Volume 44 - No. 42
October 30, 2014
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished!
by lyle e davis
There is a common misconception that all the brouhaha surrounding the city of Escondido is about former Chief of Police Jim Maher. It is much bigger than Jim Maher. But he plays a role in what happened.
I was delighted when Jim Maher was named Chief of Police. I had known him for about 20 years. We had both worked to divert youth away from gangs and both our programs were successful. We both kept Latino kids from joning “los panderas,” (gangs). We would bump into Jim and his wife, Eva, as they were chaperoning kids and we were doing the same with our group. He rose through the ranks and was ultimately named Chief. The Paper - 760.747.7119
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Maher was a veteran cop who had come up through the ranks; a “cop’s cop,” a cop who enjoyed the support of his troops. Jim Maher had just one little problem. His boss didn’t like him. His leader.
His supervisor.
Several of his subordinate officers apparently didn’t either.
When City Manager Clay Phillips decided, arbitrarily, it turns out, to give department heads some hefty raises, to the melodic tune of around $200,000 . . . even though staffers at below department head level had deferred step raises to help the city with budget problems, and when Police Chief Jim Maher turned down his raise, saying he would
accept his raise only when his troops got theirs restored, well Mr. Big Time City Manager Clay Phillips was downright alarmed and embarrassed.
Maher was being a good General. He was looking after the welfare of his troops, sticking up for his men; the men he needed to be in the trenches with him in times of crisis. Well, that just wouldn’t do, decided Phillips. The campaign to remove Maher began. The Italians and Sicilians have a word for it. Vendetta.
In March of 2012, after Maher had turned down his raise, Escondido City Manager Clay Phillips confronted Chief of Police Jim Maher and said, “Your services are no longer needed. You are terminated.” or words to that effect.
Within a few days Mayor Sam Abed learned of the firing and was enraged. He confronted Phillips, asking him how dare he fire our Chief of Police without consulting him. Mayor Sam Abed liked Maher and stood up for him.
Maher retained his position but Phillips had been badly chastised and, again, embarrassed. A grudge had begun. The vendetta just built up steam.
Phillips had been stung because within the same month, after his granting of raises to his departmental heads became known, a hue and cry arose from the general public as well as many city staffers, calling for Phillip’s head. And now this verbal lashing by the Mayor.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished! Continued on Page 2