[Vision2020] The BLog and More Political Contributions

Thu Nov 1 12:17:57 PDT 2007

Political contributions were made to three candidates for Moscow City
Council.  One of those contributions (in the amount of $1,000) originated
from a company that, by State of Idaho standards, does not (or should not)
exist.

My question, as originally posed (last week) is:

"If the contribution was honestly submitted by the company reflected in the
Financial Disclosure Report, I am guessing that the Idaho Secretary of state
would be interested in the matter.

If the contribution was fraudulently submitted by a defunct company, I am
just as certain that the people of Moscow would be most interested in the
names of the people making such a contribution."

Now do you have a clue?

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007) 

  _____  

From: Donovan Arnold [mailto:donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 12:05 PM
To: Tom Hansen; 'Tom Ivie'; 'Moscow Vision 2020'
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] The BLog and More Political Contributions

Mr. Hansen wrote:

"Steed, Krauss, Carscallen, and GMA each accepted a $1,000 contribution from
"Palouse Rentals and Construction" (PRC), a company that has been
administratively shut down by Idaho's Secretary of State for failure to file
annual reports."  

Are you suggesting that Walter Steed, Wayne Krauss, and Dan Carscallen are
all going to collectively sell out the best interests of Moscow residents
and do the bidding of a construction company, that doesn't exist, because
the owner gave them $1000?

Seems like another pretty far fetched conspiracy theory to me. This is
almost as bad as the slanderous accusation made against a certain mayoral
candidate saying she was a drug dealer 20 or 30 years ago.

Why don't we stick to the issues and candidates instead of trying to say
someone is guilty of inappropriate behavior because they got a financial
contribution from someone that may have done something wrong years ago in
another state? I am willing to bet that most financial contributors have
done something or another, or belonged to a company, that would reflect
badly on a candidate if someone would bother to dig deep enough. I for one
think that is going to too far to investigate the histories over every
contributor of every candidate. I bet anyone here a gift certificate to
Tri-State that Aaron Ament has at least one vocal supporter that has even
been to jail. 

Best,

Donovan

Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

You guys simply DON"T GET IT.

It is not about the amount of the contribution.  It is all about where that
contribution originated.

Steed, Krauss, Carscallen, and GMA each accepted a $1,000 contribution from
"Palouse Rentals and Construction" (PRC), a company that has been
administratively shut down by Idaho's Secretary of State for failure to file
annual reports.  PRC is headed by John Ficca, a Moscow resident/businessman
who has been permanently banned from ever bidding on state projects within
the state of Washington for reasons explained numerous times earlier here on
V2020.

To take this a step further, there are numerous OBV (Owned But Vacant)
properties - the triangular lot on the south edge of town, the old Goodwill
building on Main Street, etc. etc. - all belonging to Mike Hoffman.  You
remember him.  He's the guy that proudly announced (in the Moscow-Pullman
Daily News) that he is buying and selling property all over Moscow.

And then there is the North Polk Extension "project".  Parties to that
little venture include Matthew Gray, Douglas Wilson, and Mike Hoffmann.

Like I suggested earlier . . .

"One can only wonder how Moscow will be divvied up . . . er  . . . uh . . .
I mean rezoned come January if Palouse Rental and Construction should gain
three seats on our city council."

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007) 

  _____  

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Tom Ivie
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 9:37 PM
To: Moscow Vision 2020
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] The BLog and More Political Contributions

Nothing is ever certain in horse races or politics.  All the money in the
world doesn't win an election.  It does help though.  Send your checks to...

Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com> wrote: 

I cannot wait to see who wins the third seat for the four year term. I
really think it looks like Tom Lamar, Wayne Krauss, and Dan Carscallen are
going to be fighting for the last two seats. I think Aaron Ament with a big
load a cash, incumbency, and being liberal in a liberal town is definitely
going to place in the top three. I am also certain that Walter Steed will
win.

Best,

Donovan

Tom Ivie <the_ivies3 at yahoo.com> wrote:

One person contributed $4,000 to a city election? What are we, Boise or
Seattle?  or is that what they want us to be?  What does one person have to
gain by providing so much money in a little race? like ours?  Nothing
against the candidates though, good for them to have a big spending
benefactor.    

Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote: 

>From Dale Courtney's blog at:

http://right-mind.us/blogs/blog_0/archive/2007/10/31/55739.aspx

------------------------------------------

"Hey, Big Spender 

I have a copy of all of the City Council Candidates' Campaign Financial
Disclosure Reports. 

I'll post them shortly. 

Of interest is how much money the candidates have received. 

Aaron Ament: $9,475 
Tom Lamar: $8,817 
Walter Steed: $6,936 
Wayne Krauss: $6,135 
Dan Carscallen: $4,545 
Linda Pall: $3,910 
Evan Holmes: $1,992
Bill London accuses the GMA candidates of being the "big spending" group. 

Seems like most of the money is being funneled to the liberal candidates. 

If money is any indication, the libs have their bets set on Ament. 

Heaven help us."

------------------------------------------

Although it is important to learn how much money has been contributed to
each candidate, it is vitally more important to learn from where that money
was contributed.

Your attention is invited to the Financial Disclosure reports located at:

http://www.MoscowElection2007.com

A review of the Financial Disclosure Reports submitted by Dan Carscallen,
Walter Steed, Wayne Krauss, and the Greater Moscow Alliance Political Action
Committee reflects contributions in the amount of $1,000 to each of the
aforementioned by Palouse Rental and Construction.

Who is Palouse Rental and Construction you ask?

As mentioned earlier by Mark Solomon in an earlier posting at:

http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2007-October/049113.html

"As I'm always interested in who is contributing big $$ in elections, I
looked it up and saw Palouse Rentals and Construction had donated $1000 to
GMA. Maybe I'm just out of the loop, but I did not know that name. A quick
search on the Sec'y of State website gives up John Ficca as the president of
the corporation, which, by the way, has been administratively dissolved by
the Sec'y of State for failure to file annual reports since 2004."

It appears that this defunct company is/was headed by John Ficca, who back
in 2000 . . .

http://www.lni.wa.gov/news/2000/pr000214a.asp

"TUMWATER - An Idaho employer must pay more than $95,000 in unpaid wages to
12 current and former employees in the Spokane area according to a
settlement agreement announced today by the Department of Labor and
Industries.

John Ficca, of Moscow, Idaho, owner of Art's Electric, Inc., also has been
permanently prohibited from bidding on or performing work on future public
works projects in Washington. Ficca also does business as Palouse Country
Electric and U Cities Contracting."

It appears that perhaps the state of Idaho may be interested in the business
posture of "Palouse Rental and Construction" as it makes political
contributions to a select few (Steed, Krauss, and Carscallen) of Moscow's
city council candidates.

One can only wonder how Moscow will be divvied up . . . er . . . uh . . . I
mean rezoned come January if Palouse Rental and Construction should gain
three seats on our city council.

Things that make you go . . .

Hmmm. 

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)

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Tom & Liz Ivie 

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=======================================================
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