ORIGINAL MONTHLY PRINT VERSION OF THE RENO CITIZEN STARTS HERE:
CITIZENS NEED POLICE
By Sam Dehné
All of the recent hullabaloo has been casting a lot of aspersions on a lot of good people in Reno... the Reno Police Force. No matter which side you take, it is important to correct the record and bring things back to center.
The [other] news media has made itself "obvious" as it has portrayed many events and issues in a manner that is less than unbiased. In fact, their bias has been so grossly obvious, it is actually hurting the people it thinks it needs to defend.
Unfortunately, good rank and file policemen have had to bear the brunt of all of this and sit idly by as their reputations have been questioned. This is always a very difficult situation to be placed in... taking, but not being able to respond.
And thus the call for a recall.
While the actions of a (hopefully) small group of cops has called attention to the possible need for a
police commission, this must not be allowed to detract from the fact that the typical grass roots cop is usually a good person who faces danger (and now bad publicity) just about every time she or he straps that holster on.
There is little question that when it gets down to the nitty gritty, if you are faced with dire danger... in the form of a robber, murderer, or other type of villain, or are having trouble on the road, the first number you are going to call will be 911. And when that officer arrives, he or she is the person who has to be brave.
Please, lets keep all of this in perspective as you read the paper, watch the TV news, or surf that ubiquitous world wide internet web...
The Reno
Citizen's BEST AND WORST OF RENO
1. Best Citizen's Rights attorney in Reno - Terri Keyser-Cooper.
2. Best Representative on city council - Judy Pruett.
2a. Best Fat Cat Representatives on city council (tie) - Jeff Griffin & Tom Herndon.
3. Best Campaign Billboard - There is no such thing.
4. Best National Guard unit in wrong venue - Nevada Air Guard (should be at Stead).
5. Best Local Internet Magazine - Electric Nevada, Find it at: www.newsnet1.com
6. Second Best Local Internet Magazine - The Reno Citizen (content makes up for style): www.renocitizen.com
6a. Best Local Internet Guide and Total Compilation of Everything Important and Interesting - Webitor World: http://webitor.com You have to read this!
7. Best cover-up story of the year - Reno Airport's attempted landgrab of Rewana Farms... under the guise of caring about noise in the area; when there are numerous other far noisier areas. This one isn't over yet. Stay tuned...
8. Worst Waste of USA taxes - $$millions and millions (thus far) on the landgrab of land in Rewana Farms. In one case the Reno Airport wasted over $150,000 buying a trailer. In another, so many of your tax $$dollars were thrown at renters that they were able to buy their own houses. The ultimate happy "campers".
9. Worst obvious blunder - The Reno city council's mocking response to a Citizen's Initiative request for an Airport Investigation that was actually a Dog & Pony show for those Airport personnel.
10. Best candidate for an Airport Authority trustee position who won't get on the Board - Sam Dehne (mostly Fat Cat stooges on this one).
11. Best newspaper column that usually tries to speak on behalf of the guy down the street - Cory Farley of the Reno Gazette.
12. Worst imitation of a City Council that cares about the typical average citizen guy down the street - Reno City Council.
13. Worst case of killing the golden goose - Reno's zest for (uncontrolled) growth.
14. Best case of a small city's carrying out a big city's duty. Sparks's call for a badly needed Grand Jury investigation of the entire Reno Airport. (Too bad it wasn't consumated.)
16. Best police chief who won't be a police chief - Jim Weston.
17. Worst case of arrogance - Reno Casino Airport Authority's (minus the "honest 3") refusal to listen to and heed any good advice...
Staff analyzed input from several sources to come up with this "list". What do you think?
ABOUT GRAND JURIES AND SUCH --- THANK YOU Reno Citizen AND SAM DEHNE... AND RENO CITIZENS
By Stephanie Chang & Phillipé Strong
If there is any doubt about who deserves credit for the long-overdue Grand Jury inspection of the Reno Airport (and who knows who else?), just check the last 2 years of The Reno Citizen Internet Magazine. Or check the minutes of Reno Airport meetings. Or check minutes and video tapes of the last year's Reno city council meetings. Or check the agenda of last year's mayor's race. You will see Sam Dehne's fingerprints all over the place.
