tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15613612269413881752024-03-12T23:18:27.669-07:00The Fayette Patch HunkyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-52543072210736037792014-09-24T16:36:00.002-07:002014-09-24T16:36:22.340-07:00Nary a peep<span lang="">Well, it's been 14 days since the story broke that the state attorney general had charged a former magisterial district judge in Fayette County with perjury and obstructing the administration of justice for allegedly fixing a drunk driving case.<br />
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The circumstances surrounding the incident that led to those charges, filed against long-time DJ Dwight Shaner, involve a cast of characters that include current county District Attorney Jack Heneks and current Common Pleas Judge (and at the time assistant district attorney) Linda Cordero.<br />
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Surely, we thought by now that the intrepid editorial board of the Uniontown Herald-Standard would have weighed in on the situation. But as we've scoured the pages of the local paper, the only court-related official commentary we've seen is a Sept. 19 "Jeer" that began thusly: "What the heck was juror Ronnie Bryner of Mill Run thinking when he left the Fayette County Courthouse last August without being excused or released?" Bryner, poor fellow, has been cited for contempt for his actions. The editorial admonition of Bryner ended with, "Let's hope that (Judge John F.) Wagner's stern warning serves as a wakeup call for Bryner and anyone else who might have similar thoughts."<br />
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Call us crazy -- and we know some of you will, because childish name-calling is your specialty -- but we think that a situation of alleged case-fixing involving three elected officials who work at three critical levels of the county's judicial system is of far greater importance than the actions of a juror who goes AWOL.<br />
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You can read more of the Shaner-Heneks-Cordaro story details here <a href="http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/6778713-74/district-shaner-case"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="">http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/6778713-74/district-shaner-case#axzz3EGxKWviC</span></span></u></a><span lang=""> or here </span><a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Former_judge_charged_with_perjury_for_allegedly_fixing_DUI_case.html"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="">http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Former_judge_charged_with_perjury_for_allegedly_fixing_DUI_case.html</span></span></u></a><span lang=""> or here </span><a href="http://www.heraldstandard.com/news/shaner-arraigned-on-perjury-obstruction/article_52a9f3ed-faba-57a1-9d00-682b6c6d0726.html"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="">http://www.heraldstandard.com/news/shaner-arraigned-on-perjury-obstruction/article_52a9f3ed-faba-57a1-9d00-682b6c6d0726.html</span></span></u></a><br />
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<span lang=""><br />
The Clift Notes version of the saga goes like this: State trooper shows up in Shaner's court for 2011 preliminary hearing on man's crash-related DUI charge. Defendant in case is nephew of assistant district attorney Cordaro, who shows up representing the DA's office. Cordaro recuses herself at last minute; Shaner takes unusual move of asking trooper for witnesses. Shaner refuses trooper's request for a continuance, Shaner dismisses the case, trooper is PO'ed. Heneks refuses trooper's request to refile the charges, concerned citizen gets wind of what happened and files complaint with AG Kathleen Kane, AG's office begins investigation and directs trooper to refile charges, nephew ends up pleading guilty, Cordaro ends up being elected to Fayette County judgeship in 2013 and now sits in that position.<br />
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There's so much here worth commenting on, especially if you consider yourself the "newspaper of record" for Fayette County. The question that begs answering is, "Why hasn't that happened yet?" This stuff all comes straight from a grand jury presentment from a proceeding convened by the state Attorney General, not some hand-scribbled text on scratch paper that arrived at the newspaper office in an anonymous letter with postage due.<br />
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Here are the questions we'd like to see the newspaper address editorially. (And if they're too busy slamming guys who skip out on jury duty, all they have to do is circle the answer that best aligns with their thoughts.)<br />
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Was it appropriate for Cordaro to even show up in Shaner's courtroom that day, since the defendant was her nephew? YES ... NO ... MAYBE ... MAN DON'T MAKE US ADDRESS THAT.<br />
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Was it appropriate for Shaner to dismiss the charges, or to then tell the state policeman as detailed in the grand jury report, "Hey, trooper, I hope you understand. I'm catching a little heat from Linda (Cordaro) because that is her nephew"? YES ... NO ... MAYBE ... MAN YOU'RE REALLY PUTTING US ON THE SPOT HERE.<br />
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Was it appropriate for Heneks to initially refuse to refile the charges, using the excuse that he needed witnesses who could put the nephew behind the wheel, when after AG intervention the nephew ended up pleading guilty instead of going to trial? YES ... NO ... MAYBE ... HEY NOBODY SHOULD GET AWAY WITH SKIPPING JURY DUTY.<br />
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Is it appropriate for Cordaro to remain a sitting Fayette County judge, in light of her role as a key figure in this legal drama? YES ... NO ... MAYBE ... THE VOTERS SPOKE IN NOVEMBER SO WHAT THE HECK CAN WE DO.<br />
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This case strikes at the heart of the operation of the Fayette County legal system, which should operate without favoritism. Saying something -- good, bad or indifferent -- is better than saying nothing at all. It's called doing your job.<br />
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Justice is supposed to be blind, not the editorial board of any self-respecting newspaper.</span><br /></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-85496592092589425212014-09-11T16:12:00.000-07:002014-09-11T16:12:38.616-07:00Selective 'full disclosure'<span style="font-size: small;">Back in August 2012, when<b> </b>a private investigator hired by the Fayette County Housing Authority showed up a county commission meeting to further the agenda of muddying up Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink over the contents of a packet reportedly found by a waitress in a restaurant, Commissioner Vince Zapotosky was a fan of "full disclosure" after some audience members questioned the propriety of the move.<br />
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</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>"You just got done talking about (Nazi propoganda chief) Joseph Goebbels," Zapotosky said. "You can’t have it both ways. <u>Either full disclosure, or not. </u>No Joseph Goebbels. No Herman Goering. Full disclosure."</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">That's his quote, per the Tribune-Review: </span><a href="http://triblive.com/news/fayette/2451023-74/county-commissioners-zimmerlink-department-authority-zapotosky-heads-information-investigation-posit?printerfriendly=true"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span lang="">http://triblive.com/news/fayette/2451023-74/county-commissioners-zimmerlink-department-authority-zapotosky-heads-information-investigation-posit?printerfriendly=true</span></span></span></u></a><br />
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As we predicted back then, the little anti-Zimmerlink publicity stunt was destined to go nowhere, and it hasn't. But that didn't stop Zapotosky from assuming a starring role in this Theater of the Absurd, as the public official committed to "full disclosure" of even the most thinly veiled political chicanery.<br />
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Fast-forward to July 2014, however, and our loyal readers will see Zapotosky playing a new character, this one with a marked lack of interest in "full disclosure" when it comes down to him. "Full disclosure" of Zapotosky's activities made him steaming mad, to the point of attacking the reporter who disclosed those activities and blaming her for launching an "inquisition" by asking questions of his administrative assistant.<br />
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To recap, Zapotosky procured architecural drawings for the planned new Fayette County prison and, on the cusp of the project being put out to bid after a two-year process that he wholeheartedly supported, arranged to have them secretly turned over to a man who, in turn, was supplying them to a Morgantown area contractor that intended to bid on the project.<br />
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That's a lot of "full disclosure" that wasn't taking place until reporter Patty Yauger of the Uniontown Herald-Standard brought the entire mess to the public's attention on Aug. 15. The public should read the prior paragraph very carefully and ask, "Is this above-board behavior for an elected official?" Even if it's not illegal, it is ethical?<br />
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Zapotosky, displaying the type of political skills that allowed him to work as a staffer for former U.S. Reps. Austin Murphy and his successor Frank Mascara despite huge rivalry between the two congressmen, has tried to poo-poo his actions.<br />
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Why, he just needed to "verify" that the drawings were "done right," don't ya know? As if the firms he voted to hire and pay a significant amount of money to do that work -- Crabtree Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg, and Sleighter Engineering Inc. of Uniontown -- must have known less than a man no one had hardly heard of and a Morgantown contractor that "built half of Morgantown." Unless the rebuilt half of Morgantown contains a modern prison, that firm's expertise in this area would be highly suspect, would it not?<br />
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Toss in the fact that the man to whom he slipped the architectural plans -- as documented by Yauger in a story -- was a campaign contributor to Zapotosky, and this plot thickens.<br />
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Zapotosky's actions have been turned over to the state Ethics Commission and to Fayette County District Attorney Jack Heneks by fellow Democratic Commissioner Al Ambrosini. While we understand that the Ethics Commission is tasked with operating in secrecy so as not to tar-and-feather someone based only on allegation, all eyes should be on Heneks to see how he handles this basically in-house situation. There is a precedent, set by Heneks himself.<br />
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Heneks had no trouble confirming two years ago that his office was investigating the alleged packet left behind by one of Zimmerlink's lunch pals, a packet alleged to have contained at least one proprietary Fayette County Housing Authority document. To our knowledge, Heneks has never publicly exonerated Zimmerlink or her lunch companions, even two years after the fact. It's something he should have done by now.<br />
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Will Heneks equally confirm that his office is investigating Zapotosky's alleged transgressions? The district attorney is on record in a news story as being disappointed that the new prison was effectively shelved when Zapotosky changed his position in the wake of his distribution of the architectural drawings being made public by Yauger. But we don't recall anyone trying to pin Heneks down on Zapotosky's behavior.<br />
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For better or worse, this should be way more of an open and shut case than the one involving Zimmerlink. A videotape exists of the man entering the courthouse and exiting the commissioner's office with the materials. Zapotosky's administrative assistant, Kathy Winkler, has confirmed in the press that she turned packages over to a man, known to her, at Zapotosky's direction.<br />
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Heneks should have had plenty of time to review the state's conflict of interest statute and other laws by now. If he's taking this seriously, his investigators should already have interviewed Winkler and other witnesses.<br />
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It's all too easy for us to imagine how this same scenario would be playing out had, for example, it been Zimmerlink instead of Zapotosky who had engaged in these actions. We're betting the reaction would have been quite different, on many fronts. You might have even seen an orchestrated mob with pitchforks and torches gathering outside the courthouse.<br />
