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I’ve just sent this demand letter to Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick re the death of Ms. Jo Savage in the RPS parking garage in April of 2006.  You can read the entire letter and see all the attachments here and here.

Ron the Cop

*****

January 27, 2009

Dear Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick:

. . . Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick it is now January 2009.  There has never been a complete, thorough, and transparent investigation of Ms. Savage’s death as requested by Sheriff Bamonte.  Mr. Tucker has had the Savage case since September 5, 2008.  Mr. Tucker has not contacted key witnesses in this investigation.  The statue of limitations will toll on the Savage death on April 8, 2009.

Mr. Tucker was quoted in S-R Brunt’s article:

If they need further investigation, Tucker will meet with Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and representatives of the State Patrol to discuss who would take the lead on that investigation. His inclination at this point would be to ask the State Patrol to take the lead, he added.

He will make an announcement on which of the three he will choose “fairly quickly,” Tucker said. “As soon as I can get through the boxes.” [My emphasis]

I believe that Mr. Tucker is attempting to “run out the clock” and thereby precluding any other law enforcement agency from thoroughly investigating and prosecuting this case.  One person should not make the decision whether to file a criminal complaint in the Savage case because of all the important related factors and issues that I discuss e.g., public corruption by an ongoing criminal enterprise.

Mr. Tucker has not responded to my letter of September 23, 2008 in which I demanded:

As Sheriff Bamonte recently wrote, you have substantial conflicts of interests regarding conducting this review.  The principal one being the political endorsements of your candidacy by the S-R whose owners are potential criminal defendants in this case. In my opinion the death of Jo Savage is a very compelling case that can be won in front of an impartial jury once brought to trial by an impartial and competent prosecutor.  I lack that confidence in your office to actively lead this investigation and prosecute this case.  I’m calling on you to immediately recuse your office and refer this case to State Attorney General Rob McKenna to lead/coordinate the investigation and to present its findings to a state grand jury for review whether criminal indictments are warranted.

Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be calling on you to recuse yourself.  I have never witnessed before in my entire law enforcement career the systemic co-option and corruption of the political and government structures in this community.  In my opinion The Cowles Co, its surrogates, have systemically co-opted and or corrupted governmental officials both elected and appointed. The normal political and governmental controls have failed because of being so thoroughly co-opted and/or corrupted by this incestuous, insidious, and malignant ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy. [My emphasis]

The investigation of the Savage case demands public transparency.  The US Attorney’s Office can act with some degree of secrecy in their deliberations.  Jacob Fries succinctly captured the essence of the DOJ’s press conference in his coverage in The Inlander.  The last paragraph is quite telling regarding the transparency of the US Attorney’s Office:

Out with a Whimper

Shook inquired about whom they talked to and Westinghouse said he would not reveal the names of those interviewed. Would any documents from the investigation be released?

“We do not make work product available … because it would be unfair to all those involved,” he said, adding, “You can assume that we took all reasonable steps to explore and to satisfy ourselves that there was no criminal wrongdoing.”

Unsatisfied, reporters chased Westinghouse into the hall after the press conference. An aide shouted at the reporters pursuing the prosecutor: “He won’t be taking any more questions.” [My emphasis]

Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick, you have a duty and responsibility to the citizens of Spokane by your oaths of office independent of those of Mr. Tucker’s to ensure public safety and that justice is served.  Sheriff Bamonte has recently written Mayor Verner, the Spokane City Council, Chief Kirkpatrick and you, saying he has great concern for structural integrity of the RPS parking garage. Sheriff Bamonte alleges the RPS parking garage was not publicly inspected during its expansion or after the “retrofit” following the death of Ms. Savage.  City inspectors were ordered not to inspect the parking garage by city administrators at alleged direction of Betsy Cowles (A garage owner and RPS developer).  Sheriff Bamonte says this lack of inspection coupled with the resultant Savage death poses an imminent public hazard. I would strongly encourage each of you to immediately investigate Sheriff Bamonte’s complaint and take all appropriate action to mitigate any imminent danger to the public.

I strongly concur with former Sheriff Bamonte that there is strong compelling probable cause that the facts and circumstances surrounding Jo Savage’s death arise to the level of criminal negligence, to wit, recklessly causing the death of another – a First-Degree Manslaughter under Washington state law (RCW 9A.32.060).  I formally demand you act to ensure a complete, thorough and transparent investigation of Jo Savage’s death in the RPS Parking Garage is completed.  I would strongly encourage you to conduct such a criminal investigation independently of Mr. Tucker to discharge your own sworn duty and responsibility to the citizens of Spokane.  I have very serious doubts that Mr. Tucker is actually doing anything other than attempting to run the clock out.  Further no one person should make this decision whether to file a criminal complaint because of the magnitude of this case and alleged public corruption.

For the reasons I discuss this investigation must be carried out with the aid of a grand jury, which only then after reviewing all the evidence, decides whether any criminal indictments are warranted in the death of Ms. Savage.  To discharge your duty to the people of the State of Washington, I strongly recommend that you publicly call on Mr. Tucker to immediately recuse himself.  Further that he ask Attorney General Rob McKenna to lead the Savage investigation and impanel a state grand jury to review the evidence.  If Mr. Tucker refuses, then I strongly recommend you formally request that Governor Christine Gregoire, who has the statutory power, order Mr. McKenna to do so.  I caution your failure to act independently of Mr. Tucker may cause your involvement in a civil class action RICO suit that is likely if the Savage case is not brought to trial because of any obstruction of justice [18 U.S.C. § 1964(c)]

Sincerely,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

*****

UPDATE I

See cover letters with my demand letter to Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick to:

Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker

State Attorney General Rob McKenna

Governor Chris Gregoire

UPDATE II

Whoa here’s a surprise:

State may look into RPS garage death

Prosecutor wants input, still considering charges

Jonathan Brunt / Staff writer

Tags: Jo Savage River Park Square steve tucker

View previous stories and documents.

Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker said this week that he may ask the state attorney general’s office to help decide if manslaughter charges should be brought in the case of a woman who died when her car fell from the River Park Square mall’s parking garage.

Tucker said he has reviewed the four boxes of evidence that were turned over to him in September by federal prosecutors, who investigated the 2006 incident as well as accusations of fraud connected to the redevelopment of the mall in the late 1990s.

River Park Square and the mall’s garage are affiliates of the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.

For several months, some critics of the Cowles Co., including former Pend Oreille County Sheriff Tony Bamonte, have urged Tucker to turn the decision over to the state.

Tucker said given the controversy over the garage, consideration by another source might be in order. He said he will decide the direction of the case as early as next week.

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To All:

I just sent this wrap up to some friends and thought I would share it here too.

RBT

*****

OK I’m bummed out. Between Obama and McCain I don’t think either was that much different on the economy. I’m in favor of much less government and favored McCain. Government exists to prevent the “tragedy of the commons” and to provide for a strong national defense within a Capitalistic society/ideology. Read locally the pollution of the Spokane River by the Cowles Co and their real estate interests in the Spokane Valley – Sewer Wars & the New Chinatown.

By far a free market is the best mechanism for a fair distribution of goods, services, wants to the people without a ruling elite that becomes inherently corrupt and self perserving. I have no stomach for European “statism” and elitism either. Government is very inefficient in doing most things. Statism creates a dependent class that is not self sufficient and becomes dependent upon government for its survival. I think we saw some of this in Katrina coupled with an incompetent government response due to corruption and other factors.

The Europeans who look down their noses at us can take a flying fricken leap. It was the American taxpayer that pulled their butts out of the the fire of totalitarianism twice in the last century. Further it was our projection of power again at our expense that protected them from the intrusion of the Russian bear. Their economies were allowed to grow and to provide their social programs at the expense of the Am taxpayer. The Europeans are much like teenagers who think they know all but when they tank there is their parents standing by to bail them out. We are the parents! [I can’t take credit entirely for this thought][UPDATE: The folks at the WSJ were thinking the same thing with in this editorial, “Same Old Berlin Wall,” that ran on 11-12-08]

What concerns me as CINC, Obama will be doing a lot of OJT. Even his Veep, Biden, said this and acknowledged Obama will be soon tested by our enemies in his [Biden’s]more candid slips of the tongue. . This is another reason whyI favored McCain. McCain was not my first choice though. See my comments I shared with [X] earlier. I wouldn’t want to be in the military right now with an unseasoned new commander. The entrenched bureaucratic and hind bound “fifth element” at the CIA and State will continue to be risk adverse and self-serving. Incapable of carrying out their missions. They called the ball wrong re the dangers of the rise of Islamofascism. Read Timmerman’s book “Shaddow Warriors” sometime. And if you want to scare your socks off read his fiction book “Honor Killing” on how the Iranians can strike us under the radar e.g, think ship launch missle perhaps with EMP weaspon.

I see in our time many parallels with the rise of the Third Reich circa 1938 and now. And allso as some critics have seen allegorical references to Tolkien’s Ring Trilogy with the rise of Evil in the world that was appeased even though the Tolkiem denied this. . With regard to the hatred of the Jews by the Nazis this has roots with their alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood that arose in the early 1900s in Egypt. Osama and al-Zawahiri are an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood movement as it later allied with the Sunni radical element of Islamofascism. Hopefully we are not destined to repeat our history. I say never AGAIN!

This is why I have great concern about Obama’s radical left and Marxist alliances let alone a relationship with Rashid (Former PLO operative and spokesman) that the MSM failed to report to the American people and in fact the LATimes sat on a tape and refused to release it. So much for the “peoples’ right to know.” In my opinion the LATimes could have released a transcript that would have protected their source. It took them three or four tries to come up with this excuse.

