Inside Today's 6 News; The News Director's Blog

When We Get a Story Wrong

Sometimes, we get a story wrong, and that is what happened when we reported on a contentious teleconference between the Idaho Transportation Department Board and local officials.

Actually, it is probably more accurate to say we got the story right to a point, and then it went horribly wrong, and for that, I apologize.  We know viewers trust us to get the story right, and so when we don't, as the person in charge of the news department, I feel it is important we own up to it and correct the record.  Once we realized our mistake, we did another full story correcting the record.  In the interest of full disclosure, I want to take a moment explain what happened.

Anyone who has watched us over time knows we have a high interest in transportation issues in the Treasure Valley.  We've done several investigations called 'Highway Robbery' which examined how the Idaho Transportation Department has underfunded Treasure Valley road projects for years in favor of other regions of the state.  As a result, Treasure Valley roads have deteriorated and gridlock has grown as the population of this area has exploded.  There are several reasons for this, some philosophical, some political, but none good for the Treasure Valley if we want an adequate highway system to serve the residents of Ada and Canyon Counties.

To say this situation has frustrated local legislators and city and county leaders would be an understatement.  Privately, many have expressed their exasperation with the Idaho Transportation Department, and so when we got wind that the mayors of Meridian and Eagle and at least one legislator were going to appear at an ITD teleconference, we were very interested in what they had to say.

The meeting was contentious.  Meridian Mayor Tammy DeWeerd pleaded with the board not to push back the Ten Mile Interchange project and also urged the funding of improvements to the Meridian road interchange as part of an overall expansion of I-84.  Eagle Mayor Nancy Merrill discussed the need to extend Highway 16 from Highway 44 to I-84 to help create a commuting corridor for residents of her city.  Some members of the ITD board responded by saying they are in a money crunch and can't afford to keep approving projects they don't have the dollars to pay for.  They blamed the legislature for underfunding transportation in Idaho.  The one legislator in attendance was clearly agitated by the remarks, and told us ITD's 'finger-pointing' has got to stop.

And that was the story we told that night.  Accurate ... up to a point, because unbeknownst to us, something else also happened that day.

After the testimony had been taken and the debate ended, the ITD board moved onto other business.  An ITD official even went so far as to 'shoo' us and other media out of the hearing room, feeling our efforts to finish up the story we had come to cover was disruptive to the ongoing teleconference.  In fact, everyone with an interest in this story left completely.  Local officials left.  All the other local media left, and so we left, convinced the issue we had come to cover was done for the day.

It wasn't.  A few hours later, the ITD board members revisited the issue, and then voted to ask the legislature for around $130 million more in GARVEE bonds so construction work could begin on several projects, including the expansion of I-84 including the Ten Mile interchange.

And we had no clue it had happened.

And so the story we told that night focused on the contentiousness between the ITD board and local leaders.  Comments from board members such as "We have no money" seemed to indicate the board was going to stonewall the funding until the legislature came up with more.  But that's not what happened.  Several hours later, the ITD board apparently put aside their concerns and voted 4-2 to approve the funding anyway.  That vote dramatically changed the nature of the story we were reporting on, and that's how we got it wrong.

I will confess to some personal exasperation with the Idaho Transportation Department.  For one thing, their board works like no other I know of in government.  Typically, a governmental body will vote immediately after an issue is debated, not wait hours later.  Secondly, there was at least one ITD media relations representative there who could have alerted us to the odd turn of events.  In fact, it was in their own interest to do that because it was a positive outcome from a somewhat testy session.

But we as a journalistic organization can't rely on that.  We assumed the issue was over for the day, and that was a mistake.  It's hard for me as a manager to blame the reporter for this.  She has covered the legislature and legislative issues for several years and never encountered anything like this before.  Even the political leaders in attendance were stunned to hear about the vote when they learned about it from us.

So the best we can do is admit our mistake, learn from it, and correct the record in an attempt not to leave you with a mis-impression.  As I said earlier, we committed to doing a follow-up story the next day focused on the vote.

What I described above is an explanation, not an excuse.  I also feel it is important that when we do make a mistake, we'll make every effort to correct it.  That's a big part of our obligation to 'get it right!'

Interestingly, I think what happened in that ITD teleconference may represent a turning point when it comes to our transportation needs.  It signals that the Idaho Transportation Department Board is not going to be obstinate and attempt to withhold GARVEE highway bond money earmarked by the legislature for the Treasure Valley.  The board members apparently realize the best way to make their case for more money is to realize the political reality that urban interests can no longer pushed aside in favor of a philosophy of the past that appears to have sought to divide money equally across the state.  Conversely, both the Governor and legislators appear to be conceding ITD needs more money.  It's a far different ... and better ... environment than we had last session.

