Just received moments ago from Jim Brannon: An Open Letter to Mike Kennedy
Addendum on April 13, 2010: I have received several calls and emails from regular readers asking what precipitated Jim Brannon’s letter linked above. At the risk of offending some of those and other readers, I am going to link to a tabloid website out of Spokane. Jim Brannon’s letter was a response to this comment captioned Mike K on April 12 at 9:50 a.m. Readers will need to scroll down to that specific comment.
This letter makes me wonder if a new election would get Barry McHugh and John “Witch Hunt” Cafferty off the hook. They wouldn’t have to let Starr Kelso see anything.
Comment by doubleseetripleeye — April 13, 2010 @ 8:08 am
Good grief! Poor little Mikey, boo fiddly hoo. I suspect that his deep pocket friends will take care of his legal fees. After all he is in office to take care of their “needs”. And it is their best interest to see that he is able to run for higher office. Mikey doesn’t appear to be underfed and he frequently adds to his family population. So my guess is his financials are well taken care of. His post on the appalling HBO blog was a self serving whiny fake. Waste of time Mikey, you were preaching to the choir over there. And as much as I lack respect for you, I would never have the hubris to accuse you of not being a good Christian. That was really slimy.
Comment by rochereau — April 13, 2010 @ 9:04 am
Kennedy seems like a skewered bug dangling over a fiery pit, desperate and stuck. Notice how DFO seems to be distancing himself from Kennedy? Looks like the rats who can are abandoning the well holed SS Kennedy. Now how many others in this fleet of scalawags will consequentially be sunk in the ensuing battle?
Comment by Wallypog — April 13, 2010 @ 9:06 am
LOL – that’s good Bill, really good. I thought about it. 🙂 I also want folks to watch Coffee with the Mayor where DFO, Mike Patrick, Wendy Gabriel, and Woody discuss bloggers and blogs. I would have recorded it, but I don’t have a DVR. I gained a more respect for Woody as a public official with his take on why he doesn’t “clear” things up on Huckleberries. The city does not accept comments because they don’t have the time. I thought Mike Patrick was fair and balanced while DFO made every dig he could get by bragging about his 80 or so regular followers who might get fired if they were exposed. He also explains that commenters are not bloggers to the contrary of the Mayor’s understanding of the terms. DFO is looking forward to retirement. There’s a little history lesson and other chit chat. I thought it was good, but that guy with the coffee cup, I don’t know about him.
Comment by Stebbijo — April 13, 2010 @ 9:36 am
Oh, back on topic – I am reserving my comment about this open letter. I want to see if Mike K actually responds – anywhere.
Comment by Stebbijo — April 13, 2010 @ 9:37 am
Stebbijo,
If the City’s propaganda channel had really been interested in an intelligent discussion about blogging, they would have invited Dan Gookin to participate. Dan has forgotten more about BBSs, websites, and weblogs than the named participants will ever know.
Comment by Bill — April 13, 2010 @ 9:58 am
Bill, I agree. More intelligence would have helped, but it was entertaining. It would have also been nice if they had invited real bloggers.
BBS’s paved the way for the Internet. I know that because my husband ran a BBS and he helped bring the Internet to Coeur d’Alene, but that is his story.
After the Internet became a real thing, folks started to create their own websites. It was a wonderful tool and still is that allows the common person to do his or her own publishing. Now it is very easy with free software available like Word Press or Blogger to create your own blog. I have been blogging for 15 years. I have always retained my original handle, stebbijo – so it is still easily indexed even if I recreate a different blog.
In the old days the first original “bloggers” were actually citizen/private websites. Folks like my husband created sites by learning how to use and make changes to open source software for free, while others were paying and still do through the nose to hire someone to put up their online presence.
Mainstream newspapers were “ah sceered” – that is why they hijacked the terms. DFO is really not per se a “blogger.” He is a paid newspaper editor, journalist, reporter that aggregates news on an online/print newspaper. If he were independent of the S-R, I would consider him an authentic blogger. But, he is not. I am a real blogger, you and others are real bloggers but DFO is not. The city website that hosts the City of Coeur d’Alene is not a real blog. It is a chapter of sorts on the city website that hosts information written by it’s staffers. In other words the mayor does not have a real authentic blog.
I know it’s tough news to take, but some folks just gotta understand that they are not real bloggers. 😉
Comment by Stebbijo — April 13, 2010 @ 11:03 am
Stebbijo,
Thank you for that historical perspective. I had forgotten that Bob was one of the network pioneers in this area. My apologies to him.
Mainstream newspapers are still struggling with the concept of online news. In fact, that’s the topic of discussion in today’s Poynter Online post titled We’re Wired to Watch Fires, Glenn Beck, and Sandra Bullock by Steve Myers.
Comment by Bill — April 13, 2010 @ 11:39 am
Bill, I don’t think Bob would take that offensively – you calling him a pioneer. 🙂
Comment by Stebbijo — April 13, 2010 @ 12:13 pm
I don’t expect to be invited to coffee with the Mayor until we get a Mayor who represents the entire town, not just her own personality cult.
