Demanding Accountability

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City Council Members, Judge, and a Reporter team-up to promote their own agenda

By Edward Snook
Investigative Reporter

Gold Hill, Oregon – On December 19, 2005 the Gold Hill City Council held an open meeting where personal agenda’s where exposed. The meeting was held in an attempt to deal with the controversy regarding the increase in tickets written by city police and the negative relationship between Gold Hill police chief Dean Muchow and Judge Don Leahan.

Council Members Jan Fish (left) and Donna Silva (right)

The controversy which has inflamed the entire community was started by Judge Leahan, city council members Gus Wolf, Donna Silva and an extremely hateful and agenda driven councilor named Jan Fish, when Leahan took it upon himself to make statements to the Medford Mail Tribune that asserted police chief Muchow issued a directive to increase tickets in hopes to pay for another officer and further made statements saying that he wouldn’t allow it. Leahan later attacked the police department in a letter written to the city council by saying their move to issue tickets into a court other than his was, “unethical.”

Council member Gus Wolf

In fact, Councilor Wolf had asked Muchow to explore options in funding another officer through the use of ticket revenue – which at the time of the council meeting, Wolf conveniently could not recall - and in a report to the council Muchow outlined the possibility of using ticket revenue to do this, but the report never went anywhere in the council and chief Muchow himself explained to the council that using tickets to fund another officer would be a negative.

It was explained to the council that the increase in traffic citations was primarily due to school coming back in session and that the school had asked the chief to step-up patrol of the school zone which is frequently ignored by drivers. The explanation was logical and accepted by all councilors except Fish, Silva, and Wolf who obviously were on the side of the judge who acted inappropriately. The three councilors ignored their constituents, who filled the meeting hall and called for the backing of the chief and the police department by taking turns speaking to the council and sometimes shouting from their seats. The three councilors continued to attack Muchow often bringing personal feelings into an issue which is really black and white.

The real issue was the judge’s inappropriate actions, and even the city’s counsel, Steve Rich, said at the meeting, “I have real concerns about a judge stating beforehand that he’s going to dismiss cases if he ‘smells a rat’ … I fail to see how the guy can judge fairly.”

Throughout the meeting and with incredible patience Chief Muchow responded to each inquisition, which often resembled a McCarthy hearing searching for anyone responsible other than the three out-of-control council members and their friend Judge Leahan - who initially made the disparaging remarks toward the police department.

One Gold Hill resident even commented while leaving after the session was closed to the public, “I think we’d be better served by a bunch of children rather than these three councilors (referring to Fish, Silva, and Wolf).” And there was even talk of a recall drive forming to oust these individuals who so obviously misrepresented their constituency.

Medford Mail Tribune writer Sanne Specht

As the session moved to a closed hearing the relationship between Medford Mail Tribune writer Sanne Specht, city recorder Mary Goddard, the three council members and Judge Leahan became more transparent and it seemed to some that Specht was more driven by an agenda to create news than simply report on it by demanding a letter of apology from Chief Muchow for saying that he was misquoted by her, which in fact he had been. In her story titled “Gold Hill judge sides with ticketed drivers” she said, “Muchow has defended the ticketing spree as a legal way to fund his department” and referred to the letter he had been asked by a council member to write. But what she never elaborated on was the fact that the report by Muchow had never seen any council action and the tickets were fairly issued without any monies to be allocated his department. It should be noted that Specht’s close relationship with Goddard is becoming pronounced as it was witnessed that Goddard and Specht came out of the records room, together, just prior to the start of the meeting.

Ron Lee of the US~Observer who was witness to the council meetings said, “This is a clear-cut case of a reporter trying to stir the pot, someone who knows the facts and misrepresented them, in order to sensationalize something that should have never been a story other than of a police chief who is doing his sworn duty by protecting the public from individuals who choose to ignore traffic signs.”

He continued to say, “All of us (the US~Observer staff) are very interested to see where Specht will take this next, and if her editor will continue to allow someone who is so obviously biased to report on Gold Hill further.”

Please read the previous article:

• Medford Mail Tribune & Judge Tag-Team Outstanding Police Dept.

Contact Gold Hill:

Gold Hill City Hall - (541) 855-1525 or recorder@ci.goldhill.or.us.

 

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