Message Received:

"Hi, it's________calling and I think you're the [one] doing all that good work in Toledo and...I just wanted to say 'More Power to You' and how brave of you and how good of you to put that energy into what you're doing. I've worked with people and I know people who have really suffered because of what you're saying the attitude and ...the lack of ethics [are] and good for you for trying to clean it up--for CLEANING it up! I just wanted to say that. Thanks"

THANK YOU to people who know what the issue really is! THANK YOU to persons from all political parties and positions of influence who agree that ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY. And a special THANK YOU to those who don't ask "Why are you getting involved in this?" We are all involved whether we like it or not. Government exists only with the consent of the governed. Those who ignore the issues facing us because they "don't want to get involved" will have some explaining to do later. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

Suggestion from a Good Person...

Current news about the conflict in Iraq is running about 8-1 negative to positive. It seems to be a driving force in journalistic fields to focus on the negative. This web log (BLOG) is doing the same thing. It was pointed out today that attention should be given to the good things going on around our little hamlet. Therefore here's some KUDOS for TOLEDO:
Nice looking fence around the police department. Very professional!
Congratulations to the Library for their surprise donation. It couldn't happen to nicer people anywhere on the planet We love our Library, staff, volunteers and programs.Great job, folks!
The public works people are ALL OVER with this road project. They must be absolutely worn out at the end of the day, but they are creating something of lasting value and our grandchildren will thank them for it!And we do, too!
The Mayor and Council are giving up their evenings and free time to listen to citizens whine and moan and ask questions. It probably isn't alot of fun and the pay is lousy. They deserve our thanks for their willingness to serve. Alot of business takes place at the City Council and we thank them for keeping the bills paid and the water running. (We still have questions, though.We promise to be polite.)
Alot of people think the cottage stone walls are ugly, but they get the job done in a cost-efficient manner. We are all for saving government money, so thanks to whoever made that decision. Who knows? We may become the "Town of StoneWalls"--no pun intended!
The friendly folks down at City Hall who handle all the details of bills and licenses and permits and accounts and records are always cheerful. Dedicated, too. They catch a lot of the barbs of outraged citizens and always respond in a patient, helpful manner. (And they almost always have goodies on the counter and they will share if you ask nicely.)
And the quiet unassuming D.I. who keeps the city buildings sparkly clean and polishes the chrome on the drinking fountains so you never have to wonder who was there last. You're a good man, D.I.!

We don't know anyone, personally, who "hates" any one of our public employees.We do know citizens, however, who are eternally vigilant and dedicated to keeping the process of government open and accountable. When the public employees do the absolute best they can and follow the proper and professional conduct we expect, we have no complaint. Those of you doing so--keep up the good work. Those of you who need to make corrections in your operations--just DO IT!

Oh, come on, Terry!

Daily Rants? Terry Dillman of the Snooz-Times said that The Watchdog is posting daily rants. Oh, come ON! This is an editorial opinion page. Ranting is not in our nature. Well, not DAILY ranting at least. Thanks to all you folks who stop by to see what's happening at Watchdog Headquarters. We intend to earn your trust. We won't engage in malicious gossip, name calling or false accusations. Questions are being asked and they won't go away. The response to this effort has been quite amazing. On which side will you find yourself when the dust settles? If you're not asking the tough questions, maybe you should be!

And by the way, there were no "harsh words" exchanged at the Wednesday night council meeting last week. It was all one way. Ask any council person.

HOW DO WE DO THIS, ANYWAY?

Thanks to Oregon's Open Meeting Laws and Public Information laws, the information we are receiving is all legally available from various sources. Once in a while, if the "Big Wigs" in City Government want to make things difficult, a "Freedom of Information" request must be made. Eventually--and they can delay things if they want to--the information must become public. It would be nice if we didn't have to do this. It would be marvelous to wake up tomorrow morning, as a friend says frequently, and just find out that ALL GOVERNMENT PRACTICES ARE SUDDENLY OPEN, ETHICAL, and ABOVE BOARD. Wouldn't that be a happy day! Just like pulling up the white plastic sheet on a "Magic Slate!" Local Government could just start over and say, "You know, I really am not sleeping very well at night. These darn WATCHDOGS are driving me nuts! I'm just going to change my way of doing things and clear all this mess up!" For those who would like to visit an important website for us Citizen Journalists, go to www.filinginoregon.com which is the site of the Oregon Corporation Division. Did you know that the registry of assumed business names was designed to prevent fraudulent businesses from operating in the state? This open and tranparent process allows any citizen to find out who the person is doing business as "Investments in Cancun" for example. Or "Doughboy's Military Surplus" or "Denison Enterprises". Those last two aren't real. People just think they are. See why we need the law?

