It’s always a joy to return from a blissful vacation and find that your community is no different than when you left a week earlier — polarized and angry, thanks in part to your community newspaper and its highly controversial editor/publisher. (I did not experience this from reading the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel the past week, a “community” paper as well).
On Saturday, The Union ran a personal, nasty editorial about former Nevada City Mayor and Council Member Reinette Senum. It was by Will Grenz of Nevada City, a vocal tea-party supporter, often with a mean streak in his communications and error-prone attacks.
Senum
Ackerman
In this case, Jeff had written a critical editorial about Reinette here on March 27 — just like Will. Reinette’s side was not presented at that time either.
Will’s weekend “other voices” made some highly charged statements, including alleging that Reinette would “manipulate the meeting agenda.” (Like all of The Union’s content, this editorial is now is behind a “pay wall,” though you can read the opinions for free on the newspaper’s mobile app).
Will also said “Senum now advocates a strike by employees of small businesses in Nevada County to create ‘economic havoc’ in the community on May 1 this year and every year thereafter.” It continued: “Note that the date is the same as the most celebrated communist event in the former Soviet Union. Is this a coincidence?”
“Economic havoc” were the exact same words used in Jeff’s editorial — but not Reinette’s words. (In the past, Jeff and Will’s communications have used similar wording as well, raising my suspicions). Is this a coincidence, or is it our county’s version of a ventriloquist Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy act (see video below)?
Will also claimed Reinette has repeatedly stated in public she “‘hates the Brown Act,’ presumably because she fears unrestricted public transparency.” It also made unsubstantiated claims about the a building that APPLE rented from the city.
The Union just ran Will’s “other voices,” without giving Reinette the chance to respond. You normally wouldn’t do that, given the highly charged nature of the allegations. It’s reckless, from the legal perspective alone.
JOURNALISM 101
It’s also Journalism 101 for any Editor who takes his or her role seriously. I’m pretty sure Jeff wouldn’t do this if an editorial was submitted personally attacking one of his good friends in the community.
Apparently surprised when it appeared, Reinette republished Will’s article on her Facebook page. She made corrections (such as responding that the APPLE building Will referred to was 800 square feet, not the 2,000 square feet he suggested). The Union should have fact-checked that.
Reinette’s Facebook post generated about 46 comments and many dozens of “likes.” The comments came from civic and business leaders who were upset about this, not just Reinette’s friends. A sampling is below.
Jeff’s MO for running what he calls “his” newspaper hasn’t changed much over the years, according to many locals. Some background on the well-documented Bruce Conklin case is here.
A lot of people, including myself, do not share all of Reinette’s political views. But we appreciate her contributions to the community — in helping to launch the Farmers Market, helping to come up with emergency shelters for the homeless and her “out of the box” thinking. A growing number of people I hear from and read from in social-media postings also are becoming dissatisfied with The Union’s standards.
This is a sampling of the comments:
John Regan, founding member of Sierra Fund Board:
Responding to this kind of defamation is like scraping dog poop off your shoe, Reinette – it’s an unpleasant task, but if you don’t then the stink can follow you around for days. Good for you for responding and providing some facts to counter the smears.
While I fully support publishing diverse viewpoints and opinions, The Union does its readers, the community and its own reputation a disservice when it publishes paranoid garbage in the guise of opinion. Higher standards at our sole daily newspaper would be better for everyone.
Sharon Painter, wife of Dave Painter, owner of SPD Markets:
Reinette, this is Sharon, not Dave: I was appalled by the op-ed piece in today’s paper. I think Jeff Ackerman has unleashed some kind of vendetta against you — I don’t know why.
By publishing today’s piece, right on the heels of his own, misguided editorial, he’s encouraging the rabid malcontents — basically the social TROLLS of Nevada County.
My personal rebuttal headline would be, “Why the Venom about Senum?” You have worked diligently, and at great personal sacrifice, on behalf of Nevada City.
You individually have moved this community toward sustainability and conservation of resources, you crazy Socialist, you (“May Day, May Day!!”) Frankly, there are some “childish hand gestures” I’d like to direct toward the paranoid citizen who wrote today’s column.
Steve Baker, general manager of KVMR:
Reinette, want to join me on KVMR this Monday morning to respond to this? Probably 845am-ish…contact me at 265-9073 x 211 or program@kvmr.org if you can come on.
Here’s the ventriloquist act:
Filed under: Uncategorized
Yeasterday, I had read the Grenz Other Voices piece in The Union. I couldn’t access it with Jeff’s link, so I went outside, and rustled through my 32 gal. recycle bin in search of the Saturday paper. (I’d probably had to put on gloves, hold my nose and dig it out from beneath a pile of soaking coffee grounds from the trash bin were it not for the progressives winning the recycling battle over those who deem us econuts).
