By William L. Weeks, Mission Hills

I'm sorry...why do Carolyn Smith and SEDC Chairman Artie M. "Chip" Owen (and others in that organization) still have these jobs? Everyone knows that for years and years, Carolyn has been leading this organization with impropriety. Without any big projects going on, she's been able to fly under the radar while other, more "newsworthy" issues took the forefront. I've never seen anyone else get away with the amount of things these people have. Man up, Mayor & Council and GET RID OF THEM! You have the power and authority...why are you dragging your feet? DO IT!!!!

Posted by Reality Check | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 11:51 am

I'm sorry...why do Carolyn Smith and SEDC Chairman Artie M. "Chip" Owen (and others in that organization) still have these jobs? Everyone knows that for years and years, Carolyn has been leading this organization with impropriety. Without any big projects going on, she's been able to fly under the radar while other, more "newsworthy" issues took the forefront. I've never seen anyone else get away with the amount of things these people have. Man up, Mayor & Council and GET RID OF THEM! You have the power and authority...why are you dragging your feet? DO IT!!!!

Posted by Reality Check | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 11:51 am

One more thing...if Aguirre is such a public champion, where the heck has he been in all this and why didn't he bring it up years ago when he took office? Like, in an "Interim Report"? He completely missed the boat on this, and his true motivation is readily apparent, despite all his jabbering. Thank God he's on his way out, too!!!!

Posted by Reality Check | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 12:09 pm

Where has Mike Aguirre been? I don't know for sure but he's the guy who hired Macias & Gini as the outside auditors to complete fy 2003 for the SEC investigation and the follow-ons for 2004 and 2005. They made tons of money and took their sweet time (well time does equal money). This same firm, Macias & Gini are listed on SEDC's own website as their outside auditors in 2007. Did they audit anything? Were they paid anything? Do we detect a pattern here?

Posted by Linda Tegarden | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 12:35 pm

Lawyers from Aguirre's office are also directly involved with SEDC on a number of matters relating to the organizations redevelopment activities. But that doesn't mean those lawyers would have been aware of these particular issues. I hope Aguirre is conducting an investigation, but that he do so with integrity and not make a public issue out of it unless and until he files charges. With that, he may have a chance to redeem himself from his past missteps.

Posted by Rock On | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 12:35 pm

He's sitting back, relishing his recent Dem Party endorsement! Get the connection???

Posted by Robert | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 12:46 pm

aguirre would not know a crime if it bit him in the backside (which most all he tries does) He has been wrong on almost every issue. maybe he is waiting for a confession.

Posted by sdvoter | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 3:24 pm

Re: Linda Tegarden; FYI, the outside auditor for the City was hired by the city manager and under the new strong mayor form, that responsibility falls to the mayor. The city attorney has no formal role in that process.

Posted by Get A Clue | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 8:28 pm

Get A Clue: I should have been more precise. Aguirre didn't actually do the hiring--a formal role in the process. He just saw that it was done. From a UT article in the archives dated August 17, 2005, Point 4 of Aguirre's 15 point plan to save the City: "Retain the accounting firm of Macias Gini & Co. to work with KPMG to finish the city's audit for fiscal 2003. Macias Gini & Co. has been hired to do the fiscal 2004 and 2005 audits."

Posted by Linda Tegarden | reply to this comment
July 22, 2008 10:53 pm

The second Aguirre gets involved is the second we know Smith and "Chip" didn't do anything wrong. Has he gone after anyone who was actually guilty of anything?

Posted by D | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 1:06 am

RO wrote: "Lawyers from Aguirre's office are also directly involved with SEDC on a number of matters relating to the organizations redevelopment activities." Can you post the names and exact 'matters' please? I would like to know about this.

Posted by Really? | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 7:41 am

Carolyn Smith is the daughter of politically powerful Rev. George Walker Smith. So any politician who goes after her is going to get blasted in the black community by her father. Don't expect our cowardly elected officials to do anything that might upset her politically connected dad.

Posted by Watcher | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 8:26 am

Oh my, according to Watcher Carolyn Smith is the daughter of George.Walker.Smith. SEDC is apparently at the intersection of race and politics on this one. Is it any wonder Mr. Aguirre has steered clear of this one?

