you've got it!!
Your points are right on. The only thing I would add is the need to talk to the firefighters who do NOT oppose Chief. As I recall, the only question asked them by Val was,"Do you have anything NEGATIVE to say about Chief?" Was there any time in this investigation where Purcell pursued those standing in support of the Chief? I don't think so. He (and Comnick) were too afraid of what they might find that would dislodge her whole campaign against Chief Piccinini.

Veryangrymom might want to do a little sleuthing at this point and find out just who they are since obviously Fincher has been working on keeping their mouths shut for fear of their jobs. Maybe she should take dessert to the fire hall-just joking!! But, evidently Comnick thought the way to these men was through their stomachs!! I hope you guys (firefighters) get it by now that she is using you for her own ends.

What a set-up! I keep forgetting that Val was part of this whole mess from the beginning,(Comnick's paid anonymous letter writer) so perhaps we should rename them the unholy trinity plus one.

The unholy trinity plus one should remember that for each of us both inside and outside the fire hall who stand up, there are many others alongside of us who also stand with us. That, my friends, adds up to be a lot of votes and voters.

One can only hope that Schaeffer and Webster have sifted through the reports wisely by now and have decided to no longer be governed by Comnick's personal wishes and desires. Stand up to her, fellas, you CAN do it. Retain your ego and no longer be her little minions who do as she says. I am telling you, your careers in Anderson hinge on this. You would do well to take your heads out of the sand and listen to the voters.

BlueSuedeShoes writes:

AccountabilityinAnderson makes a good point.

That poor 'beast of burden' will have far too many big backsides trying to find a place to sit as it carries them out of the picture completely.

HeardEnough writes:

well, you've managed to reach an all time low this time. scott morgan is a class act and certainly should not be a target of your "hate campagne".

Posted by shortandcute on June 21, 2009 at 10:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I wonder if anyone in the town of West Melbourne, Florida, is reading the Valley Post and watching what is going on in our little town. How the city of Anderson has helped a private citizen from a different state conduct what appears to be an illegal investigation, how the city of Anderson has gifted public funds to this person in the way of supplying a vehicle, personnel, office space and other equipment. How we may have two City Council members being investigated by the FPPC. Just a thought.

snooperanderson writes:

I do agree that Scott Morgan is a class act; however I also think the fire chief is a class act. If the board who is also the majority of the city council is going to hold the fire chief accountable for some sort of mismanagement practices then it should work both ways. The management of the City of Anderson has gifted public funds to a private citizen conducting an illegal investigation in the way of a vehicle, city personnel, office and equipment. Shouldn’t the management of the City of Anderson be held accountable as well? Or are we going to see as usual one-sided politics?

Tiredofit writes:

Absolutely what we should all want as Anderson citizens is fair and just policies for all of those entrusted with governing our city and fire district. What is good for the goose is good for the gander, and it is about time every employee and elected official be held to the same standards....not just 'off with your head' for those who manage to tick off Comnick by obeying the law.

I realize that she has her own version of the law around here, but that has got to be stopped. Concerned Citizens are doing just that. We want fair and honest practices in place for everyone who is in the public eye, working (supposedly) for the betterment of Anderson.

I read somethng on a sign in town today. It went something like this-"Advice is free, but only the wise will listen to it." Listen up, Fire Board!!

I can only pray that 4 of our current fire board members will refuse to continue playing Comnick's game. Discipline the Chief, if it is warranted. Put him back to work so he can continue to make plans for the fire safety in our area. Folks, fire season is here! We need an educated man who has already started making plans to better protect us all. There is not one person in that fire hall with the skills to do such planning.

We need more than a man with a truck and water playing fireman. We need someone to finish making safety plans, train his crew and implement those plans ASAP.

Tiredofit writes:

PS Campaign might rhyme with champagne but they are spelled differently, HeardEnough.

HeardEnough writes:

Tiredofit...
omg! i made a typo...now i'm in big trouble...you people are absolutely classless in you pursuit of hate...i'll work on my typing skills, you work on your "hate" issues. cowards with a computer. not one of you would repeat to scott morgan, dale webb or paul bosetti, in person, the things that have been stated here about them.

