Concerned citizens speak out

Several concerned readers of the Desert Dispatch respond to a recent article printed on November 5, 2007 "City manager placed on administrative leave " Here are a few comments; For the record I have actual screen prints of replies printed on at 4:40 pm Nov 10. National known blog http://www.theverifiabletruth.com/ has written an article Barstow likely to lose fifth city manager in four years; Mayor blamed

Here it goes again, as soon as we take three steps forward, here comes the Mayor and his henchmen taking us four steps back. Have we not seen the positive changes in the town. I don't agree with everything that the city manager does, however, he is the city manager. Let him do his job. It's obvious that our gracious mayor wants that position. You should have applied for it Sir. I have seen the positive changes within the PD and Parks Rec and I must say, it's about time. Remember who you work for City Council, for the Citizens of Barstow who elected you to represent them, not to make a mockery of our town. Your nonsense is not tolerated. Remember what happenned to Gov Gray Davis RECALL. Barstowcitizen - Nov 11, 2007 03:47:34 PM Well folks here we go again less growth for barstow more section eight housing bigger potholes in the roads but yippie were getting a ninety nine cent store Maybe we could buy a house and settle down in a town that must constantly be in a nose dive. Those of us who even bother to vote somehow wind up with city leaders that have their own aggenda with exception to Mr Gomez. Hopefully the new police chief and staff will not be terminated. We need new blood to turn this town around. Scavenger Sam - Nov 11, 2007 01:24:53 PM I agree with PS Touft, I do watch the city council meetings and have been involved with city function and know many city employees. In talking with the majority of the employees they are sadden by what has happen. They feel they have lost a good leader and have fallen under a dictatorship. They finally felt comfortable at work and knew they had truely had a boss that was a team player, not like the Mayor and council who took their holiday's away last Christmas, because he found a loop hole in their contract. Who cares that the city negoated in good faith, and it was considered part of their benefit contract, and that the Mayor waited til less then a week away from Christmas to inform the employees. Also watch the council meetings see how rude the Mayor is begining to be to the citizen of Barstow. It shouldn't matter for reason those citizen are there, it is their right to get up and ask question and speak their mind. They should not be treated with anything less then respect, for Mr. Dales respect, repect. your idea - Nov 10, 2007 01:02:55 PM KILLING THEM WAS YOUR IDEA, NOT MINE, Uh huh. wiz - Nov 10, 2007 08:01:47 AM Im thinking of buying my own little shack in the city. Mayor Dale must stay. From what Im told when he was at the railroad he was tough, but he took his job serious and took the proper measures to do things right. possiblevote - Nov 10, 2007 07:59:59 AM Hey Wiz great idea? Kill the messenger. Uh huh - Nov 10, 2007 07:40:12 AM I like Mayor Dale he always greets me and Im no caucasian. He doesnt return phone calls just like the wonderful almost ex manager. The guy with the 85k a year Im trying to be nice here but will you have enough to retire on. Seriously not every word or exact punctuation can be placed here. Mayor Dale is set. Good for him. Barstow the town of who you know not what you know. This will never change. Go team Barstow. sagacontinues - Nov 10, 2007 07:34:38 AM Main street should be renamed Martin Luther King St. every other city has one. Little fish in a little river that flows under ground the wrong way. Sadly if not for your own good we will probably never truly understand why this upstanding character is being paid while on leave. The so called upper crust of Barstow appreciates it. They believe they are doing what is right for this city. I said it again upper crust. In this sentence I clearly mean mutants. partthree - Nov 10, 2007 07:31:32 AM One of Barstows young men makes international news because of you know what and murder in Iraq. One of our finest puts a bullet in a young womans head after she is forced to have intercourse off a major interstate. Another of our finest commits suicide after being reported for being a willing partner with a not willing partner. Actualandfactualparttwo - Nov 10, 2007 07:30:28 AM Good old boys no way. Ok I lied yes way. They are so qualified its better than a two hour special of Jerry Springer re runs. Much more than 10 years of Barstow being