Hear-ye Hear-ye

As some who follow this blog may know, there has been some controversy regarding my coverage of Ms. Verner’s mayoral race. Yesterday I was notified that there was a police investigation under Washington’s new anti-cyber-stalking laws. It was started due to the harassing emails that had been sent to the Verner campaign and to Mary personally. I immediately responded by contacting Ms. Verner personally and speaking with her. I was not the person sending the emails regarding her, and involving her children. I do not condone that behavior and think it is despicable, yet unfortunately part of politics at times.

At the time I was speaking with her I also got the opportunity to ask her about the laptop. The information that wasn’t available at the time was that the campaign had actually paid for part of the laptop, and was allowing the former staffer to keep the laptop without repaying the amount theVerner campaign paid. The staffer was also allowed to take the laptop for several hours prior to the campaign taking the computer to have it wiped. So there was ample opportunity for said staffer to back information up. While I think that communication could have been better regarding what was going to happen, there were wrongs that occurred on both sides, and neither party is entirely to blame.

And to Old Hide, I would encourage you to speak to the police regarding this situation before they have to track you down… (and trust me it’s not terribly difficult)

I’ve received quite a few comments regarding what I have covered and why I am not covering “the issues,” in my view I am. I don’t want a one sided monologue (which is why, while anonymously, offered theVerner campaign an opportunity to respond) but I view issues such as the computer to be dirty laundry, and how a candidate handles issues such as staff is integral to how they will run their office if elected. I will report on anything I consider to be valid to the course of a campaign, and do so without remorse. I do like MaryVerner’s ideas, and I would like to see them expanded upon and an opportunity for her to address policy issues directly, as well as allow the other campaigns to do so.

Like I have told Mary, and also Mayor Hession’s campaign manager, I will be sending them a questionnaire this week to fill out that does directly approach the policy issues facing the city. I will be posting their responses as I receive them.

-Stuck in Spokane-

P.S. As to my anonymity it may or may not come out in the coming days/weeks who I am, and it is my prerogative to remain anonymous, I will tell you though it is not out of fear that I do so but as Jim Camden quoted me as saying, I find it quite entertaining the guessing game people are playing.

This entry was posted on June 11, 2007 at 11:10 am and is filed under Letters, Spokane, Mayor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.