Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Lovelace's funding

Excerpted from - this week's Town Dandy

Here in Humboldt County, bringing up the question of someone's personal finances is always awkward. But that shouldn't be the case when it comes to elected officials, or those who otherwise serve or seek to serve the public as policymakers. There are laws on the books - most notably the California Political Reform Act - that require a degree of openness. These are good laws. Locally, no one has taken more notice of them than Mark Lovelace, who as head of the Humboldt Watershed Council has filed complaints against two Humboldt County officials relating to their business interests with the Pacific Lumber Co. Planning Commissioner Chair Tom Herman and Fortuna Mayor John Campbell. The Fair Political Practices Commission has agreed to investigate both cases.

But what of Lovelace himself? How does he make a living? Now that he is standing for office the question is fair. For years there have been rumors that the non-profit organization for which he works is funded wholly or in large part by a single wealthy individual who is associated with any number of left-wing causes in Humboldt County.

Shouldn't Lovelace have to disclose that?

We won't name the individual because it turns out that the rumors in question are demonstrably false. The Humboldt Watershed Council files tax returns every year. Because it is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation those returns are public. Here's what they show.

The organization took in little money between 2000 and 2004. Donations ranged between $10,000 and $50,000 annually, with most years at the lower end of the scale. Then in 2005, it took in a massive donation, relatively speaking $121,000. The large surplus of funds allowed the Council to spend a great deal the next year, while the fight over the county general plan was raging particularly hot. The money was directed to the "Healthy Humboldt Coalition," a project of the Watershed Council, the Northcoast Environmental Center and the Sierra Club that advocates for "smart growth" style land use planning.

Where did that very large contribution come from? A call to Lovelace got the answer, and another trip to a database containing the IRS returns of nonprofit organizations confirmed it. The money was a grant from the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, a Sacramento based charitable organization dedicated to conservation. The foundation awarded the Watershed Council $125,000 as part of its "Preserving Wild California Program" - "a five year, $150 million effort to protect wild lands and rivers across the state," according to its website.

Lovelace himself has drawn a relatively small salary from the Counci: $34,000 in 2006. "The salary would be more if the position had been fully funded, but I was paid for about three quarters of the scheduled time and probably worked time and half," he said Monday.

That supposed sugar daddy? Lovelace said he had indeed given money to the Watershed Council from time to time, just as many community members have, but the biggest part of the Council's budget has come from charitable grants.

As his economic disclosure statements to the County showed, Lovelace made a bit of money from his consulting business in 2007, but he largely gave that up in favor of advocacy work around the issues of forestry and land use planning, which "seemed so much more important and pressing."

"This is the stuff that intrigued me and sucked up my time," he said, "if I'd put more time into that consulting - there's good money when it's there, but i was drawn to other things."
read the rest

M'Kay, does that answer all your questions? Not mine. But it's good reporting.

Got questions? Let's make a LIST - submit via comments or email (in the sidebar)

70 comments:

  1. well, well, well....

    it turns out that rose's paranoid/conspiracy mindset is once again proven to be completely unfounded.

    after rose has claimed, time and time again, that one individual (dr. ken miller) was bankrolling the humbold watershed council and it's 'healthy humboldt' project,it turns out that is simply not the case.

    hank's simple approach of calling mark lovelace for his answers, then confirming the informaton on-line with the IRS, shows clearly that the hwc, like most non-profits, receives support from a variety of sources, including foundation grants.

    but rose will just backpedal a bit, and then follow some other line of insinuation and rumour-mongering. no big surprise there: after all, this is what bottom-feeders like rose do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No, actually, if you'd been following the blog all along, you would see that I talk alot about the big grantmakers, and especially the "projects."

    I've never noticed that Ken Miller was a particularly large donor, his declared contributions are usually $100 and $200 with rare exceptions.

    I have talked about "Humboldt Watershed Council's" ads during the Recall being careful not to say "Vote for Paul" but saying "Fraud is not a Victimless crime" a phrase that was clearly associated with Gallegos by virtue of the rest of the effort.

    Miller's influence goes beyond money, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that.

    So to say that this ends the matter is a mistake. To pretend Miler is irrelevant because HWC filed a few forms is silly.

