Out all day doing route support for the American Diabetes Association Tour De' Cure

What an amazingly beautiful day! Traffic co-operated today, so getting the signs located and up was easy to do... Here's some pics from the set up of the route.

Welcome to "Spray Chalk." Never heard of it before today. We used 4 different colors (forgot the green) with each of four routes getting their own color, so in case the signs were stolen or damaged (they do that for some reason) the riders can follow the colors and the directions even if the signs are gone.

More pictures from the actual run tomorrow.

Russell's false portrayal of his wife as a doctor moves into investigation phase.

I've received a letter from the Department of Health/Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission, indicating that my formal complaint against Jon Russell as a clinic owner and Sarah Russell as a clinic owner who has been portrayed by Jon Russell as a doctor, when she is formally titled, according to the state, as an "Advance Registered Nurse Practitioner."

As previously mentioned, Russell has publicly referred to his wife as a doctor and a physician, has had a 3 month old article in the Vancouver Business Journal web site changed from showing her as a "Dr." to a "family nurse practitioner," had an ad up in the Camas Post Record showing both her clinic... and that she's a doctor.

I had been told that Russell frequently referred to her as a doctor during his congressional campaign, but frankly, I found that hard to believe given both the professional and political consequences of that sort of thing.

Now it's under formal investigation, so I believe we'll soon know the disposition.

it's amazing how quickly Jon Russell can change the information about himself...

... when he thinks it makes him look bad.

Yesterday, the Columbian did a profile article. In it, they listed Russell as being 42 years old. From Russell's Facebook:

Jon Russell The columbian[sic] wrote a decent article on our race. Other than stating that I am 42 years old and not mentioning that I want medicaid patients to pay a co-pay the article was pretty accurate. http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jul/28/sprawling-18th-district-yields-crowded-ballot-for/#comments

But if you go back to the article, here's what it says now:

Jon Russell

Republican

• Age: 34

• Residence: Washougal.

See, Russell is all about the truth.

When it suits him.

He wants his age to be listed accurately.

His education?

Not so much.

Even after complete exposure by the newspaper, Russell still insists on saying that he has an AA degree on his Facebook page:


He also doesn't seem to have changed anything in the on line voter's guide: if you go over there and look Russell up, you see this:

That's really kind of strange, isn't it?


Russell jumps through the hoops and gets the paper to change his listed age almost immediately. He even comments about the inaccuracy on his Facebook page as listed above.

The mystery to me is why does he fail to correct the other errors that make him seem to be, well, more qualified than he really is?

Age wrong?

Not only pick up the phone and get it changed (as if anyone really cared whether he was 34 or 42) but they print a correction:

Correction: Jon Russell

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Russell’s age: Jon Russell, a Republican candidate for the 18th Legislative District, is 34. A story profiling candidates for the race published Wednesday on Page C1 reported an incorrect age for Russell.

Odd, isn't it?

So many other things Russell COULD fix... make accurate... tell the truth about. Instead, he gets them to print the right age.

Yup. Just what we need in an elected official.
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Russell continues to lie about his education. This time the victim is the Daily News.

I just don't get it.

Russell continues to lie about his education:

• Personal: Married, two kids.
• Education: Finished AA degree work in 2009 at Thomas Edison State College.
• Profession: Owner, Columbia Gorge Medical Center

The problem with that is is earlier, pre-exposure claim about his education:



The problem, of course, is that the school in question, did not and does not offer an AA Degree in Political Science, the area Russell HAD claimed he'd completed his AA Degree in.

So now, he claims he's "Finished AA degree work in 2009 at Thomas Edison State College." when Edison doesn't offer the degree he's claimed he's finished his work IN.

One wonders. Exactly WHAT will it take to get Russell to tell the truth?

Destroying Trust in Government: What Sets Russell Apart From His Opponents?

His essentially pathological ability to lie and exaggerate. That he acts like he's the only pro-life candidate running. That he thinks having "full time employees" in a business makes him superior somehow. That he wildly exaggerates by labeling himself a "city legislator" as a title for his utterly incompetent tenure as a Washougal City Councilman. (Even his use of a bogus title is telling.) That he used the government and the people of Washougasl as a campaign prop.

But he leaves so much out.

He's also the only candidate to:

...lie about his education;

...lie to a newspaper and the 18th District PCO's about his wife's profession (No, she's not a doctor)

...lie to the 18th District PCO's about raising $10,000.

...deliberately violate Public Disclosure Law.

...have a disastrous tenure as a city councilman where as chair of the city finance committee (which, oddly, he never mentions) he approved Stacy Sellers Vegas expenses, hired an unbondable buddy as city finance director, and watched as $100,000 of city money vaporized.

...demand that we be stripped of our right to vote for who we want in a way that would keep us from voting for Joe Zarelli, Ed Orcutt and Tom Mielke.

...made almost $10,000 off a government agency in an effort to jack up our taxes to the moon.

...would lie about someone personally in an effort to discredit them.

...would use their state representative campaign funds to pay for his congressional campaign debt.

...and a host of other reasons.

And that, Jon, is what sets you apart. Unfortunately for you, no amount of mouthing platitudes and your fake Christianity can over come your despicable, dishonorable conduct of your campaign.

That's why you couldn't raise any money running for Congress. That's why you haven't been able to raise any money running for state representative. That's why you're desperate enough to pay people to slander and libel those opposing you.

And that's why you're not fit for elective office.

Yup. Destroying trust in government. That's what you do... that's who you are.

So, Jon finally got around to changing his "about Jon" page on his campaign website.

As I pointed out here: Russell was busted weeks ago for not having a degree he'd claimed.

Now, instead of saying this:



It says something a little more cryptic, where along with some oversights and deliberate failure to provide ALL of his background, Russell has changed it from the picture on the right to the following verbiage:

Education

Thomas Edison State College (Trenton, NJ)

No mention is made of any kind of degree. That's progress of a sort.

