Dear Editor,

It looks to me that this City Council has a 5-ring circus going on over the Chief of Police playing favoritism.

It looks like the former police officer Mike Eggener quit the force to become a Union Agent for Operating Engineers Local 3, was it because he became disgruntled over the chief and this was one way to get back at him, I assume there was many reasons for this officer to quit his job and become a Union agent. There is many political people who do favorites for others. I wonder if Mayor Paul made any special favors for her friends.

Mayor Paul and Councilman Howard are saying that Oakdale officers should not have gone out to help a distress senior woman when she called for help, after all, there was this intruder in her back yard, and this Council said the Chief played favoritism. To the former mayor’s mother-in-law. How many favorites did Eggener play as a police officer. Why is the Operating Engineers Local 3 letting Mr. Eggener handle this particular case. Did he ask for it, and Why.

Why is the Council thinking of going out of town to merger with Riverbank when Riverbank is patrolled by the Sheriff’s Dept., is this the future for Oakdale to consolidate with other police and sheriff’s departments. This is happening all over the state. It’s not the money, it’s the future of a police state. Mayor Paul and Councilman Howard said they are “honoring campaign promise,” to whom? For a selected few people in town, Oakdale Police Officer Association and a selected few who didn’t get their way.

Mayor Paul should know that a Administrator and the Chief of Police works at the pleasure of the City Council. If they do not like the performance of either employee they can release him from his contract. Where is the leadership that was promised. This makes Oakdale a laughing stock as Riverbank over one of its councilmen. This is a personnel matter.

If this is all this City Council can do, maybe not electing those who are up for election or a recall.

Mayor and Councilmen better get busy and talk over how they can get more businesses in town, fix streets and street signs, neighborhoods. There is plenty to do, instead dwelling on this issue. If the people involved said there was no favoritism, then let it go, instead of amusing the media, and a disgruntled former police officer who became a union agent.

Alice M. Garcia