Ron The Cop

A lie told often enough becomes the truth.

February 27th, 2009

Ron T. Cop takes on Spokane City Council

SCROLL FOR UPDATES

Ron T. Cop addressed the Spokane City Council on February 23, 2009.  See my formal demand letter for the immediate inspection of the RPS parking garage.  I was reading from a prepared statement but Council President Shogun called time before I could finish the last paragraph.

UPDATE – Challenge to the publisher of the Spokemans-Review

Dear Mr. Cowles,

I appeared before the Spokane City Council on Feb 23, 2009.  I addressed the Council regarding my demand for the immediate inspection of the RPS parking garage as an imminent public hazard because of an ongoing series of alleged illegal acts by public officials e.g, non inspection of the RPS parking garage expansion and after retrofits after the death of Jo Savage.  It is my profession opinion that the proximate cause of Jo Savage’s death was the culmination of these illegal acts which I believe the facts and circumstances arise to the level of a 1st Degree Manslaughter under Washington state law, .

I provided at the Council meeting to your City Government Reporter Jonathan Brunt, who BTW is an excellent journalist, with copies of my formal demand, prepared statement I submitted to Council as well as a DVD copy of Larry’s Shook’s major investigative report that was released last week.  This video and report can be viewed here:

http://www.girlfromhotsprings.com/

I find it interesting that Brunt’s last story in the S-R regarding the very damning sworn statement from Rex Franklin was carried off the lead page of the local section and was given a nondescript headline.  Was this a case of burying the lede? I also find it interesting that this story was not run by the AP even though the somewhat related story by Jim Camden and Bill Morlin of the nomination of Mike Ormsby to US Atty of the Eastern District of WA was released to the AP wire service.  As an aside in my opinion Ormsby has more culpability in the RPS bond fraud than Jim McDevitt.  So far the S-R has been mum regarding Shook’s report.

I’m sure your are aware of my professional  opinion regarding the “under reporting” of the RPS story et al by the Spokesman-Review:

“This is a very unique situation where you have a newspaper that is an instrumentality of criminal activity,” says Wright. “The principals in Spokane’s organized criminal enterprise, the Cowles family, use their newspaper to control public opinion and deflect the hue and cry [that would result] from the public if they were informed.”

Wright reels off a series of other Camas stories that further support his allegations. “Look at ‘Breaking the News’” he says. “It shows developer Betsy Cowles editing a Spokesman-Review story for the purpose of deceiving the public about the true costs of the River Park Square garage.”

Another piece “shows that the city’s own bond counsel was advising the Spokesman-Review publisher how to spin the story about the securities fraud case and that ‘He is very, very concerned that his handprints are not on any of these ideas.’”

. . . “I believe based on my training, education, and investigative experience that these [facts Wright presented] are part of an ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy in Spokane. There is group of individuals [who] at different times have acted individually and/or in concert together to commit criminal acts with the knowledge and approval of this group headed by the Cowles Co. This criminal enterprise/conspiracy has successfully plundered the public treasury of $100 millions of dollars [sic] through successive quasi public/private projects in Spokane.”

. . . That question goes to the second reason Wright says he planted the seed of RICO: he wanted to telegraph his own plans. He quotes from the Civil Recourse section of RICO under USC 1962: “Section 1964 (c) permits any person whose property or business has been injured by a RICO violation to recover treble damages, plus costs of the suit and reasonable attorneys’ fees.”

“I have now documented that I have made multiple requests of law enforcement and government officials to do their jobs and properly investigate the evidence of RPS-related crime that I have provided them,” says Wright. “I’ll give them a chance to do their jobs. Because of the statute of limitations on Savage’s death, they don’t have much time left. If they don’t do their jobs, I intend to bring a civil RICO action against the perpetrators of River Park Square, which includes every complicit public official. I’m now in the process of searching for representation from a major class-action law firm.”

My opinion is based on speaking with former City Councilperson Cherie Rodgers, Tim Connor, Larry Shook, former Sheriff Tony Bamonte, former Mayor John Talbott, KXLY Station Manager Steve Herling, Councilpersons Bob Apple and Steve Corker, and many others.  I have reviewed the Camas Magazine reporting and documents that stand alone on their face as direct evidence of the RPS bond fraud by this ongoing criminal enterprise and conspiracy.  I read the IRS ruling disallowing the tax-exempt status of the first RPS bonds as reported by Camas Magazine in “The Casino was Rigged.”  I should note that the IRS in its ruling relied on Camas Magazine reporting and its documentation. I have reviewed the Fancher Report that was written in the 70’s that chronicles the Cowles Co dynasty in Spokane over the last one hundred years. I have also reviewed the “Joint Omnibus Statement” prepared by the RPS bondholders’ attorney Gary Ceriani.  I filed a PDR with the City of Spokane for what are known collectively as the “O. Yale Lewis documents” and have read them.  I have read Larry Shook’s reporting and documentation in, Girl from Hot Springs, which chronicles the death of Jo Savage in the RPS Parking Garage.

