Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Real Investigative Journalism Meanwhile, the Spokane Spokesman-Review has been doing some real investigative journalism into their city's mayor, Jim West, and they've uncovered some unseemly stuff.  There have been rumors about West for years, apparently, and finally everything below the surface has bubbled  up unpleasantly.  He's taken a leave of absence, the city is investigating him, the FBI's goten involved, apparently. The list of allegations is long and growing by the hour, and I'm not going to repeat everything that's been thrown out.  For that, read the Spokesman's series of articles via the link above.  But here's my feelings on the basic thing: 1)   Jim West is gay.  Or bisexual.  Or straight with one really really interesting exception.  Who cares?  His personal life doesn't matter unless it affects other people. 2)   Jim West solicited young boys online and in person for "favors."  Ignoring the initial "ewwww!" response, is this a crime or just kinky?  People who date much younger people isn't exactly news.  However, he's apparently gone after a couple of people who he knew were under 18, or at least identified as under 18, so that's illegal.   There's an account of one man who says he was 15 when Jim West, then state Senate Majority Leader, asked him out.  Yeeccchh.  3)   Jim West used his office to get sex.  He allegedly offered internships, college placings, and, I don't know, a bicycle to get dates. He also offered city jobs, which is why the FBI is now involved. 4)   Jim West molested young boys.  Not "asked out."  Molested.  This is the most serious claim of the bunch, and it continues to be investigated.  Again, go to this story for the allegation that he molested a 12-year-old Boy Scout while he was leader.  Why is it always the Boy Scout leaders?  My coworker tells me that several of the Boy Scout leaders that worked with West have also been accused of molesting Scouts, and thta two of them committed suicide while facing allegations.  Has anyone else got more details about this?  Anyway, I'm not ever letting Oliver enroll in the Boy Scouts.  Ever.  Ever. 7:00:37 AM     Speak up!  []

The Horse is Dead, Put Down the Stick Seattle's best freely distributed toilet paper, the Stranger, will not let go of the Microsoft-switches-positions-on-gay-rights story, which I continue to believe is just another man-bites-dog story and not real news.  (A corporation decides to fold to right-wing political pressure?  Um... excuse me.  They're corporations.  They're businesses.  I care about politicians and their positions on issues, not the people who sell software in boxes for a living.)  Last week, they featured two stories flogging the Microsoftie story.  Their cover story screamed that reporter Sandeep Kaushik (who I really admire) "destroys Microsoft's alibi."  Basically, Microsoft said they changed their mind independent of the egotistical minister in Redmond who threatened a boycott.  Now the Stranger has documents that prove that this meeting happened then, and this press release came out then, and this guy said this later, and so it's not true!  And so we're investigative reporters!!!  No, you're not.  You're piling onto a story that people have stopped caring about. The second story is Stranger editor/wannabe power broker Josh Feit interviewing Richard Florida, the author of the somewhat controversial "The Flight of the Creative Class,"  and turns the article into another polemic against Microsoft.  The conversation shows these two Chicken Littles agreeing that the country is driving intellectuals away (apparently, gays are the new coal mine canaries) and that it's only going to get worse, because in Florida's words, "The national political leadership is dead. They don't understand, and they don't care to understand. And I'm afraid to say, it's in both political parties."  And then there's this gem: "This [action by Microsoft] feeds the perception of America being intolerant."  Dude, remember Wal-Mart?  Aaarrgh.  Hyperbole.  I hate hyperbole.  If I've said it once, I've said it a million times.  6:28:26 AM     Speak up!  []