The only line I remembered was the Soviet Union, May 1, cheap shot. At least it wasn’t a dumb dumb round, for which the body of the article seemed to provided the perfect shell casing. Rather than being deadly, the caliber of his rounds being puny, Grenz simply illustrates the lack of imagination in his intelect and powder in the magazines needed prior to launching such an attack was all wet.
There is really no point in further commentary, if, as Jeff points out, the APPLE rented space was not 2,000 sq. ft., but less than half, a mere 800 sq. ft. And Grentz continues on into the second column, with the core of his complaints, the costs of APPLES.
It was a very bad round for Mr. Grenz; his offense was feeble, never landing a solid right. He should feel like Joe Frazier after Foreman finished batterring him; it’s time to hang up the fountain pen and brew another cup of tea. GREEN TEA!!
Leave it to these guys to not understand that May Day goes all the way back to first Roman then Celtic celebrations. We are actually heros because we are taking it back from the Soviets!
Even though I have the app which would allow me to read the mostly paywalled Union, I don’t bother. It is stuff like this that led me to find other, and in my opinion better, news sources in this community. I’d change this old joke just a bit for The Union: All the news that fits (our agenda) we print. This latest example supports my conclusion that The Union is as fair and balanced as Faux News.
At least Tom Keller wrote a nice peace on Reinette a few weeks back:
http://www.theunion.com/article/20120401/NEWS/120339984
Uh..That was Tom Kellar and a nice “piece”.
Remember folks, the Union is not a community newspaper; the Union is simply a marketing strategy for advertisement. Much as Rush Limbaugh is not a political analyist but an entertainer. The best thing that could have happened to this community was the Union’s paywall. Now fewer people will be exposed to the deviseive pablum that is almost always inserted between yesterday’s “news.”
“LIKE”
With Todd Juvinall, “George” (Rebane) and “anonymous” (sure writes like Barry Pruett) coming to Jeff Ackerman’s defense over at Sierra Dragon’s Breath(e) this afternoon with their nasty personal attacks, you know Jeff’s built a winning team! Just don’t tell all the locals who are posting just the opposite message on Facebook.
Did you ever notice that this little kabal never achieves what they set out to accomplish? The ex-CABPRO director, the losing clerk-recorder candidate in every precinct and the ever-hopeful planning commissioner. But they still keep yapping at all of us like they were important.
I figured they’d all just disappear from the scene, but they still hang around like a “shadow” (with Grentz, Judi “Agenda 21″ Caler and Pruett putting on this public spectacle for the BOS). Read “This time it’s personal” here if you haven’t:
http://www.yubanet.com/regional/Nevada-County-BOS-Process-1-Politics-0_printer.php
BTW, do you notice how Todd selectively enforces his “real name, thank you” policy that you must sign your name?
The community is changing before their eyes, and the “old boy” tactics — bullying, name calling, personal insults — just don’t work anymore. “Anonymous.” LOL! No wonder so many people are jumping to Reinette Senum’s defense even if they don’t agree with her politics. They’re sick and tired of it. We’re a diverse group politically.
And lest one think these guys do not have influence, here is a prime example of what they are out there doing every day:
http://territorialdispatch.com/2012/feb/FEB.8WEB.pdf
So the Tea Party shows up to tell the county they should not apply for a grant from a state program that the taxpayers of the county are paying for, to something as simple as updating their zoning ordinances to meet their updated General Plan. Instead the county will have their staff do this work, at their own taxpayers expense yet again, so in essence they are paying twice for the same work. All because the name of the program is “Sustainable Communities”.
You see id you use the same words in the English language that someone else uses, you must be them!
It’s really up to each counties’ BOS and other “electeds” to stand up to this nonsense. It holds back a county’s progress at an inopportune time, bowing to small-town politics over a “meritocracy” and caving to the special interests.
It’s been a mixed bag in the foothills so far. Placer seems to manage pretty well, however.
Each election should tell our elected representatives a story of how their constituents really feel. In our county it will be Beason vs. McGuire this year. (For the record, Pruett and Grentz, among others, agreed to list themselves as endorsing McGuire). Beason has widespread support.
I figured the last round (Lamphier, Diaz winning handily) told a story, but it didn’t seem to “gel.” I guess it takes a while for reality to sink in. People let their friendships and “social circles” get in the way of sound decision-making, too. That part has been a real disappointment to me.