This brings me to my greatest complaint. This is the failure of the MSM to dig and report on these past relationships. Obama has no record so his alliances and former mentors are worthy of investigation. He only became the junior senator from Illinois because of the “leaking” of Trek’s “Seven of Nine’s” nasty divorce records that forced her husband, Jack Ryan, out of the race – A case of South Chicago politics.? We know this firsthand here in Spokane with the SR and the AP covering the butts of the Cowles. The American people were voting on Obama’s blank slate of “hope and change” and were projecting their own desires onto Obama. The MSM has suffered from Bush derangement syndrome (BDS) since the 2000 election and was unabashedly in the tank for Obama. See the excerpt below from PJM of the laments from a career journalism professional.

Don’t get me wrong Bush made many major mistakes pursuing this war. This stems from his being loyal to a fault to his advisers eg., Rumsfield. However as Lincoln did he eventually found a general that was willing to pursue a winning strategy. The Surge did work much to the dismay of those who wanted to throw in the towell. Our troops won the war on the ground in Vietnam but the MSM elites caused us to lose this the war politically. I won’t debate the merits of that war or the actions of LBJ and his micromanaging nor all the ticket punching officers that passed through Vietnam to advance their own careers at the expense of those in their command.

Fortunately this time with the citizen/military bloggers on the ground in Iraq in the Blogos we knew that the surge was working six months before the NYT and others begrudgingly began to report the success. Thank you John McCain. The advent of the new/alternative media albeit the “wild wild west” has the ability now to hold the MSM accountable. The old media business paradigm is in decline. No longer are vast capital expenditures necessary. The new medium of expression is essentially free. The new currency is the value of thought, information, and news of the day that has relevance, value, and predicitability in one’s own daily life. We are now witnessing the great communication reformation as foretold by Hugh Hewitt in his book “Blog.” No wonder the NYT bonds have been relegated to “junk” status.

OK I’m done now. I will again shift my attention back to the Cowles Co in Spokane, WA. I’m an equal opportunity shopworn detective that doesn’t like crooks that would prey upon the people no matter what their political stripe for I am and always will be a Sheepdog.

Ron the Cop
Friend of Mark Fuhrman

Date: Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 10:35 PM
Subject: An interesting aside re the MSM and this election

[X]

Here’s some support for my view and what the future holds [From PJM].

7. What to do about the MSM? By virtually any objective standard — supported by statistical evidence — this was the most egregiously biased coverage ever seen in a presidential race. From the “tingle up the leg” in the primary to the never-ending slam pieces on Cindy McCain to the Palin feeding frenzy to the refusal to ask minimal questions about Obama’s past associations and policies, the MSM made clear they were an extension of the Obama campaign. With Obama firmly in power will he try to mount an effort to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, wiping out talk radio and maybe even the blogosphere?

While he contemplates that, conservatives will need to strategize on how to minimize and work around the MSM in future campaigns. It may be that you can’t run a presidential campaign without the MSM, but that you can make them far less important. If the candidates cooperate more with new media and less with old media, that’s where the viewers and readers will go. If Palin’s first interviews were with Chris Wallace, Hugh Hewitt,Powerline, and Politico, that’s where the public would have gone to learn about Palin. And a far different first impression would gave been formed.

The MSM remains important to the extent they are treated as independent reporters rather than spin doctors for Democrats. But Republicans needn’t play along. There is no rule requiring Republican campaigns to leak to the Washington Post – thereby helping to make news — or to go on Hardball.

Bottom Line: Technology, reading, and viewing habits and public disgust with MSM bias are powerful influences which will allow conservatives to find and bolster alternative outlets. But they shouldn’t kid themselves. Ronald Reagan got elected twice with no talk radio, no Fox News, and no blogosphere. The MSM is not the source of conservatives’ woes; it just adds to them.

[RBT]

*****

Re the Israeli Palestinian Issue

[X]

I don’t disagree but Arafat was very good at talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time. He was a con. All the while he was ripping the Palestinians off with all the money the free world was sending them. Yes the Israeli economy is largely supported by the US but they do prosper. On the other hand a lot of money did go to the Palestinians including what Arafat received from the Sauds in exchange for not stirring the pot in Saudi. What do they have to show for it?

A very complex situation indeed that doesn’t lend itself well to to solution. This dispute has been going on since Biblical times and isn’t going to be solved in a few years. On the other hand this is a distinct and separate issue from the rise of radical Islamofascism which is clouded by the Palestinian issue.

[RBT]

**

[RBT]

Absolutely. What Bacevich says about this reality in “The Limits of Power,” is that the Global War on Terror is a tragic mistake because it doesn’t recognize terrorism for what it is: a criminal enterprise. With our highly sophisticated special operations capability, we have the ability to take out individual terrorists and terrorist organizations far more effectively than by declaring war on whole nations held hostage by these criminals. I agree with Bacevich. The war option actually aids terrorists because of its bankrupting effect on us–fiscally, morally, psychologically, emotionally, etc. Sending whole armies to fight guerillas and terrorists is extremely poor military policy. You go after these perps with highly trained and dedicated teams, and you deploy those teams with extraordinary care and creativity. Your first step is to understand the whole complicated context of terrorism and work hard at defusing it. Step two: figure out who and where the terrorists are and remove them, as you do other criminals.

As you can tell, Ron, I have a real problem with people who get their cookies off (Rumsfeld, Cheney and their ilk) by flexing our military muscles inappropriately or needlessly and who cast their critics as pacificists or impractical idealists or unpatriotic or, as in the case of Fox’s right wing shouters, something even worse. The price of war is so hideous and permanent that no sane person would be willing to pay it unnecessarily. You know those pictures that show grizzled old Harley-riding guys standing at The Wall, touching a name with a finger while they cry, or doubled over in front of it bawling their eyes out? Why do you suppose that is? I have no patience whatsoever for bias and mere ideology when contemplating engaging in armed conflict with others. It muzzles consciousness; It’s deadly; it doesn’t just kill hearts, minds, and bodies, it squanders them.

[X]

**

[X]

I agree. To some degree this is what is going on in the frontier areas of Pakistan. As our human intel gets better we are seeing more predator strikes taking out key terrorist leaders. However I disagree re this should be a “law enforcement” action to destroy a criminal enterprise. The law enforcement profession I know is too hind bound, too risk adverse and lacks the creative genius to carry this out.

On the other hand unfettered special ops could accomplish this mission. Unfortunately our system of government could not openly sanction such activity. Something the CIA should have been doing but they have largely become an inbred elite – incapable of carrying out their prime mission. I think the Israelis have done this the best. They have a lot to lose. Their country is only about 30 miles wide and can be driven into the Med Sea in a heartbeat. Whether you agree with their tactics or not they have to be on the offensive continuously. On the other hand we have great strength in the size of our land mass.

Collectively our disjointed governmental LE agencies and Homeland Security Dept don’t “get it yet.” Several examples of this are CAIR actually doing inservces for the FBI on the World of Islam and another is our PCism by TSA at terminal gates. Protecting us from an attack that will never come. Our enemy is not stupid and will attack in another manner. And yet we’re spending BILLIONS of dollars for airport security that only gives a false sense of security because we won’t acknowledge who the enemy is and the ideology that drives it. The Israelis do this for much less by doing behavioral profiling and asking simple open ended questions at El Al gates. After a few questions a terrorist operative has to go off script and will be tripped up.

And yet we continue to harass old ladies at terminal gates with wire in their bras. As I’ve said many times before the relative risk of them being Islamofascist suicide agents is very low. Your odds of winning the lottery are much greater:-) Further we do not have a political consensus to effectively seal our borders. I can tell you several attack scenarios using a small terrorist cell crossing our Northern or Southern borders that will literally knock your socks off.

Did you ever watch Le Femme Nikita the TV series and not the original movie?

In normal times I would not have the trepidation I do about Obama. The American people at the midterm elections will limit his power if he strays too far. However these aren’t normal times whether the Global War on Terror is a misnomer, whether we like it or not we are in a war of ideologies. One that values the free will of both men and women and the other from Medieval Times that is misogynistic and Fascist in nature with a penchant for pedophilia thrown in. I’m sure I’ve mentioned before there are ties between the Rise of the Third Reich and the Muslim Brotherhood. Obama in my opinion will be seen as a weakness by the enemy and will seek to exploit this.

Here’s two more pieces that perhaps may give some insight into who Obama really is. I know these probably don’t measure up to journalistic standards but they do raise interesting questions deserving of answers. I’m sorry the MSM has left me in the dark re these questions and others:

October 29, 2008

EXCLUSIVE: Ali Abunimah is Likely Source of Secreted Obama/Khalidi/Ayers Tape; LA Times’ Wallsten Plagiarized Schlussel Back in April, Said Politico

Barack Obama: Red Diaper Baby

[RBT]

**
[X]

Whether you like Ken Timmerman’s work or not he has a new piece re Obama’s foreign campaign donations. This brings up another question that the MSM so far has not covered. They were all over Clinton for this. I’m sure other campaigns have probably similar issues. I just thought this was interesting as it was ID theft and credit card fraud and the lack of due diligence on the part of our financial industry’s credit card subsidiaries e.g., MBNA, Providian, CitiBank et al, and their practices re preapproved but unsolicited credit card offers targeting the subprime market got me interested in international terrorism in the first place. This is a pet peeve of mine for another time. Leave it said this was a similar fiasco to the mortgage meltdown that led to the market meltdown that we the fricken taxpayers are now picking up the tab for.

RPS sound familiar:-)

Ex-CIA Expert: Obama Took Millions in Illegal Foreign Donations

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:27 PM

By: Kenneth R. Timmerman Article Font Size


A Newsmax investigation of Obama/Biden campaign contributors, undertaken in conjunction with a private investigative firm headed by a former CIA operations officer, has identified 118 donors who appear to lack U.S. citizenship.

Some of these “red flag” donors work for foreign governments; others have made public statements declaring that they are citizens of Cameroun, Nigeria, Pakistan, Canada, and other countries.
[RBT]

***
[RBT]

Beyond interesting–fascinating. I guess this is what happens when retired white collar crime experts have time on their hands. God bless you. Keep it up.