The Treasure Valley's highway needs aren't an easy problem to solve (or cover), but at least now, it appears everyone involved is getting serious about it.

Governor Otter, Why I'm the Best Choice for Larry Craig's Seat

Dear Governor Otter:

I'm writing this open letter to you because you haven't been taking my calls lately.  I understand, for it appears you've been inundated with calls from dozens of people seeking Senator Larry Craig's soon-to-be-vacant seat.

Not just the obvious choices like Lt. Governor Jim Risch, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, and State Senator John McGee. 

But also not so obvious choices such as Rep. Scott Bedke(?), Rep. Russ Matthews(??), or Sen. Mike Jorgenson(???).  It must be quite an aggravation for you.  I mean, I've worked as journalist in Idaho for a long time, and I don't have a clue who these people are either.

And that's the reason I'm writing, because after a few seconds of contemplation, I think I can help.  I've figured out who would absolutely be the best choice when it comes to Senator Craig's successor.

Me!

Now wait, before you <right click> and hit <delete>, let me list the combination of qualities I would bring to the job that no one else could.

For one, I am an erudite writer and well-spoken yet humble individual who would represent Idaho with statesmanship and class.  You think Risch can say that?

And my name is a natural for re-election next November.  I mean, c'mon, 'Scott Picken.'  'Pick Picken.'  'We're picking Picken for U.S. Senate.'  The combinations are endless, and I won't embarrass the party with any subtle campaign lines like "He's not the guy you'll find 'Picken' toilet paper off the floor!"  What's more, as a broadcast news professional, you can be assured I have the ability to speak before the entire U.S. Senate with confidence that I won't botch the name 'Crapo.'

And when those potentially embarrassing bathroom sex stings are conducted, you can count on me Governor!  You and I both know what happened in Minneapolis.  The Senator was simply giving the officer some of that trademark Larry Craig humor!  (Remember that night Larry had the whole room in hysterics at D.C.'s 'Off the Record' bar?  I bet you still smile every time you see a lampshade!). 

So here's Larry in this tense situation, and he rips off a choice one liner.  "I have a wide stance in the bathroom."  What a card!  But you know how he can be when he's telling jokes with that stone face of his.  It backfired.

What he should have done is added in a few more more for effect.  "And officer, may I compliment your bathroom's craftsmanship.  As I ran my hand across the bottom of the stall wall, I couldn't help but admire the metallurgy!  That's when I tapped my foot and exclaimed, 'Oh My!  Is that flooring Corian?'  If we had bathrooms like that on Capitol Hill, the Senate would never get a quorum!" 

BAH-da-BOOM!  He would have gotten off with a warning at worst!

But poor Senator Craig.  His amazing sense of comic timing abandoned him when he needed it most. 

I also understand that appointing a single male with no children like myself might raise some eyebrows from those religious right folks.  Don't worry Governor!  Pick me, and I promise to put the full measure of my red-blooded American heterosexuality out on display.  There would be a different DC socialite on my arm every night, just like Fred Thompson did when he was in the Senate.  Let's face it.  If Larry had done that during his single days in Washington, we might be pushing him for President!

I do know this whole mess is wearing on you.  As one insider put it to me, all these people are trying to get your nod "before the body is even cold yet."  All joking aside, it is amazing to think that the next U.S. Senator from Idaho will be elected with one vote.  Yours!  I cannot imagine the 'damned whatever you do' burden you must be bearing.  You've survived a few bumps in your own political career that would have derailed others because people in this state trust you, and trust you'll make the best decision possible.

So Governor Otter, I would be honored to join the dozens of names already on your list right there on the very top.  After all, unlike some of those who have contacted you, I actually live in Idaho!  Just remember, Withdraw Wasden!, Reject Risch!,  Pick Picken!  You gotta admit it's catchy.

Sincerely,

Scott Picken

News Director, 'Today's 6'

How the Marc Young Case Reveals Why Government Exasperates Us

I really do not understand why Marc Young is still on the taxpayers' payroll. 

Young is the Canyon County IT employee who has been on paid suspension for a year after allegations surfaced he was downloading child porn on county computers.  Young is also the son of Canyon County Prosecutor Dave Young.

Although Canyon County isn't talking, the purported reason Young was put on paid leave rather than being fired is because the county was fearful of being sued by him.  After all, criminal charges have only now been filed against Young, and he still 'innocent until proven guilty' in the eyes of the law.  I'm not convinced Young would have any kind of legal case against Canyon County since Idaho is an 'at-will' employment state.  I suppose, however, I can see why his firing on unproven charges of downloading child porn could be in some way problematic.

