And Now, Another Version of Events

[XLFD]

At the Monday July 22, 2013 Ludington City Council meeting, the usual City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) reporter Kevin Brasiczeski was a no-show, and so his usual replacement, Patsi Klevorn, was there.  I have criticised Kevin for his wanting of reporting skills in the past, but I was actually getting comfortable with his recent avoidances of putting me into his stories when I speak at these meetings on relevant topics.  I don't magically disappear when I am ignored, and people just start wondering why the COLDNews is avoiding the latest controversy.

 

Anyhow, Patsi decided to not ignore me and my five minute demonstration at this meeting, but she did ignore quite a few things in writing her story.  Such as what was actually said, what was actually done, and other sundry facts.  But here is her article on the McAdam lawsuit and the other ones I brought up at the meeting, when I reference the article I will use two numbers, the first for column and the second for line number:

 

 

In the McAdam lawsuit, Patsi relates the vote after the closed meeting (which is usually the standard "I move we agree to follow the attorney's advice" followed by unanimous passage and closure of the open meeting).  This time they actually voted on 'something', to accept binding arbitration in the civil dispute.  Here are some quick comments on the accuracy here:

[1, 18]:  Binding arbitration is generally binding, but there are exceptions which could come up here.

[2, 2]:  One Ludington policeman, two county deputies were involved.  There is no crime or civil penalty or rights violation for properly using a taser.  More detail with more established facts here, please.

[2,15]:  Binding arbitration generally cuts down court time and expenses, but is not a given nor does it automatically abbreviate a trial by 60-80%. 

 

Other Lawsuits

 

These first gaffes were fairly minor, but Patsi then develops her own take on what actually happened at the meeting and what is on the record.  This is a bit bizarre, as the COLDNews has her as one of its editorial staff, and such prevarications from the truth, just to show someone in a bad light, may make her friends with our corrupted leaders, however, it also should make discerning citizens, who can look at the videos of these meetings and read the facts/truth here, often supported by documentation, rather than some base or baseless defensive words by a city official or two, be alarmed.  How many other times does she doctor the news to fit the agenda of the COLDNews and their allies? Here again is the meeting, for your corroborating convenience:

 

 

The first couple of lines set the tone, by saying that I speak at every city council meeting to criticize city officials.  Whereas I've only missed a couple of LCC meetings in the last 15 months, I attended only one prior to that where I didn't speak at all.  Nor do I expressly go there to criticize city officials, I criticize public policy and the public actions of those officials.  The only personal criticisms that take place at these meetings has flowed the other way. 

 

The second paragraph [3,12] erroneously mentions my fake placards represented one lawsuit I filed, and what 'he imagined' the city might pay in other settlements.  Mrs. Klevorn should really pay attention and do her homework when she goes on assignment.  I showed two checks for the two lawsuits I filed and won, and two checks representing the settlement with Shelly Jo Burns and the future possible settlement with Joseph McAdam.  Burns' lawsuit has been settled in April as I said, this April 15, 2013 Dismissal from Federal District Court shows that.  Patsi should be curious, as a journalist, as to the conditions of this settlement. 

 

The third and fourth paragraph is also erroneous and clearly so.  I have not wore a Ludington Fire Department shirt to the meeting since October 8, 2012.  On October 22, 2012 I wore my polish firefighter jumpsuit to the meeting and explained I would no longer wear the LFD shirt because no one from the LFD ever publicly apologized for the unseemly behavior of LFD's Bob Hannah and his using the city council meeting as a personal attack forum in a couple of prior meetings. 

 

I adapted the t-shirt with an 'X' on top, to show that I have wisely distanced myself from this politicized organization that should concentrate more of its energies on what its core duties are, but that my experience with being a long term City employee needs to be put into the equation.  I witnessed many discussions between our chief, our mayor, our current 5th ward councilor, former councilor (current multi-board member) Fred Hackert, etc., to have some idea how they operate.  I wore this, however, not starting this meeting but for the four meetings since June 10, 2013.  Between October and June, I wore various dress shirts to the meeting.  Patsi, you'll never be fashion editor at this rate.

 

 

As for Aaron Sailor (which she misspells as Saylor as in George Saylor, one of our other seven city attorneys), she says [4,10] I criticized him.  Here are my words concerning him:  "...Shelly Jo Burns who was allegedly pushed to the ground hard, by LPD's Aaron Sailor, a repeat police brutality offender back when he was on the Pontiac Police Department, Chief Barnett's old bailiwick.  Sailor had apparently entered Burns' sister's house without showing a warrant and found her in the way, even though her back was to him."  This is not criticism, per se, but reportage of the record with words like "allegedly" and "apparently".  Criticism implies someone making a (usually negative) value judgment on someone else-- which is what Patsi has obviously done in her 'journalism' here.

 

I don't know what the word "chasizes" means [4,17] but I distinctly heard the mayor defending Aaron Sawyer, not Saylor, oops, Sailor.  Poor Aaron Sailor has had his poor name butchered better than I could ever do by his defenders.  Let's just say that if Aaron Sailor had every 'right' to do what he did [4, 19] with Ms. Burns, why was the case settled so secretly three months prior that not even editor Patsi Klevorn, a font of information, didn't even know about it? 

 

The comments by Mayor Henderson is presented as gospel, with never a check by Patsi as to what are the half-truths I speak of, and the other nonsense the mayor raised in his comments at the end, already talked of here.  Normal reporters might delve for more facts, instead of repeating the personal criticisms the mayor espoused.  Patsi says I called "City police officers 'ruffians'", but this was the epithet I placed on three county deputies (one who used to be a city officer back in 2009).  Another wrong fact. 