[X]

UPDATE: 

Atlas Shrugs is hot re Palin bashing.   Here’s my reply:

Mega DITTOs.  AMEN sister Pamela!!!.  COUNT ME IN

The Dems aren’t the only ones that have elitists in their party.  We have elitist sloths sucking at the trough of political largess e.g, Stevens et al. While the Dems have much to do with the meltdown of Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac there were many Reps who received contributions from Mae/Mac and turned a blinds eye to the runaway train that was coming down the track.  No wonder the American people feel the Republicans have betrayed them and were beguiled by a “Pied Piper of Hamelin” with an enticing melody. This was further enabled by the MSM’s infatuation with Obama that failed in its journalistic responsibility to objectively inform the American people.  Instead they anointed Obama as the chosen one.

While it may be hyperbolic and somewhat Rockwellan, Palin and Joe the Plumber resonnated with core values of many Americans. This Country as a whole is still center right.  Bookworm has similar thoughts.  Because of the incessant drumbeat of BDS of the MSM many Americans lost faith in the Republican party and could be swayed by the sweet siren call of Obama’s voice.  As I said in my reflection piece yesterday the door is swinging open into the great communications reformation period that Hugh Hewitt has described in his book “Blog.”

Election wrap up – Obama must govern as a centrist

This brings me to my greatest complaint.  This is the failure of the MSM to dig and report on these past relationships.  Obama has no record so his alliances and former mentors are worthy of investigation.   He only became the junior senator from Illinois because of the “leaking” of Trek’s “Seven of Nine’s” nasty divorce records that forced her husband, Jack Ryan, out of the race – A case of South Chicago politics? . . . The American people were voting on Obama’s blank slate of “hope and change” and were projecting their own desires onto Obama. The MSM has suffered from Bush derangement syndrome (BDS) since the 2000 election and was unabashedly in the tank for Obama.

. . . Fortunately this time with the citizen/military bloggers on the ground in Iraq in the Blogos we knew that the surge was working six months before the NYT and others begrudgingly began to report the success.  Thank you John McCain.  The advent of the new/alternative media albeit the “wild wild west” has the ability now to hold the MSM accountable.  The old media business paradigm is in decline.  No longer are vast capital expenditures necessary.  The new medium of expression is essentially free.  The new currency is the value of thought, information, and news of the day that has relevance, value, and predicitability in one’s own daily life.  We are now witnessing the great communication reformation as foretold by Hugh Hewitt in his book “Blog.” No wonder the NYT bonds have been relegated to “junk” status.

Pamela you caught a brief moment in this campaign with the comment of Congressmen Nadler, like Joe the Plumber did with an unscripted remark that gave a real insight that the MSM was unwilling to probe and report.  The business paradigm of the MSM is headed for the tank as evident with the “junk” status of the NYT bonds.  Pamela you and others in the new/alternative media are at the forefront of this reformation.

 SCROLL FOR UDPATE

FYI – Interesting discussion with AP senior management about Nicolas Geranios’ AP wire story on the recent US Attorney’s Office press conference on RPS bond fraud and the death of Ms. Jo Savage in the RPS parking garage.

Ron the Cop

[Ed Note: HTML links inserted for reference]

ORIGINAL SENT BY
Certified US Mail

September 22, 2008

Mr. Tom Curley , President
Associated Press
450 W. 33rdrd 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:

I am a recently retired police detective from Riverside PD, CA having served some thirty-five years, five of which as an economic crimes investigator. You20can read my attached bio and the significant cases I worked. I relocated to Spokane, WA for its many fine attributes. Soon after relocating here I discovered a level systemic co-option and corruption of the political and government structures in this community I have never witnessed before in my entire law enforcement career the. In my opinion The Cowles Co (An AP member and owner of The Spokesman-Review), and its surrogates, have systemically co-opted and or corrupted governmental officials both elected and appointed. The normal political and governmental controls have failed because of being so thoroughly co-opted and/or corrupted by this incestuous, insidious, and malignant ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy.

I too attended the 09-05-08 press conference held by the US Attorney’s Office in Spokane, WA (See attached press release). S-R reporter Jonathan Brunt was there along with AP reporter Nicholas Geranios. I’ve read the reports filed by both of them. I noted in Mr. Geranios made a major factual error. I pointed out this error to him and requested he issue a correction (See attached letter). The IRS not only questioned the tax-exempt status of the RPS bonds, it disallowed the tax-exempt status saying the, “casino was rigged.” The IRS found that the foundation set up by the RPS developer (The Cowles Co) that these bonds were issued “on behalf of” was a sham. I’ve studied the evidence of the RPS bond fraud, and the bogus tax-exempt status of the RPS bonds, as established by the IRS report about them, is at the very heart of this $100M fraud. Let me be very clear Mr. Curley: my law enforcement experience leads me to the conclusion, based overwhelming published evidenced, that an AP member used its media and AP connections to perpetuate this fraud. I have yet to hear from Mr. Geranios’ reporting on illegal status of these bonds that has the effect of furthering this fraud (See my attached letter). Was this simply an oversight?

In further examining the AP wire story, I noticed Mr. Geranios glossed over the significance of Ms. Jo Savage’s death in the RPS parking garage:

Investigators also concluded that no federal laws were broken in the 2006 death of Jo Ellen Savage, of Pullman, who died after her vehicle crashed through a wall on the fifth floor of the parking garage and fell to the ground. They referred the case to Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker for his consideration, Westinghouse said.

I found the statements of Assistant US Westinghouse regarding the Savage death extraordinary. S-R Reporter Jonathan Brunt caught this significance as well. Mr. Brunt included these quotes from Mr. Westinghouse and these explosive comments by David Savage, the former husband of Ms. Savage, in his S-R article of 09-06-08:

Federal attorneys who investigated several controversies su rrounding the downtown parking facility said Friday no federal charges apply in the April 2006 death of Jo Ellen Savage, but County Attorney Steve Tucker should decide whether state laws on negligent homicide apply.

“There are, of course, various degrees of manslaughter that may be of some concern,” said Robert Westinghouse, criminal chief for the U.S. attorney’s office in Western Washington. “We pass no judgment, again, because that it is outside our purview.”

[…]

But the decision to transfer information on Savage’s death from a federal grand jury to the Spokane County prosecutor’s office is an “extraordinary step,” according to David Savage, Jo Ellen Savage’s ex-husband and a former president of the Washington State Bar Association. Savage, who said he remained close to his former wife after their divorce, attended Friday’s news conference.

Tucker said it was the first time during his 10-year tenure as a county prosecutor that he had received evidence from a federal grand jury.

[…]

Savage died April 8, 2006, after her car hit a garage wall and fell from the structure’s fifth level onto the entry ramp below. Savage said he believes there are “substantial grounds for a criminal prosecution for manslaughter” based on information he learned during a civil suit on the matter. Savage’s family received a settlement from Cowles Co.’s insurers “substantially” more than $1 million, he said.

In 1993, engineer Richard Atwood warned River Park Square officials of problems in the walls. He recommended the garage erect cables to prevent cars from hitting barriers or that the owners conduct more extensive tests. Neither action was taken, though mall officials have said they made other improvements and conducted other tests.

“For economic reasons the owners chose not to make the repairs or modifications, thus placing the economics of the garage ahead of public safety,” Savage said. [My emphasis]

Please note Mr. Brunt reports Savage “hit” while Mr. Geranios reports “crashed” into the parking barrier. I suppose this is a matter of semantics but I’ve read the police report containing the eyewitness accounts. This was a low speed impact that could be characterized as a “bump.” In my mind this S-R archive photo circa 1991 showing one of these barriers, which failed in the same manner that catapulted Jo Savage to her death, says it all. These barriers have failed multiple times in the ensuing years. The owners have been warned multiple times by several engineering reports that critical repairs were needed. This lack of action demonstrates the reckless lack ordinary care and due diligence owed to the patrons of the parking garage by its owners to perform critical maintenance and repairs.

From the US DOJ’s own press release:

At issue is whether faulty maintenance at the garage led t o the accident. The review determined there is no federal statue that would address the facts surrounding the accident. Whether the State statues proscribing negligent homicide have application to these facts is a decision better left to local authorities. . . Prosecutors sought and obtained permission from the court to provide certain limited grand jury materials to Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker for his review.

As a career law enforcement investigator the significance of Assistant US Attorney Westinghouse’s press release and comments to the media did not miss my attention. As Mr. Westinghouse said using the resources of their grand jury tools, they found evidence in the Savage death that they felt warranted review under state law involving negligent homicide. They sought special permission to release this evidence to County Prosecutor Steve Tucker. As both Mr. Tucker and Mr. Savage are quoted in Brunt’s article this is unprecedented and extraordinary. What Mr. Westinghouse was saying in his understated way was that they found compelling evidence in the Savage death that they could not ignore and or dismiss that warranted review by local authorities under state law involving negligent homicide for the filing of possible criminal charges.

Was this too an oversight by Mr. Geranios? Why didn’t the AP run the additional information contained in Mr. Brunt’s article including the very damning statements by Mr. Savage? The Cowles Co. has been a prominent AP member for many decades, and a Cowles family member has often been an AP director. The Cowles Co was the developer of RPS, the owner of the RPS parking garage and is a potential criminal defendant in the Savage negligent homicide case. I consider this oversight to be highly suspicious. With the history of the Cowles Co and its relationship with the AP, a compelling argument can be made that the AP is “spinning” this story to protect one of its own. If this is found to be an intentional act, the AP could be drawn into this ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy after the fact as an aider and or abettor. Former Sheriff Tony Bamonte has announced his intention to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of the citizens of Spokane to recover from those directly involved and those who aided and or abetted this fraud.

