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Let’s all thank the LCDC Commissioners for their most recent attack on Mary Souza. Now we know why they need to hire a PR flack. |
In her August 17th Coeur d’Alene Press column titled Bamboozled by the ‘ultimate insider’s game’, Mary Souza said, “Big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland may look down on little Coeur d’Alene and think we’re hicks from the sticks, but we’re not.”
Yet in its groupthink rejoinder in today’s Press, the LCDC said this: “Souza’s description of our community, including our community leaders, as ‘hicks from the sticks’ is characteristically insulting and divisive.”
Read again what Mary Souza really said versus what the LCDC desperately wants you to believe she said. In her column she challenged a misperception many people do have of north Idaho residents, that we’re hicks from the sticks. Yet the LCDC Commissioners find her defense of Kootenai County taxpayers to be insulting and divisive?
The LCDC’s most recent attack demonstrates its commitment to deceive its intended victims, the taxpayers of Kootenai County. Now we know why the LCDC needs to burn its victim’s money by hiring a PR flack. Whoever wrote today’s LCDC letter clearly needs professional help with reading comprehension and composition. Thank you, LCDC, for clearing that up!
didn’t the outside group the lcdc hired find the same problems mary souza talks about?
Comment by TheWiz — August 24, 2008 @ 10:36 am
The LCDC is, as demonstrated by their angry letter in the Press today, Out Of Control.
Comment by Dan — August 24, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
I posted this at the press blog. I could not wait for it to come out there.
Here is your proof that YOU the LCDC are attacking Mary Souza. She was not referring to the LCDC as hicks from the sticks.
As a matter of FACT I have pulled it straight from the newsletter and it goes as such:
“Big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland may look down on little Coeur d’ Alene and think we’re hicks from the sticks,”
Now I have to say to LCDC Board of Commissioners: Rod Colwell, Denny Davis, Jim Elder, Deanna Goodlander, Al Hassell, Brad Jordan, Charlie Nipp, Dave Patzers,
JUST WHO IS LYING HERE?
IT IS YOU the LCDC Board of Commissioners: Rod Colwell, Denny Davis, Jim Elder, Deanna Goodlander, Al Hassell, Brad Jordan, Charlie Nipp, Dave Patzers.
You claim that Mary twists things in her to suit her. I would like to know which of you came up with THIS twist. The one that did should be cast out for defamation at least.
LIARS ONE AND ALL!
Comment by concerned citizen — August 24, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
I’m not sure why the LCDC board constantly accuses me of calling names, which is something I don’t do, but they attempt to make me look bad by twisting my words yet again. I did not call our community or our leaders “hicks from the sticks”. In fact it was quite the opposite.
Here’s what I actually wrote: “Big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland may look down on little Coeur d’ Alene and think we’re hicks from the sticks, but we’re not.”
You can read the rest of my column from last week’s Press on this web site, just scroll down to last Tuesday’s entries.
Thanks to you all for the support! (PS–cool photo, Bill)
Comment by mary — August 24, 2008 @ 6:16 pm
My mama WAS a hick from the sticks. One of her favorite sayings was,
“Just give’em enough rope and they will hang themselves.”
I love the letter to the editor entitled,
“PR: Don’t hire firm to force-feed corridor” Posted: Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 – 08:33:35 pm PDT by DAVID COPPOM.
I am pleased to see new names popping up regarding the LCDC and their “STAKEHOLDERS”.
Comment by concerned citizen — August 24, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
The LCDC is running scared;they don’t want anyone to ruin their plans for this town,let alone the founders of this website.Maybe,LCDC thought if they criticize Mary,that would help to improve their image?Just like the city council did last summer.
These LCDC board members are all business people of this CDA community
and have a vested interest in seeing this CDA area grow by leaps and bounds,whether the average citizen likes it or not.More money in their bank accounts.Dave Patzer,told me on my blog:”Kageman,you seem like an enterprising person,why don’t you apply to be on the board”,as one LCDC board member had retired this past year.I told him that I didn’t think the mayor and the city council would approve of someone like me,
because I want more manageable growth,not the overbuilding of this area that we have seen.
