The narrative the Condon Administration has continually put forth to the public is that Monique Cotton was so valuable to push the Park Department’s “Your Park Now” campaign after the $64-million-dollar Park Bond that he just had to move her there, give her a big raise, and have SPD pay her salary.

______________________________

Monique Cotton, Marketing and Communication Manager

Monique was selected by Mayor Condon to lead communication, marketing and public relations efforts for the Riverfront Park Bond and the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Division. Monique is responsible for the successful communication and promotion of the $64-million-dollar Park Bond, ongoing and consistent public engagement and the promotion and advertisement of Parks Programming and Recreation Programming.

Monique has worked with the City of Spokane since 2011.  She was hired by the Spokane Police Department to improve community and media relations and improve the Department’s public image. Monique is a former television reporter, and has served as communication and marketing consultant for government, corporate and non-profit organizations. She has a BA in Communication from Washington State University and is currently working to obtain her Accreditation in Public Relations from the Public Relations Society of America.

http://riverfrontparknow.com/our-team/staff/

_______________________________

 

But wait just a second! If that were true, why in the world did Condon first try to move her to the Fire Department?

 

Some of the local media were tipped to the attempt to move Cotton to SFD, including Nick Deshais of the Spokesman Review, as a result Deshais and Schaeffer had this email exchange on August 28^th, 2015 in which Schaeffer documents the fact that a meeting did take place regarding moving Cotton to SFD.

 

 

So what are we missing? We are missing the good ole WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY, which needs follow up. Who was at the meeting? What was discussed at the meeting? Where did the meeting take place? When did it take place? Why did it take place? All the simple stuff.

 

Condon in his letter to the City Council stated that the reason Public Records were withheld until after the election is because Deshais had specified in his PRR that he only wanted “complaints”. Even using that bunk excuse doesn’t explian why records of those meetings to this day haven’t been suppied to me, and were included in my September 5, 2015 PRR as well as a number of times in emails betweent Terri Pfister and myself subsequent to September 5^th.

 

“As well as any and all documents from third parties relating to the transfer of Monique Cotton from the Spokane Police Department to the City of Spokane Parks Department and or concerning formal or informal complaints made by or against Frank G. Straub or Monique Cotton.”

 

One of my recent email exchanges between Terri Pfister and myself documents my most recent clarification for Ms. Pfister. You may find these interesting as well as a subsequent email to her I will report on later.

 

 

 

 

Here is something else you folks might find interesting. These are letters and emails exchanged between Bob Dunn and Nancy Isserlis were just recently released. The question I have for my readers is do these Public Records from June of 2015, which were not released until recently, depict that a “complaint” was made consistent with the Deshais’s August 18^th PRR and a “transfer” took place, both consistent with my September 5^th PRR?

 

 

https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/5e51b3f0-6e8d-4134-b178-f0d4776b3b78

 

 

https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/fe2e59df-dc6a-473c-ba0d-70bf959554d2

 

BOY OH BOY…WHAT WOULD THE PUBLIC HAVE THOUGHT IF THOSE RECLORDS WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC BEFORE THE ELECTION????

 

 

I REPORT YOU DECIDE!

 

 

 

 

 

For those that haven’t been following my “PRR War” you should know that Ms. Pfister’s original estimate for completing my Public Records Request was ONE YEAR. It quickly jumped to TWO YEARS. Now we are up to THREE YEARS.

So I guess the question is; “Will I be around?” to actually receive the final response to my Public Records Request?  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most people are aware that some of us retired SPD cops have been following Condon’s hire of Frank Straub from day one. We could not understand how he could have been hired with all the well documented dirt going on in Indianapolis…but he was… so we tried as hard as we could to get the word out but were blown off at every turn. One of our concerns, aside from all the other concerns, was the way Straub handled contracts. Many were very questionable and resulted in investigations, they also cost the City of Indianapolis millions and they are still trying to recover from them. The news report below which was published on December 14^th was written by Investigative Reporter Russ McQuaid of FOX59 in Indy who did a heck of a job digging into Straub’s activities in Indianapolis. Most of his work as well as the work of other reporters in Indianapolis including Sandra Chapman of WTHR 13 in Indianapolis were supplied to the Spokesman Review. Both were contacted by one of the retired cops and they had considerable info on Straub that they published well prior to Condon hiring Straub. An interesting note about Sandra Chapman is that she did a really good story on the high profile Diploma Mill case that originated here in Spokane which I worked on. It was recommended to the Spokesman Review in 2013 that they contact their counterparts in Indianapolis and get the scoop on Straub…they never did.

 

The only media outlet in Spokane to contact McQuaid was the Inlander and they quoted him in this story. He could have told them much more about Straub including his stories about Straub’s truthfulness, as well as other things well documented prior to Straub’s hiring in Spokane.

 

http://www.inlander.com/spokane/fall-out-boys/Content?oid=2575005

 

 

So why should we be worried? Well for those that don’t know the City of Spokane and Spokane County are in the process of spending millions of our dollars on a new Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management System and Frank Straub was involved in the process, which I might add looks like it is having some problems.

