Payton Perspective: Antioch Council must remove Lamar Thorpe from the Economic Development Commission, as Stand By Council Member, for role in costly casino initiative

Payton Perspective logo 2015By Allen Payton

Lamar Thorpe, his wife and one other Antioch resident just put the City in a bind. The Council was forced to either adopt an unnecessary ordinance from an initiative for which they were the proponents and funded by an out of town casino, to limit the number of card rooms in Antioch from two to one, or spend between $132,771 and $177,028 on a special election.

While the Council chose to allow the initiative to go to the ballot, I hold Thorpe personally responsible for costing Antioch taxpayers that amount of money that could be used, instead to pay for at least one police officer for a year.

Here’s the crazy part. Thorpe is a member of the Antioch Economic Development Commission and was nominated by Mayor Wade Harper and appointed by the City Council. He’s supposed to be working to help grow the local economy. Instead, he’s chosen to be a shill for the California Grand Casino in Pacheco, to limit competition for them and creating a monopoly for the only current card room in Antioch, the 19th Hole.

Whether or not you agree with gambling, as I do not, the issue is what is the role of a member of the Antioch Economic Development Commission? Doing the bidding for out of town interests to limit competition in our city is not one of those.

Lamar Thorpe

Lamar Thorpe. Herald file photo.

A representative of the same people behind the initiative approached me, last fall. I told them flat out no way would I be a front person for them, even though I oppose gambling, as it violates my faith. I don’t want an out of town business dictating what we will or won’t do in our city.

Thorpe chose to go the opposite direction, thinking this might help him to advance himself politically, possibly in another run for City Council. He lost his race in 2012 after he wouldn’t admit to something he did in college, and continued to lie about it, blaming the student newspaper.

The worst thing is he didn’t even have the guts to get up from his seat in the audience and speak at the Council meeting, and identify himself as the leading proponent, when Mayor Harper asked for the proponents to get up and speak. Instead he let the California Grand Casino’s attorney speak.

For that reason alone he should have never been appointed to the commission, nor by Councilwoman Monica Wilson as one of her Stand By Council Members. She also appointed Thorpe’s wife as one. Wilson should also immediately rescind those appointments.

While there may not be a financial conflict of interest for Thorpe in what he did on the card room initiative, he has a serious conflict because he’s been working against his responsibilities as a commissioner, as well as the interests of both the commission and the City in general.

It’s time the Council voted to remove Thorpe from the commission, and send the message out to all commissioners and residents that this is not acceptable behavior for anyone who wants to serve the City in a leadership or representative position.


18 Comments to “Payton Perspective: Antioch Council must remove Lamar Thorpe from the Economic Development Commission, as Stand By Council Member, for role in costly casino initiative”

  1. Loretta Sweatt says:

    That’s one of the reasons I resigned as Commissioner of the EDC. Lamar said he gambles and it would help if he did it in Antioch and not Pacheco. Initiatives have no business being presented at or by or part of the EDC agenda and husbands need to recuse themselves if their wives are going to speak at their Commission irregardless of immediate financial aspects, because sooner or later, money is going to change hands; they’re not working for food.

    • Iris Archuleta says:

      I have been thinking about this post a lot, and want to say just 2 things. The first is that I clearly hurt Loretta’s feelings at that meeting when I asked her to not cut me off and to let me finish my presentation before asking questions. I will admit that I had a bit of a tone, and could have tried to be more patient. For that I apologize, because I don’t like hurting people. She did not deserve that.

      Second, my presentation was an informational one. It was made to a commission who has no policy making authority, and can only make recommendations to City Council. There was no request made for the commission to recommend anything to City Council. In fact, I have made it clear, on the record, in front of City Council that there is absolutely nothing I want from them.

      Last, Loretta is right. I do not work for bread. I have been in business since 1992, and that is how my husband and I make our living. However, I will sometimes use our own resources to launch efforts that benefit our community when I sense that I can make a difference. That is all I am trying to do.

      Iris

    • Julio says:

      I want to thank Ms. Sweatt for standing up and voicing the truth. Also, you are right on about the money.

  2. Arne says:

    Commissioners and Board Members served at the will and pleasure of the City Council. They can be removed at any time without an explanation.

    Likewise, Standby Council Members (who are only called upon during a declared city emergency when a Council Member is not available) serve at the will and pleasure of the Council Member who appointed them. They can also be removed and replaced at any time without explanation.

  3. Burk says:

    Agree 100%. Remove him. If he wants to make decisions or work on Antioch issues, he can do so as a citizen or try and get elected to a position.

  4. Julio says:

    He tried to get elected to the council and failed miserably. The reasons for that were covered here and in the East County Times.

  5. Amy says:

    Referendum voting should be done away with completely, the only exception being constitutional amendments. It’s called representative government. The people elect the representatives and they write the ordinances. If we the people don’t like the laws, then we have to elect better leaders. The ability of special interest groups to push their agenda on voters is both costly to the be people and takes away the proper role of the elected official. Hey, maybe I will start a petition to do away with petitions!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. Donna says:

    I hate it when people will do something just to get elected. It shows their lack of character and morals.

