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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

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WHAT THE PAPERS WON'T TELL YOU !!

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

EXCUSE ME...WILKES-BARRE... WHOSE $7.7 MILLION IS THIS?



Wilkes-Barre to bid out inspections?




Who can answer these questions?

-     
Why was Sherman Hills was not inspected for 6-7 years?

Why was this cesspool ( a murder last week) sold for a $7.7 million profit (96 %) in three years.?

 Why did Sherman Hills sell themselves to an affiliate of themselves (Treetop)?

  And why do I (through a Right-to-know) have hundreds of inspections on certain years with no matching paid receipts? 

  The other years I have nothing.



   ALL A BIG COINCIDENCE.    UH HUH.

Monday, February 9, 2015

TIMES LEADER - Crestwood Junior told to "take a nap and not wake up,"

(DO NOT MISS LETTER TO THE EDITOR BELOW)

An editor is in many ways like a referee. There are refs that call games tightly and some loosely. So it is with an editor who decides what is fit to print. 

Imagine what a game would look like if the referee threw in his whistle and walked off the field of play. This is essentially what George Spohr has done as editor of the Times Leader. 

If there were a disability for Spohr - it would be "judgment impaired." He thinks that being fair is letting everyone do as they please. The sociopaths and imposters have free reign of the paper. They lie. They libel. They steal identities. They speak for people not themselves. One 17 year old Crestwood student was told "to take a nap and not wake up."  (See  LETTER TO THE EDITOR BELOW). The Times Leader doesn't even follow its own standards let alone what one would expect of even the worst newspaper.  

TO CIVITAS MEDIA IN DAVIDSON, NORTH CAROLINA:

     Please remove Wilkes-Barre Times Leader George Spohr from his duties as the Times Leader Editor. The paper has fallen into a state of disrepute. Spohr has demonstrated a lack of common sense and inappropriate sensitivity to tose affrcted. Common sense is not something one can train for. 

      The articles and more importantly, the comments, are nothing but a literary cesspool. I am not so naive as to think that some of this vitriol doesn't get a short term bump in page hits. It is like staging a cock fight. Some will show up to watch.


     But at what cost? The integrity of the Times Leader is in a free fall. Investigative reporting is a thing of the past. The high end advertisers aren't going to be associated with a paper that peddles smut. Good luck with a low end "Ricky Lake" paper with ads for hot dogs and "Asian Yum Yum Massage."



I will allow you to scroll through the blog to give you just a sampling of the issues. George Spohr has said he won't touch anything. Identity theft and people posting under a false name can have dire consequences for the victim. The identity of the girl below has been hacked. She is a student at Oregon State (see HERE and then scroll down)
 Morgan Willer


This picture and the name of "Bethany Morgan Willer Rhodes" has been used on the TL comments section with very nasty comments. When this college student is looking for a job..."Morgan Willer"  will show up in a search with the Times Leader comments. HOW PRAY TELL IS SHE TO DEFEND HERSELF OF IDENITY THEFT?

Her picture has been used on over 500 comments !!
(and we think we know the imposter)
I have tried to contact her directly.




The bigger question is why does the Times Leader - who knows that identities are being stolen - do nothing?

========================================================
LETTER TO THE EDITOR (02/08/15 Times Leader)
Warning: Blood may boil
Letter to the Editor: Venomous comments on 
newspaper’s website compel teacher to quit reading
Last updated: February 08. 2015 11:15PM - 67 Views 











I am an English teacher at Crestwood High School, and for the past eight years I have assigned my eleventh-grade students to write a letter to the editor. Although they were not required to send their letter to the newspaper, students were awarded extra credit if their letter was printed.

During that time, I am proud to say that more than 200 students have had a letter published in the Times Leader. Unfortunately, this is the last year that I will be giving the assignment thanks to the malicious statements directed toward them in the newspaper’s online comment section.

