By Commissioner, Jim Raffenburg
April 9, 2008
NewsWithViews.com
NOTE: My Point-By-Point Response to the false allegations about me published in the Daily Courier starting on March 22, 2008.
April 12, 2008. Hello everyone. This is an updated introduction and re-posting of my original rebuttal to the Daily Courier’s smear articles that contained false allegations about my military, educational, professional and personal background. I am doing this because some people have not yet heard, or read, my rebuttal and still believe I have never responded to the smear articles.
Important news update: Last week, my Attorney delivered a written demand on the Publisher and Owner of the Daily Courier for a full retraction of their false, malicious and libelous statements about me in their newspaper.
They have fourteen days under Oregon Law to print a retraction.
Below
is the requested Guest Opinion I presented to the Daily Courier
on March 31, 2008, in rebuttal to their false claims about 
me.
That very same day, Editor Dennis Roler turned down my request to publish
it, in an obvious attempt to keep me from defending myself.
For everyone’s information, I have been trying to reach-out to the People of Josephine County for the past three weeks to address this issue, through NewsWithViews.com and The Illinois Valley News (both posted/printed my Guest Opinion on April 2, 2008), and also through KAJO Radio, where I was a guest on a one hour show (also on April 2). During that show, Carl Wilson stated very clearly that he had seen my original documents and had concluded that I have in fact told the truth about my background.
I have also spoken out on the local cable, government channel during the Wednesday Weekly Business Sessions of the Board of County Commissioners.
If the only source of information a person relies on is the very same source that smeared my name in the first place, and then refused to give me the opportunity to defend myself, it is not surprising that such a person would still be misinformed about the truth in this matter, assuming it was truth they wanted in the first place.
Regarding the politically motivated recall effort by certain individuals, to silence my political views and influence, I say this: Shame on you and shame on anyone who signs the petitions without first seeking out the truth in this matter. The individuals who initiated the recall petition have never once contacted me to ask one question about the false allegations published in the Daily Courier.
I am leaving office in December by my own choice and yet these people would spend up to $60,000 of very scarce public money to satisfy their own petty, political desires, simply out of spite, because they oppose me politically. How very un-American. How sad we have come to this in this great land. How very dangerous to everyone’s future freedom.
The Guest Opinion the Daily Courier refused to print:
Editor Roler,
(I hereby request that you print (no later that April 5th, 2008, without any changes) the following 957 word rebuttal “Guest Opinion” to the false claims regarding my background, printed in the Daily Courier, as front page articles and in your editorials, since March 22, 2008.)
On March 27th and 30th, 2008 I provided overwhelming documentation of my background (including my US Army Honorable Discharge DD-214) to Carl Wilson of KAJO/KLDR Radio and Bob Rodriguez, Editor of the Illinois Valley News.
I will not provide any further documentation to the Daily Courier. This paper is not interested in the truth, only political agendas.
For example, let’s compare the Daily Courier’s false claims with the documented facts:
Dishonorably
discharged from the US Army?
I was injured on active duty and was Honorably Discharged on January
16, 1973.
Not
a qualified reserve deputy sheriff?
I was thoroughly qualified under the Josephine County Sheriff’s
Office standards in effect at the time of my appointment. Regarding
the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, I was a 19 year old cadet
for a short time. Apparently they do not keep cadet records that old.
My
name change was to “hide” past “affiliations?
My name change was done openly, in accordance with Oregon law. My family
history is interesting, but irrelevant.
My
1992 Voter Registration Card was incorrect?
My birth date is January 3, 1955, not 1953 – it was obviously
a transposition error. Regarding my parents’ names, upon reflection,
I remember being told the information was needed only as a “password”
to verify my identity when I voted.
Using
“Without Prejudice” under “UCC 1-207” is a “mystery”?
How can reserving one’s Rights under the US Constitution be seen
as a negative by anyone who supports the Constitution as the vital security
of our freedoms?
NASA
experience not as claimed?
This issue was investigated and settled in my favor by the Oregon Secretary
of State’s Office on February 15, 2005. My NASA employment job
titles were “Construction Administrator” and “Construction
Field Manager.”
NASA Construction Administrators and Construction Field Managers were all encompassing manager/inspector positions with the following responsibilities spelled out in my job description, “As Field Manager for NASA construction projects, you are responsible for reviewing construction contractors work for progress and compliance with contract documents and furthermore to interpret the documents and issue field orders as required to direct contractors…..”.
On May 23, 1988, NASA Engineer Tim Gafney, quoted in your article, wrote a Letter of Commendation regarding my work, noting my Manager job title. Mr. Gafney wrote, “I would like at this time to commend (Jim’s work) as Field Inspector/Manager for this project…..Construction of the HPASF (High Pressure Air Storage Facility) went so smoothly, in large part due to Jim’s work….”.
Mr. Gafney was the overall NASA Project Engineer/Manager for this job and was rarely seen in the field. His twenty year old memory would seem to conflict with my written documentation from his own hand.
I’m
involved with the Foundation of Human Understanding?
I bought a book (never finished reading it) 30 years ago. I worked for
Prestige Homes for about one year, nearly 20 years ago. I spent one
day at Brighton Academy checking out the school. My daughter was not
enrolled. That’s it.
My
home has not been assessed in years?
We pay the tax bills. My work on our house was interrupted when I ran
for Commissioner.
I’m
not a Master Gardener?
I completed the OSU Extension eight-week course in the mid-1990’s.
I’m
martial a arts instructor?
I never said I was. I’m a certified Brown Belt in Tae Kwon Do.
The only training (of others) I have participated in was as a peer assistant
to junior skill level students.
I’m
a “certified masseur”?
Where does this come from? I have never been a certified masseur. Just
how does this relate to being a Commissioner?
I
came out of nowhere?
Prior to running for Commissioner, I spent nearly eight years on the
Planning Commission, plus two years as a reserve deputy sheriff and
court panel mediator. By ignoring my efforts in that work, Mr. Roler
appears to believe there is no value in the dedicated efforts of all
the volunteers performing these services.
I
have missed 20 meetings since January, 2008?
I do miss three meetings each month when I travel to Salem for Board
of Director meetings for the Association of O&C Counties. That accounts
for 9 meetings.
I was in Washington, DC, on a self-funded trip, to lobby for renewal of the Safety-Net payments and to attend a National Association of Counties Legislative Conference for 8 days. That accounts for 6 meetings.
I took two days off when I returned from DC. That’s 2 more. And I missed a few meetings due to being ill. That’s at least 2 more.
I can account for 19 of 20 missed meetings. (9+6+2+2= 19.) I’ll try to do better.
(FYI-Mondays
are, by Board decision, meeting free days.)
My Washington, DC trip last year was independently credited with being
instrumental in Josephine County receiving 15 million dollars in Safety-Net
revenue in 2007. Someone had to go to try again this year. What do the
People think? Was that County business?
I
should resign?
The “distraction”
associated with this issue has been caused by the Daily Courier, not
by me. I’m not the one who should resign.
Regarding any other allegations or implications, they are patently false on their face – and truly malicious.
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This type of smear attack is unprincipled and un-American. But then, as it is apparently a “mystery” to the staff at the Daily Courier that a person would want to reserve their Rights under the US Constitution, these actions are not altogether surprising.
Instead of wondering whether or not to believe me, readers should now ask themselves if it’s wise to believe anything the Daily Courier “reports” about me. And that is no mystery. The truth is out there. Now all of you know where to find it.
Jim Raffenburg, Commissioner
� 2008 Jim Raffenburg - All Rights Reserve