Russell's FaceBook page about his education remains unchanged:

He doesn't HAVE an "AA" or any other degree you understand. But then, that's why the Columbian said something about him being "less than forthcoming" about his education.

Also of some interest to me is what Russell has left off his "about me" resume'.

You see, Russell says he's been "chairman of this," or "chairman of that."

But it seems he left off his chairmanship of the city finance committee. You remember.... during the Sellers debacle while $100,000 disappeared?

I wonder why that is?

He also left off his effort to jack the Vancouver Port taxes sky-high where he made almost $10,000 to pass the biggest local tax increase in our history. Nope. That's no where to be found.

Of course, that effort was a successful as his congressional run. In short, it was a disaster.

Man. These are hit pieces that write themselves!
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Odd. One of Russell's scummier elements stopped by and:

... left this burning bag of poop on my doorstep:

LOL. Hey Kelly, lets talk about you and Ann for a while http://yaddayaddah.com/ Your[sic] such a tough guy....Your[sic] a joke. - Anonymous

Dude (Or dudette?) it's actually "you're."

Well, it certainly takes the right kind of courage to leave an anonymous post on an enemy's blog, doesn't it?

The problem for Russell and the scum surrounding him is that I'm hardly a "joke." Were my meager blogging effort here a "joke," why Russell and his slimeballs wouldn't be paying any attention to little ol' me...

... would they?

This, of course, is a classic example of the fine art of knocking someone off message. And for the Brown Shirts supporting Russell, they're too dense to realize what's happened here. Russell and his band of Nazis are so far off message it can't even be pumped to them through a hose.

Jon and his "servant loser" message doesn't play. When you market yourself as some sort of Christian and then act like your politics are from the sewer... as Russell has done ever since he arrived here... the biblical act tends to run a little thin.

For me, personally, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That these weasels have made an abortive attempt to imitate my "Watch" blogs is flattering, but it's also indicative of a complete lack of original thought... and original thought has been conspicuously missing from Russell's campaign.

You see, I'm not running for anything... ever. And, unlike Russell's minions, no one is paying me a thing to write what I write or do what I do. They may feel free to spend all this time and energy beating on me all they want. But the fact is that none of that does a thing for Jon Russell, except to make him look like small-minded, whiny little bitch. someone who can't win on the issues... and someone who is getting hammered for reasons he doesn't even begin to comprehend.

Maybe those hit pieces coming out will help explain it to him a little better.

I've gone after Russell since he announced for Congress 13 months or so ago because he represents a cancer on the political scene. You see the kind of people drawn to him... the type that embrace his lies and deceit and double talk... the type that look the other way in the face of his self-aggrandizing dishonesty.

I don't. And I won't.

Yes, today it sucks to be Jon Russell or any of his clown posse.

But you know what?

I think it pretty much sucks to be Russell or any of his herd every day.
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Gee, Jon.... I am SOOOO sorry to hear that....

...you're still

"....mired in multiple controversies of that council and has been less than forthright in describing his academic background."

Yup. That's got to be tough for you and your Winged Monkeys.

Paying people to spout lies for you is rather unbecoming, don't you think?

"less than forthright." Doesn't that mean you've been lying? Why yes... I think it does.

Tsk, tsk.

So Jon Russell continues to lie about his education.

There are, of course, may things Jon Russell has done as a part of his campaigns.... first the train wreck that was his abortive congressional effort, and now his fall back, got-to-get-elected-to-something-to-get-me-out-of-Washougal campaign for state representative... that simply defy explanation.

His lies about his wife being a doctor. His lies about how much money his campaign collected. His lie about his efforts to oppose the megacasino. His personal lies about me. His lie about being responsible for Stacy Seller's departure.

But most puzzling of all are his continuing lies about his education.

Russell, ever the self-destructive type, whined to the Columbian about my blog's disclosure that he was lying about having a degree.

When the Columbian checked out his story, imagine their surprise when, lo and behold, it turned out that Russell... didn't have a degree... of ANY kind.

And, when confronted by the proof that I was right in calling him out for lying about his degree, what was Russell's response?

"I've always said I've earned my degree," he told the Columbian. "I've never said I obtained my degree."

Is that the kind of double talk that makes people hate politicians.

The ONLY way to "finish" your degree is to actually "OBTAIN" your degree. And, in this case, the "degree" in question is the lowest you can get from a college: an AA degree, not the real degree of a Bachelors or 4 year degree.

In this instance, Russell couldn't even get that. The fact is that Russell does not have a degree. And that he may have 60 hours, that doesn't mean he's completed the requirements for a degree, which does mean more than just some number of hours.

For those who don't have one, to get a degree requires strict requirements as to what types of hours for general requirements that all students have to take to get a degree as well as specified classes in a major to get the degree in question, unless it's in the ubiquitous "General Education" associates.

Still, Russell claims he has an AA from Thomas Edison.

Initially, Russell claimed an AA in political science. Russell's problem?

Edison doesn't offer an AA in Political Science.

So, he claims a degree the school doesn't offer. And even after being caught in a lie, Russell still makes that claim on his campaign web site.

You see, this is the part that just goes beyond explanation.

Russell has been lying about his education; he's still lying about it on his campaign website, his campaign FaceBook page.

The question is this: Why? Why lie about it in the first place? What difference does it make? I mean, I get that all of the other candidates save one are more educated then Russell. But how many of you have ever marked a ballot thinking, "I'm not voting for that guy because he doesn't have a college degree?"

But if you go over to Russell's on line voter's guide, what do you see?

You see this.

And that's one of the major issues I have with Russell.

No.... not the fact that he doesn't have a degree... but the fact that first, he'd lie about it, and then second, take no action to change it... as if it was still the truth.

And that's troubling to me. If Russell will lie to us about something like this... if he won't respond when he's caught lying... what else has he lied about... and what else WILL he lie about?

