voiceofsandiego.org: Letters... I Am Sorry, for You

Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 | I am sorry when I must inform a person requesting records that the Public Records Act expressly exempts from disclosure privileged information.

I am sorry that voiceofsandiego.org was dissatisfied in July 2007 when it promptly received a summary of the amounts the Southeastern Economic Development paid to my firm for legal services in response to a Public Records Act request.

I am sorry that I responded by agreeing to perform the task of redacting privileged and confidential information from multiple years of statements for legal services even though there is no legal authority requiring that I do so for this type of document.

I am sorry that in 2007 no one from voiceofsandiego.org ever came to review the redacted statements for legal services which took some time to prepare.

I am sorry that voiceofsandiego.org's attention to its own Public Records Act requests unexpectedly vacillates from indifference to exclusive focus.

I am sorry that when voiceofsandiego.org recently renewed its request for the records the SEDC staff was unable to immediately locate the documents from 2007 so that the redaction task had to be performed again.

I am sorry that there were extra demands placed on my time in September due to the replacement of more than half of the board members of the SEDC.

I am sorry that there were extra demands placed on my time in September because of the additional board and committee meetings that were held by the SEDC.

I am sorry my highest priority in September was attending to the needs of a Board of Directors managing a major organizational transition.

I am sorry that my daughter's desire that I accompany her as she relocated to France was inconvenient for voiceofsandiego.org.

I am sorry that I shortchanged my daughter by delaying the trip to be present for the SEDC Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 24 and limiting the trip to return in time for another agency's board meeting on Oct.2.

I am sorry that my presence was required at publicly noticed meetings of the SEDC and other agencies on Oct. 2, 9, 10, 13 and 14 so that Will Carless was unable to determine my whereabouts.

I am sorry that Will Carless called me at my home on Oct. 9 while I was attending a publicly noticed meeting at the SEDC.

I am sorry that Will Carless has repeatedly falsely claimed that responses to Public Records Act requests were late.

I am sorry that Will Carless is a bully.

I am sorry that Will Carless did not notice that his abusive conduct caused me to stop taking or returning his telephone calls in early August.

I am sorry that Will Carless cannot discern any real news to use for his blog in light of the global financial, political and social issues of the day.

Editor's Note: Will Carless has doggedly, yet professionally, pursued open records and answers from an agency that has been extremely reluctant to provide either. While this can sometimes be a tense effort, we stand behind his work.

I am sorry that Regina Petty continues to dodge and weave when it comes to giving the citizens of San Diego a truthful accounting of her billing to SEDC. What she does, however, is give those of us who want to see SEDC dissolved another strong reason why this poor excuse of a city-owned non-profit should be written off as a bad experiment. I suspect either she doesn't have the dates, times, and tasks recorded, or she knows that what she supposedly did for SEDC will conflict with her billing for other agencies. Her behavior is abysmal, and it is time for the board to release her.

Posted by Larry | reply to this comment
October 20, 2008 3:09 pm

Is this letter for real? If so, how unprofessional is Regina Petty? Her last name is spot on - petty.

Posted by What? | reply to this comment
October 20, 2008 3:13 pm

"Exempts from disclosure privileged information" Is that not also what the Whitehouse staffers claimed - when they refused to answer the questions of our Congress? So, is everything our city offices do "privilege information" or just that which they fear to release to the public? How can anyone do a budget or keep accounting correct when the data they need to have to keep their book straight is "Privilege Information"?

Posted by Iknowtodd | reply to this comment
October 20, 2008 4:18 pm

I've got a solution so that she can go to France with her daughter whenever she likes, won't have to deal with redacting billing records, and won't have to deal with the bullying of Will Carless: Bye-bye Regina. BTW: Exactly what of a billing record needs to be redacted????? The amount of hours, when they were billed, for what general topic and for how much was billed should contain zero information that requires a single line to be redacted. For that matter, anything short of giving away a negotiating position in current or future litigation should be made public as a matter of course. If the SEDC and its lawyer doesn't think that is fair to answer to the taxpayers, then the SEDC can stop using taxpayers dollars and the authority vested in it by the taxpayers to act on the taxpayers expense as of yesterday.

Posted by Paul | reply to this comment
October 20, 2008 7:15 pm

If there was anyone who has not been able to decifer the mind-set at SEDC and CCDC, this "sorry" letter should do the trick. It represents everything wrong with these organizations. They are arrogant, self-absorbed, irritable, mean, hostile, superior, blame-shifting, condescending, angry, and, in this case, histerical (read the letter out loud!). Contrary to the theme of this letter, Will Carless has done this community a great service. Unless Ms. Petty already knew about and approved of the unauthorized payments SEDC was distributing to its top staff, as a public servant, she should be happy that the information came out, the public good served. But people with the above mind-set don't simply say, "I truly am sorry for not responding in a timely manner; things have been busy; we have a small firm, and I've been out of the country." No, not these people!

