Star Witness Against Tony Hall Pleads the 5Th!
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VOLUME 20 NUMBER 9 NOVEMBER 2008 Prop A Proponent Star Witness Against Mitch Katz and our Tony Hall Pleads the 5th! own Prop A opponent George Wooding Olivia Scanlon, the Ethics Commission’s star witness against Tony Hall in their 3 year long effort against the appeal to Voters— p3 former District 7 Supervisor, plead the 5th Amendment Luke Thomas -fogcityjournal.com Thomas Luke against self-incrimination as the hearing progressed on October 27. She was a former Aide to Hall. Scanlon, who also serves as an Aide to Supervisor Sean Dirtier Streets? Elsbernd, appeared at the hearing in response to a sub- Warren Hinckle kvetchs poena from Hall’s attorney David Waggoner. He had about the new plan to let earlier filed a criminal charge against Scanlon that our streets get dirtier alleged she tampered with evidence, as reported in the —p2 Olivia Scanlon, Aide to Sean Elsbernd at Ethics Probe September Observer. At the hearing into the anonymous complaint the questions surrounding the evidence which filed at the Ethics Commission charging that Hall precipitated the criminal charges brought against improperly used campaign funds for personal Scanlon for tampering with evidence. Commis- expenses, Ethics Commissioners heard testimony sioners and the Ethics leadership continue, how- Business Corner from defense witnesses. But when it came time ever, to press on with the hearings into the matter for the testimony from the prosecution’s star wit- in spite of the shaky evidence. We visit ness, Olivia Scanlon, who had been summoned Sunset Pet Supply Hall noted the cost to the people of the City to answer questions about the discrepancy in for the hearings, “it is unfortunate, because the — p. 7 the evidence, she plead the 5th Amendment in taxpayers are also the victims of this over-zealous connection with her previous testimony in the prosecution. With four City employees work- matter. ing on this case for the last three years—when In September the that time is tallied—the Commission heard “The case against Tony Hall has been politi- expense may well be over testimony in support cally motivated from the beginning and the fact a million dollars. I know West of Twin Peaks of the allegations. It there are better uses for Central Council included charges that that the woman making these allegations in the our hard-earned tax Met October 27nd then Supervisor Hall first place had to take the Fifth today to avoid dollars. This incredible had misused funds, perjuring herself even further in this matter bears attack on my character is with plenty of repaying Scanlon unprecedented, as far as I controversial local $12,000 from cam- out the absurdity of the charges against him.” know. I remain confident issues paign funds for a —David Wagonner, Attorney for Tony Hall that the Commission will personal loan that make the right decision, — p5 she had made to Hall, but there has to be bet- and charges that he had bought food and gas for ter oversight of shenanigans like this. I hope the campaign workers and volunteers without filing Ethics Commission will get its priorities clear to Hank Basayne the necessary paperwork, and that he purchased assure the public that it is not driven by political personal gifts for his wife and daughters with a agendas.” will be back campaign credit card in the amount of $320. next month with At the hearing, Commissioners heard Peter The pivotal evidence, the checks Scanlon sub- Fatooh testify that Scanlon had misused theater his topical column. mitted to the Ethics Investigators as evidence of tickets he had secured to be used as gifts to cam- the alleged loan, came into question when it was paign volunteers and donors and, he said, that he discovered that there were two versions of the stopped helping the campaign because she had same check. One version had the notation “ser- used them herself. He said he “stopped taking her vices” in the lower left corner, indicating the rea- calls,” because “she lied about their use.” son for the payment, the other check, bearing the Contractor Michael Buckley testified that he INSIDE same number and contained in the official exhibit had considered hiring Scanlon’s husband, Seamus at the trial, had no such notation, which led to Cudden, as a subcontractor, but refused to pay Around the Town .................................................... 2 Cont. p. 6 Clint Reilly-Reagan Revolution RIP ......................... 2 RUMINATIONS OF A FORMER CITIZEN SUPERVISOR Letters to the Editor ............................................... 2 at a cost of $33,000,000,000. With voter approval History Repeats Itself of Proposition 1A, design and engineering can be Phyllis Sherman - Phyllis’ Findings .......................... 3 completed in 2009, construction begun in 2010 by Quentin Kopp Sister Miriam Retires .............................................. 5 and the 220-mile-per-hour high speed train will If you live long enough, be ready for usage to Los Angeles and Anaheim Ville d’Este ............................................................. 