AndersonMom writes:

Well, it looks like a lot more will be decided on Thursday night than the future of Chief Piccinini. Whether or not he is fired, I'm certain, will play a large part in whether or not the people push for 1 City Council recall or 3. If the two guys decide to stand up, they just may have a chance to convince the voters that they have learned their lesson and stand against Norma Comnick. On the other hand, I don't think anything is going to stop the campaign (please note proper spelling) for the recall of Comnick, an Investigation into the farce called an investigation. There are simply too many people standing up against this that can neither be paid off nor convinced to stick their heads back in the sand.

Tiredofit writes:

Having no problem with any of the three people you mention above, I can only say you are way off base. Keep trying to turn the spotlight off of the real issue which is the illegal investigation conducted by the Fire Board through Purcell. It will not work.

Sorry if I offended you by mentioning your spelling skills. Glad you want to improve yourself.

Classless is the pursuit of the fire board at Comnick's behest to find a way to fire the Chief. Classless is the way Comnick has pushed her own personal agendas in this community for far too many years. Classless is Schaeffer and Webster afraid to cross her for fear she will turn on them. Classless is the way Val asked the firefighters if they had anything negative to say to Purcell about the Chief. Need I say more?

Again the main issue here is the legality of this whole investigation. Fire season is here. I say put the Chief back to work so he can continue to plan the strategies needed in case of fire emergencies here. If discipline is needed, so be it, but get it over with and for heaven's sake, let's move on.

Hate does not enter into this equation. What ever happened to freedom of speech? The last I knew, we could still state our thoughts, ideas and feelings without fear of reprisal. Oh,I forgot,that would only happen in Anderson if the unholy trinity was recalled.

Ask Hopkins about that tantrum thrown by Schaeffer at the last fire board meeting. Red-faced, spitting and yelling right in her face? Something about Handi-Spot Market? Is this man prejudiced? Does Handi-Spot not pay taxes into the city coffers? I guess hatred might be in some people after all.

Hatred is not part of who I am. Perhaps it is part of you, I don't know. I do know that this time a grave injustice and error in making this investigative decision was made. It is time for this fire board to back away from their many mistakes and allow this community to move on with Chief P. back in his job.

Tiredofit writes:

One more thing-"cowards with a computer"--does that include you, HeardEnough?

AndersonMom writes:

Wow, HeardEnough, are you going overboard or what? "you people are absolutely classless in you (Um...your?) pursuit of hate". I don't know who you are but I sincerely hope you don't honestly equate people disagreeing with you with people hating you in your personal life. A person who would do that would be very lonely indeed.

As for what I would or wouldn't say in public...I have been known for 20 years for speaking my mind. My dad used to say, "Girl, you've got more guts..." as he would roll his eyes when I would stand up to someone nearly always on another person's behalf. Of course, my mother would finish it by saying, "Yeah, but somebody's got to do it and maybe God sent her here for that purpose."

Do I stand up for what I believe in and for those who are wrongfully attacked? Absolutely, 100% and I'd never give it a second thought. Would I look at Scott Morgan and say that I think he is an absolutely wonderful man who made a very large mistake in giving Neil Purcell a city car and a place at City Hall to work in for an office? Yes, I absolutely would. Just like I would tell Andy Nichols that I think he's a nice guy but he's forgotten that Fire Fighters are supposed to be looking out for the public and taking care of themselves so they can best be of service. I would tell him that I think his anger toward Chief Piccinini who insisted on exercise and other positive expenditures of their time rather than watching TV is completely wrong and juvenile. I would tell the Fire Fighter's union that I understand the need for unity but unifying behind corruption destroys trust and loyalty something that is dangerous for them considering their work.

Of course, I'm also one that would tell Butch's mom that her glaring at people (as seen on the news) while she was speaking was quite improper. She was there to speak to the Fire Board, not glare at people who must have said something bad about her baby.

So, please don't tell me I hate people. That is a lie you are choosing to believe. And please don't tell me I wouldn't dare talk to people. That is another lie you are choosing to believe.

