West (R-mayor) tied to sex abuse in '70s, using office to lure young men

[Liberal Veteran]

For a quarter century, the man who is now Spokane's mayor has used positions of public trust – as a sheriff's deputy, Boy Scout leader and powerful politician – to develop sexual relationships with boys and young men.

One man, Robert J. Galliher, claims in a court deposition that Jim West molested him in the mid-1970s when he was a boy and West was a Spokane County sheriff's deputy and Boy Scout leader.

A second man, Michael G. Grant Jr., also accuses West of sexual abuse during the same era, including an incident at Camp Cowles, a Boy Scout camp on Diamond Lake.

In addition, an investigation by The Spokesman-Review has revealed that 17 months after leaving the state Legislature, West has used the trappings of the mayor's office to entice and influence young men he met on a gay Web site.

(much much more)

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/jimwest/story.asp?ID=050505_westmain

Quite a little headline for my Spokane newspaper. Oh well. I voted for the other guy (the democrat).

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Whoo boyee.

Lots of this stuff going on these days. Something about power being an aphrodesiac, or an extrapolation of the jailhouse sex/power ethic?

[Mizmoon]

2. Boy Scouts ... again

I hate that beloved institutions of my childhood like the church and scouts are being revealed to have harbor sexual predators. It's very sad.

[Name removed]

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[maseman]

6. Your post is plain wrong

Most men volunteering to work with boys are not pedophiles. Granted it is the easiest way for a pedophile to get close to boys. I was a member of Indian Guides with my father for years and never had nor saw any strange incidents. I am now in the Indian Guides with my boys and have never suspected anything wrong going on.

Try not to generalize like so many on this board do.

[Name removed]

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[ridgerunner]

21. Just because someone doesn't post a lot

doesn't make them a "newbie". You might want to check his profile, he registered 10 days after you.

[Name removed]

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[maseman]

40. Just because I Don't post doesn't mean I don't read thousands of posts...

[Name removed]

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[maseman]

50. A little touchy for a liberal...chill out my friend.

[Name removed]

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[MADem]

20. ....generalize like so many on this board do....

Isn't that, in itself, a generalization????

If a parent is involved, that's one thing, but if the mild mannered guy without any connection to the troop members, and maybe without kids of his own, is running the show, I say look askance.

I don't think I would like my kids getting into that sort of activity unless I or another family member were there to keep a weather eye on things. Nowadays, you just can't trust people. It's unfortunate.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

23. Oh come on...

Every single male is a potential pedophile? Might I remind you that the BTK killer was married with kids?

Most scout troops these days require parents (dads or moms) participate in activities with the kids -- especially overnighters. So somebody is typically always around to keep an eye on things.

[Name removed]

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[Jeff In Milwaukee]

54. As the article states...

the abuse took place nearly thirty years ago. As of 2003, there were roughly 900,000 reported cases of child abuse in the United States. Most sources indicate about 50-60 of those are the result of abuse by scout leaders. The fact is that 80% of abusers are parents or other primary caregivers. Direct you paranoia elsewhere.

[Name removed]

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[CoffeeCat]

86. You are a very smart parent and your child is fortunate...

...to have a wonderful parent like you.

Just a few hours ago, I had a conversation with my therapist about perpetrators. He has 3 decades of experience, working with serial pedophiles and attempting to rehabilitate them.

We were discussing perps and he mentioned a case in which a man ran a daycare out of his home. Seven victims, including an adult woman who accused him of molesting her 30 years prior, came forward.

Mr. Therapist mentioned that 90 percent of pedophiles position themselves as coaches, scout leaders, day-care workers, teachers, etc--to gain access to children. These people are attracted to children. It's so sick, I know. However, it's important to understand that these perpetrators are compelled to abuse children. Many of them have hundreds of victims. They seek out kids like a crack addict seeks out their next fix.

It's only natural to assume that pedophiles would manipulate themselves into the role of scout leader, coach, etc--so they can have access to children and easily earn their trust. It is not paranoid to be suspicious these days.