The Reno Citizen staff, and its editor, Sam Dehne, spoke to and indoctrinated thousands of people in the community. They have been reporting on a myriad of improprieties for two years.
Dehne said that his interest was originally piqued 2 years ago when he learned that the Airport and the Nevada Air Guard (NAG) were in "cahoots" together in a scheme to replace the defunct RF-4 with a "preposterous" F-16 fighter jet mission. He said, "Not only was this too noisy and dangerous for downtown Reno, it was a giant job gobbler. If the NAG had gotten its wish, the F-16 mission would probably have eliminated 500 Air Guard jobs."
Dehne and some "folks down the street" citizens worked zealously to correct the NAG mission to the C-130. After more than a year, their efforts were rewarded when the NAG was ordered to forget the F-16 and accept the quieter and more practical C-130 cargo plane.
However, it turned out that citizen activist Sam Dehne's work was not finished. The Airport had for many years been working on a clandestine scheme for a landgrab of historic Rewana Farms. The Airport wanted to take over the NAG land and trade it for the land they would pirate away from citizens of Rewana Farms. When asked, Dehne said, "The evidence that has been collected to verify this plot is far too extensive to reveal in this article."
In the face of terrible odds, Dehne was able to rally concerned and tenacious citizens to fight the Airport's often clandestine efforts. Demonstrations, speeches, and general overall ingenuity helped, and now the Airport finds itself where it belongs - on its heals.
In the beginning though, the newspaper, the TV stations, and the legal and government authorities did not want to hear about any of this. "They not only didn't report it; they sometimes misreported it." But the charges of wrong-doings were so compelling... the evidence so overwhelming, that finally they could not be ignored. Now, even the Sparks city council has heard the pleas. "Eventually even Senators Reid and Bryan came to recognize the logic and patriotism of our efforts!", Dehne said.
A Grand Jury has been ordered."Let all citizens hope that it is an unbiased and fair investigation."
Suddenly, everyone wants to get on the bandwagon to take credit for uncovering the biggest Reno scandal of the past decade. But the real kudos and the thanks, must go to Sam Dehne and his compadres for their tenacity, and their fortitude, and their patience. Dehne says they were only doing "what was right..."
As the Rewanians theme song that he wrote chants: Airport Authority, Leave us alone!
Dehne asked that other citizens receive due credit, thanks, and kudos:
Glade Hall, the Barnett family, Jackie Decker, Lee Dazey, Grace Bukowski, Michelle Jackson and family, Dora Bath, Dennis Myers, Faith Bremner, Sue Voyles, John Stearns, Gil Wiekel, all brave Rewanians, Guy Felton. And also, the "honest 3 trustees" - Tina Manoukian, Dawn Gibbons, and Larry Martin.
Dehne further suggests that if the local Grand Jury refuses this one, the case should be taken to the Federal Grand Jury. And that there are at least two other agencies that deserve a place in the spotlight.
When you read about the Grand Jury findings in future months, remember where it all started... WWW.RENOCITIZEN.COM
"RENO CITIZENS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW." Sam Dehné
NEVADA CAMPAIGN QUIRKS
By George Pomberoy
On Sept 3, 1996 a rousing 20% of the citizens in southeast Reno went to the voting booth and conveyed a message to Reno government... a message of apathy. The numbers are staggering. The lead vote getter received an outstanding 6% of the available votes in his ward. Runner-up was slightly below that.
Another number: Out of more than 20,000 registered voters, some16,000 couldn't make it. They were too busy, too tired, too lazy, or just too fed up. How about this: The leading vote getter paid $40.00 per vote. Perennial candidate, Sam Dehne, paid only 11 cents per vote. At that rate, just $75 more would have given him the election...