Anyway,I’m concerned that having LCDC around, will not only increase property values tremendously in the future,but that the eventual gentrification of this area is taking place.The more rich people moving in,might mean more middle class people moving out to surrounding areas like:Athol,Plummer
Spirit Lake,Silver Valley.Just look at what happened in Sun Valley,ID.
Comment by kageman — August 24, 2008 @ 7:31 pm
geeeeez, and it took eight to make one LIE? WOW NO WONDER THEY CAN’T FIGURE IT OUT, TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE
Comment by casper — August 25, 2008 @ 7:23 am
Mary,
I light of this recent event, isn’t there some way the county prosecutor might finally do something?
Isn’t this “defamation of character”? After all, they did intentionally, for all to see, call you a liar and try to dicredit you in print.
The LCDC board flat out lied and the mayor and city council let them.
Is there NO recourse?
They are allowed to blatantly lie about a community member and keep their positions?
Should the people of this fine community really HAVE TO wait until the next election?
Do we really need “PROVEN” liars in any governing position?
Either these people cannot comprehend the written language or they have some serious psychological problems.
Again, I would like to thank you and all at opencda for being an insperation and having the fortitude to stand against these lying, self obsorbed, opportunist bullies.
Comment by concerned citizen — August 25, 2008 @ 7:54 am
This “HICK from the STICKS” wants to thank Mary for her Sunday column about the PUDs in Kootenai County! I want to alert everyone to what might happen on Mica Flats. 10 ACRES of mini storages are being proposed just south of the Mica Flats Grange on the west side of 95……This is an attempt by a big money developer to turn us Commercial by slipping commercial development in with a special use permit. We can use the support of all the county and city people to tell our Commissioners that this is intolerable. If this goes through, all of Mica and then all of 95 south of town will be lost due to “compatable use”. Please go to http://www.mkipoa.org to see how to submit your comments in opposition to this travesty! THANKS! Mama Bear is trying to protect the cubs! They need a little rural space to survive.
Comment by Mama Bear — August 25, 2008 @ 8:14 am
concerned citizen,
Criminal prosecution is probably not the best solution even if it was possible. They are exercising free speech just as we are.
The better solution is to simply identify, support, and elect honest qualified public officials who will appoint similarly honest, qualified appointed officials. As voters we can only “reach out” directly to elected officials, but there are some appointed department heads and commissioners at Coeur d’Alene City Hell that are far worse than most of our elected officials.
I’m amazed at the number of people who will go to extremes to decide which Presidential candidate to vote for, yet they pay no attention to their local government officials’ qualifications. A corrupt local government hurts citizens far worse, every day, every way.
Comment by Bill — August 25, 2008 @ 8:46 am
The hyperbole of the letter certainly smacks of desperation. That it is anchored in a complete misinterpretation underscores the blind rage behind its authorship. This lends me to believe that certain LCDC projects are in serious jeopardy or that investigative eyes are getting too curious. This is a symptom not unlike a fever or better still a spastic event. As more of the truth is unveiled we can expect more of the same and perhaps Mary and Dan should literally watch their backsides.
Kudos to Patrick for printing this as written. He must have known that their basis was not only without fact but entirely erroneous.
Comment by Wallypog — August 25, 2008 @ 9:08 am
The most recent LCDC meeting referenced a public forum to be held sometime in Mid-September where the public could ask questions of the LCDC board. Prepare your banking questions for Mr. Nipp. Develop your property ownership questions for Mr. Nipp. Inquire if anyone on the LCDC board remembers Dixie Reid and her Inside Connections. Maybe Ryan Armbruster can help with the scheduling if he’s not too busy defending Urban Renewal abuses in another part of the state. Public records requests should be made to Mr. Berns immediately so that any denials or delays could be openly discussed at this forum. Contact all of the local media because if this event were to really happen, LCDC would have to answer critics directly. Invite Bill Douglas to attend. It could be quite a show.
Comment by doubleseetripleeye — August 25, 2008 @ 9:39 am
Bill, in your post No.10, you said the LCDC board was just expressing their right of free speech. Fortunately for the citizens of Idaho, free speech by governing bodies is required under penalty of law to be conducted in open meetings. When a quorum of a governing body (LCDC), takes an official position “on any matter”, such as the unanimously signed statement by LCDC against critics, the decision to do must be made in an open meeting. Obviously, then the question becomes: When between the time of the publication of Bambozzled and a 6 days later post appearing in the following Sunday’s edition of the CDA Press did LCDC present and approve in an open meeting, this public statement?