Mr. Curley there is a simple cure. Direct Mr. Geranios to write a follow-up story correcting his error re the tax-exempt states of the first RPS bonds and report the real significance of the Savage death in the RPS parking garage. The lack of such a correction will show specific intent by the AP to aid the Cowles Co in its involvement in this death by “spinning” and understating this story. Not to mention a failure to abide by your own core values and principles:

For more than a century and a half, men and women of The Associated Press have had the privi lege of bringing truth to the world. They have gone to great lengths, overcome great obstacles – and, too often, made great and horrific sacrifices – to ensure that the news was reported quickly, accurately and honestly. Our efforts have been rewarded with trust: More people in more places get their news from the AP than from any other source. . .

That means we abhor inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortions. It means we will not knowingly introduce false information into material intended for publication or broadcast; nor will we alter photo or image content. Quotations must be accurate, and precise. . .

It means we avoid behavior or activities that create a conflict of interest and compromise our ability to report the news fairly and accurately, uninfluenced by any person or action. . .

And ultimately, it means it is the responsibility of every one of us to ensure that these standards are upheld. Any time a question is raised about any aspect of our work, it should be taken seriously. . .

In summary let me be perfectly clear Mr. Curley, the prime suspects in this $100M fraud of public money and in the opinion one of this Country’s premier law enforcement officer, former Sheriff Tony Bamonte, are suspects in a First-Degree Manslaughter are two AP members. This imposes significant ethical and legal obligation on the AP. As a veteran criminal investigator I will be watching AP closely. Please feel free to contact me anytime if you need fu rther information.

The choice is simple Mr. Curley.

Sincerely,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

3327 Indian Trail Rd., PMB135
Spokane, WA 99208
xxxxx (cell) nar9350@gmail.com

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Oreskes, Michael
Date: Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Subject: Thank You
To: nar9350@gmail.com

Dear Detective Wright,

Tom Curley shared your note with me. Let me thank you for taking the
time to write such a detailed and professional summary of the case and
analysis of our coverage. If I understand you properly, you are raising
questions not about the facts of the case as we have reported them but
rather about our presentation of those facts–which facts we have chosen
to stress and which facts we did not stress or report at all in the particular
story you focus on. In the territory of news judgment there is always room
for differences. I can assure you that our reporters and editors had no
motive other than to report the story as accurately as they could. You,
in turn, have every right to challenge how well we succeeded. Since this
is an ongoing case, we want to make sure we understand the issues
described in your note before any further stories. So Jodie DeJonge, our
Washington State Bureau Chief20is planning to be in touch to discuss
this.

Thanks again for your note

My best Regards,

Michael Oreskes
Managing Editor
United States News

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: rocketsbrain <nar9350@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Subject: Reply re Mr. Geranios and demand for correction of RPS story

September 24, 2008

Michael Oreskes
Managing Editor – United States News
The Associated Press

Dear Mr. Oreskes,

Thank you for your quick and courteous response. You did capture the essence of my complaint and demand for a correction/addendum of Mr. Geranios’ wire story. I am a student of the paradigm shift occurring your profession is undergoing. The key to surviving is going back to the basics of journalism as outlined by the Committee of Concerned Journalists that I had the privilege of hearing one of its founders speak. The traditional media no longer holds the preeminent position of the du jour source of the news. We are experiencing a major communication reformation as great or greater than that of Martin Luther’s time (Hugh Hewitt’s Blog and Glenn Reynolds’ An Army of Davids). The new/alternative media does not require large capital investments e.g., printing p resses and transmission networks of the traditional or mainstream media. The new medium of expression is essentially free for all to participate. The currency of the new media is the validity, reliability, and predictability of the information provided in one’s own daily life. The sources that best meet those needs will attract readers and grow. Those sources that lack credibility and/or don’t correct misinformation quickly will die. The emerging alternative/new media has the massive parallel processing power of a “smart” distributive computer network that can instantaneously transmit breaking news and has the ability to fact check and subject expertise that no newsroom can afford. There will always be a need for aggregators of the news that provide value added worth. I foresee an evolving blend between the new and the old media.

As I said in my letter both former Sheriff Bamonte and I concur the circumstances surrounding the death of Ms. Jo Savage in the RPS parking garage arise to the level of a first-degree manslaughter under state law. Her death is part and parcel of this ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy. I won’t go into the details why the US Attorney’s Office passed on the RPS bond fraud. While they found no “criminal intent” to defraud, the burden of proof in a civil class action suit that Sheriff Bamonte has announced he will file is much less. You may be interested that Sheriff Bamonte is none other than the person who was chronicled in the bestseller Breaking Blue by NY times reporter Timothy Egan. Please see my attached letter to County Prosecutor Steve Tucker regarding the referral of the Savage case to his office by the US Attorney’s Office and also a letter from Sheriff Bamonte. The death of Ms. Jo Savage is a very compelling case that can presented to a jury in a manner that won’t cause their eyes to glaze over as would the very complex bond fraud case with all its subtle nuances to show a common design and criminal intent.

Sheriff Bamonte and I working independently of each other arrived as the same conclusion that The Spokesman-Review (S-R), which is owned by the Cowles Co, is an instrumentality of this ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy to conceal its criminal activity from public scrutiny. There is an inherent conflict of interest between the Spokesman-Review, which it owns, and the Cowles Co business and real estate interests. This is done by the S-R’s active self-censorship of stories and censorship of comments in the S-R blogs that would be highly detrimental to this ongoing criminal enterprise. This is uncharacteristic of a paper of record that normally would be a driving force of public opinion. The Cowles Co will ruthlessly retaliate against other media in town that attempt to cover this story. S-R Editor Steve Smith has sought to marginalized and dismiss Sheriff Bamonte and I and others who would ask pr obative questions as, “whackaloons, nutsos, crazies, and little green men.” As Mr. Smith recently admitted in a S-R Blog and indeed may have maliciously libeled award winning investigative reporters Tim Connor and Larry Shook of Camas Magazine:

Good afternoon,

Messrs. Connor and Shook take issue with my assertion that they aired publicly the belief that the Cowles family may have deliberately burned down two downtown properties, one fire leading to a firefighter’s death.

They believe I have libeled them.

I clearly recalled that they aired these views on the Fuhrman show in the weeks before Fuhrman was dumped, singly or together.

I suppose I might misremember, and if that is the case, I do apologize. I certainly had no intention of libeling them.

Insulting them, marginalizing them, ridiculing them, well yes, that is often my intention with Connor/Shook. [My emphasis]

Now that I have apologized to them, how about my apologies for the slanders, libels, accusations, false assertions and accusations of ethical misdeeds that are part and parcel of their anti-Spokesman agenda.

Whoa, that isn’t going to happen. Apologies, for these two, go only one way.

stevePosted by Steven A. Smith | 3 Jun 4:09 PM

I would be happy to provide sources and references if you’re truly interested in seeking the truth. I have written extensively about the ruthless nature of the Cowles Co stranglehold on the flow of information in the Spokane market. You can read more in my attached letter to US Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan and a former associate at the Federal Trade Commission that I provided to the media present at the news conference. I assume Mr. Geranios received copies. Here’s an excerpt of my letter to US Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan:

During Tom Grant’s tenure at KXLY while he was reporting on RPS, KXLY was losing major ad revenue in the $100k of dollars from the Cowles Co. KXLY’s General Manager Steve Herling who I recently interviewed, confirmed he wrote this following email. He did caution that he was able to replace this lost revenue and that he did not feel pressured to remove Grant. He said although he didn’t consider it fair that KXLY was off the Cowles Co “buy list,” it was its right to do so just as it was his right to refuse advertising:

 

—–Original Message—–
From: Steve Herling
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 2:34 PM
To: memoda
Cc: Chris Gilks, Michelle McIntyre, Teddie Gibbon
Subject: Re: Tom Grant
We do not agree with that assessment. RiverPark Square alone is testament to our ability to forgo ad dollars for truth. We have been off their “buy” list for over 2 years costing us hundreds of thousands of dollars because we supported the reporting, whether Tom Grant or any of our staff (yes there were other of our reporters on RPS than Tom). We never have shied from the truth for dollars and we’ve proven it. We have reported negative news about car dealers and taken the hit….Tom simply is uninformed about our busniness practices. We only spent $3,000 on the personal grooming consultant (TV is a visual medium and we want our people to look their best) not the $10,000. And that expenditure took nothing away from our journalism budget. We hope to have an exciting announcement soon of a replacement for Tom. It does make a difference to me if you watch. Remember KREM, KAYU and KHQ are getting all of the RiverPark Square advertising budget. If I lose you too I have really been penalized for doing the “right” thing.

As recently expressed by local veteran KXLY radio icon Mike Fitzsimmons in his blog:

We know firsthand in Spokane about what can happen. The River Park Square story in Spokane, was deliberately and unethically under-reported by the Spokesman Review and one television station in our community, to protect the family that owned the mall and the media outlets. Imagine what might have been possible had this local media powerhouse controlled many more sources. The public might not have learned about this fiasco at all [My emphasis].

What we don’t know is whether this co-option and self-censorship extends to the AP and if so at what level whether intentionally or not. Mr. Geranios’ reporting provided a unique circumstance to examine this practice in action, hence my demand for a correction of Mr. Geranios’ article. The question is has Mr. Geranios under-reported previous stories on RPS over the last ten years? If so why? I explained to Mr. Geranios in my letter there was a significant misstatement of fact e.g., the IRS disallowed the tax-exempt status of the first RPS bonds. This goes to the very heart of the RPS bond fraud that will ultimately cost the citizens of Spokane $100M and is costing $1.5M in general fund revenue to service the debt.