    But I think you know that, 3:35. You just don't want anyone else to know it.

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  3. You wouldn't be satisfied if they waterboarded him until he admitted every crime in history including assasinating Lincoln.

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  4. Why not? They've told every lie they could to the waterboard. God Bless the free socialist republic of Arcata. Watch out for conrad mark and his ice pick.

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  5. Ha,ha! you made a funny. waterboared = waterboard, get it? just like palco = everything evil in the world get it? Ha,ha!

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  6. Here's a funny for you. HWC = we love palco workers.

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  7. Mark lovelace says,"Oh Dorithy,your wering my rubbie slippers"

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  8. Oh Rose - the orks have escaped from Heraldo's. Back dreaded orks -

    Frankly Rose, you know that you have hit a chord when they sit on your blog all day hitting the refresh button.

    Quite funny, actually!

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  9. :) yeah, let's see, I'm president of the org, I get the grant, I decide what I want to do, and I pay myself with the grant... ya gotta love it, 2nd only to threatening lawsuits and getting go away money for no work, this is the next easiest way for a young college boy to make money.

    I'd love to do a survey - how many people who sat in planning dept listening tour meetings with Mark REALIZED he was being paid to be there. I know they all knew he was being paid by HWC, but how many realized he was really being paid to be "Healthy Humboldt?"

    Puts a whole different spin on it doesn't it?

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  10. If there are any attorneys or maybe someone who slept at a Holiday Inn, would you give us a read on the draft ruling posted on the Fresno Superior Court website for the Palco vs. State of CA? Near as I can tell there may be some funding in Palco's future.

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  11. Let me say this very clearly to you Anon.R.mous. Go fuck yourself if you think $34.000 isn't a lot of money. When I get to go to a meeting I have to take off work. That costs me $$$$$$. I don't make even close to $20,000 and I work damn hard. I'm sure all the trips to Texas were paid for too . So pal zip that shit.

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  12. Question:
    Does Lovelace and HWC spend the majority of their time lobbying?

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  13. Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Let me say this very clearly to you Anon.R.mous. Go fuck yourself if you think $34.000 isn't a lot of money. When I get to go to a meeting I have to take off work. That costs me $$$$$$. I don't make even close to $20,000 and I work damn hard. I'm sure all the trips to Texas were paid for too . So pal zip that shit.

    3/19/2008 10:14 PM


    What?

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  14. No, let me repeat myself:

    WHAT?

    Yours Truly and Deeply,
    Anon.R.Mous

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  15. 10:14 Read that again, The two of you agree $34,000 is good for Humbolt especially with all expenses paid trips to Houston and where else?

    Post title is wrong though it's Lovelace's income, Watersehd council's funding.

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  16. Or who knows for sure all the of funding. If you look back further in the records, you'd see that they where other donation cycles that had some rather high drops for a year. Also someone has gone from $13,400 to $34,000 in three years. Talk about a jump in wages!

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  17. In 2005 they bought $17,000 in machinery and equipment and deprecated it all in the same year. Showing that they only have a book value of $825.

    But who got the sweetheart deal for $25,000 for consulting? It's the money getting tossed out as well as tossed in that you should look at.

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  18. What is Rose’s source of income? She advocates for PALCO and developers and attacks anyone who criticizes them, but pretends to be just a concerned citizen. Whose dime is she blogging on?

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  19. Last time I checked, Rose wasn't a non-profit with a shady past. Who does Salzman employ in Humboldt County? Why has Ken Miller covered up and lied about his drug dealing, I'm sorry, prop 215 past?

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  20. Gosh… Rose’s brother is an environmentalist of sorts:
    Dan Welsh, environmental contaminants division chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife office in Sacramento

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  21. “Dan (Welsh) has steadfastly worked with other federal agencies, state agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector in a positive and constructive manner that has significantly furthered the mission and improved the image of the Service.”
    Hard to believe he is related.

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  22. How do you know where rose's money comes from? She could be an employee of a non-profit (tax deductible or otherwise) as far as you know.

    As to HWC having a shady past, Hank Sims put all those FALSE rumors, i.e. LIES, to rest.