Comment by Gary Ingram — August 25, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
Gary,
Wow! I never thought of that. That raises lots of questions. Was the meeting (assuming they actually had one, even a legal telephonic one) properly announced and conducted so the public could be present? Who offered and seconded the motion? What was the vote? Were minutes kept?
Comment by Bill — August 25, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
Bill, do you have a DVD of Wednesday’s LCDC meeting? If so, it should answer the questions you ask in post 14.
Comment by Gary Ingram — August 25, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
Gary,
Why, yes, I do!
Comment by Bill — August 25, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
mary, you say that you never call names and that might technically be true, but many of your columns appear to accuse the lcdc of not telling the truth, hiding the facts, corruption, favoritism, incompetence and other abuses of public trust, isn’t that just like calling them names, only indirectly? Or am I misreading your columns?
Comment by reagan — August 25, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
No. Since the LCDC has demonstrably not told the truth, hid facts, played favorites, etc, that is called telling the truth. Calling a corrupt politician an honest man would be a lie. Telling the truth about them is a public service. How that confuses you is a mystery.
Comment by Pariah — August 26, 2008 @ 5:28 am
reagan…. The LCDC’s own consulting firm independently determined that they are very poor communicators and that questions of impropriety existed and require immediate attention. In that light this letter lashing out at specifically Mary is incredibly disingenuous and petty. It is an act of vengeance along the lines of: If were going to go down we’re going to do our level best to take you with us.
Comment by Wallypog — August 26, 2008 @ 7:16 am
reagan, Come on man! Are you reading the same articles and press releases as everyone else?
Comment by concerned citizen — August 26, 2008 @ 7:41 am
pariah writes that “the LCDC has demonstrably not told the truth, hid facts, played favorites, etc, that is called telling the truth.” well, i know that a lot of these accusations have been made, but where is the proof? i keep hearing things like “if”, “seems”, “appears”, etc. etc. , but i have never seen any proof, any facts. on this website and others on the press and in mary’s columns many things are insinuated but i really don’t recall any hard proof. i am funny like that, facts matter.
Comment by reagan — August 26, 2008 @ 10:10 am
In reagan’s world, no one must criticize questionable government. At all. Period. This makes me believe that reagan is either blind to the LCDC or he has connections to the LCDC that require him to ignore the obvious.
1. not telling the truth
The LCDC misrepresented Mary’s statement about “hicks from the sticks” in their attack piece. They do not like criticism and they chronically mislabel their opponents. Because they cannot cite facts, they use innuendo. Ask yourself this: Why is the LCDC attacking Mary? They come off as angry and frustrated. Why? If Mary were a kook, would she not be easy to dismiss?
2. hiding the facts
The LCDC came to an agreement to write their hatchet job letter. When was that decision made? When was it voted upon? It wasn’t done at their last meeting, at least not in the public part of the meeting. That means that the LCDC abused executive session to discuss, compose, and approve the letter. That’s a clear violation of Idaho law. It’s not the only time the LCDC has done this. The LCDC has purchased properties for $1 and “other considerations.” What are those other considerations? Apparently, none of our business. That they hold most of their meeting in executive session is seriously concealing what it is they do.
3. corruption
Dixie Reid was hired to design homes after she voted to approve the development. That’s the most egregious example.
4. favoritism
I know of a contractor who asked to develop LCDC property in the 800 block of North 4th. He was told it would require $40,000 in fees and the LCDC would not be involved. Later, the LCDC offered that property to commissioner Deanna Goodlander’s brother for $33,000. Why was Mike Gridley’s Centennial Trail Foundation given $2.5 million over other charities and causes? Why was John Stone’s pond given priority as a park over the Landings?
5. incompetence
The letter to the editor this past Sunday was awful. It was obviously not run by their PR firm, as any competent PR person would have told them not to write it at all. The fact that they hire a lobbyist yet continue to claim that their not getting their message out to legislators. And, again, the PR firm they needed to hire not to change their ways to but to force an artificial perception on the public. They just don’t get why people dislike them.