While I welcome intelligent feedback and constructive criticism for my students, the majority of the comments on the site offer neither. The personal insults and childish name-calling put teenage social media to shame in the area of juvenile pettiness. While many of my students found some of the immature commentary amusing, the laughing ceased when one poster, who refers to himself or herself as “LiberalTerminator,” stated to a 17-year-old girl: “I think you should go to sleep forever. That would end your misery.”

The vile comment was in reply to her harmless viewpoint that high schools should begin their day with a later starting time. I am astonished that such a statement would be permitted to appear and remain on the site. Although a classmate of the young lady reported said comment to the site’s monitors, the abhorrent proclamation continued to be accessible to any viewer with the click of a mouse.

It would be easy for the Times Leader to shed responsibility for this atrocity by claiming that the company Disqus operates the comment section and assumes responsibility for its content. The newspaper merely sits back and collects advertisement revenue. The fact remains, however, that the URL above reads timesleader.com.

I understand that this is a turbulent time for newspapers as print readership has declined and several publications have folded. I also realize that online advertisement dollars are the only means for many papers to remain afloat. Unfortunately, the Times Leader loses any credibility as a reputable publication once one views the comment section of its online site, thus defeating its overall purpose as a legitimate news publication.

While I cannot predict the future success or lack thereof for this newspaper, I can assure you that its readership just declined by one.                      Bill Reznak
==============================================================================
Commentary from Sunday Times Leader   Feb 1, 2015
Zeroing in: Vocal few can make comment board a nasty place
Last updated: January 31. 2015

Betty RoccograndiZeroing In     COMMENTARY   FEB 1  2015
Story Tools:    TIMES LEADER

Years ago, the Times Leader published a wildly popular feature called, “Say So.”

It was also, at times, an insanely unfair free-for-all verbal slug fest.

“Say So” grew by leaps and bounds because it allowed anyone out there to not only comment on news stories but also to take pot shots at just about anyone. Some of these cowards attacked individuals while hiding safely behind cloaks of anonymity.

I believe, for that reason, the powers that be at the time stopped the feature.

It’s so easy to criticize someone, isn’t it, when you’re not required to reveal your identity? How many comments, some vile, would appear online if the spineless authors were required to stand behind their remarks? I’m guessing not many.

There’s a lot being spewed in the comments section at the end of news articles, editorials, letters to the editor and opinion columns in local and other newspapers. Spirited debates are encouraged, and I’m all for that.

Writers generally love to hear what readers have to say. Sometimes those who weigh in are insightful and witty. Many readers make excellent points. It’s always enlightening to hear the other side because there’s always another side.

Then there are those who make the dialogue personal, add nothing to the conversation and diverge from the subject at hand while putting on display their narrow-mindedness, pettiness, sheer ignorance and, in some cases, viciousness.

Take, for instance, the person disparaging activist Mark Robbins, who shined the spotlight on Wilkes-Barre City’s former towing contractor Leo Glodzik, who has since been charged with several crimes. He or she comments as MarkGayRobins. Another called city critic Frank Sorick, Frank “Soredick.” Not funny in the least.

Now, if Bethany Morgan Rhodes is who she says she is, then we commend her for being one of the few who goes on the record. However, the youthful, innocent photo she includes with her postings belies her vulgarity. It’s hard to take an immature potty mouth seriously.

There’s no doubt that if our newspapers only published comments from those willing and unafraid to identify themselves, the comment sections would shrink. I’m not advocating this; however, there needs to be some controls.

It doesn’t take any guts to go online, as the big bad wolf, to opine that it “sounds to me” that a Luzerne County councilwoman’s ”got her hands down the manager’s pants!” or for “Wacknuts” to call Hugo Selenski’s former girlfriend an “ex-crack head” for everyone to read and possibly believe whether it’s true or not.

It would be nice to know who these people really are, so the rest of us can consider the source.


I cannot understand why a newspaper won’t publish a letter to the editor before the paper verifies the author’s identity and hometown but will allow readers to take anonymous swipes online at others with whom they disagree.


If someone wants to accuse a prominent elected official of being a drunk, a scoundrel or an adulterer, why not come out of hiding, tough guy, so the accused can come face to face with the person who defamed him? If not, how about sparing the rest of us your unsubstantiated remarks, which come darn close to libel.