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As for Winkler, we certainly hope that she took leave time to appear alongside Zapotosky on the WMBS radio talk show the Friday that Yauger's story broke. Being in a position funded by the county taxpayer, helping her boss with political spin while on the taxpayers' dime isn't likely to be in her official job description. It may even be illegal.<br />
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Maybe Heneks or the press could check that out, too, in the interest of further "full disclosure." Surely the employee time cards for that pay period have already been processed and will reflect how Winkler spent her time that day -- and any attempt to alter them at this point would be improper and smack of a cover-up.<br />
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In the interim, though, you've got to give Zapotosky some credit for playing his hand well. The anti-new-prison faction that's been a fixture at commission meetings doesn't seem inclined to criticize him -- even for slipping plans out the door -- any time soon. They're of the opinion that he bent to their will by reversing field on his staunch support of building a new prison, and therefore affirmed the worthiness of their cause. In short, he makes them feel good about themselves, which has put them in a very forgiving mood.<br />
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And the pro-Zimmerlink faction appears to have crossed him off their criticism radar, too, knowing full well that if she's to succeed on a prison alternative or any other item, she's going to need Zapotosky as a second vote.<br />
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Zapotosky's recent moves have put Zimmerlink in the catbird seat, which was unthinkable for most of his seven-year tenure as a commissioner.<br />
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</span><br /></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-4041356049965917452014-08-28T05:57:00.000-07:002014-08-28T15:43:41.525-07:00Heroes<span lang="">In the wake of last week's 2-1 vote to suspend plans for a new Fayette County prison, some vocal opponents of the plan are engaging in a lot of self-congratulatory back slapping, giving themselves credit for succeeding in turn around Commissioner Vince Zapotosky's vote.<br />
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Zapotosky himself is playing into the narrative with the fervor of Sunday televangelist. About the only thing he hasn't done is stand up and shout, "Glory! Hallelujah! I have finally seen the light! Can I get an A-ah-MEN!" His attempt to portray himself as a responsive elected official, one who listened to the people and bent to their wishes, is designed to play to the crowd and make them feel victorious, while minimizing his own political liabilities.<br />
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Likewise, Zapotosky's statement that he hasn't given up on the project, implying that he might want to renovate the exisiting prison and perhaps find some property nearby for a scaled-down construction effort, is designed to wallpaper over the fact that he voted to spend $2 million on another plan on which he was fully aboard, then suddenly changed his mind.<br />
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That's not good leadership. That's playing the public for a fool.<br />
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If you are for a new prison, Commissioner Al Ambrosini deserves to be your hero. He's led the charge, been steadfast in his conviction on what should be done, and worked hard to see his favored course of action become reality.<br />
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And if you are against a new prison, Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink deserves to be your hero. She's also been out front in opposition, unwavering in her firm conviction that a better alternative exists, and worked hard to make sure her point of view was not forgotten in the debate.<br />
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But Zapotosky? He's not worthy of being anyone's hero. He's once again demonstrated his trademark: A willingness to whatever is in the perceived best interest of the re-election of Vince Zapotosky. If it looks like building a new prison outside of Uniontown is best for his future political viability, he's all for it, as he was for two years.<br />
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But if it looks like his chances of staying in office are better if he kills the project -- and pisses away $2 million of your money in the process -- Zapotosky quickly and without hesitation changes his mind. Is this anyone's idea of strong leadership? In poverty-stricken Fayette County, where all funds are precious, can you really buy logic from a seven-year commissioner that boils down to, "You're lucky that I threw away only $2 million now instead of spending $30 million later"?<br />
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Say what you will about the administration of former Commissioners Vince Vicites, Sean Cavanagh and the late Ron Nehls, but they tackled big issues with firm resolve, and saw them through despite political differences and shifting alliances. They took out a multi-million-dollar bond issue to finance a controversial (and long overdue) property reassessment, and to provide seed money to develop the former county home property along Route 40. Take a look at how that vision has unfolded and ask if the county is better off because of their decision, which was highly controversial at the time.<br />
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They even built into the equation a mechanism to prevent Fayette County from falling into the same property assessment inequity trap that led to all kinds of problems: The computerized ability to update every few years, at a fraction of the cost, to keep up with changing real estate market conditions. As the Herald-Standard correctly pointed out in its Aug. 24 editorial, Zapotosky and Zimmerlink shelved that update in 2009, wasting an estimated half-million-dollars of work. We have no doubt a large part of that decision was political. Vicites went along with it, too -- but in our view, he wasn't about to put his head on the voter chopping block after the other two backed out.<br />
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No one likes a reassessment, but here's one basic and immutable fact: When you don't do one, the people with higher-valued properties are the ones to profit; while folks with lower-valued ones get screwed. Thus, the Heritage Hills crowd benefits, while the people in places like Smock and Grindstone and Ronco pay a disproportionately higher share. To be fair, Ambrosini's done nothing to revive the matter since taking office. <br />
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Our point is that implementing a reassessment is perhaps the most difficult yet courageous decision a county commissioner can make, because even when the need is abundantly clear, it's certain to draw howls of protest. The easy and politically expedient thing is to succumb to that pressure and do nothing, which has happened all too often in Fayette County.<br />
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Regarding the prison, Zapotosky is now the man on the spot and we should all be eager to see what he does. If he truly thinks an alternative is better and is willing to lead, he should make a motion at the next commission meeting to set in motion plans to renovate the exisiting Fayette County prison, and to start the process of any related land acquisition in downtown Uniontown. It's as easy for him to put a plan on the table as it was to take one off. And there's no need to further study an issue that's already been studied to death. Everyone already knows the options, and certainly someone who's been in office as long as Zapotosky has should have a clear idea of what to do.<br />
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Renovation of the current lockup has been looked at repeatedly in the past, and it's long been favored by Zimmerlink, who, with a second vote, can make her prefered method of solving the problem a reality. Do you think Zapotosky will do that?<br />
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We're betting he won't, because that would be another tough decision, especially with a primary election just eight months away. In the months leading up to the election, we believe Zapotosky will pay just enough lip service to solving the problem to make it look like progress is being made, without having to put up any tangible vote to actually make something happen.<br />
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Speaking of which, there's one way Zapotosky could debunk this assessment of his motives as political. He can declare publicly that he won't be seeking re-election to a third term. That should be pretty easy for him to do, since when he first ran for commissioner, he pledged openly at a candidate forum to only serve two terms in office if elected. It was a big part of his stump speech.<br />
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Surely, as his second four-year term comes to a close, Zapotosky is a man of his word and won't be running for office again in the spring. Unless, of course, he's changed his mind on that one, too.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-89309219922809032482014-08-21T10:18:00.000-07:002014-08-21T10:18:03.317-07:00The Squanderer<span lang="">When you squander $2 million of county taxpayer money making a sudden U-turn in your long-held position, like Fayette County Commissioner Vince Zapotosky, it's best to find someone else to blame.<br />
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Which is precisely what Zapotosky did at Tuesday's meeting, where he tried to make the Herald-Standard newspaper and reporter Patty Yauger the subject of attention, rather than his own ineptitude and wishy-washyness.<br />
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Zapotosky called Yauger the "personal reporter" of fellow Democratic Commissioner Al Ambrosini -- which only serves as affirmation that the stories Yauger has broken about Zapotosky's actions regarding the proposed new $30 million Fayette County prison have rattled Zapotosky.<br />
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You'd probably be rattled, too, if the public found out that you were responsible for obtaining and turning over architecturall designs for the new prison to a man from Morgantown, West Virginia, who in turn gave them to a contractor in that city -- a contractor that intended to bid on the project.<br />
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Yauger's work documented all of the above. Does anyone doubt that Zapotosky's action smacks of favoritism, bad judgement, or both? Who is he to unilaterally decide which construction firm should get the opportunity to "review" the plans drawn up by a firm he already voted to hire for that task?<br />
His actions are important stuff for the public to know. Should Yauger be blamed for doing her job?<br />
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But instead of directing his ire where it belongs -- at the guy looking back at him in the mirror -- Zapotosky has tried to deflect attention away from himself. He has blamed Yauger for interviewing his personal courthouse assistant, Kathy Winkler, regarding the distribution of those plans, as though that's some high crime in the world of journalism.<br />
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Imagine that -- a reporter who asks questions! If Winkler didn't want to answer any, all she had to say was, "No comment." And, if she were so inclined, she could have added, "You'll need to ask Vince about that." We doubt that Yauger would have put Winkler in a headlock until she changed her mind.<br />
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Zapotosky also has taken aim at Ambrosini, blaming his long-time partner in running county government for sanctioning an "interrogation" of Winkler by Yauger. On WMBS radio's "Let's Talk" show Friday, Zapotosky trotted out Winkler as an on-air sidekick and tried to make the focus how upset she was at being asked questions during a nearly three-hour interview with Yauger.<br />
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To Zapotosky, at least, it was the Big Bad Wolf Ambrosini and Godzilla Yauger intimidating Little Miss Muffet Winkler to the point of tears.<br />
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Guess what, Vince? It goes with the territory. And surely you, of all people, know that.<br />
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You don't have to like Ambrosini for turning in your actions to the state Ethics Commission. But it looks like you will have to answer for them in some fashion. Maybe that's what has you squirming and backpedaling.<br />
