Under Recent Comments in the right column of this blog, you'll find this comment (referring to the November 30, 2002, Santa Maria Sun article about Police Chief Danny Macagni's racist slurs, demeaning language and use of patronage to officers showing blind loyalty to him):
"This is shameful language from our police chief and he should resign at once.
"The most telling part of the article is this . . .
"At first, when asked if he has ever made derogatory remarks toward different races, Macagni declined to answer the question.
" 'You know its wrong, you know it's absolutely wrong to even ask these questions, ' he said, 'because it's none of your business. It's a personnel issue.'
The anonymous poster said: "Personnel issue? I am afraid it is a public issue if the highest ranking police officer makes derogagory remarks against members of our community and members of his own department."
The Tin Soldier agrees. Where was the public outcry for Danny Macagni to either be fired or resign? Were we all too busy getting ready for the holidays to care about supporting the men and women of our police department to bring this behavior to light? These are the men and women who risk their lives every day to protect us.
And most of all, where is our city council in doing its job to represent the citizens of our town? Oh, yes, this is that 'do nothing council' George Dailey referred to in his September 10, 2006, letter to the editor in the Santa Maria Times during the recent city council election, when he urged citizens to vote for Joan Leon and Hilda Zacarias.
These are the same city councilmembers who washed their hands (like Pontius Pilate) when former Police Chief John Sterling was forced to retire because City Manager Tim Ness wanted his own way.
Pity the poor men and women of the SMPD who risked their reputations and careers to speak truth about their boss, Police Chief Danny Macagni.
At least One Tin Soldier and an anonymous commenter salute them.
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