Russell suffering from paranoia?

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Over on the Russell facebook page, Jon seems just the tiniest bit paranoid.

He spews:

The ballots for the August 17th primary election will be in the mail this week. Please be watchful on behalf of our campaign. I fully expect one of my Republican challengers to mail out an attack piece against me or some cloaked third party will mail out an attack mailer on their behalf. Also, be prepared for possible automated calls with an attack message. If you receive one of these calls on your answering machine, please save it for us. I know this is a possibility, because I have seen my opponents team work in the past and I know how they operate.

It is very important that you contact my campaign as soon as you receive these mail pieces or phone calls. Your watchful eye will help us respond quickly. Let’s hope all sides will promote their ideas and candidacy without resorting to attack mailers or robocalls.

Having been knocked completely off message, there's really no point in doing any kind of piece about a campaign that is self-immolating.

The rule in politics is this: when your opponent is set on committing political suicide, your duty is to stand by and allow him to finish the job.

Russell, of course, is as politically dead as a wedge.

Lying about his non-existent degree that he's "finished." Lying about his wife being a doctor. Lying to the 18th District PCO's about his education and how much money he's raised, lying about playing any role in fighting the megacasino, making thousands of dollars off his abysmal effort to enable the port to jack up taxes to the stratosphere, in charge of Washougal's finance committee while $100,000 vaporizes... the kind of guy who would ask me for a political opponent's social security number so he could do God knows what with it.

And, given his genetic inability to raise any money... even when hit pieces go out, he'll be far too broke for any response. The hit pieces on the way will flatten him like a pancake.

I, of course, won't have anything to do with them... and neither will anyone I know.

But the idea that Russell will or even can "respond quickly" may be the biggest joke in the campaign.

Time, of course, will tell.... won't it?
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The PDC on the Russell electronic filing complaint.

Summary:

The Russell campaign has acknowledged they were out of compliance and have taken the necessary steps to get into compliance by retro-filing electronically.

As a result, there will be no formal investigation. That's just as well, because the whole point of that aspect of the exercise was to get Russell into compliance with the rules which govern every other candidate for state representative.

While other allegations remain outstanding, this one has been put to bed. Thanks go to the Public Disclosure Commission for acting on this issue, and thanks go to the Russell Campaign for taking the needed steps to follow the law.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

More PDC problems for Russell.

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As we all know, Jon Russell has been breaking the law of the Public Disclosure Commission since he announced for state representative after his abysmal run for Congress.

The requirements are clear and have been posted here many time: anyone anticipating expending $10,000 in a campaign must file electronically.

I filed a complaint against Russell for each of the 3 weeks after he passed the $10,000 mark. Of course, I never should have had to file such a complaint: in the interest of transparency, Russell should have embraced the filing system for donations and expenditures that has been the template for many other states around this country.

Finally, Russell has filed electronically. But in filing electronically, even more efforts to hide expenditures and use state representative campaign funds to pay debt from his abortive Congressional campaign.

An additional complaint has been filed with the PDC outlining again how Russell failed to file electronically, failed to file debts in a timely manner, deliberately filed using incorrect dates (Russell, who attended the Clark County Lincoln Day Dinner as a congressional candidate on February 6, having bought 4 tickets for the pre-dinner price of $60 each ($240) he has reported the date as March first in one C4 filed manually, and April 12 in another C4 filed electronically.) Filed that debt on two different dates, one over 2 months after it was incurred and filed a congressional debt using state representative funds. (His Lincoln Day Dinner tickers for $240 were purchased while he was a congressional candidate and not a candidate for state representative and thus, are not eligible for payment from state representative campaign funds.)

It's really kind of hard to make the law when, for whatever the reason, you refuse to follow the law.

Ain't it, Jon?

Another letter to the Reflector.

A couple of weeks ago, the Reflector published a letter where I accused Jon Russell of a variety of things, all of which are documentably true. In sum, to counter the many canned letters Russell is having others sign on his behalf, I pointed out the facts: that his tenure as a Washougal city councilman has been abysmal; that his stand on term limits would have cost us the services of Joe Zarelli, Ed Orcutt, Don Benton, Marc Boldt and Tom Mielke in the legislature, That he lied to 18th District PCO’s; that while claiming he has “earned a degree,” he was, in fact, making that up and that he lied about his wife being a “physician,” and that he made thousands off the Vancouver Port Levy, trying to ram a huge tax increase down the throats of those living in the port district.

These things are all true, and documented at http://jonrussellwatch.blogspot.com. And they are the things and the kinds of things I presented for the 8 months Russell was running for congress, long before he announced for the 18th District after his campaign failed.

For whatever the reason, the Reflector felt compelled to allow Russell to write what we in politics called a “puff piece,” including a picture, where he attacked me, and by extension, the candidate I support in this election. Well, here is MY rebuttal to his attacks.

First of all, MY “flesh” is always available to discuss any of these issues with Russell. I have, in fact, “discussed” many of these issues face to face with Russell, as far back as last summer. Secondly, the truth is never “dirty.” It is, in fact, the truth. What Russell fails to do is to address the issues I brought up.

Russell, as usual, fails to mention that I had gone after him during his abysmal failure of a congressional campaign, long before he foolishly settled for running in the 18th District. Thus, the fact of the matter is that anyone reviewing my blog that specifically address many of Russell’s failures and lies will discover that my first post about him was dated in June of last year, 8 months before he bailed on his congressional campaign and announced for the 18th District.

In short, while given the opportunity to do so, did Russell deny any of the allegations I raised? Oddly enough, the term “rebutal[sic]” as used in the Reflector would tend to indicate that he disputed my positions and observations. Yet did he deny that he failed to stand up to Stacy Sellers? Russell himself is quoted as saying:

“Our Mayor created an internal rule that Council members could not ask anything of department heads. All correspondence had to go through the Mayor. Department heads were instructed to not to speak with Council members. This made the Council’s job very difficult when seeking to provide substantial oversight of the administration. Again, I was the only one to question this internal rule.”

