Hodgson calls bullshit on Tyson’s cheerleaders
When eight former Eureka City Councilmembers signed a “My Word” piece in the Times-Standard in support of city manager Dave Tyson, they did so either in ignorance, or in full knowledge that what they were saying was incorrect. North Coast Journal publisher Judy Hodgson sets them straight in today’s paper.
Hodgson called each of the signers, and from those who responded it appears they didn’t know what they were saying. Cheri Arkley goes so far as to say she was “misquoted” in the piece, which she voluntarily signed.
Supervisor Virginia Bass admits that it was her husband who suggested including a portion that he knew to be untrue:
Finally, on Tuesday, I got my answer via email from Virginia Bass.
”I take responsibility for the discussion and the inclusion of this portion of the article [both Journal and Bradlee references]. … Matthew (referring to her husband, Matthew Owen) suggested the inclusion of the comment by Benjamin Bradlee and Mike [Jones] and I thought it was appropriate.”
So the source was none of the eight signers. And one more funny thing? I had spoken with Matthew Owen well before the “My Word” piece appeared. I reminded him the Atkins quote was followed by Tyson’s rebuttal. I told him I was not familiar with his quote by Ben Bradlee. A week later, both pieces of misinformation appeared in print after I had told him that they were neither fair nor accurate.
Owen is the mastermind behind several current elected officials whose campaigns were built on smoke and mirrors. We see now his shameless pattern of BS continues in the post-election season.
Not to mention it’s downright hilarious that Owen has been caught managing his wife’s public talking points. As if we didn’t already know that.
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The Humboldt Herald 
Good example of the typical thinking of most people today, expound popular beliefs that are self-serving as facts and truth.
Reposting to this thread:
It was Matt Owen who wrote the hit piece on Atkins without signing it and the ex-stooges approved having their names attached without reading it?
Now wouldn’t it be interesting to see the T-S address its own part in purveying Owen’s B-S? As if.
It’s sickening to see that everyone on the city council–save Linda Atkins–is willing to put their names to something, not having bothered to investigate the veracity of the statement. Pack mentality trumps critical thinking again. How quaint.
Is Matt Owen Humbug?
Sic ’em, Judy! Nice to see Mama Judy wading into the cage fight and throwing around the good ol’ boys and girls like 98-lb. weakings. Ding! Ding! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!
Facts, we don’t need no stinking facts…
Judy=class
Matt=crass
Repost:
Judy Hodgson’s piece makes Matt Owen’s look like it was written by a grade schooler. Pay attention Eureka.
People laughed at Matt behind his back before this came out (I wonder if he could hear Rex’s laughter from his house in the same cul-de-sac!) , so this is just gonna add to that.
I do give him credit for recognizing that he himself is probably unelectable, so he has hitched his wagon to some other stars. He has no depth and lacks some smarts, too, but he wants to be that big fish in the small pond in the worst way.
Good thing he doesn’t work for Tyson.
Love the backpeddling by those who had the gonads to respond to Hodgson. Bass’s willingness to fall on the sword for her ruthless, manipulative husband shows a glimmer of forthrightness, if a lack of perception about how living this way corrupts one’s soul.
T-S addendum at the bottom of Judy Hodgson’s letter: “As with all My Word pieces, each of the signers was called and each verified that they were signing on as an author of the submission.”
So they’re all liars?
M.B.W is.
“So they’re all liars?”
Publicly admitted liars.
How stupid does Cherie Arkley look as she admits to experience with being misquoted in the past, but didn’t bother to verify what she was putting her name to here.
Can’t wait to hear the spin HIFI puts on this.
Spin?? Spin?? The editor of the Progressive’s rag chimes in with her own blanket smears of her political opponents, nothing backed up in her My Word piece but comments left dangling without meaning because Judy, the great editor has taken them so out of context as to make them meaningless for anybody except fellow Progs who don’t give a shit about accuracy, propaganda doing them ever so well instead of facts. Spin on, Judy and Heraldo, you’re still champions of the Elitist yuppie Progs dead set to take away stores catering to the poor and make poor people pay more money to survive just like Tea Party advocates, no difference in outcome for us not privy to pot or government grants.
Get back to the Mirror, Stephen.
