Friday, November 12, 2010
READER CONTEST: Help Robert Gammon Find a New Life's Mission
Media / Politics / People Stephen Buel — Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 10:29 AM
Astute readers of this blog and web site know that staff writer Robert Gammon has had a slight obsession with former state senator Don Perata. But now that the Don has lost the mayor's race and promised to retire his life-size Tony Soprano cut-out, Bob confronts a potential identity crisis of vast proportions. Who is Robert Gammon without his long-time foil? What will his life's mission be without shady financial dealings to expose? Where should he redirect his considerable energies, now that Perata is likely to stalk the earth only as a lobbyist for an assortment of unsavory enterprises? That's where you come in.
We're launching a contest in which our readers can suggest a new beat for Robert Gammon. We've got a $100 gift certificate to downtown Oakland's soon-to-reopen Awaken Cafe for the reader who comes up with the best suggestion for how Bob should spend his time in the future. Submit your suggestions right here, as comments on this blog post. We'll award the gift certificate to the reader who comes up with the smartest, funniest, or most astute suggestion. The deadline for submissions is Monday, November 15 at 5 p.m. We'll print a compilation of suggestions in next week's issue.
Comments (20)
Showing 1-20 of 20
Are you kidding? That's the winner? I mean, unethical is an inappropriately strong word for such a low stakes, silly contest, but I can't think of an adequately diluted synonym. So the award goes to a San Francisco journo whose suggestion is unadulterated flattery. I guess I missed the deadline, but I'd say Robert Gammon should go back and fact check his own articles, not that it would be anyone's loss were he reassigned to the dining beat.
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Gee, sorry, getitrite, but your suggestion came in after the deadline, so you aren't eligible to win. I am happy to announce that the gift certificate goes to lamestreammedia, aka Janis Mara. Thanks to everyone who participated in our little contest. -- Editor
Gasman should go to jail. Your hooker-paid-for rag is the only one that allows unsubstantiated, unproven, slander like what he's spewed. Of course my consolation is knowing Gasmon and The Eastbay Expresstosh#t will reap all the rewards of a psycho running your little cesspool even further into the ground. GTO baby GTO - Goodbye to Oakland. The boycott has begun.
Sure - let's see coverage of Mike Vandeman's felony assault trial, coming up in December. Mike was arrested by UC Police after bicyclists accused him of attacking them with sharp implements, up in Strawberry Canyon. Rather than cop a plea, Vandeman is taking this to trial - no doubt convinced that his superior logic and debating skills will win over a jury of his peers. So sad that someone ostensibly associated with the Environmental movement stands accused of felonies and misdemeanors perpetrated on his fellow humans.
Another good one for Bob: Find out why BANG is getting payments out of the CEDA fund. Might be some innocent explanation...? The transfer records are there.
I think Gammon's next mission is clear: A thorough investigation and background check of Chip Johnson. Why is he so unthinkingly obsequious to the corrupt East Bay political machine? Did he REALLY think Ron Dellums was supposed be out personally patrolling the streets of Oakland at night fighting crime? Is he allergic to the air at Oakland City Hall or something? How could he devote some many column inches to shilling for Perata without ever actually explaining why he'd be a good mayor, let alone why he wasn't a crook?
Yeah, yeah, you can just say the Chip writes what he writes because the Chron pays him to, but that just raises another question: when, why, and how did he decide to sell out so absolutely?
Bob Gammon's next assignment: Find out how the East Bay Express' became the un-official mouthpiece of the local pot legalization movement. When citizens reflect on the EBX these days, it is usually about this. Who is behind it? How much money is changing hands? What percentage of EBX's advertising revenue is now from marijuana related ads? Use your reporter's tenacity to go right to the top and follow the money. They will try to lead you astray, or maybe smoke you out to get you to stop harshing their mellow, but Don't Be Dissuaded! Hound Editor Stephen Buel and Associate Editor Bob Gammon until they squeel. You can do it!
Don Perata isn't the only politician who deserves the level of scrutiny that Bob Gammon gave him. They all do. Bob should be watching them all, and Steve, you should get him four of five interns to send on fishing expeditions through public records to find dirt. There's a lot of it out there.