Actually, there are codes of “Member Conduct” attached at the comments section of the Times Leader. They forbid using sexual preferences to insult someone “in any way, shape or form” and from using vulgar, profane, sexually explicit or defamatory language.


Unfortunately, some readers who seem to get a kick out of indulging in all of the above haven’t read the memo.


Personally, I’m flattered that Comedy Central superstar Jon_Stewart reads my column. Or does he? His picture accompanies his posts, so it must be him. If that’s not Jon Stewart, what’s stopping the rest of us from hijacking someone else’s name and photo to comment on news articles, pretending to be someone we’re not?


I believe the whole idea for comment sections is to get people engaged in the subject at hand, to agree or disagree, so fellow readers can hear diverse points of view on important issues which affect us all.


But like everything, there are those who feel the need to ruin a good thing by debasing a public forum with unnecessary name-calling, defamation and unverified allegations.


Betty Roccograndi is a Wyoming Valley resident and award-winning journalist. Zeroing In appears weekly.


George Spohr: Why do we allow such awful 

comments on the Times Leader’s website?

Last updated: January 31. 2015 11:30PM - 489 Views 



Every day – sometimes multiple times a day – the newsroom is contacted by someone who wants us to delete a comment made by a reader on timesleader.com.


Some of those comments are lies. Some are vulgar. Some are offensive.


And all, unfortunately, are fair game.  (Is this the policy of Civitas? To publish lies?)


Online comments are the bane of many news organizations. As champions of free speech, most journalists probably would argue that anyone should be allowed to say anything at any time. As is so often the case, though, that freedom is abused. As a result, dealing with fallout from reader comments takes up an increasingly bigger part of our day.


Different news organizations have tried different approaches to solving the comment conundrum. Some allow their editors to edit comments. Some allow editors to delete specific comments. Some allow editors to delete entire threads. Some have moved from anonymous comments to Facebook’s platform (the theory there being that people are likely to be kinder when their name is attached to it). And still others have turned comments off of their website completely.


For a very brief period last year, timesleader.com began moderating comments. The backlash was swift from readers who accused us of censorship and deleting comments critical of the Times Leader. (For the record, that did not happen. Our journalists were instructed to approve any negative comment about the Times Leader – including personal attacks against me – simply because we didn’t want anyone to think we were censoring our readers.)


In response to that backlash, we returned to our old system that relies on “community policing.” When a comment is downvoted by three different users, that comment is hidden from view.


In the interest of full disclosure, what’s driving our policy is a fear of being sued.


Once we as a media organization begin tinkering with comments – either by moderating them or editing them – we have exerted “control” over that content. We then assume responsibility for that content. Given how many people misuse our commenting system, that’s not an assumption of responsibility we’re willing to accept.


Where we should draw a line between removing hurtful or harmful comments and not exerting control depends on whom you ask.


Different lawyers told us different things about where our responsibility falls. One attorney told me that we can delete comments and, so long as we don’t edit them, we haven’t crossed any “control” threshold. Yet another attorney told me that deleting comments is a de-facto form of exerting “control,” and we shouldn’t do it.


The same goes for users and usernames. Over the past few days alone, we’ve had multiple requests from readers asking us to ban users who were either impersonating or stalking other users. We couldn’t help them.


There’s no right-or-wrong way to handle those type of requests, it would seem. We tried doing the right thing by moderating comments – forcing readers to keep their comments clean and on-topic. But the online community revolted and we relented. Damned if we do, damned if we don’t.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

DOES THE TIMES LEADER AUTHENTICATE ITS PROSTITUES?

QUESTION: Does the Times Leader verify that the ads for prostitutes and massage parlors are who they say they are?

TIMES LEADER... WHAT IS YOUR POLICY?

Any reasonable person would assume an "adult" page (in the "Weekender") would be providing adult services. The ads with just phone numbers are likely to be for escort/prostitution. I don't they advertise for poetry reading. A man would naturally expect to perform coitus with some of the lovely dolls below.