Further if Mr. Geranios missed what Assistant US Attorney Westinghouse was saying in his understated way, S-R reporter Brunt caught it and courageously at some risk to his continued employment at the S-R reported and ran the explosive statements by Mr. Savage. It is our understanding normally a follow-up AP story would run that would have included this significant information in Mr. Brunt’s story. I am interested of course in the relationship between Mr. Geranios and t he S-R management, who has say over his work product and what may eventually released to the wire. This is not my area of expertise. I do share my information with Larry Shook. Mr. Shook too has sought clarification from Mr. Geranios but Mr. Geranios is not available for comment:

Dear Ms. DeJonge: Thank you very much for this e-mail. I understand from it that Mr. Geranios does not have the permission of AP management to grant me the interview I request. Beyond that, your response does not address the request I made of Mr. Geranios. For the record, I include my original e-mail to Mr. Geranios here:

Dear Mr. Geranios: Both retired police detective Ron Wright and former sheriff Tony Bamonte have sent me copies of complaints and correction requests they have made concerning your recent River Park Square-related coverage. I would like to interview you about the reporting in question and Det. Wright’s and Sheriff Bamonte’s complaints about it. I phoned your office but received neither an answer nor a voice mail option. Prior to the interview I request would you please provide me with a description of AP’s policy for handling stories concerning AP members? If there is a written version of that policy, please provide that to me. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Larry Shook

So I repeat my request to you and AP president Tom Curley: “Please provide me with a description of AP’s policy for handling stories concerning AP members. If there is a written version of that policy, please provide that to me. If no such policy exists, and if stories concerning AP members are handled like all other stories, please just tell me that. I am looking for clear, uequivocal responses to these requests. I reviewed the “News Values Statement” cited in your e-mail and find no information responsive to my requests. If I missed it, please point it out to me.
Thank you for taking the time to write to me, and thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, Larry Shook

Again I truly appreciate your courteous and concerned response. In summary there is a significant misstatement of fact in Mr. Geranios’ story that goes to the heart of the RPS fraud. Further Mr. Geranios appears to have missed the significance of the US Attorney’s Office press conference. This was not missed by Mr. Brunt. Whether this was intentional or not the effect is the same. It conceals that two AP members are potential defendants in the negligent homicide of Ms. Jo Savage. This is the lede.

As I said in my other letter:

. . . the prime suspects in this $100M fraud of public money and in the opinion one of this Country’s premier law enforcement officer, former Sheriff Tony Bamonte, are suspects in a First-Degree Manslaughter are two AP members. . .

Mr. Curley there is a simple cure. Direct Mr. Geranios to write a follow-up story correcting his error re the tax-exempt states of the first RPS bonds and report the real significance of the Savage death in the RPS parking garage. The lack of such a correction will show specific intent by the AP to aid the Cowles Co in its involvement in this death by “spinning” and understating this story.

From Ms. DeJonge email to Mr. Shook, Mr. Geranios has been removed from the loop. There is a major story here that the AP as of yet has covered. Perhaps as a mitigation the AP should consider commissioning Larry Shook the source expert and credentialed journalist to write this follow-up story.

Sincerely,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

3327 Indian Trail Rd., PMB135
Spokane, WA 99208
xxxxxx (Cell) nar9350@gmail.com

*****

September 24, 2008

Jodie DeJonge
Washington State Bureau Chief
The Associated Press

Re: Demand for Correction of AP wire story of US Attorney’s Office press conference

Dear Ms. DeJonge,

Thank you ever so much for your call this morning regarding my complaint. As I understand it you will discuss with Mr. Geranios that he will correct the misstatement of fact re the IRS disallowing the tax-exempt status of the RPS bonds. Further we discussed the significance of the US Attorney’s Office action in referring the death of Ms. Jo Savage in the RPS parking garage for review by County Prosecutor Tucker under state law involving negligent homicide. I expressed my concerns regarding Mr. Tucker’s capacity to impartially conduct this review. You indicated that you will be following this case and when appropriate make contact with Mr. Tucker. You also said Mr. Geranios’ report was his own based on his attendance at the press conference and that his report was not filtered by or influenced by any outside source. I will take you at your word at this point but as I cautioned there is an expected behavior of news outlets in this town that may have influenced his report in a subtle fashion. I will leave this inquiry to you and will be watching with interest further AP coverage on this continuing story.

As you suggests Mr.Oreskes said regarding Mr. Geranios’ story is a matter of perspective:

. . .which facts we have chosen to stress and
which facts we did not stress or report at all in the particular story
you focus on. In the territory of news judgment there is always room for
differences. I can assure you that our reporters and editors had no
motive other than to report the story as accurately as they could. You,
in turn, have every right to challenge how well we succeeded. Since this
is an ongoing case, we want to make sure we understand th e issues
described in your note before any further stories.

Very true but my perspective as a professional who similarly attempts to seek the truth from divergent and sometimes uncooperative sources, is that Mr. Geranios missed the lede of this story that was not missed by S-R reporter Brunt in his story. You raised the additional point while this issue may be very important to us locally, this may not be of interest to your national media clients and members. You expressed that we may be expecting too much of the AP to do the in-depth coverage of this story. True but if the contents of S-R Brunt’s story is not made available to the AP wire service, you limit the ability of your clients to determine the newsworthiness.

As I explained the Cowles Co media stranglehold on the flow of information in this market has led to the dysfunctional political and governmental climate that has allowed this ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy to exist. As I expressed previously both Shreriff Bamonte and I are interested if this self-censorship and filtering occurs with wire service stories. Without an inquiring media to ask the probative questions, there is no public hue and cry to force those who have a duty under their oaths of office to act. It’s a vicious circle of the chicken and the egg. This story needs national exposure to root out this incestuous and insidious evil from our midst.

I have attached as you requested the US Attorney’s Office20press release that indeed covers the Savage death. Further the IRS condemning report of the RPS bond fraud can be downloaded from this page. I am also linking to the Francher Report that can be downloaded from this page. Its findings ,when it was written in the late 70’s,are as true today if not more so. I’m also including my letter to US Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan and my letter to a colleague at the FTC that I sent in an earlier email to Mr.Oreskes as background. I’m also including again letters sent to Mr. Tucker by Sheriff Bamonte and I [Link here to my letter].

As an aside as to the ability of the new media to dig on stories here’s a link to the developing story on Sarah Palin that I mentioned:

Anti-Palin Smears Connected to Axelrod/Obama?

BTW “Dr. Rusty,” the founder of The Jawa Report is an AKA of political science professor to avoid the scrutiny of his educational institution. And also here’s the fascinating aspect of the serial murder/pedophile Joseph Duncan case that I mentioned:

Serial Murder Joseph Duncan & using the Blogos to force leverage scarce police resources

It was a pleasure talking with you. I understand you are to be my contact for this issue as you are here in Washington. I would hope you will extend the same professional courtesy to Larry Shook that has spent seven years on this story attempting to deliver the truth to the people. As I said I’m a strong supporter of a free press as a check on the abuses of our government that WE THE PEOPLE empower to govern. Without objective reporting we cannot hold our elected/appointed accountable. This is what is at the root of the corruption in Spokane. There are not multiple voices asking the probative questions, as they have been co-opted or marginalized. This is the lede of a national story I believe that would be of interest to all of your media clients. The S-R is not capable of writing that story.

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

3327 Indian Trail Rd., PMB135
Spokane, WA 99208
xxxxxxx (Cell) nar9350@gmail.com

UPDATE:

Later stories on this topic:

Challenge to AP to run correction on RPS bond fraud story

Shades of Spokane re political corruption?

 SCROLL FOR UPDATE:

Tim Connor has posted this report at the Center for Justice on “The Kibosh”  by S-R’s “On the Record” radio show yesterday at KJRB 790.  After he was invited to come on show by show host, Rebecca Mack, he was unceremoniously disinvited by S-R Management.  In the interest of full disclosure I’m the infamous blogger that S-R Editor Steve Smith banned permanently from S-R Blogs.  Mr. Smith with his ban sought to marginalize me and my professional opinion as a thirty-five year career criminal investigator.  Sorry Mr. Smith but you have caught my full attention now.  As I explained in the following post here at FOF I told Mr. Smith:

S-R Editor Steve Smith rails about Tim Connor & Larry Shook – maliciously?

OK to be perfectly clear I didn’t accuse anyone of anything. I said, “. . . if the shoe fits – wear it.” I said as a career investigative professional I would sure use the murder of SFD Fire Captain Hanna as a hammer in asking probative questions that no one seems to be asking in this town other than a few whom Smith attempts to marginalize with his broad brush characterizations. Mr. Smith will not debate the facts or attempt to correct where Connor and Shook are in error

[…]

Mr. Smith your most recent references of arson and murder are apparently from my comments and opinions from my own independent investigation and research of the STA Transit Plaza Project and the preceding arson/murder fire at the Zukor Bldg where the STA Transit Plaza now sits. It was during this research I confirmed the death of Captain Hanna in the Zukor arson fire as it was reported in the S-R from the archives of the Spokane Public Library. Captain Hanna’s death is also documented at the Spokane Fire Department’s web site under, “Line of duty Deaths.” I am also researching the arson fire of the District 81 School Administration Building where Nordstrom’s is now located at RPS. Mind you these two major fires occurred within a year’s time of each other. I have compiled the ownership title transfers on these properties before and after these fires. I’ve also compiled documentation that reveals the STA official build out costs of the STA Transit Plaza and the Assessor’s current value of this property and building are substantially different. Further from the recent public debate, it is apparent that the STA Transit Plaza was poorly located in the first place. Whether by coincidence or not some of these owners have associations with others who were involved in other “suspect” public projects in Downtown Spokane. I have filed several public document requests with the City of Spokane to review the police/fire investigative files on these fires and the Jo Savage death.

Ron the Cop

*****

“The Kibosh”

Published on September 17, 2008

I was supposed to be on the radio this morning a little before noon which, among other advantages, is pretty good timing for my mom who is fond of staying up late. There’s a very handy radio with a cassette recorder built into it in her kitchen and she just loves to use the thing. She’s still finding and passing on to me old audio tapes of shows that I did, years back, with Tom Grant, or with Rick Miller, talking about River Park Square. That’s usually what I talk about when I go on the radio. River Park Square.

But not today. Today the show, and its startled and frustrated host, went on without me.

UPDATE:

I just received this from Larry Shook of Camas Magazine on Tim Connor’s “The Kibosh.”    Even though the US Attorney’s Office found no “criminal intent” in the RPS bond fraud, this case by no means is closed yet.

