Opinion Piece By Samuel Strait – November 6, 2016 –
Glub, Glub, that is the sound of the Triplicate and its staff circling the toilet bowl ready for the final plunge. The idea that the Triplicate’s editor had to break a standing policy “to avoid publishing controversial stories about local elections on the last publication day before a vote” is simply preposterous. The very notion that the Triplicate is fair is also preposterous. The idea that what is clearly a common election tactic and there is somehow a story worthy of a front page in the Triplicate, and a follow up editorial in the same issue as an attempt to be “fair” is beyond preposterous…… This is simply a last gasp at being the partisan rag that the Triplicate has become in trying to be relevant.
As if the print paper doesn’t know that literally dozens of slick printed political flyers find homes in mail boxes throughout the nation for a couple of months preceding any election. I can assure Editor Fornoff that Del Norte County Voters haven’t been excluded from this practice. The idea that they some how do not attempt to persuade voters to cast their ballots in a certain way is a flight of fantasy. If the Triplicate’s staff, Kathryn Murray, David Finigan, James Ramsey, and Democratic Central Committee Chair Kevin Hendrick are suggesting that the local members of the Democratic Party are “too stupid” to read a political flyer and be deceived by its contents, then I would suggest that the Triplicate’s story is nothing more than a bad case of sour grapes. Unless, local Democrats, that is actually how they view you.
As I have said on numerous occasions, elections for the positions of County Supervisor are NONPARTISAN, that’s NONPARTISAN, for the slow readers on the Triplicate’s Staff. It is not a Democratic/Republican inspired event and has nothing to do with how Republicans or Democrats endorse candidates. It is simply about individual voters selecting the candidate that will represent the voter in the BEST WAY POSSIBLE. The idea that in this case, local Democratic leadership and the Triplicate have the arrogance to imply that their voters would be in any way confused or deceived by the Election Digest flyers should be a wake up call to those voters that they are being held in complete contempt. Local Democrats may wish to show their displeasure by suspending their subscriptions to the Triplicate and changing leadership at the Central Committee.
All candidates were given the opportunity by the company who produced the flyers to get their message out to all voters, no matter what party affiliation. The very fact that the two Democratic candidates chose not to engage their base speaks volumes about how low of regard they hold local Democrats when giving them a choice to vote. Kathryn Murray, David Finigan, the Triplicate, James Ramsey, and Kevin Hendrick all seem to think because they have selected certain candidates, that you, the local Democrats must vote for THEIR selections like a bunch of lemmings that follow leadership over a cliff.
This effort by the Triplicate has absolutely nothing to do with being fair just prior to an election or trying to insure local Democratic voters are not deceived by election cycle advertising. This is about the Triplicate having a temper tantrum on the eve of an election. It is about Democratic activists being upstaged by being complacent and taking their base for granted. It is about the folly of Democratic candidates being faced with their own very bad decisions. It proudly displays to all local citizens just how childish and partisan Editor Fornoff has become. It is also a stark reminder of how many Democratic candidates view the the voting public.
November 8th, this Tuesday, is your chance to walk into a polling booth and cast a ballot for someone you think will do the best job for you.
The Republicans send out false and deceiving mailers to fool the elderly and that is ok, but when the Triplicate basically warns the public of the deceit then that is not ok? If these two men were willing to lie on a mailer in order to attain democratic votes, then what else are they going to lie about. Our country is in a world of hurt due to dirty politicians and lack of transparency. shame on both newspapers for allowing such to filtrate our small community.
I’m sorry but you haven’t been very clear on why “the elderly” were supposed to have been fooled or deceived by the mailers. Are you implying that because you are old that “the elderly” are somehow incapable of reading the flyer and understanding what was being said. Or is just that because the people being sent the mailer are Democrats, and might just be able to read the flyer and make up their own minds rather than following the dictates of the Democratic Central Committee? I’m including myself in the ranks of “the elderly” and can assure you that I have seen both flyers and cannot find the “lies” that you speak of with such certainty. What is not okay is for the Triplicate to assume that deceit is taking place without any evidence to support such allegations. You, my dear are guilty of the same. Until you can show us proof that anyone was deceived into voting other than as THEY intended, the Triplicate’s story is not only dishonest, but dismissive of the abilities of any one who received the flyers. As far as “dirty politics” here locally you need to look no further than the Triplicate, the Democratic Central Committee, and those that are associated with it. Local Democrats are after all allowed to hear and read the positions of the candidates not endorsed by the local party and then make up their minds. Unless,of course, you, the Triplicate, and any other local idiot thinks that we are incapable or even deceived in any way and wish to come and Mark our ballots for us. The only deceit that this “elderly person” seems to be experiencing is that of the stories and editorials printed in the Triplicate and the people “interviewed” in Tony Reed’s article. The only misrepresentations I find are in assumptions printed in the Triplicate. Just because some people are old and are Democrats, please do not assume they are STUPID!