1) Say a customer is tied up and killed by a prostitute whose rap sheet is a mile long. Or say too much cocaine was snorted?

Who took the money for this match to happen? The Times Leader. Did they know an illegal act would happen? Obviously yes. So wouldn't the Times Leader be at least partly liable? You would think.


2) If the Times Leader performed due diligence and gave proper warnings and acknowledged the prostitution was likely to occur - things would be a little safer. But  the the Times L:eader would be putting itself in the ring.

Damned if they do and damned if they don't. There seems to be a lot of criminality and liability lying on the floors of businesses around town in the form of the Weekender.

PS  The Times Leader editor is ultimately responsible for their part in the skin industry.This would be George Spohr.



Reporters like Bill O'Boyle, Jerry Lynette, Ed Lewis, Steve Mocarsky, Jenn Learn Andes, Roger Dupuis, and Mark Guydish and others have nothing to do with this. 







Thursday, February 5, 2015

Three corrupt / crazed "former law enforcement" nonprofits

WBTruth Home page HERE

SUNRISE, FLORIDA (BROWARD COUNTY):  Five agents were shot and two were killed in the early morning on Feb 3, 2021. The agents had a search warrant for a middle aged man involved in child porn. 

I bring this horrible incident up to make a point. The “takeaway” here is that hunting perpetrators in the sex crimes / trafficking criminal world is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. And significant manpower is needed for just a single raid. 

Therefore, the vigilante group (former Navy Seals, CIA Operatives etc.) that allegedly claim to rescue many kids in both domestic and faraway lands are not telling the truth.

I discuss three of these groups below:
f

(1) Operation Underground Railroad (national)
OUR is under investigation

(2) Phantom Rescue (Pompano Beach in Broward County)

(3) Saved in America (California based)
Saved in America is under investigation






(1) OPERATION UNDERGROUND RAILROAD  "OUR"
NATIONAL (UTAH BASED)
UNDER INVESTIGATION IN UTAH


A national organization
The "OUR" Home Page is HERE

"OUR" IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE UTAH STATE ATTORNEY FOR MAKING FALSE CLAIMS.

     "OUR" is a national organization (embraced by QAnon which is explained explained further down) based out of Utah. The CEO, Timothy Ballardis a member of the Mormon church. In 2015 "OUR" received national TV (CBS) exposure by helping rescue kids in Colombia. This was legit. However, They have parlayed this event in order to exaggerate the little they have achieved since this rescue. There entire nonprofit appears to stand on this one event. There was also an attempted rescue endeavor in Haiti.  
     I have researched the Timothy Ballard's published reports and videos (at least twelve) and I can tell you that is that he spends an ample amount of time on the speaking circuit. I see no indication that "OUR" has ever set foot in the countries they claim to "help." These are overseas counties. 
     The flimsy claim of "helping" other countries is so vague and feeble that it provides no assurance of material efforts. "Helping" may simply entail sending "thoughts and prayers." 

RED FLAGS
Found in footnotes in their financials

A) Operation Underground Railroad
 has accumulated approximately $30,000,000 (yes, $30 million) in stock funds.  This is written clearly in their financial footnotes in the above diagram (circled). Why isn't money going to operations? The most logical explanation is that there are essentially very few or no operations to fund. "OUR" is enriching themselves by investing donations in the stock market. 

      B) In the diagram above you can read that "OUR" owns a for profit business. Security and tactical operations are the claims of this company. Why aren't these activities (if they actually do exist) included in the nonprofit. Based on this structure I believe that "OUR" IS NOT a legitimate nonprofit as profits raised from the for profit business mat be laundered through the nonprofit to avoiding paying axes. 

      C) Separate orgs do not belong under one "nonprofit" umbrella. They should be separated. As it is, profits for the for profit business could be laundered through the nonprofit to escape paying taxes. I have never come across a nonprofit set up this way. Consider... what if the SPCA owned PET SMART? How would revenues and donations be tracked if the entities are comingled.  