The problem? HE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. He was helpless then, like he’s helpless now.

Did he deny that he lied to the 18th District PCO’s? Did he deny he repeatedly lied about his wife being a doctor? Did he deny that, while chair of the city finance committee, $100,000 in city money vaporized? Did he deny he made almost $10,000 off the Vancouver Port Levy trying to jack up the taxes of thousands by a huge amount? Did he deny that his effort to get elected to ANY other office amounts to an attempt to abandon the people of Washougal before the mess that he’s partially responsible for is cleaned up?

No. What he DID do was, in effect, tell us that our local legislators who have served us well for so many years need to be kicked out because of an arbitrary number he made up to develop a campaign issue.

It takes much more then the “thick skin” Russell claims he has to be a state representative. It also takes honor, integrity and courage. Russell has none of those.

The facts speak for themselves. Russell’s failure to address those facts also speaks for itself.

Don’t be fooled. Vote for anyone BUT Russell. Don’t be taken in like the people of Vancouver who voted for Leavitt because he was going to fight tolls. We all see what happened there.
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Russell attacks Slade Gorton, Jaime Herrera AND the Tea Party?

The idiocy that is Jon Russell resulted in two of his more moronic letters to the editor in the Daily News (that he had someone else sign, of course) wherein Russell's stooges attacked Slade Gorton, Jaime Herrera AND the Tea party?

Why would he do something so stupid?

Because his campaign is a train wreck. And when you're so far behind in every conceivable way, lying (a pattern he's worked hard to establish) is all you've got left.

One of the letters attacks Ann Rivers for taking the stance that is the basis for many in the ranks of the Tea Party. Russell claims in one of his moronic letters that according to Battle Ground School District minutes, Rivers "distanced herself from the Republican Party."

Jamie Herrera distances herself from the Republican Party with every speech by attacking it, and idiot stick Russell has ENDORSED her:

Yet, several times now, Jaime readily criticizes the very party she seeks support and votes from, lastly at the Leadership Clark County forum where she expressed admiration for Barack Obama in that he made health care a “priority” while the Republicans completely failed on any health care issue.

At previous forums I attended she criticized Republicans for issues ranging from border control to poor congressional performance, once stating Republicans losing control of both houses of congress in 2006 “was a good thing.”

So, in the hypocrisy strewn world that is Jon Russell, it's OK for Ridgefield Barbie to positively trash the GOP; tell us what a great job Brian Baird has done, and then thank her fellow empty suit in the White House for Obama care... and Russell has no problem with that?

It is the non-responsive, non-visionary GOP made up of people like Russell that Rivers, myself and millions of others are "distancing" ourselves from. Rivers sees, however, that change must come from within. I see that change coming, and a major part of that must be to keep scum like Russell out of any position of responsibility within that party, least his disease of lies, exaggeration and a complete lack of vision spread.

So, there we have Russell AGAIN, under the guise of letters to the editor that he or one of his minions wrote and had somebody else sign, attacking BOTH Jaime Herrera AND the Tea Party.

Brilliant.

And then, this idiot attacks Slade Gorton... the chief (one of the few, actually, of any substance) endorser of Herrera. And what is is Slade? What does Slade do?

He's a lobbyist.

So, there ya have it. Not only is Russell a stone cold liar... but he's a stone cold political moron.

Here's some advice, Jon: Get your uneducated ass back in school and LEARN something. Then come on back.

I'll still be here, hammering on you like a drum. But you'll possibly be a little smarter about it.

May be.
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Russell continues to lie about his college education.

Weeks after being exposed as a liar about his education by both this blog and the Columbian, Russell continues to lie on his campaign blog about his education.



Russell's "It all depends on what your definition of 'is,' is" defense?

“I’ve always said I’ve earned my degree,” he told The Columbian. “I’ve never said I obtained my degree.”

Yup. That's precisely the kind of dishonesty we want in an elected representative. Right?
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Lew Waters weighs in on Russell's hissy fits.

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Jon Russell’s “Fact Check” Not So Factual

Who knows.... maybe Russell will now include Waters' effort in the "Official Ann Rivers Attack Blog" status.
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Public Disclosure Commission has started to move on the Russell complaints.

As regular readers now, I have filed 9 allegations against Jon Russell's campaign for violations of the Washington State Public Disclosure laws.

Three of those allegations were the same thing: Russell has refused to follow the law concerning reporting electronically (as opposed to manually via fax or snail mail) as required if you even INTEND to spend more than $10,000 in your campaign.

As specified by the PDC 2 days after I filed the first allegation:

From: Jennifer Hansen [mailto:jennifer.hansen@pdc.wa.gov]
Sent: Thursday,June 24, 2010 5:32 PM
Subject: PDC Filing Reminder - Weekly C-3s
Importance: High

A filing reminder from the PDC for 2010 candidates and their treasurers:
....

Mailed reports are filed when they are postmarked; electronically filed reports are filed when they are transmitted. E-filed reports can be submitted 24 hours a day. Any candidate may e-file contribution and expenditure reports, candidates who spend or expect to spend $10,000 must e-file their reports.*

Please note that Russell and every other candidate got the word on June 24, as outlined above.

Two additional complaints later, and Russell has FINALLY decided to follow the law, in this instance, 5 months after he should have and almost one month after I first filed a complaint about it.

I am responding on behalf of Jennifer Hansen. PDC staff has been in contact with Jon Russell about his need to file his PDC reports electronically. He has responded by filing the required signature authorization form and has selected the necessary passwords, meaning he can now begin filing electronically. He has been entering data into the PDC’s ORCA software and has stated that he expects to file all reports electronically on Monday, July 19, 2010. You will be receiving a written response to your complaints shortly.

