DISQUS

Roy....Not sure myself so I'll defer to your anatomical expertise.

Dave: Did Doud audit the QM?

Oh yeah. I guess its another sleepless night for me.

Jese: Haven't you read the PT today? Norm Ryan was arrested for pilfering money from public coffers. Its true, sometimes good people do bad things.

After a full, sleepless night wrangling with this issue of fraud, I must concede that Laura Doud is correct....Fraud is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

This is such old news. The city did an audit in 2006 and all this stuff was reported to the city council and the foundation so why is everyone acting like its a suprise? The press telegram must have amnesia....oh, that's right....is anyone still around from back then?

Who were the insiders? JP was really cozy with the Mayor and nobody wanted to touch that. Nobody had the guts to stand up to him, and those that did, like Finance Director Robert Torrez, got slapped or run off. JP also had his master book-cooker, Bell, creating such such a mess of the books that no one could figure out where all the money was going. That's why its taken several years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to unwind.

You don't need to have kids to have been moved to tears by Dr. Heilbron's story. The reporters at the PT just don't capture this human element in their stories. I hope they run it again the next time an innocent kid is gunned down on the streets.

Dave, maybe you could help me out with a question that never seems to be raised when port profits are discussed (and this aint the first time). Doesn't the Port actually use a great deal of their profits (the 90%) as "security" for the bonds they issue to finance their mega- expansions? The multi-year cash flows and retained profits serve as a secondardy repayment source for the investors, who otherwise are paid routinely from fees and wharfage. It would seem that any threat to those cash flows would jeopordize the covenants and the bondholders could demand immediate repayment.

Imagine the turnout at the polls if voters had to sign their ballots and their votes were published. Good or bad, this country still respects a "silent" opinion, no more or less that that of a courageous journalist.

You, District, have provided a forum for the "wussies" of the world. If you feel their anonymity marginalizes their opinions or undermines others, then do like the PT does with Speakout...find a margin to put them in and don't engage. If you think your readers need a "bravery filter", kick anonymous comments off altogether. The fact that invited posters are labeled "wussies" will go a long way to "fix" this publication, too, if that's the way you want to go. This is sort of a fundamental, journalistic thing that should be defined by YOU, certainly not a bunch of wussies.

Like others, I have my reason for anonymity. Personally, I don't need or want filters. You appeal to a more thoughtful crowd who will consider the source, accuracy and content of comments and websites, anonymous or otherwise. To suggest that names are important suggests there are other, perhaps less objective, filters at play.

Dave is right about a couple of things. Passion on high-impact issues is important. Those who have it will make a difference and those who don't, won't. He says the SoLong site is only as strong as the people who stand behind it and since no on did, its dead....much like this anonymous post a nano-second from now. Neither is really worth recessitation.

If you really, really need to know, you have my name, as you require an email address to post. But I needn't post it on this one because this has nothing to do with what brave (and self-identified) people are doing on SEADIP, etc. My post deals with your overly generous advertisements for a website you don't find legitimate. Strange logic. The guerillas must be quite pleased, and in a strange turn of primate instinct, its us wusses who are scratching our heads.

Dave: You (and the PT) are letting curiosity get the best of you. Are you publicizing this site hoping someone else will crack the code? As a good investigative reporter, this must be getting frustrating but you (and the PT) are both starting to sound a little paranoid. Let it go already. The wussies aren't cheapening the legitimate complaints by constituents....you are by promoting this site.