It's very sad and it's horrible that we have to think this way. However, WE MUST!! Our concern for our children, should trump our denial about the epidemic our society faces.

Research has repeatedly shown: One in four girls and one in seven boys is molested before the age of 18. Furthermore, most of these cases are perpetrated by someone in the family or very close to the family. Stranger abductions are rare.

I applaud this parent!! S/he is the mother/father all of the sexual-abuse victims in my support group--desperately wish that they would have had when they were children.

[MADem]

88. Who said that, other than you???

"Look askance" is a far cry from your assertion. And I favor parental involvement, as I indicated.

[bobthedrummer]

8. I cherish the season spent with my son in Little League and when I was

a Boy Scout no one ever molested me. I think your statement is sexist, at best.

[Name removed]

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[bobthedrummer]

27. Actually that's not the case in US schools, female perpetrators are

numerous and reported cases rising. I think your view is extreme.

[Name removed]

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[Megahurtz]

33. Child Molesters are 93% men.

Sorry Dude, it's not "sexist", it's just a fact.

Scroll down to OFFENDERS:

http://www.icasa.org/uploads/child_sexual_abuse.pdf

There may be some women, but not many. It's probably difficult to rape with an orifice.
I'll leave you up to your imagination on that one!;-)

[bobthedrummer]

34. I've worked with children survivors of sexual abuse and even worse,

ritualistic abuse. I've some clinical and residential experience.

I don't imagine that you have a similar background.

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[bobthedrummer]

38. Your personal experiences and perceptions are yours and mine are

mine. So what can we agree upon?

Most children are abused by men, yet many children are abused by women, but this just isn't reported-and you do understand about underreporting child sexual abuse in the USA over the past 30 years, right?

[Name removed]

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[TheWraith]

75. bobthedrummer is correct.

While child molestation is underreported all around, molestation by females goes unreported at a vastly higher rate than molestation by males, largely because there is a popular myth that women don't abuse children. As for it being impossible to 'rape with an orifice,' sexual intercourse is far from the only form of sexual abuse, and doesn't account for a huge number of cases. By your logic, groping another person's genitals against their will isn't a sexual assault because there's no intercourse involved.

Bob is also correct that the vast (vast, vast) majority of abuse is by parents or caregivers--a large chunk of the remainder is by other family members. The stereotypical image of the child molester as outsider lowlife male, the one that the media loves to harp on, is fairly rare.

By the way, that statistic of 93% of all molesters being men is incorrect. Even by the most conservative figures, females make up 15 to 20 percent of abusers, and realistically are more like 40 percent.

[Name removed]

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[Megahurtz]

42. Just to also point this out

it is true that child sexual abuse is underreported, but that also means abuse by male perpetrators is also largely underreported which again comes back to the statistics.

However, I will agree that ritual abuse does sometimes involve women perpetrators as well as men.

[orleans]

91. something i found on google to back you up

this is the beginning of a research paper:
Female Child Sexual Abusers: A Critical Review of the Literature
Hollida Wakefield, M.A. and Ralph Underwager, Ph.D.*

"Most sexual offenders are men. Men commit most of the aberrant and deviant sexual behaviors such as rape, child molestation and exhibitionism. More males have paraphilias such as frotteurism, voyeurism. fetishism, coprophilia, necrophilia, and sexual sadism. There are more male transsexuals and transvestites. The DSM-III-R (1) reports that except for sexual masochism, in which the sex ratio is estimated to be 20 males for each female, the other paraphilias are practically never diagnosed in females, although some cases have been reported.

