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The stench from the criminal actions of former Placerville mayor and city councilman David Machado still lingers. It wasn’t enough his plea bargain netted him 960 hours of community service time to be spent in sunny Mexico — as he preferred. Now there’s a new twist. Machado was last seen managing the efforts of the city’s homeless encampment pilot program at 1700 Broadway as another option of serving out his time.
Maybe the public outrage over Judge James R. Wagoner’s earlier sentencing decision is finally hitting home. Machado claims he will only use 80 of his community service hours in Mexico. So the question now is how many of the remaining 880 hours will he declare for directing the efforts of volunteers at Hangtown Haven, the community’s new homeless subdivision?
Who in the probation department agreed to this new cushy option? Was it approved by chief probation officer Greg Sly? Or is Machado preparing his own community service schedule?
Machado’s involvement as project lead was yet another poke in the eye for our community. The arrogance of his comments after pleading guilty didn’t go unnoticed by Placerville residents. He snubbed his nose at his conviction and continues to declare he took the plea deal just to save money.
Now don’t get me wrong. If the project called for Machado to operate a weed whacker, install a port-a-potty, or pick up the human waste left behind at former homeless campsites around the city then this column supports it. But letting this convicted felon off the hook by allowing him to manage this project reeks of an odor stronger than the aforementioned.
With the project now completed will our former public servant lead the public relations campaign next? I can hear the exchange now.
Reporter: “Didn’t you plead guilty to three counts recently?”
Machado: “Oh yeah. No biggie. They had nothing on me. Isn’t this a really cool homeless campsite my staff of volunteers built?”
Reporter: “So you’re in charge here?”
Machado: “Sure, the city couldn’t possibly get this done without me.”
Reporter: “What’s next for you?”
Machado: “I’m off to Mexico to assist another local community.”
Of course all this wouldn’t be an issue had Judge Wagoner sent a clear and definitive signal to Machado — that his gross misconduct as a public official would not be tolerated. Instead we get milk toast sentencing and a convicted felon demonstrating his astute leadership skills, or rather his talent for pulling strings.
Anyone convicted of far less would be washing dishes at the Upper Room or picking up trash along the highway. (Any hours left to do that?) Apparently that wouldn’t do for our disgraced mayor. Someone (perhaps Machado himself) determined his leadership abilities were ideal for this community service role. I suggest they verify his finished work since he’s good at scheduling contractors on weekends when city inspectors are not around.
Machado lacks remorse and zero contrition for his past actions. He’s tarnished Placerville’s image and those serving on city council with him. If anyone believes this is how his community service time should be meted then maybe they’re not convinced (as he is) of his guilt.
Richard Esposito is publisher of the Mountain Democrat. His column appears each Wednesday.
The Mountain Democrat does not necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy
readerJuly 31, 2012 - 9:11 am
So the City has put the former mayor - protected from comment by current Mayor Acuna - in charge of one of its projects. Mind jog: A couple weeks ago someone on these pages said "Now that the witch hunt is over can we expose all the corruption? The lemmings that read the Mountain Democrat will believe anything they read... anyone that gets there news from this pathetic paper should pull their head out of the sand. Former Mayor Machado is not the first or the last to use the "good ole boys network" in Placerville. The WHOLE city is corrupt!!! Those that live in glass houses should not throw stones???" That sounded suspiciously like someone intimately familiar with local corruption. Can’t help asking why the City remains so wedded to Machado. What goods is Machado holding?
Dr. I. C. SpotsJuly 31, 2012 - 9:00 pm
Mr. Esposito, your comments about David Machado are as always very appropriate. The public deserves honest government, not merely the best money and favors can buy. +++ +++ +++ While your opinions about this very disgraceful chapter of local history are sound, you do, after all, run a newspaper, a venue for reporting the news. So why not assemble some of your best reporters, and you have many, and start reporting news that has yet to be covered about Machado. That might require allowing them to cover things beyond the present set areas they are presently assigned to report about. Make sense? +++ +++ +++ Consider, for example, having reporters find out who were the persons in city government, employees as well as elected officials, who discussed the idea of appointing David Machado with Art Edwards. Or do you think this fairly recent arrival to Placerville just got Machado’s name out of a phone book or something? +++ +++ +++ And has The Mountain Democrat gotten around to sending in a documents request in to city officials for all the material they were forced to provide to prosecutors? Since prosecution is over there should be no reason why it could be withheld in the name of some ongoing investigation. +++ +++ +++ Would it not be nice for the public to know what the prosecutor knew? And what are the names of the city officials who were on David Machado’s witness list? I am sure you agree that your readers have a right to know. +++ +++ +++ You operate a newspaper and there is tons of news about this subject for your paper ready to report. So please, do what newspapers are supposed to do, dig, investigate the facts, and report them. Thousands of inquiring minds, the readers of your paper, want to know. ========<<<<<>>>>=======
Jesus H ChristAugust 01, 2012 - 10:41 am
The stench of former Mt Democrat writer Larry Weitzman still lingers in the polluted air of Placerville. He was also a convicted felon but the Mt Democrat defended him 'til the end.
