If anyone knows Hemet Developer and County of Riverside Planning Commissioner John Petty (this is his home in downtown Hemet), they will know that he is the puppet master of the 3 freshmen on board Hemet City council. He strategically managed their campaign and did a fine job getting them elected. He manages to stay "just far enough away", but maintains his sense of well being as he charges the City of Hemet vicariously though Hemet City Council. Petty is to Hemet what Kato Kalien was to OJ Simpson (parasitic in nature).
It became apparent early on that the slated candidates were the pocket lint of Mr. Petty. However, early on Jim Foreman strayed away from the pact and became an independent. Youseff and Franchville are intriguing at best, offering no real management skill to their new post. Youseff represents as aloof, unsure and out of place with his new role at the young age of 27. Franchville seems focused on using his talent for makeup in the press. Interesting enough, both men are often seen around town together, coming and going from meeting together and maintaining the same office together. It would appear they are in unison in all thoughts never deviating from one another or posing as an individual with individual thinking.
On their campaign ticket, all three men ran on "transparency", yet current council has held more "closed" sessions than those before them. And why wouldn't they? With three cops on council, it would only make sense that things were kept from the public eye.
Another ticket Franchille and Youseff ran on was omitting the use of city tools, such as credit cards and other items providing a direct connect to perks of the city coffers. But most recently, on a trip to sacramento (with Nick Jones in tow), council member Jim Foreman took the city credit card with and became host to the clandenstine parasites Franchville and Foreman ....instead having Mr. Foreman debit their activities on his card. They did say they weren't going to use the city credit card and, well, they didn't.
The constituents of this city still wait for real solutions and problem solving to take place, that's all they know how. The previous council and city manager left this city in a state a dis-repair with current "leaders" riding on those tattered coat tails. This writer personally feels that current council and their puppeteers have no real passion or the necessary tools to do what is crucial to right this city. If you stop and stare, Hemet has no real value except to attract every societal ill unfit to live in the finer communities that surround Hemet. Hemet has become, well, the true definition of a "dump".
Those in the "inner core" of Hemet are comedic at best as they climb over one another to get to the top....the top of what, one is not sure. The inner core, current council included indeed, throw stones, plot in a group think style, and condemn the city next door...never really putting any true ideas, energy, or beauty into their own city. As they pick on the prospering city next door, climb over one another to achieve a high status in the community, they fail to take notice of the dumping ground infested compound they call home and what it has become. The "red queen effect" is in full roar here ... (It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place).
While Hemet continues to grow in crime and populace, the police department is at the various staging of decay. Hemet has lost a host of GOOD quality officers to surrounding cities and "golden handshakes of retirement". The city leaders have offered no real cohesiveness or reason for increased decline in morale at the Hemet Police Department. This is probably an OK thing for those who plotted and planned its destruction in order to squire a contract with the Riverside County Sheriff's Office. John Petty and local mortuary owner, City of Hemet planning commissioner and town lush Nick Jones, and a cast of other interesting characters, have long dreamed of having the county take over the policing of the City of Hemet. I suppose chipping away at the things that make up a municipality is important to them (see John Petty's home on 215 S Carmalita St, clearly a man who lacks vision and appearance).
Hemet has certainly seen its share of politics. From alleged corruption in the valley, Union strong arming and financial questions yet to be answered. The community has rallied as a force to be recond with. Numbering over 2,000 and increasing at a feverish pace, residents have the confidence to demand and affect change from the inside out. Their efforts have gained the attention of lawmakers, government agencies and civic groups offering both assistance and a commitment to investigate issues the community have expressed. An exciting time for Hemet residents had lost faith and felt they had been sold out. An exciting time for residents that have gone as far as to host their own debate for council candidates looking to fill 3 vacant seats on the City Council. Other community members have asked that all city officials step down to afford complete transparency in local government. P
ReplyDelete