Category Archives: Doug Willmore’s Great Chevron Shakedown

Fired City Manager Doug Willmore’s Great Chevron Shakedown for $10 million per year in additional taxes.

Fantasy? – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Carol James

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Mike

Fantasy?

It’s interesting to read Marie Fellhauer’s election materials that arrive every few days. She takes credit for “successfully negotiating a tax resolution with the refinery” and “successfully negotiated agreement with Wiseburn School District…for the world-class pool facility” except she wasn’t a negotiator on either.

Oh, and she’s “fighting to get our fair share of the property tax levy”. Exactly who is she fighting? Is she winning or losing? Why haven’t we heard anything about this for the last four years?

Speaking of the last four years, all of a sudden, she’s the senior citizens’ best friend…my friend who lives at Park Vista says in four years Marie has never attended any events at Park Vista until the very last board meeting before the election. She brought her baby and husband. Coincidence? My friend said to tell her the residents may be senior but they’re not stupid.

Also, why are her big donations coming from out of town businesses and people? Shouldn’t the ‘Local Girl’ get local donations?

– Carol James

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Posted in California, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Elections, Letters to the Editor, Political Corruption, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fantasy? – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Carol James

Strange Election – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Marianne Fong

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Mike

Strange Election

The police and fire unions are endorsing and campaigning for the three challenger candidates because they want incumbents Marie Fellhauer and Dave Atkinson off the City Council. This makes for a strange election, because Fellhauer and Atkinson should be off the City Council, and challengers Carol Pirsztuk and Don Brann should be elected. The unions usually endorse the worst tax-and-spend candidates.

We must judge the incumbent City Council candidates by their voting record, especially when they had a majority with Bill Fisher and ran amok, not by their campaign rhetoric, false accomplishments, and campaign promises.

Fellhauer and Atkinson have been tax-and-spend politicians. They voted for at least a dozen tax hikes, on residents and businesses, and fee increases, to pay for excessive police and fire union raises handed out by their allies Eric Busch and Bill Fisher.

They played a financial shell game to claim they balanced the City budget. They spent down the City’s Reserve Account, and borrowed large sums from the Equipment Replacement Fund, which is used to save up money over the years to pay for everything from new computers to new police cars and fire engines.

Fellhauer and Atkinson continued the Chevron Shakedown started by Busch and Fisher, and effectively extorted an additional $8.5 million average per year for 15 years from Chevron, without justification.

They are talking like conservatives, and padding their campaign literature, taking credit for accomplishments of the current fiscally conservative majority. Fellhauer is even quoting Ronald Reagan in this masquerade.

– Marianne Fong

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Posted in California, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, Economy and Economics, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Fraud Waste and Abuse, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Tax Policy and Issues, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Strange Election – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Marianne Fong

Not happy with Measure A – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Mike

Not happy with Measure A

Mayor Fisher is threatening to contract out our fire services to county if we don’t approve his Measure A tax hikes. These are empty threats. There’s no advantage in outsourcing. It would reduce services – not save money. Ninety percent of voters rejected Measure P to outsource fire services. Clearly, we can do a referendum against an ordinance to outsource services.

Last year City Council raised Chevron’s taxes by more than $8.5 million on average per year for 15 years. And the council can save many millions of dollars per year by getting the employee compensation and pension cost increases under control.

All residents will pay much more of the $6.6 million annual Measure A taxes than the “Yes on A” campaign mailer claims. We will pay the new business taxes that are passed on to us as customers, in addition to the new taxes on our electricity, water, gas, landline and cellular telephone, cable TV, satellite and Internet bills.

The money won’t go for schools or infrastructure. The city attorney said the resolution on how to spend the money is not binding, and only language in the ballot measure can be binding. Fisher chose the nonbinding route – he refused to put language in the ballot measure for money to schools and infrastructure.

The new taxes will go for huge past and future fire and police union pay raises and resulting pension cost increases, as in the past. That’s why the fire union donated $5,000 to the “Yes on A” campaign.

Marianne Fong
El Segundo Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Measure A - 5 New Taxes and 6 Tax Inceases, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Tax Policy and Issues, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Not happy with Measure A – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

City Manger’s Misconduct – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Mike

City Manger’s Misconduct

New evidence of fired City Manager Doug Willmore’s misconduct was revealed with the latest public records release of city documents and emails (available at ElSegundo.org and PublicSafetyProject.org).

Willmore politicized City Hall. His secretary, Mickie Tagle, used city-paid time and public resources to do political opposition research against Chevron and against residents who criticized Willmore’s efforts to shakedown Chevron for an additional $10 million per year in taxes. One email showed she even tried to dig up dirt on me! Finance Director Deborah Cullen was also enthusiastically involved in Willmore’s shakedown efforts.

