And The Booby Goes To ...

By Jerry Davee, Del Cerro

E-MAIL STORY

Tuesday, July 1, 2008 | This is a non-story and embarrassing that voiceofsandiego.org even chose to run it. The woman is the CEO of CCDC. She was asked to sign a document on behalf of CCDC extending the time for negotiations with a developer. She did not participate in ANY negotiations with that developer and did not negotiate the extension. That was done by John Collum, a senior project manager with CCDC who is negotiating with the developer. No one has said she had anything to do with any negotiation with this developer, as confirmed by the chairman of the board of directors of CCDC.

Nancy Graham had previously recused herself from all negotiations. Signing this document was not a negotiation. A CEO signs hundreds of documents negotiated by others on the staff because many documents require the CEO's signature. What she may have profited from in Florida with some other development has nothing to do with this transaction and you know it.

This is not Pulitzer Prize winning journalism. It's not even Booby- prize reporting.

7 Comments so far on this story...

What is a "Booby-Prize" award? And how can I win one???

Posted by Billy Bob Henry | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 5:38 pm

Jerry Davee is an outstanding community member but he is dead wrong about Nancy Graham. When she was in West Palm Beach she got away with conflicts of interest that would not be tolerated in San Diego. In San Diego she has perfected cronyism to a fine art. I believe she was influential in awarding Related the contract to redevelop the 7th and Market site even though the Robert Green Company's proposal was financially more favorable. After receiving exclusive negotiating rights, Related then modified their proposal in a bait and switch scam.

Posted by Ian Trowbridge | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 6:50 pm

This is the best defense you guys can muster? Don't you know that in the real world, if, for instance, a politician or newspaper gets one complaint, that means hundreds or thousands of other people have thought the same thing? Here, Nancy Graham is shown to have done exactly what she said she would not do, and you are to have us believe this is one little insignificant issue unworthy of the press, when history and reality have time and again demonstrated otherwise? // You ain't no editor.

Posted by Christopher Hall | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 7:43 pm

Billy you've already been there and done that, no need for anymore recognition that might inflate your already larger-than-life ego cause we’d be afraid, very afraid!

Posted by Just Wondering | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 8:01 pm

BBH, it's named after you, silly. You win one every day.

Posted by Algernon | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 8:52 pm

I think we need to know more about the lawyers who represent public entities. It seems that the lawyers make the decisions, and the officials and employees just obey them. If there's a problem, everyone says, "I was just doing what my (choose one: client or lawyer) told me to do."

Posted by Maura Larkins | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 10:55 pm

If you have any doubt how serious matter this is, read "While America Aged" by Roger Lowenstein, particularly the chapters on San Diego's pension problem. People who had a statutory duty to do something fudged on their obligation, then fudged some more, then just plain committed crimes. It's disgusting. If Graham did what is alleged here, she should be immediately removed from that office. Of course this is a big deal. It's about another quasi-public official (reportedly) deliberately failing to uphold an unambiguous obligation.

Posted by JimG | reply to this comment
July 2, 2008 10:40 am

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