SOUND OFF SANTA MARIA

MIYOSHI DEMANDS ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATION

2012-02-12T03:41:21-08:00

Toru Miyoshi, former Santa Maria City Council member and Santa Barbara County Supervisor, submitted an opinion piece to this week's Santa Barbara Independent newspaper. Miyoshi compellingly states, "It's possible that our city bureaucracy is engaged in a cover-up. Under these...

SMPD OFFICERS ACCUSE MACAGNI

2012-02-08T04:10:24-08:00

The regular Santa Maria City Council meeting last night, February 7th, was anything but "regular", with the clear subject on most of the attendees' minds being the firing of Police Chief Danny Macagni. The meeting was ostensibly set up to...

MACAGNI'S PROCEDURES SET COVARRUBIAS UP

2012-02-08T02:49:19-08:00

In 2006, current Willows Police Chief Bill Spears left the Santa Maria Police Department, "over concerns about low morale and differences he had with the chief [currrent Chief Danny Macagni]", according to an interview with Spears printed recently in the...

DEMAND FOR MACAGNI'S RESIGNATION

2012-02-07T19:45:00-08:00

Albert Covarrubias, Jr., was buried today, in a plain black suit, rather than the uniform he wore as an officer for the Santa Maria Police Department. No members of the Police Department were in attendance, as Police Chief Danny Macagni...

SM TIMES RE MACAGNI

2012-02-07T19:41:00-08:00

The top brass of the Santa Maria Times weighed in today about the tragic shooting death of Officer Albert Covarrubias, Jr., titling the opinion piece Don't Make a 'sad day' even worse. Atempting to calm the community and asking us...

CHIEF MACAGNI DEFENDS HIMSELF

2012-02-07T19:40:00-08:00

Okay. Officer Albert Covarrubias, Jr., is dead, slain at the hand of his fellow officer, best friend and best man at his wedding -- in what looks like an ill-conceived, poorly planned arrest that resulted in his death and endangered...

SB INDEPENDENT IMPLICATES MACAGNI

2012-02-07T19:07:00-08:00

The Santa Barbara Independent newspaper jumped in this week with their coverage of the Santa Maria Police Department's attempted arrest of Officer Albert Covarrubas, Jr., which resulted in his being shot to death by another officer on the force, his...

CHIEF MACAGNI COPS OUT AGAIN

2012-02-07T19:00:00-08:00

WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF "COP-OUT": A failure to fulfill a commitment or responsibility ********** After purportedly ignoring complaints (properly prepared by 2 officers) about the stealing of drugs by 2 officers in the Santa Maria Police Deartment and not referring...

CHIEF MACAGNI COPS OUT

2012-02-07T02:56:40-08:00

WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF "COP-OUT": A failure to fulfill a commitment or responsibility ********** It all started innocently in the predawn hours of April Fools Day, 2004, with a woman renting a room from someone, frighteningly awakened with the Santa...

TORU MIYOSHI: Marty Mariscal Grandstanding for City Council Seat

2010-09-30T01:44:19-07:00

(NOTE: The link to Toru Miyoshi's letter to the editor seems to have been dis-connected. So this post is being re-posted, with the link re-established.) Looks like the citizens voted former Santa Maria City Councilmember Marty Mariscal off the council...

CITY COUNCIL ELECTION: Mariscal and Patino Decline to Attend Forums

2010-09-26T21:07:00-07:00

(NOTE: Since the links to the letters mentioned below are no longer available at the SM Times, this 2006 comment is being re-posted with the added correct information.) Well, it's been an interesting week in Santa Maria. Two evening candidate...

ANONYMOUS COMMENT: "Police Chief Danny Macagni Should Resign"

2010-09-13T23:53:41-07:00

Under Recent Comments in the right column of this blog, you'll find this comment (referring to the November 30, 2006, Santa Maria Sun article about Police Chief Danny Macagni's racist slurs, demeaning language and use of patronage to officers showing...

POLICE CHIEF DANNY MACAGNI IS SANTA MARIA'S DON IMUS

2010-04-04T23:05:52-07:00

The April 13, 2007, issue of the Los Angeles Times published an insightful opinion piece by Tim Rutten regarding Don Imus and his racist comment on his radio program about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Imus' vulgar and racist...