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Within forty-five minutes of the REWARD posted about Transportation Systems, Inc., we had clear and concise information that the company is registered in Oregon, but not with that name. It may be a large company with subsidiaries, one of which is TS, Inc. As of this morning at 8:30am the name did not appear on the Corporation Business Registry, but by 10:00 am it DID! Amazing! (A person can register on-line with a credit card and update the business registry just that quickly) So the Watchdog is wondering if someone got suspicious that we were checking into that lead? Maybe someone doesn't want to lose a VERY valuable Commercial Driver's License. Was it the call made to "Jimmy" yesterday that did the trick? Hmm? By the way, the tipster chose to return the reward money to The Watchdog to keep up the investigative reporting. Thanks, "tipster"! You might want to get your own blog! Join us in the Citizen Journalism movement.

A CHALLENGE GOES OUT

The Watchdog will pay $50 to the charity of your choice if anyone out there can send us direct confirmation that a company called "Transportation Systems, Inc." of Beaverton, Oregon is a company legally registered to do business in Oregon. Nobody here at Watchdog Headquarters has been able to find such evidence."Transportation Systems, Inc." was paid $5,100 to ship surplus government equipment to Toledo from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.Send information via e-mail to toledowatchdog-at-charter-dot-net or snail mail it to Post Office box 760, Toledo, Oregon 97391. You can send it to us anonymously if you wish, but give us the name of the charity you wish to honor. First person in with the information requested wins the prize. Good luck! Results will be posted here.

PLAY NICE!

Nothing can be gained by drawing conclusions about people's motives. A reasonable person will sit back and observe for a while. The Watchdog wants to hear opposing views.We want to generate some new ideas and new ways of thinking about the political climate in our community. Ignoring vital issues and quashing dissent does not lead to optimal outcomes. A little humor thrown into the mix of ideas is a good way to help with this process. A great article about just this issue was recently printed in a British newspaper: http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,16988764-5001033,00.html

There's a lot of humor surrounding us if we take the time to discover it. Visit this site to have a little dose of good-natured jibing: http://aviewoftoledo.blogspot.com

If we respond to questions and concerns by attacking the messenger, nothing is really gained. It only illustrates the problem. It confirms the existence of a culture of intimidation and control down at City Hall. Citizen Journalism allows the message to be played out in the open forum. Anyone who wants to join this "blogger revolution" is welcome. Click on the Blogger link on this page and you can set up your own blog within thirty minutes. It's free. Join the debate. If you disagree with the points of view expressed by The Toledo Watchdogstart your own blog and e-mail us your link. We'll link back to you so you can share your ideas. Let's be fair and friendly with one another. Let's agree to disagree. Let's focus on solutions. Let's play nice.

OPEN GOVERNMENT FOR TOLEDO

The citizens of Toledo need an open government. Stonewalling and coverups should not be a part of our small community. Personal attacks and the attribution of malign motives to citizens who politely approach the Council for information are not acceptable. The Watchdog will not engage in such behavior.

The questions will not "go away" just because the Mayor and Council want them to "go away." We only want answers. We have no hidden agenda.

The City Government leaders do not feel obligated to provide documentation to the people of this community regarding funding streams, health and safety issues regarding youth programs, program costs and expenses for government surplus programs or records of business and financial dealings of a certain Toledo official. We are brushed off and told to “Go Away.” Because of our questions and concerns, we are accused of being a party to political destruction, or that certain citizens, longtime proponents of youth activities in Toledo, simply wish to destroy a specific program for youth. This is absurd. When citizens make a polite request, City officials are taking these questions as a personal affront. This is a dangerous role for government to play. The founding fathers stated many times that “eternal vigilance is the price people pay for liberty.” We intend to pursue this matter to its conclusion and work to keep the government records accessible to the people. We want to see the records. We want to see the documents. We don’t want to be given the run-around.

BAD DOG!