I have since filed a demand for a criminal investigation re the alleged non inspection of the RPS parking garage with Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick . . .

Mr. Cowles the MSM business paradigm is going in the tank.  The MSM no longer exclusively controls the flow of information with the advent of the Internet and the new media/alternative media.  The stock and trade of both the new and old media is what’s it always has been – CREDIBILITY, value, predictability, reliability, and usefulness in one’s own daily life.  The new medium of expression is essentially free.  No longer are large capital expenditures necessary e.g., printing presses and TV/radio transmitters to disseminate news, information, and thoughts of the day.

Mr. Cowles in my experience as a working police detection and president of a large police officers’ association dealing with local political and police beat reporters daily, this story involving potential political corruption at the highest level of local government e.g., the alleged illegal order by former City Manager Pupo to not inspect the RPS parking garage, would be either page one above the fold or at least above the fold on the local section.  Mr. Cowles just like the Madoff $50B Ponzi scheme, this story will eventually break.   Even though the SEC had multiple warnings over some ten years and sat by like a paper tiger, this story and the truth finally emerged.

Mr. Cowles if I’ve misstated the facts in anyway please correct me where I’m in error and I will immediately issue a correction and apology to those receiving this email.  However please don’t marginalize me as Steve Smith former S-R editor did; recklessly impugning my character as well as former Sheriff Bamonte, Larry Shook, and Tim Connor as loons, wackos, little green men et al.

Personally I will not park in the RPS parking garage and neither will my wife. Mr. Cowles will the S-R be reporting this story?  If not, why?

Sincerely,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

UPDATE II:

My followup email to Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick re my formal demand for a criminal investigation as to why former Spokane City Manager Pupo ordered that the RPS parking garage expansion would not be inspected as alleged by two former city officials:

Dear Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick,

In my last email to you I demanded a formal investigation into the allegation by two former City of Spokane employees that former City Manger Bill Pupo ordered that there would be no inspection of the RPS garage during its renovation and expansion at the behest of Betsy Cowles the owner/developer.   This order if true would be highly unusual for any public official charged with building inspection.  This goes against all reason why the state empowers cities and counties to inspect buildings and other structures to issue certificates of occupancy to protect the public safety.

There are several potential law violations here.  Obviously there is probable cause to believe that Mr. Pupo received some inducement or other benefit that caused him to fail to performing an official act that he was required to do:

RCW 9A.80.010

Official misconduct.

(1) A public servant is guilty of official misconduct if, with intent to obtain a benefit or to deprive another person of a lawful right or privilege:

(a) He intentionally commits an unauthorized act under color of law; or

(b) He intentionally refrains from performing a duty imposed upon him by law.

(2) Official misconduct is a gross misdemeanor.


and more seriously based on the ongoing criminal enterprise/nature that surrounds the RPS bond fraud – bribery:

RCW 9A.68.010

Bribery.

 

(1) A person is guilty of bribery if:

(a) With the intent to secure a particular result in a particular matter involving the exercise of the public servant’s vote, opinion, judgment, exercise of discretion, or other action in his official capacity, he offers, confers, or agrees to confer any pecuniary benefit upon such public servant; or

(b) Being a public servant, he requests, accepts, or agrees to accept any pecuniary benefit pursuant to an agreement or understanding that his vote, opinion, judgment, exercise of discretion, or other action as a public servant will be used to secure or attempt to secure a particular result in a particular matter.

(2) It is no defense to a prosecution under this section that the public servant sought to be influenced was not qualified to act in the desired way, whether because he had not yet assumed office, lacked jurisdiction, or for any other reason.

(3) Bribery is a class B felony.

 

RCW 9A.68.050

Trading in special influence.

 

(1) A person is guilty of trading in special influence if:

(a) He offers, confers, or agrees to confer any pecuniary benefit upon another person pursuant to an agreement or understanding that such other person will offer or confer a benefit upon a public servant or procure another to do so with intent thereby to secure or attempt to secure a particular result in a particular matter; or

(b) He requests, accepts, or agrees to accept any pecuniary benefit pursuant to an agreement or understanding that he will offer or confer a benefit upon a public servant or procure another to do so with intent thereby to secure or attempt to secure a particular result in a particular matter.

(2) Trading in special influence is a class C felony.