Comment by Dan — April 13, 2010 @ 1:15 pm
And for the record – since we are discussing electronic media, I want you all to know that the LCDC does not accept email public records requests even though it is perfectly legal I.C.9-338. The keep word in (11) is “may.” Tony Berns chooses to
make the process tiring. He does not believe in working for “us”, he want “us” to work for him. He has my physical address and he has my email address, but that’s not good enough.
The LCDC has to have a hard copy with your signature according to their “protocol.” I could not find their “protocol” on the LCDC website. You would think I was signing a big check or something and even in this day and age a person spends money without a SIGNATURE. I mean he could print the request out and attach it to his proprietary form for his own record keeping. If he mails it to the wrong address, it’s not a crime, for pete’s sake. It’s public information – not confidential. Confidential information is protected, it’s a federal crime to publish it.
Nevermind that the state and the city accepts email requests, the LCDC who is all about upscale development in the name of Education can’t figure that one out. Well, he isn’t getting my scrawl because he doesn’t need it and for that reason I will be denied that information unless I challenge it in court. I wonder if he would accept a stamped signature – like /s/. How does this man deal with faxed material? Does he have a fax? Does he use one for banking? Would he accept a fax? I give up.
Comment by Stebbijo — April 13, 2010 @ 2:48 pm
Please strike the work “believe” — I don’t know what Tony Bern’s believes in and I don’t care to know.
Comment by Stebbijo — April 13, 2010 @ 3:06 pm
Stebbijo, Your comment regarding LCDC protocol reminds me of the City of Coeur d’Alene’s many unwritten policies that are cited from time to time. When I questioned a couple of them, city staff could not cite when or if they were formally adopted or when they were adopted and by whom they were written or where they were located. A recent article in the press regarding Kootenai County and developers and builders indicates the same issue of unwritten policies. Governmental bodies must formally adopt all policies and make them available to the public.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — April 13, 2010 @ 3:40 pm
“while DFO made every dig he could get by bragging about his 80 or so regular followers who might get fired if they were exposed”
What? Stebbijo people were saying at blog fest last month that DFO outed some of his regulers, ThomG was one of them.
Comment by WannaBe JD — April 13, 2010 @ 4:06 pm
Susie,
Nah, not in Idaho.
Like they said over at the condom master’s blog, oops – I mean news aggregation and tabloid fodder newspaper website, the public needs to understand that we are dealing with “some snoozy LCDC communist.” (Yes, that remark was taken out of context)
Also at risk of degenerating this thread into more than a discussion about Mike Kennedy and his dispicable remarks about Brannon not being a Christian I fear to gather steam about unwritten policies, but I will go forth into those murky unchartered and undocumented waters.
You might also check out the CDA press website with the article about Judge Burdick,Supreme Court Justice running for relection. I would like to know more about the unwritten selection process of members of the Idaho Supreme Court Committees since they are now putting their spouses into the mix of things. If our own Supreme Court does not have to have written “protocols” – nevermind the actual laws in place, then why should anyone else?
Mike Kennedy is blasphemous. There – I hope that is staying on topic and keeps this thread in it’s proper perspective so the condom master who has coffee with his Sandiness, who also thinks he lives large in our minds along with his tart 80 or so regular occult followers don’t get all flustered and more purple in the face.
Comment by Stebbijo — April 13, 2010 @ 4:10 pm
Mr. Brannon has faced Mr. Kennedy’s outrageous and unprofessional behavior on several occasions all ready. He is allowing himself to be lead by fear directed by Satan himself.
Mr. Kennedy once again displays his lack of respect for our citizens by not acknowledging the community’s concern over our flawed voting system. His beliefs are reinforced by the DFO web site where such people as the former City of Coeur d’Alene Finance Director, promotes registering illegal voters.
On the positive side…Thank you Mr. Brannon for your efforts that will positively impact all.
Comment by LTR — April 13, 2010 @ 7:39 pm
LTR,
You are correct. Thanks to Jim Brannon, Starr Kelso, Confidential Investigations, and some dedicated behind-the-scenes private citizens, the publicly available information has exposed the flawed election administration processes in Kootenai County. What they have accomplished so far is without access to the information denied them by Kootenai County and the City of Coeur d’Alene. If what we have seen so far is any indication, what they’re trying desperately to hide forever must be dynamite. It appears that many of our public officials are now more interested in salvaging their own political careers than in honest, competent election administration in Kootenai County.
Comment by Bill — April 13, 2010 @ 8:16 pm
Simpson DQ’d tonight. Hello Judge Verby?
Comment by Pariah — April 13, 2010 @ 8:34 pm
Bill,
I really am getting the feeling that many political careers will be seeing their final days. Especially, Mike Kennedy as he is becoming too great of a risk for future considerations through no fault but his own.
People want honest and open government. We see this movement everywhere. The City of Coeur d’Alene and LCDC can not continue as they have been because its citizens are watching them very closely. Thanks to all the citizens that asked the questions and took the verbal beatings to bring issues of question to light. You are making a difference.
Comment by LTR — April 13, 2010 @ 9:58 pm
I was reading my April 13, 2010 @ 7:39 pm post and found it could be confusing and want to revise one sentence.
Revision: Mr. Kennedy is allowing himself to be lead by fear directed by Satan himself.
Comment by LTR — April 13, 2010 @ 10:05 pm