The Watchdog is not an attack dog, regardless of what anyone may say. Instead of a snarling Rottweiler on the newspaper's masthead, we show a yapping little terrier. An ankle biter. Annoying? Yes. Loud? Sort of. Soft and cuddly? Yes, at times. Basically, a gentle, friendly little critter who will bark ferociously to warn people of threats. The threats that Toledo is facing come from a lack of diverse opinion--such as the ability to stand up and question the elected officials. The right to have SERIOUS questions answered by those officials. Yes, it might be embarassing to some. But the purpose is not to embarass. The purpose is to uncover the facts. Many people in this community are concerned about just these issues. The Watchdog speaks for them. The Watchdog does not speak for all as we are probably the first to admit. There are those who don't like dogs of any kind--snarling , yappy or otherwise. They want them to "GO AWAY." But we will continue to yap and bark and raise a warning until the questions are answered. Then we will go back to our warm little blanket and be happy and content.

HARDBALL QUESTIONS

Someone asked us to prepare a list of questions for Don Denison, confident that he would in fact answer any hard questions put to him. Here they are:


1. Why did you open a separate bank account outside the purview of the City Treasurer using the check for $2,740 from the ECCP for the Star Tech program?
2. Do you have any other checking or savings account for the Explorer Program or the Challenge Camp or any other youth programs that are held privately outside the review of the City Treasurer?
3. How many police, fire, army, sheriff, national guard, coast guard or navy personnel have actually attended SWAT training at the Denison Ranch?
4. When were these trainings held and where are the records of them having taken place?
5. How many students are enrolled in the Star Tech program in Toledo? When and where are the meetings held? Who is the instructor? Where is the sign-in sheet? How many attend on a regular basis? What exactly are they doing? How much does the instructor get paid? Who issues the check? And what is the cost per student for this program? How long have you used the Toledo facility?
6. How many students are enrolled in the Explorer Scout program? When and where do they meet? How many attend on a regular basis? Where is the attendance sheet? Who is the designated Scout leader? Is this program registered with the Oregon Trail Council? What is the cost per student on an annual basis? Where does the funding come from?
7. How many students attended the Challenge Camp at the Denison Ranch this year? Last year? The year before? Where is the record of the students? How much did the students pay to attend? What is the cost per student of this program? Where is the agreement signed by the City and Mr. Denison Sr. for the use of this facility? Did the city cover insurance for this site? If not, who did? What was the level of liability coverage? Did the City or County or any other outside agency ever inspect this site for safety? What were the results of that inspection? Is this program registered with the Oregon Trail Scout Council? Do all volunteer leaders have to pass a criminal background check before having access to the children? Are there records of these background checks on file? Are there any other permits that might be necessary for the operation of this program to ensure safety of the individuals attending? Have you researched this requirement?
8. Did you understand the requirements of the FEMA Emergency Grant? Did you receive any payment of wages, retirement or benefits during the time of writing the Emergency Plan? Where is the Plan? Who has seen it? Were other local agencies consulted as to their input for this Plan? Are you qualified to write such a Plan? Have you received any special training as an Emergency Preparedness consultant? Where is a record of that training? Who paid for it?
9. Is Denison Enterprises registered as an Assumed Business Name with the State Corporation division as is required by law? Were you aware of this requirement? Do you have a license to do business in the City of Toledo under the name Denison Enterprises? Were you advised that you needed to register with the State before your license could be approved? Have you registered any other businesses with the State of Oregon during the last ten years?
10. Did you request payment to be made for transportation of surplus property using the Explorer Scout Fund? Was this approved by the City Manager? Are you familiar with the structure of the so-called ”Forfeiture Fund”? Do you realize that the City Treasurer is under strict requirements from the Federal Forfeiture and State Forfeiture as to how those funds are utilized? Is that why funds were taken from the Explorer Scout Fund? How much was taken from the Explorer Scout Fund to use for transportation of surplus equipment? Was this money going to be paid back to the Explorer Program? Is there any justification for spending the money from the Explorer Fund on transportation of surplus?
11. What is the total number of items you have acquired from various government surplus programs? What is the estimated market value of these items? Can you provide a detailed inventory of this equipment with a listing of where exactly each piece is being held or stored? What percentage of the equipment you acquired is not repairable? What is the total cost to the city—using all funds from which transfers may have been made—for the transportation and repair of these surplus items? Are the items needed for implementation of an emergency plan stored above the anticipated high water mark? Are they all in running order? Have emergency personnel, including police and fire, been trained in their proper operation? When and where was the training held? If none has been held, is that training scheduled in the foreseeable future? Has each piece of equipment been designated with an appropriate use—such as terrorism, drug enforcement, emergency management, etc? Can you provide a written list of such designation? Can you obtain a written statement from the government agencies that provided this equipment that you or the City of Toledo do, in fact, have the inarguable right to dispose of any and all of this surplus equipment (with the exception of certain military-type equipment) after a certain time period has passed?

