[Vision2020] The BLog and More Political Contributions

Thu Nov 1 18:16:57 PDT 2007

Hansen,

  Please, stop torturing us and get us to your point. 

  Certainly, you must think there is something bigger here to smear against three candidates with a solid base of community support then the association with a man, John Ficca, that almost 12 years ago, committed an infraction of a state law on his construction projects back in 1995? 

  This is all you have?
  http://www.lni.wa.gov/news/2000/pr000214a.asp

  There are lots of companies debarred from Washington State funded projects because contractors cannot manage to pay the high wages set by the state:

  http://www.lni.wa.gov/prevailingwage/jwages/20071/whitman.pdf

  Other companies debarred:

  http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/PrevWage/AwardingAgencies/DebarredContractors/default.asp

  And I think you are incorrect about Palouse Rentals does not existing, it does;

  http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_6t4jq1

  I don't know John Fecca, and I am willing to bet either do you. We don't know the situation involving the debarment and all of the circumstances. I know this is a negative mark against him and was over a dozen years ago. I do know that he worked with people as a volunteer for people with head injuries. I also know that he was also involved with children and softball, as well as the Scouts. Those don't sound act ivies Satan would be involved with to me. 

  I think it is wrong and mean spitted to attack the contributors of Moscow's local Candidates. And I think it is wrong to slander the candidates. If you disagree with a candidate on an issue, fine. But to call them names, and attack them and their contributors, I believe is the wrong attitude to have. 

  Best,

  Donovan

Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
        v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}        st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }                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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