Say Anything Blog

Wow, just like that swiftboat coward who backed off once Kerry called his bluff.

The TV report was not quite accurate. The offer is not for everyone and not about items that I have published. The exact wording of the offer as submitted to this site and all of the ND daily newspapers, printed by the Fargo Forum (though key sentences oddly edited by out bythe Fargo Forum)reads thus:

But I would like to offer a challenge to ND’s print and broadcast media. I am willing to meet with or talk live on radio or television with any media person (interviewer). Prior to the meeting, a mutually agreed upon “verification entity” will be selected to verify or refute any assertions of fact. The meeting session will be recorded in its entirety and made available to the public (at my expense). If I am proven by the “verification entity” of any willful misstatement or misrepresentation, I will relinquish to the person or organization designated by the interviewer, $50,000.00 that has been placed by me, in an escrow account prior to the interview. Think of this as a tremendous opportunity for some charity to obtain a windfall. Think of this as an opportunity of Joel Heitkamp to expedite the largest single contribution to the ND Democrat Party. By making this proposal I will be the only one publicly risking my reputation and my money. There is good reason that I can make this offer. Who has the guts to take me up on it? Or, who is afraid of the truth? This is a very simple question.

The latest development is that a Bismarck man will match my challenge with an additional $50,000. Chad Nodland, running a website that would not know the truth if it bit him on the nose does not qualify in any manner under the criteria that was specified in the original offer.

I recall that as a kid, bullies were real tough until confronted. Joel Heitkamp is so brave when he has a microphone in front of him and his hand on the caller kill switch. Which makes me think of Chad and his little universe of dishonesty.....over in Nude Land.

Steve keep up your good work, Keep hammering this blittering moronic defeatocrats. Joel Heitkamp is nothing more than a blow hard and a Ed Schultz want to be. Also, I find it funny that no one has stepped up to the plate, must be the pile of evidence that you have on your side.

Check out:
Goon’s North Dakota Red Neck
Goon’s World

The best part?  Liberal radio loud mouth Joel Heitkamp proving what a ponce he is by refusing to take Cates up on his offer.

The best part?  00.37 in.  Pause it there for a good laugh.  Editor in Chief indeed.

"All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, nor from want of honor or virtue, so much as downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.”
- John Adams

In short, he’s embarrassed himself on the WSI issue again and again, and now he’s not even capable of rebutting one of his most ardent critics in a meaningful way.

Scates is the one who should be be embarrassed with his antics.  Oh well, never come between a fool and his money or something like that

"All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, nor from want of honor or virtue, so much as downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.”
- John Adams

You’re not proving anything here - Chad found a mistake in Steve’s coverage, which was that Steve said the guy was fired.

It doesn’t matter if the guy was going to be fired. He wasn’t fired, and therefore Steve made a mistake by not being accurate.

I hope Mr. Nodland enjoys his $100,000.

Wow, just like that swiftboat coward who backed off once Kerry called his bluff.

A troll is someone who only wants to stir up trouble, not have an honest debate.  Some signs that a poster is a troll:
* Dodges questions from other posters * Refuses to give sources
* When one of its arguments is shown to be false, either ignores the proof or moves the goalposts.  Heh. (From the LGF faq)

Any body else notice that dhimmiboy is the master of spew and scoot?

A troll is someone who only wants to stir up trouble, not have an honest debate.  Some signs that a poster is a troll:
* Dodges questions from other posters * Refuses to give sources
* When one of its arguments is shown to be false, either ignores the proof or moves the goalposts.  Heh. (From the LGF faq)

You’re not proving anything here - Chad found a mistake in Steve’s coverage, which was that Steve said the guy was fired.

It doesn’t matter if the guy was going to be fired. He wasn’t fired, and therefore Steve made a mistake by not being accurate.

If Steve Catess, someone Nodland hates, heard that Steve had resigned from his job just before his employers could fire him Nodland would be all over his blog talking about how Steve got fired.

Miller was fired.  He resigned by agreement with management for using his work computer to run his personal business.  There was no mistake here, but I suspect that you guys will go on believing whatever you want anyway.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Miller was fired.  He resigned by agreement with management for using his work computer to run his personal business.  There was no mistake here, but I suspect that you guys will go on believing whatever you want anyway.

Sounds like one of those resign or be fired. Either way its the same thing to me. Or while your going to be fire you resign.

Check out:
Goon’s North Dakota Red Neck
Goon’s World

Sounds like “Chet” needs to examine whether he is ‘broadcast media’ or not. It is a fairly important caveat it would seem.