A ReaderAugust 01, 2012 - 2:04 pm
Unlike Larry Weitzman, David Machado was an elected official, the mayor no less, who abused the public trust on a grand scale by long using his position for financial gain, crimes that included committing fraud and perjury, deceitfully concealing ownership of property he voted to enhance, violating the city housing code in a massive way, while covering up crimes that involved endangering the lives of others in a fire that made one family homeless. It was not a one-time only thing by Machado, but a very long pattern reflecting fundamental character flaws, a real narcissist with no moral rudder. The archives show that Larry Weitzman, a lawyer who also wrote a column for The Mountain Democrat, was in 2008 sentenced to 27 months for laundering drug money from a client. Unlike David Machado, there is nothing in the public record to show that Weitzman got any special treatment but if anything was treated more harshly as a lawyer who the judge said should have known what his client was up to. David Machado, on the other hand, has shown his classic screw-you defiance to the public with absolutely no sign of remorse whatsoever while getting a sweetheart no-prison-time deal. Why he has so much self-righteous self-confidence, he seems to think he is better than Jesus H Christ.
How things work in El Dorado CountyAugust 02, 2012 - 4:30 am
I would guess that part of the former mayors deal with city hall and the county prosecutor was that the city would over look the code violations, which can cost big bucks in old building, in a downtown building the mayor may have recently purchased from Supervisor Jack Sweeney. Which according to downtown merchants will be subdivided for additional vintage junk dealers. Based on Sq. feet the building should bring in a minimum of $8,000 a month. I would guess, that had the mayor been heavily fined or gone to jail the building sale would have fallen though, can’t help but wonder if Jack and his city council friend put pressure on the DAs office for a light sentence. Additionally, had the mayor been sentenced to jail time, of course there would have been a delay before sentencing which would have been used to get the new build up and running, the mayor could receive an additional $96,000 a year during his jail time, not a bad deal. As for doing community service in Mexico, just being in most parts of Mexico as an American tourist spending US dollars is a community service to those who live there, two 40-hour weeks shopping, sounds more like a two-week vacation to me.
Dr. I. C. SpotsAugust 02, 2012 - 8:57 am
Phil veercamp writes: “How things work in El Dorado County, either shed your anonymity or substantiate your insinuated connections to other county/city officials. I smell rubbish.” For connections for how things work in El Dorado County with “other county/city officials,” would the grand jury reports about the approximately six million dollars of tax payer dollars spent over the course of many years on an over-priced but still not built animal shelter, purchased from one of Supervisor Jack Sweeney’s friends, help answer your question? Is that more corrupt rubbish for you to smell? How many more examples do you want?
Phil veerkampAugust 02, 2012 - 6:39 am
How things work in El Dorado County, either shed your anonymity or substantiate your insinuated connections to other county/city officials. I smell rubbish.
SHAugust 02, 2012 - 8:20 am
Well written, Mr. Esposito. I'm still fuming over how this all went down. And soooo disappointed in Judge Wagoner. Such a betrayal.
Penny B.August 02, 2012 - 9:01 am
Hardly surprising commenters choose anonymity when speaking about the Gambinos.
Phil veerkampAugust 02, 2012 - 9:47 am
Dr. I. C. Spots - Harry? - Harry Reed? - Dat you Harry?
businesss as usual in EDCAugust 02, 2012 - 9:49 am
Dr Spots is correct. Sweeney signed the deal on 5/9/2006 (Exhibit A @ http://www.edcgov.us/Government/GrandJury/Report_2009-2010/GJ09-013.aspx). Reasons for the complaint include: 1. The Board of Supervisors authorized the purchase of a parcel owned by a friend of one Supervisor; 2. The parcel purchased by the County is 10 acres but only about 7 acres are useable; 3. The purchase agreement required the County to build a road and water lines at a cost of approximately $1.5 million to reach the landlocked 10-acre parcel; 4. The road and water lines will enhance the surrounding privately-owned parcels, but the County will not be reimbursed for any of the cost.
questioningAugust 02, 2012 - 10:18 am
Why did that grand jury report on the questionable land deal escape public notice? Why did the DA not follow up on the Machado conspiracy charge? What to make of the fact that Machado was Sweeney's Planning Commissioner? BTW who now owns Florences on Main St?