Jean Quan is known for being very hard working and dedicated, but she has been criticized for a lack of charisma when speaking, for not being funny or even very personable. Robert Gammon's new life mission should be to make our soon-to-be Madam Mayor more appealing, not just to the half of Oakland who voted for someone else, but to the public at-large whose eyes are now on Oakland because of Jean's historic victory. I am suggesting Robert Gammon be responsible for the Jean Quan makeover. Robert could start by writing rap lyrics and Spanish phrases to be interspersed in Jean's acceptance speech this coming January, or putting hydraulics on Jean's Prius, as well as a shiny new set of 22 inch rims, and of course a booming sound system.
Take a look at www.auditoaklandceda.com.
Forgot to mention that. You can find the full legal complaint there and more, including thousands of pages of scanned CEDA abatement action records with annotations.
Please investigate the CEDA Building Dept. A citizen lawsuit was filed on Oct. 22 alleging jacking up of fees in violation of state and corresponding city law (fees must line up with actual costs, according to state law and an attorney general opinion); predatory fees and lien policies (forcing people to foreclosure, counting on the banks to pay rather than fight the liens, liening for full property value for a small abatement action); massive illegal transfer of funds from Fund 2415 (the dedicated CEDA fund that must exist by law) to many entities and individuals outside of CEDA; denial of due process (illegally disallowing most appeals - see Michael Kilian complaint to Public Ethics Commission); preferential treatment, nepotism, and possibly bribery (see Michael Kilian nepotism complaint to Public Ethics Commission); and more than can't be mentioned here. Go investigate. Please.
These suggestions make me want to rend my garments. Is it not enough for you that Mr. Gammon has ferreted out endless misdoings, yea, verily, not just those of the Don, but Mayor Dellums and a raft of other douchebag public officials? Winning a boatload of journalism awards in the process?
I defend to the death - well, at least to the point of mild inconvenience - Mr. Gammon's right to take it easy, maybe write a few light pieces about local restaurants, even. Why is it that Anneli Rufus always gets to chow down for pay, while poor Gammon spends long nights burning the midnight oil poring over Ron Dellums' calendar? There are those who would consider the latter a fate worse than death.
I hereby propose that we start the Bob Gammon Relief Fund. Send your contribution in unmarked bills to the Express, maybe with the suggestion of some restaurant, concert or sporting event Gammon can review. Fellow readers, you can help lessen the inhuman stress on this hardworking journalist ... or you can click "Next."
“Don Perata: The Unauthorized Biography” (of which the opening sentence would have to be, “Call me Ishmael”).
Or, I here there’s this thing out there called the “matrix,” but nobody’s really sure what it is except for some guy named Morpheus. This could be worth checking into; I’ll send you his e-mail address.
Or, I hear some of the windmills up there in the Altamont Pass need to be tilted at.
;-)
The City of Alameda - Perata's cronies have taken over Alameda City Council, and they keep coming up through the Alameda Hospital, which requested Alameda County implement a paramedic policy that enriches the hospital at the expense of patient care.
http://www.action-alameda-news.com/2010/11…
I'll second "Hammerrobbby" . . . keep a careful eye on city governments' budgets and contract and other negotiations.
There are plenty of things going on under the cover of darkness in Berkeley without a daily news entity looking closely at the City's practices. Somehow the City manages to keep its out-of-whack city government payroll rolling along while continually raising fees and taxes on the citizens of Berkeley. The City is loathe to lay one single person off for fear of action by SEIU...they fear SEIU more than George Bush himself!
Berkeley city employees are a select few indeed, among only a handful of municipal employees state or country wide who do not contribute one red cent to their excellent retirement packages. The City Manager manages time and again to scratch the backs of the SEIU, and he's making lots of dough in the deal. Where's the oversight? Go for it Robert.
Why is the village broke?Learn and report on government budgets. Where the money comes from(funding sources) where the money goes(allocations). Some hard choices are coming, we need to be informed.
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