stuck. Barstow mall What mall. Lots of old buildings lots of yes they are being called murals. Unexplained fires left and right. ActualANDfactual. - Nov 10, 2007 07:28:12 AM THE SOLUTION TO BARSTOW'S PROBLEMS? GET RID OF THE DESERT DISPATCH! wiz - Nov 09, 2007 09:21:11 AM Many of you don't realize what has happened. I work with the City, and other Cities, regularly and have come to know a number of employees. It is apparent from watching the Council Meetings and working with the City that the problem is the Council. You have a Mayor that wants to run the entire City and has managed to get his little supporters into office to support him. I've seen the Mayor trying to influence staff into doing things that are inappropriate since the Council as a group, not any one member, tell the City Manager what to do, not the employees. The Mayor's strong-arm influence is not what this town needs as it leads to favoritism of his cronies - good ole boys. The other Council members need to think for themselves, without his influence. Only one of them seems to do this. Hector was doing a good job and should not have been put on leave. PS Touft - Nov 09, 2007 12:31:44 AM Do I hear a recall in the wind for the Mayor? Was it because Hector is Hispanic. He is a wonderful City Manager. Council, come to your senses. Hector took us out of the dark ages with his management style and peronable nature. Saddened by the news - Nov 08, 2007 10:12:58 PM Why hasn't Barstow grown at all in the last 10 years. Our only boast is the new Home Depot store. The old regime has kept Barstow from progressing into the future and competing against Victorville. Why are we hanging on to the old school mentality? Everybody is expanding but Barstow. Drive down Main Street at night as see what the city really looks like. And then, everybody thinks they can charge below the hill prices for their rundown Barstowian homes. What is up with this town? I am glad to take my 85k a year job and move on down the road. Even the posts here show how ignorant Barstowians are. Spelling errors, poor grammatic, incomplete sentences, etc. I refuse to let my children grow up in this backwater, sludge smelling town. Yeah, I know this is an inflammatory post, but people, wake up and look around. The truth is all around you. The Watcher - Nov 08, 2007 09:43:31 PM You are right, it takes time for any person to learn the ins and outs of a job. I would hate to have 5 boss looking over my shoulder wondering how in gods earth am I going to keep 5 people happy, and knowing I have no probation period. I think that takes a strong person to even attempt to take that job. good person - Nov 08, 2007 09:10:22 PM mr gordon, a good city manger should have some accounting background. don't you thing it would be for him to know how a budget works? I think so. The fact that he was in charge of 23 division shows he was a good leader, or he wouldn't be in charge of 23 division for 7 years. I think you should read between the lines or maybe look into what a city manger job is all about. good person - Nov 08, 2007 08:59:58 PM ugh how do they learn if we keep letting them go? wait 5 or 10 years to polish a current employee. no im sorry the precedent has been set, our council has a reactionary basis for decisions. Good luck filling the position. wow, who would want that job? Headache heartache no appreciation, governed by five seperate and differnt opinions and no security. Yvette F - Nov 08, 2007 08:55:20 PM Sure the City Manager was a nice guy but he's not qualified for the job. He came here with no municipal experience and it shows in his performance. It takes years to learn to be a City Manager. Most of them work their way up and spend time as an assistant city manager first. We shouldn't be paying someone $175,000 per year to learn on the job. Mr. Gordon - Nov 08, 2007 08:22:19 PM Dear Read it again You ever hear of personal or professional advancement? No, of course not, youre from Barstow arent you? Yvette F - Nov 08, 2007 02:52:38 PM dear maybe. Of course Joes vote counts. What a ridiculous thing to say. Joe Gomez has progressive thinking, which always, always gets knocked down and around in this town. Some of us want progress and quality of life here, these constant upheavels for whatever reason, keep holding us back, pushing us back. I encourage you and others like you, to strive for better, for some commong ground. We all ultimately want the same thing right? I wonder what could happen if Barstow actually worked together on a positive note. stallion - Nov 08, 2007 02:27:01 PM Dear good person. Read the article again it states . Previously Rodriguez was regional manger for