Ron the Cop

*****

Dear Friend:

If you receive this e-mail, consider yourself respected. I’m sending it to you because I think you will find it both informative and inspiring. It’s about something that happened yesterday to an American journalist in an American city that’s not supposed to happen. The journalist was censored by an American media dynasty for reasons that have to do, the evidence suggests to me, with the dynasty’s use of its media to cover its crimes. I believe this is an internationally significant story because of its cautionary moral about the power of the media you consume to control your thoughts and actions. (Please be every bit as careful about what you put in your mind as you are about what you put in your mouth.) But that’s not why the story is inspiring. It’s inspiring because of what the journalist did. He did not surrender his voice to those who think they have the ability to own journalists’ voices. Instead, he cleared his throat and spoke out–gently, deftly, compassionately, gracefully (I dare even say lovingly), but truthfully. And the truth, no matter the softness of its expression, always has a basso profundo reverberation.

If greatness is known by its deeds, then the name of America’s greatest journalist–to my knowledge  at least–is Tim Connor. I will let him tell the story, “The Kibosh,”  in his own words. Please click  account if you’re interested. I believe his words should serve to inspire journalists everywhere (brothers and sisters, this is what we’re supposed to do) and those who love great journalism as the indispensable public servant of freedom that it is.

If you want to review the evidence of the cancerous corruption to which Connor is speaking his gentle truth go to www.camasmagazine.com and www.girlfromhotsprings.com.

If you would like to follow Connor’s work, go to http://cforjustice.org/ and click on his prolific reporting and the stories found in his in his column, “The Kitchen Table.” If you would like to consider supporting the institution that makes his work possible, Spokane’s Center for Justice, you’ll find directions on the Web site for doing so. (If you want to do something nice for yourself, I urge you to consider giving a little. Even if you can only send them five bucks, try doing it and see how you feel when your head hits the pillow tonight. Bravery comes in many forms and it always feels like a summer breeze to the soul.)

Finally, if any of this means anything to you, I urge you to circulate it widely and suggest your recipients do the same.

Yours for gutsy reporters, Larry Shook

As I mentioned in my last post, I have no confidence in County Prosecutor Steve Tucker to conduct this review as requested by the US Attorney’s Office in their press conference last Friday. I wrote a letter to the edior of the Spokesman-Review that was published into today’s paper.

This 1991 archive S-R photo says it all. This is Rex Franklin, the then manager, attempting to secure one of these failed barriers:

See the several engineering reports warning of these hazards over the intervening years before Ms. Savage’s death below my LTE.  Anyone wishing to contact Steve Tucker his office can be reached at:

Telephone

(509) 477-3662

Fax
(509) 477-3409

Mailing Address
County-City Public Safety Building
1100 West Mallon
Spokane, WA 99260-0270

Ron the Cop

*****

Friday, September 12, 2008

Letters to the editor

Send garage inquiry to state

The U.S. attorney’s office in its RPS investigation found evidence regarding Ms. Jo Savage’s death in the RPS garage that warranted referral to county Prosecutor Steve Tucker for review under state law involving negligent homicide (“Garage probe uncovers no fraud,” Sept. 6).

In S-R reporter Jonathan Brunt’s article, both Tucker and David Savage (former husband of Jo Savage, an attorney and former president of the Washington State Bar) acknowledged this sharing of federal grand jury information is extraordinary. The legal question is whether there was a lack of ordinary care arising to the level of “criminal” negligence by the garage owners. Brunt quoted Mr. Savage: “there are ‘substantial grounds for a criminal prosecution for manslaughter’ based on information he learned during a civil suit on the matter.”

Tucker previously refused to impanel a grand jury in this case. This review must be transparent to the public. I have no confidence in Prosecutor Tucker’s prosecutorial dedication and impartiality to conduct this review. Tucker, because of his previous refusal and relationship with the potential defendants, should recuse himself. Tucker should formally request state Attorney General Rob McKenna to lead this investigation and to impanel a state grand jury to review the evidence. Ms. Savage deserves our best effort.

Ron Wright
Spokane

*****

From a previous email:

On another note while I was reviewing the websites last night I came across another engineering report I hadn’t seen before – Atwood Hinzman 1993. Apparently one of the parking barrier spandrels failed then and this report was commissioned. This apparently was another barrier after the one in the photo of Rex attempting to secure the failed barrier with a cable

Atwood Hinzman 1993
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.”

I sent this link . . . to another engineering study that in essence confirmed this place was a mess:

Jacobson Report, Aug. 1, 2003
Commissioned by the City of Spokane, this report by the engineering consulting firm of N.G. Jacobson and Associates describes the extensive disrepair of the River Park Square garage, noting that most repairs suggested in the Walker study of 1996 had not been done. For the attached photos, click here.

 

In the interest of full disclosure I should give this report commissioned by the developer after the Savage accident. This is a CYA report saying these barriers as designed and as built probably met code at the time that they were built. What they don’t say is why there is a clear record of these spandrels failing quite frequently:

WJE Report, May 2006
Commissioned by the River Park Square developer, the consulting engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates evaluated the vehicle barriers after the accident. They found the “panels appear to meet the requirements” of the current code. Includes cover letter from the developer’s attorney, Witherspoon, Kelley, Davenport and Toole.

Here’s the SPD police report that was taken as a traffic accident. To their credit they contacted a lot of witnesses as to how fast Savage was going at the time she hit the parking barrier. The family that was just getting out of their car nearby basically say this was a low speed impact. No one apparently clued SPD in as to they might want to ask questions why this barrier failed in the first place:

Police Report, April 10, 2006
The official report of the Jo Savage accident by Glenn Bartlett of the Spokane Police Traffic Unit.

The Savage family’s attorney raises the questions that perhaps SPD should have asked in their investigation had they inquired further as to why this spandrel failed:

Family of Jo Savage Press Release, June 7, 2006
Via attorney Robert Rembert, the family of Jo Savage issues a press release responding to the Atwood Hinzman report of 1993. Savage‘s attorneys claim the garage is unsafe, based on evidence in the report. “The barrier which failed Jo Ellen Savage was marked for repair or replacement more than ten years ago but no action was taken.

SCROLL FOR UPDATES:
[Note: This is an edited version of a post to the FOF email group]

To All:

The US Attorney’s Office in Seattle, WA upon its review found “no criminal intent” sufficient to warrant any federal indictments in the RPS bond fraud matter. See the press release issued by their office:

DOJ Closes River Park Square Investigation with No Criminal Charges

Mr. Robert Westinghouse, Criminal Chief for the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, conducted the press conference this morning in Spokane and answered questions of the media present. I have written extensively on this and is best summarized in my letter to US Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan.

I concurred at the time with Spokane Police Chief Kirkpatrick’s decision to refer former Sheriff Bamonte’s complaint re the Jo Savage death in the RPS parking garage to the feds in as much as they had just undertaken the review of the RPS bond fraud. This review was the direct result of US Attorney Jim McDevitt’s (Eastern District of WA) appearance on the Mark Fuhrman Show to rebut Larry Shook’s allegations re McDevitt’s conflict of interest/complicity in the RPS bond fraud. To be honest hearing Mr. McDevitt speak on the Fuhrman Show gave me insight as a criminal investigator of many years as to why no federal criminal investigation had garnered any traction up to that point. Mr. McDevitt opened the door for the current review of the Connor/Rodgers documentation and his subsequent recusal from this case.

I can understand at this late date why the feds did not want to take on this case as the chief alleged offenses have gone well beyond the normal federal five-year statue of limitations. Mr. Westinghouse said many of these transaction occurred ten years ago and documents have been purged and witnesses’ memories fade. To get around the tolling of the federal statue of limitations would require a finding of an ongoing criminal enterprise, the burden to show beyond a reasonable doubt in this Alice in Wonderlandian complex fraud case would be difficult. I believe this could be done but the feds apparently had no stomach to do so.Mr. Westinghouse explained while the IRS may have found evidence of civil fraud with its disallowance of the tax-exempt status of the first RPS bonds, the burden to show actual criminal intent was much greater. In their investigation they could not find that governmental officials did not act in good faith based on multiple inputs from many different attorneys. Mr. Westinghouse admitted there was considerable controversy with regard to the “assessment” value of the garage and it’s funding stream but they could not find criminal intent to mislead the investors. He did personally indicate that the BBB minus bond rating of the RPS bonds should have been a clue to the potential bond investors and other as to the potential risks involved. He said he would not have purchased the bonds.

In their press release they could not find any instance where Mr. McDevitt had acted inappropriately or failed to disclose his prior relationship with Preston & Gates. No case had been referred to his office prior to the summer of 2007. As I said at the press conference I would not hold Mr. McDevitt harmless. Yes, Mr. McDevitt, can say no investigative agency presented a case for him to review. I would not let him off the hook so lightly as morally and ethically as the chief federal law enforcement officer of this district he is charged to aggressively pursue public corruption cases. With what Mr. McDevitt knew he should have taken a leading role in this investigation once he took office. It was Mr. McDevitt’s passivity e.g., “hearing and seeing no evil,” that allowed this case to grow stale.

As for the Savage case both Sheriff Bamonte and I believe there is reasonable cause to believe based on the evidence available that her death was a negligent homicide arising to a First-Degree Manslaughter under WA state law. Sheriff Bamonte has been advocating from the very beginning this case should have been prosecuted under state law using a grand jury to compel testimony of reluctant witnesses who are afraid, intimidated, or reluctant to give testimony. Apparently the feds have received information in their investigation warranting a referral to Country Prosecutor Tucker in the Savage case and, “. . . sought and obtained permission from the court to provide certain limited grand jury materials to the Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker for review.” Since they found no federal criminal fraud they have no statutory grounds to pursue what is in essence a state case:

. . . At issues is whether faulty maintenance at the garage led to the accident. The review determined there is no federal statute that would address the facts surrounding the accident. Whether the State statues proscribing negligent homicide have application to these facts is a decision better left to local authorities.

