I sent an email to Spokane Mayor Condon with specific recommendations on what he could do to change the culture and behavior of SPD.  Here’s a comment I just posted in S-R Tom Clouse’s most recent article in which I included my email to Mayor Condon:

January 24, 2012 in News, City

Thompson seeks sentence reduction

@Truthhurts

I agree with you about ensuring Mayor Condon keeps his campaign promises – Treppeidi. I think the feds are paying for Thompson’s defense now. It’s still taxpayer money though.

Here’s my email to Mayor Condon with my punch list including my recommendations for SPD. I forgot to include personal cameras. I also suggested tightening up the background investigations of lateral hires esp for short termers from Cali – they may be problem children e.g., perhaps Hirzel and Thompson:-)

Punch list:

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jan/13/condon-team-big-on-ideas-and-jargon/?comments#c398489

Here’s a list of addresses where interested citizens can also write to encourage the US DOJ do a P&P investigation of SPD. Also the address of the US Attorney’s Office address to encouraged them to expand their current criminal investigation into the Otto Zehm cover-up and to prosecute others culpable for obstruction of justice:

Addresses:

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jan/13/condon-team-big-on-ideas-and-jargon/?comments#c396977

Dear Mr. Condon,

I attended your recent meeting where you received the reports from your transition committees. My specific interest is with regaining the trust of SPD with the citizens of Spokane.

First see my comments directly related to restoring the fiscal responsibility and integrity of the City’s stewardship of the taxpayer money and my analysis of why the Spokane economy fails to launch in my blog post:

Condon team big on ideas – and jargon
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jan/13/condon-team-big-on-ideas-and-jargon/

I would strongly recommend a read the comment thread of Shawn Vestal’s column on your meeting. See my comment below in this very active thread regarding the SPD. This thread is now over 140 comments.

I was shocked but not surprised that the City’s financial accounting system is fragmented. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND bringing in an outside forensic auditor to audit the City’s accounts both enterprise and general fund. I can personally recommend Tiffany Couch who has uncovered significant irregularities with the Columbia River Crossing Project (CRC) in Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA:

Acuity Group PLLC
Forensic Accounting and Financial Investigation
http://www.acuityforensics.com/

It continues to amaze me why City Attorney Howard Delaney and Asst. City Attorney Roco Treppiedi are still employed by the City. A read of the proffer filed by the US Attorney’s Office in the Thompson case in April of 2010 says it all. Further in the filing last week by AUSA Tim Durkin who prosecuted the Thompson case, was shocked to learn that video forensics work paid for by the US DOJ was released to Asst. City Attorney Treppiedi et al (See the attached new filing). It would not surprise me if the US Attorney’s Office continues with its current criminal investigation, that Treppiedi is indicted for obstruction of justice e.g., the overt cover-up of the death of Otto Zehm by the SPD.

My recommendations for SPD can be done quickly and do not involve MOU negotiations with the Guild. I’ve heard though I have not researched it yet that outgoing Mayor Verner has precluded any substantive SPD MOU negotiations on the OPO for a few years out.

It continues to amaze me that there has been no official disciplinary action taken by the City against those SPD employees that saluted Thompson in the Federal Courtroom. Unlike former Chief Kirkpatrick and Mayor Verner characterized as protected free speech, this was a clear violation of SPD policy. Case law is very clear that public employees and esp. police can be disciplined for public statements and actions that bring embarrassment to the agency.

Also see my comment in this thread as to why Fire Chief Williams should be fired.

Ron Wright

[From my post in Rick Rydell’s FaceBook page – slightly edited for typos and grammar]

Condon team big on ideas – and jargon

By Shawn Vestal  (Spokesman-Review – January 13, 2012)

Rick,

I was going to give you my two cents having sat through this meeting but Shawn Vestal beat me to it. As you know I have a master of administration degree with an emphasis in public administration and an undergraduate degree in political science. Even my eyes were glazing over with the bureaucratic buzzwords that were rolling off the presenters tongues from their nice power points. I sent you a link to them yesterday. (http://www.spokanecity.org/services/articles/?ArticleID=2656) I went because I wanted to hear the public safety committee report. To Mayor Condon’s credit he did reach out for input but as I commented before many of those on the committee were the same Downtown elite that have their own interests. Much of this was a rehash of the same old Downtown pie in the sky fixes and solutions.

Again I would encourage you to read the work of Mr. X at Spokane Economics and Demographics Blog for an excellent analysis of why Spokane finds itself in the position it does (http://inlandnw.wordpress.com/). Once you understand why Spokane is so different than the West Coast for no apparent reason – e.g., cheap water and power, good transportation air/rail/road, regional hub for four states and Canada, inexpensive housing, excellent medical care and higher education and culture amenities . . . I could go on, you can begin to change course of the battleship.

Then judiciously INVEST taxpayer money in those SECTORS OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY where the taxpayers can actually get a positive ROI without taxpayer money being siphoned off by the power elite. Look I’m not a OCCUPY WALL STREET ideologue. However I am a seasoned economic/financial crimes investigator with the academic creds to call a shovel a shovel!

The Spokane Regional Economy is not a free market and those in charge are raping and pillaging the MARKS/unsuspecting taxpayers at will for their pie in the sky projects – The Downtown Electric Trolley was again trotted out in one of these reports. Until these changes Spokane occur will continue its downward spiral with its best and brightest young people leaving for better prospects elsewhere, our prevailing wage will continue to be low, and our housing inexpensive/affordable – a polite way of saying a good percentage of our citizens are living in poverty dependent on government assistance with governmental transfer payments and retirees like me working on a second career that CHOSE to relocate here bringing the real growth that does occur.

I say ENOUGH already!!!

S-R Shawn Vestal has an excellent column on the BS that was being slung around the City Council Chambers by the well heeled elite.

I’ll rehash my punch list for Mayor Condon and post later if he really wants to make real change that we RIGHT THINKING conservatives want – less and smaller government, cut the regulations that are not well thought out that only impede business growth and concentrate on providing essential governmental services – SPD Crimes Against Property Unit and quit killing noncombatants. I agree with Vestal that there were two good things in this presentation – “De-militarized the police” and “Make information clear to all users.”