Now look who is engaging in personal attacks against Jeff Ackerman and me. If the writers of the above postings would have bothered to
check the facts that I uncovered resulting from my questions in a
Public Records Request perhaps the above postings would have read
different. Then again the facts never seem to make a difference to the “Sustainable Development” folks. I do not believe that Ackerman would publish the article in question without verifying the facts. By the way my name is spelled “Grenz” not ‘Grentz.
Example, the basement of the city owned building is part of the lease according to the prior City Manager.. That makes the footage closer to my estimate of 2000 Square feet. (I missed my estimate by about 10%)
Another example not mentioned in my article: What happened to the $40K that APPLE was granted for a worm farm. Was it ever built? Could it be that the $40K went to cover the salary of the director of APPLE instead? How about checking the fact on that? Will Grenz
Hey Will, May day has been around for 2250 years and the Soviets only celebrated it for 72 years. So does that mean Reinette is only 3% communist?
Will,
You cannot put out a smear piece into the public realm and then cry foul when you are called out on it. Please explain this to me, why the Op Ed from both yourself and Ackerman hammering a public official on her way out of office?
I am an observer by nature and both of these opinion pieces make zero sense for a public forum other than a private disagreement being brought to the public for pay back. Why would The Union publish such pieces that do nothing except falsely tarnish a public figure record? Your grievance with Reinette Senum might be legitimate but using false numbers and accusations to make your point creates the appearance of settling a score in a cowardice fashion.
As for the worm farm, if you have proof of something bring it forward otherwise you’re spreading unsubstantiated rumors. It would be like someone of accusing you of being a theme cross dressing escort and having a photo of you during a Halloween party dressed as Marilyn Monroe. If you had the newspaper print a copy of the photo with a smear piece attached with it two things would happen. 1) Once it is out in the public it cannot be brought back 2) You would have to defend yourself against the accusation at least to those who know you and more than likely to the public. How does one prove innocence against a fictitious claim other than saying it isn’t true?
Will, you need to ground yourself in reality because B) there is no basement to the 412 Commercial St building. None. There never has been. And B) the $40,000 was to start a sustainability center that would create 1 to 2 jobs! It did that. It was never for the creation of a worm farm. The worm farm was a possible stream of revenue for the APPLE Center at a later date. Again, your facts are all wrong.
But you’re not about facts. You are about bullying and obstructing. I have experienced this every time I have encountered you and your ilk.
Perhaps the fact that you SHOULD share is the one that while you were attending our Sierra Roots meetings you were falsely claiming to be a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) representative until I notified the local chapter that you were disrupting our meetings and literally harassing us/me throughout. Harassment went beyond the meetings and included emails and phone calls. When I notified the NAMI President, she promptly wrote you informing you that you had no right to represent NAMI and asked you to stop.
Yep. Thought so. You forgot to mention that fact.
Perhaps you should focus on yourself, Will, before you focus on others. You have a lot of work ahead of you.
Well stated Reinette! You’ve, once again, exposed the “do as I say, not as I do” good old boy buffoonery that has existed for much too long here. Citizens are on to these rabid fellows and their desperation is showing.
Now that he commented here, Will should also disclose that we’ve never met, but the night before my wife went before the BOS to discuss a tourism contract (on Oct. 25 of last year), he sent a false, highly personal and defamatory email to the Rood Center about me.
It used language eerily similar to what Jeff Ackerman has spewed on this blog — just like what Reinette experienced. The whole episode was very disturbing.
Then during the meeting, Barry Pruett and Judi “Agenda 21″ Caler spoke out against our contract (though it was vetted in an RFP process). And George Rebane and Russ Steele were in the audience.
I hope I was just being paranoid, but to this day, I wondered what (if anything) went on behind the scenes. The background on the experience is here:
http://yubanet.com/regional/Nevada-County-BOS-Process-1-Politics-0_printer.php
Is this how we operate in our community?
Now Todd (the former county supervisor) is posting on his blog (twice) that I’m going to “pop a neck artery” over this. Gee, thanks, Todd. We really need to usher in a new era in our community.
Te Union failed to publish a perfectly innocent letter in praise of Obama that I sent in about 6 weeks ago. I no longer subscribe. Also, they have a lot of nerve to ask for paid subscriptions, when they are panhandling for free photography from readers and citizen journalists. I’m hoping these tactics will cause the paper to go down, and Jeff Ackerman to be replaced with another person more neutral with respect to our entire purple community. The Tax Day turnout for the Tea Party said it all. Attendence way down from three years ago. Way, way down….
