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.

[Willy]

I don't see a change for the better coming anytime soon between the unholy alliance of dubious City officials, favored local businesses and the biased LDN. This "triade" of negative influence that dominates Ludington politics is a self perpetuating monster. And shame on Pati Klevorn for demonstrating how a seasoned newspaper reporter should not cover a story of local interest. She used two paragraphs alone talking about Mr. Rotta's shirt. Please Patti try being an actual reporter whose job should involve printing unbiased information. Your style of reporting half truths and slanted news is the main reason I no longer subscribe to your paper. Of course you don't care what I think probably as much as I don't care if your paper survives.

[XLFD]

And I have kept very quiet so far about a traffic incident that happened just after noon on Tuesday, pending the local police department with jurisdiction's disposition of it.  This was the day after I had been excoriated by Mayor Henderson for calling out law enforcement officers.  Let's just say at this point, my right of way was violated while I was on my bicycle in the City, and I may have been road pizza if I wasn't paying attention. 

[Willy]

Now that you have peaked my curiosity about this situation I would like to know more of the details.

[AQUAMAN]

Me too X. Btw, how Patti got her job, and how she goes about doing it, is mostly copying Begnoche and Brazinski or whatever his name is. They set the tone and applications of second-rate reporting, and it's that lack of investigative continuity that must be printed. Makes the job less stressful, easy, and quick to pass muster. These youngsters, well into their 30's-40's now, just don't get journalism. In fact, I mostly wonder, did they actually get a degree, from an accredited institution, or from online? Or perhaps even mail-order fakes from Mexico? Their proofreading also leaves a lot to be desired, and is sloppy at best. These are important attributes that makes the difference between a lousy journalist, and a very good one. It also makes a big difference in circulation figures, which they also seem to just don't care about. After all, whom else is competing with the LDN as a local rag? They have the monopoly, and use it any which way they please.

[masonco]

Sadly the objective reporters already have been forced out of the biased cold news paper. I stopped delivery but still get the electronic version for curiosity sake.  Have to say I get more news  in an easier to read format with the new electronic kid on the block.

I must not be a good, honest person since I don't feel much of Patti's  "news" is objective unless it is a "feel good" story about a volunteer group.

[XLFD]

EyE,

I am not from Missouri, but I would appreciate any links to any of Patsi's work where she does a good job of journalism, because I haven't yet noticed any.  She has commented on several events I have been witness to, and her reporting on those events have been execrable.  But look through her work and get back with me with her best stuff. 

Patsi, if you want to, join and give us your greatest.  Jennifer Hartley, who covered the same turf Patsi does, was a lot better before the COLDNews fired her and Rob "Next Generation of News" Alway for having swirls in their vanilla.

[AQUAMAN]

EyE, just stick to the thread contents, no need to explore all these immature avenues of calling someone out on the carpet all the time. Relax, take your meds., and be polite, and try to stick to the subject matter, not personalities, as you more times than not tend to do.

[XLFD]

I'm not looking for almost everything, I'm just looking for one quality piece by Patsi.  And yes, I do deliberately mangle her name to Patsi because she more fits the definition of Patsy, it helps me remember her by her qualities.  There is no excuse for the shoddy journalism she regularly displays, so I am effectively calling her out on it, as John Henderson would say.

But she does in actuality spell her name 'Patti' in her by-lines, not what you have just wrote 'Patty', which is what a cow leaves behind in the pasture after she eats.  Yet I won't accuse you of not being nice 

[XLFD]

Like any good theatre troupe, we strive to be part drama and part comedy here. 

[AQUAMAN]

EyE, there you go again, putting words into my mouth that simply are not there at all. Plagarizing isn't what I said, I simply stated that the work habits of others above Patti are also substandard, thus her duties to the job aren't being fully utilized the way they might be if she had better tutors and leaders. Now do you understand? You have a way of twisting and spinning almost everyone's posts here that leave a lot to be desired.

[AQUAMAN]

EyE, I can see how you read too much into any statement of mine. I already explained that my interpretation of copying, was not in the literal sense, as much as it was about the work ethic of being haphazard about investigating the story all the way through by her peers and bosses.

[masonco]

So glad some have the eye to see and so perfect too. I did not know we had a new moderator