Therefore, until recently, women have not been viewed as sexual abuse perpetrators except in unusual circumstances. Women who did sexually abuse children were considered seriously disturbed. Maternal incest in particular has been believed to be extremely rare"

http://www.ipt-forensics.com/library/female.htm

edit to add something else i just found:

"An estimated one in 20 teenage boys and adult men sexually abuse children, and an estimated one teenage girl or adult woman in every 3,300 females molests children. Although that's well over five million people, most families mistakenly believe that as far as molesters go, there has never been one in their family, and what's more, there never will be. Add together the child victims, the adult survivors, and the abusers, and that's 15 out of every 100 Americans who have been either a molested child or a molester."

http://www.childmolestationprevention.org/pages/tell_others_the_facts.html

(unfortunately--neither piece specifies republican or democrat--this last snip is almost hard for me to believe--that it is that frequent of an occurrence among males--my god!)

[Megahurtz]

39. I've got plenty of background, much more than yours

if that's even relevent, but if you have such an experienced background as you say (I have no proof) then you should already know that the majority of sex offenders are men.

(on edit, I'm assuming you were replying to my post, but maybe not)

[Name removed]

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[bobthedrummer]

32. No, I was a First Class Boy Scout in Troop 187 (N. 66th Street School)

Milwaukee. I was in Fox Patrol. Your perception is wrong, totally.

[Name removed]

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[progressivebydesign]

31. People like you are the reason boys have no male mentors anymore..

While Ameria leads the pack in fathers skipping out on their male children, and leaving them without male role models, most men are AFRAID to coach, mentor, or counsel boys because of that type of thinking.

I've known several decent, well adjusted men, who have wanted to coach sports, or become mentors, but were just not willing to risk attitudes and suspicion like yours.

That's just sad. In a perfect world men would STOP ABANDONING THEIR CHILDREN, especially their boys.. who need them so much.

[Name removed]

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[burn the bush]

46. delete double post

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[Charon]

97. Boy Scouts

Do you believe that the BSA would allow this man to remain in their organization if they had any evidence that he was molesting children?

[NewJeffCT]

3. Since he is a Republican and it happened before today...

he can write it off as a "youthful indiscretion" and say he was a bad man when he was younger.

[saigon68]

4. Notice how they attempt to paint gay men as child molesters

Most gay men I know would disavow this type of behavior.

This guy is a pervert.

[UpInArms]

11. thanks for that, Saigon -

there is a definite difference and more people should recognize it.

:thumbsup:

[AlCzervik]

14. I agree and i don't think this guy is gay, he's a predator

[Name removed]

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[saigon68]

92. ADIOS

[Shallah Kali]

77. He is no more gay than males who rape girls are straight

He is a predator.

[Name removed]

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[Mist]

10. It seems, from what I've read on the subject, that most molesters

were, in fact, molested themselves as children, and then feel a compulsion to re-enact, as the term goes. As to why it's so prevalent with the Rethugs, who knows?:shrug:

[dArKeR]

9. Why not investigation of Ted Nugent for child molestation? Even after

he admitted it and his daughters concurred on the TV show "Daughters' of Rockers".

[AlCzervik]

15. that'll happen when they open an investigation into Joe Scarborugh

for the death of his intern, so in other words-never.

[dArKeR]

16. aWol: "Spokane mayor is an example of Democracy that all the world

should follow."

Take Spokane times 3,000,000 and you have the Philippines with-in a block from Arroyo's palace it's going on too. And the CIA, FBI, NSA, Karol Wojtyla, local Catholic Priests who walk the streets of the PI and Philippine police don't know it has been happening for 40 years? Gee, all my top secret gadgets were a hat and a backpack and I saw it!

[zbdent]

22. Geez, hope this guy doesn't "find religion"

That would hurt both the Repukes & the Catholic Church . . .

[Megahurtz]

29. Another sick fuck.

:freak:

[progressivebydesign]

30. What drives these Republicans to do this? Or are they Repubs becuse of it?

Or do they become Republicans so that no one will suspect them? I always wonder, because a casual survey of stories like these amongst political people, appear to show that the Republicans and often devout Christian politicians are the ones involved in the most vile sexual crimes, and other falls from grace.