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You don't have to like Yauger for pursuing this particular story, but that's not really an issue. And it's certainly, and thankfully, not your call. You can disparage Yauger as another commissioner's "personal reporter" all you want, but if you want to open that can of worms, we seriously doubt you'll end up voting to hire Yauger for a key position in the commissioner's office, like you did her Herald-Standard predecessor in covering county government.<br />
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In either case, we wouldn't want to be the elected official who slipped documents to a guy who passed them on to a contractor that, in turn, intended to bid on a $30 million project. If, as Zapotsky says, he just wanted an independent review of the plans and suggestions on how to save money, why didn't he make such a motion at a commission meeting and give ALL interested contractors the same opportunity?<br />
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When Zapotosky says, "Am I a day late and a dollar short? You betcha," it's important to remember that he's really two years and $2 million short. There's nothing he plans to do now in terms of exploring alternatives that he couldn't have done months or years ago regarding this project. He supported the idea of building a new prison, the site selection and acquisition, the hiring of a design firm and the expenditure of a significant amount of funds to get the project started. That wasn't Monopoly money he voted to hand out.<br />
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What's mystifying, though, is why so many people in the audience at Tuesday's meeting, people who rejoiced in the 2-1 vote to suspend the prison project, made snide remarks about Yauger and her reportage on this issue. Those catcalls are unwarranted.<br />
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You can't have it both ways. If it weren't for Yauger's reporting, Zapotosky wouldn't have been put on the hot spot that probably led to him changing his mind after two years as an ardent supporter of this costly prison project. His actions threw a big monkey wrench into the process. Opponents of the new prison may be glad that Zapotosky changed position and provided the second vote necessary to stop the project, but they shouldn't be blaming Yauger for turning in the best piece of investigative journalism the Herald-Standard has done in years.<br />
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Without Yauger's aggressive effort, no one would have known about these plans being slipped out of the courthouse and shipped to West Virginia. Certainly,Zapotosky wasn't telling the public that's what he was up to.<br />
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If Yauger heard about this and didn't follow up, many of those same critics would be pounding her for looking the other way. The focus should be on Zapotosky's actions -- his sudden change of heart and the propriety of handing out architectural plans for a yet-to-be-bid project -- not on the reporter and how she did her job. </span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-25588203826267796702013-11-01T05:16:00.000-07:002013-11-01T05:16:29.818-07:00Getting smoked ...Note to the Herald-Standard:<br />
Liz Zemba and the Greensburg Tribune-Review are kicking your ass on this story.<br />
<a href="http://triblive.com/news/fayette/4981998-74/clark-district-attorney#axzz2jOXU4yQ3">http://triblive.com/news/fayette/4981998-74/clark-district-attorney#axzz2jOXU4yQ3</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-67205131127206732192013-09-04T15:35:00.000-07:002013-09-04T15:35:31.681-07:00Kudos, sort of ...<span lang="">We'll be kind and give the Herald-Standard and reporter Patty Yauger some credit for the Sept. 4 front-page story, "Fayette advances prison plans." At least they notified the public of what was likely already published in the classified advertising section regarding the full-court press being put on by supporters of building a new Fayette County Prison.<br />
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The first paragraph of Yauger's story is the highlight: <strong>Fayette County commissioners have yet to take offical action as to whether a new prison will be built or a temporary women's detention annex be leased, but a recent advertisement for architectural and engineering services indicates a timeline for both projects.</strong><br />
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The story's all downhill from there.<br />
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Twenty paragraphs later, the reader is told this: <strong>The bid opening for engineering and architectural services for both projects is to take place at 3 p.m. Oct. 3 in the commissioners' meeting room. A contract is to be awarded following the opening of bids.</strong><br />
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"A contract is to be awarded following the opening of bids" is listed at the end of the story? Somebody -- perhaps new executive editor Mike Palm -- needs to give Yauger a primer on writing in the inverted pyramid style, where the most important information is position at the top of the story.<br />
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Seems to us that if someone plans to award a contract immediately after opening the bids, on a project that could cost $30 million, they're not -- to use a favorite phrase of former Commissioner Vince Vicites -- performing their "due diligence." <br />
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The engineering and architectural work is being soliciated by a method known as "request for qualifications," so they aren't really bids at all. Yauger should know that. By using what's known as an "RFQ," the commissioners (or more than likely, a majority of the board) can award the contract to any firm they want. Price won't matter one bit.<br />
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The problem is, RFQs require study. Or at least they should. They are basically a glorified resume, telling a prospective employer what kinds of similar work the firm has done, the size and experience of its staff, etc. It is then up to the prospective employer -- in this case, Fayette County -- to sift through those qualifications and come up with a winner.<br />
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Opening the envelopes and picking a winner right away smells very much like that winner has already been determined, does it not? It's sort of like crowning Miss America before you have the swimsuit and talent competitions.<br />
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Here's the biggest criticism we have of this story: Yauger didn't pick up the phone, as far as we are aware, to call a single person for comment. <br />
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Wouldn't you think that advertising for architectural and engineering services, with the planned award of a contract on Oct. 3, is a pretty strong indication that at least two of the three county commissioners are pretty commited to building a new prison, even though they've taken no official action?<br />
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Fact is, all three commissioners should have been called for comment on this one. It's a big project, one that carries a significant amount of public debt, and if you read the story you'll see an awful lot of scope-of-work details from the RFQ. <br />
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It sure sounds like someone has decided they are taking official action on building a new prison. And when it comes down to brass tacks, it isn't the prison working group or the National Institute of Corrections who are making that decision on Oct 3, although they are being heavily used to soften the beach.<br />
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It's the county commissioners. Or at least it's two of three of them.</span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-89921771071572657512013-08-13T16:07:00.001-07:002013-08-13T16:07:54.284-07:00Today's story is brought to you by ...<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here in the patch, we're waiting with baited breath for Herald-Standard executive editor Mark O'Keefe to explain in an upcoming column why a prominent local law firm was credited in a full-page advertisement with being the sponsor of his newspaper's five-part series on the Fayette County Prison.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(You can see it for yourself, on page B-8 of the Friday, August 9 edition.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will be staring back at you, in black and white: "Herald-Standard Investigates: Behind the Prison Walls ... Sponsored by Davis and Davis, attorneys at law."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the first time that we know of -- and perhaps the first time in recorded history -- that the Herald-Standard has had, or felt the need to have, a sponsor for a news story it should be doing anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">O'Keefe, as long-time readers will recall, has publicly staked out his position on ethics as pertains to journalism. We refer, once again of course, to his forceful Dec. 5, 2010 column entitled, "Ethics issues taken seriously."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His words of that time included:<b> "It's paramount that our newsroom maintains its independence and covers stories objectively."</b></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></b><span lang=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">O'Keefe might be able to defend that his charges still cover stories objectively, but we can imagine a lot of stammering and stuttering as he attempts to explain -- verbally or in writing -- how acceptance of a "sponsor" for a series of news stories falls in line with maintaining newsroom independence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics, journalists are to "<span lang="EN">Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></span><span lang=""></span><a href="http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="">http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp</span></span></span></u></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span lang=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely, O'Keefe must recognize the problems inherent in accepting -- and then openly promoting -- a sponsor for a news story. It opens up the newspaper to a whole host of questions, including whether its coverage is for sale.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's next? Will we see famed local auctioneer Wylie Rittenhouse standing in front of 8-18 East Church Street, yelling, "I got 50 bucks for the city council story, do I hear 55?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We bet even O'Keefe cannot be happy about this. But it falls to him to do the explaining.</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang=""><span lang=""> </span><br />
</span> </span> </span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-91980017958053035722013-07-19T05:21:00.000-07:002013-07-19T14:48:39.902-07:00And the sites are ...<span lang="">Here in the patch, we got word a few weeks ago that the prime site for any new Fayette County Prison was going to be the Joe Hardy Connellsville Airport.<br />
<br />
Based on two recent stories in the Tribune-Review, we are now prepared to say that our source has pretty good insight.<br />
<br />
First came a story noting that the airport authority has a $100,000 operating deficit, which could swell by another $50,000 in the next six months.<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://triblive.com/news/fayette/4369640-74/airport-authority-deficit"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span lang="">http://triblive.com/news/fayette/4369640-74/airport-authority-deficit#axzz2ZUQSxIR8</span></span></span></u></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span lang="">"<span lang="EN">We have to figure out ways to increase our income and reduce our expenses," was the assessment from airport board chairman Fred Davis. "We have been working diligently to turn our financial situation around." </span><br />
<br />
Then came today's story, in which Fayette County Commission Chairman (and Davis pal) Al Ambrosini revealed the three sites named finalists by the "prison working group" put on the task by Ambrosini and fellow Democratic commissioner Vincent Zapotosky.<br />
</span><span lang=""></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://triblive.com/news/fayette/4382094-74/ambrosini-prison-county"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span lang="">http://triblive.com/news/fayette/4382094-74/ambrosini-prison-county#axzz2ZUQSxIR8</span></span></span></u></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">Those sites are: A 100-acre parcel in Georges Township near Route 43, owned by Scott and Allen Whyel of Farmington and available for $850,000; a 30-acre parcel at the Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport in Dunbar Township, available for lease at $35,000 a year; and a 77-acre site on the county's fairgrounds in Dunbar Township. <br />
<br />
