Blame Game

BLAME GAME… In Squid years, it’s practically half a lifetime ago that Salinas City Council voted in October to fire former city manager Steve Carrigan. They’ve since awarded a contract to a new incoming city manager, René Mendez. Meanwhile, San Bernardino in Southern California hired a new city manager, Charles Montoya, formerly of Watsonville.

What do these things have to do with each other? According to a claim Carrigan filed last Nov. 28 against the City of San Bernardino, everything. He was a finalist there for the position, and he contends it was only an illegal leak that made that into public information – and that because of his leak, Salinas fired him (he claims San Bernardino owes him $731, 250 for the remaining two-plus years that were on his Salinas contract). He also alleges the leak cost him the job in San Bernardino, specifically based on his race (white), and that it was strategically meant to motivate the public to oppose his hiring “because Carrigan is not the correct, favored race (Black).” Yikes.

Carrigan pegs damages to his future employment prospects and reputation at $1.5 million.

These old grievances resurfaced because on April 3, San Bernardino City Council discussed Carrigan’s claim in a closed-session meeting and voted 4-2 to release portions of a city investigation into Carrigan’s claim. Squid’s colleague has requested that investigation, and Squid is waiting with shrimp-flavored popcorn within a tentacle’s reach to see how the next chapter in this drama unfolds.

STOP and GO… Squid drove the jalopy down Highway 68 to the Monterey Peninsula on Tuesday, April 2, admiring the sunshine and the light traffic. But Squid’s mood quickly changed when traffic sputtered to a stop at the intersection with Highway 218. Turns out, Squid hit the tail end of traffic caused by major roadwork on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey – about six miles away. Work began on Monday, April 1 to reconstruct areas of the road during the daytime.

Pick nearly any other day outside of tourist season, and such roadwork probably would’ve caused only a minor inconvenience. But it’s been anything but normal on the roadways recently, which prompted Monterey City Manager Hans Uslar to issue an apology via YouTube video the next day.

Uslar said the combination of Highway 1 closed in Big Sur, coupled with extended spring breakers, exacerbated traffic. Numerous side streets were also clogged, turning the Monterey Peninsula into a traffic nightmare typically seen in Los Angeles. The next day, city officials announced work would shift to night for the week of April 8-12.