So what is it? Is it the repression of normal healthy sexual attitudes that turns these people into pedophiles or sexual criminals, or did they start out that way? OR Does the republican party appeal to pedophiles for a particular reason, and is it because it's great place to hide your true nature and espouse your morality? I've often wondered WHY the Republicans appear to have cornered the market on spectuacular moral falls like this. Seriously.

[Charon]

98. What Drives

He is a Republican now, Does anyone have proof that he was a Republican 30 years agor, or is that a supposition?

[Zorra]

43. Folks, keep your children away from republicans.

A disproportionate number of republicans are perverts, relative to the general population.

No wonder this country is so messed up.

[Diane R]

48. This was common knowledge in Spokane

Yet, the Spokesman review did not print any allegations, or an expose, until two weeks after Mayor West engineered a settlement very favorable to the owners of the Spokeman Review.

I have lived in this city forever. These rumors have been rampant. Yet, the Spokesman Review continued to endorse Jim West for his state Senator's position (he became Majority Leader), then helped him become Mayor.

This city is run by one family; the owners of the Spokeman Review. They have fleeced this city for nearly 60 million dollars in a scheme that should have sent them to prison (The RiverPark Square saga). Under Jim West, the city just settled the last case stemming from that case, much to the benefit of the owners of the Spokesman Review.

The other leading candidates for mayor would not have settled the RiverPark Square fiasco to the satisfaction of owners of the Spokeman Review (who also own the vast majority of other media in Spokane). The Spokesman made certain that these allegations would not be made public earlier.

In his political career, Jim West consistently voted favorable to this prominent family. This 'expose' comes out now, right after all legal issues regarding their RiverPark Square buildings are settled.

Once again, the City of Spokane loses.

[Liberal Veteran]

49. I often wondered about that as well....if the Cowles family

has been investigating this for 3 years, then they have not served the public trust.

[Diane R]

52. He was 'recently appointed by the Bush administration'.....

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/jimwest/story.asp?id=050505_west_accomplishments

".....He was recently appointed by the Bush administration to a commission looking at streamlining federal grant programs to local governments. The proposal would target community development funds to economic development in depressed areas.


The appointment underlines West’s focus on economic development. He views it as the best answer to getting the city out of its multiyear saga of job cuts caused by weak tax growth."

[mitchum]

53. Grand Old Pedophiles

[LTRS]

55. West (Rethug) tied to sex abuse in '70s

For a quarter century, the man who is now Spokane's mayor has used positions of public trust – as a sheriff's deputy, Boy Scout leader and powerful politician – to develop sexual relationships with boys and young men.

One man claims in a court deposition that Jim West molested him in the mid-1970s when he was a boy and West was a Spokane County sheriff's deputy and Boy Scout leader. A second man also accuses West of sexual abuse during the same era, including an incident at Camp Cowles, a Boy Scout camp on Diamond Lake.

In addition, an investigation by The Spokesman-Review has revealed that 17 months after leaving the state Legislature, West has used the trappings of the mayor's office to entice and influence young men he met on a gay Web site.

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/jimwest/

*** Of note, this guy was state senate majority leader before becoming mayor and appointing one of his boy toys to finish out his senate term. He was in the state legislature for many years and worked diligently to prevent a gay civil rights bill from passing.

And isn't it ironic that the boy scouts will not let self avowed gays be in the organization, even though it almost always turns out that the closeted ones are the pedophiles?

The hypocrisy never ends.

[benburch]

56. Excellent!

Passed this on to Bob Kincaid and Mike Malloy so that they can do a proper on-air evisceration of the GOP on this one...

[mitchum]

57. Grand Old Pedophiles

[tmooses]

58. My favorite part of these articles is the mayor saying that he just

started cruising the internet for young boys for some reason he could not explain, but he certainly does not consider himself "gay".

Sounds like one of those out of body experiences when you wake up in the middle of the night and cruise the internet for young boys-kinda of like that craving to raid the fridge.I also like the quote about closeted gay conservatives engaging in self-hatred.How many of those have we seen lately-and will see in the near future. Maybe that will be addressed at the next presidential briefing.