I have been very clear in my thoughts. I have never been hateful nor rude. I do know that the written word, many times, has difficulty in translation. The writer's intent can be misinterpreted due to the reader's current mood. It may be wise for all to consider this in their future reading...in short...it may not be the author who is having the bad attitude, it may be the reader (aka You).

One way or another, this is all coming to a head. While we hope Thursday ends with Piccinini back to work, it won't be "the end of the story". As Paul Harvey says, "the rest of the story" will continue and people will continue to fight the corruption in Anderson and get things changed so we can not only be proud of our town but proud of our politicians as well.

Reddinglegaleagle writes:

Tiredofit: Now that you bring up the legality of it, I know there has been a lot of speculation as to whether Mr. Purcell had the legal right to conduct such an investigation and the answer is no. He is not a licensed private investigator in the state of California and according to the Business and Professions Code as stipulated by the State of California section 7521 (e):

“Securing evidence to be used before any court, board, officer, or investigating committee. For the purposes of this section, a private investigator is any person, firm, company, association, partnership, or corporation acting for the purpose of investigating, obtaining, and reporting to any employer, its agent, supervisor, or manager, information concerning the employer's employees involving questions of integrity, honesty, breach of rules, or other standards of performance of job duties...”

Even if Mr. Purcell were to be licensed in the state of Montana in order to conduct an investigation here, the investigation itself would have had to originate in the state in which he is a licensee.

The long and sort of it is that his report is illegally obtained.

BlueSuedeShoes writes:

Thank you, Reddinglegaleagle for once again stating the facts.
Chief Piccinini's rights have been trampled over and over. This fire board seems not to care. It is scary to think of the lawsuits facing them if they do not handle the rest of this whole mess very carefully.

AndersonMom makes good points as well. We all have the right to freedom of speech and refuse to be squashed by Comnick's agendas.

LuvAnderson writes:

To The Anderson Fire Board/City Council people facing "conflict of interest" charges (among others)-:
"If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'."
"When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty."
"Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in."

Dirty politics has torn a huge hole in the fabric of our Anderson community. You expected to allow Comnick to quietly get rid of Chief P. because he refused to bend the law for her friends. Instead, you now realize that you have let the cat out of the bag. We all know how you have worked to appoint and re-appoint yourselves to boards,taking turns being Mayor,(go figure)continuing your own brand of illegal and mean spirited "law" in this community.

The ONLY way to perhaps redeem yourselves is to take a step back, realize where you went wrong and try to rectify the wrong you have done. Wash your hands of this illegal investigation. If you truly love Anderson, you will rethink this whole scheme and try to make things right.

snooperanderson writes:

LuvAnderson: WOW, How do you follow up to a post like that? It sums it all up and states just what it is. Too bad those you are trying to convey the message to are not listening. Too bad they may end up listening the hard way through a recall process. I only hope they become the three wise men/women and reinstate the chief.

HeardEnough writes:

question: is neil purcell acting as a "private investigator" or is he being "employed" by the police department to investigate possible criminal charges? does anyone know the answer for a "fact"?

Reddinglegaleagle-are you really an attorney or did you just stay at a holiday inn express?

veryconcernedcitizen2009 writes:

I was handed a flyer about our fire chief the other day and I have become very concerned. I just got off the phone a couple of hours ago with someone from the concerned citizens group. The person I spoke to was very nice and explained there concern for a lot of different actions taking place in Anderson such as a city council member with holding her vote on the purchase of a building downtown when she knew it would help a contributor of hers. That was one example of so many things. But the thing that concerns me the most was the action to dimiss our fire chief and the way they are going about it. I have spent the last hour or so reading the post and I am in support of the new citizens group. You now have a new member. I will be spreading the word for more of us to stand up and take control our town. I have met and respect our fire chief.

LuvAnderson writes:

Well,duh,comes to mind!!
Wouldn't it be rather strange to "employ Purcell" from Montana when we already have a darn good detective in the Anderson Police Department?
Also,HeardEnough, at least you have a sense of humor-or you watch too many TV commercials.

Welcome, veryconcernedcitizen2009, to this group. Unholy trinity-this is just one more voter, who will influence who knows how many others, to vote for justice in Anderson.

Do you three get it yet?