_________________________________

For more than a dozen years, the Tiburon system provided computer aided dispatch for police, fire and EMS runs in the City of Indianapolis and its 800,000 residents. That system had been updated over the course of time but was in need of an overhaul. Tiburon authorities told FOX59 that they had been assured by then-Public Safety Director Dr. Frank Straub that their company would be chosen to provide Indianapolis with a new system at a cost of approximately $3 million which maintain continuity of operations, maintenance and records.

Straub resigned at the end of April, 2012, chased out of office over unfounded claims of widespread police corruption and a deteriorating relationship with police, the public and the staff of Mayor Greg Ballard.

Ballard allowed Straub to stay on for 90 days that summer to search for a new job and it was during that window Tiburon officials claim they were informed their bid would not accepted and that the Department of Public Safety, and the Public Safety Board, operating on behalf of the mayor’s office, would enter into a contract with a new provider.

____________________________________

 

 

http://fox59.com/2015/12/14/indianapolis-ends-doomed-13-million-deal-on-public-safety-communications/

 

 

WHO ME WORRY…WHAT’ S THERE TO WORRY ABOUT????

 

 

TEASER

 

I’ll be doing a story shortly on the new Chief Selection Panel so stay tuned.

 

 

 

The inlander published another good article today this time regarding Theresa Sanders.

 

http://www.inlander.com/spokane/condons-right-hand/Content?oid=2636866

 

The Inlander article outlined this information in the story so as I was the other complainant besides Tim Connor I thought I would add some perspective to Tim’s “She blew it off” statement.

 

_________________________________

But Heather Lowe, the city’s director of Human Resources, says she only heard about the complaints once they appeared in the media. “They were never turned over to me,” Lowe says. “I don’t even have a record of them.” Instead, Sanders informed both complainants that she was responsible for handling the complaints. They weren’t happy.

“She blew it off,” says complainant Tim Connor, formerly with the Center for Justice. “I gave her three witnesses. She talked to none of them.”

_________________________________

 

I’ve been blown off regarding my documented concerns about Frank Straub since he hit town, so I’m used to it. Some have stated that I must be ROFLAO, well admittedly I have had a few laughs but the truth is I’m actually mad, disappointed, indignant, and a lot of other things all rolled into one.

 

I anticipated being blown off by the Condon Administration and Theresa Sanders because I knew that ANY negative information surfacing about David Condon’s rotten choice of Frank Straub would be swept under the rug as quickly and quietly as possible. I was also concerned about being blown off by the Media and the City Council but felt there was some hope that despite their continued touting of the wonderful job Straub was doing once they started looking into the FACTS the TRUTH would come out…I was wrong…so here we are today with ALL the predictions coming true. To be very clear about my complainant “investigated” by Theresa Sanders, I didn’t stop with her, I emailed all of the City Council members with my concerns about the very, very, serious matter of Domestic Violence Reporting and included all of my documentation which clearly showed the need for a real investigation. The City Councils reaction was simply to ask Selby Smith, who provided them the same BS he had given to Theresa Sanders to try and cover Straub’s tracks…they of course bought it and did nothing.

 

Beyond the City Council I also supplied Nick Deshais of the Spokesman Review with all of my records and emails regarding my complaint…again nothing. The really unfortunate thing is that with all of the dishonesty now coming out no one has bothered to take an in-depth look at how SPD really does handle Domestic Violence reports and cases, and before David Condon even begins to try and point out the wonderful program Straub set up with Rachel Dolezal’s good friend and supporter Regina Malveaux…just a warning David…I’m ready.

 

BACK TO MY MAIN POINT…HOW DO YOU TELL?

It is pretty simple…you do a Public Records Request for all the documents concerning your complaint! I of course did just that and the records clearly revealed a “blow off”. I’m going to provide just a few of the blow off examples I found and hold back the rest, which clearly show that Theresa Sanders and Selby Smith were having a hell of a time trying to figure out how to deal with my request.

Theresa Sanders sent this email to Nancy Isserlis upon receiving my request that Sanders NOT investigate my complaint. Notice the blow off. What is troubling for me is the Isserlis response to Sanders.

“Oh boy. Cranky people everywhere. Full moon tonight”

 

Keep in mind this is the City Attorney reacting to an independent investigation request.

 

I would think that any Spokane Citizen, such as myself, would have an expectation that the City Attorney would read the complaint and request for an independent investigation, inform Theresa Sanders that legally she can’t investigate the case, and try and figure out how to properly handle the situation. Well of course in the Condon Administration those expectations are far too high and it gets even worse. The following emails between Sanders and Isserlis, pretty much speak for themselves.

 

 

Well there you have it folks just a snapshot of the big picture. As I’ve mentioned before keep in mind that the revelations coming out now, and the dynamic of Washington State Surpreme Court decisions regarding the Public Records Act will force government into the good ole backdoor closeddoor process of yesterday…not to worry folks…there are other ways! 🙂 🙂

 

NOW THAT’S THE TRUTH!