The emails show Willmore was doing Mayor Eric Busch’s bidding, taking direction from Busch in his attempt to extort more money from Chevron, without a majority of Council members even knowing about it. The city manager is legally required to take direction only from a majority vote or consensus of the City Council. Busch and Willmore targeted Chevron because they “can’t move” their refinery, and because of environmental politics.

The emails also show the fire and police unions have been behind this push to raise taxes to pay for their wildly excessive and unsustainable compensation and pensions. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City Manger’s Misconduct – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Responsibility to identify – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Karl W. Jacobs

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Mike

Responsibility to identify

To all El Segundo voters: I am a long-time (25-plus years) resident and small business owner in El Segundo and I am sick and tired of the “nasties” that seem to crawl out of their holes at election time. In particular, I address those who hide behind the e-mails circulating from “omg.elsegundo.” I do believe in free speech, but, those who belittle persons with whom they disagree or have issues, justified or not, should at least be willing to identify themselves.

I have posted questions and responses to both our former city manager’s blog and to omg.elsegundo, without any replies from the writers of the unproven allegations on Chevron USA and the discrediting of a current city councilman running for re-election. Note that all of the candidates for City Council have stated their stands on the issues and have gone on the record. There was a very informative two-page article in the El Segundo Herald on March 15. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, Doug Willmore’s Great City Shakedown, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Responsibility to identify – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Karl W. Jacobs

The Firing of El Segundo City Manager Doug Willmore – Part 2

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Mike

By Michael D. Robbins
Former El Segundo City Councilman
Founder and Director, Public Safety Project

This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Article. The first part covered the controversy Doug Willmore created and the facts surrounding his firing. This second part covers the old 1994 legal settlement agreement to the MRC-Chevron-City of El Segundo tax dispute.

March 18, 2012

There has been much controversy surrounding the firing of El Segundo City Manager Doug Willmore at the special meeting of the El Segundo City Council on February 9, 2012. This controversy has been created by Doug Willmore himself, and by anti-business news organizations he enlisted to smear Chevron, Councilman Carl Jacobson, and the entire city of El Segundo. Carl Jacobson is the only City Council member who voted to fire Doug Willmore and who is running for reelection. Councilman Don Brann is not running for reelection, and Councilwoman Suzanne Fuentes is not up for reelection for another two years.

Regarding the MRC-Chevron-City Legal Settlement

I was on the City Council during the 1994 MRC-Chevron-El Segundo tax dispute legal settlement, and I know first-hand that the decision to approve that settlement agreement with MRC and Chevron was unanimous, legal, legitimate, and reasonable. And the decision was made in a public meeting. … Continue reading →

Posted in Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, Doug Willmore’s Great City Shakedown, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Firing of El Segundo City Manager Doug Willmore – Part 2

The Firing of El Segundo City Manager Doug Willmore – Part 1

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Mike

There has been much controversy surrounding the firing of El Segundo City Manager Doug Willmore at the special meeting of the El Segundo City Council on February 9, 2012. This controversy has been created by Doug Willmore himself, and by anti-business news organizations he enlisted to smear Chevron, Councilman Carl Jacobson, and the entire city of El Segundo. Carl Jacobson is the only City Council member who voted to fire Doug Willmore and who is running for reelection. Councilman Don Brann is not running for reelection, and Councilwoman Suzanne Fuentes is not up for reelection for another two years.


Candid photo of Councilman Carl Jacobson as he speaks with a constituent after the March 6, 2012 City Council meeting. Photo copyright © 2012 by Michael D. Robbins.

It is clear that Willmore is trying to get Jacobson unelected, possibly out of revenge, but more likely for financial gain at taxpayer expense. Willmore has filed a claim against the City, the legally required precursor to a lawsuit. Willmore did not turn in his signed release form agreeing not to sue the City within the time limit specified in his contract. Thus, Willmore has walked away from his six-month severance pay of more than $100,000.


Doug Willmore’s 3-page claim against the city of El Segundo, his former employer, as the precursor to a lawsuit.

After reading Willmore’s claim, and knowing much about the surrounding facts, it is clear that Willmore is trying to shakedown our city and its taxpayers for multiple millions of dollars. By pursuing frivolous litigation against the City, his past employer, in such a high-profile manner in broadcast and print news media, it appears that Willmore does not plan to get another job nor to work another day in his life. Willmore is alleging retaliatory firing and age discrimination, among other things. He is even demanding that the City pay for his psychiatric treatment, even if it is for a pre-existing condition.


A portion of page 3 of Doug Willmore’s claim form, and Doug Willmore at a City Council meeting. Graphic and photo copyright © 2012 by Michael D. Robbins.

