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Dear anonymous,

Donna Lind has nothing to apologize for. If you knew anything about the case other than rumors you would know that you are completely wrong about the facts of the case, Lind's relationship with Loomis, the amount of restitution and when it was paid, or the terms of his sentence.

Lind did, and has done, nothing more than to stand by a friend when he was down.

I have three votes for six candidates on Novemeber 4th and Lind will get one.





Votes: +11

Will you anonymous mudslingers please reveal who your candidate of choice is so the voters in town can understand which campaign is choosing to use these kind of tactics? You're obviously convinced that you're right so tell us some more about the fine judgement your candidate exhibits. I have three votes to cast. C'mon, give me your pitch for somebody rather than just against somebody. Votes: +8

I am absolutely that Steve Smith. Didn't Fred Plageman apologize for his misstatements to the Banner reporter? If you read the entire blog relating to my letter to the editor you should have also read that I said if I was mistaken about Fred's motives, I apologize as well. My words were direct and in my name. I take full responsibility for them. He's still wrong about the crime stats and his predictions are based on facts unrelated to the issue.

So the record is clear. I never worked with Torrey Loomis although I do know him. I left city employment over 14 years ago and he was hired after I left. I worked as an investigator for the DA's office which is the office that broke the case. In case you think all we cops stick together. His sentence and plea agreement was consistent with others who have committed similar offenses. He plead guilty to a felony which not only ended his employment, it ended his police career. He paid FULL restitution to the victims. The discrepency you cite was because he began paying restitution before his plea agreement was reached. Hence the court ordered restitution was lower than the total loss. It had already been partially paid.

Over 95% of all criminal cases are settled in this way. A felony conviction in return for a suspended sentence and probation. This is how we keep non-violent offenders from over-crowding our prisons.

Since then he has offered to speak to police trainee's about the consequences of unethical behavior. A key component of rehabilitation is the ability to speak honestly and openly about ones offense.

In that regards he is a more honest individual than the anonymous posters on this blog. Votes: +13

Dear Anonymous,

Donna Lind didn't have anything to do with Torrey Loomis' decision to break the law. All she did was to help a friend and colleague through a difficult time. He, in turn, helped her put up a web site (8 years after the case was adjudicated).

Her judgement in that regard is sound and her compassion is commendable. You, call it disgusting. Hmm.

I explained his sentence and the lifetime of consequences he has faced. What more do you want?

I didn't know that Fred Plageman was "forced" to wrote an apology. If what you say is true, maybe your issue is with the person who ordered him to make it? Or are you going to blame me for that to? Actually I am sure you will.

To state that the SVPD assessment of potential crime problems at Target was little more than helping kids cross the street was patronizing and unprofessional. Maybe that is what Fred was apologizing for?

I did offer an apology to him in last weeks blog for suggesting his motives weren't neutral. His honest opinion was wrong however well intentioned it may have been. The crime problem at Kmart on 41st Ave had nothing to do with Kmart and everything to do with the day laborers in the parking lot. That situation is replicated nowhere in Scotts Valley. It was a careless comparison.





Votes: +11

Why does the link "Remember Torrey Loomis" listed on the first blog on this page take one to Paul Bachs Target opposition website?


Votes: +12

Dear anonymous,

Yes! Yes! Yes! I think Donna Lind showed good judgement in hiring Torrey Loomis to design her web site. I have said that over and over. Read the posts.

You can print it on Pauls website. You can print it in the Sentinel. You can take it to the bank.

I'm on the record and NOT anonymous.




Votes: +11

She never had your vote anyway... Votes: +9

Hey whoever you are -- please show me any posting, or any statement, that I have offered saying anything about this Sgt. My comments on this subject have all strictly been about Chief Weiss (and that must have been 2 or 3 weeks ago by now).

There has really been a pattern of certain folks making false statements over and over again hoping that somehow this will make them true. It won't. I won't expect a retraction; frankly, it's probably a pretty small circle of people who keep coming back to these blogs so they can readily see what's going on. But it really undermines the value of the tool if you just make stuff up. If you have a point, support it with facts.