Stephen, how can they take away what isn’t here? From what everybody can plainly see, what they HAVE put here hasn’t done shit but line their own pockets and make every poor person in the county all the more expendable.
Where is the prosperity from what they’ve provided, stephen?
…and if they’ve been doing such a good job, why are they sounding the battle cry that we poor people desperately need their (your?) help now more than ever? Humboldt needs to slow down and sit out the nation’s bullshit…let everybody get COMFORTABLE. Provide for who is already here! I don’t suppose you’re paying $1,200/month for a two bedroom apartment…er…multi-family house, do ya? I’ma bet you’re pretty well off. The new developments are huge cash registers.
Reflect back on Rob Arkley’s comments to Hank Simms-Rob declined to be interviewed by Hank in reference to the public records request for the emails between he and Mark Lovelace claiming that he did not believe that Hank was a true journalist, and that he only allowed interviews in the past because of his relationship with Judy Hodgson. Judy Hodgson has been a friend to Arkley and the like-she is no progressive, and currently does not care for the progressive councilmember. Get your facts straight Stephen, or you’ll play the fool just like Matthew Owen!
Judy Hodgson has been a friend to Arkley and the like-she is no progressive,.
Are we talking about the same person here. The Judy Hodgson I’m thinking of turned over the North Coast Journal to the Obama campaign a few years ago. Remember that? She made a 2000+ word commentary of Tom Hayden praising Obama the cover story of one edition. If that’s not being progressive, what is?
That’s being an editor of a publication that covered one of the biggest stories in American history. Are you serious, Fred?
I don’t even know Judy, but come the f on!
Matthew Owen: Hum Co’s own Turdblossom.
Well-done, Judy! When Journalism happens in Hum Co, it’s usually done by the Journal.
That’s being an editor of a publication that covered one of the biggest stories in American history.
She wasn’t covering a story. It was before Obama was elected and before he was even considered a front runner. And it was a commentary on how great Obama was, not a biography or any sort of news story.
If she would have put it in her tabloid as a guest editorial, without dedicating the cover to it, I probably would have let it go as editorial space should be hers to opine as she sees fit. I never brought up the 3 other pro- Obama new items she ran because they weren’t cover stories.
As I wrote back then, there’s no doubt in my mind her defenders in this instance would have been appalled had the Times- Standard ran an top fold, front page commentary by Newt Gingrich on why John McCain is a “transformational leader”, but they’re so blinded by adoration of Obama they can’t see any problem with her doing the same thing with the North Coast Journal.
Oh, and the point lost in my rant above is that I’d say such decisions by Judy Hodgson clearly mark her as pretty strong to the left of center politically. Keep in mind she also took leave of absence from her job to go to another state to work on the Obama campaign campaign.
What does it matter what Hodgson’s political leanings are? The fact is that she called out the the rah-rah Tyson letter for what it was: authored by someone who lied and signed by several who didn’t bother to even read it.
She pointed out the truth, Fred!
THE TRUTH!
Who gives a shit which way she leans-her op-ed in today’s paper reported the truth, and clearly that is too much for you, so you decide to add a label to discredit her! Great work Fred!
A good journalist or newspaper tells the truth. In the town of Eureka the city council has repeatedly spewed BS. At City Council meetings the council members always have the last word, even if it is BS. There is no one that questions them when they are not accurate or truthful. About time someone called them on their bully pulpit lies and half truths.
“Everybody’s got the runs for glory but nobody stops to scrutinize the plan.” — Paul Simon
“Stephen, how can they take away what isn’t here? From what everybody can plainly see, what they HAVE put here hasn’t done shit but line their own pockets and make every poor person in the county all the more expendable.”
What planet do you live on? Do you live in Humboldt County? Arkley is making “every poor person in the county all the more expendable”? Since when, since where? What most every Humboldt citizen knows is that YOU GUYS are the ones who have cost Humboldt citizens jobs, lot’s of them, made Humboldt County one of the poorest in the state, so what’s with this blame Arkley crap, huh? Just more Prog propaganda..
“Where is the prosperity from what they’ve provided, stephen?”
“…and if they’ve been doing such a good job, why are they sounding the battle cry that we poor people desperately need their (your?) help now more than ever?”