We're pretty sure we can save Abrosini and Zapotosky at least part of the $24,000 they agreed to spend to study the prison issue.<br />
<br />
First off, who in their right mind would include the Fayette County Fairgounds on any such list? Ever been to that location in, say, the last week of July or the first week of August, when the county's biggest event is being held? Traffic is a nightmare, and the state police are required to help a steady stream of drivers get onto and off of Route 119. In the event of any type of emergency at the prison, the potential travel delay would be unacceptable.<br />
<br />
And we won't even go into how fairgoing parents might feel about sending their children to the fair when dangerous prisoners are potentially being transported along the road leading past the fair's immense parking lot (which, by the way, would make an excellent place to hide or get lost in the crowd in an escape attempt).<br />
<br />
Here's how we predict this playing out: It comes down to buying the $850,000 Whyel property versus the $35,000 airport rental. And the logic will be that it makes better sense to pay the $35,000 rental to the cash-strapped (and mismanaged) airport authority, because at that rate it will take 24 years to get to $850,000. <br />
<br />
And someone will throw in, for good measure, the argument that this financially helps the airport, while representing further growth along the Route 119 corridor. <br />
<br />
We still have this question, though: If a 30-acre parcel at the airport is in the running, why would the "prison working group" need to include a 100-acre parcel (the Whyel property) on its list of finalists?<br />
<br />
Why would you buy 70 more acres than you need, for any project? The asking price for the Whyel property is $8,500 an acre, so buying 30 acres would cost only $255,000.<br />
</span><span lang=""> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-42586429532390360402013-06-28T18:54:00.003-07:002013-06-28T18:54:48.138-07:00Interesting reading Some strong local angles in this story ... <br />
<a href="http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/4276369-74/mellow-pnc-former#axzz2XZ94Z5xn">http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/4276369-74/mellow-pnc-former#axzz2XZ94Z5xn</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-72702529616934210192013-06-04T15:50:00.000-07:002013-06-04T15:50:47.053-07:00Will it ever end?<span lang=""></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">We had a few insights after reading "Investigation still ongoing," the May 31, 2013 commentary in the Herald-Standard authored by Harry Fike, the Fayette County Housing Authority chairman.<br />
<br />
Fike commemorated the one-year anniversary of the purported May 30, 2012 discovery of a packet of information at a Uniontown area restaurant by informing the public that, "Each day we get a little closer to solving this mystery."<br />
<br />
Really? At this rate, Haley's Comet will fly past Earth two or three times by the time the "mystery" is solved.<br />
<br />
One thing the investigation has apparently uncovered thus far is a problem with mathematics. Originally, the reported word was that three waitresses at the restaurant where housing authority board member Beverly Beal, former housing authority finance director Sonya Over and Fayette County Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink had lunch saw the trio with the aforementioned packet.<br />
<br />
Now, a year later, we have Fike noting, "Plus, two or three waitresses said our county commissioner, Mrs. Zimmerlink, was there viewing them along with a member of the housing authority board, Mrs. Beal, and a former housing authority employee."<br />
<br />
Maybe if we wait another year, we'll be told that the case is close to being solved because "one or two" unnamed waitresses definitely saw what transpired.<br />
<br />
Fike says the case involves "confidential records" that were "found lying on a restaurant table" and it "is not closed by any means." <br />
<br />
We've written about this before, back in August, when the case was only three months old. <br />
</span><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><a href="http://fayettepatchhunky.blogspot.com/2012/08/full-disclosure-of-what_22.html"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span lang="">http://fayettepatchhunky.blogspot.com/2012/08/full-disclosure-of-what_22.html</span></span></span></span></u></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span lang="">Another nine months have elapsed, and all Fike has to put on the table is "every day we get a little closer" ?<br />
<br />
That's not saying much for the skills of the private investigator hired to get to the bottom of this, who's been paid several thousand dollars. After 12 months, perhaps Fike and the housing authority should turn to someone who can get better results.<br />
<br />
That logic assumes, however, that the utlimate goal is closing the books on this one. And, politics being what it is, you've got to leave room to at least acknowledge that maybe a final resolution, one way or the other, isn't the ultimate goal.<br />
<br />
Maybe the goal is to keep the innuendo-based issue alive, heading into the next county commissioner election, so that attempts can be made to disparage Zimmerlink without any proof of wrongdoing or misbehavior on her part.<br />
<br />
Much like the Whitewater investigation was used to disparage and tie up President Bill Clinton, perhaps Packetgate has far more value as a political than a criminal tool.<br />
<br />
There's one way to make certain that doesn't happen. All it takes is for the Pennsylvania state police and or Fayette County District Attorney Jack Heneks to charge someone with a crime -- or to say the case is closed because of lack of evidence.<br />
<br />
If neither of those things happen -- and soon -- the theory of playing politics gains stature and the circle susceptible to that criticism grows.</span><br /></span><br /></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-33311704523466854302013-05-30T15:52:00.000-07:002013-05-30T15:52:12.979-07:00Help wanted<em>If we're supposed to "buy local," shouldn't this job opening be in the Herald-Standard classifieds?</em><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Newspaper Executive Editor Uniontown PA</span> </b><br />
Posted: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 8:37 am <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.waaytv.com/contact/employment/newspaper-executive-editor-uniontown-pa/article_3766dc6a-b71b-11e2-98a1-001a4bcf6878.html"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.waaytv.com/contact/employment/newspaper-executive-editor-uniontown-pa/article_3766dc6a-b71b-11e2-98a1-001a4bcf6878.html</span></u></a><br />
<br />
Fast-paced, family-owned multi-platform publishing company (SUN circ 22,500) in Southwestern PA seeks forward-thinking Executive Editor, committed to providing smart, indispensable, accessible and timely content across a variety of platforms.<br />
<br />
This hands-on position is responsible for the day-to-day direction of reporters, web producers and independent content providers, within management’s established vision and financial parameters. <br />
<br />
Effective communication with all levels of decision-makers and industry peers is an ongoing and vital function of the position.<br />
<br />
The successful candidate must be committed to sustaining and improving existing print products while leading the way in digital innovations and overseeing the creation of innovative online tools and features.<br />
<br />
A journalism degree or equivalent work experience is required. A high level of comfort with social media is an asset.<br />
<br />
A proven record of successful leadership in deadline-driven journalism and solid news judgment skills are essential. Concern for our organization’s circulation, audience and advertising as they merge with delivery of news and information are a must.<br />
<br />
Candidates meeting these criteria are encouraged to submit resumes to Karen Tweardy at8 East Church Street, Uniontown PA 15401 or <a href="mailto:ktweardy@heraldstandard.com"><u><span style="color: blue;">ktweardy@heraldstandard.com</span></u></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-40761195746574797842013-05-13T16:16:00.000-07:002013-05-13T16:47:01.699-07:00Missing the boat<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Today’s
front-page story, “Election expert says overzealous supporters can harm
campaign” (Herald-Standard, May 13)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">, not only misses the boat, it’s in a totally
wrong harbor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.heraldstandard.com/election/election-expert-says-overzealous-supporters-can-harm-campaign/article_64e04600-51e7-5cce-8df1-3c924f0bb221.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.heraldstandard.com/election/election-expert-says-overzealous-supporters-can-harm-campaign/article_64e04600-51e7-5cce-8df1-3c924f0bb221.html</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Where
is the news in telling the public that in the heat of a political campaign,
volunteers may violate a law or a policy on behalf of their favored candidate?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If the
Herald-Standard considers that to be a big news flash, there’s a serious lack
of real-world insight in that building.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
one-source story, quoting a Harrisburg attorney, goes to great pains to explain
the obvious. It also implies strongly that two volunteers for the campaign of
judicial candidate Douglas Sepic – one of whom used a Laurel Highland School district
fax machine to send out campaign-related material, and the other an Albert
Gallatin Area School district teacher who sent home some type of vote-for-Sepic
letter with her students – fit in the “overzealous” category.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
Harrisburg attorney, further identified as an “election expert,” is quoted as
saying that local campaigns, whether for a borough council seat or a judicial
seat, are “complex.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">While
running a campaign may be complex, it is pretty simple to figure out what the
real stories should be here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
real story is not, and should not be, about judicial candidate Douglas Sepic. Although
there may be some degree of guilt by association or insinuation, we’ll give you
that he cannot be held responsible for everything that his supporters (and
maybe his non-supporters) may do on his behalf.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Taken
to extreme ridiculousness, if a guy robbed a liquor store while wearing a “Vote
for Sepic” button on his lapel and drove away in a car with a “Vote for Sepic”
bumper sticker, would or should that have any real bearing on Sepic, personally
or professionally? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">No, the
real thrust of Herald-Standard follow up should be probing the two incidents
that have come to light, neither of which directly involves Douglas Sepic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">First
up: The reported use of a LH fax machine by Melvyn Sepic, Douglas Sepic’s
father who just so happens to be a member of the LH school board. We still don’t
know how many faxes were sent, if this was an isolated incident, or if it is
common practice for LH board members (not just M. Sepic) to use public
resources for personal or political business.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We don’t
know what, if any, measures are being taken to punish M. Sepic. And we sure don’t
know if this rises to the level of something serious, such as an ethics, school
board or crimes code violation. Wouldn’t it make sense to call some experts in
those fields, to gain their perspectives? (Or call the other eight LH school
board members?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Next
up: The use of AG students as political pack mules. All we know is that a
teacher was reportedly suspended for this activity. But we still don’t know
this teacher’s name, or whether she’s back to work, or whether she has appealed
the suspension, or whether such activity violates the school code. Again, how
hard would it be to find some experts in this area to get some perspectives?
(Or call the nine AG school board members?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We can’t
really fault AG for not releasing the name, because we’re not even certain they’ve
been asked to do that. You’d think that a news reporter would make asking for
the name the first order of business; this is, after all, a public employee
being paid for by tax dollars. If the district has a legitimate and legal
reason for not releasing the name, we would love to hear it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A
prior Herald-Standard story made mention that D. Sepic does have relatives
working in the AG district. It makes a world of difference if the teacher who
distributed a letter on his behalf is or is not a relative of his. If it is, it
might lead the public to believe that the teacher was trying to help him win.