Phil Stutzman

Philip E. Stutzman

Director of Compliance

Washington State Public Disclosure Commission

711 Capitol Way, Rm. 206/ P.O. Box 40908

Olympia, WA 98504-0908

(360) 753-1111/Fax (360) 753-1112

direct line: (360) 664-8853

toll-free in Washington State: 1-877-601-2828

Website: www.pdc.wa.gov

Well, I at least appreciate that Russell is now going to meet the legal requirements of campaigning in this state... finally... after I had to turn him in for failing to follow the law for several months.

Good job, Jon. Your deliberate violation of the law makes us proud... all the while, providing ADDITIONAL reasons to vote against you.

How anyone can support someone to become a lawmaker who so cavalierly disregards that law when it suits them is beyond me. Maybe somebody who reads this can fill us all in.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.
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Jon Russell's Lie of the Day: Russell's cowardice and lies continue: Disavows ANY blame for ANYTHING in Washougal.

It's clear that Russell is a political coward: his failure to provide a direct link to this blog speaks volumes, so that those unfortunate enough to stumble onto his effort can't come in and read it for themselves.

In short, Russell apparently believes his blog readers to be too stupid to make up their own minds.

In today's episode, Russell, who neglects to mention that he was chair of the Washougal City Council Finance Committee, and therefore responsible for the review of EVERY financial aspect and expenditure of the city, spews the following:

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Washougal Mayors Scandal

Question
Was Jon partly or fully to blame for the financial scandal that brought down the former Mayor?

Background
This is an accusation was made by Clark County Politics Blog (The Ann Rivers Campaign Attack Blog). The Blog Author Kelly Hinton is Ann Rivers long time political consultant.

Answer
No. As City Councilman, Jon was there when former Mayor Stacee Sellers was under investigation about the missing $100,000 of income to the city. He assisted the State Auditor by signing off on search inquiries into multiple bank accounts associated with the former Mayor. He successfully led the charge to have her removed from office when there was no doubt that she had falsified documents detailing the revenue from the events she had put on for the city. The former Mayor reimbursed the city for her lavish trip to Las Vegas before the expense report ever crossed Jon's desk.

Jon has made great strides in Washougal since our former Mayors’ departure: he has cut property taxes, implemented a new whistle blower protection policy, passed E-verify to keep tax payer contracts from going to illegal aliens, and deregulated small businesses to help them create jobs.

Proving once again that their is no lie Russell won't tell...

This is an accusation was made by Clark County Politics Blog (The Ann Rivers Campaign Attack Blog). The Blog Author Kelly Hinton is Ann Rivers long time political consultant.

Russell, of course, fails to mention (because he's very big on leaving facts out along with lying about his education and his wife being a doctor) that I was using CCP to pound him like a nail while he was doing so a terrible job of running for Congress. So, while it serves some purpose to lie about what my blog is, or who I am, it's more in keeping with his complete lack of integrity, well established by his previously mentioned lies.

Previously, Russell lied about me by calling me "a 'paid contract employee' of Ann Rivers.

Now, he's lying about me being Rivers' "consultant."

While Russell has paid two people for consulting... poorly.... Ann hasn't paid me a thing.

I am hammering on Russell because he has proven himself a liar. I am hammering on Russell because he refuses to take responsibility for ANYTHING, as amply illustrated by his worthless effort here. I am hammering on Russell because he portrays himself as a conservative, while failing to mention that he made thousands in his effort to jam the largest local tax increase down the throats of the people in the Port District by working FOR the Port in THEIR efforts to jack up OUR taxes.

I'm looking forward to his excuse for THAT little mercenary effort.

So, he lied when he called me Rivers' paid contract employee. And as much as I appreciate the promotion to "long time political consultant", the fact is that Rivers is an excellent consultant in her own right. She doesn't need MY help to beat Russell like a rented mule.

Let's be clear here: Because Russell engaged in low-life activity like asking me for Pam Brokaw's social security number shortly after his arrival here to screw up SW Washington for the House; because he lies with alacrity, because he exaggerates at an unbelievable rate, because he continues to violate the Public Disclosure laws of this state... I would be writing this blog... this way... if I had never heard of Ann Rivers... just like I was thumping his grape before Russell finally figured out how bad he was getting his butt kicked and switched to his fall back position when he announced for the 18th District, yet another little fact, like so many OTHER facts... that Russell chooses to ignore.

Getting to his moronic response to the question at issue as he continues to destroy trust in government:

No. As City Councilman, Jon was there when former Mayor Stacee Sellers was under investigation about the missing $100,000 of income to the city

As Chair of the city finance committee, it was Russell's voluntarily assumed DUTY to stay on top of the money.

Did he? Where is it? HE DOESN'T KNOW.

Incompetence isn't a really great campaign plank, Jon. Really.

He assisted the State Auditor by signing off on search inquiries into multiple bank accounts associated with the former Mayor.

WOW! That must have taken DAYS of hard work.... imagine, someone like Jon ACTUALLY SIGNING FORMS!!!

Unbelievable. Make sure you put that on your slim jim.

He successfully led the charge to have her removed from office when there was no doubt that she had falsified documents detailing the revenue from the events she had put on for the city.

Gee. My recollection is that Sellers resigned.

ANOTHER lie, Jon? How is it that you lie so much on a site called "fact check the web?"

Kinda scummy, really.

And that's the whole point of Russell's unfitness for ANY elective office.

In THIS post, he lies and exaggerates over what HE, Russell, has done... while striving to completely avoid any responsibility for anything that happened.

Russell is the classic, old-style pol. No lie he won't tell... no credit he won't take.

The former Mayor reimbursed the city for her lavish trip to Las Vegas before the expense report ever crossed Jon's desk.

ANOTHER LIE?