MV Transportation in Los Angeles and was responsible for accounting functions for 23 divisions in six states. He was an accountant . not a manager. What a mistake to hire him. read it again - Nov 08, 2007 10:32:09 AM City council vote was 4-1 to put the city manager on leave. Joe's vote doesn't count. So maybe, just maybe the council had a good valid reason for putting him on leave. Maybe - Nov 08, 2007 08:49:57 AM Dale sounds like he might be racist. I should know everytime I have greeted him he ignores me! No vote - Nov 08, 2007 07:53:26 AM You all remember the trouble at the police department recently? Well look back at how that all started. Trouble came when the the chief and his lewtenants came up against that there mayor. and boom. the place just fell apart. That is what is happening now at City Hall. These decisions are destroying the foundation of our city. The constant chaos that is created and must be lived out by this little mayor and his stubborn and vindictive ways. Firing a perfectly good city manager, at what could be a most crucial time for our city. Where is the widom in that? Why, there is none, suprise! Just another emotional outburst from a Mayor gone wild. Bring back that city manager, council lets have some progress we can see now. Move on with your disagreements, remember, your decisions affect us all. London - Nov 07, 2007 09:50:47 PM Hector rodriguez is a good city manager. good basically to staff gets things done behaves professionally and ethically the mayor is the problem citizens of barstow look into what the mayor is doing to our city waste of time and waste of our money hundreds of thousands of dollars spent for job studies so that he can eliminate employees that disagree with him city managers we cant keep since hes been inoffice cant be all those city managers are bad the mayor is a vindictive controlling man watch his anger and emotions during the council meetings a little man out of control waste of money on lawsuits as a result of his involvement protect other elected official in lawsuit taxpayers paid 45 thousand dollars to bail out city clerk for messing with the recall election check out the money wasted folks topper - Nov 07, 2007 08:46:51 PM Hey triple A don't know who you are that you think he doesn't go to work. From an employee I see him all the time and he is always there expecially when we need him. We could always count on him for an anwers to our problems and a soultion to our issues. Shows you really didn't know him or don't know him. at work - Nov 07, 2007 07:29:01 PM Hector where or where are you. I guess it really doesn't matter. You really never showed up for work anyway. Flat tire man lol Triple A - Nov 07, 2007 07:20:29 PM Look at Mr Rodrigues back ground he worked for MV Transportation for 7 years was in charge 23 division for 6 states, wow, that sounds like a good track record to me. He also moved his family up here bought a house had a baby, not just moved into a apartment, like others have done in the past. He has participated in all kinds of community projects, really put his heart into Barstow, and this is how he gets repaid? Sounds like maybe the mayor and council are a little jealous of Mr Rodriguez and didn't want to compete with his popularity with the public. Maybe Mr. Rodrigues should cast his name in and run for Mayor in the next election he would get my vote. Good Person - Nov 07, 2007 06:47:41 PM Remove Comment Why is so hard to keep a city manager. From what I am told it is a long recuruitment with back ground checks. And you make them move within so many mile of the city. They sign a contract how many city manager have the council had to payoff their contracts early just to get them out of the offices because they decided they didnt like them. Do these City Mangers really do illegal things or is it just personal Sounds more like a personal issue when you look at how many city manager have come and gone the past 10 years years. What a waste of tax payers money. The council should be ashamed of themselves. Talk about a gift of public funds. hard to keep - Nov 07, 2007 06:42:34 PM if the mayor isn't micro managing, then why is he up at city hall all the time. does he use his office up there to do his other business for all those other committee he says he is on then. That doesn't sound fair,that he uses the city resouces and staff to that. Thats like any other city employee doing their personal business on city time. Being mayor for a geneal law city does not need a mayor that is up at city hall every day for the major part of each day, unless of course he is micro managing. interested citizen - Nov 07, 2007 06:31:37 PM