[Erika]

59. Spokane is deep red unlike other parts of the state

This is rocking that community and all of Eastern Washington. These people are so GOP entrenched that they absolutely loathe democrats because of the lack of family and moral values of democrats.

Let them learn to live with this. One of their own who they saw as a champion to preserve a high moral code and protect the sanctity of the family.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

60. Spokane's mayor accused of molesting two boys

Moral Values strike again!

May 5, 2005
Spokane's mayor accused of molesting two boys

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press Writer
SPOKANE, Wash. - Two men have accused Mayor James E. West of molesting them when they were boys and he was a sheriff's deputy and Boy Scout leader, The Spokesman-Review reported Thursday.

West, 54, a conservative Republican leader of the state Senate before he was elected mayor in 2003, denied ever having had sex with children and vowed Thursday that he would serve out his four-year term.

He confirmed in an interview with the newspaper that he offered gifts, favors and a City Hall internship over the Web site Gay.com to someone he believed was 18 but who was actually a forensic computer expert working for the newspaper.

In a brief news conference Thursday in which he took no questions, West repeated his denial of the molestation allegations. He said he "had relations with adult men. I don't deny that."

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=76957

[killbotfactory]

61. how'd i guess he was a republican?

i guess i have ESP or something.

[WI_DEM]

62. yet another hypocrite exposed

[oregonjen]

63. He was quoted as saying, "My private life is my private life."

:wtf: Only private when you are a Repug.

[Cha]

64. Not private when you're

accused by two of being a child molester.

[MissB]

66. He was also quoted as saying "I wouldn't characterize me as 'gay'"

:wtf: (that is from the kgw.com story)

[Ilsa]

69. Should he be characterized as "Bi"? eom

[MissB]

70. I dunno.

Since some of his accusers were kids when he allegedly molested him, I'd feel more comfy with him being called a pedophile.

But that's just me. Maybe I'm the one who is off the mark.

[sonicx]

73. molesting a boy does not make one gay automatically.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=9704&mesg_id=10054

[AnnInLa]

65. Was he an "out" gay when he was a Repug leader in the state

before he was elected mayor? (I know nothing about him or the story.)

[MissB]

67. From the articles I've read today

it doesn't appear to be the case.

on edit: from one of his email chats (posted at kgw.com)

JMSElton: "Remember, Im very closeted. No one knows I like guys. Except the few guys Ive been with and highly trusted."

[AnnInLa]

72. then he's one of those hypocrites who

deserve outing...and evidently, deserves jail-time as well.

These people are disgusting.....thanks for the info.

[mimitabby]

76. he was married, you tell me.

no the people who voted him hate gays, so it looks like this fellow
has lost his base.

teehee

Mimi

[Rainscents]

68. He said... He had relationship with adult men.

And he said, he is not gay? Oh, I see... then, he is bi, right?

[MissB]

71. But some of the allegations concern boys.

So I'd call him something else entirely.

[Erika]

74. He offered a young gay a City Hall Internship on the

city payroll. He is a total bigot as he was a champion of family values and totally against gay rights in his public life. This area is the most red in the state. He was also well connected to the prominent GOP family in the area who controlled most of the media.

[Diane R]

78. Spokane Media

Yes. The real story here is why the GOP family that owns the newspaper protected him all these decades. What he did for them in return, and why they printed this now.

And, if this is the 'reddest' part of the state, it is because that family controls all information.

[Erika]

80. Spokane used to be such a progressive city

That right wing power family took over and it's turned regressive. I hope this helps to shed light on the straits Spokane is in. I love(d) that beautiful little city.

[Erika]

79. Email address to contact this GOP bigot:

The address is [e-mail]

Let him know what you think about a legislator and mayor who claims to be a champion of family values while offering young gays jobs on the city payroll. This IS important to the cause as this are voted predominantly GOP based on family and moral values.

