Over on the Spokane newspaper blog, there’s a false rumor posted under the gossip headline of “Huckleberries Hears…” (apparently the blog meister thinks this absolves him from the blatant untruths he often writes under this heading.) Yesterday he wrote this:
Posted by DFO
Aug. 24, 2011 4:34 p.m.
” The Reagan Republicans have a booth directly across from the union folks. The Reagan Republicans are selling the Corrupt d’Alene bumperstickers.”
Here’s what CdA Citycouncilwoman Deanna Goodlander (pictured) had to say in response to this totally unsubstantiated rumor:
deannagoodlander on August 24 at 9:05 p.m:
“Since the Reagan Republicans in their infinite wisdom choose to call my City, and by inference myself, Mayor and other Council members and City Staff, corrupt, I thought that I would look up the meaning of the word. Corrupt – dictionary.com. guilty of dishonest practice, as bribery…..lacking integrity, crooked, debased in charactor, depraved, wicked evil.
How do you react to such name calling? The people I know and work with do not resemble those words in any way. We are simply trying to do our jobs the best way we know how. Others may disagree with our decisions, but does that give them the right to use such words against us? In todays political world, it seems that anything goes, If you call people corrupt, somehow that will make others believe that we are, in fact, corrupt. There has been no proof of corruption, no investigations that prove corruption. Tell me please who really is lacking integrity, is wicked or evil? What kind of people will pay money to put those bumberstickers on their car? Just asking.”
And here’s the response, in an email to me and others, from Reagan Republican President Jeff Ward today:
“In no case were these bumper stickers ever sold from the KCRR Booth. I was told Larry Spencer was giving them away around the fair but they were not distributed or sold from our booth.
Although the method of pointing out corruption in CDA may be in dispute, there is no doubt the CDA city government is rife with corruption.
Politicians love to deflect charges of corruption by claiming “I never made a dime.” Nixon and Clinton were masters of this tactic. True politicians do not use money as currency, they use power. Various politicians in CDA have traded money for power for years. Look at the public disclosure forms of the current city council and you will see the flow of money from those who financially benefit by the practice of using tax dollars to increase certain property values. Urban renewal is a corrupt scheme for government to benefit certain (not all) property owners by diverting tax dollars in an effort to increase the value of their property under the cynical guise of increasing tax revenues and urban beautification.
Winners: certain developers, certain land owners, certain builders, certain building trades unions and certain politicians. No wonder Deanna Goodlander, and her friends at the North Idaho Labor Council are mad because they are tagged with a fitting moniker.
Ms. Goodlander does not make an excellent point. I am all for civility and politeness but if we do not hold people accountable for their actions by pointing out what and who they are, we are being dishonest with ourselves. There may be more effective ways of rooting out corruption but let’s not shy away from telling truth to power. The emperor has no clothes.”
Jeff Ward
President, Kootenai County Reagan Republicans
jward@reaganrepublicans.net
Your thoughts?
Goodlander is correct. There have been no investigations or conviction of guilt. Why, because the powers in control decides who gets investigated. Soon enough that will change Deanna. Soon enough the sand castles will crumble.
Comment by Wallypog — August 25, 2011 @ 2:58 pm
You’re right about that, Wallypog. After I ran for city council in ’05 and lost, the city brought a totally frivolous charge against me, saying I accepted some sort of bribe. It was a fully made-up lie with no basis in fact. The mayor ordered an “investigation”. A year later a report was written that said there was no evidence to back up the claim. I asked who had made the original complaint and Mayor Bloem was forced to admit that she did!
During my meeting with the mayor, she mentioned they have had city employees who have committed misdemeanors and worse while on the job (I have never worked for the city and was not an employee). I asked her if they’ve ever done an investigation on any city employee. She said “No”.
But they were willing to investigate me. I raised $7,000 during my camaign, while my opponent Mike Kennedy raised $27,000…no investigation there!
Comment by mary — August 25, 2011 @ 3:12 pm
Deanna should apologize. Linda from the Reagan Republicans has asked her to and I hope she will as her comments were totally unfounded and in response to an unsubstantiated rumor that has proven completely false.
Comment by mary — August 25, 2011 @ 4:16 pm
Well, Deanna is right about one thing; the HBO blog meister is a rumor monger.
Comment by Gary Ingram — August 25, 2011 @ 5:16 pm
Well, Deanna is right about one thing; the HBO blog meister is a rumor monger. And when confronted with it, he asks his minions to check it out. Unbelievable.
Comment by Gary Ingram — August 25, 2011 @ 5:19 pm
Dante placed folks like that in the Eighth Circle of Hell. The final circle is reserved for the treacherous and some might say that gossip-mongers reside there.
In any event, Hell is certainly there and waiting the unrepentant sinner. Sadly once the evil of corruption has been allowed in the sinner often becomes so spiritually blind so fast that they no longer are capable of recognizing the Truth. Very sad.
Comment by justinian — August 25, 2011 @ 6:05 pm
Didn’t catch that one the first time. Snicker, snicker.
Comment by Dan — August 25, 2011 @ 6:47 pm
Deanna did apologize at 4:30 this afternoon over on the Spokane blog. Why would an elected official take off on such an angry rant when she wasn’t at all sure the information was accurate? Do you think she really believes the gossip-miester who runs that blog? Not professional behavior by a City Council member.
Comment by mary — August 25, 2011 @ 7:40 pm
LMAO. Sorry Mary, but you wrote “Not professional behavior by a City Council member.” When have they ever started that kind of behavior to begin with?
Comment by concerned citizen — August 25, 2011 @ 8:40 pm
After reading Deanna’s quote above, I still wonder who wrote that long motion she read at the last Mc Euen hearing at Woodland School.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — August 26, 2011 @ 7:27 am
Deanna, in response to your rhetorical question, I would pay for one of those bumbersnickers for my car as long as the proceeds went to a fund to unseat the current members of the Cd’A city council.
Comment by Ancientemplar — August 26, 2011 @ 8:07 am
You’re so right, CC, but I keep expecting good governance. It’s kind of like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown: She says, “just trust me”, they pulls the ball away every time.
Comment by mary — August 26, 2011 @ 9:29 am
Goodlander said, “We are simply trying to do our jobs the best way we know how.” The best way they know how is no longer good enough.
Goodlander said, “Others may disagree with our decisions, but does that give them the right to use such words against us?” No, that right is affirmed by the US and Idaho Constitutions. Goodlander is unfamiliar with both documents.
Good for Jeff Ward for responding to Goodlander. To the extent there is corruption in Coeur d’Alene City government, Deanna Goodlander shares the responsibility for its existence. Her inability or unwillingness to recognize it confirms the need for her to leave.
Comment by Bill — August 26, 2011 @ 9:53 am
Bill, perhaps now that Deanna Goodlander has looked up the word “corruption” in the dictionary, we can expect better behavior from her and the entire council?
Comment by mary — August 26, 2011 @ 9:58 am
Ms Goodlander needs to look up 2 more words in the dictionary: Humility and arrogant. Then she can decide which one best describes her and the entire council.
Comment by Wallypog — August 26, 2011 @ 10:48 am
Mary,
No, and Wallypog’s including “arrogant” in his characterization explains why.
Comment by Bill — August 26, 2011 @ 11:05 am