 

All three are offenses fall that fall within the definition of “criminal profiteering” under the “Criminal Profiteering Act” as defined in Chapter 9A.82 RCW.  In my opinion the failure to conduct onsight inspections of the RPS parking garage directly resulted in the later death of Ms. Jo Savage.  I believe the facts and circumstances surrounding her death amount to a 1st Degree Manslaughter RCW 9A.32.50.  Unfortunately this class of homicide is not included in the definition of “criminal profiteering.

I have yet to hear back from you on the progress of your investigation.  Is there a police report number assigned to my complaint?  If not why?  Do I need to physically come into your offices to file a formal complaint?

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

UPDATE III:

S-R Reporter Jonathan Brunt has now filed this story re the demand for an immediate inspection of the RPS parking garage.  Be sure to read the comments posted re this story.  Dennis Berringer is strongly sticking by his story.  Berringer is strongly sticking by his story.  Nick Dragisich as quoted in Brunt’s story s backing off on his earlier confirmation he gave to Shook back before the Savage death.

UPDATE IV:

The “inspection/non inspection” of the RPS parking garage is really only a “red herring” to confuse the facts and circumstances surrounding Savage manslaughter death.  See this discussion I had with the attorney that represented the Savage family in their civil action against the owners of the parking garage.

The following comments were sent to both Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick re this issues:

 FYI – Re spandrels “as built” meeting building code standards as alleged by the Cowles is a red herring.  Bottom line they had knowledge these barriers were failing many times in the same manner that killed Savage.  There are now two depo’s describing similar incidents however the cars hung on their undercarriage and did not go over.  The Cowles knew and did nothing for FIFTEEN years for economic reasons.  From the bond fraud and Franklin statements, re fully depreciating the garage and keeping two sets of books, it is very evident that Cowles were going to off load this accumulating liability in the RPS garage  onto the City.  This backfired when title to the garage was passed back to them in the RPS “baikout”. Yes, witness statements as of right now will only get Jim Cowles.  I would use a grand jury to get testimony to link Stacey and Betsy Cowles having the same knowledge and failing to act e.g., Bill Pupo.

[Reply to Savage’s attorney]

Thx for your reply and confirmation of my assessment.

Ron

On Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 4:08 PM

Ron:

I think you have their contention (WJE–Cowles).  Obviously, that accepts their assumptions about the underlying strength of the concrete.

Rob

 


From: rocketsbrain
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 4:00 PM
Subject: Re discussion of RPS barriers, design, and placement of rebar.

Just so that I’m clear re our panel discussion.  I’m reading from WJE final report 07-18-06. The “as designed” specs for maximum design load require the rebar to be installed at a depth of 3″ from the inside surface.  From what we discussed the rebar location is critical and the optimum distance from the neutral or center of the panel is towards the outside surface of the panel.  I’m guessing this distance should be 3″ from the inside surface of the nominal 5″ panel width.  The failed panel in the Savage death the average depth was 3.28″.  WJE using their Ferroscan scanning of the actual rebar depth found the average depth of panels to be 3.45″.  From the preliminary WJE report of 05-12-06 you mentioned as you note in this report under “Conclusions and Discussion” the placement of the rebar away from the neutral axis results in a loss of capacity of 52 percent but however would still resist the design live load of 6000 pounds as required by the current 2003 IBC.  So what is the optimum depth from the inside surface?

I find it laughable that they are quibbling re the early 1970s vintage panels only have to withstand gravity and wind loading and not crashes by cars.  Many of these 1970’s panels from the south side of the structure were recycled into the expansion.  I also find it interesting the WJE was finding fault with Hinzman re their analysis of the panel loading.  However Hinzman correctly though pointed out the elephant standing in the room – the barriers were failing with regularity whether they met standard or not.  They made the common sense recommendation to remedy the danger would be to install cables so that vehicles would not impact the barriers.  According to Franklin they did not follow through on this recommendation for economic reasons.  WJE glosses over the owner’s knowledge and attendant liability saying without intrusive detection methods there was no way for the owners to know the barriers “as built” were anything less than the “as designed” standard.  The bottom line is that the standard was not preventing the failure of the barriers.  I think Eugster’s observation [See attached letter] is salient re the definition of what a “vehicle barrier” as intended in the IBC as opposed to this cantilevered design of the RPS barriers is why while testing to standard the RPS barriers fail with regularity when struck by vehicles.

All I have to say is DAH – the standard is meaningless if the barriers are failing as Franklin states or they are stretching the standard to fit this cantilevered design.   Franklin confirms at least rescuing the occupants of one vehicle hanging over the edge and now we have another vehicle hanging in a similar manner in 1999 based on the new depo I was not aware. My speculation is that longer wheeled based vehicle will high center and become stuck on their frame.  Unfortunately in Ms. Savage’s case a short wheeled base car will not be so fortunate and will be pulled over.

