Coming To A Doorbell Near You!

Given the close connection between some County employees and the campaigns of some candidates (e.g., Barbara Rosenkotter of CDPD being Lisa Byers Treasurer), and given that some County employees have, in the past, had political emails land in their County email accounts, it shouldn't come as too great a surprise when a routine public records request turns up the occasional campaign gem by pure happenstance.

Such was the case today (although Rosenkotter was not involved in the subject email).

We have talked at length about the Network, headed by Ron Zee, and its subterranean influence on the County. We've seen charges of "incivility" being used to quash dissent. What do you think about the following email excerpt from the standpoint of civility? Or as far as a demonstration of Network efficiency and effectiveness goes?

The last point I’ll make is the need for doorbelling on San Juan. Dick Grout, Jim Slocumb and myself are all willing to walk with Lisa for doorbelling. Jim can put together maps and information lists and can map out routes to walk. I truly believe it will be the difference in winning the election. I’ll point to Laura Jo Severson as my proof. Ron Zee, Jim Slocumb and me took a short grandmotherly type, new to the island, that couldn’t string together a paragraph and got her to within 99 votes of Rich Peterson simply by doorbelling. Think what an articulate woman from Orcas could do.

That glimpse into how the Network works (and thinks) comes from an email train that was sent to the County. Accident or not, it's all part of the public record now, and it was obtained via a public records request. You never know what might turn up from a public records request.

The entire email train is copied below (emphasis added).  Happy reading, and just think what an articulate woman from Orcas could do!
________________________________________________________________________

From: Richard & Susan Grout <grout@rockisland.com>

Subject: RE: Dinner last night

Date: February 28, 2013 8:39:53 PM PST

To: 'Janet Brownell' <maxdigger@gmail.com>, 'Scott Boye' <sgboye@hotmail.com>

See below.

From: Janet Brownell [mailto:maxdigger@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2013 12:37 PM
To: Scott Boye
Cc: Dick Grout
Subject: Re: Dinner last night

Thanks for the intel, Scott.

There is an added layer of paranoia in that a 3 minute clip of Lisa, speaking at some CLT-type conference, has surfaced.  The spin on the video (which is now being circulated via email) is that Lisa is a communist who does not believe in private property and will take away your home if elected.  It's absurd. If it’s that extreme it won’t influence anyone who might even consider voting for Lisa.  It’ll just reinforce the votes she’d never get anyway.  And what would we do, in any event, send out a mailer in which Lisa says, “I am not a communist”?

I'm meeting with Lisa on Monday and will bring all of this up.  They $$ is kind of silly because it's so easy to check via the PDC.

Lisa is WAY into wanting to do doorbelling.  I know Jim is working on maps.  In your opinion -- when do you think the optimal time would be for that?  I’d suggest we start anytime after the signs go back up but focus on the three weeks prior to the ballots being mailed.

Lastly -- bigger font.  Will do.  And will talk to Lisa about meeting with Marc and Greg.  Not just bigger font.  Fewer words.

Hey -- is the yacht club dinner a monthly?  weekly?  nightly? thing?  Could you take Lisa to it?  Maybe she could work that room.

Thank you again for your insights.

On Feb 16, 2013, at 12:25 PM, Scott Boye <sgboye@hotmail.com> wrote:

Janet-

I had dinner last night at the yacht club, an interesting and informative event on several levels.  I chatted with Rich Peterson, who kept the conversation away from politics.  Janice Peterson and I discussed her latest column in the Guardian.  She tells me that she meant for the look back to mirror the CAO but decided at the last minute to cut the political angle out.  Marc Forlenza is a member and well liked by the folks there.  I actually dined with Marc’s campaign manager, Phyllis Davis.  Phyllis is deeply disappointed by Marc’s loss and blames it on the axis of the L’s (Lovel & Lisa), the money that the ‘network’ has funneled to them and is greatly concerned at the political favors that money will buy in the future.  The image I got was alternately Dr. Evil in his lair at the top of the Space Needle (I’m a fan of Mike Myers) or the Wicked Witch staring into her crystal ball, waiting to release the flying monkeys.  Phyllis talked at length about the great qualities of Greg Ayers and how he’ll ‘keep up the fight’.  She mentioned that Greg would be attending campaign functions for Bob Jarman.

Others I spoke to were disgusted at the sway that Lopez has over the county and at the power the FoSJ has over L&L.  The level of comprehension regarding facts was astonishingly low.  Friends contributing $40,000 to the L&L campaign.  Lisa raising $40,000 from off island special interests.  Ditto for Lovel.  The $40k number kept coming up.  I suspect somebody is repeating that.  Board members of Friends managing campaigns. Board members of Friends running other organizations, Ag guild, environmental organizations, etc.

OK, those are some of the threats.  Opportunities are better education of the voters and reaching out to Greg Ayers and Marc Forlenza.  I doubt that we can bring them into the fold but reducing the amount of vitriol is possible.  I’d suggest coffee or lunch with each of them and ask for their advice on where Lisa could take the county.  Humility in victory is a great way to disarm them.  Lisa doesn’t have to follow their advice but they might feel less likely to badmouth her.  I’d also suggest reviewing the mailer and think about how the message gets delivered.  In looking over the mailer it seems like the print is pretty small.  I had to look through the bifocal lenses to read it.  I suspect that this county has the highest percentage of bifocal users in the state.  We’re wealthy enough to afford good eye care and old enough to need it.

The last point I’ll make is the need for doorbelling on San Juan.  Dick Grout, Jim Slocumb and myself are all willing to walk with Lisa for doorbelling.  Jim can put together maps and information lists and can map out routes to walk.  I truly believe it will be the difference in winning the election.  I’ll point to Laura Jo Severson as my proof.  Ron Zee, Jim Slocumb and me took a short grandmotherly type, new to the island, that couldn’t string together a paragraph and got her to within 99 votes of Rich Peterson simply by doorbelling.  Think what an articulate woman from Orcas could do.

Scott Boye, Friday Harbor

Janet Brownell
maxdigger@gmail.com