I understand why those who are inclined to abuse people in the press do it anonymously. We're a small town, and the people you insult may be standing next to you at the grocery, or at your kid's soccer game. It must be a little nerve-wracking to wonder if the Banner will be subpoenad at some point to release your email address. There's really no anonymity in our society anymore, unless you work really, really hard at it. And maybe you do. Too bad you're not putting the same kind of effort into something more productive for our community and society at large. Votes: +7

For Donna to directly answer your charge would be like someone trying to answer the question "when did you stop beating your kids?" It's just a ploy to try and suck her into a pointless argument that the perpetrator (that's you) will then pull a comment out of context and run off in some other nefarious direction. If she's reading this, I'll offer this advise -- DON'T RESPOND. Nothing will irritate those asking you to respond more than that. Meanwhile, I'll continue to root out this cauldron of distrust and prejudice bubbling under the surface of our otherwise peaceful town. So if/when it bubbles over in live discourse, maybe we can all put a face to the anonymous posters who think they can get under our skin. Votes: +3

Mr. Shulman, For someone who doesn't think that Donna Lind's hiring of a felon for her campaign showed poor judgment and that it doesn't need any explanation, you sure do spend a lot of time and words on the issue. Will you always be there to speak for Donna? Come on, lets hear from you again since Donna Lind can't seem to justify why hiring a felon showed good judgment. We need to hear from spin doctor Shulman one more time because Lind doesn't seem to be able to address the issue without him. Votes: -3

How's this for spinning it away? Come to the school board candidate forum, 7:30 pm at the Community Center on Wednesday, October 8. You can ask all of the candidates if they have ever affiliated with a convicted felon. My guess is they'll all just give you a quizical look. It's such a bizarre thing to bring up.

I write in these blogs either to share information that I have that may be of use to others, or simply for the sheer entertainment of writing and reading. I hope you've been enjoying it as much as I have. Votes: +3

Mr. Shulman I was wondering how long it would take you to turn the discussion to your running for School Board. Mr. Shulman was co-chair of the measure Q which recently failed in the polls which is a shame because if it had been better managed it might have passed.
Apparently Mr. Shulman's posts are a campaign tactic of his. Shameful. Votes: -2

Gee, you hurt my feelings with that one. You forget (or you probably don't know) that I was also Mayor when the first Scotts Valley Drive assessment district vote went down in flames. I'll accept blame for that, too. And recognize that from that learning experience we came back two years later with a simpler plan and a fresh approach that got the project approved (much credit goes to Randy Johnson for that). I expect the same to happen with the schools. Blame me all you want, if that will help people get over it and get focused on fixing the problem.

All of the candidates for council, or school board, or water board, or whatever, and all of the many, many people who volunteer at the schools, service clubs, kids sports, etc., are putting in their time and effort trying to make this community a better place to live. You probably contribute in some way as well. You just need to stop thinking of your political 'rivals' as opponents or enemies, and look at them instead as neighbors with a different perspective or different set of priorities. Disagree with them all you want on issues, but don't make such an effort to find reasons to hate them. These blogs don't have to be filled with conflict; they can be a great way to get interesting ideas into the public domain. So far, not so good. But maybe with more practice .... Votes: +3

Mr. Shulman you seem to think that this is about you and your life. This is a blog about Lind but in your mind it is a forum about Michael Shulman. How truly insecure are you? I doubt too many people that read this blog care about how much you make or how (in your mind) you are a champion of good. At first I thought you were defending your candidate but now I realize this is all about you. Votes: -3

You're just shifting your need to insult from one person to another. I'll go quiet now so you can find someone else to rant about. Votes: +3

After reading all of this crap, what I am seeing is that you "anonymous" are questioning Donna Lind's judgment because an old acquaintance of hers reserved her domain name. In my opinion, what that shows is her loyalty to friends, period. Although i do have to admit that she is showing EXCELLENT judgment by not wasting her valuable time responding to your stupid comments. Obviously you can't come up with anything good to say about your candidate, so all you are left with is a bunch of VERY CHILDISH mud slinging. Get a life and GROW UP ! Votes: +2