How much notice does the owner need!

[Docs and engineering reports mentioned above can be found here:

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/sections/rpscrash/
http://www.spokesman.com/sections/rpscrash/

or here:

http://www.girlfromhotsprings.com/documents.html ]

February 23rd, 2009

Bleg from Lorie Byrd re RNC tech/grassroots effort

A Bleg from Lorie Byrd of Wizbang:

I really need your help. Don’t worry, I am not asking for money.

I am working on one of the subcommittees that will be reporting to the RNC regarding tech/grassroots.  We are trying to get as many ideas, suggestions, comments, etc. as possible from as many people as possible.  If you have ever criticized the RNC, this is the time to make your voice heard because they are listening.  If there is anything you believe the RNC has done right, this is the time to let them know so they can do more of it.

Please post a link to http://rncroots.org/  and embed the code for the form in your blog post to allow your readers to submit their ideas.  If you embed the code in your blog post, any forms coming in through your blog will be indicated as such.  In other words, the RNC will know whose readers are active and participating and that will help them determine which blogs provide the best outreach to the grassroots in the future.  If you want to be heard, and want to let your readers be heard, please post the link and embed code.  I am asking that if possible you post tomorrow morning for a “blogburst” effect.

Lorie Byrd

February 23rd, 2009

BREAKING – Demand for public inspection of RPS parking garage as imminent public hazard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Spokane, WA

Contact:

Ron Wright
nar9350@gmail.com

*****

February 23, 2009

Dear Mayor Verner and City Council Members,

I do not take this action lightly.  Please see my attached formal demand letter for the immediate public inspection of the RPS parking garage sent by “certified” US Mail to City Clerk Terri Pfister on 02-21-09.  There are now compelling “on the record” statements by Rex Franklin, Dennis Beringer, Nick Dragisich, Steve Rudd, and former Sheriff Bamonte that call into question the structural integrity of the RPS parking garage.  These statements coupled with the information contained in Larry Shook’s latest very damning investigative report:

‘Deathtrap’

Cowles media dynasty called hub of
organized crime by two former lawmen

Woman died, public threatened because of
government collusion with powerful family, they say

raise a significant public safety issue – whether the RPS parking garage is safe for continued public occupancy.  In my opinion this information demands immediate action on your part to ensure the publics’ safety.  As I conclude in my demand letter:

Mayor Verner and members of the City Council whether these allegation[sic] are true or not you have a duty and responsibility to ensure the public safety of the citizens of Spokane.  In my opinion a compelling argument has been made to require the immediate inspection of the RPS parking garage to determine whether these allegations have any merit.

. . . It is my opinion that the proximate cause of Savage’s death was a  series of criminal acts by an ongoing criminal enterprise led by the Cowles Co that culminated in her death. [My empasis]

. . . Failure to act now is at your own personal peril.  I fully intend to initiate a civil class action RICO suit on behalf of the citizens of Spokane regarding the RPS bond fraud and obstruction of justice in the Savage [18 U.S.C. § 1964(c)] [My emphasis]

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)


[Photo Caption] Former garage manager Rex Franklin secures damaged portion of barrier at RPS garage after vehicle impact (Dan Pelle file photo/ March 11, 1991) [Spokesman-Review]

*****

ORIGINAL SENT BY
Certified US Mail

February 21, 2009

Mary Verner, Mayor
City Council Members
City of Spokane
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201

Re:  Formal Demand for immediate inspection of RPS parking garage as an imminent public safety hazard

Mayor Verner and City Council Members:

I am enclosing DVD copies of Larry Shook’s video that he released with his major investigative report last week on the RPS bond fraud and the death of Jo Savage in the RPS parking garage.  Shook’s comprehensive report can be found here:

http://www.girlfromhotsprings.com/

S-R Reporter Jonathan Brunt recently wrote a story about a sworn statement  he received by Rex Franklin a former RPS parking garage manger.  The Franklin statement if true is quite damning and goes directly to the specific intent of the RPS garage owners in failing to make critical repairs to these parking barriers.  According to Franklin these barriers were failing two or three times a year in the same manner that caused the death of Jo Savage.  Franklin’s statement was obtained during the prior civil action by David Savage regarding his former wife’s, Jo Savage, horrifying death in the RPS parking garage in April of 2006 (See Franklin’s attached statement).