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  23. Rose - the orks are a continuous crack up. I mean they are totally whacked out that you (and pthers) have DARED to question their funding. What idiots to have put Lovelace in the limelight for a seat on the board. I mean, how REALLY stupid of them.

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  24. Alas for the Salzman/Miller crew, I am their worst nightmare. A stay-at-home Mom with time to waste on a blog, and on research, time to pay attention to the contradictions and anomalies of their trickery...

    Got into it, as I have explained before, because of a few choice phrases from Richard Salzman - "I can't promise you I can call these people off," and "This is bigger than you can possibly imagine."

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  25. No, Hank didn't. He didn't go back far enough.

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  26. 3:25 you are a chicken shit asshole. I can tell you if you are a man and I ever identify you I will kick your ass! You are a low form of life. Rose and her brother are both class acts and you are not.

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  27. I don't know Rose, but I like her. I like her blog. I like the way she pisses off most of the local shisters with research and facts. Lowlifes, shisters, and crooks don't faree well with facts.

    Does Mr. Lovelace have a local business license for his "consulting"? And what was his income for 2007? Oh it's not April 15th yet.

    ReplyDelete
  28. “I also want to thank and acknowledge McKinleyville graphic designer Rose Welsh who was responsible for the original logo and graphic design in 1990. Readers may recall that Rose was our “third partner” in the early days of this business venture, leaving for motherhood duties. She helped us select the type fonts and treatment for our new logo “thejournal.”
    — Judy Hodgson

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  29. I like this one better myself:

    March 24, 2005

    Editor:

    Rose Welsh, who produced Jill Geist's ad campaign and is infamous for her conspiracy theories and for co-hosting a radio show with fellow nut-case Stephen Lewis, is now preaching about how the DA should be working harder ("Mailbox," March 17). Pay no mind to the fact that Paul has won every case he has tried since taking office. That would be seven more cases that [former DA] Terry [Farmer] tried in the last 10 years combined.

    Let's not forget that during the recall, Rose was one of the people running around to the media waving e-mails stolen from the DA's office during the whole Flanigan scandal. EPD investigations were inconclusive and no charges were ever brought, but it still leaves a bad odor on the woman. At the end of the day, as with the article in general ("One year later," March 3), what we learn is that Paul's critics are still critical of him. Sixty-one percent of the voters chose to keep him in office.

    His critics should give it a rest.

    R. Trent Williams, Eureka


    Why haven't we hung Salzman by the highest yardarm around again? Stalker, threats, hidden money, and the best thing is the man isn't even a local person. Salzman is the puppetmaster behind Eureka Col. for Jobs and you suckers bought it hook, line and reefer.

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  30. Thanks for the reminder, R. Trent and the lying POS that he was/is.

    This gunderson think took some of the heat of PVG for the Palco and EPD mess.

    Maybe PVG is on vacation again.

    just a passing thought or two

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  31. Yes 5:17, it is classy to spread lies about people. Rose is a real class act by that definition. She won't even apologize for the lies she has been spreading. Real classy.

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  32. Rose does not lie. She may not always be perfect,none of us are but she is honest. I may not always agree with her but I never agree with you 7:46

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  33. Be REAL specific, 7:46. Spell it out. Exactly. If I have made a mistake, this is the place to clear it up. Do it now.

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  34. after rose has claimed, time and time again, that one individual (dr. ken miller) was bankrolling the humbold watershed council and it's 'healthy humboldt' project,it turns out that is simply not the case.

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  35. Hank Sims, "We won't name the individual because it turns out that the rumors in question are demonstrably false."

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  36. Doesn't cover the other years though does it?

    And if Lovelace made $34,000 from working there, and paid himself another $25,000 for consulting. Well, sounds like a windfall to me doesn't it to you as well?

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  37. We may never be able to go deep enough to find out who pulled strings or called in old debts or made promises of future support on radical projects to get unreported cash,reported donations or touchy-feely grants for 129+ thousand dollars. We may never know how much illegal money has filtered in before books were kept. We may never know all of the story. We may never know the truth of an advocate donating their time to a non profit just to have that non profit make a donation to someone connected to that advocate. Money laundry is a very cool buisness and the .orgs and thier pals are as good at it as a Columbian drug lord. Over the top? ya probably we all know that liberals would never do anything un-cool like,well paying 4300$ to fuck a hooker. No just couldn't happen.