AndersonMom writes:

If Neil Purcell was employed by the Police Department he would have been required by law to identify himself as such and show his identification before he interviewed a single person. I have specifically asked 2 of the people interviewed if he showed proper identification. While they could not discuss the questions he asked, they both said he showed no ID. So, Purcell was hired by the Fire Board who legally have no say over the Police Department.

Of course, three members of the Fire Board are also City Council and they do have legal interaction. IF city powers were used as all, then my understanding is that a full report of their actions must be given to the other two members of the City Council aka Hunt and Yarbrough.

It "appears" there is a conflict since Purcell was given a city car but a legal, honest, and impartial investigation would need to happen to see if that was purely Scott Morgan's decision or a choice made by the Fire Board using their City Council power. Knowing what I do of Mr. Morgan, I don't believe he did that purely on his own and most likely wasn't made aware that Purcell didn't have the legal right to investigate in Anderson.

Reddinglegaleagle writes:

If I were a member of the city council for the city of Anderson I would be most concerned on several levels. Without a doubt, a gift of public funds has been granted to Mr. Purcell, even if the fire district is to reimburse the City of the use of said equipment and personnel it does not set aside that a private citizen used public assets for personal gain. In addition, I would be most worried that any official police department data base used to glean ANY information in regards to this investigation that may have been handed over to Mr. Purcell is highly illegal.

If I were a member of the Fire District Board of Directors I would be very concerned that they entered into a contract without establishing the credentials of the contractor.

And I try to avoid Holiday Inn Express.

shortandcute writes:

It would seem to me that common sense would dictate that Neil Purcell’s report should be thrown out since it was done completely wrong from the beginning. The report should be thrown out because it was not cared out by a person with the correct credentials. How can the fire board take any action on a report that can be easily challenged? I would like to know how much we the taxpayers paid for a report that is most likely not any good. So what now? Another month off for the chief and do another investigation and the expense of the taxpayer, what a waste of our tax dollars, at a time when funding is short for all public agencies. I urge the fire board to stop the nonsense, stop making mistakes, reinstate the fire chief and be done with this mess.

BlueSuedeShoes writes:

You are so right, shortandcute. This fire board (aka mainly city council persons) is in a mess of their own making. How on earth will they handle the fact that their 'hired gun' was hired illegally, had no license to work in California,was given so much leeway by the city of Anderson(Ask Yarbrough and Hunt if they knew anything about this before it happened-I bet they did not). Should not such an item have been brought before the city council? Anyway, that makes any report from this investigation bogus since it was all done illegally.

What were they (unholy trinity) thinking? That is just it-they weren't thinking. They only wanted to continue to appease Comnick so she would not turn on them as she has on so many others in this community. THAT line of people would probably reach to Red Bluff and back.

Her time is over. She has gone too far this time. Obviously she no longer considers herself accountable to the law or to the Anderson voter. She just thought she could reign here forever. Newsflash-she is going out. Recall is definitely in her future, as well as the other two in the unholy trinity unless they suddenly "see the light" and decide not to let her have her way.

I agree with LuvAnderson's remarks:
To The Anderson Fire Board/City Council people facing "conflict of interest" charges (among others)-:
"If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'."
"When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty."
"Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in."

Dirty politics has torn a hole in the fabric of Anderson, as she states above. Getting rid of the dirty politicians is the first step in repairing that hole.

Recall, anyone? Grand Jury Investigation, anyone? Lawsuit, anyone? Yep, the unholy trinity is in for a heck of a ride.

Involucre writes:

As each day goes by the dirtier this seems to get. After this is finally settled (and it could be years considering all the civil lawsuits to follow) maybe Anderson should change its name and start fresh. Kind of like a witness relocation program for crooked cities.

Seriously enough is enough. The Chief should be reinstated and a personal apology issued to his family for this hideous mess.

LuvAnderson writes:

Yes, the Chief should be reinstated and certainly his family is owed an apology for this whole screwed up illegal investigation.

You know, unholy trinity, there are times in all of our lives when we must admit we are wrong, apologize and move on so healing can come.

You will reap what you sow. You have sowed a boatload of trouble into this community. You will sow a boatload of grief if you do not retract this whole mess.

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