POLICE CHIEF DANNY MACAGNI: "Stupid Wetbacks" - "Damned Mexicans" - "Niggers" and "Chinks"

2009-06-01T22:32:30-07:00

What does a person even begin to say after the revelations in the November 30, 2006, issue in the Santa Maria Sun about the racist comments of the current Santa Maria Police Chief, Danny Macagni? The accusations are shocking and...

SM TIMES Never Reported on Police Chief Danny Macagni's Racist Comments

2007-05-16T23:25:03-07:00

Donna McCoy recently commented on this blog about Police Chief Danny Macagni's racial slurs of "stupid wetbacks", "damned Mexicans", "niggers" and "chinks". She came to the defense of citizens who didn't object loudly and demand Police Chief Danny Macagni's resignation...

LARRY LAVAGNINO: "As long as I'm physically able," I'll remain mayor

2006-12-01T02:07:34-08:00

Will he or won't he? What an interesting couple of weeks it's been. It seems folks in Santa Maria aren't as forgetful -- or as stupid -- or as forgiving -- as Mayor Larry Lavagnino and Supervisor Joe Centeno thought...

TORU MIYOSHI Demands City Council Suspend Guad Soil Program

2006-11-27T04:21:23-08:00

The Monday, November 27th, issue of the Santa Maria Sun again proves how valuable it is to have an independent newspaper in our town. It contains a letter to the editor from former County of Santa Barbara Supervisor Toru Miyoshi,...

DEBORAH BRASKET: Rumor That Mayor Larry Lavagnino May Resign

2006-11-27T03:56:17-08:00

Just when we were starting to relax from a hard-fought city council election, here comes the rumor swirling through town that current Mayor Larry Lavagnino will resign, allowing Alice Patino to be appointed as mayor and currently unelected Marty Mariscal...

LYNN MELVILLE Says Guad Dirt Not Just "Dirty Dirt"

2006-11-11T22:13:16-08:00

As was mentioned in an earlier post on this blog (SANTA MARIA TIMES BLACKOUT ON CANCEROUS GUADALUPE SOIL), the Santa Maria Times refused to print Lynn Melville's commentary that quoted the 1998 Environmental Impact Report as saying that the thinner...

TIM NESS: "Should Be a Tobacco Executive"

2006-11-06T22:02:00-08:00

Well, well, well. More skeletons are coming out of the closet about Santa Maria City Manager Tim Ness. From person to person to person -- and finally handed to me -- comes an article published in 2000 in the news...

MARTY MARISCAL: His Wife Loves Him

2006-11-06T18:04:20-08:00

A-a-h, the night before the election, and the letters to the editor at the Santa Maria Times just keep coming. First there's the letter on November 6, 2006, from Nancy Orchard, a Santa Maria property owner who lives in Solvang....

ALICE PATINO: Pretends She's a Democrat

2006-11-05T22:40:42-08:00

Looks like up for Santa Maria City Council re-election Alice Patino must be getting pretty desperate. I've been handed a mailer that landed in Santa Maria residents' mailboxes November 4th. It's titled "Attention Democrats !!" -- with a big picture...

MIYOSHI, BRASKET, MELVILLE: Vote for Joan Leon and Hilda Zacarias

2006-11-03T02:28:47-08:00

Well, it's been a busy couple of days here in our little town. In two days, Deborah Brasket, Lynn Melville and Toru Miyoshi all chimed in with their voices to urge citizens to vote for Santa Maria City Council candidates...

SM TIMES BLACKOUT ON CANCEROUS GUADALUPE SOIL

2006-11-01T12:35:34-08:00

I've just been handed the smoking gun material on the issue of the diluent-contaminated Guadalupe soil being transferred to the SM landfill, which sits over the water basin for the Santa Maria Valley. It seems up-for-re-election City Councilman Marty Mariscal...

GUADALUPE DUNES SOIL IS CANCEROUS

2006-10-29T01:19:00-08:00

Up-for-re-election City Councilman Marty Mariscal wrote a guest commentary in the Santa Maria Times on September 24, 2006, claiming that the diluent-contaminated Guadalupe Dunes soil is "safe". Lynn Melville wrote a guest commentary in rebuttal which the Santa Maria Times...