If it isn’t, the public might conclude that someone was trying to tarnish his
name and undermine his campaign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Instead
of stories that involve hard questions in the quest to further examine and
illuminate unsavory practices, readers were treated to a piece of
fluff as soft as a roll of Charmin. Weeks after they were first reported on, readers
still have no idea whether either of these school-related activities even
qualifies as a potential crime or ethics violation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One
thing is for sure: You can’t characterize the Herald-Standard as being
overzealous in pursuing these two stories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-60092830090455780092013-05-08T15:28:00.000-07:002013-05-08T15:47:35.413-07:00Why we like Larry<br />
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</div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">We must admit that we don’t know much about seven of the
eight candidates running for the Democratic nomination for Fayette County treasurer
in the upcoming primary election.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">But we do know a lot about one of them. And that’s why we
are wholeheartedly endorsing former State Representative (and self-employed
labor arbitrator) Larry Roberts for this position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">(We want to make sure we cover all of our bases, so
depending on when you met or knew Larry, our endorsement also covers anyone
named Larry Rabbit, Larry Zajac or Larry LaMonica).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In the election preview story </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Treasurer candidates discuss post responsibilities,” (Herald-Standard,
May 7), Roberts </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">said his
qualifications put him at the front of the line.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“My
level of responsibility over the years has meaning, and I have served in several
levels of responsibility,” Roberts said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Amen to that. We think you’d be hard-pressed to find a
candidate with more experience than Larry Roberts. He’s done it all – and one
of the things we like about him is that should he be elected, the people who
put him in office won’t be in for any big surprises.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">You don’t have to worry about being shocked by a Larry
Roberts ethics case. He’s already been hit with a $600 ethics penalty </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">for allowing legislative staff to
arrange campaign events in 2001 and again in 2004.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_508816.html#axzz2SephmF1O"><span style="color: blue;">http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_508816.html#axzz2SephmF1O</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Worried about Larry’s name popping up in connection with allegations
of hanky-panky? That’s already happened, in a 2004 Election Board hearing where
20-year-old carpet installer Michael Ciampanelli testified that Roberts agreed
to pay him $200 to enter the race for state representative. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/fayette/s_188012.html#axzz2SephmF1O"><span style="color: blue;">http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/fayette/s_188012.html#axzz2SephmF1O</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Holding off on voting for Larry because you think he
might let you down by voting to increase his pay as treasurer? Roberts can’t
let you down, because he already voted to increase his legislative pay, in the
infamous midnight pay raise of 2005, </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">from
$69,647 to $81,050 each year. (Calculations showed that vote additionally hiked
his state pension by $721 per year.)<br />
<a href="http://triblive.com/x/dailycourier/news/s_359223.html#axzz2SephmF1O"><span style="color: blue;">http://triblive.com/x/dailycourier/news/s_359223.html#axzz2SephmF1O</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
know that some of you probably have concerns about how Larry as treasurer would
interpret the fourth-class county code. Put your mind at ease -- after voting
for that 2005 legislative pay raise, Roberts accepted the unvouchered expenses
used to skirt a constitutional prohibition on midterm raises.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Roberts_(politician)"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Roberts_(politician)</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Think
there might be dissension in the treasurer’s office if Roberts wins? Do not
fear; Roberts already has had a staffer testify against him during an election
board hearing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://triblive.com/x/dailycourier/news/s_190975.html#axzz2SephmF1O"><span style="color: blue;">http://triblive.com/x/dailycourier/news/s_190975.html#axzz2SephmF1O</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nepotism
is a big issue these days in Fayette Co. The great thing about Larry is you don’t
have to sit around wondering if he’ll help out a family member. Roberts' son
Mark has already been county controller, and Mark Roberts even tried to keep
challenger (and current controller) Sean Lalley from running against him in
2007. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/fayette/s_497757.html#axzz2SephmF1O"><span style="color: blue;">http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/fayette/s_497757.html#axzz2SephmF1O</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If
philosophy of governance is important to you, Roberts already has made his
position clear, making the press go to court to try to obtain information on his
expenses paid for by the public.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.wileyrein.com/publications.cfm?sp=articles&newsletter=4&id=2035"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.wileyrein.com/publications.cfm?sp=articles&newsletter=4&id=2035</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Of
course, there are many other reasons to vote for Larry Roberts, some of which
we detailed in our own critique of Roberts' performance, back in 2011.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://fayettepatchhunky.blogspot.com/2011/07/constituent-feedback.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://fayettepatchhunky.blogspot.com/2011/07/constituent-feedback.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When
you go to the polls on May 21, please vote for Larry Roberts for Fayette County
treasurer. Remember, in 14 years as a state representative, he brought cable TV
to Ohiopyle Borough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With
all his experience, just think what he can do for you now.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-43068666949661952972013-05-01T10:24:00.000-07:002013-05-01T10:24:22.527-07:00Help for Jesse<span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here in the patch, we are laughing out loud at judicial candidate Douglas Sepic's rationalization of his father's reported use of a Laurel Highlands School District fax machine to send out political campaign material.<br />
<br />
"Laurel Highlands school board member faxed campaign notices," (Herald-Standard, May 1) contains this paragraph regarding the actions reportedly taken by LH school board member Melvyn Sepic:<br />
<b></b><br />
<b>Douglas Sepic said that despite the allegation of wrongdoing, his father did not use his position to access the school fax to send campaign material.<br />
</b><span lang=""></span><br />
<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://www.heraldstandard.com/election/laurel-highlands-school-board-member-faxed-campaign-notices/article_5ce9eb31-7dbe-5653-9d94-8a3aa3a446be.html"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span lang="">http://www.heraldstandard.com/election/laurel-highlands-school-board-member-faxed-campaign-notices/article_5ce9eb31-7dbe-5653-9d94-8a3aa3a446be.html</span></span></span></u><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Huh? Are we to believe, then, that any member of the public can trot on over to Hutchinson Elementary School, gain access to the building, enter the office and be granted permission to use the fax machine for personal reasons?<br />
<br />
Has Melvyn Sepic ever heard of Kinkos or Staples? You can send faxes from there, but it means you'll also have to reach into your pocket to pay for the service.<br />
<br />
Kudos, by the way, to LH superintendent Jesse Wallace for launching an investigation (but really, once the story broke, how could he avoid doing that?). But we're not buying for one minute Wallace's own statements that it is impossible to track down how many faxes Melvyn Sepic sent out on his son's behalf.<br />
<b></b><br />
<b>"The first thing I sought was the activity report, but because it was more than 24 hours (after April 23), I was unable to retrieve the report," said Wallace, adding that the manufacturer was also contacted to determine if access could be made. "It is due to the age and ability of the machine that we were unable to get it."<br />
</b><br />
Even if the fax machine is too old to provide a count, wasn't there someone in the office who could testify to Melvyn Sepic's use of the equipment? After all, Douglas Sepic himself has stated of his father's activity, "It was done during the hustle and bustle of a busy day." <br />
<br />
Surely, Wallace can find someone who was in the office who can say, "He was in here for (however long it was), using the machine." And if Wallace wanted to, we are pretty certain he could find out how many calls were placed from the Hutchinson office on the day and time frame in question.<br />
<br />
Here's our easy, four-step approach for Wallace to follow:<br />
<br />
1. Pick up the phone.<br />
<br />
2. Call Verizon (or whatever phone company provides LH with service).<br />
<br />
3. Say, "I am the superintendent of the Laurel Highlands School District, and I want a list of all outgoing calls made from the Hutchinson Elementary School fax number on April 23, 1013."<br />
<br />
4. Thank the phone company representative for his or her time.<br />
<br />
Still left unanswered as part of Wallace's "investigation" is the question of whether this was the first and only time Melvyn Sepic or any other board member used the fax machine for personal or campaign reasons. The public deserves an answer to that one.<br />
<br />
According to Herald-Standard's Patty Yauger, who deserves some credit for following up on this story, <b>Wallace said that the staff has been instructed that political material can not be distributed via the school district equipment by employees, students or anyone associated with the district.</b><br />
<b>
</b><br />
We would like to see the answer to this question: WHEN was staff given this instruction? If it was before M. Sepic's reported use of the fax machine, then someone ignored the policy and should be held accountable. If it was given after M. Sepic's reported use of the fax machine, then it is quite possible, perhaps even probable, that this isn't the first time something like this has happened in the school district.<br />
<br />
We also got a big chuckle out of D. Sepic's stated belief that this story didn't rise to the level of front-page news. That's a sure-fire sign that the Herald-Standard made the right call in putting it there.<br />
<br />
D. Sepic said, and we quote from the story, <b>"I’ve spent my career prosecuting serious, violent criminals, drug dealers, murderers and trying to do what is right for Fayette County. (This minimal matter) detracts from the real issues in this campaign that are plaguing Fayette County."</b><br />
<b>
</b><br />
We wonder if D. Sepic, the experienced career prosecutor, has ever put anybody away for theft of services or conflict of interest. </span> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-85913002016356878132013-04-30T16:37:00.000-07:002013-04-30T16:37:12.052-07:00Who will act?
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today's Herald-Standard story, "Political
fax sent from school questioned,"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(April 30) details Fayette County Republican Committee Chairman Russ
Rhodes' ire over a political fundraiser invitation allegedly sent from a fax
machine at Hutchinson Elementary School in the Laurel Highlands School
District.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The April 23 fax, according to Rhodes, was
distributed on behalf of Douglas Sepic, one of five candidates for county judge
in the upcoming primary election. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"What we have is a political person using
taxpayer-funded resources for their own purposes," said Rhodes.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sepic, who is an assistant district attorney in
Fayette County, disavowed any personal involvement in the matter. "It is
improper to send a (political campaign) fax from a government or school district
fax and I did not authorize it," said Sepic.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We'll take both men at their word.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But that doesn't change the fact that Rhodes is
100 percent correct in pointing out that a fax machine being paid for with
taxpayer dollars should not be used for political campaign purposes. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The practice could end up landing someone in
jail. It has in neighboring Allegheny County, where district attorney Stephen
Zappala prosecuted former state Senator Jane Orie for such office practices and
won a conviction.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rhodes says his next step is considering filing a
complaint with the State Ethics Commission. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We wonder what would happen if Rhodes also
dropped a dime to call Fayette County district attorney Jack Heneks and the
Pennsylvania state police. They, after all, sprang into action (and are
presumably still investigating) the nearly year-long "Saga of the
Packet" presumably left at a restaurant by Fayette County Housing
Authority board member Bev Beal during a lunch with Sonya Over and county
commissioner Angela Zimmerlink.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Heneks and the PSP also rushed headfirst into the
effort to track down the identities of anonymous posters on an Internet
community bulletin board, once they started repeating potentially libelous
rumors about a sitting county judge.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This case seems far more solid than either of
those two. It's not like anyone can walk in off the street at any time and use
the fax machine at Hutchinson Elementary School to send out an invitation to a
political "meet and greet" for a judicial candidate. (Or can they?)</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And what of the Laurel Highlands School District?
Someone should call superintendent Jesse Wallace and the nine school board
members, asking them what policy the school district has regarding the sending
of such faxes, and how they plan to get to the bottom of who sent this one.