I would also like to know if Miller was told that he would have to reimburse WSI for time and equipment that he misused, as well as any punitive measures that may have been in the offing. How would that information have weighed on his ‘choice’ to resign, as opposed to contesting his termination?

WSI HR representative “Mr. Miller we are asking that you resign of your position, due to your misuse of WSI property.”

Mr. Miller, “What if I choose not to quit my job?”

WSI HR representative “Then Mr. Miller, we will seek reimbursement of the time you used here, the cost of the equipment and other resources which you used to support your property management endeavor. We will require an audit of all financial information, covering the entire term of your employment at WSI. We will seek to have the appropriate punitive penalties levied against you in a court, thus sending a clear message that this behavior is not permitted. Would you like me to get the telephone book so you can call a lawyer?”

Mr. Miller, “I will not tolerate this sort of abuse at the hands of my employer, where do I sign to quit this lousy job?”

C.

This is a direct quote from the KXMB website and broadcast (which you should probably watch or read before commenting on): 

The publisher of the Dakota Beacon magazine issues a one hundred thousand dollar challenge to radio talk show host Joel Heitkamp.

The issues at Workforce Safety and Insurance seem to be unclear to many people in the public.

However, one man is so positive he knows the truth about the agency he is willing to make a one hundred thousand dollar challenge to anyone.

http://www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=185444

I didn’t make it up. 

Feel free to comment on the rest of the errors I’ve written about, smart guys.

Approximately five months after the written warning, an “INTERNAL INVESTIGATION ALLEGING NONCOMPLIANCE WITH ACTION PLAN AS ADMINISTERD BY THE AUDIT COMMITTEE” was signed by James A. Long, Chief of Support Services, Workforce Safety & Insurance, and is dated December 16, 2005.

“Based on the evidence provided, it is clear that Mr. Miller violated the intent of the audit committee’s action plan in three ways. First of all, Mr. Miller deleted hundreds of e-mails without the consent of the audit committee. At no time was he given the authority to depart from his action plan.”

“Secondly, Mr. Miller continues to communicate with his renters thereby operating a business for personal gain while on work time and using WSI resources.”

“Thirdly, Mr. Miller’s non-work related Internet use is excessive. The Internet usage report received from ITD clearly indicates that there are days in which Mr. Miller spends hours using a
web-based e-mail account to send and receive personal messages.”

“For the above reason, it is recommended that Mr. Miller’s employment be terminated effective immediately.”

Hey Chad?  The reporter said the challenge was for everyone.  Steve said print and broadcast media.

It’s not really fair to hold Steve responsible for something the reporter made up.  Not that you care about fair, right?

But since you’re here, I know you’re busy thrashing away on your blog for your tens of readers trying to look like you’ve won Steve’s money, but have you disproved any of Steve’s main points?

Such as Romi and Blunt being innocent?  There being no illegal conspiracy between Armstrong/Blunt/Cates and Keiser?  Steve was writing those articles based on information as it emerged from WSI.  Things changed as he reported, but the thrust of his articles was spot-on.

I know for you this is about appearing to be right rather than actually being right, and I know you’ll never admit you’re wrong on any of this, but just know that you are.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Chet:

As you well know, having parsed the word “willfully” in the official challenge on your blog, it was a challenge to the print and broadcast media, not to individuals. As you well know, reporters are not official disseminators of this challenge. Still you continue to perpetrate this fraud. You are not, evidently a stranger to the truth, but as always, you consistently ignore it.

Correction: Parsing by Nodland was of the word “willful”.

Blogs are definately NOT part of the broadcast or print media.

"All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, nor from want of honor or virtue, so much as downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.”
- John Adams

Rob, I wish you would stop parroting Cates’ Barry Miller thing.  Barry Miller may not have been the greatest employee, I don’t know, but I really think it is quite a stretch to say he was operating a side business at WSI just because a few e-mails went back and forth to his one and only tenant of his duplex.  It just looks like you guys are trying to get people thinking of something unrelated and go with a mob mentality - yeah, it was all Barry’s fault!  The reality is that if you check into all of the records and not just the ones that are being spoonfed to you, you will learn that he was paid a sizeable monetary settlement when he resigned.  That doesn’t sound like any kind of firing I have ever heard of.  If he could have legitimately been fired, then I think the agency and Blunt himself should be held for misappropriation of those funds.  You can’t have it both ways.

Seems to me the Mr. Cates willfully misstated or misrepresented his offer to KXMB.  Must have been the only way they would covered his “story”.  He told them one thing, now he adds “well I have a whole bunch of caveats and conditions, because I don’t really want to bet the farm”.

I bet KXMB is feeling used.

“The monster was the best friend I ever had.”

