by Ed Naile
“He was charged with a variety of schemes that defrauded the city of Bell of millions of dollars, including writing his own employment contracts that were never approved by the City Council, the DA’s office said.”
Sound familiar?
No?
Then how about the now convicted City Manager of Bell, California, the illustrious Robert A. Rizzo? He would be the five foot tall and six feet around soon to be resident of a Federal prison until he can do his 12 year State term in California.
Ring a Bell?
Here is some of his story:
Ex-BellCity Manager Robert Rizzo Pleads No Contest to 69 Counts
City Manager Rizzo used every aspect of his position to steal from the small, mostly Hispanic, L.A suburb. The short story is, he used the City Council as lap dogs who lapped up the enormous benefits and pay increases he shoveled their way – for years. Nice deal if you can get it.
But eventually Rizzo and the “Rizzo Six” were caught and now Bell has to pay back all the money he bonded and stole to pay off his City Council and self. Not being a chick magnet, Rizzo obviously has extra expenses living his lavish lifestyle of race horses and such. Girls like horses.
Ok, ok, how does this relate to New Hampshire?
Try Dover’s former City Manager and former head of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, Paul C. Beecher.
Paul C. Beecher, when he was Lord and Master of Dover, gave substantial pay raises to the then very loyal underlings in Dover City Hall – all behind the backs of the Dover City Council, be they stupid or looking out for them selves – and the other way.
Just as he did before he landed in New Hampshire, Beecher signed huge contracts behind the backs of the Kansas City, City Council.
Beecher gave fat pay raises to his new office pals in Kingman, Arizona right after he was chased out of NH by Dover resident and our hero David Scott. David Scott’s pin point accurate Right to Know requests about secret contracts were too much for Beecher.
And the shameful part of this comparison of low-life thievery is that California actually prosecuted the municipal mobster and NH quietly ushered him out of our state.
There is a lot more to the Bell California story and what types of municipal thievery we see in NH. So I will do a comparison as the facts of his 69 count conviction as I uncover them.