(Are there security cameras that might have captured the culprit?)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Heck, the school district should be conducting
its own investigation. Someone on staff just might have seen or heard
something. How many of these faxes were sent? Who sent this one? Has anything
like this ever happened before?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For all we know, it is standard operating
procedure for someone -- maybe even anyone -- with ties to the Laurel Highlands
School District to use public property (and thus taxpayer funds) to conduct
political campaigning. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We hope someone does the right thing and at least
calls for an investigation, maybe even by attorney general Kathleen Kane. Who
knows what an investigator with no ties to local politics might uncover?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-56181803930145998852013-04-23T05:17:00.000-07:002013-04-23T05:17:38.519-07:00Selective presentationAccording to Fayette County Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink's most recent blog posting, the following paragraph was deleted from her commentary by the Herald-Standard prior to its publication Sunday.<br />
<span style="color: red;"></span><br />
<span style="color: red;">To say the article is inaccurate and misleading is an understatement. My experience shows information is not always accurately relayed and then reported resulting in misinformation to the public about a county issue. Knowing this, I initiated contact with the Herald Standard to provide accurate information before the article was printed, but it did no good; hence the reason for this letter</span>.<br />
<br />
The question for the newspaper's high command is: Why? What is so offensive about this paragraph, other than the fact that it is critical of the job done by the paper?<br />
<br />
The newspaper ended up running a correction on the very same issue to which Zimmerlink was refering, so there obviously was a problem with the story. And Zimmerlink certainly has a strong basis for forming the opinion put forth in the deleted paragraph.<br />
<br />
You can -- and should -- read the full text of Zimmerlink's blog post here: <a href="http://blog.votezimmerlink.com/"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://blog.votezimmerlink.com/</span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><br />
<br />
It's not like Zimmerlink wants favorable treatment, or is asking for a favor, or wants the paper to stop letting people criticize her. All she wants is for what is printed to be accurate -- especially as concerns what she says and provides to a reporter. That's a pretty reasonable request -- and one to which all sources are entitled.<br />
<br />
When inaccurate information is printed, particularly in a front-page story, the damage isn't erased by an apology and a page 2 correction. That's why errors are anathema to good journalists.<br />
<br />
Whatever happened to getting the story right?<br />
<br />
We're glad that Zimmerlink has pointed out what she calls the "censorship" of her letter. It lets the public know that free speech seems to end when it reaches criticism of the job being done by the paper.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-5245750781947887172013-04-22T15:44:00.000-07:002013-04-22T15:44:33.876-07:00Oops! They did it again!<span lang="">It wasn't on the front page, but the Friday, April 19 edition of the Herald-Standard contained the following important and noteworthy correction:<br />
<b></b><br />
<b>Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink did receive a packet of information related to the Fayette County Airport Authority and turned over copies of the documents to members of the authority as asked for in a right-to-know request. Incorrect information was reported in a story published Wednesday. The Herald-Standard apologizes for the error.</b><br />
<br />
Given the newspaper's patttern of shabby treatment of Zimmerlink, you would think these type of errors wouldn't be happening. Remember the reporter who was permitted to do a hatchet job on her in print on the eve of the 2011 commissioner election, then was caught working the polls for the other Republican in the race? Remember the pre-election meeting story on the politically motivated (and unsubstantiated) allegation that Zimmerlink was posting items to a website on county time (authored by a reporter later hired as the county's chief clerk)?<br />
<br />
We do: </span><a href="http://fayettepatchhunky.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-should-zimmerlink-talk.html"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="">http://fayettepatchhunky.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-should-zimmerlink-talk.html</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><br />
<span lang=""></span><br />
In a less obvious and more easily defensible display, the paper spared no shortage of ink on the red herring we call "Packetgate," which tried to tie Zimmerlink to a packet of information regarding the Fayette County Housing Authority left at a local restaurant on May 30, 2012. Much ado was made about the matter being investigated by the district attorney, the state pollice and a private investigator hired by the housing authority with tax dollars. Eleven months later, as we predicted, nothing of substance has been presented.<br />
<br />
So how in the world does the paper STILL end up having to print a major correction admitting that "incorrect information was reported" in a major story dealing with Zimmerlink? Aren't reporters and newspapers supposed to get it right the first time?<br />
<br />
Even if the reporter goofs up, what of the editors whose job it is to catch such things before they are published and cause embarrassment?<br />
<br />
A final word on right-to-know requests: Instead of being fixated on airport authority chairman Fred Davis' RTK request seeking information that Zimmerlink obtained from the airport authority -- and in the case of the Herald-Standard, getting a key fact wrong -- the media should be launching its own RTK requests to find out more about the Federal Aviation Administration findings that form the basis of Zimmerlink's concerns over airport operations.<br />
<br />
In her column of April 21, "Concerns about airport are valid," Zimmerlink notes that according to the FAA, federal funds may be in jeopardy "because of the airport's continued unauthorized uses of airport property, the failure to collect fair market rent and other deficiencies" first brought to the authority's attention in 2011.<br />
<br />
We need to hear more -- from airport board members and employees, past and present, and the FAA -- about these unauthorized uses of airport property and the failure to collect fair market rent.<br />
<br />
We need to hear less about Zimmerlink trying to get the accurate answers that the independent media should be providing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-57744649571577348812013-04-18T16:18:00.000-07:002013-04-18T16:23:21.569-07:00No easy landing<span lang="">After reading today's story, "Zimmerlink vows to monitor airport authority," (Herald-Standard, April 18), our eyes perked up at this line:<br />
<br />
<strong>Zimmerlink said that the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) deficiencies included unsigned lease agreements, safety issues, fair market value rental fees and other matters.</strong><br />
<br />
These problems, as reported, were flagged by the FAA during an inspection back in May 2011 and reiterated in a letter sent to the Fayette County Airport Authority in February of this year.<br />
<br />
Apparently, the unresolved issues are serious enough to jeopardize state and federal funding for the airport. That alone should be reason enough for Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink -- or any other elected official, but especially the county commissioners who appoint airport authority board members -- to put this matter front and center on the radar screen.<br />
<br />
The obvious question here is: If the airport is being run by a "competent" board, as described by chairman Fred Davis, why haven't these problems been resolved in the past 23 months? Instead of being miffed at Zimmerlink for requesting information from the FAA -- a nifty move, actually, because the federal Freedom of Information Act pretty much guarantees a speedy and thorough response -- the airport board should be supplying some answers.<br />
<br />
They should be using their public meeting to tell us how many unsigned leases there were, who they were made out to and why they weren't signed in the first place.<br />
<br />
They should be using their public meeting to tell us what the problems were with fair market rental fees, and if they were too low, why was that the case and who were the beneficiaries of these low rents.<br />
<br />
And they should be using their public meeting to tell us about these safety issues, what they are, what progress has been made to correct them, and what still needs to be done.<br />
<br />
Unsigned leases and problems with fair market value rental fees, as flagged by the FAA, sounds to us like a combination worthy of further investigation. On the surface, it certainly appears at least as interesting as the unsolved copper thefts and alleged voter fraud targeted by the investigating grand jury convened by Fayette County District Attorney Jack Heneks Jr.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-19976350014336259722013-04-11T18:30:00.000-07:002013-04-11T18:30:16.371-07:00Who's behind the ownership curtain?<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span lang="EN">Here in the patch, we've seen a thousand Herald-Standard.com business stories over the years, promoting the opening or expansion of everything from grocery stores to flower shops to manufacturing faciliites to auto dealers.<br />
<br />
Each and every one of them included one key fact: The actual owner(s) of the business, whose smiling face could usually be found in a prominent photograph accompanying the feel-good story.<br />
<br />
Thus we were perplexed -- and somewhat curious -- that the Sunday, March 17 story, "SWC Properties opens real estate office in Uniontown" made no mention of who actually owns this fledgling new real estate company.<span lang=""></span><br />
<br /></span><a href="http://www.heraldstandard.com/news/business/swc-properties-opens-real-estate-office-in-uniontown/article_60ef47f4-7ed5-5460-a81e-3f25dbe5061f.html"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="">http://www.heraldstandard.com/news/business/swc-properties-opens-real-estate-office-in-uniontown/article_60ef47f4-7ed5-5460-a81e-3f25dbe5061f.html</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><span lang="EN"> </span><br />
<br />
Our curiosity was further piqued when a photo of a "broker" with the company showed him standing in front of the newspaper-owned building that formerly housed the now-failed HSTV operation. Before that, the site was home to Eddie's Fruit Basket.<br />
<br />
Something about this presentation just wasn't adding up. So we visited the Pennsylvania Department of State website, where you can research such things, typed in SWC Properties, and easily found this listing:<br />
<b></b><br />
<b>SWC Properties LLC Current Name</b><br />
Limited Liability Company - Domestic - Information<br />
<b>Entity Number:</b> 4157830 <b>Status:</b> Active <b>Entity Creation Date:</b> 1/10/2013 <b>State of Business.:</b> PA <b>Registered Office Address:</b> 8 East Church Street<br />
Uniontown PA 15401 <br />
Fayette <b>Mailing Address:</b> No Address<br />
<span lang=""></span><br />
Then we used the same search engine and typed in Uniontown Newspapers Inc., and found this listing:<b><span lang="EN"></span></b><br />
<b>UNIONTOWN NEWSPAPERS INC Current Name</b>Business Corporation - Domestic - Information<br />
<b>Entity Number:</b> 368249 <b>Status:</b> Active <b>Entity Creation Date:</b> <b>Registered Office Address:</b> [Address Not Available]<br />
PA 0 -0 <br />
<b>Mailing Address:</b> No Address <br />
<br />
Officers<br />
<b>Name:</b> <b>VALERIE J LAUB</b> <b>Title:</b> <b>President</b> <b>Address:</b> 8 E CHURCH ST<br />
UNIONTOWN PA 15401-3563 <b></b><br />
<b>Name:</b> <b>SANDRA C HARDY</b> <b>Title:</b> <b>Secretary</b> <b>Address:</b> 8 E CHURCH ST<br />
UNIONTOWN PA 15401-3563 <b></b><br />
<b>Name:</b> <b>MICHAEL WHITE</b> <b>Title:</b> <b>Treasurer</b> <b>Address:</b> 8 E CHURCH ST<br />
UNIONTOWN PA 15401-3563 <b></b><br />
<b>Name:</b> <b>STANLEY ELLIS</b> <b>Title:</b> <b>Vice President</b> <b>Address:</b> 8 E CHURCH ST<br />
UNIONTOWN PA 15401-3563<br />
<br />
So, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State, the registered office address of SWC Properties turns out to be same address -- 8 E. Church St., Uniontown -- used by the owners/corporate officers of the company that runs Herald-Standard.com.<br />
<br />
If you don't believe us, visit the website and look it up yourself. <a href="https://www.corporations.state.pa.us/corp/soskb/csearch.asp"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="">https://www.corporations.state.pa.us/corp/soskb/csearch.asp</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><br />
<span lang="EN"></span><br />
Call us crazy, but this common address seems to be a pretty strong indication that the newspaper has branched out into the real estate business. We have no problem with that -- but, ethically and for the sake of journalistic accuracy and credibility, shouldn't that have been mentioned as part of the story?<br />
<br />
Surely, Herald-Standard.com knows who the owner(s) of SWC Properties is/are, or there wouldn't have been a confirmable basis for a grand-opening story in the first place.<br />
<br />
Was a conscious decision made somewhere along the line -- perhaps from the top-down -- to leave that information out of the story? If so, why? What's the big secret?<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span lang=""></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-21760732457428259202012-12-13T15:58:00.000-08:002012-12-13T15:58:57.932-08:00Under his skin
