Art
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To: Art Segal
From: John Musolf (a.k.a. JM)
Subject: Terry Parish’s LOVE blog comments
I feel I must respond to some of Terry Parish’s innuendo and suppositions he made on the LOVE Blog.
I hope you will publish this letter.
Terry Parish Comments:
Bill Garner seems to be making a liar out of himself. He claims that he is not going to micromanage the department heads but he is presenting an alternative budget tat no one but JM has seen mmmm wonder who the the brains behind this operation belong to.
Could it be that JM runs Latas and Garner. I think Latas is smater than that. Maybe I'm wrong we'll see.
Terry Parish needs to check his facts a little closer prior to calling Bill Garner a liar. Perhaps, Mr. Parish was never taught courtesy and civility.
He also implied that JM (that’s me) is running councilpersons Garner and Latas. I am not sure how councilperson Latas got into Mr. Parish’s sights. Maybe anyone that expresses any support for Mr. Garner is considered some type of conspirator. Looks like Paranoia is on the loose and running amuck in Oro Valley!
The Facts.
JM received a telephone call from Chief Danny Sharp on Friday, April 3, 2009. Chief Sharp asked JM if he would come in for a meeting on the police budget and share his thoughts. JM did have a meeting with Chief Sharp, the deputy chief, and his administrative services manager on Monday, April 6, 2009 at 100PM in the police building. JM did share the same thoughts with the police on the same alternative budget that Bill Garner presented in his slide show at the April 22, 2009 meeting.
Mmmm, wonder if JM is the brains behind the alternative budgets (Plans A and B) that Chief Sharp presented to the council on April 13, 2009 prior to April 22, 2009? Those JM brains sure get around! Sounds like a conspiracy of major proportions! Terry Parish may now want to call Chief Sharp a liar.
Terry Parish Comments:
A citizen with quite a reputation as an accountant. However as tonights presentation made clear not a all knowledgeable about law enforcement or how the town has chosen to define expenses.
He was identified in the meeting tonight. He is a nice well meaning individual but just not adept at figuring out what can be outsourced legally or cut from a police dept.
The presentation was actually pretty benign with disclaimers all over looked more like Garner was looking for a political blanket claiming to want to suddenly save jobs when he has consistently pressed to eliminate them immediately.
Mr. Parish feels that if someone does not have extensive law enforcement knowledge he is not qualified to be able to comment on the police budget items.
To quote Chief Sharp in his council communications of April 13, 2009 defining items in his budget:
“Field Supplies are things like batteries.”
“Non-capitalized equipment is items like cameras, small hand tools, and air conditioning units”.
“Miscellaneous other operating items are things like public relation items, break room supplies, bottled water, and towing charges for non-police vehicles."
What in-depth law enforcement knowledge does JM require to discuss batteries and bottled water budget items? I didn’t know those items require special police expertise that evidently Chief Sharp has and JM does not.
However, I will match 45+ years expertise in making,
reviewing, and auditing budgets.
Mr. Parish has stated that I am not adept at being able to figure out what can be legally outsourced from a police budget. In my discussions with Chief Sharp and Bill Garner’s slide presentation there is never any reference to outsourcing anything from the police department. What is Mr. Parish referring to? Maybe he has some special insight the rest of us do not have?
However, I do want to thank Mr. Parish for the compliment that “JM is a nice well meaning individual”. Compliments are always graciously accepted.
Incidentally, before anyone discussed any revisions to any budgets I appeared at a regular town council meeting in March 2009. One of the agenda items was a proposed Reduction In Force or layoff of town personnel possibly including police department personnel. At that meeting, for the dramatic effect of the home audience, I threw a copy of the Vista magazine to the floor and suggested the Vista elimination to potentially save jobs. I do not think there are any “sacred cows” in any department that cannot at least be discussed for potential savings.
Mr. Parish may have missed that meeting since he usually only steps forward to defend his favorite “sacred cow” (the police department) when it is threatened.
I have also evaluated other major Oro Valley department budgets and stand ready to assist in looking for savings in those areas (parks, building safety, etc). I am waiting for a phone call or email.
Thanks
John Musolf
