Atherton Salaries, Esp. Police, Out of Control

Glen Nielsen earned so much in his final year because he cashed out many months of holiday pay that it appears as though he did not earn.

There are eyewitness accounts of former Chief Nielsen comming into Town hall on a holiday, working only an hour or two, leaving the office and subseqently claiming that he had worked a full ten hour day.

Before he was bounced out of Town, the former finance director complained to the City Manager about this practice. The City Manager did nothing.

In 2008 the District Attorney was presented with a criminal complaint that Nielsen had falsified his time sheet on at least two occasions. Once claiming credit for a full day worked when he was on an airplane jetting his way to a Hawaiian vacation, another when he was on vacation in Portland Oregon.

This criminal complaint was supported by timesheets signed by Nielsen and his cell phone records. There is also suggestion of a pattern of Nielsen using his cell phone to conduct business as a real estate agent.

To date the District Attorney has done nothing with this criminal complaint. This constitutes a stark departure from the DA\'s nine-month investigation of another Town employee, the former finance director.

It appears as though Mr. Wagstaffe has little interest in persuing charges of public corruption in Atherton, or his interest is fleeting and misplaced. As such now may be the time for the California Attorney General or, better yet, the US Attorney to step in.

Glen Nielsen earned so much in his final year because he cashed out many months of holiday pay that it appears as though he did not earn.

There are eyewitness accounts of former Chief Nielsen comming into Town hall on a holiday, working only an hour or two, leaving the office and subseqently claiming that he had worked a full ten hour day.

Before he was bounced out of Town, the former finance director complained to the City Manager about this practice. The City Manager did nothing.

In 2008 the District Attorney was presented with a criminal complaint that Nielsen had falsified his time sheet on at least two occasions. Once claiming credit for a full day worked when he was on an airplane jetting his way to a Hawaiian vacation, another when he was on vacation in Portland Oregon.

This criminal complaint was supported by timesheets signed by Nielsen and his cell phone records. There is also suggestion of a pattern of Nielsen using his cell phone to conduct business as a real estate agent.

To date the District Attorney has done nothing with this criminal complaint. This constitutes a stark departure from the DA\'s nine-month investigation of another Town employee, the former finance director.

It appears as though Mr. Wagstaffe has little interest in persuing charges of public corruption in Atherton, or his interest is fleeting and misplaced. As such now may be the time for the California Attorney General or, better yet, the US Attorney to step in.

My very dear and oblivious friends,

What is coming is a war between government and the private sector.

Employed individuals in all levels of government now exceed employed individuals in the private sector. Don't believe me? Research it.

During the Government induced bubble run-up, Union representation drove compensation...especially pension and retirement benefits... to absolutely obscene levels based on their control of the process and the extrapolation of eternal expansion foisted on the public pysche.

There is going to be hell to pay soon, and those who believe that the electorate are still in control are in for a rude awakening that has people like Mr. Nielson and Mr. Brennan, who are well aware of this, snickering at your outrage.

All these government employees, that you have allowed to be propagated upon you, vote for their own interest, my dears...and you are screwed.

In the County of Santa Clara, an accountant in private practice was crying in the Mercury News about the fact that the pension investment committee was by LAW designed to have 7 seats. Of those 7 seats, only ONE was required to have ANY FINANCIAL EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER.!!

ALL of those seats in the County of Santa Clara are currently held by GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. Guess what? They're choosing to make High-risk, High-yield investments....Guess what? The pension fund is getting creamed and they are asking the TAXPAYERS to pony up $38 MILLION DOLLARS in this year's budget.

Take a hard look.

JAT

My Dear Watchdog....

Although I don't know (have) the particulars, whether the DA's office did their job or not regarding Chief Nielsen's alleged falsification of his time sheet, I'm curious if you have knowledge of whether or not he was salaried (as most, if not all Chiefs/Sheriff's are) or if he was an 'hourly' Chief? If he was on salary, it wouldn't (shouldn't) matter whether he worked on a Holiday or not, or how many hours he put in on a Holiday. If, however, he got extra 'pay' or 'time off' added on for coming in on a holiday....you best look at his contract with the Town before jumping to conclusions in that area. And, if that was allowed under his contract, SHAME ON THE CITY MANAGER AND TOWN COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING IT!!!!!
(I hope this makes a little sense. If he flat out penciled himself at work when he actually wasn't, well that's a different matter....and, sorry to say, it wouldn't be the first time an Atherton chief displayed a lack of integrity and honesty...)