RUMOR CONTROL

Related pages

LETTER: about rumor about Kevin Ranker

Rumor Control: property tax revenue and county hiring

posted 10/16/2008
County council candidate Gordy Petersen made two statements in the October 11 candidates forum which were untrue and we feel need to be corrected. "Property taxes are falling." and "County has just hired 94 new employees in 2008 and that's just so far."

County has just hired 94 new employees in 2008 and that's just so far.

The facts;

Human Resource Manager Pamela Morais processed 81 openings in 2008. Some were seasonal, some may be on-call, some may be filling an existing position, and some are new jobs.

Council candidate threatens to sue reporter

posted 10/17/2008
Displeased with statements he made during his campaign being fact-checked and corrections posted in San Juan Islander, County Council candidate Gordy Petersen is demanding a retraction and an apology. In an email to San Juan Islander Editor Sharon Kivisto, Petersen wrote, "You should apologize and take down your article immediately. I am seriously considering legal action."

In a follow up phone call, he said if it wasn't taken down he would sue for slander.

The October 11, 2008 candidates forum where the quotes were taken from was recorded and the DVD has been reviewed. The quotes are accurate. The facts are true and the article will not be taken down.

It is the job of the press to be a watchdog for the public and correct misinformation. Fact-checking is routine after candidate debates.

The full text of the email is posted below:

Sharon, I am disappointed that you have decided to take an active role in campaigning for my opponent. I don't know what I did to you to warrant this kind of vitriol. You have done your best to make me out to be someone I am not. This last attempt needs an apology. Not only are your statements false you have gone out of your way to do harm to me and hold me up to the public for ridicule. You should apologize and take down your article immediately. I am seriously considering legal action.

Gordy Petersen

Here is the breakdown:

1. 31 seasonal and/or temporary
   
   
2. 25 replacing staff who have left or taken other jobs within the County
   
   
3. 10 on-call positions
   
   
4. 15 new positions, representing 12.475 FTE:
   
   
   • 5 are grant-funded,
   • 3 are in Public Works, funded through Roads Fund,
   • 1 is at the Land Bank, and
   • 1 is a Public Works GIS position funded through E911 funds.
   • 5 new positions from County Current expense (all approved in the 2008 Budget): 1 additional Appraiser, 1 additional Appraiser, 1 part-time Land-Use Attorney, 1 Applications Support Specialist, 1 Plans Examiner and 1 Building Inspector (approved due to lengthy illnesses of 2 of the 3 current Inspectors).

Rumor control

posted 10/13/2008
A smear campaign has been launched by an anonymous group of islanders against state Senate candidate Kevin Ranker. The group uses half-truths, distortions and lies in an attempt to sway voters to not elect the San Juan county resident to the state senate.

One example, which the local Republican Party Web site has posted, uses a 1995 arrest report for disorderly conduct and interfering with a public event from a protest march in Olympia to imply Ranker supports cop killers. What isn't posted is the fact the charges against Ranker were dismissed and he received a $50 jaywalking ticket.

Ranker says he was attending Evergreen College in Olympia, saw some friends of his in the march going by his house, started walking with them and was arrested. The police description of his behavior did not match that of witnesses and the charges were dismissed and he was fined $50 for jaywalking.

Bellingham Herald reporter Sam Taylor researched each of the accusations and refuted each one in an indepth story which is available online at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/.