Charles has been terrified all year that John Johns would sue him personally for defamation and that the town resources wouldn't be paying to clean up his mess on this one.
Maybe this is what he needed the $500,000 loan for--to prepare to get sued, --to hire his own attorney and settlement pay out to the finance director
--or then again-- possibly Charles just wanted to look so flat broke that Mr. Johns and Lord only knows who else wouldn't bother to sue him.
He still has the Ferrari I'm told--just no place to park it.

Dear John Letter:
Are you really so fed up with Atherton that you are going to call it quits and just settle your case?
The full council knows very well that--
If you took this to trial you would win back your name, your job, your pension, and your legal fees-- and have purged the town of our worst politicians.
Have you decided to exact a different kind of revenge on Atherton?
Have you decided to leave us all stuck here forever with Charles Marsala and Jerry Carlson -as our punishment for what we have all let happen to you over the last few years?
Have more Mercy on us than we have shown to you.
Think about what you deserve-not what we deserve.

The modus operandi of the empowered during the grandiose days of the realty/developer bubble was vitriolic personal attacks on anyone who voiced dissenting opinion to the council majority or to those who served them in appointed and employed office, or am I the only one who noticed?

Everyone in sight, including the press and the County government were supportive through complicity, and of this, they are well aware.

The economic driver behind those days is gone and shall not ever return, and for this, we can only thank God, and the cyclical nature of systems.

I pray that saner voices will be raised in the relative safety of these times.

All Mr. Johns ever wanted was to preside over the establishment of an ethical, humane government for the most beautiful and richest town in America. He loved the people here and just wanted human decency in government, ethic-ism and honesty.

What a horrible aspiration this appeared to be to some, whose denouement emerges before you in the present time.

The consequences, you have all witnessed.

Who among you has the courage to speak out?

Where do you think these things come from that serve you, yourselves?

Dear Just a Thought
I wish I understood better what you meant by "where do you think these things come from
that serve you,yourselves?"
I understand everything else you have said exactly and have for some time--but am still full of unresolved questions that I ponder away on...

Dear 'more clues',

Thank you for making the effort of heart and mind to really listen and understand. It is appreciated more than you know to have even one such person hear me.

The answer is simple: These things that serve us come from within.

People don't understand how much external trouble is a manifestation of that which we focus on within ourselves. I know this sounds spiritual and trite to some, but I see it as true.

If only people were able to focus more on compassion and the common good, instead of selfish self-interest, none of this would have happened.

What has happened to the strength of good people who are willing to speak out and stand for good things in your community?

Perhaps, this is a phenomenon of our culture and the personal mind-sets it suborns as acceptable, normal or common place.

These things are more arbitrary and within our control than people wish to acknowledge and less absolute, in my opinion.

Thank you, again.

JAT

Shame - It's not too late, and if there were a majority movement in your town, I am certain Mr. Johns would trade any monetary settlement for the chance to be your City Manager.

Personally, I cannot conceive of a more fitting resolution to all of this.

Your shame is appropriate, and shared, willingly or not, by every decent person who has remained silent.

Todays article in the Daily News by Jessica Bernstein-Wax

"Mr. John Johns attorney Jon Parsons has confirmed an agreement is in the works that would give his client about $225,000 in settlement money and a letter of commendation."

Great
Atherton gives an armed officer 284,000 dollars because someone might have once said some means words to her--even though the issue had already been through a jury trial and laughed out of the court room.---Officer Pilar Buckley
But a three year vicious and very personal persecution of Mr.Johns, consisting of nothing but false allegations, that ruined his future employment options and forced him to move his family out of the bay area is settled for just enough to cover his legal costs.--And a worthless piece of paper from the Town that is supposed to explain the whole exhausting episode away.
We should all be horrified and ashamed.

Does Mr Marsala and the council carry insurance for such matters...?

Word around town is that John Johns is doing very well in private practice as a forensic accountant. In his case, the cliche "living well is the best revenge" seems appropos.

It's too bad we Athertonians remain stuck with Marsala. One could say that the joke is on us and that it isn't a very funny joke at that.

Here is a solution to Marsala's money and image problems. He should ask Johns for a loan. After all, it was Marsala who made the errors in judgment that caused the Town to have to write a great big check to Johns. Heck one could argue that Johns owes Marsala a favor.

It also seems as though Johns' forensic accounting practice is going well so Johns probably has a few extra bucks he could throw Marsala's way (assuming the interest rate is right).

Finally, Johns is no longer in litigation with the Town so nobody's going to claim that there is any conflict of interest.

Problem solved.