Slant is obvious

A letter to the editor of the Sequim Gazette, published AFTER the election on Nov. 19, 2003 (A-15) in the Sequim Gazette says it all:

(the story referenced in this letter follows the letter)

In the close race for county commissioner, you and John Brewer deserve thanks from the Democrat candidate for the hatchet job you did on Sue Forde in your 29 October Sequim Gazette publication. Your article in the final issue of the Gazette just before the election is nearly a mirror image of the Los Angeles Times 11th-hour smear campaign against Arnold Schwarzenegger in the California gubernatorial recall election...except that your actions were more effective. Your last pre-election issue trumpted the front-page headlines, "Pro-business candidate sued for bad business."... A blatantly inflammatory attempt to sway voters with sketchy reference to a pending lawsuit that may or may not have merit. According to the Gazette the alleged debt dated back to "before August 2000." Only now, (over three years later and just before the election) did Mr. Brewer's "curiosity" compel him to "check on the status of the unpaid bill," noting "It's one of those things, people owe us money." Later the newspaper states the case is "pending." Can anyone explain why our local newspaper would choose to publish such a damaging headline and story concerning an unsettled issue that close to the election?

As frosting on the cake, the Gazette included this bit of quality journalism: "Meanwhile, the Sequim Gazette has fielded phone calls and received letters to the editor incorrectly asserting that Forde owes hundred of thousands of dollars in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service." If they were incorrect, why did you even articulate them, or better yet, since you stated they were incorrect, why did you not make them headline news? Finally, the Gazette continues their hatchet job by discussing several totally irrevlevant debts apparently incurred by Mrs. Forde's husband even before the two were married.

Is this an example of yellow journalism or simply a painfully clear revelation of strong bias?

Richard Davis, Sequim, WA

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Referenced story follows:

Forde sued for bad business management

-by Leif Nesheim
Sequim Gazette staff writer
Published 10.29.03

Republican county commissioner candidate Sue Forde faces a lawsuit of nearly $7,000 for not paying business bills.

Forde - who has run on a platform of making the county more business friendly and streamlining the budget - is accused of not paying $5,193.19 to the Peninsula Daily News for publishing costs related to the Olympic Trader Want Ads, which she used to own.

The suit, filed Sept. 9 by Peninsula Collection Services on behalf of the newspaper publishing company, also seeks $1,388.08 in interest, and $321 attorney fees and court costs. In total the lawsuit seeks $6,902,27. The debt dates back to before August 2000, when the Daily News turned to the collection service for help collecting the unpaid bills.

"That's a business dispute over an overcharge on their part," Forde said Oct. 24. She added that it would be resolved in court.

Daily News publisher John Brewer said there was never any dispute over the money Forde owed the newspaper or the quality of the printing.

"It's just that she never paid us," Brewer said.

He said Forde's account for publishing the Olympic Trader predated his tenure with the newspaper and said Forde already owed the newspaper about $2,000 when he arrived in 1997. Debt she accrued for her publication Citizen News, which stopped print publication prior to 1997, was also listed as part of the lawsuit. The debt increased to about $5,000 over the next couple years until the company asked her to start paying in a "housecleaning" effort, Brewer said.

He said Forde started making some small payments to keep doing business but never paid toward the existing debt, claiming she wasn't making enough money and couldn't afford to pay.

"She told us she just couldn't pay," Brewer said. "She had gotten so far behind and fell in a hole she just couldn't get out of."

Forde said she disagrees.

"This has nothing to do with an inability to pay," she said Oct 27 when asked to expand on her earlier statement. "What they believe is totally opposite of what I believe. You have two stories and that's why it goes to court."

Brewer said the Daily News attempted to collect the money without success so turned the account over to Peninsula Collection Services. However, the account was lost and no further action was taken, he said.

"I had forgotten all about it," Brewer said. When Forde filed for office, Brewer said curiosity compelled him to check on the status of the unpaid bill. When he learned it was still unpaid, Brewer said he told the collection service to try to get the money.

"It's one of those things, people owe us money," he said.
Gary Schaefer of Peninsula Collection Services said he was unable to speak about an ongoing collection effort and referred questions to attorney Penny Jackson of Port Angeles who referred to the public record available through county district court, where the case is pending.

She said in a written answer to questions that a creditor can either provide goods and services for free or try to get a settlement in court when a debtor declines to make payment.
"Unfortunately, Ms. Forde has left this debt pending at a time that might not be the most beneficial to her," Jackson wrote. Forde said she believes the matter is a non-issue and suggested the better story would be one in several months reporting commissioner Forde prevailed in a lawsuit over the Daily News.

Joe Morales, current owner of the Olympic Trader, said he didn't know a thing about the issue because it pre-dates his ownership of the shopper. Morales bought the business in the spring of 2002.

Because the Daily News doesn't routinely write stories about people or businesses that owe it money, Brewer said the paper opted not to have a story done about Forde's debt to the Daily News.

However, he admitted that it is an interesting story because it speaks to her campaign claim of being a prudent businessperson. He added that the Daily News might have covered the story had the debt been owed to another company.
Brewer said he didn't want the debt to interfere with the campaign, so the newspaper didn't prevent Forde from buying campaign ads - which are pre-paid by all candidates.
Meanwhile, the Sequim Gazette has fielded phone calls and received letters to the editor incorrectly asserting that Forde owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.

The agency did file a $1,456.77 tax lien against Forde in 1991 but she paid it the same day it was filed. Her husband, Bob Forde, has a tax lien totaling $429,184.54 that was filed against him in 1997 for money owed from 1977-1980, and 1982, 1986 and 1989 plus a 1992 tax lien of $1,812.85 for the year 1987. Bob and Sue Forde married in 1989.

County auditor Cathleen McKeown emphasized that none of the liens have both Fordes' names on them.

The IRS may file a lien with the county auditor for several reasons, McKeown explained. If there is a dispute over taxes, the agency may file a lien so the person can't sell property or abscond with the money while the dispute is resolved; if a name is changed the agency may file if they can't find the person; sometimes a person might get behind in payments and come up with a payment agreement but a lien will be filed anyway to ensure that the tax bill will eventually be paid, McKeown said.

Forde said the tax lien issue is irrelevant to her campaign and has been claimed on her public disclosure forms filed with the state.