Well, they say good help is hard to find. That's especially true if you are La Paz County Prosecutor Sam Vederman. This morning, at the pre trial conference for the Michael Roth "waste of tax dollars - round two", prosecutor Matt Elias announced his resignation from the La Paz County Prosecutor's office.
It is unknown at this time if Sammy "the Bull-y" will personally see Roth's persecution, er, I mean prosecution for resisting Police Chief Gilbert's assault, er, I mean arrest through to a conclusion, or if Vederman will force yet another subordinate to do his dirty work.
Matt Elias' resignation follows those of Jessica Quickle and Tomas Jones. In a recent interview, Elias confided that he was "ordered" to take the Roth case and was not at all pleased at being the subject of Vederman's press release and subsequently, the topic of lively internet discussion.
Reportedly, Mike Roth shook hands with Matt Elias and wished him well.
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Is this the sign of things to come? Mr. Matt Elias is a young Attorney entering the real world and becoming an experience litigator. From his actions it would appear that his ethics and standards are higher than that of Sam Vederman and he should be wished the best in his new job wherever that may lead him. There comes a time when ones “Oath of Office” out weighs the need of a paycheck. Right over wrong, following the law and not breaking it to violate any American Citizens Constitutional Rights granted by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights!
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that when the Federal Grand Jury convenes over the issues related to the Town of Quartzsite, Quartzsite Town Council Members, Quartzsite Town Manager Alex Taft, Quartzsite Chief of Police Jeff Gilbert, and now added Quartzsite Code Enforcement Officer Al Johnson, Mr. Matt Elias will have more to offer? We have three County Attorneys’ Jessica Quickle, Tomas Jones, and now Matt Elias that have resigned under the leadership of Sam Vederman! One must ask the question, “WHY”? Could they have refused to be any party to the willful and wrongful prosecutions of people where there was NO CAUSE to bring to trial within La Paz County? Were there any violations of Arizona Law, Court Rules, and Civil Rights by following Sam Vederman's orders?
It would look like Sheriff Don Lowery, County Attorney Sam Vederman, along with Chief Jeff Gilbert are connected in what most would call a “Good Old Boys” gang to serve their needs and those of the politicians that are keeping them in power. Are their violations of the Anti Racketeering Act here? There are many cases of violations of both Arizona State Laws along with the Federal Code here. As they say, “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings”! Could that lady be the “Lady of Justice”?
You guys really should realize that the world doesn't revolve around you. Here's a much more plausible theory as to why so many Lawyers leave the La Paz Attorney's Office.
ReplyDeleteMaricopa County Attorney's Salary - Start: 56,950 Top - 109,699
Pima County Attorney Salary - Start 56,992 Top - 124,820
Oro Valley AZ Town Attorney Salary - Start 92,576 Top 138,864
Coconino County Attorney Salary - Start 55,620 Top - 139,050
Pinal County Attorney Salary - Start 55,328 Top - 118,372
La Paz County Attorney Salary - Start 45,719 Top - 83,882
The amount you can make in Private practice varies, but the AVERAGE income of a private practice lawyer is 110,590. (Google it)
I chose mostly counties, but threw in Oro Valley because La Paz lost a good attorney to them a few years back.
Those are just a few examples I got through a 10 minute search of different county websites. The county has not gotten a step raise is years, so it is likely Mr. Elias (only being here for a few years) was only making the bottom of the steps. Why would ANYONE worth anything stay in the county when so much can be made elsewhere? The top step for a lowest level attorney in most of those counties is more than Sam himself makes.
Whether your complaints about Quartzite and its government are or are not valid is a moot point to this topic. Turnover will ALWAYS be a problem as long as this county pays the bottom of the barrel. As I said above, the world doesn't revolve around you guys and your cause.
Hey Jeffy,
ReplyDeleteJust because you can post up some #'s from some website somewhere doesn't make it so. We can see what you are doing here, simply trying to justify your higher than deserved salary. More money doesn't equate into better qualified help, as evidenced by you and your outrageous salary. If more money equated into better service, Quartzsite would be a shining example of American principles at work. FAIL!!!
You're forgetting/omitting one very important thing (surprise surprise), all of the other counties you mentioned have economies, unlike La Paz County, which decided years ago to piss away opportunity for growth by hiring people like you and Dan Field, and Holly Irwin and Mary Scott, to name a few
Smoking mirrors, wishful thinking, plausible theories, and wishing upon the evening star doesn’t change facts. However, the biggest downfall in your so-called plausible theory comes from the people that have left Sam Vederman’s office. Have you taken any time to have an eye opening chat with them? We have!
ReplyDeleteAs for your minuscule 10 minutes on the Internet, we have spent hundreds of hours in our “Research,” “Case Law,” “Criminal Law,” “Constitution,” and “Bill of Rights”! So can you take more that just a few words and explain to us just why the “United States Constitution” and our “Bill of Rights” don’t matter anymore? Or could it just be getting in your way?
