Originally posted at www.theliberaloc.com
Under one of those “whatever happened to…” ideas, we decided it was time to look up former Tustin City Manager David Biggs who was dumped by the Republican council majority last Spring and given a taxpayer funded $175,000 severance package — that was about nine months of unpaid salary.  Part of the severance package included a mutual “let’s not say bad things about one another” between Biggs and the Tustin City Council.

We’re happy to report, several months too late I’m afraid, that David Biggs landed on his feet at the city manager for the City of Carson; he started late September 2011 and, imagine this, is going a fantastic job in that city and for its city council and taxpayers.  Our sources in Carson say he’s incredibly professional, on top of every detail and city leaders in Carson are pleased with their good fortune.  In other words, thanks suckers (and suckers mean those members of the Tustin city council who voted to oust someone who is competent and professional).

So Biggs had a nice Spring and Summer vacation at the expense of Tustin Taxpayers, and found a great position with a city that values his services and his stewardship of city management.

Suffice to say, dumping a senior executive who left a good job for the one in Tustin after a three month stint, Biggs’ “separation” from Tustin smacked of politics from the Amante-led council majority.  Giving away six figures worth of city taxpayer money and hiring the old city manager back in an expensive interim position seems an awful waste of taxpayer dollars by a city council majority that bills themselves as “fiscally conservative.”  And that’s because it was.

So while Mr. Amante wants to bleat about absences from the city council meetings by council member Deborah Gavello who is undergoing treatments for skin cancer, suggesting he still accepts her modest stipend for being a council member as a waste of taxpayer dollars, perhaps Tustin taxpayers need to be reminded it was Amante’s helm at Mayor that released Biggs after 90 days on the job following a 5-0 vote after 55 candidates for the job; it was Amante’s leadership that led to an expensive and wasteful lawsuit against TUSD; and it was Amante’s leadership that led to the explosion in legal costs for the city.

I just hope Jerry’s learned how to use that iPad the city is paying for.  Perhaps there’s an app for tracking his tempest in a tea pot moments he can’t recall (but fortunately Pam Keller from Fulleton could).

So better late than never, congratulations Mr. Biggs.  We’re pleased that you landed on your feet.