ELECTION 2001
Debunking the Bunk (The SCC Newsletters)
We just received word today that the SCC flyers have been showing up on doorsteps again. The word we received from one resident was that they were "nasty" and she tossed them in the garbage. We do not yet have a copy of what has thus far been sent out, but we assume it's this group's effort to "educate" the Sultan voters regarding the 14-month-distant vote on whether or not to change Sultan's form of government from mayor-council to council-manager. At the 9-4-02 city council meeting, councilmembers Boucher, Champeaux, Criswell and Porter voted to delay the vote 14 months, despite a statute that clearly, by reference, indicates a timeframe of no longer than 180 days. Then again, these four councilmembers had the benefit of legal "advice" from Thom Graafstra, the city attorney being paid by the taxpayers of Sultan to advise them what is best. So that should make the 14-month delay before the voters can vote on their own destiny okay....shouldn't it?

G.R.I.T.'s Comments on election "Newsletters" from the Sultan Citizens Coalition (SCC), from Derek Boyd (Councilmember-elect Dusty Boucher's brother.)

G.R.I.T.'s INITIAL REACTION TO the SCC NEWSLETTERS: Click here to read our first "in-depth" analysis. That was our FIRST response to the first few of these. We took this position because we felt the contents within them were so ridiculous as to be totally laughable. However, as the number of flyers being distributed and the lies within them grew, we decided that there must be a response to them. As residents will remember, our efforts to counteract these lies were hog-tied by Ed "Chico" Boucher's temporary restraining order, with the convenient timing of three weeks prior to the election, which was not resolved until the day before the election. Even though the damage has already been done, we still felt it important to respond to these lies, and what we consider to be election influencing.)

G.R.I.T's Response to Dusty Boucher Election Letter to voters (10-5-01 and 10-14-01)

G.R.I.T.'s RESPONSE AS MORE LIES WERE BEING DISTRIBUTED:

(Note: OUR REACTION TO THESE HIT PIECES WILL BE A WORK-IN-PROGRESS, AS TIME PERMITS. In the meantime, you can read these "newsletters" by clicking the links below. They are in an Adobe Acrobat format. We do not have all of these -- we are missing Nos. 4 and 6 -- but we have supplied the ones that people were nice enough to forward to us.)

(Note: It was after we saw the "Special Edition" newsletter entitled, "Enemy Among Us" that we contacted the Public Disclosure Commission [PDC]to determine the legalities of this type of material being distributed anonymously, without any signatures. The PDC indicated that it was not legal, and they requested information as to possible source(s) for them. We then gave the PDC names of a couple of individuals whom we thought may know something about who might be authoring or distributing the flyers. Shortly thereafter, the newsletters began being distributed with Derek Boyd's name and address on them. Most were still distributed without dates, however, so it was difficult for us to put this into proper chronological order. Also of interest: We have information from a reliable source who told us that at least one of these flyers/newsletters was distributed by two teen-age girls to her house. When queried by our source as to who requested they distribute the flyer, the girls responded, "Our mom's boss asked us" to do so. When queried further they responded, that their mom "works at the bakery." Whether that is the Sultan Bakery owned by Wendall Smith, or a bakery in Monroe, Gold Bar or another town, is unclear. But Mr. Smith's well-known and PDC-documented financial support of Mr. Rowe's 1999 mayoral campaign would strongly indicate that he might have offered a helping hand in the effort to get these newsletters placed in the hands of Sultan voters.)

The First "Newsletter": "Death of a City" (Anonymous, dated October 1, 2001)
"2nd Edition - City Election Nov. 6th - Who Can help Save Sultan?" (Anonymous and undated)
"Special Edition! - "The Enemy Among Us" (Anonymous and undated)
"Special Section" - Mr. Brandt Gerow Enters the Race against Raney as a write-in (still published anonymously and unsigned)
(GRIT NOTE: f there was an Edition #4, we do not have it. If anyone wishes to forward it to us, they are encouraged to contact us via email.)
"5th Edition - "Reading Between the Lines...Time for Truth" (This is the first newsletter that was forwarded to us, which was signed, by Derek Boyd, in compliance with PDC regulations.)
(GRIT NOTE: f there was an Edition #6, we do not have it. If anyone wishes to forward it to us, they are encouraged to contact us via email.)
"7th Edition - "And They All Fall Down!" (signed, but still undated)
"A personal letter from the Sultan Citizens Coalition," by Ann Gerken (dated Nov. 2, 2001)
Flyer From Brandt Gerow, Write-In Candidate Running Against Dr. Raney for Pos. 7 (undated)