Imagine that! Next to a faith-based powerful political bloc, the Mesa PD and Mesa Fire/Medical are the biggest and most powerful blocs that can control both politics and government here in the City of Mesa. Both well-organized groups with friends-and-family-connections going back for generations use their influence to avoid public scrutiny any way they can when the issues of openness, transparency and accountability are raised no matter what they say in any number of campaigns that use public relations firms to skim over what's been lurking behind-the-scenes for many years. Here's the latest blow-up self-inflected to deflect the focus on the bigger picture. Closed dominant cultures that want to protect their own self-interest.
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That's easy-to-say and tough to deal with, but we really have to do more to disrupt these two kinds of cultures that are connected if positive changes to the Political Machine and the way government works here are to move forward.
No matter what the consequences are, we really need to deal with it. It might be disruptive for a time as a cycle of corruption gets exposed and cleared out, but in the end it's all for the public good to hold government here (1) Open, (2) Transparent and (3) Accountable.
It's what works.
In the case of the hiring of Ramon Batista from Tucson, city officials somehow managed to bring in "an outsider" to three internal candidates for the job as Chief. This happened after an incident more than 3 years ago in January 2016 in the case of the killing of Daniel Shaver who was begging for his life when Mesa PD and Officer Phillip Brailsford responded to an incident. It took city officials two years to release the video. . . Shaver's widow and family have a pending lawsuit claim against the City of Mesa for over $100,000,000 - that's a HUGE LIABILITY. . . Once again it's "a war of words" from all three sides
- Statements from Mesa Mayor John Giles
- Statements from the Mesa PD Union
- Statements from Chief Ramon Batista
All of them are put out there for "Public Relations"
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Here's one more new report updated this morning from KTAR 92.3 FM News
Mesa police unions to hold confidence vote on Chief Ramon Batista By KTAR.com | May 5, 2019 at 4:25 pm UPDATED: May 6, 2019 at 7:24 am
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| It helps to have a political-insider like Attorney Rick Romley |
What the association called “an epic failure of leadership” led to the assessment and eventual decision to hold a confidence vote.
Batista responded to the news of the MPA assessment and vote in a statement:
(Note how carefully crafted it is. Key phrases and other assertions are underlined or in boldface type to emphasize what the statement wants to say )
“We are aware that a labor organization — working with a marketing firm — has initiated a poll of our officers. It is important to remember that their agenda does not represent the entire Mesa Police Department.
I’m committed to leading this department and I stand by my officers as they carry out their duties to protect and serve this city. The support from our community could not have been made clearer as they passed a public safety sales tax to ensure we have the staffing and equipment to keep them safe.
I’m also very proud that the backing from our city’s elected officials is second to none. Each member continues to show their unwavering support; most recently, Mayor and council attended our Employee Quarterly Awards and helped us honor our Fallen Officers. As a result of several years of incredible work, Mesa is now recognized as one of the safest large cities in America. Our crime rates are at historic lows.
I am proud to serve the residents of the City of Mesa as the Police Chief, and I am honored to lead the great men and women of the Mesa Police Department, those who work day and night to protect our community, these are the reasons I love my profession.”
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