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  38. Ridiculous liars. Real class act.

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  39. All non-profits must file IRS 900 forms showing their income and expenses. HWC has done so every year as required by law (or they would lose their tax exempt status)and those records are available. Check Guidestar. It's funny that AnonRmous, who claims he was who gave out the Guidestar link hasn't checked out the other years which are available, not just 2007. He must be as much of a liar as his heroine Rose.

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  40. 8:23, that is incorrect - What I have pointed out all along is that there is big foundation (corporate) grant money involved in alot of these groups (and what "projects" are - and that Miller himself seems to only give small amounts, but I told you this the other day, you don't seem to listen.

    My questions have more to do with the origins and intent of the so-called "Watershed Council" - a name that brings with it certain, shall we say, "weight" with respect to legislative bodies as the result of some stupid senators passing laws that allow for the orgs to have powers outside of normal checks and balances.

    One reason there are questions about the funding is - for example - the lawsuit filed by Miller's cohort, Bob Martel - he brags about how much he spent on the lawsuit, and the research that went into it. Then he loses and is ordered to pay a judgement. He cries poor, says he can't pay the judgement because he has only made a miniscule amount for the past 5 years. So - where did the money for the suit come from? Where did the money for the research come from? Was he lying and he did it all for basically free? Did he ever pay the judgement?

    And more recently - why did Miller reconstitute the old version of :Humboldt Watershed Council," "Salmon Forever" to go lobby the Water Board - - ahhhhh, the answer - - he must want to distance Lovelace from this while he is getting ready to run for Supervisor.

    Can you imagine how Miller is licking his chops over the prospect of finally controlling a vote in the BOS. Imagine all the trouble it would have saved him if he could have gotten that Cotchett deal approved.

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  41. You are a liar. You have posted all over the local blogs that Miller was the bankroller of HWC. But keep on with the lies. They are showing everyone how unprincipled and dishonest you and your cohorts are. A lot of us already knew that. Thanks for the supporting evidence.

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  42. I'll post the documents as soon as I get them from somewhere besides Guidestar.

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  43. Guidestar has the ACTUAL documents filed Rose. Your tactics are hilarious but to be expected from a lying whore like you. What do they pay you Rose? It can't be much because your integrity isn't worth much.

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  44. Perhaps you are mistaking me with some of the anonymii. I have called it Ken Miller's "Humboldt Watershed Council" because it is. Ken Miller's "Salmon Forever" because it is, Ken Miller a co-founder of BACH because he is.

    Are you suggesting that Ken Miller does not control "Humboldt Watershed Council?"

    And, by the way, the "word" is that Ken Miller is the go-to guy for starting up these fako-bako groups, that he knows just how to do it and has access to the grant money. He is NOT known for forking over his own money.

    Is that correct or incorrect?

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  45. Actually Guidestar's agreement says something about not posting them elsewhere. I believe I have linked to them in the past - but maybe that was for "Baykeeper." Another "project" - a predatory litigious group.

    Still, Guidestar is supposed to be providing the documents so that people can judge whether or not the group is a legitimate cause to give money to, so maybe I can just pull 'em off there and post them here. Because examining what "Humboldt Watershed Council" is really up to would be in that same spirit.

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  46. You just can't help yourself, can you? One lie is uncovered and you start more. You are a disgusting excuse for a human being. DISGUSTING!

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  47. Mark has only been with "Humboldt Watershed Council" since what? 2003, I think. Just after Miller managed to get Gallegos to file the Palco suit?

    What is Miller's end-game? Why does he have such a hard-on for Palco? Why does he hate all the workers there? Why does he send Mark out to play nice, we care about you guys losing your jobs, when he has done nothing but attack and attempt top destroy the company for decades? What's the game for? Why does he want to screw the TPZ landowners?

    Why does Mark, if he is such a reasonable guy, go along with all this? Why does he deliberately misrepresent the TPZ taxation issue, slinging talking points designed to sway opinion against the TPZ landowners?

    For God's sake - just answer the damn questions, for once.