This list of questions will be submitted to the City Council tonight at the regular meeting, 7:00 pm at the City Council Chambers. The Council may need some help in formulating "hardball" questions. Maybe this will help.

"SOFTBALL GAME" CANCELLED!

It is raining pretty hard this morning, but that is not the reason the "Softball Game" on the Mayor's radio show was cancelled. Police Chief Don Denison was due to show up this morning. Somehow the "wires got crossed" and Don will be on a later show. Maybe. Meanwhile, we get to hear chuckles and happy thoughts about the Toledo Scarecrow Festival. The Mayor was probably hoping to lob some low pitches to the Chief about what a great job he was doing, how wonderful the Challenge Camp was this year, and all the hard work the Chief had performed for the City, and thank you very much. Tax-paying citizens, however, would have liked to hear some "Hardball" questions about the 1033 program, the FEMA Emergency Plan, the Registration of "Denison Enterprises, the fund transfers from the Explorer Scout program to transport surplus equipment, the SWAT team Training Facility in Harlan, and maybe even the secret "Explorer Bank Account" that nobody wants to talk about. No one can accuse the Chief of not being dedicated. He puts in long hours. He really wants to help the kids. What we question, and what we would like to see the Mayor and the majority of the City Council question is the "slushiness" of the Chief's assorted financial operations. So how about it City Council? Anyone want to bring these up? Let's "PLAY BALL!"

Two Cents' Worth

Comment from a THS student:

"What's with the retaining wall at "A" Street and Highway 20? Are all the walls along the roadway going to look like this? Excuse me, but it makes the town look like Disneyland!"


Thanks for your input!

FAMOUS QUOTATIONS

"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of power. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters"
Daniel Webster

"Things are seldom what they seem..."

Gilbert and Sullivan were masters of political satire. Their play "HMS Pinafore" poked fun at class distinctions and civil service. The title of this post is from one of their musical parodies. The Watchdog has been sniffing up some news for the citizenry today. As many of you know, questions are being asked about the 1033 Surplus Property program by some in the community and one lone Council Person. It came to our attention that funds had been expended from a fund called the "Explorer Scout Program" to transport the surplus property to Toledo. A request has been submitted to the City Manager for clarification of this question. We have not received an answer from the Manager's office yet. But it now appears that, in truth, the line item expenditures for transport surplus property did, indeed, come from that Explorer Scout Fund. It is not some nebulous "Explorer" program. It is in fact labeled "Explorer Scout Program" in the official city budget. And the money came out of that fund to ship low boy trailers and combat boots to Toledo. Does anyone out there think that this is a fair and decent thing to do to the few Explorer Scouts we have in Toledo? If so, we would like to hear from you: toledowatchdog@charter.net

By the way, the ending of the ditty cited above from "HMS Pinafore" ends with these words:
"You will learn the truth with sorrow,
Here today and gone tomorrow;
Yes, I know--That is so!"

IS TOLEDO PREPARED FOR DISASTERS?

Lincoln County Emergency Services Manager Jim Hawley will address the Toledo City Council this Wednesday at 7:00 pm. His presentation should dovetail with the report at the last meeting on Chief Denison's "All-Hazards Emergency Plan". Even though an awful lot of people don't seem to know where the Chief's Plan is or how it came to be written , the community should be confident that Mr. Hawley does know. The Toledo community needs to know how to respond to any tsunami or terrorist attacks. Are we prepared for such emergencies? Are they likely? Find out Wednesday Night.

NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WEEK

Saturday was the last day of National Newspaper Week.

Since 1940, the Newspaper Association Managers have sponsored and financially supported National Newspaper Week, a week-long celebration showcasing the impact of newspapers on the everyday lives of our citizens.

It seems like a good time to kick off this new enterprise. The Toledo Watcgdog is proud to be a part of the new citizen advocacy movement in Toledo. Bookmark this site so you can keep up-to-date on the latest news affecting you, your community and your government.

WHAT IS "CITIZEN JOURNALISM"?