ConcernedAugust 02, 2012 - 10:55 am
The locals need to become better informed about "civic" shenanigans. Public Relations masks failed government accountability and transparency. Gotta dig to get anywhere close to the truth. And even then one runs into a lot of deep, well fortified stone walls.
business as usual/concernedAugust 02, 2012 - 11:42 am
I can top that one; Recently the county approved a lease agreement for the old blue shield building (behind the old Ford dealership next to the proposed new court house) now county social services for I believe $3.90 a sq.+- foot x 40,000 sq. feet, of course to the right organized people. When you look deeper into the original lease agreement you find what other cost the county assumes and its not $3.90 a sq. foot +-, add the cost of taxes, building and fire insurance, complete maintenance, cost for assessment districts to pay for the new freeway off ramp/over pass, grounds maintenance and every other conceivable cost including the roof and kitchen sink not to mention the tax loss to the county which is made up by the citizens of EDC. All this on a building that a city councilman intervened to waver the cost of road improvements/sidewalks when the building was built, must be great to have good friends in government. I would guess EDC/State of California pay in access of 2.5 million per year, the county could have built a new building for less than 2 years rent not to mention the savings to our tax system over the last 15+- years, that would be, 15 x $2,500.000.00 ……… give or take a couple of bucks. When the original lease was signed by the BOS some say the building value without a tenant at the time the lease was signed was valued under a million dollars, which I would guess was close, want another example?
businesss as usual in EDCAugust 02, 2012 - 12:20 pm
business as usual/concerned: That lease agreement was a BOS agenda item? Approx. date?
business as usualAugust 02, 2012 - 1:12 pm
In early 2012 the lease was up-dated; 2005 report on 3057 Briw Way, Pvil, EDC web site Social Services #1 $106,105.00 annually Social Services #2 $359,216.00 annually Child Support $5,820.00 annually These number do not account for all the other costs, I have a copy of the original lease if its not in the county file, I don’t think they would be so stupid to misplace it given the high profile individuals who own the build. Rightfully, I’m a little concerned about the Gambinos on this one and will be even more concern should I be asked about other larger land dealings, funny how a little government caused cancer can loosen ones tongue.
prime timeAugust 02, 2012 - 1:48 pm
THE STRANGE DEATH OF SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE
that $37 millionAugust 02, 2012 - 7:53 pm
That’s $37 million +- a couple of bucks, most of it could have been avoided regardless of what the state will or will not pay for, but the transfer of government wealth to a selected few in EDC continues as it has for the last 32 years that I know of.
not a pathetic lemmingAugust 05, 2012 - 8:51 am
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that the editor of a newspaper could be so unprofessional. Shameful, but this is this is the Mountain DemaCRAP! All these tit for tat comments. Can ANYONE just get the facts before opening their mouths?? It just goes to prove the insidious behavior that goes on in this community. All this talk about Machado ruining the reputation of this community. MR ESPOSITO, you don't seem to realize that it is YOU that continues to keep the ugly witch hunt going that tarnishes this community!!! SHAME ON YOU for printing opinions and speculations and calling that news!! (This includes my opinion). Back when news was news, it was based on FACTS after ALL the research and sifting through the BS BEFORE it went to print! OH how I miss real news!!! The Mountain Democrap consistant gets the facts wrong and prints stories that misinform the public. What is in your glass house!!??!!
Penny B.August 05, 2012 - 9:55 am
Dave, we all know you're not a "pathetic lemming". And of course you're annoyed by the public discussion and speculation, but complaining about it won't help. Just keep your head down and continue shoveling. Three weeks ago someone calling himself Lee Marnie sounded knowledgeable like you when he wrote "The WHOLE city is corrupt!!! Those that live in glass houses should not throw stones???" Couldn't agree more. But before going back to work, do the Mt. Dem. & its readers a favor. Tell us the correct "facts". That would help put a stop to all the "insidious behavior that goes on in this community."
Dave watcherAugust 05, 2012 - 10:27 am
You're on to something Penny. The former mayor seems lemmings fixated. Isn't that what he called us all the last time?