A more plausible theory would come from the information you are trying to place into play. It is more likely that you are from Sam Vederman’s office trying to do a little damage control. Very little…
Its funny how you think I'm Jeff Gilbert Mr. Roth. Paranoid much?
ReplyDeleteWhile you complain about Gilbert's "high" salary, look at how it compares to other Police Chiefs across the state and county. It too is the bottom of the barrel. How do you expect to get a quality police chief good people will leave for greener pastures. You get what you pay for. If you pay public employees like crap, you get public employees who ARE crap.
(CRAP being relative to what OTHER Chiefs, Lawyers, Managers, Cops, etc.. make. Not relative to what YOU make, or you THINK they should make)
More money doesn't equate to better service in this way: If you gave Mr. Gilbert a higher salary, he wouldn't change his quality of work. But if the position of Chief payed better (again, relative to what OTHER Chief positions make), you would attract more skilled and qualified people to the position to replace him.
Until the County and Towns around here start budgeting properly and paying competitive salaries for important and powerful public positions, you will KEEP getting Jeff Gilberts, and Dan Fields, and other jokes who can't get hired anywhere else. And the young, smart, and hard working people will get their start here and move on to greater success elsewhere.
And yes, La Paz County did piss away their opportunity for growth and success long ago. We don't disagree on that one. Dan Field is a joke, always has been. The last GOOD County Manager we had (Huey Long) was driven away by Gene Fisher. Holly Irwin and Mary Scott were elected, not hired. The voters have no one but themselves to blame for that one.
Mr. Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteIf you take up the argument related to comparing salaries across the board you will fall into the same pit as those in Bell City, California. There are many good experienced people within Law Enforcement that could have and would have done a much better job than that of Chief Jeff Gilbert without the Town of Quartzsite paying such an unjustified payday IMHO.
The problem lies within the hiring process here in Quartzsite, Arizona. I have lived through several Chiefs of Police and each time I personally would not have accepted the applicants that the special interest group within Town Hall hired! While each Chief met their standards they failed to meet the needed standards for the people of Quartzsite and what many in the Law Enforcement Community would say had the “Proper Motivations” to hold the post!
Whether you believe it or even wish to accept this fact, I have known many a small town Police Department that were understaffed, underpaid, ill equipped that had the devotion of Police Officers that served with dedication from the heart with distinction that made the people they served grateful they were there. I personally know of one Police Department that when the Chief of Police ordered that the Police Officers under his command make a “False Arrest” similarly to what Chief Jeff Gilbert is alleged of, not only did they refuse, they followed the actions of one Police Officer that had removed his badge and tossed it on the Chief’s desk as he said, “I enforce the laws, I don’t break them”! The Chief had to resend his “UNLAWFUL” order!
The Town of Quartzsite is broke! The big question is, “Just how far are they from Bankruptcy”? Don’t believe me? Just look at the damages and Civil Rights violations against the Quartzsite-4 by the Town of Quartzsite that will find its way into the Federal Civil Courts. Town Council members, Town Manager Alex Taft, Chief Jeff Gilbert, and now added Town Code Officer Al Johnson will be named as Defendants. Town Hall should take the time to do the research and find out what happened to the four L.A.P.D. officers that were prosecuted for violating Rodney Kings Civil Rights. Two found themselves in a Federal Prison convicted of Federal Felonies, lives and careers destroyed!
Arizona Oath of Office
State of Arizona, County of ______________ I, ____________________ (type or print name)
do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the State of Arizona; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and defend them against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of _______________________________ (name of office) ________________________ according to the best of my ability, so help me God (or so I do affirm).
______________________________________
(signature of officer or employee)
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response. At least we agree on something. (your last paragraph) As far as being paranoid, only the paranoid survive. And the truth is I only called you Jeffy to try and draw you out to see who your really are. (Why so shy about who you are? Are you a county employee?)
Where we disagree is in the rest of your comments. More money for government employees is NOT the answer. The answer is less government and more free enterprise. Government is the highest paid and biggest employer in this county. Do you think that might have something to do with La Paz County being at the bottom of the pay grade for EVERYONE?
Dan Field took out over $200,000 a year in salary and benefits and free gas and what he could get under the table when he was employeed in Quartzsite. I think there are a lot more qualified people who would do a better job for less.
Jeff Gilbert takes way over 100K out of the coffers in salary and benefits. Some speculate it could be closer to 200K than 100K with all of the contributions being made to his retirement plan. And do you ever see Jeff Gilbert filling up his personal vehicle at a gas station, and NOT using a town credit card? We don't know for sure how much Gilbert steals from the town because Alex Taft will not share any data with our Mayor.(Freedom Of Information Requests don't apply here)
Jeff Gilbert makes so much money that he has homes here and in Lake Havasu. AND THE TRULY PATHETIC THING IS WE DO NOT EVEN NEED A LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE.
How Americans became such lovers of Government and the Police State will be something that historians will talk about for centuries when this house of cards comes crashing down. Just like how we question how the German citizens went along with Hitler. Stupid sheep!