     D) Other problems arise in that foreign rescues must be sanctioned by the host country. Snatching kids is perilous. The trafficking rings have armed security. If a child is mistakenly withheld then kidnapping charges may ensue.

     E) "OUR" makes the incredible and fantastical claim that they have dogs located around the U.S. capable of sniffing out files and disks with child abuse/ trafficking information on them. 
   - No dogs are capable of this task.
  - My research shows that there are not the number of dogs that they claim.

     F) The stated career opportunities of "OUR" are a sham.  Opportunities almost entirely consist of fundraising. 



j

      G) Trump and QAnon    Timothy Ballard has spoken at least one Trump event. "OUR" has also become the darling of QAnon. Why? Perhaps because QAnon required in their delusional way at least one org to put their faith in. QAnon espouses ideas so that are so ridiculous that any reasonable person would consider the ideas preposterous. They profess the existence of an elite-driven cabal of satanic pedophiles which can only be stopped by a coming storm in which Trump assumes the role as savior. 

-----------------------------


(2) PHANTOM RESCUE
POMPANO BEACH, FL
2
(2) Phantom Rescue is a deceptive Broward County nonprofit that claims to be comprised of an elite group of former law enforcement officials. A group such as this would not have the wide swath of government "intelligence" to track victims. Their web site presents action photos of sky diving and other military maneuvers which has nothing to do with rescuing victims. The legality of operating in foreign countries which would create roadblocks for any nonprofit. In short, the claims are preposterous.

The following pictures have been posted by Phantom Rescue. They are irrelevant to sex trafficking and look as though they have been photoshopped. 


Above: Massive video screen appears photo-shopped over bldg.


Above: 
1) Note that he phantom rescue sign either does not fit on the truck or was photoshopped (look at top left corner of sign).
2) Note the tail in the air appears to be attached to the spare tire. Likely photoshopped. 
3) Who exactly are the Asian looking soldiers? Are they part of Phantom Rescue? They are not mentioned in any part of the Phantom Rescue site.
4) What are the two circles on the sidewalk? They are not "flush" with the sidewalk. What are they? 




Sex trafficking children are NOT saved by skydiving. Never. Ever. This is so far fetched it is cartoonish. 
-------------------------------------------------------------

"PHANTOM RESCUE" SITE:  HERE

More on Phantom Rescue: 

Financials are HERE


SUMMARY of this SHAM 
  (One member Tony Sparks; Two total Board members)
Some information has been removed from their site. 

-Examples: Offices in Malta and Australia (may have been removed)
- Documented rescues = ZERO
- A former claim was that Tony Sparks visited 700 countries. There exist only 196 countries in the world.

- Paid $50 k to a charity called Kristi House in Miami.
- Tony Sparks was placed on the Board same year in 2016. This reflects very poorly on Kristi House. 

2016  (latest year available as of this writing)
 $72k   Contributions, gifts, grants etc.
($60k)  Salary for  Tony Sparks
($14k)  Professional fees
($10k)  Other expenses
($50k)  Payment to sex trafficking rehab house called Kristi House
- Tony Sparks given a Board seat at Kristi House
($62k)   Loss

How does one "travel the world with these figures?

The emergency hot line does not work... at least the one to Malta where Sparks claims there is (was) an office. Also Australia.

Like other Broward County orgs - FBI Agent Adam Granit is the overseer. Adam Granit has literally covered for ALL of the corrupt nonprofits in Broward County. A despicable man. 

---------------------------------


(3) SAVED IN AMERICA (California)


Another nonprofit claiming the help of navy seals and former law enforcement. 


A)  Below please see snippets of news story. Article HERE  






B.  San Diego County cancels $2 M contract

Founder, Joseph Travers, sued for fraud

California State Attorney asked to investigate


See image below



C.  RESCUES of a runaway found is NOT the same as a sex trafficking rescue.  

The fact that they create an impression of saving many sex trafficked kids, in my opinion, speaks directly to their credibility.







They have received enormous sums of money from what I consider fraud.  

See article HERE

Web site link to donors... HERE
The one donor listed does not, in my opinion, seem to be a legitimate donor. It is a web page.