SM LANDFILL: Plastic Liners Always Leak

2006-10-27T12:03:00-07:00

I've just been handed a document titled The Failure of Plastic Liners in landfills. Anyone reading the Santa Maria Times or the Santa Maria SUN will remember the voluminous articles that have been printed praising the transfer of (what we...

JOAN LEON: Police Officers' Association Endorses . . . sort of

2006-10-24T00:21:00-07:00

How very interesting this year's Santa Maria City Council race is. Now we have an October 22nd, 2006, letter to the editor in the Santa Maria Times from the Santa Maria Police Officers' Association regarding challenger Joan Leon. After noting...

SM TIMES: Marty Mariscal and Alice Patino Not Endorsed

2006-10-23T00:06:00-07:00

The Sunday, October 22, 2006, issue of the Santa Maria Times held an interesting opinion piece from the editorial staff. For the first time in all the years the Tin Soldier has lived in Santa Maria, the encumbent Santa Maria...

MARTY MARISCAL Says Toxic Guadalupe Soil is "JUST DIRTY DIRT"

2006-10-19T00:33:00-07:00

I can't resist this. Someone by the name of 'Conroy' posted an email comment on this blog regarding George Dailey's letter to the editor printed in the Santa Maria Times a couple weeks ago. (Read Conroy's email in its entirety...

HILDA ZACARIAS: Endorsements from Santa Maria Police Officers' Association and City of Santa Maria Employees' Union (S E I U)

2006-10-14T21:30:00-07:00

Looks like Hilda Zacarias has racked up some more supporters. My informants tell me that the Santa Maria Police Officers' Assocation voted this week to endorse Zacarias for election to the Santa Maria City Council in November. The POA held...

LYNN MELVILLE ON CONGALTON SHOW RE GUADALUPE SOIL

2006-10-08T01:38:00-07:00

I heard Lynn Melville on the Dave Congalton talk show last Wednesday, lambasting the city again for allowing diluent-contaminated Guadalupe soil into the Santa Maria landfill. She revealed information that should concern us all. Listen to the interview yourself at...

JOAN LEON: Candidate for City Council

2006-10-04T21:53:17-07:00

JOAN LEON -- Candidate for Council Member -- City of Santa Maria (Check Smart Voter's web site for full biographical highlights and political philosophy) -- Contact Joan at www.joanleon.com Biographical Highlights (1) Occupation: Writer/Researcher (2) Member of League of Women...

HILDA ZACARIAS: Candidate for City Council

2006-10-04T19:59:59-07:00

HILDA ZACARIAS -- Candidate for Council Member -- City of Santa Maria -- Contact Hilda at www.hildaforcitycouncil.com Hilda's accomplishments and accolades go on forever. She seems to be particularly shy about tooting her own horn, as her web site doesn't...

CITY COUNCIL ELECTION: Melville Letter to Editor

2006-09-27T23:42:00-07:00

The drum beat continues, as Lynn Melville chimed in with her Santa Maria Times letter to the editor on September 24, 2006. While agreeing with Dailey's previous letter regarding the "county split debacle and the trucking of contaminated (Guadalupe) sand...

CITY COUNCIL ELECTION: Dailey Letter to Editor

2006-09-12T01:30:00-07:00

Well, it looks like the Santa Maria City Council election is off and running. The first cannon shot has been fired. George Dailey states in his Santa Maria Times letter to the editor of September 10, 2006, that both Joan...

COUNTY SPLIT: SM Times Comes Down Hard

2006-05-24T01:47:19-07:00

With June 6th right around the corner, the Santa Maria Times has done a thorough job of looking at the proposed Mission County split proposal. Starting with Randi Block's Creation of New County Would Trigger Big Changes on May 16,...

COUNTY SPLIT: Jim Diani is Major Financial Backer

2006-05-17T17:31:44-07:00

Well, at last we know. County Split opponents Joan Leon and former County Supervisor Toru Miyoshi called a press conference recently to announce that the 2003 and 2004 income tax statements had become available for Citizens for County Organization (CFCO),...