There was a story in the “Tripping Triplicate” recently from a ill informed woman who supports Finigan. The woman was listing the wonderful things David has done for our community. Like making sure we do not have septic regulations like the rest of California.
I guess you would like to think that this “rogue” move was designed to help the community avoid unnecessary septic repair cost. Not at all. It was designed to help Finigan develop in areas where there is high ground water. New homes built with severe drainage deficiency that lead to………..SEPTIC FAILURE!!!!!
He has used other people’s misery to enrich himself for years. Ask him about contractor Brian Michetti and then watch him as he spins a lie. He will make it sound like he sold a “few homes” FOR Michetti. Bottom line he built many homes with this man that had drainage issues that lead to septic failure. In NEWLY BUILT HOMES across the county.
So how convenient that he doesn’t have to bother with those pesky septic regulations anymore when he sells you that house he built in a swamp.
Some of us who suffer from property damage associated with septic issues would like someone we can trust who makes decisions on our behalf not his own.
I hope David Finigan reads this and responds openly. Let people vote on the truth once they are informed.
AMEN!!! I actually delivered an 8 inch stack of documents to the Triplicate office in 2014, at the REQUEST of A TRIPLICATE reporter. Prior, this reporter (Adam Spencer) APPROACHED me as I was leaving a regular meeting of the BOS. This meeting Supervisor, David Finigan called me a liar when I turned to leave the podium. As I was leaving the meeting a TRIPLICATE reporter approached me. He heard the discussion I had with FINIGAN that meeting. I had informed Finigan that I was aware of the non discolsure issues with his real estate dealings in my subdivision in 2009 where his partner, Brian Michetti, had built 4 homes including ours. Homes that were not built to code, had failed septic systems and terrible drainage issues. Finigan was the selling agent (Ming Tree) of 2 of those homes for Michetti. Finigan and Michetti failed to disclose the many deficiencies we knew of voluntarily so we posted a sign to warn potential home buyers.
To make a short story shorter, this reporter was initially eager for our story until he went to his “EDITOR”. At least 3 TRIPLICATE reporters have suddenly lost interest in our proof after conferring with their EDITOR. When I questioned this I was told that proof was needed even though almost in the same breath admitted that ALL THE DOCS I HAD DELIVERED TO THE THEIR OFFICE, AT THEIR REQUEST, WERE NOW MISSING. No explanation was offered. They had agreed to take our story but repeatedly failed to show up for meetings they set up!! I recently again approached the Triplicate, offered documents to support our claims.
Now the Triplicate who refuses to take our story including the proof publishes attack stories last week against Roger Gitlin! Roger Gitlin said something that described truthfully that day, at that BOS meeting. He said ” I see a seething indifference here.” This was an accurate on the spot assessment of what he was seeing, how Finigan responded to my allegations by first lying and then attacking me when my back was turned.
It is crystal clear that the TRIPLICATE can not be trusted. They are a big part of the corrupt system that exists here. They specifically declined to do the job of reporting the facts that would absolutely incriminate their boy David Finigan and the others involved like Martha McClure, Gerry Hemmingsten and a long list of their subordinates like James Barnst, Dave Mason, Arthur Reeves, Heidi Kunstal, and Jay Sarina.
The Triplicate has a duty to citizens to report the facts, to inform, to investigate. Instead of residing in the dirty pocket of developer/Del Norte County Supervisor Dist.5, David Finigan. The Triplicate is part of the same corruption that hurts everyone in Crescent City. The news is what a disgrace you are Triplicate EDITOR(s). Monkey see, monkey do.