To be blunt I have no confidence in Mr. Tucker. I questioned Mr. Westinghouse based on the “local politics” why they hadn’t referred the Savage case to the State’s Attorney General’s Office. He replied they had no reason to doubt that Mr. Tucker couldn’t carry out this investigation. Mr. Tucker can call on the resources of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane PD, and or the Washington State Patrol. If I’m correct Mr. Tucker in the past refused to impanel a grand jury to conduct this investigation.

Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick unfortunately are back in the “hot seat” again. I have full confidence in both Sheriff Knezovich and Chief Kirkpatrick to carry out such an investigation but there are others who will claim that they have conflicts of interests whether they exist or not. In the interest of getting the Savage investigation underway before the WA statue of limitations runs on April 9, 2009, I would suggest that Sheriff Knezovich, Chief Kirkpatrick with or without the support of Mr. Tucker formally request WA Attorney General Rob McKenna to impanel a state grand jury which he has the statutory authority to do and that his office coordinate the investigation. Mr. McKenna in my opinion has enough standing within the State of WA that an investigation conducted by his office would have the transparency and lack of potential conflicts if this case were to be pursued by Mr. Tucker locally with the potential review by the Superior Court Bench of Spokane County.

Perhaps our plight in Spokane is best handled by civil action by the FTC and the FCC which I will pursue in the future and through former Sheriff Bamonte’s class action suit on behalf of the citizens of Spokane who after all are left paying the bill on what will ultimately be $100M. The burden of proof in a civil class action case is much less than burden required in any criminal case.

Ron the Cop

UPDATE:

Jacob Fries was at the press release and filed this story. The last paragraph is quite telling re the transparency of the feds:

Out with a Whimper

[…]

Shook inquired about who they talked to and Westinghouse said he would not reveal the names of those interviewed. Would any documents from the investigation be released?

“We do not make work product available … because it would be unfair to all those involved,” he said, adding, “You can assume that we took all reasonable steps to explore and to satisfy ourselves that there was no criminal wrongdoing.”

Unsatisfied, reporters chased Westinghouse into the hall after the press conference. An aide shouted at the reporters pursuing the prosecutor: “He won’t be taking any more questions.”

Also for those interested from the USDOJ’s Criminal Resource Manual here’s the fed criminal statue of limitations:

FYI – I filed a public document request (PDR) for police and fire department investigative reports for the District 81 Adm Bldg arson fire and the Zukor arson/murder fire.  The new Nordstrom’s is located at River Park Square where the District 81 Bldg was.  The STA Transit Plaza now sits where the Zukor Clothing Store (Jamison Bldg) was.  In the Zukor fire SFD Captain Hanna was killed when the side of the building gave way crushing him.

The following email I sent to City Clerk Pfister is self-explanatory.  I’ve corrected a couple of spelling errors in the original message.

Ron the Cop

*****

Dear Ms. Pfister,

It was a pleasure to meet with you and Ms. Lamon yesterday and helping facilitate my records request for the police/fire investigative reports for these major fires in Downtown Spokane.  The following in no way is a reflection on the services of your office.

As you know I was very surprised/shocked after reviewing the box containing the “files” that the FD did find regarding the Zukor Fire (AKA Jamison Bldg).  You said you would convey my comments back to the PD and FD.  To save you the time I thought I would put my comments in writing so that you can forward them to each.

In the past I have provided more than enough information that these departments should have located the investigative files on these fires.  The “files” that the FD did locate only contained fire photos and no investigative reports of any kind.  Needless to say this took me by total surprise.  I am a recently retired criminal investigator and have been involved though not directly assigned to investigate on duty deaths of police officers.  As I told you these deaths result in notebooks full of investigative reports.  These files are treated with great care and never “disappear” or can’t be located.  Particularly open homicide investigations are kept for ever and handed down within homicide bureaus to incoming investigators.  While these sometimes become “cold cases” they are always locatable. I can recall the murder case of Cheri Jo Bates that occurred when I was in junior HS.  There was believed to be a connection with the Zodiac killer.  When I was promoted to detective the Bates murder file was assigned to a current homicide detective.  When I retired I knew the “young” detective that inherited the Bates murder case.

While I’m very disturbed that the case files for the District 81 Bldg arson fire can’t be located (Now the location of the Nordstrom’s at RPS), I’m literally floored that the investigative files for the Zukor arson/murder fire are no where to be found.  SFD Captain Hanna died fighting this arson fire.  There are a number of special circumstances that would qualify Captain Hanna’s death as a capital case.  While at the time the case may have grown cold where I’m from this would always be an “open” case and would be aggessively investigated should new info/evidence come to light.  My interest is that there may have been evidence collected at the fire scene that I won’t disclose here that with modern forensic methods may be able to now develop latent fingerprints and/or DNA of the arsonist.  If so this information can be run in AFIS and DNA data banks to identify the arsonist.  Further I’ve done property title searches before and after this fire of property that would eventually become the STA Transit Plaza.  I’m finding many parallels between the STA Transit Plaza Project and the RPS bond fraud including by coincidence related parties that may have a financial interest.  To be perfectively blunt anyone that may have participated in the STA Transit Plaza Project that has knowledge re the Zukor Building fire and conceals it and or aids and abetts those who may have “commissioned” this fire may have criminal liability in Captain Hanna’s murder.

It is my belief that these files are locatable.  I will extend my original offer to assist the PD and FD to locate these files at no charge to the City if asked to “help.”

Yours,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

PS  Have a great holiday weekend:-)

FYI – Mr. Holt is a Seattle attorney who was retained by the S-R to support S-R Reporter Jonathan Brunt’s efforts to secure the new Lewis docs sent to Mayor Verner earlier this year. His letter to the City of Spokane can be found here:

“same arguments for the immediate release”

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

ORIGINAL SENT BY
Certified US Mail

August 27, 2008

William E. Holt
Gordan, Thomas et al
P. O. Box 1157
Tacoma, WA 98401-1157

Re: Spokesman-Review Reporter Jonathan Brunt’s Public Records Request for “O. Yale Lewis” Documents held by City of Spokane

Dear Mr. Holt:

I too am seeking the documents the City of Spokane’s first special bond counsel O. Yale Lewis sent to Spokane Mayor Mary Verner earlier this year. I am attaching my demand letter to the City Clerk for your information. I see we share the same arguments for the immediate release of these important documents. My sources indicate that these documents will criminally implicate certain elected/appointed officials in what was to become the River Park Square bond fraud (RPS). I did find your citing of the Court Order in Eugster v. City of Spokane of interest. What you may not be aware is the irony of this court order. Citys special bond counsel Laurel Siddoway who followed Lewis was moving to quash a Subpoena Duces Tecum on behalf of the City of Spokane for previous O. Yale Lewis documents. One these documents is a letter you note that the City Attorney’s Office has redacted from the current requests.

My sources indicate that it was the then Cowles Co attorneys of Witherspoon & Kelley that prevailed in the argument on Siddoway’s motion to quash. Siddoway’s motion to quash was denied. The court ordered the release of all of the documents that O. Yale Lewis relied upon to form his opinion re the RPS bond fraud. The irony here is that these documents evidenced the extent to which both Cowles Co entities, its surrogates and City elected/appointed officials worked in concert to perpetuate what was eventually become the RPS bond fraud. This fraud in my opinion was further compounded with the RPS “bailout” settlement by the subsequent parties who aided/abetted the ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy as I’ve outlined in my letter to the City Clerk.

The previous Lewis documents exposed the extent of the co-option of City officials by the Cowles Co that rendered Siddoway’s legal defense strategy moot that the City officials had been “duped/hoodwinked” by the Cowles Co. representatives. These City officials knew full well what was occurring and acquiesced to what was to become a robbery of the public treasury in broad daylight. The structuring of risk of the RPS project after the Cowles Co refused to sign a letter of credit for the $23M HUD loan put the City’s CDBG funds up as collateral in line before any assets of the RPS developer should the loan default. The City Attorney’s Office failed to disclose this in the Council’s public review session however warned the Council privately in a memo that was withheld from public disclosure. In essence this became a gift of public funds to a private entity when the RPS bonds subsequently defaulted. The RPS bond fraud will ultimately cost the citizens of Spokane almost $100M.

Ms. Siddoway was caught between a rock and a hard place in serving two masters e.g., complicit City officials and the stakeholders of the City of Spokane. Ms. Siddoway chose to shield the City officials from potential civil and criminal liability by “emasculating” the City’s bond fraud case that it bought out from the institutional bond investors by dropping the RPS developers from the City’s bond fraud case. See attached letter to the then Mayor Powers by renowned bond attorney Mark Schwartz. Why? Because pursuing this case to it logical conclusion would have exposed the criminal involvement of City officials in this fraud led by the Cowles Co. in this ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy.

Mr. Holt don’t fall into the same trap of serving two masters, as did Siddoway and Spokesman-Review Attorney Duane Swinton of Whitherspoon & Kelley. Mr. Swinton too was trying to represent both the interests of the S-R and the business interests of the Cowles Co. As you may be aware there was a bar complaint against Mr. Swinton by Tim Connor. The WSBA recently dismissed Connor’s complaint on appeal finding that there was only “one client” – the Cowles Co. However it was admitted there was a legitimate journalistic conflict of interest that the S-R and the Cowles Co must resolve internally. In the current effort to secure the release of the new Lewis documents there is an inherent conflict of interest between that of the S-R as the paper of record in Spokane and the Cowles Co. business interests and its potential civil and criminal liability in the RPS bond fraud.

