"It was election night in November of 2016. Inside Nader Agha’s antique store in downtown Monterey, a group of Democratic Party regulars was watching TV and fretting mightily about the ascendancy of Donald Trump. But in the adobe conference building behind the store ..."
"Popping champagne bottles with him were his partners and tenants, the founders of one of the state’s most prominent and, at one time, most promising pot endeavors, Salinas-based Grupo Flor."
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"Agha and Grupo Flor founder Mike Bitar were once the closest of friends, so close that Bitar was able to convince many that he was Agha’s nephew, so close that Agha made him the executor of his estate. Now they grit their teeth when they talk about each other"
* MIKE BITAR
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someone who calls the @SalinasPD "my police". She received over $10,000 from the police union and $30,000 from the dead fmr. Mayor's political account. He dropped dead suddenly but his political account still gave the winner, @kimbleycraig, money. Craig won by losing
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64% of the vote. She revived a 1,500
+\- vote difference from the next highest vote getter.
The speaker in support of Craig is the fmr. Salinas Police Chief.
was about how Nancy was mad at certain members for taking a free flight aboard a mil transport jet to hang out in Paris (on business). Farr and his guest thought it was HILARIOUS that Nancy was pissed off about the "optics".
They also thought it was cute that when Nancy
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called everyone on a speaker call (think Zoom pre-pandemic but non-video) many of them were in Aspen (giggles giggles) "but we didn't dare tell Nancy that because she was already worried about what the [American people] would think".
"Schneider has filed a series of complaints with the Sheriff’s Office, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, the state Fair Political Practices Commission. For the most part, the Sheriff’s Office and the DA’s Office have ignored him" voicesofmontereybay.org/2020/06/14/on-…
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"Let’s go back to the FBI. Monterey County Weekly reporter Mary Duan broke the news last year that the FBI had questioned another campaign manager about reports of cash possibly floating between local campaigns."
The guy on the far right is Dave Drew a retired cocaine trafficker who @JerryBrownGov #pardoned in 2018.
The two to Dave’s left are now deceased #Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter and Gary Edwards. Both retired @SalinasPD, both continued performing background checks for the dept.
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Now, see that guy circled in red? That is Mike Bitar a “founder” of Grupo Flor and payer to @RepJimmyPanetta’s political consultant Plasha Will, as well as donor to Jimmy Panetta himself.
Bitar is living in Carmel but his house in Salinas is in foreclosure.
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Bitar’s prior claim to fame was his ownership of a local fast food hot dog joint where he defrauded the workers compensation system and was charged by then DA Dean Flippo for his crimes. Bitar lost his real estate license over that issue, and many others, because he was also
The public comments were not simply "complaining". The comments were not, singularly, about the officer in question. The comments were about racism in Pacific Grove, about people feeling unsafe - because of the @PacificGrovePD.
the crap out of the Matre D' of Robata's Sushi in Carmel? Nightsticked him hard. I remember talking with the victim and he had a hard time talking about it years after the "incident", as the racists in Pacific Grove called it.
How about the time one of PG's finest was
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"whacking the snot out of goofy" in the parking lot of the Barnyard.
How about one of PG's finest writing so many traffic tickets that the copper was literally making infractions up and rolling the dice. (nothing happened. officer won)
The intro to the @PacificGrove city council, as they say farewells, can best be described as saccharine.
This is a city so bold that it's one major accomplishment (minus the massive financial impropriety) was awarding fmr. Mayor Morrie Fisher free life-time golf.
And the Chief blames Government Code Section 3300-3312. Colloquially referred to as the Police Officers Bill of Rights. But the Chief claims that the process works.