Get real, look at the employment here and shuck the Prog jive because it ends up hurting the poor when Progs attack the stores the poor can afford to shop at, and that’s the bottom line. Progs don’t give a shit about the poor people.
Humboldt needs to slow down and sit out the nation’s bullshit…let everybody get COMFORTABLE. Provide for who is already here! I don’t suppose you’re paying $1,200/month for a two bedroom apartment…er…multi-family house, do ya? I’ma bet you’re pretty well off.
Hahahahahaha, me, well off…I’m sure living as I do high on the hog on the dwindling $850 /month in my rent subsidized housing, the only housing we poor can afford.
“The new developments are huge cash registers.” for enviro ambulance chasers..
Where is our favorite whipping boy? He must be on vacation to miss this one. After all the crazy news out of Washington, the stock market dive, China cutting our credit rating, local government that refuses to listen to local public concerns, lies and disinformation from Eureka X-bigwigs, we need a laugh from HiFi, our verbose right wing super boy.
Stephen, go take your meds.
Personally I think it’s funny that this group of Matt-Owen-led folks even thought they needed to put their names on a letter supporting Tyson. Cuz that pretty much affirms what the local community conveyed to the council, that Tyson’s firing of the chief, and the manner in which he did it, look pretty damn bad.
All the rest of this crap is just distraction from the main point.
This country was created by those who had the courage to dissent.
Linda Atkins has the courage today to support the right of Eurekans to dissent.
Eight(?) former members of the local city council get all worked up about the City Manager being criticized for his firing of the police chief without cause.
Virginia Bass reveals that her hubby is indeed the “mad monk” responsible for this drivel.
Judy Hodgson gets it right and takes them to the tool shed.
You GO grrrll!
But who wrote Urantia?
As it was explained to me, it wasn’t written. It just came.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Urantia_Book
Just another reason for not advertising in this rag. Oh, and that meat hook hanging girl on the cover. Oh, and her inability to hire and fire the right people. Her fact checking worked out real well on Abate.
Start trying to find candidates now that will run for council. This
past group and the group that sits on council now, save one,
are all cheap enough to have been made in China and sold at
Walmart. The “Deliverance” back hills boys had more class than
what has been running Eureka.
“What planet do you live on?”
I’m wondering what planet you live on Stephen.
Judy is a Journalist–graduate of Humboldt State–She has
headed the Journal many years still can act as an investigative
reporter which was just demonstrated/ Today, Marci Bachman
calles for Letters to the Editor–So don’t hide your light under
a bushel. WRITE!!!!Snail Mail 0r computer!!!!
L
Down the Road @8:14 more name calling, I’m not surprised, this seems to be your forte.
wow, stephen. “progs” huh? lions, tigers and bears…oh my! $850/month on subsidized housing…you of all people to be kissing wealthy real estate developer ass. Open your eyes, and your mind. Peace.
I love classic disinformation theory. Especially when it is used by PR hacks (or wannabes) in small towns.
Rule #1 Be indignant.
Rule #2 Be outraged that your opponent is using disinformation.
Rule #3 Be even more indignant and outraged as you transfer the association for bad tactics onto the other team–“Look, look, over there under the rock–don’t look here” mentality. Claim your opponent uses the tactics you are actually using and draw attention to it. The public knows something is creepy so don’t try to deny creepy tactics just make sure the public associates the creepy tactics with the other team and gets bored of investigating and the argument and hence never gets around to examining the real problem.
Rule #4. Repeat Steps 1-3 endlessly so no one is sure of anything.
One of the commentators had Judy’s number — she should practice her own spiel before she preaches it when it comes to journalistic integrity: http://www.times-standard.com/ci_18606932?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150739668190444_25468853_10150740381145444
So, Anonymous 6:46, could you be specific (and more intelligible)?
jean or bob, judy’s piece was weak— we get her point but she is wrong=== bet she will vote for all the loons again(Obama,Boxer,Evans,Chesbro) and then whine about the poor economic state Bush has us in—-weak.
Damn the truth, anyway.
Anonymous had a pretty good buzz going at 6:46. By 1:01 he must was been drooling.
Looks like you are trying to catch up.
Sounds like HiFi was tasting his scotch quite a lot last night.