This is what RUSSELL HIMSELF SAID in an article by the Columbian:

Here's what the Columbian buried today about Russell's little meat hooks being buried in this particular pie:

The people responsible for that oversight are members of the city council. Three council members — Russell, Lou Peterson and Paul Greenlee — make up the finance committee tasked with approving city employees' and officials' receipts and spending.

The expenditures are first submitted to the finance department, and then go to the mayor for approval, Russell said. Each week, the mayor sends the finance committee members e-mails with the accounts payable receipts and statements for their review and approval, he (Russell) said. Sometimes the statements have details of specific charges, sometimes they only include the employee's name and how much they are to be reimbursed, Russell said. Unless the committee members ask to see the details of those reimbursements, oftentimes they don't know the specifics. And many times expenditures are approved as long as they fall within the amount included in the annual budget, he said.

Russell said he does not recall whether he saw details of the Las Vegas trip expenditures.

"It's not at all a perfect system," Russell said.

The committee members do not meet to discuss the expenditures; that practice ended several years ago in favor of council workshops, he said. Instead, members are told to go to Sellers with questions, Russell said.

"We have been told by the mayor not to talk to department heads to get answers, that everything has to go through her," he said.

The use of city money to purchase alcohol was questioned by the committee and reviewed earlier this summer by the city council. Sellers was notified that the practice was prohibited by city policy and she reimbursed the city for the cost of alcohol charges, Russell said. City officials were not available to comment on the amount of the reimbursement.

"She was under the impression for some reason that it was permissible," he said.

So, Russell KNEW about the booze... but then claims he DIDN'T RECALL whether he "SAW SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE LAS VEGAS TRIP EXPENDITURES?"

Russell, HIMSELF, according to the newspaper, SAID HE DOES NOT RECALL WHETHER HE SAW THE DETAILS OF THE LAS VEGAS TRIP EXPENDITURES.

It's not JUST that Russell lies... but that he does it so badly.

So, Jon... here ya go. Keeping you off message has been easy because you give me so much raw material to work with.

Jon has made great strides in Washougal since our former Mayors’ departure: he has cut property taxes, implemented a new whistle blower protection policy, passed E-verify to keep tax payer contracts from going to illegal aliens, and deregulated small businesses to help them create jobs.

See, it's this kind of idiocy that provides just another element of the many into the flawed make up of a megalomaniac who thinks he's actually accomplished anything.

The "strides" this clown has made is to continue to use the people and government of Washougal as a campaign prop.

Sellers made Russell pee his pants. Russell had ample opportunity to put a stop to all of this, and instead, what did he do? Did he go public? Did he contact the AG?

No. He did nothing.

Look, Jon... I get that I smacked you silly in my letter to the editor in The Reflector. I get that had to hurt. But no one made you become an incompetent political mercenary who would sell out any conservative principles for a pay check, like you did when you worked for the Port.

You did that on your own.

Sooooo, keep lying, stud. And I'll keep beating you like a rented mule.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.
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New PDC complaint filed against Russell.

As pointed out earlier, Jon Russell continues to violate the PDC laws by failing to file his campaign reports electronically.

I find that unacceptable and a pattern of behavior troubling in what is a responsible elected official sworn to uphold the laws of this state. As a result, CCP (me) has again filed an additional complaint against Russell for failing to meet the requirements to file electronically since he again filed manually.

Transparency is supposed to be more then a catch phrase. The entire point of reporting donations and expenditures is to let those interested who actually have given... and received... campaign funds.

Candidates should do everything they can to let the world know who is supporting them with their money. Continuing to deliberately violate PDC rules is not the way to make that happen.

Russell's lie of the day: he is STILL claiming a degree; this time an "AA"

So, when this blog broke the story that Russell was lying through his teeth when it came to the issue of having a degree... ANY type of degree... we had this first:

Education Info

College:

• Thomas Edison State
• AA- Political Science

Then, after he was busted by the paper in addition to me, he switched to this:

And NOW, it says:

Of course, he still hasn't changed his campaign website, leading the casual believer to first, think he's got a degree, and second, think that degree is actually a Bachelor's degree.

It is this kind of thing that Americans feel is so despicable in politics today. And the problem, of course, is that when a politician is deliberately misleading as a part of his campaign, how can anyone believe they won't be as misleading or more if they're elected?

We don't need to look beyond Jaime Herrera as an example. She lied to the commissioners; lied about not wanting any other job, lied about her job with McMorris; lied about fund raising for Bush, and the people behind her appointment, which had nothing to do with the process, knew all that and it made no difference to them. They wanted a puppet they could control... and they got one.

And what did we get for that?

Someone who sold us out for the SEIU. Someone who who sold us out to the democrats to help them vaporize $229 million. Someone who moronically believes that Brian Baird was beyond criticism. A clueless, vapid, waste of time who only has one concern: herself.

Russell exhibits many of those same characteristics.

Yeah, I know: the specifics are different. But the underlying motivations are the same.

Otherwise, Russell would have no reason to lie... a series of lie that indicate to me that he is afraid we'll see the real Russell.

Well, I've seen it. And that's why I don't want him elected to anything that will impact me.
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As expected, Russell continues to break the law.

So, Russell filed his C-3... and did it manually, in continuing violation and disrespect of the law.

In an era where transparency among candidates is a vital component, Jon Russell continues to violate the law and do everything he can to obfuscate where he's getting his money FROM, and what he's using it FOR.

Here's a screen capture of his filed paperwork heading: (The total amount he's raised is around $12,000, more or less.)


Below is a screen capture of an electronically filed C-3.



Some people might ask: "What difference does it make, one way or the other?"

Besides the fact that it's the law, you mean? Here's the difference: Jon Russell's campaign has raised, as I said, $12,000, more or less. But if one were to go to the usual method of determining how much money a campaign has raised or spent, in the case of Jon Russell, because he's filing manually, here is what you would see today:



What you see is that Jon Russell has, according to the data base, raised $9,024.73... the figure off his last C-4, dated June 10. So, using Russell's method of choice, you have to manually access each of his C-3's and add them up to determine how much money he has raised. When you file these numbers electronically, the database is updated almost instantly.