Posted by businessman | reply to this comment
October 20, 2008 7:18 pm

What a sorry exhibition. Petty needs to be shown the door immediately. She appears unable and unwilling to provide the professional skills required in the job, and has demonstrated a degree of malice that should make her employers immediately curtail any opportunity to sabotage from within.

Posted by Yes, she is very sorry | reply to this comment
October 20, 2008 7:26 pm

I'm sorry this is your 15 minutes of "fame". That must really blow.

Posted by Celeste | reply to this comment
October 20, 2008 7:48 pm

There's nothing like a "bullying" reporter to rile one's chutzpah up. I suggest Regina Petty just bite the bullet, provide those requested documents to voiceofsandiego.org and stop complaining. Ms Petty seems to imagine that "privileged" information is only for insiders with more privileges than they can handle legitimately. What she's sitting on and repeatedly redacting is PUBLIC INFORMATION and should be provided to reporter Will Carless forthwith.

Posted by Fed Up | reply to this comment
October 20, 2008 8:22 pm

I am sorry that Regina Petty is such an indifferent legal council that with her advice and consent the SEDC deteriorated into a cesspool of fraud. I am sorry that Regina Petty accuses a reporter of misconduct instead of just following the public disclosure laws. I am sorry that Regina Petty shamelessly advised disgraced Board Chair Owen to ignore motions from Cruz Gonzales and Rich Geisler in public meetings. I am sorry that the SEDC board has not fired Regina Petty.

Posted by Fred Williams | reply to this comment
October 21, 2008 6:14 am

Presumably this is a lame attempt at a joke? What can possibly be privileged about the number of hours worked? And as for the bleating about her job intefering with her personal life - join the club, it's called the real world.

Posted by Chris | reply to this comment
October 21, 2008 11:59 am

I'm sorry I read this piece of garbage thinking it would be a sincere reason why it has taken her so long to provide this basic information.

Posted by eas | reply to this comment
October 21, 2008 1:13 pm

I'm sorry the City of San Diego is wasting my tax dollars on this organization while paying who knows how much in legal fees where a practicing attorney refuses to follow the law.

Posted by JustWondering | reply to this comment
October 21, 2008 2:17 pm

Little Miss Petty: I am sorry you protected Carolyn Smith's interest over that of the public. I am sorry you have to produce documentation that almost certainly will show you were overpaid by the agency (bonuses, perhaps?). I am sorry someone who serves as counsel to numerous public organizations pretends not to have a clue about the Public Records Act. I am sorry you thought it was professional, productive or smart to write this letter. I am sorry we have you ostensibly looking out for the public interest, for you have done a very sorry job. Go Voice!

Posted by I am sorry SEDC hired you! | reply to this comment
October 21, 2008 2:18 pm

Ms. Petty is one of the reasons for all the bad lawyer jokes. She should be reported and investigated by State Board of Bar Governors ASAP. I have never read such a rude, immature letter by one who should know better. No wonder she functioned well as the legal council to the corrupt SEDC. Birds of a feather and all that.

Posted by susan mournian | reply to this comment
October 21, 2008 3:43 pm

Hey Will, I'm just wondering if its true...Stick and stones can break your bones but name (calling ) will never hurt you? Quit being such a bully and go do some more great investigative reporting on SEDC and all those invovled in this debacle.

Posted by JustWondering | reply to this comment
October 21, 2008 5:17 pm

They do hurt... Proof positive; He refused to post replies that are anti Will Carless and support the tone and tenor of the letter above. While I think EVERYONE at SEDC should resign does not negate the assertions made relative to Will Carless.

Posted by Harold Freezedropper | reply to this comment
October 24, 2008 9:07 am

we accept your appology. Now get the heck out of here. We need people that won't generate reasons to say they are sorry. We need poeple who do not have the attitude that they can do what ever they want with our money and then say they are sorry. a very transparent letter but we'll accept your "sorry" as a goodbye. Maybe the blame for the budget problem will finally come to light. It has nothing to do with the actual "real" city employee. But these fake, take, shake, and make people need to go. no more sorry's will be accepted.

Posted by Frank | reply to this comment
October 23, 2008 8:04 am

OMG was this the biggest meltdown I have ever seen from a government employee!

Posted by Billy Bob Henry | reply to this comment
October 23, 2008 5:27 pm

How ironic that Ms. Petty is well, so petty; so petty that she didn't realize how her "apology" actually READS. And the 15- minutes of fame comment is hilarious! LOL! Perhaps Pity Poor Petty? Not when it's her job to be responsive. Can you spell unprofessional? Yes we can. Sad. If she reads the comments maybe she really will be sorry for something.

Posted by Watching from the stands | reply to this comment
October 24, 2008 11:08 am

I Am Sorry, for You

By Regina Petty, San Diego