What’s there to say?
Judy is a journalist.
Flemming, Bass and the others were sworn “non-partisans” to represent ALL the citizens of Eureka…including the dissenters. Their diatribe proves the fallacy of that claim.
Cavalier pounding on the underdog with careless abandon is just plain stupid.
But in H.Co, it’s your financial backers that determine the outcome in corrupt elections…not your “thoughtful intelligence”.
For the last 30 years only 6 Eureka council candidates won without development community backing, and two of those had that backing for one of their terms.
This is the source of such arrogance.
Jane Fish blew the whistle on everyone and no one wants to admit it.
Um, Matthew Owen is the one who knowingly inserted disinformation into a letter to have the stooges sign and he is the only PR hack involved, so…..
For years citizens have tried to point out the inaccurate comments and lies thrown out there by city council people. It is great to see them finally get busted Big Time.
I smell Nick Bravo.
Big Picture seems spot on @ 11:43 am with this issue
“Cavalier pounding on the underdog with careless abandon is just plain stupid. ”
sometimes I really agree with you, other times I dunno where the hell your head is. In this case, I agree. Bravo to anybody in political office who stands their moral ground, especially. What kind of bully tactics are the rest of them trying to pull. “You better start agreeing with us OR ELSE!” Their goals couldn’t be more obvious.
So let us examine what Hodgson said in her overblown opinion piece. She had nothing more than an oversensitive reaction to one sentence in the original My Word piece by the eight defenders of Tyson.
All she did was defend her NCJ by claiming the eight’s opinion piece contained ONE ommission and “AN” apparent error. Hodgson did NOT attack Tyson nor did she defend Linda Atkins.
The ommission ? Her journal actually did have Tyson’s response. The error ? Huh ? She said that Ben Bradlee never insisted his reporters always fact check with at least two independent sources. Then she turns around and says he did say to use extra caution when using anonymouses and be sure to have at least two. Splitting hairs to say the least but enough for the haters here.
Then she says the writers didn’t even know what they were signing. She quotes Nancy Flemming as saying they were all in “general agreement on the emotions expressed”. That is only logical when you consider eight people signed the letter.
Jeff Leonard says “you bet” he wanted to support Tyson but missed the part about criticising the NCJ.
Cherie Arkley said she wanted to support Tyson and say that Atkins does not do her homework.
This is all about Hodgson defending the NCJ getting Tyson’s reaction and nothing else. But enough excuse for the likes of the lefties here to slam the entire original letter whose main point was to support Tyson and criticise Atkins. All else is distraction.
And by the way, NOBODY is critising Atkins for disagreeing with the majority of the council and the City Manager.
They are rightly calling Atkins out on the very public and disagreeable and extremely shortsighted way she did so.
I am disappointed in how you all miss that very obvious fact.
You left out a few points, HiFi.
1. Matthew Owen (the apparent writer of the letter, but not a signer) included what he knew to be a falsehood.
” I had spoken with Matthew Owen well before the “My Word” piece appeared. I reminded him the Atkins quote was followed by Tyson’s rebuttal. I told him I was not familiar with his quote by Ben Bradlee. A week later, both pieces of misinformation appeared in print after I had told him that they were neither fair nor accurate.”
2. All of the signers told the T-S that they authored it when obviously none of them even read it.
“As with all My Word pieces, each of the signers was called and each verified that they were signing on as an author of the submission.”
So you don’t have a problem with her secretly disagreeing so long as she doesn’t talk about it, HiFi? How magnanimous you are.
Linda Atkins you uppity woman you, don’t you know that women are supposed to be barefoot and pregnant and never disagree with the local yahoos that have completely ruined Eureka? You must never disagree with this (not to intelligent) majority. Remember this is Humboldt where subservience is still the norm for a woman. You just stay in your place woman.
And that goes for that uppity woman Judy Hodgson.
“falsehood” PJ ? Like I said it is just a matter of splitting hairs and it was an extremely short minor point of a long My Word piece. This one point is hyper sensitivity on the part of Hodgson and a misdirection or misunderstanding on the part of the left here.
We all know that when a letter is written by eight people it is a consolidation of their main points of view. At worst some of the signers are only guilty of not reading it closely enough.