Boris Karloff

but I really think it is quite a stretch to say he was operating a side business at WSI just because a few e-mails went back and forth to his one and only tenant of his duplex

It wasn’t just that.  It was literally hundreds of emails and hours of computer time spent according to an analysis by WSI’s IT department.

And Miller, despite the cushy severance from WSI, was the disgruntled ex-employee at the heart of the subsequent accusations made against Blunt and Leingang.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I know how to sole this whole thing on Barry Miller. Let’s just ask Mr. Miller if he was fired. The rumor I have heard is that Mr. Miller was in fact fired and then offered a settlement agreement that allowed him to alter the outcome to reflect “resignation” and in exchange for a cash settlement. We can find out if this is true by asking for WSI open records that show his last day worked and the date the settlement was signed. If there is a gap between the dates, then we most likely have the proof that this fact and not rumor.

As to the whole thing about the first ever declared performance “audit” by the state auditor’s office, please show what other performance “audit” they initiated at their own discretion against an entity. I can find none. However, the law in relation to biannual audits of WSI first called them to be performance “audits” and then after the first legislatively directed “audit” it was changed to an “evaluation” in order to hired qualified, competent industry experts to review the agency and not CPAs. The law directs performance “evaluations.” I know … it is hard to read the King’s English when you are a third-rate, cut-rate, under-employed attorney who has all his time to write blogs and blabs.

I could go on with yet more facts, but why when Chad could care less about facts, honesty, and integrity? Keep er’ up Rob!!!

Another day, another WSI scandal.  If Miller was fired or forced to resign, he should not have received severance pay.  Damn, SCates’s friends could screw up a wet dream too.

Guide to Personnel Laws & Rules
Severance Pay

“Severance Pay” is compensation received upon termination of employment for reasons primarily beyond the control of the state employee.

Severance pay does not include payments made to a terminated employee for accrued annual or sick leave, or compensatory leave.

No state employee is entitled to severance pay upon termination of employment if s/he quit employment voluntarily or was dismissed for gross neglect of duty, gross misconduct while on duty, or for other good cause.

A state employee may be entitled to severance pay if the employee was dismissed from employment because of reductions in staff or temporary or permanent layoffs, or for other reasons primarily beyond the control of the employee.

A state agency may provide financial incentives to encourage an employee to retire or resign if the resulting departure will increase agency efficiencies or reduce expenses.

References:
NDCC 54-14-04.3

“The monster was the best friend I ever had.”

Boris Karloff

Joseph, that says no employee is entitled to severance pay.  It doesn’t say that an employee cannot be given severance pay.

“Not entitled” is different from “prohibited from receiving.”

I can’t speak for why WSI gave Miller a financial settlement and allowed him to pretend as though he were resigning, but that doesn’t change the fact that he didn’t have a choice to remain employed there.

This is sort of the problem we’re having, though.  The people on the other side of the WSI thing are nit-picking a little things that have very little to do with the overall issue.

Blunt and Leingang did nothing illegal.  Armstrong did nothing illegal.  The WSI “scandal” is being driven by a bunch of turf-battling, disgruntled WSI employees who, after forcing Edison out, think they run things and were upset that Blunt was brought in to run WSI instead of their being a promotion from within.

The board could have put a just descended-from-heaven Jesus in the Director’s office at WSI and this same crap would have happened.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Hey yo-yo jo-jo’s circus, where does it every say he was offered “Severance Pay?” That is your own little addition to obfuscate the real facts here. So what is it with you, when you can to argue on the facts you just make assumptions and dream stuff up? I assure you that with an internal auditor who was firmly ejected out the door on his keester that WSI had to have had a firm legal ground for the settlement. If not, the little worm would have already gone after the state for an unlawful act act –and he has not. Remember, this is the same pathetic, little low-life that pushed the state’s attorney into filing the criminal charges again Sandy and Romi that massively backfired on them all. Please, from now on stick to the facts and not your weak little fantasies.

That’s Hey Joe to you my friend.  Call it whatever you want.  OK, the

sizable monetary settlement

Now if you will excuse me -

I’m goin’ way down south, way down south, way down south to Mexico way!

“The monster was the best friend I ever had.”

Boris Karloff

You will note that Joel Heitkamp, being an expert on the corruption at WSI, has declined to obtain the money for two hours of effort of merely interviewing me. All I require is that all statements made by me during an interview be reviewed by an independent fact checker. After all, my research indicates that he has been either misinformed, not in command of the facts, or is lying about almost everything he says on his radio program regarding WSI. This is easy money according to what he tells his radio audience every day. I am willing that the money go to any person, organization, or entity that he selects if he catches me willfully lying or misrepresenting the facts about WSI. It all seems rather strange that the bravest man behind a microphone in ND won’t take the easy money. Why do you think that is?

