[Update 8/18: In another example of how much the West Marin Citizen has missed Drakes Bay Oyster Company's ties to right wing groups, the Koch Brothers funded Americans for Prosperity has published a video starring Kevin Lunny. The video's focus is not on the fact that Mr. Lunny made a bad business decision when he purchased a business knowing its lease would end in 2012. Instead, AFP claims "government bureaucrats" "thousands of miles away" are shutting down a "small family run company" who has incurred "massive legal bills" (apparently AFP is unaware of all the pro bono legal work done to date, sparing Mr. Lunny any legal bills). WMC's continued belief that there are not outside right wing groups involved in trying to prevent the completion of the Phillip Burton Wilderness area simply speaks to how far the paper has drifted from true reporting to one beholden to its advertisers.]
Does anyone support Drakes Bay Oyster Company's
continued operations anymore?
The Point Reyes Seashore Ranchers Association has had half its members resign over actions taken in support of Drakes Bay Oyster Company in the name of the Association without consulting the Association members. Concerns generating the July 25 resignation letter included an Association document having had comments written by DBOC attorneys which were added to the already approved document without consultation. In addition, a sub-committee of the Association, headed by DBOC owner Kevin Lunny, mailed a letter on Association letterhead which had not been seen by most of the members. In the July 25 resignation letter the long time ranchers' concerns over actions taken without consultation include this statement:
"This was most recently evidenced by the letter dated July 21, 2014 [from Mr. Lunny's sub-committee] which was sent on behalf of the Association to Superintendent Muldoon and various elected officials. We felt that we had inadequate time to review and respond and consider the implications of such a letter being sent."
Local press asleep at the wheel.
The Marin County press - asleep at the wheel of the car owned by ?*
Both the Point Reyes Light and West Marin Citizen missed the fracture which was detailed in the July 25 letter.
Instead, in an opinion piece published August 7, almost 2 weeks after the resignation, the Point Reyes Light wrote instead:
The ranchers association, galvanized by the Lunnys’ fight, now has a persuasive and unified vision. (Point Reyes Light, "Our choice: A living seashore or a silent landscape" August 7, 2014)The West Marin Citizen was reporting on August 6 that it was "pink spray paint" on signs which was demonstrating "...the strong feelings evoked by the Drakes Bay Oyster Company controversy." August 7 their Facebook site printed a copy of the letter found on The West Marin Feed's Facebook site.
August 7, KWMR's Robin Carpenter response was to deflect the focus to "...someone leaking a confidential letter."
*Point Reyes Light is owned by Marin Media Institute, co-founded by Corey Goodman. Point Reyes Light is also an underwriter of KWMR.
Just because you say it does not make it so, even if you own the press
By now it should be obvious that repeating something over and over does not make it so. In the case of support for the commercial operation continuing in the Phillip Burton Wilderness area, the support is not what is being reported by the local press. It is time for true reporters to begin writing.
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[Update 8/15: Today West Marin Citizen feigns "shock" that a letter writing campaign in support of wilderness was started by the West Marin Environmental Action Committee. Included in their column is "...accusing our West Marin community of extreme right-wing interests."
WMC should get back to investigative reporting instead of being worried about offending their advertisers. So doing may uncover a few of the extreme right-wing interests who have mushroomed in Marin County as a result of the DBOC issue.
Consider that their own "guest columnist" and DBOC supporter Sarah Rolph, from Carlisle, MA, is a well known right wing Tea Party supporter. Consider Jane Gyorgy, creator of the oysterzone, in an August 2 radio interview accused Amy Trainer, Neil Desai, and other wilderness supporters of being "...pawns in a global effort to rid the planet of people." (at 27 minutes). Consider that Jane Gyorgy put up on the Oysterzone site (then removed it) a post inviting people to a "Constitutional Common Law Jury Trial", an extreme right wing tactic used when they disagree with the US legal system (click here to see her now removed page - the original page is copied at the end of this post.). Consider Robin Carpenter inviting two members of an extreme right wing property rights group in Washington State (Common Sense Alliance) down to Marin County for an "interview" to do nothing more than attack Amy Trainer.
West Marin Citizen may have at one time had Pulitzer Prize potential. It has drifted.]
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Jane Gyorgy's oysterzone Common Law Jury page.
Constitutional Common Law Jury
Trial set MONDAY, July 28, 2014, 7 PM, Point Reyes Station
What: Constitutional
Common Law Jury Trial
When: July 28, 2014, 7
PM
Where: Fire Station Mtg
Rm, Point Reyes Station
- Is it
possible that US District Court did not have Jurisdiction in DBOC vs
Jewell & Jarvis?
- Is it
possible that a right to be heard by a jury has been denied DBOC by the
courts?
- Would you
like to serve on the people’s jury?
- Would you
like to attend the hearing of an actual Court of Common Law?
Counsels or representatives for the DBOC and US
Department of Interior have been duly notified and “requested politely to
present evidence before a West Marin jury of twelve that will be chosen by a
[lottery] at the Far West Fest at Love Field in Point Reyes Station on
Saturday, July 26. A certified court reporter shall be present, with
instructions to record the decision at the Marin Recorder’s Office in San
Rafael, California, on July 29, 2014. (Bailiffs will be present.)
NB: This is to be an actual case of constitutional common
law, not admiralty martial law.
(This may be your chance, at last, to take part in the
process, to have a say in your city/county/state/country’s decisions.)
Kevin Lunny and Nancy Lunny will
be there to give evidence.
I look forward to seeing you Monday night!
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