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Man, did
HeraldStandard.com get under the skin of Uniontown police chief Jason Cox, with
its Dec. 7 editorial “Shame on mayor,” which you can read it its entirely here:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="http://www.heraldstandard.com/opinion/editorials/shame-on-mayor/article_05fb503a-5ba2-5f66-a63e-a0c12a4d3fd2.html?mode=print"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.heraldstandard.com/opinion/editorials/shame-on-mayor/article_05fb503a-5ba2-5f66-a63e-a0c12a4d3fd2.html?mode=print</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The newspaper took
Mayor Ed Fike to task – and rightfully so – for his unilateral imposition of a
two-minute speaking limit for council member to address, of all things, the
city’s 2013 budget. In so doing, it described as “heavy handed” Cox’s
intervention as a lawman when councilman Gary Gearing proceeded to exceed Fike’s
two-minute rule with his comment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Said
the newspaper: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Suggesting that council
members have a time limit is one thing, having the chief of police step in and
play time cop is another thing altogether. Need we remind Fike that being mayor
is not the same as being a dictator. And Cox isn’t Fike’s personal servant. Cox
works for all the residents of Uniontown, including Gearing. He’s supposed to
dispense justice evenhandedly not siding with one public official over another
one.”</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It would be
ridiculous to limit members of the public to two minutes of speaking time, let
alone a duly elected member of council. Like Gearing or not, regardless of his
motives or the validity of his comments, he has a right to be heard. The public
will decide if his comments have merit, if he’s merely grandstanding, or if he’s
a candidate for the loony bin. But it’s not up to Fike to arbitrarily and
severely limit how much he can say, or how many questions he may ask.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It is impossible
for any member of council to address something as complicated and far-reaching
as a city budget, in less time that it takes to hear your favorite song on the
radio.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Enter police chief
Cox, who submitted his own rebuttal commentary, “Police chief defends actions
at meeting,” Dec. 7 (we couldn’t find it online, by the way, which leads us to
wonder if that’s because it prominently took aim at editor Mark O’Keefe).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Cox bristled at the
notion that anyone would imply that he is a “heavy-handed time cop” or a “personal
servant” of Fike. A main bone of Cox’s contention is that O’Keefe, whom he
portrays as the author of the editorial, wasn’t even at the meeting to view
firsthand what transpired.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Well, O’Keefe wasn’t
in Dallas when Oswald shot JFK, either – but that doesn’t mean he can’t
formulate an opinion on the assassination of President Kennedy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Cox claimed to have
been at the meeting as a department head, one who it just so happens does not
leave his badge or his authority at the door when the meeting begins. He said
he works directly under the mayor, and was only fulfilling Fike’s directive to
bring order to the situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">If his Marshall Matt
Dillon skills were necessary to defuse a volatile situation, we’d like to know
why Gearing wasn’t charged with any crime. Is speaking more than two minutes at
a public meeting something that could land a councilman in the hoosgow? Was
Gearing disturbing the peace? Making terroristic threats? Engaging in
disorderly conduct? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Cox may have just
been doing his job and following the boss’s orders, and we’ll give him the
benefit of the doubt on that count. But that does nothing to alter the point of
the editorial, which is that it doesn’t look good when one elected official
tries to muzzle another, or when the police chief gets involved as enforcer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-65464829807492675852012-11-22T05:46:00.000-08:002012-11-22T05:47:53.292-08:00Rumor quashing<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fayette County residents can take comfort in knowing that
the Pennsylvania state police, the county’s Drug Task Force and district
attorney Jack Heneks Jr. are bringing their considerable crime-fighting resources
to bear on what everyone agrees is a top problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tracking down rumors on the Internet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yep, you heard right. According to the lead story in the
Nov. 20 Herald-Standard (“Vernon complaint leads to investigation”), Fayette
County Common Pleas Judge Nancy D. Vernon has filed a harassment complaint
regarding allegations being made over social media.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">State police Trooper James Garlick is out to “find the
genesis” of this online chatter, according to the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DA Heneks had this to say: “We’re trying to get to the
bottom of these rumors because they are certainly untrue and malicious in
nature … We’re concerned that this (the rumors) could affect the integrity of
the court system.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Missing from this story is any mention of exactly what
crimes someone might be charged with. That’s a pretty basic – and easy – question
to ask, but we are talking Herald-Standard Version 2012 here. We’ve never heard
of anyone being arraigned for spreading rumors – or even for starting one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And we are baffled at why the county’s Drug Task Force is
even remotely involved in something like this – unless someone suspects that
the culprits are spreading rumors after getting high. That’s another good – and
obvious – question to ask.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also missing from this story is any indication of what these
rumors involve. Surely, if Vernon is upset enough to file a police complaint,
and if the state police and district attorney swing into action when that
happens, it couldn’t be too hard for a reporter to dig up what’s getting under
everyone’s skin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Especially when Heneks says: “I’m alarmed at the
multiplicity of those unfounded reports.” If there is such multiplicity, and it’s
easily available on the Internet, a good reporter would have no qualms about
making it part of the story. The question everyone should be asking is why didn’t
that happen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We don’t blame Vernon one bit for wanting to strike back
against her critics, especially those who are allegedly making untrue
statements that impune her reputation. But many, many people (and politicians) have
suffered the same fate, particularly on a certain community bulletin board
known for name-calling, rumor and innuendo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The resources of the state police and the district attorney –
and even the Drug Task Force – should not be deployed only if a judge lodges a
complaint. So if you think you have also been the victim of malicious rumors on
social media, please call Trooper Garlick at 724-439-7111, or DA Heneks at
724-430-1245. They should gladly give you the same investigatory help as they
are giving Vernon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-56057954783654715452012-09-12T17:15:00.000-07:002012-09-12T17:15:36.764-07:00Cat got your tongue?
<span lang="">Today’s news story regarding the latest twist in the David Munchinski saga raises two interesting questions that everyone should take notice of.</span><br />
<br />
One: Why does HeraldStandard.com continue to fail to name the "prosecutors" whose actions have been chastised by the appeals courts – and whose actions are at the heart of the appeal that sprung Munchinski from death row after 25 years?<br />
<br />
Everyone at the paper knows who these two "prosecutors" are. Their names are as integral to any telling of the story as those of Munchinski, the late Leon Scaglione who was also convicted of the murders, and the two men they were sent to prison for allegedly murdering in 1977, James P. Alford and Raymond P. Gierke. <span style="font-size: small;">You can read the full story here, and see there is no mention of the identify of these "prosecutors" -- </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://www.heraldstandard.com/news/local_news/federal-appeals-court-retry-munchinski-or-free-him/article_dafc8e16-ab2d-5cab-93d4-f67202d30cc5.html"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN">http://www.heraldstandard.com/news/local_news/federal-appeals-court-retry-munchinski-or-free-him/article_dafc8e16-ab2d-5cab-93d4-f67202d30cc5.html</span></span></span></u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN">
</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Why is Herald-Standard.com so skittish about doing its job, and naming these particular names? All those folks who have called the paper over the years, asking that their names be withheld from stories or crime reports, and have been told that this wasn’t the way business is done, now have reason to ask why the paper is playing favorites.<br />
<br />
Editor Mark O’Keefe should be asked to explain why these names, so crucial to the telling of this particular story, continue to be left out of news stories regarding Munchinski. The overturning of Munchinski’s conviction is big stuff – and the reasons for it being overturned are even bigger stuff, because they strike at the heart of the operation of the Fayette County legal system.<br />
<br />
The same paper that, in the most recent example that comes to mind, can’t find enough times to mention the names of Beverly Beal, Angela Zimmerlink and Sonya Over in a politically motivated flap over a folder left at a restaurant – a case in which no criminal charges have been filed, and probably never will – can’t find the courage to apply the same standard to the key players in the Munchinski prosecution?<br />
<br />
Two: For all those who are wringing their hands over the cost of lawsuits filed in Fayette County, how much money do you think Munchinski is going to end up with? If the attorney general declines to retry him, or it does and he prevails, does anyone doubt for a second that he won’t sue the county for, among other things, wrongful prosecution? How many millions might he get for being locked up for 25 years?<br />
<br />
We see nothing that any county solicitor – including Ken Burkely, who is currently immersed in developing an anti-litigation strategy – can do to prevent that case from hitting the county. If you think the county liability insurance premium is high today, you need to be reminded of the famous words of Bachman-Turner Overdrive:<br />
<br />
"B-B-B-Baby, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!"</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-61347980516128705022012-08-28T16:15:00.000-07:002012-08-28T16:20:31.134-07:00Muzzles, please<br />
We’re not averse to dishing out praise to HeraldStandard.com when it’s warranted, so we highly recommend that everyone read Sunday’s editorial, "Troubling – Is communication policy really needed?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://heraldstandard-dot-com.bloxcms-ny1.com/users/signup/?referer_url=/opinion/editorials/troubling/article_d5994813-3caf-59fc-b92b-a1019a34f7ef.html"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">https://heraldstandard-dot-com.bloxcms-ny1.com/users/signup/?referer_url=/opinion/editorials/troubling/article_d5994813-3caf-59fc-b92b-a1019a34f7ef.html</span></span></span></u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></a><br />
<br />
The paper has some real concerns – as should you – with the desire of Fayette County commissioners Al Ambrosini and Vince Zapotosky to funnel official county comment through the county’s chief clerk (who happens to be former HeraldStandard.com county government reporter Amy Revak).<br />
<br />
We’ll let the first three paragraphs of the editorial speak for themselves:<br />
<b></b><br />
<b>World War II veteran Ralph Mazza compares the Fayette County Commissioners’ new communication policy to the Joseph Goebbels propaganda machine back in the Nazi days of the 1940s.<br />
<br />
While we think Mazza may be reaching a bit on this comparison, there’s no doubt that the commissioners’ new policy is a bit troubling and could well be the first step on a very slippery slope.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;">
</span></span>In a 2-1 vote, the commission agreed to update its outside communication policy to have only the three commissioners "make public comments on policy issues or activities involving the county."</b><br />
<br />
(We love Ralph Mazza, by the way. He’s got more moxie than most people half his age.)<br />
<br />
On this issue, HeraldStandard.com (perhaps grudgingly) even agrees with Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink, who provided the lone vote against this policy. Zimmerlink has vowed to continue dealing with the media and public on her own, and the paper says it "couldn’t agree more with her stance."<br />
<br />
That’s because anyone who has followed government for more than an hour knows that rarely are things unanimous. No one "official" position can cover a dissenting or alternate view – and any elected or appointed official who would abrogate his or her right to speak out on any issue or activity, at any time, is doing the public a tremendous disservice.<br />
<br />
More worrisome, though, is the potential chilling effect that such a policy could (and likely will) have on county department heads and other employees. HeraldStandard.com is surely aware that its reporters can learn a lot by talking to those who work in courthouse offices other than the one occupied by the commissioners.<br />
