Not So Sweet Vindication

This open letter is from Sgt. Pickett's wife. As always, we welcome your thoughts. Email us at recallcy@gmail.com with your input...

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Judge Inveen’s findings yesterday that Cy Sun has abused the public’s trust brought a sense of relief for me. I’ve watched my husband pour his heart and soul into his career protecting the citizens of Pacific. To have his career brought to a premature end by this mayor has been hard to watch. The suffering of real people both at city hall and on the streets of Pacific over the last ten months has been unfair and unjustified. To have that injustice recognized by the court yesterday should have felt sweeter than it did.

 

Any fleeting sense of victory was quickly swallowed up by the reminder of how close the city is to collapse after the city attorney urged the council to prepare to dis-incorporate. I sat in that courtroom yesterday with people who love Pacific and are willing to fight to save it. I know there are many more out there who feel the same. They may not get that chance, and once again Mayor Sun holds all the power. If he appeals Judge Inveen’s decision, he pushes the vote past the insurance carrier’s deadline. This system is so unfair.

 

My husband has worked hard to make Pacific safe. He can't protect the city against this internal harm. He has watched mayors come and go. He’s seen the political tide change so many times in the last 25 years that the hope was to just hang on and wait for the next change in tide. That so much destruction could occur in such a short time was unimaginable last January. There is not time to wait this out. All the efforts by those who love Pacific may not be enough. Again, this system is so unfair.

 

As difficult as it is to retire now; as unfair as this system is; as less-than-satisfying the vindication that came with Inveen’s ruling yesterday – it is the citizens of Pacific who suffer the most. They lose a trusted cop and friend. They are faced with increased home owner insurance premiums. They risk the loss of their senior center, police force, water system and more. They watch their community be torn apart by the anger and lies. No, there is no sweetness in the legal victory yesterday for me. Only tears and the increasingly difficult struggle to make sure Pacific survives this latest political storm.

Karen Pickett