If you haven't been keeping up-to-date with the "blogging" breakthrough in the new media, here's a quick lesson. "Blogs"--or "weB LOGS"--started out several years ago as a way of posting personal commentary, news analysis and individual rants on the World Wide Web. In large part, the "blogs" have become more prominent in the last year or so due to their incursion into the dominant Mainstream Media of corporate newspapers and television. Many people take offense at the lack of coverage by the Mainstream Media on certain issues facing the nation. Others are upset by the bias of the newscasters and reporters. Many blogs were started as a method of addressing these concerns. Some of the most famous blogs include http://www.instapundit.com/ and http://www.powerlineblog.com/. You may not have known it, but Powerline is the blog that brought down Dan Rather's shabby "journalism" and his faulty reporting on the Texas National Guard Memos. Powerline connected with thousands of experts, lawyers and computer specialists who were able to debunk the memos as forgeries. If you want to know what is happening with the suicide bombing attack in Oklahoma, you'll need to visit http://michellemalkin.com/ because no one else is talking about it.

Citizens are taking to the available media and scooping the press time and again. Have you heard about the Air America Radio scandal? Probably not, because the Maistream Media is ignoring it. But click on this link to http://radioequalizer.blogspot.com/ where Brian Maloney is all over it! In the same way, http://www.toledowatchdog.blogspot.com is taking on the mighty, the powerful and the arrogant. Citizen Journalism is the new hope of democracy. The secrets that have hidden behind the wall of corporate and government power are being uncovered. And in the true spirit of the American Revolution we remind our readers that "ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY!"

WEDNESDAY NIGHT "SOFTBALL" GAME

Chief Don Denison did an admirable job explaining the Surplus Government Property Program at the City Council meeting October 5. Many questions were answered during his comprehensive explanation of the workings of a convoluted government program. But many more questions remained. Most of the City Council threw loaded "softball" questions to the Chief, which were easily fielded. One Council Person, however, asked some carefully worded and perceptive questions. One Council Person is looking out for the interests of the taxpayers. One Council Person wants to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. One Council Person suggested some excellent ideas to clear up the "slushiness" of the fund used to pay for the transport of the Federal Surplus Property. It is very good to know that someone is looking out for the "little guy." Thanks, Council Person. You know who you are!

Editorial Comment

The Toledo Watchdog is making its first appearance. Many citizens are feeling left out of the political process and feel that the leadership of the City of Toledo no longer represents them. The basic principles of democracy require the citizenry to remember that government exists through the consent of the governed. The very first amendment to the US Constitution outlines "Freedom of Speech." A true Democracy needs informed citizens. Participate today!

TWO CENTS" WORTH

G.S. writes to us:

"Toledo is on the verge of financial ruin, due to bad decisions and lack of public interest. Please attend City Council meetings and voice your opinions--make your vote count!"

Thanks for your input, G.S.!

BREAKING NEWS

The City of Toledo has acquired over one MILLION dollars worth of miscellaneous equipment from the Federal Surplus Property Program. Many alert citizens are questioning the practice and the propriety of this program. Questions are being raised in the local community about the overall cost to the City for this program, even though the equipment is considered "surplus" by the Federal Government and there is no cash outlay from the City for the equipment itself.
The Surplus Program does require the requesting agency to pay for any and all shipping or freight to bring the equipment from its current location. A large 5th-wheel lowboy trailer, for instance, may be free of charge to the requesting agency, but since it is warehoused in Tucson, Arizona, as an example, it must be shipped back to Toledo at the expense of the City.
Many people are wondering how much the City has paid to ship or deliver this equipment to Toledo. On Wednesday, October 5 at 7:00 pm at the City Hall Council Chambers, local residents may be able to find out.

COUNCIL WATCH

Toledo City Council will meet at City Hall on Wednesday, October 5 at 7:00 pm. One of the Agenda Topics will be a presentation by Police Chief Don Denison and the Federal Surplus Property Program, also known as the "1033 program" Citizens having concerns about this program or questions about how it operates are encouraged to attend.
Prior to the discussion of the 1033 program, the City Council will allow visitors an opportunity to address the Council on topics of interest. Those planning to address the Council should keep in mind that the time is limited to five minutes, so presentations should be well thought-out and concise. Printed statements for the Press and the Council are allowed.
Copies of the Agenda are available at City Hall and are also posted on the bulletin board outside the Council Chambers. For assistance in obtaining a copy of the Agenda check with Renee Ballinger, City Recorder, at the Front Desk inside City Hall.