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The Morning Mayor Show KMPH 840 AM Daily at 10 The valleys only local talk and news radio show It works if you e-mail this to your list December 30, 2007 The Sabatino Report Vasche abuses power constitution gives the press “I never again will take freedom of the press for granted” a column by Executive Editor of the Bee, Mark Vasche. (Sunday Dec, 30th Modesto Bee) Dear Mr. Vasche, Does it always have to be about “you”? Your use of the word “I” in a column praising journalists who have been brave enough to suffer retribution and loss of life for their craft is inappropriate. Their efforts certainly do not apply to you. You sir, do not deserve to be in their company. You are safe on the top floor of the Modesto Bee Building cowering like a coward and being careful not to offend the politically powerful. You have failed to protect the people of this community, their economy, and their quality of life. The greatest threat you face is being transferred to another newspaper or being fired. Unfortunately, neither of those options has happened. You were accepting $180,000 in advertising from the City of Modesto until Carmen Sabatino became Mayor and with a unanimous vote of the council during a budget cutting process reduced the item to $90,000. Today you accept $265,000 in advertising from Stanislaus County. Of course you are not a fool. Business is business, but taking money from government unnecessarily is called being on the “take”. The City of Modesto without a contract was paying you over $40 per column inch of advertising while the Modesto Irrigation District was paying $21.50 per column inch with a contract. You could have offered the city a contract or criticized the city for being too stupid to ask for a contract, but of course, business is business. You were successful in removing the Mayor of Modesto from office, but you failed to jail him or destroy his credibility. Even though you were part of the prosecution team against the former Mayor you refused to testify at his trial. You sir, refused to talk to a jury and had the Bee media attorney quash your subpoena on the basis that you knew nothing about the case. Your attorney cited California’s shield law as a reason to quash the subpoena. What sources were you protecting? You were a witness, a participant, not a reporter of any truths. You refused to talk to a jury, but you boasted to the California Newspaper Publishers Association how you successfully quashed the subpoena. Circus Master and judge, Franklin Stephenson, who did not want to open “a can of worms”, quashed your subpoena along with those for, real estate magnate Mike Zagaris, Supervisor Ray Simon, and Sonora attorney Roger Brown. Attorney Frank Carson faced five charges for contempt of court in his attempt to have an open and fair trial. You or your attorney provided the California Newspaper Publishers Association with an account of the events that the jury was not allowed to know about. Thanks to Judge Franklin Stephenson. The CNA reported that, “Vasche was attending a regularly scheduled meeting with Sabatino and Modesto’s City manager when investigators served search warrants and seized materials from the mayor’s city hall office. Carson sought to question Vasche about the day’s as well as other knowledge he or the paper had of the investigation. Olson cited California’s shield law in successfully arguing for the subpoena to be quashed.” Sir, how fortunate you are that you were not forced to perjure yourself at the trial. How shameful it must be that you lied to your peers in journalism and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. The simple truth is that the meeting was not “regularly scheduled” and the “city manager” was not present. I recall how disappointed you were that I continued the meeting in the conference room across the hall while the search was being conducted. You wondered how I could continue to discuss city business while it was obvious you no longer wished to continue because you invited me to “speak to a reporter” out in the hall. Not only was there a reporter in the hall but a photographer as well. Once again sir, you have failed to protect the people of this community, their economy, and their quality of life. You are not an elected official. You have not received one vote. Who is it that pulls your string? Sir, you pretend to be what you are not. Who are you? In the interest of open government you are invited to the Morning Mayor Show for a further discussion of the United States Constitution and what it has to say about “civil rights”.
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