[jsw_81]

82. A closeted GOP perv? I'm shocked

Here are more sleazy details on the story:

This time, the 18-year-old said, the man changed his online screen name from Cobra82nd – a possible reference to the helicopters West flew in while a paratrooper in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division – to “RightBi-Guy.”

The paper then hired a forensic computer expert in November to help verify the young man’s allegations that West was online.

The expert, a former federal agent who asked not to be identified for these stories, has helped track child pornography through the use of online chat technology.

The computer expert registered on Gay.com as “Moto-Brock,” a fictitious 18-year-old Ferris High School senior questioning his own sexuality and eager to met older gay or bisexual men. Once in the chat room, which has a policy that all participants be 18, the consultant changed his age to 17 because the newspaper wanted to know whether West was using the Web to meet underage children.

Within two months, Moto-Brock and RightBi-Guy were discussing sex in the Gay.com chat room, and the dialogues were being recorded by the newspaper’s consultant.

West, interviewed Wednesday, admitted his online relationships with the 18-year-old and Moto-Brock.

...

On two occasions, RightBi-Guy appeared to believe he was engaging in mutual online masturbation with Moto-Brock, according to transcripts of the explicit exchanges.

Asked about simulating masturbation online with a teenager, West said Wednesday, “You have a better memory than I do.” He declined an offer to look at the transcripts of the dialogue.

“We never had sex online,” West said of his relationship with Moto-Brock. “You’ve got words on paper.”

And this guy was a champion of conservative family values? ROFLMAO!

[Erika]

84. And he convinced his red state community he was Mr.

family values. As another poster stated, he was upheld by a GOP family who controlled the majority of the media.

To give your comments to City Hall on Mr. West, the email address is
[e-mail]

The GOP can't control internet media. But I think they wished they could about now. That City needs to rid of Mr. West and that family.
Let the light in.

[orleans]

90. is it my imagination

or are all the pedophiles republicans?

at least they seem to be...especially lately!

[thecai]

93. Jim West Refers To The Accusers As "Convicted Felons"

...most children who have been abused grow up and use drugs to "self-medicate", then drugs lead to crime. It is a horrible, vicious cycle. Those accusers behavior is normal considering the abuse they endured.
Sounds like Mayor West is blaming the victims, when in reality, it could be West's own fault the guys are "convicted felons".
Spokane has an abundance of rogue cops, politicians, boy scout leaders, priests, et al.
IMO, they are terrorists.

[Diane R]

94. He preyed on children from broken homes

He molested them in his Sheriff's uniform and in his county sheriff's vehicle. He already knew they were vulnerable. Now, he refers to them as 'convicted felons'. As if he had nothing to do with them leading troubled lives.

[thecai]

101. Exactly!

Good post, Diane, and welcome to DU!
LE know very well who is most vulnerable.

[Vogon_Glory]

95. The Right-Wing Spin Will Be

The right-wing spin will be that the accused's actions were due to the "promiskitty" promoted by "liberals" and Democrats during the 1960's and that Mayor what's-his-name never was a Republican anyway.

:sarcasm:

[CRK7376]

96. Family Values Party

at it's best. Hope he gets fired from his job.

[lupita]

99. Mayor James E. West, Spokane, accused of molesting boys

Spokane, Wash. mayor admits gay affairs, denies 1970s molestation charges

http://www.kgw.com/

Mayor James E. West, an opponent of gay rights, has been accused of molesting two boys decades ago...


I don't understand how these people can look at themselves in
the mirror each morning....

[thecai]

104. Hypocrite Republicans...

... have no conscience. They admire themselves when looking in the mirror.

[Lilith Velkor]

100. Damn, all my mayor did was smoke some crack.

(Well, he's only a Councilman now, but watch him get reelected.)

[thecai]

102. "Kick Mayor Jim West."..

... "to the curb".
If he were a Democrat, he already would have been.