    What about "Taxpayers for Headwaters?" Who funded that? "Salmon Forever" how much does it take in and from where? Do they meet? Have a Board of Directors? Are they also a "project" of the "Watershed Council?"

    C'mon guys.

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  48. 9:51 - is that correct or incorrect?

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  49. How about HELP? Or CPR?

    C'mon guys.

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  50. Call them up and ASK THEM
    (822-1166) or get Sims to do it. Spreading lies while asking for answers is still spreading lies.

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  51. Salmon Forever is also a registered non-profit whose information is available at Guidestar. Mark Lovelace's name doesn't appear anywhere on it.

    The days of you sitting in your little blogworld spreading unchallenged lies have ended.

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  52. Oh goody!

    Now, no one said Mark Lovelace's name was on Salmon Forever.... did they?

    And, YOU FIRST! Let's see the books and filings for the so-called "Alliance for oh-so-ethical Business" THEN, we'll get to the other groups. Start with the big daddy.

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  53. They aren't a registered non-profit either Rose. Try again.

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  54. You are the one spreading unfounded lies Rose. Your refusal to call them up and ask them but continuing to sit here and spread the lies shows you don't want answers. You just want to lie. Who is paying you?

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  55. It's easy if you try. Imagine. Advocate goes to school with Sally Enviro. Sally lives with agency planner Joe Watersaver. Sally and Joe make the decession to give Advocate a phony 100,000 $ grant per year to study housewives who blog. Sound good so far? Advocate then gives Joe and Sally's son Save a Tree a job following blog mom to and from the where ever she goes. They all of course donate a per centage to Advocates other buddy at Redwood Hawk Foundation. Imagine,it's easy if you can that this is just the white bread version of their web.

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  56. Pathetic lies. Shame on you.

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  57. Who would have guessed a simple question would lead to all this?

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  58. What's the relationship with ASJE?

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  59. What's your relationship with the KKK? I want documents to back up anything you claim. You have been proven to be a liar so nothing you say without PROOF will be adequate.

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  60. You have quite a facination with the KKK . Are you the King Kool-aid Kid?

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  61. This is the first time I have mentioned the KKK. Why such a dishonest characterization? Why can't you just answer the question? What are you trying to hide? Refusal to answer and provide documentation is evidence that you are indeed a front organization for the KKK.

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  62. They're repeating themselves Rose. You've got'em on the ropes. They must be shitting their panties. Keep up the good work. King Kool-aid Kid! Funny stuff. rotflmao

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  63. Tisk tisk, you don't even question how a "company" can go from spending $400 a year on "consulting" to $25,000 a year, or how in three years someone gets a "raise" from $13,400 to $34,200.

    All non-profits do have to file yes, but they don't have to always file in the same timeframe as a normal company it seems, or why was the 2004 returns filed on 10/5/2005, two whole months after the CPA had signed off on the returns.

    $400 to $25,000 in a year.

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  64. Tough guy AnonRmous. More stupid assumptions Rose. Part-time doesn't mean half time, it means less than full-time. You should read the news available and you wouldn't continue to make such a fool of yourself. Now as to your KKK membership. Are you a lifetime member or a recent convert? How many other members are their in your chapter? Who funds it? Come clean now.

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  65. heraldo clone and crooked non-profit apologists 7:52. Part-time,full-time,honesty,truth,civility,mean zero to you and your secret little groups. All that matters to you is slander,fomenting discontent and winning your petty issues at all costs. You will piss on you friend in a heart beat if you think it will make you look cool at the next progressive cocktail party. You are a virus at best.

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  66. I am tough!

    Grrrrrrrrr! Wanna dance pretty boy? I like the two-step, but we can jitterbug if you want.

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  67. WOW!! Gotta love this Rose. Sounds like the evil doers of Humboldt are out to get you... What a joke. They haven't a fighting chance. While they love to use foul words and personal attacks against you, they cannot (and unfortunately for them) come against you with any truth. It is almost comical and I guess even hilarious to some degree. Talk about a ostrich who sticks their head in the sand. Well maybe they will suffocate and die. We should be so lucky.
    D.

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  68. They're freaking out because they are being exposed, and they are losing on almost every level. Circling the drain, actually.

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  69. Just make sure the disposal is on.
    D.

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