Regarding your article in the Sun entitled “A house divided” (Sept. 14), it covered the outward visible things happening, but did not address the “why.”
That is the effort of the ex-mayor, John Linn, to get back on the city government and to set things up to do so for the 2018 election. There is also a strong social envy by the three: Jim Mosby, Dirk Starbuck, and Victor Vega against Mayor Bob Lingl, Jenelle Osborne, and the city manager, Patrick Wiemiller. There is a big difference in education and income between these six. They have to show they are smarter than the mayor and city manager. An example is shown in the event earlier this year when Mosby, Starbuck, and Vega moved to remove the city manager and attorney from the dais because “they were too threatening to the citizens when talking to the council.” The clerk, attorney, and city manager have always been on the dais. They now sit way below them and far away.
This is what is really going on. The budget action by this threesome is going it paralyze the city. Without the sales tax it will be necessary to end most city services to pay for the state-mandated CalPERS assessments. They are also getting back at Mayor Lingl because he stopped the Linn-sponsored city racetrack, which cost Linn dearly. Linn also wants to eliminate three women from the city staff to make the budget balanced because they have given him a hard time. The code enforcement officer has cited him and Mosby often in the past. Another rumor is that Linn wants the city manager job, so Mosby and Vega are finding fault with him. The small group of citizens who vote in Lompoc (5,000) do not pay attention and do not know what is going on. That is the “why.”
This article appears in Sep 21-28, 2017.