 

Patsi then condenses the mayor's multiple rationales for settling the suits into a paragraph, that still does not make any sense, but apparently she believes it [5,13].  Having officers and officials do their duties properly and mindful of the public would help quite a bit, I imagine. 

 

She then forgets to segue properly and does the rest about the FOIA request appeal I made, without mentioning FOIA or appeal, making it confusing even to me.  One would think a newspaper editor would be a staunch believer in the FOIA, but the COLDNews has shown itself to be chief among the obstructionists of getting information out.  Patsi keeps that tradition alive, by allowing the City's lame denial go unquestioned. 

 

"Allowing it into the public now could taint a future jury pool" is a stance the county prosecutor, Paul Spaniola, gave to the City in order to deny this.  This is not even close to a reason that is allowed under the exemptions of the FOIA, but it has been something the prosecutor believes is viable.  And it will be viable as long as we have to fight against the information obstructionists in our local governments. 

 

As for the last two paragraphs, Patsi should perhaps concentrate more of her focus on why the FOIA policy of the City was changed so as to deny most non-homeowners the right to qualify for indigence, because most of the indigent people I know are renters or worse.  The arbitrary and capricious changes made to the City's policy were made to make it difficult for those people (not only me) who want to find out more about the doings of their government than what they are spoon-fed by the slanted coverage of the COLDNews.

 

When this article is coupled with the '808 East Danaher purchase' article on the same day and her past work product, it shows that Patsi didn't get to her current position by being a fact-checking, investigative reporter interested in the plight of the little guy that buys the newspaper.  It shows that she got there by knowing who to cuddle up with and who to trample over.

[Jane]

I have hardly been on here in 2 months and this is the first thread I am speed reading in ages and I new exactly what you meant AQ.

[Jane]

oh and the mystery of how my avatar got changed is that I leave this logged in and must have left the page up and my kid changed it! She didn't like that I had took the other one from her images when I was in a hurry one day to find a neat avatar.

[XLFD]

Over 100,000 miles and counting on the two-wheeled human-powered vehicle I call my major source of transportation each summer.  Being observant is important, but I approach each unmarked intersection as if it had a yield sign, because at least about once about every 500 miles, some car steals my right-of-way by blowing through a stop sign.  This is what happened this time, and the stooge involved happened to be driving a city vehicle and was a notable official with a possible grudge against me. 

[masonco]

No grudge just a city official intimidatingly showing how one can use their oversized weapon against a minion who is unarmed because they need to convince themselves they still have full power of their self proclaimed domain.......knowing they can buy their way out of any "accidental happenings" and their lawyer from Manistee will wash away dirty details.

[AQUAMAN]

Well said masonco, plus, the guy is probably as blind as a bat, unless it comes to election signs perhaps.

[Johnny]

Once again, its possible XLFD is telling partial parts of a story.  How do we know if the city truck drive could see Tommy?  How do we know where he was riding his bike?  Maybe he was in a blind spot?  I have had that happen to me before.  But of course, the city is out to get you and might have been trying to hit you.  Some may like to see it since you don't have an positive impact on the city.  Tommy, do you work and what do you do to impact the city on an actual POSITIVE note?  By a job, I mean by actually leaving your house and going to a work environment where you are doing a job and getting a check, that taxes actually come out of.  Not having  a little website sharing half stories about lawsuits and attacking the city you live in but do nothing to change it.  Awhile back you wanted to try to change it by running for mayor, but then backed out.  You attack and slander so many city officials and employees names, but when certain questions like, What do YOU do for work...you wont answer it.  Like I said, work isn't filing lawsuits on the city for a quick buck and then saying you "won." 

[AQUAMAN]

Cameltoes.

[masonco]

which city employee is trying their best to poison this site? Sadly it won't work here cause the truth prevails without discrimination as observed at meeting when XFLD is attacked and treated very rudely when he speaks up during his discriminatory limit of 5 minutes...Or has that changed where EVERYONE including council members are allowed 5 minutes per meeting to speak.

[XLFD]

Masonco,

For fourteen months I was shut out from the City Hall so I could not go to any of the City Council meetings to express my views on the punishment meted out to me by officials who imposed his unique way of dealing with a whistleblower without enacting any law.  The policy is still on the books, and as you notice, they are still out to limit speech that contradicts their overall neglect of ethics and their duties.

[XLFD]

E Murph,

If the City has a side to the city-official-steals-XLFDs-right-of-way story, I'd love to hear it and share it with our community, I believe I've made my side perfectly clear and available in the other thread.  If you could fairly evaluate the situation, would you not wonder why the City has yet to get back with me even after I've contacted the Police Chief and City Manager thrice regarding it?  Even just to dismiss it as some over-reaction on my part?  Lack of accountability has been a frequent theme regarding our police and officials here in Ludington; that fact would run you over because you are so blind to it.

As for my employment, and your assertions, I am self-sufficient, and the only government assistance I have ever accepted is the winnings from this last lawsuit, courtesy of the Ludington City Government who decided to pass unconstitutional legislation to try and cover up their corruption and slander the one who pointed it out.  Wake up, E Murph.

 

[Willy]

S Murph

If you had been paying attention you will have discovered that X backs up his posts with information that explains his positions. He doesn't come on here and post snotty childish remarks and asks personal questions. By the way, where do you work and what have you done for the City lately?