It is my belief that Franklin’s statement and other evidence obtained during the Savage civil action were obtained by the US Attorney’s Office in their review of the RPS bond fraud and the Savage death case.  The US Attorney’s Office took the unprecedented action of releasing this evidence secured using the subpoena power of a federal grand jury to Co Prosecutor Steve Tucker to review the facts and circumstances of Savage’s death under the “negligent homicide” provisions of Washington state law.  I believe Tucker is attempting to run the clock out on the statute of limitations on the Savage manslaughter case which will toll on April 8, 2009.   I’ve written both Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick and formally demanded they conduct a complete, thorough and transparent Investigation of Jo Savage’s death in the RPS Parking Garage (Spokane PD Report #06-10161) independent of any action of Tucker.  No such investigation to my knowledge has yet been done.

Shook’s report also has “on the record” statements from former city officials, Dennis Beringer and Nick Dragisich, that former City Manager Bill Pupo ordered that the RPS parking garage would not be inspected during the expansion.  Beringer and Dragisich say Pupo received this direction from the RPS developer (Betsy Cowles):

Bamonte considers the DOJ investigation a fraud itself for the simple reason that investigators did not interview key witnesses. As he was quoted in “Death by Parking,” former city real estate manager Dennis Beringer says former assistant city manager Nick Dragisich informed department managers that the city would not inspect the Cowles garage based on orders of the developer. Beringer says he was not contacted by federal investigators. Beringer stays in touch with Dragisich, who now lives in Minnesota. Beringer emailed Dragisich on Saturday, January 17, 2009, to ask if any investigators had yet contacted him about the garage. “No,” Dragisich emailed right back, “but I would tell them everything I know.”

“Those are key witnesses concerning Savage’s death,” says Bamonte. “Both are on record saying that the city obeyed orders from the River Park Square developer not to inspect the RPS garage. There is simply no excuse for ignoring that kind of evidence of public corruption.” [My emphasis]

Shook’s report also contains a statement by Steve Rudd:

Steve Rudd, a highly commended former construction fraud investigator who worked as a laborer on the River Park Square renovation, shares the worries of former sheriff Bamonte and former City of Spokane real estate manager Beringer about the garage’s safety.

“In all my years in construction, that’s the only project I’ve ever been on where I never saw concrete being tested or work being inspected. It was also a very dangerous site. There were OSHA [federal worker safety] violations all over the place. Fire retardant chemicals were improperly handled, and there was widespread worker illness as a result.” [My emphasis]

Even more troubling, Rudd says he saw extensive evidence of the “advanced deterioration” of the RPS structure while he was working on it. “I think it should have been completely torn down, not remodeled,” he says.

Sheriff Bamonte deemed these RPS structural integrity issues an imminent public hazard and called this to your attention.   Sheriff Bamonte is also alleging that the RPS parking garage was never inspected after the repair work was completed after Savage’s death.  As of yet I haven’t seen any affirmative action by the City regarding Bamonte’s allegations.  With already one death in the RPS parking garage from a structural failure, the apparent lack of inspection of the RPS parking garage during its expansion and after the repairs made after Savage’s death, you have a significant duty and  responsibility to the public to act to either confirm or disprove Bamonte’s serious allegations.  This is especially true in light of the statements of Franklin, Beringer, Dragisich and Rudd, which largely corroborate each other.

In my opinion the key engineering report, Atwood Hinzman 1993, commissioned by the garage owners presciently warned:

Commissioned by the River Park Square developer, this engineering firm evaluated the pre-cast concrete wall panels after the “complete failure” of a panel. Further testing was done by Budinger and Associates (attached). Atwood concluded, “In our opinion, the panels are not resisting the required lateral loading of 6000# although the engineering analysis indicates they should… It is our understanding that several panels cracked in the past when they were struck in a similar way.” . . .

It appears we have contradictory information, and an informed decision with respect to load capacity can’t be made.  There are two logical solutions to the problem:

(1)  Remove and test load a panel to failure so the load capacity can be established.

(2) Assume that the panel will fail and add steel cables to stop vehicles before they impact the panels. [My emphasis]

In short the real engineering issue is not whether these barriers meet any building standards but that these barriers were FAILING with regularity.  This fact was largely ignored in the latter reports by the owners’ engineering report by WJE and as reviewed by the City’s outside engineering firm LSB.  LSB made many corrections to WJE’s proposed repairs.  Without subsequent City inspections how does the public know if the garage owners ever implemented LSB’s corrections and concerns?

Whether one finds Steve Eugster’s comments useful or not, I find his letter of 05-17-06 to City Building & Enforcement Department Head, Joe Wizner, particularly cogent.  Eugster’s nails it when he states that the RPS parking barriers as designed and built do not meet the definition of “vehicle barriers” as found in IBC Section 1607.7.3.  These “L” shape barriers are nothing more than decorative panels.  These panels as designed and built do not transfer the required horizontal loading force of 6,000 lbs to the structure.  In fact the cantilevered nature of these panels out over the parking deck multiply the horizontal force caused by a striking vehicle to a fulcrum point at the edge of the parking deck.  This is exact point where these barriers typically fail and most likely will continue to fail even after the repairs made after the Savage death.