6 you do indeed watch history by 2018, with the possibility that segments such as Calendar ................................................................ 8 repeat itself in one form or San Francisco to San Jose in 30 minutes and Los another. On November 4, Califor- Angeles to Anaheim in 20 minutes may be opened Now at the Movies.................................................10 nia voters command the oppor- earlier. Carol Kocivar -Voting for Kids .................................11 tunity to approve Proposition 1A, As Chairman of the California High a $9,950,000,000 State general Speed Rail Authority, I am convinced that start- Sharon Caron - Got Stress? .....................................12 obligation bond to enable construction of the Cal- ing in 2009 the Congress and President of the Breast Cancer Exams at Curves ...............................12 ifornia High Speed Rail Project. Proposition 1A, United States will enact legislation providing at which you will find in the slim Supplemental State least $11,000,000,000 and perhaps as much as Buena Vista Cafe World Record...............................13 Voter Information Guide, constitutes the financial $17,000,000,000 to defray the first phase’s cost, Jack Kaye - When does a person become adult? ......14 foundation for the first phase of the Project from with private investors (including pension systems San Francisco to San Jose across the Pacheco Pass such as the California Public Employees Retire- Dr. Annette Lust - Theater ......................................14 to Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield in the Central ment System) furnishing the balance of capital Police Blotter ........................................................15 Valley, then to Palmdale, downtown Los Angeles’ expenditure. Already, in early October President Where to find the Observer ....................................15 Union Station (in 125 minutes) and Anaheim’s Bush signed a rail transportation bill which new transportation center (in another 20 minutes) Cont. p. 7 Guest Opinion Reagan Revolution, RIP Get Dirty By Clint Reilly By Warren Hinckle In his book, “The Crisis of Global show: Democrats are poised to take the Capitalism,” legendary investor George White House, add 15-20 seats to their Hatchet-wielding overpaid City hall bureaucrats have Soros warned that free markets needed House majority and possibly reach a quietly devised and implemented a plan to cut the annual to be supervised by a force more pow- supermajority in the Senate. costs of street cleaning by weaning the West Side of San erful than corporations or they would Americans now see that the Repub- Francisco from weekly street cleaning to twice a month. reel out of control. lican no-new-tax mantra The eastern side of the city will continue to receive weekly street cleaning, Soros was prescient: “I flies in the face of a glaring sources say. argue that the current state need for public investment. The new plan will primarily affect Districts 2, 4 and 7. of affairs is unsustainable. Like the stubborn owner These areas will be cleaned only on the first and third weeks of the month, Financial markets are who refuses to invest in rather than weekly. The abbreviated street cleaning program launched in August. inherently unstable and new equipment and worker Adhesive stickers were produced for the Dept. of Parking and Traffic to stick on there are social needs that training, Republicans are the current street signs giving city warnings to move your cars on a street-cleaning cannot be met by giving bankrupting our country day. Put up on the West Side of town only, the stickers advise residents that street market forces free rein.” through a lack of vision cleaning will now happen only twice a month in their area. Nevertheless, Repub- and bad management. Only 20,000 stickers were ordered, so it is clear that they were not designated licans have preached the The present financial for citywide signs. virtues of deregulation crisis presents a moment since Ronald Reagan routed Jimmy for sober reflection: What has “hands- The recommendation that the West Side of San Francisco be left dirty twice a Carter in 1980. Moreover, they have off” government wrought? month came from a private consultant firm hired by the city, according to sources. demonized government’s role as watch- The cost of the consulting contract has not been ascertained. Huge concentrations of capital dog of the public interest. cannot be left to their own regulatory There appears to be elements of class analysis and voter ballot box power in Republicans so successfully under- devices. The propensity for selfish- the independent consultant’s recommendation to leave the greater west side of mined the vital importance of good ness is overwhelming. As evidence, town to clean up its own streets. The presumption appears to be that west side government that they forgot how the entire global free enterprise system home owners are more tidy than east side renters, thus can manage better without to govern in a stark emergency like has been inadvertently jeopardized the city’s traditional weekly street cleaning.