[Catherine Vincent]

103. So many deleted posts.

This mayor is probably one of those who contributed to nambla.

[thecai]

105. He Resigned From the Boy Scouts and Morning Star Boys Ranch

what a relief!

[thecai]

106. More Abuse Allegations

So far, two more alleged victims have come forward with accusations of abuse. Mayor Jim West needs to step down, for Spokane's sake.

[thecai]

107. Kick

KUDOS to Spokesman-Review for investigating and reporting the crimes of (R)Mayor Jim West.

[Spiffarino]

108. You might want to read further up the thread

The Spokesman-Review is apparently controlled by a powerful RW family that has taken over local media and who endorsed this creep for many years before taking him down.

I think this newspaper - and family - needs to see some "blowback" from this affair.

[thecai]

109. I Think You're Correct

The Spokesman-Review has always been "controlled by a powerful RW family that has taken over local media...".
I was actually shocked The Spokesman-Review exposed the corruption of a "fellow RW". But I applaud them for doing so. "Alleged" pedophiles have no business on the police force, Boy Scouts, board of Morning Star Boys Ranch, nor in the Mayor's office.

[thecai]

110. Just Like Bush Did After 9/11....

(R) Mayor Jim West takes a vacation!
"This issue is taking up too much of my time... I'm going on a well-deserved vacation... to prepare to defend myself against these accusations". Jim West, KHQ6 News, May 9, 2005.
What a luxury to go on several weeks paid vacation to prepare for his defense! Anyone else would be preparing from a jail cell.

[Dr Fate]

111. Yeah- but Clinton had SEX and LIED about it!!!!

!!!!!

[thecai]

112. Clinton's Hetro-Sexual Affair With An Adult...

...does not make me fear for our children's safety. Police cover-ups of West's, et al, accusations to "protect their own", ALSO cause fear for our children's (and America's) safety. How many people's lives have been destroyed and they ended up in prison because of Clinton's affair?
I've seen plenty of Republicans lie and are rewarded and EXALTED for it.

[Dr Fate]

116. I know. Its should be a "Where is the outrage" moment for the Fundies.

But of course, they are silent- the magic (R) behind his name protects him.

[thecai]

113. Spokesman-Review Forum Closed

The regular "spokane trolls/flamegang" (Erika, you remember them) have succeeded in getting another forum exposing corruption shut down.
Fortunately, this time the editors quickly removed the flame posts and kept most of the posts of genuinely concerned citizens.

This corruption and misconduct has carrried on for DECADES, due to police cover-ups and the silence of West's co-workers and friends, (explained in news articles).

Mayor West should not be given the option to resign, he should be recalled immediately, and Law Enforcement in Spokane should be investigated for misconduct and cover-ups over the past 30+ years.

If he weren't a Republican and former Sheriff's Deputy, he would have been literally torn apart by radical Republicans AND Law Enforcement, but wouldn't ya know, they're DEFENDING and protecting him.

[thecai]

114. The FBI Are Now Involved n/t

[thecai]

115. Jay Leno Jokes About Mayor West

quote..."Go WEST, young man!"
Meanwhile, another young man has stepped forward with allegations... update soon.

[thecai]

117. City Council and State Attorney General...

....are conducting investingations.

[thecai]

118. Mark Fuhrman Radio Talk Show...

...made a public request for West to resign, on KGA in Spokane.
Is there a remote possibilty some rightwingers are beginning to see the light? Or are they starting to "feel the fire"?
Better disassociate early, before much more corruption is exposed, because this is only the tip of the iceberg. But it's not only Spokane; Seattle has close ties to corruption here...

[thecai]

119. Who Will Oversee This Investigation?

The feds have ignored reports of this corruption ring for decades.
The public must get involved to ensure thorough, impartial investigations are conducted. The Spokesman-Review is offering this news free of charge. It's bigger than Spokane and Mayor West... Seattle corrupt, et al, have close ties in this case.
Informative and enlightening. Keep kicked.