Jessi Winchester for US Congress got more than 20% of the vote - campaigning from the BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK. Numbers on her cost per vote are not available, but it is likely they were at the lower end of the spectrum. One question in that "race" sticks out like a sore nose. How did Jessi go from 25% ahead in the polls to getting only 20% of the vote. Something is fishy...
The good news - it only took Dehne 15 minutes to take down his eleven little campaign signs. The bad news - it was not very nice for someone to kick 2 of his signs down on election night; along with his USA flag flying next to them.
Dehne has no proof, but he is suspicious that the 2 flats tires he received (one with a big nail stuck in the side of the tire) might have something to do with his avid support of the common people...
Winchester is so fed up with the Democratic machinery that she is now rooting for the Republican candidate, Jim Gibbons, and his wife, Dawn, to take up residence in Washington...
Open Letter to Susan Voyles,
Reporter, Reno Gazette Journal
Subject: Judy Pruett's Internet Homepage (25 Sep, '96)
By Sam Dehné
Thank you for your efforts to publish Reno city council issues. However, it is recommended that in the future, if any articles are written about Reno city councilwoman, Judy Pruett, that you publish the address of her world wide internet web site URL address, which is - http://webitor.com/pruett.htm
As a journalistic reporter, you know that for the public to understand the real meaning of a story, all aspects must be presented. By publishing Pruett's Homepage address, readers with internet access, will be able to read what she thinks of things. (You might check it out yourself. There is a lot of good stuff there.)
Reno needs good policemen. Reno has good policemen. They place their lives on the line... in the line of duty everyday. But an outside audit couldn't hurt.
CONTEMPT OF RENO CITY COUNCIL
Lisa Fromperly
Was Mr Bob White, the Director of the Reno Airport, amoral when it came to telling the truth to his bosses at the Reno city council Dog & Pony Show of 9 Sept, 1996?
The subject was mitigating and reducing airport noise at the source... the airplanes. Activist, Sam Dehne, with a citizens' mandate of petitions, had suggested that airliners at Reno be ordered to reduce power when safely airborne above 800 feet; thus reducing noise at the source, and alleviating the need for tax-gobbling landgrabs. This procedure has been used safely at California's Orange County Airport for many years.
White, who is an admitted airport expert and who knows better, told the Reno c.c. that Dehne's idea didn't hold water because at O.C. Airport the airliners are over the ocean when they reach 800 feet. This is absolutely not true.
The O.C. map, as Dehne pointed out, plainly shows that O.C. Airport is 5 miles from the ocean.
Again, the Airport (rather than being pro-active about reducing noise) fabricated a story to trick the c.c... apparently hoping to throw it off track. How does it continuously get away with this? Because their real agenda is to NOT REDUCE NOISE.
Reducing noise would reduce the need to pirate land away from innocent civilians at historic Rewana Farmlands.
And, folks, once again the Airport has proven that a landgrab attempt is what this is all about. It has no interest in alleviating noise pollution and blight committed against thousands and thousands of innocent citizens.
IT IS CONCERNED WITH A LANDGRAB... SO THE AIRPORT CAN EXPAND AND THE NEVADA AIR GUARD CAN BE MOVED TO REWANA FARMS. How many sweetheart construction deals are lurking in the dark background?
If it walks like a duck and quacks like deceit, it is a lie... The Reno city council cannot continue to ignore the evidence. Because aren't they rapidly becoming part of the big fabrication? The appointed Airport trustees "serve at their pleasure". They might try to, but they cannot run away from their responsibility.
OPEN LETTER TO RENO COUNCILMAN, TOM HERNDON, 9 -25-96 (condensed)
Dear Mr. Herndon:
You have stated on TV that you were (in effect) elected to fill the role of a police commissioner. Please explain what you mean by this.
As a police commissioner (in effect), how many alleged incidents of police misconduct have you investigated? Did you conduct formal hearings involving numerous pro and con witnesses?
Please inform the general public and Reno taxpayers how many law suits have been brought against the Reno Police Dept in the past 20 years. After voters approved funding for 88 additional police officers in 1988, were 88 new officers actually hired, trained, and put on the street... or was the approved funding used for other purposes; if so what purposes?