The problem is that as I've stated, Russell has, in fact, raised around $12,000. In short, he's raised 25% more than the system actually reports.

This is not, in my opinion, accidental. Russell knows he is required by law to report utilizing electronic methods, via computer, instead of manual systems, via fax or mail. He knows this.

The PDC sent out an email REMINDING everyone that if you intend to spend $10,000 or more, whether you've raised that amount or not (The question being only if you INTEND to spend that kind of money) that if you INTEND to spend that kind of money, you MUST file electronically.

Russell continues to chronically break the law for reasons only he knows. But know them he does; his violations of election law are deliberate and willful, not that "ignorance of the law" provides him with any excuse.

Russell dumps the "Fact Check" link off his FaceBook.

Well, it appears at least SOME common sense has prevailed for Russell, and it seems he's gotten rid of the incredibly stupid link that draws attention to some of his multiple lies, the bizarrely named "Fact Checking The Web."

The link, located on his campaign FaceBook page, actually drew ATTENTION to his lies. I, of course, blew it up like a balloon:

Jon, didn't I learn you better'n that that? Russell starts his OWN blog and the lies keep coming!

Unlike Russell, who lacks the guts to link to this blog, I freely and actively will link to his:

It's called Fact Checking The Web.

Now, how do I know it's Russell's? That's easy:


So far, it's possessed of a single post. In preparation of destroying it, I offer it here, unabridged and unedited.

Now, instead of that particular bit of idiocy wherein the first thing people saw under his picture was a link to his incredibly lame effort to attack me and misrepresent the issues and the truth, we get this:

It used to have something quite different.

The fact is that Sarah Palin said it best:

No matter how much lipstick you put on the pig.... it's still a pig.
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Will Russell continue to violate PDC law? Stay tuned!

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As regular readers know, there is no lie or exaggeration that Jon Russell won't tell about himself... or his fake doctor wife.

But what most don't know is that Russell has been violating the Public Disclosure Commission rules and laws since the first time he filed.

You see, if you, as a candidate, intend to spend over $10,000 on your campaign, you are required by law to file electronically, so the information in question is readily available by searching the records database.

Russell knows this. Clark County Politics has filed numerous PDC complaints against Russell, the same guy who took an oath to uphold the laws of this state when he was sworn in as a Washougal City Councilman... the same laws that he so cavalierly violates every day he runs for an office that will enable him to both bail on the people of Washougal and on his family shortly after his wife gives birth to their 3rd child... all so he can go up to Olympia, and then around the district and the whole area playing the role of big shot.

The PDC's immediate response was to send out this email to ALL candidates:

From: Jennifer Hansen [mailto:jennifer.hansen@pdc.wa.gov]
Sent: Thursday,June 24, 2010 5:32 PM
Subject: PDC Filing Reminder - Weekly C-3s
Importance: High

A filing reminder from the PDC for 2010 candidates and their treasurers:

....

Mailed reports are filed when they are postmarked; electronically filed reports are filed when they are transmitted. E-filed reports can be submitted 24 hours a day. Any candidate may e-file contribution and expenditure reports, candidates who spend or expect to spend $10,000 must e-file their reports.*

A review of Russell's file indicates that he's raised a little over $11,000, which means that there is no excuse for failing to file electronically instead of manually via fax or mail.

Why does a serving elected official break the laws of this state? It's because he does not care. It's because he has no respect for the law. The irony of a law-breaker trying to scam people into making him into a law MAKER is just too hard to miss.

EVERY DAY that goes by, Russell is breaking the law. That makes his contempt for the law obvious.

And that is just another of the many reasons why he's unfit to hold ANY elective office.

By close of business today, Russell is required to file any C-3 (campaign donation) and any C-4 form (Campaign deposit and expenditures) electronically.

How much do you want to bet that, once again... this scofflaw will break the law and file manually... if at all?
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Will this be the second reason Rossi loses?

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It doesn't take a genius to figure out that 2010 will be a GOP year. The fringe left nutjobs running government at the state and federal levels are doing everything they can to get the dems crushed in the upcoming election.

That said, one of the more troubling aspects for the GOP is the unbelievable arrogance establishment candidates like Dino Rossi and Jaime Herrera typically show.

Herrera, who fired the LA she acquired when she got the appointment in 07 because she was "too old," has been the epitome of arrogance. Of course, having an interfering Godfather type like McMorris around to drag her to the finish line doesn't help in that regard, nor does her almost mythical ability to be given everything she's received instead of actually going out and earning it. Herrera, like Rossi, have become legends in their own minds. They see themselves as being unstoppable.

This, however, is Washington State. And their is no sure thing. Herrera's leftist tendencies verified when she moronically told the Columbian:

“Not once have you heard me criticize Brian Baird’s performance in Southwest Washington,” she told the editorial board. “Linda Smith and Baird both have an independent streak.”

As if Baird hadn't done volumes of things worth not only "criticising" but condemning outright; when combined with her "Guardian of the SEIU" status and her help gladly given to the leftists to rip off the last $229 million out of the state emergency fund.... these are the kinds of things that make genuine Republicans cringe at the very idea of a closet leftist like Herrera getting elected to dog catcher.

Rossi, of course, has the same types of problems based on HIS "anointed" status.

As a rule, over-arching arrogance isn't an attractive reason to vote for someone.

Rossi's first horrific mistake based on arrogance was his failure to announce back in February. That allowed the fringe left to use him as a pinata while he couldn't answer; it gave Murray the opportunity to raise additional millions unencumbered by having high profile competition and it kept Rossi from getting a 4 month head start on his own fundraising needs... his bogus "he raised $600,000 in a week!" crock notwithstanding.