From past S-R reporting and reading information at Camas Magazine including the IRS finding disallowing the tax exempt status of the I have concluded the S-R has been used by the Cowles Co as an instrumentality of the ongoing criminal enterprise/conspiracy to conceal its criminal acts from public scrutiny. I have challenged the S-R in the past to invoke the provisions of its much ballyhooed Code of Ethics re “Independence.” I don’t know if you were retained by the S-R invoking this provision but I am pleasantly surprised that Mr. Swinton is not representing the S-R in this case:

Stories about the company, its owners, business interests and executives will not be made available for pre-publication review by anyone outside the newsroom, (except legal counsel when that may be necessary). Limited and appropriate fact-checking is permitted, as it is with all outside sources.

When circumstances warrant, the editor or managing editor will contract with independent reporters and/or editors to report on Cowles Co. issues or organizations that The Spokesman-Review sponsors [My emphasis]. It is the responsibility of the editor and managing editor to maintain the newsroom’s independence in coverage of Cowles Co. interests.

I believe I was the source that led to S-R Reporter Brunt’s filing of the initial PDR for the new Lewis documents. My speculation is that Mr. Brunt will be allowed to run with this story until the interests of the Cowles Co are at significant risk and this story will be gutted and or killed, as have RPS stories in the past. In my opinion the Cowles Co knows full well what these new Lewis documents contain and are banking on its influence over the City Attorney’s Office that their release will be successfully blocked. City Attorney Craven’s letter has effectively intimidated the City Council warning them of personal liability should these documents be released (See attached copy). The City Attorney’s Office has been co-opted in the same manner as other complicit City officials as the release of these documents will expose them to both civil and criminal liability in the RPS bond fraud et al.

Mr. Holt will you too find yourself serving two masters? While according to the WSBA there is no legal conflict there is a moral and journalistic conflict of interest. I trust you will pursue these documents with the vigor that WE THE PEOPLE envisioned when we empowered the free press to be a watchdog on those whom WE THE PEOPLE choose to govern. Or will you aid in cuckolding the S-R’s new Code of Ethics? In the past there was little consequence in succumbing to the wishes of the Cowles Co. This has drastically changed for all involved with the recent announcement by the legendary former Sheriff Tony Bamont of Pend Oreille County, WA of his intent to bring a class action lawsuit on behalf of the citizens of Spokane in the RPS bond fraud et al:

BREAKING – Sheriff Bamonte headed for OK Corral – gunfight imminent (Murder and corruption Spokane, WA)

In case you aren’t aware the City Attorney is now requesting another thirty days to review my letter of demand for the Lewis documents (See attached copy).
Sincerely,
Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

3327 Indian Trail Rd., PMB135
Spokane, WA 99208

ATTACHMENTS:

CD Disk with following files:

MS Word doc of this letter with HTML links
Demand letter to City Clerk 07-22-08
Attorney Mark Schwartz’s letter to Mayor Powers
Complaint Letter to US Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan, Seattle, WA
City Attorney James Craven’s letter to Council 02-08-08
City Clerk’s letter of 08-15-08

CC:

Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, County of Spokane, WA
Mayor Mary Verner, City of Spokane, WA
City Council, City of Spokane, WA
City Clerk, City of Spokane, WA
U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan, Seattle, WA
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Hermanns, Seattle, WA
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Westinghouse, Seattle, WA
Agent Frank Harvill, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spokane, WA
Sgt. Ken Wade, Washington State Patrol, Spokane, WA
Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, City of Spokane, WA
Sheriff Bamonte (Former – Pend Oreille County), Spokane, WA
Breean Beggs, Center for Justice, Spokane, WA
Tim Connor, Spokane, WA
Cherie Rodgers (Former Council member), Spokane, WA
Larry Shook, Spokane, WA
Mayor John Talbott (Former), Spokane, WA

There is a new blog in town dealing with media corruption – Freedom from The Press.  Here’s a recent post which agrees with my assessment that the Spokesman-Review covers for the criminal activities of its owners.

Ron the Cop

*****

Spokane, WA – A City Held Hostage

Aug 9th, 2008

Spokane is a beautiful little town with a very ugly public relations problem. As a one-newspaper town, the public, and all forms of the corporate media rely on The Spokesman-Review for accurate reporting of the news.

Has The Spokesman-Review acted in a responsible, ethical manner when covering issues or elections that directly impact their private business interests?

A few years ago The Spokesman-Review hired a new editor, Steven A. Smith. Mr. Smith inherited some very messy problems that were created by the previous editor Chris Peck and the newspapers owners, Betsy and Stacey Cowles.

The issue was downtown redevelopment of River Park Square, a retail mall owned and operated by the Cowles. The plan was to use public and private money to pay for the renovation of RPS. Proponents of the project included the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce. At various public meetings and events, the Chamber would send officials who were all sporting ‘I Love Downtown’ buttons attached to their lapels.

The chief spokesperson for the RPS deal was the developer herself, Betsy Cowles. Ms. Cowles would show up at public meetings calling those who opposed the RPS deal, “naysayers”. The opponents of RPS were mere citizens who believed in fiscal responsibility and accountability from their elected or appointed city officials. Ms. Cowles and her supporters would often say that this proposal is the only plan that will ever be placed on the table. We either take it or the downtown core will die.

[…]

Read More 

FYI – There’s an interesting twist to the Joseph Duncan death penalty trial phase currently underway in Boise, ID.  Duncan has been linked by fingerprints to an unsolved murder of a 10 year old boy in Banning/Beaumont in Riverside County, CA.   Testimony was given in this Riverside murder case today in Duncan’s death penalty phase proceedings.

Here’s an excerpt from a comment that I posted in a Spokesman-Review newspaper blog thread (Spokane, WA) on Duncan a year ago re using the Internet and Blogos to force leverage scarce police resources:

This link was not made by the FBI even though they seem to take credit for it. Actually the link came from a group of bloggers that monitor the activity of child perps. Once one is caught they search their collective “memories” for unsolved murders/attacks where M/Os are similar and the perp has a connection by time/place [Think super computers online in a distributive computer network ala SETI).

This group of bloggers made the connection between Duncan and Beaumont/Banning Area of Riverside County. They were able to place him there during the narrow time period in which the little boy Martinez disappeared. They passed on this info to the FBI.

Duncan’s prints were in various automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS). Latent prints from crimes scenes are routinely run from time to time against known fingerprint databases. There was no hit to Duncan known prints.

Based on the lead provided by the FBI, Riv Co authorities flew a fingerprint examiner to WA to “handroll” a fingerprint card from Duncan. The examiner was able to make a positive ID from a latent print found at the body dump crime scene.

The reason why no hit came from the AFIS was that the latent was of the tip of a finger. While there are plenty of minutia points for ID on the tip of a finger, the tips of fingers are not normally captured in “livescan” fingerprint machines during bookings.

This case was solved the old fashion way with the crucial tip coming from the blogger community.

BTW I personally know the DA of Riverside County and he will prosecute this case to the fullest regardless of whatever deals the feds have made.

RBT

Here’s an “out there” comment I posted on a blog several years ago using this Duncan case as an example on how to use the Internet and the Blogos to force leverage scarce police resources:

Blogs joining crime fight –

The Blogos – A Quantum Leap in Distributive Computer Networks
[Ed note: My subtitle]

. . . I couldn’t pass up sharing this Page One “above the fold” article in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, the regional newspaper for Riverside/San Bernardino Counties.

As many of you are painfully aware, I’ve been on a crusade within the law enforcement and homeland security circles to use the vast resources of the Internet and the Blogosphere (Blogos) in the Global War on Terror (GWOT). I’ve been accused by many of being “out there,” from another planet, or wearing a “tin-foil hat” to block EMP rays emanating from Iran. My fellow ENTJs (personality temperament sorting model) will understand.

The the Blogos essentially is an organic, intelligent, interactive, distributive, network that can be focused on complex human problems or in more common terms “puzzles.” The Blogos can find solutions, correlations, understanding, and bring order to widely diverse, seemingly unconnected bits of information or data across all fields of human intelligence, thought and understanding.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SEITI) was one of the first popular programs to use this enormous parallel computer power resident in home and office personal computers to screen radio noise from space for signs of intelligence. The Blogos is a quantum leap beyond the “dumb” SEITI distributive networks. Each node in the Blogos is powered by a super computer far superior to any Cray in cognitive ability, to recognize patterns and connections – The Human Brain. OT – OK TREK Fans consider the Borg Collective however be aware of polluted operating systems that could sour the Collective – Islamofascism.

And for those “deadheads” (No slight to Led Zeppelin fans) types maintaining, financing (pencil geeks – cost benefit analysis types), or administering (The Brass) existing “lead” mainframes or highly pyramidal, bureaucratic, risk adverse, all knowing and all seeing organizational structures, the Blogos is very adaptable and fluid, unorganized and decentralized, grassroots, innovative, imaginative, creative, un PC and risk taking.

Is there a correlation here with the principal findings of all the 9/11 commissions as to why the Islamofascist enemy could strike deeply at the very core and yet was undetected by our radar?

. . .The Blogos requires no expensive hardware, software solutions, and a cadre of specialized analysts requiring multi billion dollar investments.

Here’s some past stories:

Duncan bloggers logging big hoursMore Indictments for Joseph Edward Duncan III

Crime Bloggers In the News and In General

Blogs joining crime fight

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: rocketsbrain <nar9350@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Subject: Re Sunday’s Jospeh Duncan Story in the Spokesman-Review & the Riverside connection
To: meghannc@spokesman.com

Meghann,

Kudos on your Page One above the fold story on Duncan.  Thanks for mentioning the Riverside connection and how it was made by observant bloggers – for free no less with no help of the FBI or NCIC computer system.  This is part of my concept of “Mission Focused Strategic Communications,” where the resources of the ad hoc distributive computer network of the Internet and the Blogosphere can force leverage scarce police resources.

BTW I personally know both Riverside DA Rod Pacheco and Ingrid Wyatt.  Pacheco like me [RPS et al :-)] means what he says.  Pacheco when he was in charge of the DA’ street gang prosecution unit was ruthless.  I’m sure he will bring Duncan back to CA to prosecute him for the Martinez death no matter how redundant it may seem.

Ron the Cop
Friends of Mark Fuhrman