Doug,
I was talking with my mom who lives in Lake Wildwood and she is taking a class with many who subscribe to the NCTPP. Many have told her that the NCTPP is done and the only people left promoting it are the true believers, which is a very small portion of the population. As it was dubbed 3 years ago it was an astro-turf movement that had the backing a billionaires and the organization from their think tanks.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Prosperity
Didn’t read all the text, Ben–will later–but watched the ‘knee capping’ video. Reminds me of what many consider the greatest movie ever–if one isn’t hung up on the mythology Mr. Kane and his sled; I place that one second, but who cares–The Godfather, the original. Sitting around a big table, while one of the uncle’s of my friend translated the conversation from Italian to English for me, some members of this Sicilian family, were low ranking members/associates of the Genovese family of NYC. It was pointed out to me that the Godfather–which, they too, loved–was really a statement not so much about the Mafia, but about Corporate America and how the there really wasn’t that much difference in the two entities. When I hear the well dressed spokesman in the video talk about “taking out union leaders at the knees” it just reinforces that thinking in my mind, 40 years later. Examples abound, with just a reminder shown at he youtube link below. (Like I’ve said, I’m really a Luddite and haven’t mastered much on computers, like providing a link you can click on.)
BTW, when my Boston area relatives visit, sister (very intelligent) and her 2nd husband Dutch/Danish and finally got his Am. citizenship–they comment on what an awful paper the Union is. No bone to pick, just a casual observation–but they’ll read the Bee.
And, Steven, when I read that the Union would’d print your innoccuos
letter re. Obama, I don’t feel bad anymore about they’re not printing my Other Voices piece. But, Still, I feel like I’ve taken a stupid pill when I finish reading anything by Mr. Crosswaithe. He always seems to get space. I’d write all over his manuscript what I used to write on my Chico St. writing tutees (is that a word?), Assertions do not equate to proof.
The Tea Party probably has one more cycle as a prime organizing tool, then watch for them to replaced by the next stealthy new, shiny, proto-fascist Republican movement.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/behind-the-numbers/post/tea-party-support-stable-but-interest-is-waning/2012/04/14/gIQAPXyKHT_blog.html
Steve,
As you are seeing around the country the more the true republican agenda is exposed the more people are fleeing. The same goes for the Democratic Party. We have a duopoly that represents the interests of big business instead of the people due to the need for big bucks to win elections. It is the leadership of both parties not necessarily those who vote or represent their particular party.
Both the TPP and OWS have become political disasters. A true third party needs to step up.
Pete,
The system that is controlled by the two parties will not allow any competition into the political arena. The biggest opposition of the Green Party is the Democratic Party and the same goes for Libertarian Party and Republican Party.
Instant Run Off Voting along with Public Financing of Campaigns is the answer to many of our existing problems. New problems will pop up but we could move out of government to the highest bidder era. Money is always going to play a role in politics but we haven’t seen anything like this since the robber baron era.
http://www.fairvote.org/what-is-irv/#.T4w_jI7Rg7A
Ben,
I think the agendas of both the Green Party and the Libertarian Party are seen as “too liberal” for the mainstream (moderate) voter.Of course money plays a huge role but lets not forget about strengh in numbers.
Pete,
Compared to what? The paradigm we are allowed to discuss is defined by the leadership of the big two parties.
Single Payer is a perfect example, neither party will discuss outside of calling it socialism as a pejorative. We are the only developed nation that hasn’t implemented a national health care system or outlawed primary care insurance for profit. Only one other nation has done the latter (Switzerland). This is an extreme idea only in the US. If you look at international conservative positions on the issues (US conservative definition), conservatives from other developed nations would be considered left of the democratic party in the US. The other way of looking at it is looking at the republican party was more progressive in the 1950’s than the democratic party is today on major issues.
We are not allowed to have a true discussion on policies because big money controls both parties and those unelected powers who pull the strings do not want more ideas in the mainstream.
This whole episode is troubling for me. When I first opened The Union and saw it, it was obvious that Will had many of his facts wrong. Can you think of a better example of McCarthyism? That kind of talk, does damage and probably griping about it here entertains them and encourages doing it more.
It seems to be escalating. I’m wondering if there is a more constructive response that would encourage respectful dialogue that leads to problem solving instead of driving us further apart.
Tsk Tsk, So much seething jealousy over an attractive, intelligent woman that they couldn’t get to first base with. It sounds like a small fraction is seeing red.
“If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”
This is all so silly.
Life in lovely Lilliput.
Can we all grow a few inches?
In the last several years, I’ve occassionally had second thoughts about my decision to boycot The Union. Every time that occassion arises something like this happens. I don’t think I’ll have another second thought.