Are you comfortable with the procedures for hiring and training RPD personnel? Why do you not feel that everything possible should be done to retain Chief Weston, a very popular and competent police professional?
If you are unwilling to publicly address the foregoing in a responsible manner, let us agree that you should not see yourself as the equal of a true police commissioner in any way, shape, manner, or form.
A very concerned Reno citizen,
Guy Felton
(A former sworn peace officer in the State of New York... A member of the startup committee for the Reno Safety '88 Campaign... A former pro-police newspaper columnist... An advocate of integrity in law enforcement... An advocate for an elected Reno Police Commission.)
Internet address for full content of this letter is: http://webitor.com/twit.htm
Media are not to discuss this letter
only in part, or without clearly
stating its Internet address.
RENO'S NEW GENERATION AIRLINERS
By Erik Speigalmunch
Retired airline pilot, Ron Ryan, wrote that he was "astounded" that citizen activist, Sam Dehne, advocated Reno airport's use of Orange County airport noise mitigation procedures. His clever pun about comparing "oranges" and mountains notwithstanding, he ironically MAKES Sam's point - by saying that Reno is not among airports that can make these types of takeoffs -- unless the aircraft being flown are "new generation aircraft."
Guess what!
90% of the airliners being flown out of Reno are "new generation aircraft". Reno Air has MD-80/90s and Southwest Air has 737s. The rest of the airlines fly mainly these types of aircraft too.
We have an expert critic actually seconding Sam's motion...
If Mr Ryan had had the entire document that Sam presented to the Reno City Council, he would know that Sam was not recommending that Reno airport's noise restriction procedures be as stringent as O. C.'s. Whenever an airline could show that noise mitigation procedures would jeopardize safety, there would be an exemption. EVERY takeoff at O. C. airport has to follow strict noise guidelines or there are severe sanctions.
That issue was definitely controversial. But the proof is in the pudding. There has not been an accident or and incident in 15 years. And the citizens of O. C. are thankful to the judge who ordered the FAA and DOT approved procedures.
It is way past time for Reno's airport to be proactive on this. There is not enough money in the tax coffers to throw at all the noise polluted homes. Reno citizens have had enough of the Airport's dilly dallying.
Mitigate the problem at the source...
Channel 4 TV ATTACK ON JUDY PRUETT
By Rosalind Walksonbottom
Was the TV off the mark and full of hooey in its news report about Reno city councilwoman, Judy Pruett? She is a person on the c.c. who cares about the people. Could that be why the TV, the defacto mouthpiece for the Fat Cats, is trying to bring her down? Fact:
Pruett has shown support and respect for police time and again, when it is justified.
Her use of the word "thug" should have been reported in context with her statements about some specific incidents they were referencing:
1. her report that a suspect was roughed up in front of her house,
2. her indignation concerning an investigation of what she considered bogus charges brought against her for removing a person from HER OWN HOME,
3. her concern about police actions that exposed her to danger and threats on her life when they apprehended a suspected drug trafficker without getting evidence first, and then letting him go free so he could threaten Pruett's life,
4. and she was commenting on the wrongful death of a man who was gunned down by 18 unanswered police bullets fired into the man's home.
Many of these vital parts of the story were left out of the headlines by your report and that of the Reno Gazette.
Why did you leave out this part of the story? Why don't you report the whole story when a citizen advocate is the protagonist? Should you be obligated to tell the whole story on a regular basis?
Citizens respect police when they do their job of protecting life and property. But when they deviate outside of logical boundaries, citizens (and good police, themselves) scorn these actions.
We find your defacto support of a recall very upsetting...
cc, Reno City Council, Governor Miller, Senators Reid and Bryan, Chief Weston
Readers can find Pruett's viewpoints on the World Wide Web -- directly, or through Prodigy, America Online, or Compuserve at:
http://webitor.com/pruett.htm
Sam Dehné
CITIZEN GADFLY & CITIZEN AGITATOR, ASK:
1. A Grand Jury is supposed to inquire into "any and all matters affecting the morals, health, and general welfare of the inhabitants of a county, or of any administrative division thereof." This one didn't!
2. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Glenn Carano, is now quarterbacking the Airport Authority. Will he do something to correct the multitude of problems there? So far he has kept the old rubber stamp well inked...
3. How did Congress candidate, Mike Martin, get almost as many votes as the very popular Jessi Winchester? Hard-working Jessi was endorsed by almost every organization that did not have Fat Cats. Martin did very little and said very little. Ditto Spike Wilson. In France there is a word for this: "Mauvais Poisson" (pronounced moe-vay pwasaunt).
4. So now the Reno Gazette's Cory Farley is giving advice to the lovelorn. Go for it...
5. Isn't it strange that the only thing the Airport can try to defend (in Gazette editor letter) is its statement about police and a conjured-up gang/drug problem at Rewana Farms - bogus as that is by any standards?
And even then it was off the mark. The Gazette should not have backed down from its criticism of the Airport's nasty propaganda efforts.
6. Isn't the Airport (minus the "Honest 3") in effect dealing a fatal blow to the area around Rewana Farms? They are killing the residents (and neighboring citizens) with blight... Why did they chop down all the beautiful trees? How can you be a "willing seller" when the Airport bureaucracy is destroying the land around you?
7. World Wide Internet Web Site "hits" on The Reno Citizen are increasing all the time.
8. The best campaign sign award (if there possibly could be such a thing) goes to Nevada Assembly candidate, Ray "the whistle- blower" May. Nicely done, and not too many of them.
9. Why do American tax payers have to subsidize supposedly private Air Races every year? The waste of $$hundreds of thousands of dollars of citizens' taxes on military shows at civilian functions has got to be stopped...
10. President Clinton said in his speech to America that, "Americans have the right to protect their most valuable asset... their homes!" Take note, Airport Authority.
11. Why are important Nevada govt political figures calling a member of Reno's City Council telling her to lay off the Reno airport issue... that it is "too far over their head"?
12. What is so important about the Rewana Farms landgrab that has gotten top politicos throughout northern Nevada running? Have $$multi-million dollar building contract sweetheart deals already been given to contractors? A rumor also has it that the Airport might be responsible for a terrible contamination spill under the civilian properties and they want to take the land away from the owners before it is discovered.
13. The issue is so hot that both of Nevada's United States senators are staying away from it like the plague. U.S. Senators usually know when it is prudent to protect themselves...
14. Is the reason that most of the Reno City Council and its legal staff refuse to address the problem... because they are part of the problem?
15. Hurricanes: Someone asked, "Is that Hortense? No, but she is nervous..."
16. Soon to be former Reno city council member, Jim Pilzner, says that the Reno c.c. has no authority to correct the myriad of problems and irregularities taking place at the Reno Airport... What? Where is that airport located? Right in downtown Reno!
Who appoints 4 of its 8 members? Reno c.c.! What is the address on its envelope? Reno, Nevada!
17. The Reno-Casino city council's Dog & Pony Show of 9 Sept, that was supposed to address a Citizen's Initiative, was a farce. Citizen Gadfly, who initiated the work shop was not even on the agenda. And was not even noticed of the meeting. So much for govt in Reno...
17a. What actually happened was that the Airport people were basically given carte blanche to present their points. But, guess what, they dug themselves a deeper hole with their quibbling and prevarication. Rewana citizens said more of substance (and honesty) in their 20% of the time than the Reno Casino Airport cronies said in their 80% of the time.
17b. Citizen Gadfly was given 3 minutes to present his points - while the Reno Casino Airport personnel (who WERE specifically noticed of the meeting) were given almost two hours to speak. They even showed up with their paid (bribed?) stooges who told how happy they were to turn a nifty profit on the landgrab. Nowhere was it mentioned that profit was paid for by, you, the American taxpayer...