Why do you think that is?

Hmmmm… Just a shot in the dark.  Because he thinks you are so full of shit it is coming out of your ears?

“The monster was the best friend I ever had.”

Boris Karloff

So it should be easy for Joel to collect Steve’s money, right?  I mean, if Steve is full of it and all that…

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Steve and his lawyers have arranged the small print such that it would be impossible to collect.  He is so clever.

I’ll never forget seeing him embarrass himself in front of the Burleigh County Commission.  It was so bad his friend Mark couldn’t even defend him.

“The monster was the best friend I ever had.”

Boris Karloff

Steve and his lawyers?  As far as I know, Steve didn’t use any lawyers.

But since you’re in-the-know, perhaps you could set aside the personal shots at Steve for a moment and fill us all in on said “small print.”

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Actually, an attorney was not needed to construct the single paragraph of the $50,000.00 Challenge. It is really not that complicated. But, I suppose that complexity is a relative term....

fill us all in on said “small print.”

Well Rob, they say you are a good investigator.  I know you know how hard it is to prove intent.  To win the imaginary $100,000 prize one would have to prove SCates willfully misrepresented the facts.  Neglect is OK, gross negligence is OK, incompetence is OK, heck, gross incompetence is OK.

But that is beside the point.  I believe SCates beleives everything he says.  I honestly don’t think he has willfully allowed himself to be manipulated.  But that does not make him right.

But really, none of that matters.  The articles he wrote in May don’t matter.  All the blustering doesn’t matter. Joel doesn’t matter, I don’t matter, Blunt’s scheming doesnt matter.  All of it is history.  Future events promise to make all the crap as irrelevant as Miss World’s toe fungus.

Good night Rob.  You are doing a great job!  I do mean that.

“The monster was the best friend I ever had.”

Boris Karloff

Hey yo-yo Joe-Joe the circus clown (Joseph my friend sorry for the jo in place of Joe). Maybe they have a heart and it was the cleanest route to deal with a lying sycophant. It appear you like to deal with conspiratorial innuendo and suggestion instead of facts. This is the liberal way. Puke out whatever you want emotionally on emotion and fantasy, but for golly sake do not use facts because they can be harmful to fantasy. And always throw out foul mouthed language and call people names instead of coming back with intellect and facts. I like you jo, you entertain me. Please do the Paul Reubens Pee Wee Herman tequila dance for us all when in Mexico http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVKsd8z6scw

Hey SCates, you are still awake.  Notice I paid you a compliment.  I think you are honest.

You can return the favor by picking an avatar.

:| really bugs me.

Good night.

“The monster was the best friend I ever had.”

Boris Karloff

Well Rob, they say you are a good investigator.  I know you know how hard it is to prove intent.  To win the imaginary $100,000 prize one would have to prove SCates willfully misrepresented the facts.  Neglect is OK, gross negligence is OK, incompetence is OK, heck, gross incompetence is OK.

But that is beside the point.  I believe SCates beleives everything he says.  I honestly don’t think he has willfully allowed himself to be manipulated.  But that does not make him right.

Well that is a fancy bit of innuendo, Joe.  You aren’t going to bring up anything meaningful that Steve got factually wrong, you’re just going to imply that he’s wrong anyway.

Anyway, glad you’re enjoying the blog.  All points of view are welcome here.  And I also enjoy your counterpoint on WSI.  It’s nice to be able to discuss it with someone level headed as opposed to all the hyperbole and insult that goes on over at Nodland’s.

Not that anyone reads his blog except, well, me and a few others.

As for this…

But really, none of that matters.  The articles he wrote in May don’t matter.  All the blustering doesn’t matter. Joel doesn’t matter, I don’t matter, Blunt’s scheming doesnt matter.  All of it is history.  Future events promise to make all the crap as irrelevant as Miss World’s toe fungus.

If you know something do tell.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Yo-Yo Jo"e"-Jo"e”

You seem to have a lot of anger.  I hope this forum has been a good release for you.

If you find you need additional help please seek it immediately.  One ought not go through life with so much hostility eating away at ones soul.

My creator, the good doctor, could help.  Tell him I sent you and he will give you a discount.

“The monster was the best friend I ever had.”

Boris Karloff

My creator, the good doctor, could help.

Just make sure you don’t recommend Elsa’s hairdresser!

A troll is someone who only wants to stir up trouble, not have an honest debate.  Some signs that a poster is a troll:
* Dodges questions from other posters * Refuses to give sources
* When one of its arguments is shown to be false, either ignores the proof or moves the goalposts.  Heh. (From the LGF faq)