Mayor Verner and members of the City Council whether these allegation[sic] are true or not you have a duty and responsibility to ensure the public safety of the citizens of Spokane.  In my opinion a compelling argument has been made to require the immediate inspection of the RPS parking garage to determine whether these allegations have any merit. You now potentially have criminal knowledge.  It is my opinion that the proximate cause of Savage’s death was a series of criminal acts by an ongoing criminal enterprise led by the Cowles Co that culminated in her death.  I would caution not to rely on legal advice of the City Attorney’s office, as it may be suspect.  I would seek legal advice of your own personal counsel.   In my opinion the City Attorney’s Office is complicit in the RPS bond fraud and subsequent efforts to conceal illegal acts by former and current City officials and employees.

Failure to act now is at your own personal peril.  I fully intend to initiate a civil class action RICO suit on behalf of the citizens of Spokane regarding the RPS bond fraud and obstruction of justice in the Savage [18 U.S.C. § 1964(c)]:

. . . permits any person whose property or business has been injured by a RICO violation to recover treble damages, plus costs of the suite and reasonable attorney’s fees.

Sincerely,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

3327 N. Indian Trail PMB 135
Spokane, WA  99208

Portrait Photo-1.jpg
(Ron in his former life before retirement)

February 16th, 2009

Deathtrap in Spokane & RPS bond fraud

Larry Shook of Camas Magazine has just released this devasting investigative piece regarding the horrifying fall in her of Jo Savage from the RPS parking garage and the $100M RPS bond fraud scheme run by the Cowles:

Deathtrap in Spokane

February 8th, 2009

WHAT COOKED THE WORLDS’ ECONOMY? NOT YOUR OVERDUE MORTGAGE

I just received this comment from a friend with this excellent article in The Village Voice on the world’s economic meltdown.

AMEN!  I said there are high folks on both sides of the aisle and in boardrooms that must be held accountable for their lack of due diligence and duty to the people e.g., go to jail and assets forfeited! Here’s the way to do it.  It’s all laid out in the US DOJ’s procedure manual for prosecuting RICO cases.

Like in Spokane (AKA Little Chicago) this a classic case of lack of sheepdogs willing or capable to ward off the wolves from preying on the flock.  This is nothing more than a “con game” by crooks “cooking the books” in a pyramid scheme knowing full well the bubble would burst and placed bets that it would!

We shouldn’t reward them with any bailout money and should seize all their assets. President Obama are you game to change the status quo?  This is the change the people are demanding – not business as usual by another set of crooks now in power.

These folks need to be taken down like any ordinary crooks that run con/fraud schemes on the flock.  They are not above the law.

Book’em Danno!

RBT

AKA Ron the Cop
http://friendsofmarkfuhrman.org/blog/
*****

 

Thanks, Edward. This Village Voice story is a superb piece of reporting. Better than any I’ve seen, it explains the “gangsterization” of government that lead to our present economic crisis. It shows how it came from “control fraud” stemming from the top tier of corporate leadership. And it explains why the current bailout scheme “often seems to be completing the scam by quietly passing the proceeds” to beneficiaries of the fraud instead of its taxpayer victims. It explains why RICO prosecution is the only real solution, and how President Obama, with his Wall Street background, is smart enough to know that. Does Obama have the backbone to engage in an epic confrontation with white collar criminals in order to protect the desperately hopeful citizens who elected him? His first two weeks in office are very discouraging. If Obama can look into his soul and find a purpose that matches the rhetoric that sent him to office he has a chance of becoming one of history’s greatest leaders. If not, if there’s no “there” there, Bernie Madoff will likely look like a Boy Scout compared to our charismatic new President. I commend this article to every citizen wishing to hold government accountable. So much hangs in the balance. Best, Larry

WHAT COOKED THE WORLDS’ ECONOMY? NOT YOUR OVERDUE MORTGAGE


Sunday, 01 February 2009

By James Lieber

Reprinted from VILLAGE VOICE

[In this succinct article, James Lieber presents a clear and concise saga of
the global economic crisis and demonstrates its origin in fraud, from liar
loans to hedge funds on life support–all implemented through
incomprehensible FRAUD.–CB]

It’s 2009. You’re laid off, furloughed, foreclosed on, or you know someone
who is. You wonder where you’ll fit into the grim new semi-socialistic
post-post-industrial economy colloquially known as “this mess.”