18. Is there enough evidence for an investigation of the Airport by an intelligent Grand Jury? You bet!
19. There were so many areas for the Grand Jury to investigate at the Airport that it should have been hard to know where to start. Two ancillary problems that should not have been overlooked are a) the outlandish pay and perks that AAWC trustees are given, and b) the subterfuge that AAWC staff uses by labeling important agenda items in a way that the public has no idea what is being agendized. How could they say, "Nothing"?
19a. It is the preponderance of evidence of wrongdoing that should have been looked at...
19b. Sure the Airport wanted to know if their phones were bugged. Look at what they were up to... If someone found out, wouldn't they be in deep kimshee?
20. If Sparks really wanted data and evidence to excite its Grand Jury, they should have looked at the past dozen issues of The Reno Citizen... or the minutes of Sam Dehne's lectures at the past year's AAWC meetings... or the current lawsuit that has been filed by Rewanians' attorney, Glade Hall.
21. If you were the wife of a person with United States Congressional aspirations, wouldn't you be a little concerned about how a Grand Jury investigation might have impinged upon his chances? Give her credit for her convictions...
22. Should people making decisions about airlines be given free (sometimes first class) ticket kickbacks by those airlines? Absolutely NOT!
23a. Don't the high salaries paid to these appointed Airport people amount to a form of bribery?
24. Even the Center for Disease Control is reading The Reno Citizen (probably on the WWW Internet). And they are heeding Citizen Gadfly's advice from a year ago when we recommended that rodeo riders (especially bull riders) wear helmets... instead of cowboy hats. It only makes sense. 37% of bad rodeo injuries come from bull riding. Riders object to this life saver...
25. What happened to Dennis Myers? Since sitting in at the Reno city council Dog & Pony show of 9 Sept, he seems to have a new attitude. Brave and tenacious Rewanians are not "their own worst enemies". And he knows it... They were purposely left off the notification list (while the Airport had time to line up dozens of stooges.) Shame on him for blaming them for the city council's rudeness.
25a. Myers heard the lies and quibbling that went on at the Dog & Pony show. Why didn't he write about that? Myers used to be a staunch supporter... because he knew they were right. His tenacious reporting helped initiate the close scrutiny of the Airport's devious activities. What's going on?
26. The only fair and realistic way to conduct a police popularity survey is to do it so citizens are guaranteed anonymity...
27. Nobody has more respect for the police, and the often dangerous job they are sworn to do, than Citizen Gadfly and The Reno Citizen!
28. Never before has the use of one word caused so much turmoil in the city of Reno...
29. You can bet there will not be a government shutdown this year. It is election time. The bad publicity of a shutdown right now would allow challengers to "catch up" to the incumbents...
30. What does the TV ad mean when it says facial "makeup sets in 60 seconds"? Not a pretty thought...
31. A full-blown recall attempt will cost $70,000. Who will pay for it?
32. More baseball players had great seasons this year than any time in history... Not the pitchers though. Statistics that would have stood out in any past year, were lost in the plethora of recording setting feats.
33a. Do you like a 1 to nothing game, or a 13 to 12 game? The owners must have thought the latter -- as they obviously allowed the ball to be "juiced up" in an attempt to bring fans back... relatively successfully.
34. If you haven't gotten it yet, there are 3 Airport trustees, the "Honest 3", who have recognized the truth and are trying to do what is right for historic Rewana Farms... and Reno citizens.
35. The Reno Casino Airport Grand Jury decision is reminiscent of the O.J. jury. In just 2 hours they decided there was nothing wrong at the Airport. Not! Who is on this jury, anyway?
36. Did top United States govt officials really help supply tons of dope to drug dealers in Southern California? If so, it has to be one of the most despicable outrages ever perpetrated against Americans... by Americans.
Check out previous months' issues here!
September 1996, Vol.2, Number 9
August 1996, Vol.2, Number 8
July 1996, Vol.2, Number 7
June 1996, Vol.2, Number 6
May 1996, Vol.2, Number 5
ESPECIALLY THIS ONE!