Do you and 1.47pm really not see anything in between disagreeing “secretly” or disagreeing with some maturity and class ?
The signers have already issued surprising statements of contrition about their own ignorance and what they “really” meant. All are familiar enough with the editorial process to avoid such stupidity in the first place.
Letters published in THEIR defense wouldn’t be doing them any favors, don’t expect to see one.
Every citizen of Eureka has the right to be outraged by this council, (and its manager’s capricious actions that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars), without being subjected to demoralizing accusation of “not doing your homework” by a group of “professional” players who can’t even author or submit an accurate editorial.
The point of the letter seemed to be, “we trust Dave Tyson, and you should too.”
That’s not very persuasive.
…and you can’t trust Atkins because “she didn’t do her homework”, (never mind that we didn’t do ours).
What if we were to have a liberal city council and a City Manager who was popular with progressives (but whose questionable conduct had cost the city hundreds of thousands in legal fees) who fired a popular, top official “without cause”? Would those crying foul be daunted by being labeled a “vocal minority”? Would they worry that
The problem is lack of transparency.
Meant to strike the last sentence in the first paragraph.
Hi Finance do you mean not saying shit, even if you have a mouthful of it? That probably only applies to woman, right?
11.28pm. Your comment says nothing about what I said but it says plenty about your prejudices against conservatives.
Joel Joel Joel, you certainly are impressed with yourself. Why don’t you run for city council and show those ingnorant, uneducated, lowly people how it should be done?
No, it’s Bass, Flemming and the other benefactors of a corrupt political system that are full of themselves enough to publish it.
Indeed, if this were, “a liberal council firing an official” we’d be hearing the righteous screams from true conservatives wondering how we can afford to mishandle a harassment claim and not wait 18 months for the police chief’s contract to expire.
Conjuring up illusions is a pretty desperate distraction from the corrupt and hypocritical reality.
I could ask Anonymous the same question.
My questioning of the logic of the letter in no way implies that I believe that these are “ingnorant, uneducated, lowly people.” You think that you’re smart, Anonymous? Why not write something smart?
Joel,speaking of writing something smart,would you care to elaborate on why you recently stated on another blog that the people in the city of Fortuna should sing “Mexican radio”?
No.
Smoke Monster-.Fortuna has a huge Mexican population now. So what is the big deal about a joke or any other thing anyone wants to say. Politically correctness is becoming extremely confining and dull. Who are you the PC monitor?
Matt Owen is just another piece-of-shit on his knees for Arkley.
You honestly can’t do any better than that, Auntie Arkley?
Auntie Arkley, I make you the same proposition that I have given others.
I beg you to continue your hateful posts. Post here, post at the NCJ, post at the Times Standard, post everywhere. Volunteer to be a spokesman for the Atkins campaign.
If they are too smart to take you on, I will put you on my payroll and sponsor you in pro-Atkins commercials. For every time you do your hate speech thing you drive more voters to the conservative side.
Bass and Flemming’s attempt to demoralize the only dissenting voice on the council, and her supporters, by publicly charging that they’re “uninformed”, accomplishes the same thing.
As you know, such sophistry belongs on anonymous blog posts.
Surely they’re on Atkin’s payroll?
Haven’t you peons figured it out yet?
Hifi = Matt Owens
“Hifi = Matt Owens”
Not unless HiFi has told a lot of lies. He has said he doesn’t live inside the city limits, has kids in school and is a property manager.
I think its more likely that Matt Owen is at least part of the Mirror Bug infestation.
PJ wasn’t listening as usual. I do live in the city limits.
I said so during the Neely/Bass topics. I gladly voted against Bonnie Neeley for the fifth time and am proud I was successful this time.
HiFi=Mark Matteoli makes every thing he has ever posted fit perfectly…
Marc Matteoli? I’m not sure I see that in the writing style.
Sorry HiFi, i misremembered, but apparently I had the rest right?
The rest is right.
I find it fun that so many of you are so interested in who I am but don’t care who PJ or Snicker or Auntie Snarky is. But I won’t play 21 questions and tell you except not one of you has ever even been close.
“I find it fun that so many of you are so interested in who I am…”
I don’t. It’s none of their goddamned business.