6. and other abuses of public trust
That it took 10 years for them to complete their conflict of interest forms after they were first asked. That 5 out of 8 of them do not live in Coeur d’Alene. They’ve been slapped twice by the county prosecutor for Open Meeting violations.
The list goes on and on, but they attack Mary and myself for pointing out all these well-documented facts. And yet, you still don’t get it? Tell me why.
Comment by Dan — August 26, 2008 @ 11:35 am
Again, reagan is the name of one of the partners in several properties on River Rd. Could this be one and the same?
Comment by concerned citizen — August 26, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Game. Set. Match.
Comment by Pariah — August 26, 2008 @ 7:25 pm
dan, you are using the most recent opinion piece as evidence, but mary has been making these accusations against the board members of lcdc for over a year, did she start the name calling?
Comment by reagan — August 26, 2008 @ 11:07 pm
More than ‘technically’, something either is or is not. Mary doesn’t call names. Nor is she an elected official. Clearly they have lied and made false claims. Now you are doing so. Why? What relationship do you have with the LCDC or the board members of same?
Comment by Pariah — August 27, 2008 @ 2:41 am
pariah, if mary is or is not an elected official is not germain to the discussion. you are now accusing me of lying and making false claims, is that open discussion? i think not. please show me where you think i have lied and made false claims? and i have no relationship with lcdc or any of the board members. and i do not own any property withing any of the lcdc areas.
Comment by reagan — August 27, 2008 @ 7:53 am
Reagan you’re a hoot. You tell Mary that she started the namecalling while conceding that she actually doesn’t call names. Then when you get called on your behavior you act injured. Sorry, no sale. Your obnoxious claims are laughable and get you laughed at. Live with it.
Comment by Pariah — August 27, 2008 @ 2:06 pm
pariah thank you for thinking that i am a hoot, but you err when you say “You tell Mary that she started the namecalling”. please read what i wrote and do not misrepresent the facts again. i am not acting injured, as you say, i am only pointing out that when i ask questions, you attack me and accuse me oy lying and making false claims, none of which is truthful. please, let us discuss and let us disagree, but for heaven’s sake, let’s stop with the attacks, name calling and hostility. if you can.
Comment by reagan — August 27, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
Sorry reagan, you are a hoot. Here are your own words:
You imply that Mary is doing the same thing as the LCDC (“…isn’t that just like calling them names…”). Sorry, no it isn’t the same thing. As for your claim of victimhood (“…let’s stop with the attacks…”) you need to demonstrate how anyone has attacked you. Victimhood is a liberal game that you appear to have down pat. No sale here though. You simply are laughable. And laughed at. Get used to it.
Comment by Pariah — August 27, 2008 @ 5:02 pm
pariah, make up your mind, first you say “You tell Mary that she started the namecalling” then you soften it to “You imply”. which one is it? i asked a question, is it the same thing or isn’t it? instead of an answer to my question, you attacked me with a false charge: “Clearly they have lied and made false claims. Now you are doing so”. I did not lie or make a false claim, yet you accused me of the very act that you commit. no victimhood here, just a desire for discussion and clarity of thought.
and by the way, on another point, i notice that in one of mary’s columns she did indeed call us “hicks from the sticks”.
“We may be hicks from the sticks, but we have a strong dose of common sense.” mary souza Posted: Saturday, Aug 16, 2008 – 07:02:29 pm PDT
Comment by reagan — August 27, 2008 @ 5:15 pm
Yawn. You play the victim as poorly as most of the left does reagan. Happily most people appreciate the honesty of Mary’s opinions. The LCDC has been exposed as the self-serving scheme it truly is and the results will play out to the benefit of the common good and the detriment of the schemers. As for you, well you remain a hoot.
Comment by Pariah — August 27, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
is that all you do pariah, laugh and yawn? too bad you can not discuss the topics with any truth or integrity, instead resorting to your silly little game, oh well, after witnessing your near meltdown on the thread about mary recording christie wood without informing her and then refusing to confirm that she did in fact record the sgt., i do not expect anything else from you. and why is this always about ‘the left’ with you? paranoid much?
Comment by reagan — August 27, 2008 @ 11:21 pm
I thank you two for enjoying yourselves. Perhaps an exchange of private e-mails is in order?
Comment by Dan — August 28, 2008 @ 8:24 am