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With this new policy in effect, what’s going to happen when Reporter A drops by the office of Department Head B, to get some background on Subject C? Will the reporter be told to funnel his or her request to the chief clerk, so the answers to any questions can be filtered and formulated into the county’s "official" policy?<br />
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We’re betting that’s exactly what will happen. This new policy may even make county department heads and employees reluctant to talk to reporters at all. If you worked for the county now, would you want to be the one with a reporter in your office asking questions?<br />
<br />
Zapotosky, according to Sunday’s editorial, supports the new policy because, <b>"It keeps the commissioners on the same page as the department head, and that the statement (issued) is formulated not just by the commissioners but also by the department head. And, that everyone is in agreement that it is the position of the county."</b><br />
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</b><br />
Before anyone swallows that philosophical pill, they should be aware of one thing: County department heads are generally much more knowledgeable about the departments that they run, and what goes on in them, than are county commissioners. If a commissioner wants to be on the same page as a department head, can’t he or she pick up the phone, send an email, or ask for a face-to-face meeting?<br />
<br />
We would bet that any reporter or member of the public would get a faster, more thorough, more honest and more accurate answer from a department head than from a line of communication running through Revak, Zapotosky and Ambrosini.<br />
<br />
A bigger problem, of course, will be who defines "the position of the county." If there is disagreement among the three commissioners, do they draw straws to decide what will be the official position?<br />
<br />
If there is disagreement between the commissioners and a department head, does the commissioner point of view trump that of the employee, just because of the hierarchy involved?<br />
<br />
The commissioners and department head certainly can’t vote on the matter, because that could be construed as a violation of the Sunshine Law.<br />
<br />
Most department heads are acutely aware that the commissioners are their bosses, and as such are likely to be very careful in what they say for publication anyway. We have yet to read a story with the headline, "Department head calls commissioner decision stupid," even though many have probably had that thought through the years.<br />
<br />
The Tribune-Review also weighed in on this new communication policy, and they are also among its critics:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://triblive.com/opinion/2467671-74/fayette-county-takes-tuesday-university-ambrosini-budget-cuts-democrat-districts"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://triblive.com/opinion/2467671-74/fayette-county-takes-tuesday-university-ambrosini-budget-cuts-democrat-districts#axzz24squsIug</span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><br />
<br />
We’d like to see someone call around to find out how other counties in the area handle communications, and if they too place such a great emphasis on formulating an "official" county position.<br />
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We’re backing the position of HeraldStandard.com, the Tribune-Review and Zimmerlink on this one.<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span lang=""></span></span></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-47187732391008336972012-08-27T04:19:00.000-07:002012-08-27T04:19:21.408-07:00Full disclosure, Part II<span lang="">Fayette County commissioner Vince Zapotosky's comments about "full disclosure" at last week's commission meeting had us thinking this weekend about that concept.<br />
<br />
Zapotosky tooted his "full disclosure" horn regarding a meeting appearance by Leonard Maharowki, a private investigator hired by the Fayette County Housing Authority. Maharowski clearly came to the meeting to put fellow commissioner Angela Zimmerlink on the spot, in the housing authority's never-ending quest to turn "Packetgate" -- or should we call it "Restaurantgate"? -- into a political liability for its own board member Beverly Beal, as well as for Zimmerlink.<br />
<br />
Exactly what the housing autthority expects Maharowky to uncover that the Pennsylvania State Police have not, or cannot, remains to be seen. <br />
<br />
But if Zapotosky is an ardent devotee of "full disclosure," there are better places for him to toot his horn.<br />
<br />
The county commissioners appoint the five board members of the Fayette County Housing Authority. Beal, as one of those board members, is trying to shake loose information on how much taxpayer money the authority has paid to the Pittsburgh law firm of Cohen & Grigsby. She believes that it is in excess of $500,000 -- but her fellow board members are making her jump through hoops to get access.<br />
<br />
Where has Zapotosky uttered one word about "full disclosure" in the Beal matter? How does he -- and how do his fellow commissioners -- feel about the other four housing authority board members' censure of Beal?<br />
<br />
Those four board members approved a motion that said this of Beal: </span><b><span lang="EN">"She has violated our trust and violated her fiduciary responsibility by improperly discussing ongoing litigation on behalf of a litigant opposing the authority, as well as discussing an ongoing federal case."</span></b><br />
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</b><span lang=""></span><br />
Shouldn't "full disclosure" include some specifics to back up these charges? What "ongoing litigation" has Beal discussed, and with whom? Where is the proof of this? Who are the accusers? None of these facts have ever been revealed, at least to the public.<br />
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Same thing for the "ongoing federal case." Who does the housing authority believe Beal has been talking to, and where is their proof of it? Who provided this proof? If Beal has been talking to someone from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or from the FBI, is that something worthy of censure?<br />
<br />
In the interest of "full disclosure," how does Zapotosky feel about the housing authority authorizing (and probably paying) Maharowski to come to last week's commission meeting, to give the same report that had previously been put forth at a housing authority meeting?<br />
<br />
Although the five housing authority board members, once appointed, act autonomously (at least in theory), the fact remains that they are installed by the county commissioners -- and it is the county commissioners who ultimately bear responsibility for their actions.<br />
<br />
In the interest of "full disclosure," how do Zapotosky and his fellow commissioners feel about the housing authority's use of taxpayer money to pay a private investigator? That's a rare and odd circumstance, isn't it? The county of Fayette has been beset with lawsuits over the years -- so many, in fact, that the current chief solicitor is only taking instruction from commission chairman Al Ambrosini, so he can concentrate on drawing up and implementing litigation-reduction strategy.<br />
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Yet we don't recall the commissioners ever hiring -- or feeling the need to hire -- a private investigator to layer on top of any police or detective action. Even when there have been reported thefts of money from offices inside the courthouse that went unsolved, no one fett the need to shell out taxpayer money for a private investigator.<br />
<br />
We're all for "full disclosure." But its application shouldn't be selective, or limited to one private investigator's attempt to question one commissioner at a public meeting. Someone should start asking the county commissioners whether they support all that is going on at the housing authority. Finding out how they feel would constitute more of the "full disclosure" that Zapotosky stands for.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1561361226941388175.post-16998160755647699272012-08-22T18:42:00.001-07:002012-08-22T18:42:30.239-07:00Full disclosure of what?
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Somehow,
Fayette County commissioner Vince Zapotosky believes that the appearance of
private investigator Leonard Maharowski at Tuesday's meeting, to recite the
same supposed findings already publicized at the Aug. 9 meeting of the Fayette
County Housing Authority, an appearance made at the direction of those at the
housing authority not named Beverly Beal, constitutes "full
disclosure" of county activities.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We see it
as the use of taxpayer money to carry out character assassination on Beal and
her friend, Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink. Seriously, when is the last time
ANY public agency in Fayette County felt the need to hire a private
investigator to snoop around regarding the activities of a board member (Beal)
and her friends? We challenge Zapotosky -- or anyone else, for that matter --
to come up with the answer. (We also think it would be a great idea for
Zapotosky or anyone else to ask the housing authority chieftains and Maharowski
if the Beal matter is the first time they've employed his services.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But at
Tuesday's commission meeting, where Ralph Mazza of Vanderbilt -- a bona fide
World War II veteran -- invoked the name of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph
Goebbels in describing the desire of Zapotosky and Commission chairman Al
Ambrosini to utilize a public relations person, Zapotosky kept the Nazi
references flowing when audience members objected to Maharowski addressing the
commissioners.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You just got done talking about Joseph
Goebbels,” Zapotosky said. “You can’t have it both ways. <u>Either full
disclosure, or not. </u>No Joseph Goebbels. No Herman Goering. Full
disclosure.” </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://triblive.com/news/fayette/2451023-74/county-commissioners-zimmerlink-department-authority-zapotosky-heads-information-investigation-posit?printerfriendly=true"><span style="color: blue;">http://triblive.com/news/fayette/2451023-74/county-commissioners-zimmerlink-department-authority-zapotosky-heads-information-investigation-posit?printerfriendly=true</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The question we have to ask Zapotosky is: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Full disclosure <u>of what</u>?</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of the housing authority's use of money that's
supposed to go toward housing poor people for hiring Maharowski to perform work
above and beyond that of the Pennsylvania State Police?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of the housing authority's willingness to
instruct Maharowski to attend the commissioners' meeting for a second bite at
the publicity apple, in what thus far shapes up as a case long on innuendo and short
on evidence of criminal activity? (Just who are these three restaurant
waitresses who allegedly saw Beal, Zimmerlink and Sonya Over having lunch,
anyway? If Zapotosky believes in "full disclosure," shouldn't their
names be the first to roll off Maharowski's tongue?)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of an obvious attempt to discredit Zimmerlink by
having a hired gun show up at one of her meetings?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We wonder how Zapotosky would react if a private
investigator hired by someone else showed up at a commission meeting to lob an
innuendo bomb his way.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If someone said, "I'm Ben Matlock, the
private investigator hired to find out what you ever did to 'get to the bottom'
of what happened at Fayette County Children and Youth Services, back when two
children died. Would you kindly step over here for a private meeting with me,
Commissioner Zapotosky?"</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We're sure his answer would be, "Absolutely.
I believe in full disclosure, and while some people might think you're here
just to embarrass or humiliate me, or score political points, I'll gladly talk
to you. Can we please adjourn the meeting for a while, so I can chat with this
nice gentleman?"</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or if someone said, "I'm Columbo, the
private investigator hired by Highlands Hospital to find out exactly what the
commissioners knew -- and when they knew it -- about the new inpatient
psychiatric contract with Uniontown Hospital. Commissioner Zapotosky, would you
let me interview you?"</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We're sure Zapotosky would reply, "In the
name of full disclosure, I'll meet with you any time, any where."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And our favorite scenario: “Hi there, Commissioner
Zapotosky, my name is Barnaby Jones. I’m investigating Commissioner Zimmerlink’s
allegation that in the prior administration you conspired to keep her out of
county decision-making. I’d very much like to talk to you privately about this,
but I came to a public meeting to make that request. OK with you?”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you envision Zapotosky saying, “No problem,
Mr. Jones. I’ll go against the advice of the county’s legal counsel and speak
to you, because I’m all for full disclosure.”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the parlance of Fayette County politics, what
happened at Tuesday's Fayette County commission meeting was nothing but a good,
old-fashioned dog-and-pony show. It's the type of thing that usually happens in
the months leading up to an election.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Maybe somebody has decided to get an early start.</span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0