  7. Karl dietzel says:

    I am also in favor that the council dismisses
    Economic development commissioner Lamar Thorpe.
    He is representing out of town special interest
    Groups, which try to stop economic growth/ employment,
    In Antioch. Isn’t that excactly the opposite what that
    Committee is there for?
    Wasn’t economic growth and job creation one of
    Lamar Thorpe’s platforms when he run for city council?
    What happens to basic ethics?
    We need committee members who represent
    Antioch’s needs at all levels.
    I wonder if there are any “consultant” fees
    involved, mileage, phone bills, etc?

    What a shame, Lamar Thorpe.

    Antioch council members, please take action,
    I also would like to see that the other economic
    Development members distance themselves
    from Mr Lamar Thorpe.

    • Karl dietzel says:

      Add on question:

      How many other yes/ no votes/ recommendations
      From mr Lamar Thorpe were influenced/ directed
      From out of town groups, investors, builders?

      • Guillermo Briceno says:

        Government decisions are moved by $$$ interest from any side and that is not the point. All should be what is the best interest for our citizens.
        One gambling business in our town is enough, what other business could be attracted?? Do we have a good plan to attract business in our area? More houses in old downtown will attract business?? can we preserve existing houses and merge a better landscape to improve area creating new environment for new business???

        Why we can not listen our citizens in the affected area ? why not listen new group of investors?

  8. Reginald Jamal Brown says:

    Wasn’t Lamar Thorpe under investigation for kidnapping or attempted rape or something similar?

  9. Publisher says:

    WARNING: The following comment contains language that, while both historical and factual, might be found to be offensive to some readers.

    Mr. Brown,
    Please see the Herald article, here – http://antiochherald.com/2014/10/p13621/ regarding Mr. Thorpe’s actions while a senior in college.

    It was not for kidnapping or attempted rape. It was for something much less serious, but still serious.

    As the article states – he was found guilty of disorderly conduct for “lewd and indecent behavior” by Student Judicial Services (SJS) at George Washington University (GW). The charges stemmed from an incident that took place in September, 2006, according to a University Police Department (UPD) Incident Report that was obtained by the GW Hatchet [student newspaper].

    The article further quotes from “The third and final Hatchet article on the matter, dated August 17, 2007, all of which are still online, stated the following:

    A female sophomore accused Thorpe and then-Vice President of Student Activities Richard Fowler of forcing her to perform oral sex and drink excessively in September 2006, a University Police Department Incident Report states. The report, which was filed on April 22, classifies the alleged offense as first-degree sexual abuse. Both Thorpe and Fowler have repeatedly said they are unaware of the alleged incident and of a case before SJS.

    Thorpe…lost an appeal to overturn the disorderly conduct charge, according to SJS records. A sanction letter states that his punishment is one year of disciplinary probation until May 2008.

    “Based upon various standards and guidelines as established by campus organizations, departments, administrators, and/or faculty, conditions of your probation may include exclusion from co-curricular activities,” the letter states. “Violations of the terms of Disciplinary Probation or any other violations of this ‘Code’ during the period of probation may result in suspension or expulsion from the University.”

    …“Thorpe was 25 and the other three students were 19 at the time the complaint was reported to UPD, according to the Incident Report.”

    It was a foolish action of a college student – Thorpe – which he continued to deny ever happened, at least through his Antioch City Council campaign in 2014.

    Allen Payton, Publisher

  10. […] man has been the recipient of a public assault of battery on his character and that the political pressure from the newspapers seem to be coming down on this council to make that decision. The decision should not be made based […]

  11. Rich Buongiorno says:

    I try my best when it comes election time to weed through it all and rely on the media for background, but I am confused. This is a glowing recommendation. I don;t know the person, so that’s a chalk mark on one side, then, the Thorpe endorsement becomes a problem for me. I read the following published just 7 months ago in the Antioch Herald (http://antiochherald.com/2016/02/p20180/):

    While the Council chose to allow the initiative to go to the ballot, I hold Thorpe personally responsible for costing Antioch taxpayers that amount of money that could be used, instead to pay for at least one police officer for a year.

    “Here’s the crazy part. Thorpe is a member of the Antioch Economic Development Commission and was nominated by Mayor Wade Harper and appointed by the City Council. He’s supposed to be working to help grow the local economy. Instead, he’s chosen to be a shill for the California Grand Casino in Pacheco, to limit competition for them and creating a monopoly for the only current card room in Antioch, the 19th Hole.

    Whether or not you agree with gambling, as I do not, the issue is what is the role of a member of the Antioch Economic Development Commission? Doing the bidding for out of town interests to limit competition in our city is not one of those.”

    Which side of the board does the chalk mark go now?

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