I don’t care who you are either, HiFi. I think people who need to know a person’s name to listen to their opinions are usually looking for a way to either punish or stifle the opinions they don’t like.
In addition to what Plain Jane said, idle speculation about the identity of anonymous commenters doesn’t bolster arguments. If you think that HiFi is Matthew Owen, then you haven’t been paying attention, but beyond that, what difference would it make if he were?
HiFi has tried to call-out a poster’s identity a number of times. Apparently, it’s all he has, other than hyperbole, sophistry, lying and personal attack.
It’s easy to determine that he’s not well-read, he rarely provides a quote or research of any kind to back up his diatribe, he just makes stuff up to rile his opponents.
Once his lies are exposed, he merely reappears on the next post with all the confidence of a scholar.
That his pedantic posts elicit so many responses is a mystery.
12.49 hasn’t been paying attention either.
Either that or he simply lies about those he disagrees with. Such snobbery isn’t restricted to just the left. Still, even though you hide behind the moniker “Anonymous”, it makes you look petty.
High Fi is a taker, not a doer. He’s a talker, not a doer. Worse, he’s a traitor to the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and a lackey to his Multi-national Corporate Overlords.
“No Facts” strikes again.
Having recently claimed that the Eureka Chamber of Commerce financial records are public, in defense of their public subsidies, “Hi-Liar” would be a more accurate moniker to hide behind.
Any member of the Chamber can get a copy of the financial statements 2.04pm, I know I have. I have also heard that some non members have copies of the financials as well as council members.
You make the charge but provide no proof of your allegations.
AGAIN
Doesn’t the city of Eureka pay the Chamber of Commerce? Is it something $100,000 or more a year? Does the money come from the general fund?
I think the Chamber is paid by the General Fund.
HiFi, I know you know the difference between public and members only so please stop acting as if you are that stupid.
Who’s “acting”??
PJ you have misunderstood my point again.
Perhaps you should try listening while you are reading ?
Hmmm, commenters on this post still… let’s take that as a sign, or a warning, that David & his merry band of cheerleaders shouldn’t get too complacent just yet.
Why are we paying our Chamber of Commerce when other towns don’t pay for theirs. This town is a disgrace. The only ones that come and stay here are the druggies, homeless and mentally ill. Eureka CC is so enthralled with their little zoo and the tiny grove of redwoods that still stand in Sequoia park. Guess what? Tourists couldn’t care less about the zoo and park. CC website sucks. Nothing on the site about our historic neighborhoods that would attract visitors and new homeowners. What boneheads. What is the tax paying citizen of Eureka actually getting for their money? I would like to know.
Maybe you should open your eyes and look at all the tourists that come here.
Maybe you should open your eyes and look at all the bums that run the tourists off. Have you even been to Old Town for more that 2 minutes High Finance? I doubt it.
Oh Yeah-don’t forget Broadway with its plethora of bums and psychos welcoming everyone to town.
While COC members work “above and beyond the call of duty to attract tourists”, their city hall lapdogs did everything they demanded, ultimately diminishing our quality of life with haphazard zoning, big box – poverty wage saturation, unaffordable housing, and ridiculous traffic hazards making communities unsafe to walk, bike, or drive.
No wonder there’s been 10 big homes for sale in my neighborhood and no buyers.
There being tourists in town does not in any way indicate that COC is what brought them here and repeating it after it was discredited still doesn’t make it true. If anything, the location of the visitor’s center is a negative. Whose idea was that?
Follow the $$ PJ. Who owns the property and how much rent are they getting for it? I’ll bet its a sweetheart deal for a friend of the COC, going way back. As I wrote elsewhere, HumCo tourism is down over the last 10 years. But oh yeah, I can already predict the koolaid drinker response: ‘It would have been down a lot more without the COC’.
Does the $100,000 – $150,000 we shell out pay Hockaday’s salary?
Any portion of Hockaday’s time that can remotely be interpreted as tourist-related would qualify for TOT funds.
For example, when he lobbies the city council to continue funding the Chamber!
Once COC members succeed in their support for more big boxes, malls and sprawl, the tourists will flock here.
Good question. Just who is it that owns the COC building? How much rent $ are they getting?