Posted by BertG | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 8:47 am

Where has Aguirre been? Targeting the "big bad business interests" that people love to hate. It's all about the votes, people. He decides who's going to earn him some political capital for attacking, and he goes after them. Witness how quickly he held a press conference condemning McMillin over the Liberty Station home lottery (which they were totally cleared of wrongdoing for, BTW) and my favorite -- the recent interim report on how SDG&E *might* break a state regulation on renewable energy standards that takes effect on Dec. 31, 2008. Because hell, everyone hates those guys. Why go after the obvious corruption that's been reported on for nearly two years in Voice, when you can go after the rich developer and the energy company? Screw the law -- this office is about politics.

Posted by What a joke! | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 9:15 am

I do not agree - Watcher. That appears to be a broad stroke generalization (BSG) suggesting that our black community would ignore wrongful acts or even perhaps criminal behaviors, and support ‘criminals’ and ‘wrong doers’ simply because of the color of their skin or a shared culture. I do not accept that: our black community is not defined by the actions of perhaps only a very few of its members. That would be as if suggesting that group ‘people who have been Mayor of our fine City’ could be lumped into a single identity. Would it be fair to, likewise, make such statements about that group - simply because of the shared aesthetics and cosmetology of that group?

Posted by Gregory | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 9:30 am

BSG's I do not accept this black community is not defined by the actions of perhaps a few of its members. And example of what would happen if such generalities were true would be to suggest that our fine SDPD’s Department of Internal Affairs or our DA would have never found anything wrong with SDPD personnel or local law enforcement personnel nor brought any of our police officer up on changes simply because they are ‘Brothers in Blue’ (or whatever color.) Everyone knows that our fine police officers and DA put their ‘service to the public’ and the ‘Law of our Land’ before any association or worker/ grouping bonds.

Posted by Gregory | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 10:51 am

Get back on topic folks. Carolyn Smith needs to step down. Mike needs to step up and into the fray. Getting really tired of reading the same old crap about how Mike isn't doing his job and how developers are not part of the bigger picture/problem. Developer's projects are only as good as when they LISTEN to a community! And let's not get started on the race card. This could have happened in any community that had/has a SEDC.

Posted by nelson | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 3:08 pm

Gregory--your posts were trying for sarcasm, right? You obviously don't live or work in Southeast, because if you did, you would be able to recognize immediately that the racial component has been a very important part of this story from the beginning. There IS a power structure in Southeast and lots of diversity too. As a matter of fact, if you look at what they have to sell, it is all about diversity and multi-culturalism. No surf culture, no biotechnology, no universities, no tourism. The few folks who have achieved status in the community--Rev. Smith, Leon Williams, George Stevens, Dr. Shirley Weber, the Ragsdales, Rev George McKinney are accepted by the rest of San Diego too and nobody wants to screw with the balance, see. That means not examining anything too closely. Hence the current problem.

Posted by Linda Tegarden | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 5:04 pm

Nope, it has to be everyone calling for the right thing to be done. Otherwise it will be just another (do nothing) deal in the good old City of Scam Diego or is that Enron by the Sea?

Posted by Really? | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 5:32 pm

Get real people, sending Mike Aguirre after someone legally is about as scary as sending Michael Jackson out to beat someone up. Perhaps if Mikey had one a case or two he might have some relevance, but if people are looking for a prosecutor to do something about this, he is the wrong man for the job.

Posted by SDCrimefighter | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 7:20 pm

Post 20: "had one a case or two he might have some relevance"? What in the world does 'one a case or two' mean?

Posted by Really? | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 8:08 pm

Post 20: "had one a case or two he might have some relevance"? What in the world does 'one a case or two' mean?

Posted by Really? | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 8:08 pm

Linda, what do you mean diversity? When I look at the two-colored rainbow (which is District 4 and the body politic of the City of San Diego,) I do not see 'diversity' at all; at least not at anything near reflective representative levels. The Latinos, yeah they got Ben Bones and that is just about it; and I believe he got even fewer votes than good old Tony did, so who can he really claim to represent? SEDC's Sphere of Influence is 63% Latino (so I heard Smith say last Oct at 202 C. Street,) yet how many Latinos are on SEDC's senior staff, board..., or pack or on any board or committee appointed by the Mayor over these last four years. Did SEDC invest-in or buy any Latino owned business or land? Na, until the Latinos start to vote this is a two-dog town.