You’re astonished and possibly ashamed that mutant financial instruments
dreamed up in your great country have spawned worldwide misery. You can’t
comprehend, much less trim, the amount of bailout money parachuting into the
laps of incompetents, hoarders, and miscreants. It’s been a tough century so
far: 9/11, Iraq, and now this. At least we have a bright new president.
He’ll give you a job painting a bridge. You may need it to keep body and
soul together.

The basic story line so far is that we are all to blame, including
homeowners who bit off more than they could chew, lenders who wrote absurd
adjustable-rate mortgages, and greedy investment bankers.

Credit derivatives also figure heavily in the plot. Apologists say that
these became so complicated that even Wall Street couldn’t understand them
and that they created “an unacceptable level of risk.” Then these blowhards
tell us that the bailout will pump hundreds of billions of dollars into the
credit arteries and save the patient, which is the world’s financial system.
It will take time—maybe a year or so—but if everyone hangs in there, we’ll
be all right. No structural damage has been done, and all’s well that ends
well.

Sorry, but that’s drivel. In fact, what we are living through is the worst
financial scandal in history. It dwarfs 1929, Ponzi’s scheme, Teapot Dome,
the South Sea Bubble, tulip bulbs, you name it. Bernie Madoff? He’s peanuts.

Credit derivatives—those securities that few have ever seen—are one reason
why this crisis is so different from 1929.
Read More

February 5th, 2009

RPS Savage death – Manager, Rex Franklin, says barrier marked for replacing

The door swings slowly open!

I have this feeling we’re watching a very calculated release of information to desensitize folks for the onslaught that is about to occur when the Cowles’ information dam is breached:-)

I still don’t think anyone “testified” in front of a federal grand jury.  It would be nice if someone could clarify this with Assistant US Attorney Westinghouse.

 

February 5, 2009 in City

Garage manager said he marked wall for replacing

Pullman woman died after car hit panel

Jonathan Brunt / Staff writer

Tags: Cowles Co. garage Jo Ellen Savage Rex Franklin River Park Square steve tucker Terry Goebel

Thirteen years before a woman died when her car hit a wall that gave way at the River Park Square garage, the garage’s manager may have marked the panel to be replaced, according to a 2006 sworn declaration the manager gave about the incident.

In the statement, which was obtained by The Spokesman-Review, former garage manager Rex Franklin said that during a meeting he attended in 1993, mall owners “clearly rejected” a suggestion from a structural engineer to erect cables in front of the walls.

“Rather, I was instructed (to) go through the garage with a can of red spray paint and apply a paint mark to those spandrels I believed should be repaired or replaced,” said Franklin, the garage manager in the early 1990s, in the declaration. “I did as directed and when I finished, I had marked so many spandrels that the RPS owners decided it was not economically feasible to replace all of them.”

River Park Square Attorney Les Weatherhead this week pointed to engineering studies of the walls. He noted that the wall that gave way in April 2006 was one of 15 spandrels, or sections of wall, tested in 1993 after River Park Square hired an engineering firm to study them. The wall was retested after the 2006 incident.

“Both tests concluded that the spandrel was capable of resisting 6,000 pounds or more of force, as prescribed by code requirements at relevant times,” Weatherhead wrote in a letter in response to an inquiry from The Spokesman-Review. “In other words, the actual spandrel was actually tested both before and after the accident and was found in both instances to be within code specifications.”

River Park Square is a subsidiary of the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.

In his declaration, which has been in the possession of federal investigators, Franklin said that based on a photo, the wall hit by Jo Ellen Savage’s car appeared to have been marked by him for replacement. He added that based on his observations of the garage “few if any of the spandrels which I had marked for replacement or repair have had the benefit of any attention to date.”

Weatherhead said the engineering report commissioned by the mall after the incident described marks on the panel but made no mention of red paint.

“I have not been able to locate any useful images of the spandrel, nor have I been able to find anyone who can confirm or dispute the presence of any red painted marks on the spandrel that broke,” Weatherhead said.

He said the garage meets code, and he noted that the city reissued a certificate of occupancy after reviewing engineering data about the walls when they were reinforced after the crash in 2006.

The Spokane County prosecuting attorney’s office is investigating if manslaughter charges are applicable in the death of Savage, a Pullman resident whose car fell from the fifth floor of the garage in April 2006. Witnesses said the wall gave way after her car hit the panel at a slow speed. The Cowles Co.’s insurers later agreed to pay more than $1 million to Savage’s family as part of a civil litigation. The garage installed metal bars and plates on the walls at the end of 2006 to increase their strength.

