Ramos
Tuesday, July 16, 2013 – 11:00 a.m.
Is there a problem?
It would sure appear that way!
Everyone, including the voters, was warned long before the November 2012 election.
San Bernardino County Third District Supervisor James Ramos seems to be failing to show at various scheduled public and closed session board meetings.
In particular, Ramos is failing to show at meetings of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, Inland Valley Development Agency (IVDA and San Bernardino International Airport Authority (SBIAA).
A common thread in pretty much each instance?
A closed or public session agenda item involving the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, or a decision impacting Tribal financial holdings.
Ramos, who’s been in office for seven and one-half months, seems to be tacitly acknowledging he has a problem. After all, actions speak louder than words, and Ramos’ actions are telling.
Official minutes, and posted videos, of public meetings support this contention.
It’s likely Ramos has now realized he has a legal problem with California Government Code 1090. The law governing conflicts of interest for public officials. There’s two categories of conflicts under the law. Those being “remote” financial interest, and “material” financial conflicts of interest.
The possibility of an elected official having remote financial interest in a government action raises minimal concern, and is a common occurrence in local government business. Usually a recusal or abstention from voting solves the conflict. The second more serious “material” financial conflict, is usually a death blow to a career, if it occurs. Under California case law, merely abstaining or recusing (walking out or not showing) from an official vote, because of an elected official’s material financial conflict of interest, is insufficient. Mainly because that official has the ability to influence their colleagues on the matter to be taken up.
In the instant case, Ramos is a profit-sharing/owner member of the local Native American Indian Tribe. For example, is any non-competitvely bid service contract between the county and the Tribal Government, less costly than if the Tribal Government had to provide the same identical service itself? Is a discussion related to the sale of a piece of property, near Tribal-owned land at the San Bernardino International Airport, a material financial conflict of interest for Ramos?
It’s time that questions are asked. It’s also time for Ramos to acknowledge he has a legal problem here, that has caused his absenses.
It’s also highly-commendable that Ramos was able to successfully secure a seat on the county board. But any other office would not have posed the current legal questions.
Don’t hold your breath for any complaint to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), District Attorney, or Attorney General. There’s too high a probability the San Bernardno County District Attorney, a Ramos ally, would somehow try and run interference.
I would however expect a civil Government Code 1090 lawsuit against Ramos and the County.
It was only a matter of time.
Same thing with Gary Miller, should be a fun campaign.
We were all warned by the San Bernardino County Sentinel before the elections, YET IT ALL FELL ON DEAF EARS!
>>> Correction, it did NOT fall on deaf ears, those that became aware of it lashed out and critizied Mark Gutglueck and his paper for printing the true FACTS…facts…facts…facts.
Legal Eagle showed up here in InlandPolitics and misrepresented Mark Gutglueck as a journalist and his coverage of James Ramos, even going as far as misstating that Mr. Gutglueck was calling Ramos a “bad Indian” in his paper. Here is my partial response to Legal Eagle in defense of Mr. Gutgluecks’ coverage of JAMES RAMOS:
Anonymous on January 4th, 2013 11:04 am
@ Legal Eagle,
…
….
Your attacks on the Sentinel about how it called Ramos a “bad Indian” are totally unfair and dishonest!
SBC Sentinel 11/16/2012
“The county’s legal review of whether Third District Supervisor-elect James Ramos’s holdings create a conflict-of-interest that could prevent him from serving as supervisor….
At issue is whether Ramos’s duties as supervisor will come into conflict with his material financial interests in the San Manuel government and gaming operations…
San Manuel has millions of dollars in non-competitively bid contracts with the county for the sheriff to provide law enforcement patrols on the reservation and the district attorney for the review of criminal cases involving casino patrons and the tribe’s own Native American members.
For example, a contract executed August 10, 2010, and expiring on June 30, 2013, has the tribe paying $1,048,909 to the county for the services of the district attorney. Ramos, as then-tribal chairman, personally signed the agreement. Also present within the Third District is the Inland Valley Development Agency (IVDA) and San Bernardino International Airport
Authority (SBIAA)…”
…
…
…AS YOU SEE LEGAL EAGLE…if anyone can cover the whole county single-handed…it would be the Sentinel/Mark Gutglueck.
Next time you wish to criticise, or attack him, or the Sentinel, please make sure it’s fair and honest…if for nothing else, do it as a “professional courtesy” from one journalist to another.
At least James Ramos did not have to turn himself in to authorities to avoid being arrested like Neil Derry did.
I figured I would save “Repairman” some time and energy, and make the above comment for him, seemingly the only response from James Ramos supporters when asked about his performance as County Supervisor.
In addition to all that, why did James Ramos who is a man who has been there done that, allow his friend Sheriff John McMahon to get himself into a crack, and allow a debacle to unfold in the Bauer matter?
Running a big reservation and casino, James should have long since dealt with all these issues, now facing his peers.
All these brilliant minds on the BOS and others within the County structure, don’t seem to be handling business like their cheerleaders thought.
The POOR CAO, is a puppeteer with to many strings to pull on at once.
The CAO’s brilliant staff are nothing but fire fighters putting out spot fires.
It seems the CAO’s staff are using squirt guns to fight major fires.
What say you Repairman, a man in the know?
Give us your BEST demorat opinion?
Observer of Facts
Thanks.
AntiCorruptionUnit , Wasn’t derry supervisor at the time this happened to him?
LMAO, Thanks. I don’t see the Derry relationship to Ramos interests and property holdings, so no correlation to Derry, this is a 100% pure Ramos.
Why would a rich indian want to run for office? To make himself richer! Silly voters….