GUAD DIRT: Lavagnino Undermines Kirk

2006-05-16T10:55:55-07:00

Bad news for Santa Maria citizens -- On February 7, 2006, the San Luis Obispo board of supervisors voted unanimously to deny the appeal of Santa Maria resident Dan Kirk to prevent 860,000 cubic yards of oil diluent-contaminated soil from...

COUNTY SPLIT: CFCO Board Members Revealed

2006-05-09T00:21:00-07:00

The September 3, 2002, article in the Santa Maria Times revealed the names of the Board members of the Citizens for County Organization (CFCO) -- the same names that Jim Diani refused to reveal in recent County Split forums in...

COUNTY SPLIT: Jim Diani Fudges

2006-05-08T00:09:56-07:00

The September 3, 2002, article in the Santa Maria Times quotes Jim Diani as saying that "The organization (Citizens for County Organization -- supporting the proposed County Split) will back off from the split movement if the study finds a...

COUNTY SPLIT: Joan Leon Says "No Grassroots Effort"

2006-05-07T23:33:40-07:00

Friday's May 5, 2006, issue of the Santa Maria Times presented an interesting commentary from Joan Leon titled County Split: No Grassroots Effort. She begins her commentary by pointing to the example of government process in the movement of Measure...

COUNTY SPLIT: Joan Leon and Don Ward Sound Off

2006-03-19T22:37:46-08:00

Today's March 19, 2006, issue of the Santa Maria Times contains more anti-County Split sentiment. Joan Leon has a commentary titled Split a bad idea, for many reasons, while Don Ward chimes in with his letter to the editor --...

COUNTY SPLIT: SMTimes and Board of Supervisors Vote No

2006-03-12T23:31:47-08:00

The Santa Maria Times has issued its recommendation: Vote no on the County Split (March 12, 2006). Also mentioned in this opinion piece is the fact that the five-member Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors also recently unanimously recommended a no...

MORE DIRT: A. J. Diani Co. Advertises Landfill to Accept Other Cities' Hazardous Waste

2006-03-06T23:59:00-08:00

Toru Miyoshi, former member of the Santa Maria City Council and Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, landed another bombshell in his commentary published in the Santa Maria Times on December 20, 2005. It seems Santa Maria's City Council has...

COUNTY SPLIT: SM Times Wonders Why We Need It

2006-03-02T01:38:00-08:00

In its January 15, 2006, opinion commentary on the county split, the Santa Maria Times states that the ". . . reason for splitting appears to have diminished if not evaporated." After stating its concern that, "The idea that a...

COUNTY SPLIT: Proponents Refuse to Disclose Names of Donors

2006-03-02T00:49:47-08:00

The February 17, 2006, Looking Forward commentary in the Santa Maria Times by Deborah Brasket, North County vice-president of the Santa Barbara County Action Network (SB CAN), brought to light an interesting issue regarding the proponents of the proposed county...

COUNTY SPLIT: Brasket Says, "We Don't Need It!"

2006-03-02T00:39:03-08:00

In her well thought-out Looking Forward commentary in the Santa Maria Times on January 20, 2006, Deborah Brasket, North County vice-president of Santa Barbara County Action Network (SB CAN) poses important questions for citizens regarding the proposed county split. In...

COUNTY SPLIT: New County Would Pay Employees Less

2006-03-01T23:57:52-08:00

At a January 18, 2006, meeting in Buellton where proponents of the county split were presenting their views, the Santa Maria Times quotes Dave Cross as saying, "Mission County could likely do things cheaper [than the current Santa Barbara County]...

GUAD DIRT: Dan Kirk Appeals Contaminated Dirt Decision

2005-09-10T22:15:52-07:00

The Santa Maria Times noted in its August 25, 2005, article that Santa Maria city officials had agreed to receive 860,000 cubic yards of contaminated dirt from the Nipomo-Guadalupe Dunes, dumping it at the city's landfill. According to retired attorney,...

City Council Appoints Ness as City Clerk

2005-08-30T23:06:06-07:00

When the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury filed its recent report, its main criticisms were that city manager Tim Ness had assumed too much power and that the city council had not overseen him properly. Retired City Clerk Dorothy Lyman...