In September, records from a federal grand jury examining the incident were turned over to Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker. Federal officials said no federal charges were applicable. Tucker said last week he is considering asking for assistance on the case from the state attorney general’s office. Attempts made to reach Tucker on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Franklin’s declaration said River Park Square hired engineers to study the walls because of the “relatively frequent spandrel failures” in the early 1990s. He said that after a failure in 1990, the front of a car “rested on its undercarriage on the parking deck as it dangled over the garage’s edge over the walkway below and its front wheels were unsupported.” He described a similar failure in 1991.

Attempts made to reach Franklin this week were unsuccessful.

Franklin’s declaration said the decision not to erect cables came at a meeting that included James P. Cowles, then-president of Citizens Realty, the Cowles Co. subsidiary that oversaw the garage; Robert Robideaux, who was then the manager of River Park Square; and Terry Goebel, owner of Goebel Construction.

Goebel, who said he was interviewed by federal investigators as part of the grand jury probe, said Wednesday that he didn’t recall the 1993 meeting described by Franklin. He noted that River Park Square replaced several panels in the early 1990s. Goebel Construction began doing work on the garage after it was built in 1974.

Cables weren’t erected in front of the walls after 1993 because testing indicated they were stronger than required by code, Goebel said. Goebel added that at the time, plans were beginning for the addition to the garage.

“When the garage was expanded in 1998, there was a lot of work done on the panels,” Goebel said.

The 1993 Atwood-Hinzman study that suggested installing cabling acknowledged “contradictory information.” The study included strength tests conducted by Budinger & Associates that showed the walls “to be well within the generally accepted range for the panels in question,” said Scott Walters, of Budinger & Associates, in the report.

But engineer Richard Atwood wrote that given the previous vehicle collisions with the wall, “it appears that a problem exists” and that “in our opinion, the panels are not resisting the required lateral loading of 6,000 pounds although the engineering analysis indicates that they should.” [My emphasis]

He said one solution to the contradictions would be to “assume the panel will fail and to add steel cables to stop vehicles before they impact the panels.”

After Savage’s death in 2006, River Park Square hired Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates to test the walls. Its report said River Park Square first hired Atwood-Hinzman in 1990 and that the garage took the advice of the firm’s 1990s report that recommended replacing 18 panels. It also argues that Atwood-Hinzman’s 1993 report “did not provide the building owner with a clear direction for future assessment of the remaining vehicle barriers.”

Jonathan Brunt can be reached at jonathanb@spokesman.com or (509) 459-5442.

February 3rd, 2009

Challenge to AP to run correction on RPS bond fraud story

While we’re at it I thought I would remind the AP of their commitment to run a clarification/correction on their last piece on the RPS bond fraud et al.

ORIGINAL SENT BY
CERTIFIED US MAIL

February 2, 2009

Mr. Tom Curley , President
Associated Press
450 W. 33rd Street
New York, New York 10001

Re: AP Story – No charges in Spokane River Park Square case (Filed by AP Reporter Nicholas K. Geranios, Spokane, WA)

Dear Mr. Curley:

Thank you for you prompt response to my last letter of September 28, 2008.  Mr. Oreskes did email me and had AP regional editor Jody DeJonge contact me by phone.  In my discussion with Ms. DeJonge she gave me a commitment that at the next opportunity the AP would run a clarification.  She also expressed that they would follow-up with Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker re the Savage manslaughter case that was handled off to his office for review by the US. Attorney’s Office.

See my enclosed demand letter to Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick of January 27, 2009 which is self-explanatory.  As I expressed in an email to Ms. DeJonge now would be a good time to run the follow-up story since S-R Reporter Jonathan Brunt’s most recent story, “State may look into RPS garage death”:

Could this be the time to run your follow-up story to correct the errors in your previous feed after the DOJ press conference that you committed a while back to do:

AP wire story on RPS – A demand for correction

Here’s some original info that S-R Brunt did not have when he wrote this story.  See my demand letter to Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick along with cover letters to Co Prosecutor Tucker, State AG McKenna, and Gov Gregoire.

Also included is  the US DOJ’s prosecutor’s manual for RICO filings.  Read the definitions, jurisdiction issues,  overt acts, and pattern of criminal activity et al.

I’m still shocked that the US Attorney’s Office didn’t consider using RICO to prosecute this mess in Spokane.

Brunt did a credible job but I’m sure his article was deliberately under reported again by editing from above.  Will the AP again aid and or abet the S-R in this ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy?


Thank you for your assistance in correcting your previous article on this very important story that has national implication.

Sincerely,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

3327 North Indian Trail PMB 135
Spokane, WA 99208

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Attachments:

CD ROM with MS Word .doc copies with HTML text links to reference

CC:  Sheriff Tony Bamonte (former Sheriff of Pend Oreille County)
Larry Shook, Camas Magazine

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