Willmore has two allies and supporters on the City Council – Mayor Eric Busch and Mayor Pro Tem Bill Fisher. Busch’s term expires with the coming April 10 election, and he is not running for re-election. This will leave Willmore with only one ally and supporter on City Council, but he needs three to have a majority that will vote to give him a large “settlement” payout as a “gift of public funds” or “hush money”. Willmore must know plenty about Busch’s dealings with the city’s firefighter and police unions.

The safety unions gave Mayor Busch and Mayor Pro Tem Fisher thousands of dollars in campaign support, and received millions of dollars per year in excess and unsustainable compensation and pensions. Where else can someone make a thousand-to-one return on their “investment”? This might be viewed as a form of laundering of public funds into campaign money in a way that is incredibly efficient for the unions and incredibly inefficient for the taxpayers.

KCET SoCal Connected producer Karen Foshay knowingly and intentionally produced a propaganda hatchet-job show attacking Chevron (“BIG OIL”), Councilman Carl Jacobson, and the city of El Segundo (“SMALL TOWN”).

Despite all the fancy artwork and video production techniques, that does not guarantee that anything in Foshay’s KCET TV show is true. … Continue reading →

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A Message From Chevron El Segundo Refinery General Manager Frank Semancik

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Mike

Subject: A Message From Chevron El Segundo Refinery General Manager Frank Semancik
From: Chevron El Segundo General Manager, Frank Semancik (XXXXXXXX@chevron.com)
To:
Cc:
Bcc:
Date: Friday, March 16, 2012 9:39 PM

Dear Community Leader,

Chevron is proud of the long tradition of trust and mutual respect we have with the City of El Segundo as well as the other neighbor cities and residents in the South Bay. We strive to conduct our business with the high moral values reflected in the community and, we sincerely believe we have demonstrated that commitment consistently over the 100 years our company has operated its facility in our hometown, El Segundo.

That is why it has been so disheartening and disappointing that in recent weeks, some have chosen to use deceptive tactics focused on Chevron to try and sway a local election and pit neighbor against neighbor. “Anonymous” special interests are seeking to drag our community into a debate on issues long settled by the elected representatives of the City of El Segundo. In doing so, they have completely ignored this key fact: Chevron has publicly stated its 100% commitment to work collaboratively with the City of El Segundo to resolve issues about the City’s tax structure discussed at the Council’s December 20, 2011 meeting.

We feel it’s important to set the record straight. Here are the facts:

  • The unsubstantiated rumors and allegations concerning the utility user taxes (UUT) Chevron pays in El Segundo are false and fail to accurately reflect the public record.
  • The distorted figure alleged to depict our UUT contribution to the City of El Segundo represents only a small portion of the almost $2 million Chevron pays annually in combined UUT’s.
  • Chevron’s agreement with the City is not unique, and is in fact similar to the UUT bills companies like ours pay in other local cities, including the City of Los Angeles.
  • The UUT issue being deceptively portrayed was reviewed in an open and public process with the full understanding of the City of El Segundo’s elected officials and City legal staff.
  • Public records clearly demonstrate that the City UUT ordinance was made available for public review, certified, approved, adopted, signed and attested to during a regular and open meeting of the City Council. And most importantly, the UUT ordinance was approved by every member of the City Council.

We again commit to being open and honest in our communications and, as always, welcome your interest as our valued community partner. Thank you for allowing us to set the record straight.

Sincerely,

Frank Semancik, on behalf of the Chevron El Segundo Refinery, joined by Rod Spackman, Lily Craig, Jill Brunkhardt and Jeff Wilson Continue reading →

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Are Chevron’s Taxes Too High?

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Mike

By Michael D. Robbins March 15, 2012 Are Chevron’s taxes too high? Possibly. Fired City Manager Doug Willmore gave a PowerPoint slide presentation at the December 20, 2011 regular meeting of the El Segundo City Council. He claimed that Chevron … Continue reading →

Posted in Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Settlement Scheme? – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Jerry Wellfonder

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Mike

Settlement scheme?

It appears that former City Manager Doug Willmore has engaged liberal news organizations in a smear campaign against Carl Jacobson and Chevron, to get Carl unelected. Carl has been an honest, hard-working, selfless council member for many years. So why would Willmore smear Carl? Is this Willmore’s revenge against the only council member who voted to fire him who is also running for re-election?

It may be far more sinister than revenge. Willmore has two supporters and allies on city council – Mayor Eric Busch and Councilman Bill Fisher. Busch is not running again, and Fisher is Willmore’s only ally guaranteed to be on council after the coming election. If Willmore can get two more allies elected to the council in April, then he can get a multi-million dollar payoff in the guise of a “settlement” to his frivolous lawsuit against the city. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Doug Willmore's Great Chevron Shakedown, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Elections, Letters to the Editor, Political Corruption, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Settlement Scheme? – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Jerry Wellfonder