STRANGER: Throughout history there have been many inquisitions. In the 1400s in France it was "Are you a witch?" In Germany it was aimed at the Jews. McCarthy was looking for Reds--in government, in Hollywood, or under your bed at night.
At The Stranger the latest charge is "Have you now or have you ever asked any hard questions about the validity or wisdom of the monorail?" They have been sleuthing the community for [the] names of people who haven't accepted the monorail as the Transportation Answer.
The Stranger, which has recently been disclosed to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the Elevated Transportation Company, has been an unabashed and relentlessly uncritical mouthpiece for the monorail.
Consider their most recent article, "Questioning Monorail: Conlin's Forum Lets Monorail Foes Sound Off" [Rachel Joy Larris, July 25]. Their accusation [is] that City Council Transportation Chair Richard Conlin convened a public forum in which he "let monorail foes sound off." This means that prior to the council rubber-stamping the ETC's $2 billion monorail proposal, he allowed citizens to raise questions at a public hearing. The article went on to say, "City Council Member Richard Conlin hosted a July 18 forum at Seattle Center that, according to wary predictions from monorail advocates, seemed set up as an anti-monorail venting session. Indeed, heading into the forum, monorail campaign leader Peter Sherwin questioned the need for a city council member--particularly a council member like Conlin, who has been hostile to the monorail in the past--to hold a monorail forum."
Please, could someone point out to the chorus line at The Stranger that the above does not constitute journalism? First of all, Richard Conlin has not come out against the monorail. More importantly, it is his job and the job of every member of the city council to question the monorail. Remember, a billion here and a billion there, and all of a sudden we are talking about real money.
It gets worse. "Ultimately, monorail supporters say they don't specifically have a problem with Conlin hosting meetings, as long as he doesn't hold any after the ETC's plan is finalized on August 5." In other words, you can ask questions up to the point that there is a proposal from ETC, but after that, no more scrutiny. Does this mean that there can be no discussion of the proposal during the campaign this fall, when a voter is being asked whether to tax himself/herself an average of roughly $200 a year over a 25-year period? Can real reporters from other papers ask questions? Most importantly, is the city council allowed to ask any questions after a proposal is sent to them?
Now maybe I am sounding a bit uncomfortable about the latest Red Scare, but there have been rumors floating for months about my transportation orientation. I have been reported to be seen in anti-monorail bars, wearing metal jewelry in odd places. Well I want to set the record straight--when I see an attractive woman in an anti-monorail T-shirt, I take notice!
I returned to my office this week to find the following missive from The Stranger:
"This is a request under the Public Disclosure Act, RCW 42.17. I would like to view all electronic communications between KC Councilmember Dwight Pelz or any of his staff with any of the following parties, with regard to the ETC's forthcoming monorail plan: Bill Bryant, Rick Wals, Tim Hatley, Tim Ceis, Richard Conlin, Sara E. Nelson, Richard Borkowski, and Heidi Wills.
Josh Feit
News [gag] Editor
The Stranger"
I break out into a sweat. How will I tell my wife? How will the kids eat? I will never again be able to work in this town.
I know. I'll just name names. Josh, I also received e-mails from Henry Aronson. You know, the guy who has been asking such unethical questions as, "How much will the monorail cost?" (A question a newspaper or a reporter might ask.)
The Stranger is incredible. They roast Sound Transit and go sloppy over the monorail. Their journalistic creed must be, "The press never asked hard questions about Sound Transit before they went to the ballot. We are going to ask hard questions about the monorail before it goes to the ballot."
Josh, you're not a journalist, you're a cheerleader. I just hope you are wearing shorts under that cute skirt of yours!
Dwight Pelz, via e-mail
JOSH FEIT RESPONDS: Thanks for answering that public records request, Dwight; it showed that Conlin staffer Sara Nelson attended a meeting at lobbying firm Gogerty Stark Marriott organized by anti-monorail activist Tim Hatley. So, while Conlin was holding a supposedly objective monorail forum, his office was meeting behind closed doors with anti-monorail strategists.
That same records request showed that your office was strategizing with Tim Hatley to use your public office to undermine the ETC's revenue forecasts. Maybe you should tell your wife that you're using taxpayers' money to do the bidding of private anti-monorail activists.
DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS: In last week's issue, we misspelled Michelle Pailthorp's name in our obituary column [Obits, Clark Humphrey, Aug 8]. We regret this dumb error, and offer our apologies and condolences to Ms. Pailthorp's survivors.