Now, his second mistake built out of arrogance: blowing off the grass roots in the guise of the Tea Party.

Why Dino Rossi isn't courting the tea party

The GOP front-runner skipped the movement's forums, but that likely won't hurt his chances in the 2010 election.

By Jim Brunner

Seattle Times political reporter

BELLINGHAM — At Whatcom Community College's Syre Auditorium last week, the passion of the conservative tea-party movement was on full display.

More than 400 people packed the candidate forum sponsored by the Bellingham Tea Party, cheering raucously for Republican U.S. Senate candidates Clint Didier and Paul Akers as they one-upped each other with calls to chop the federal government down to a size the Founding Fathers might recognize.

The evening had all the flavor of the conservative insurgency that has become this year's popular national political narrative — a tide that has washed away establishment GOP candidates in Utah, Kentucky and Florida in favor of fiery tea-party-backed rivals.

And yet there was one crucial absence: Republican front-runner Dino Rossi, who spent the day at a Spokane Republican women's luncheon. It was the second big tea-party forum he has skipped in recent weeks

More:

One of the things you learn in this business is that there are, in reality, two elements to a successful election.

The first, of course, particularly in a contested primary with a relatively low turn out coming up, is to provide people with reasons to vote for you. At this point, as far as I can tell, the only reason to vote for Rossi is that he's Rossi.

That's not nearly good enough for me, at least, and I will not be voting for Rossi. I'm long since the stage in my life where I find "settle for" votes to be acceptable.

The second, and easily the "as important" aspect of elections is to not provide people with reasons to vote against you.

Locally, the best example of that truism is Jon Russell, whose consistent lies and exaggerations, combined with his use of Washougal city government as a campaign prop along with his avoidance of responsibility for the many times he's screwed up as a councilman has provided thousands of people with many reasons to blow past him on the ballot.

Rossi, on the other hand, heaps scorn on the Tea Party by acting as if they didn't exist.

Well, here's a clue: those of us supporting the Tea Party issues DO exist. And if he goes to the general... he will need each and every one of those votes... and he won't get them.

Yeah, yeah.... I've seen the polling. But we live in a state as deep and darkly blue as downtown Moscow when it comes to election results.

Does ANYONE believe that if he gets to the general, Rossi will win in a blowout?

I'm not convinced he can win or will win by any number. But does anyone think it isn't going to be close?

I will be among the percentage of those who will not vote for Rossi under any circumstances. That percentage may be small... but it will be there.

And that, like this moronic delay in announcing, will be the fault of the arrogance of Rossi.

Cross Posted at Dino Rossi Watch, Jaime Herrera Watch and Jon Russell Watch.
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The Russell Lie of the day: Jon STILL says he "finished his degree."

Even after proof he lied about his degree is provided both by this blog and the local paper, Jon Russell STILL has not changed his refurbished (from congressional to state representative) web site.

This is the image of his campaign website when all of this broke... and it's the image still there, even though Russell doesn't even have an AA degree and CERTAINLY does not have a 4 year degree.

Jon, you were caught lying. You are STILL lying. Isn't it time to stop?

Don't the people of Washougal deserve better? Or have you forgot about them already as anything but a campaign prop?

Another nail in Russell's political coffin: Vancouver Business Journal names Rivers "Republican front runner."

So, in addition to Russell's veracity and integrity problems, the Vancouver Business Journal has named Ann Rivers as the "Republican front runner."

From this article:

New names, new faces
Candidates look to join SW Washington's state legislative delegation

BY PAUL LEONARD of the VBJ

July 9th, 2010

With the primary campaign season just beginning, only one thing seems certain: whatever the outcome, in at least two key state races, Southwest Washington's legislative delegation in Olympia will get some new blood.

....

In the contest to replace Herrera, who is currently making a run for Congress in the Third Congressional District, Republican front runner and small business owner Ann Rivers hopes to make it through a broad field of GOP candidates to face the Democrat, Clark County Skills Center director Dennis Kampe.

"We've been down this road for six months," Rivers said. "It's almost like giving birth."

The owner of a public and government relations company since 1996, Rivers has based her campaign largely on business issues, advocating against what she called "onerous" regulations and taxes - in particular, the state's controversial Business and Occupancy levy on gross receipts.

"I'm fighting this idea that government can squeeze and squeeze businesses until they can't take it anymore," she said.

As in the race to fill Wallace's seat, the 18th Legislative District contest was overshadowed by a yawning state budget deficit and a persistently-high unemployment rate in many communities throughout Southwest Washington.

Kampe, the only Democrat appearing on this year's ballot in the district, told the VBJ last month he first considered running for the seat because of concerns about education. A fiscal conservative, Kampe looks to attract independent voters in this traditionally GOP-friendly district.

"I think Dennis is a pretty conservative guy," Probst said. "He's always described himself as a ‘Republicrat.'"

As of VBJ's press time, Rivers led with over $42,000 raised thus far, followed by Kampe with $16,495, according to PDC figures.

Rounding out the Republican field in the 18th District, Position 1, is Russell, Brandon Vick and Anthony Bittner, as well as independent candidates Jon Haugen and Richard Carson.

With turnout in Clark County expected to hit 35 percent, according to Clark County Elections supervisor Tim Likness, the election may hinge on who gets out more of their supporters to return their ballots, which will be mailed out July 28.

"It really comes down to how much effort the candidates put into it," Likness said.

Well, Rivers is, of course, the front runner and has been since she announced.

.

(Note to Probst: Kampe is no conservative. No one who actually believes we should indebt the people of Clark County $100,000,000 a year to build a bridge to give his union buddies temporary jobs at out expense is a conservative. You can call Moeller a "moderate" all you like, and that doesn't make it so... to put a point on it, "Republicrat" my ass.)

Nevertheless, when a publication like the VBJ uses a label like that, it's got to hurt the more delusional of candidates.

Right?

Cross posted to Clark County Politics.