Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors will reconvene following the July recess, otherwise known as the time when local electeds meet-and-greet their families and stock up on teeth whitener. One item up for review come August is the county’s ambulance contract with Rural/Metro. Word inside the county is that the supes are leaning toward renewing the contract without putting it up for bid. That rare example of governmental efficiency would save staff time and money, but there could be a hitch—and not because Rural/Metro declared bankruptcy last year, and had repeated work stoppage threats and failed to meet response times, and its ambulances are falling apart, and … we could keep going. No, perhaps more disconcerting than all of those red flags, Fly has learned, is that the FBI has been investigating Rural/Metro for its creative political activity. The investigation’s scope is not fully known, but sources say investigators have been looking into the ambulance company’s connection to Pacific Printing, a political mail house aligned with local organized labor. Rural/Metro had close ties to recently unjailed ex-supervisor George Shirakawa Jr., who helped get its county contract approved, and a source tells Fly that agents met with Geo’s close buddy Xavier Campos, a San Jose councilmember whose unwillingness to answer questions about illegal activity cost him his council seat in the June primary. Campaign records show the company gave $19,000 to the South Bay Labor Council’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) in 2012. The company also shelled out more than $83,000 that year supporting Jimmy Nguyen’s failed bid to join the San Jose council. Guess who did his mail? And last year the company paid more than $15,700 to Pacific Printing to help Dwayne Crenshaw—San Diego’s version of Patricia Martinez-Roach—lose yet again. Rural/Metro spokesman Michael Simonsen said the company had no knowledge of any investigation. A call to the FBI requesting comment went unreturned. County exec Jeff Smith and his staff will be preparing a recommendation on reupping Rural/Metro’s contract over the next few weeks.
The Fly
Sources: FBI Investigates County Ambulance Provider Rural/Metro
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County ambulance provider Rural/Metro has its contract up for review next month.
I don’t see the connection between Pacific Printing and Rural/Metro. A lot of people use Pacific to do their mail. Not just labor people. I’m not sure what that would have to do with the county contract.
You obviously don’t have the same information the FBI has.
Can’t fix stupid! Big flag should of been George Shirakawa Jr was involved . Wish the FBI would investigate Reec and his cohurts.
Dave Cortese supports and has benefited from Rural Metro as well. Cortese is more corrupt than George & Xavier combined. Why is no one taking notice of Cortese corruption? Perhaps the FBI will. Running scared Dave?
Maybe but the real corruption man is executive Jeff Smith. Shirakawa could not get away with what he did without an enabler. He couldn’t even remember to tuck his shirt in. Vinod Sharma may have been the fall guy but he kept his executive job and his “demotion” was a pay haircut. Findings and investigations keep bubbling up and Smith keeps smiling and sweeping it under the rug. The man has no interest in the public just himself.
Are we aware of any other businesses that have (multiple) bankruptcies, provide shoddy service to the public, are in bed with politicians, questionable campaign donations and whose leadership have been caught trying to rig campaigns? Oops, forgot theft of competitors property… Sorry MERCURY NEWS.
How about the CPR card scandal? Did the public ever get reimbursed by RM for the calls run by people with the fraudulent cards? Over 800 cards dished out by that lady most of them to 911 services by rm. Just sayin.
CPR cards were not only with the emt’s and medics, but nurses , fire and police. Do the math, there is only 240 employers at Santa Clara Rural Metro.and closer to 900 cards out every 2 years (active).
The CPR cards were no fraudulent…the instructor was. FYI only 140 were from RM ..and there was approximately 480 cards in Santa Clara county.
all agencies were in instructed to retrain their employees and send them back to work…everyone was retrained ( all 480 ) RM is the only agency who investigated the employees, then disciplined and wrongfully terminated 28. the cards were good the whole time. the county would be making the worst mistake, the second worst mistake ever.