Posted by Gregory | reply to this comment
July 23, 2008 8:29 pm

CrimeBoy-are you still mad at Mike because he is going to wipe out your pension rackeet???? Re election is just around the corner and it is only going to get worse for you and your PD buddies.

Posted by Billy Bob Henry | reply to this comment
July 24, 2008 7:29 am

Race is always a factor. Period. And, don't forget to factor in the color of money. And, where you have money you have Republicans - George Walker Smith is a(R)Republican. Anyone know the party affiliation of Ms. Smith and the Board? And, don't let this small agency (SEDC) mess obsfucate the scandalous behaviour of Nancy Graham and the Board of the big agency (CCSD).

Posted by T. Tanaka | reply to this comment
July 24, 2008 10:20 am

Can someone please fire "Chip on my shoulder" Owens, next. He's the biggest crook of them all.

Posted by Porkman Delardo | reply to this comment
July 24, 2008 11:39 am

What is really wild is the thought of any group that seemed to have excluded (anecdotally) some 63% of the people in their ‘sphere of influence’ has the unmitigated audacity to claim that THEY are being treated unfairly? Wait, whom was I writing about SEDC or the City of San Diego? I would like to know - who had the SEDC contracts for 'Latino Outreach.’ We did not see any of those faces on TV last night, did we?

Posted by Gregory | reply to this comment
July 24, 2008 2:15 pm

I keep hearing the name "City Club", what is that? It is a club for the employees of the City of San Diego?

Posted by Gregory | reply to this comment
July 25, 2008 8:19 am

Really? asked, "Can you post the names and exact 'matters' please? I would like to know about this." Answer: For example, while SEDC has its own council, there are times when lawsuits involve both SEDC and the City as co-defendants. DCAs will work directly with SEDC and its attorneys in a joint defense of the case. Who is doing this now in the City Attorney's office? That depends on any pending cases and the assigned attorney. But it does happen. And remember, I specifically said this involvement would not have anything to do with Smith's compensation or related issues, but the actaul redevelopment work itself. I "really" hopes this helps you understand.

Posted by Rock On | reply to this comment
July 25, 2008 11:56 am

Still no names - thought so. Just more talk and opinion; have a nice day.

Posted by Really... | reply to this comment
July 25, 2008 2:56 pm

Regarding post 24 from Billy Bob Henry. Oh yeah, I am real scared. Afterall, look at all the success he has had so far. At this point your man Mike needs to worry less about my pension and more about where he will be getting a paycheck after December.

Posted by SDCrimefighter | reply to this comment
July 25, 2008 10:02 pm

Really?...your ignorance of the Aguirre machinery is clear evidence of your drinking too much of the kool-aid. I'll be the first to admit that I don't want the Aguirre hit team after me, so I remain anonymous. Giving you the exact name and circumstances you desire would give up the anonymity I enjoy. YOU clearly enjoy your anionymity here as well, so I'm sure you understand. But suffice it to say that since you don't refute the circumstance I presented you conceed I'm accurate about it. With that said, what's the beef?

Posted by Rock On | reply to this comment
July 27, 2008 12:52 am

IF he has broken the law, take him to court; with all your facts, turn in your documentation and evidence to the DA. Let your local DA take care of it, if the DA thinks you have a case. It all sound like sour grapes; the kind ‘pressed’ by someone passed-over for promotion or perhaps even removed from the department, and these grapes are fermenting into the most bitter of wines. Talking about a person day in and day out, and calling him names, while not acting on all the evidence you seem to keep saying you have, is more than a little strange don’t ya think? I knew this guy named Rockwell a good while back. In my mind he was a real jerk, the worst XO as I've ever had. I waited until time for him to be transferred out before I said anything. T.E.A.M.

Posted by Really? | reply to this comment
July 28, 2008 4:10 pm

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