But there is another aspect of the Young's continued paid suspended employment that I don't get.  According to the criminal complaint and other sources, Young also altered the hard drives on his county computers, allegedly to conceal evidence.  Destroying or altering the computer records of a public agency or private company without authorization is a serious employment offense that almost results in that person getting fired.  This is especially true in a government agency where those records potentially could be subject to public disclosure and review.

So how does Young get away with it?

The only plausible explanation is that Young was solely authorized to 'wipe' the hard drives of county computers (including his own) at his own discretion without authorization.  If that's truly the case, Canyon County has a much bigger problem than one employee allegedly downloading kiddie porn.  If it's not, Marc Young should have been fired long before he cost taxpayers more than $60,000 and counting.

But assuming Young did have that kind of discretion, walk through the chain of events, and it is truly amazing that Young still has a job.

1. Young is suspected of downloading child porn.
2. He is suspended with pay and a criminal investigation begun.
3. It is then discovered he has altered the hard drives of his county-issued computers.

In any private company and probably most any governmental agency, Young would have been fired once issue #3 was discovered.  That is except of course in Canyon County.

You and I know what's really happening here.  It is an uncomfortable situation for the county.  Dave Young is the County Prosecutor after all, and so why not just turn a blind eye to it all, use the excuse of potential litigation, and keep paying Marc Young his full salary for not doing a minute of work because it is the path of least resistance while the courts work it out.  It is not inconceivable that Young could remain on the payroll for another year for not doing a thing while his case is being adjudicated.  What a waste!

It's just all so easy to do when public officials are spending other people's money.  Your money, and as a Canyon County taxpayer, mine too!

And that's why government so exasperates us.  Too often, elected officials don't treat our money as if it was their money, or even has any value at all.  $60K is a small price to pay to avoid making difficult and correct decisions when it doesn't come out of your pocket.

I hope you'll take a moment to vote in our online poll on Young's employment, and if you have some thoughts you would like to share, I do read all comments, and may use some in future blogs or on-air.

Why We Have Signed Up for the 'War on Warming'

Occasionally, I get complaints about Meteorologist Pete Mangione's continuing series 'War on Warming.'  Some viewers think by covering local efforts to reduce carbon emissions that are believed to contribute to global warming, we are taking a political position and revealing a bias, especially when you consider the role former Vice-President Al Gore has played in the global warming debate.

I got an e-mail just last week from a viewer who wrote, "Yes, the earth's temperature may be increasing a degree or two for the next few years. No, it's not man's fault. Don't drink the kool-aid. Thirty years ago (look it up for yourself, you're a newsman, right?) Time Magazine (i.e. you guys in the media) were screaming that the next ice age was coming!  Global Freezing! Kind of a stretch to go from Global Freezing to Global Warming in 30 years, isn't it?"

My preferred choice of soft drinks aside, let's just assume everything this viewer wrote is absolutely accurate.  Let's assume that all those millions of tons of carbon humans dump into the atmosphere every day really are not having any real warming impact on the earth.

I say let's fight global warming anyway!  Here's why! ... because a national effort to drastically reduce carbon emissions would produce so many other benefits that go beyond the issue of global warming.  Here are just a few.

1. Reducing carbon emissions would eliminate our dependence on foreign oil.  When President Bush said America is 'addicted to oil,' he didn't mean it as a compliment.  Eliminating that dependence would provide more than economic benefits.  It would provide important national security ones as well.
2. Reducing carbon emissions would have important benefits for our environment.  America has been through an environmental revolution before.  The movement that created 'Earth Day' eventually produced an America where we could safely swim in our oceans and Great Lakes, and our city's rivers didn't catch on fire (as Cleveland's notoriously did in the 1970's).  There was a time decades ago when the Boise River was something of a polluted garbage dump.  Now, it is a crystal clean wonderful nature and recreation area.  Better, don't you think?  Let's clean up our air just like we cleaned up our river and get rid of all those pesky air quality alerts.
3. Reducing carbon emissions would herald a new era of technological innovation that would have tremendous benefits for our economy.  America's economic strength really isn't in building things.  It is in inventing them.  Inventing new clean energy technologies would easily be exportable.  If you look at developing nations like China and India, they have tremendous pollution problems that will become bigger and bigger issues as their societies gain wealth and prosper, and they'll be looking to import technologies to help them cope.  Talk about a potential economic win for the United States!  Developing technologies like wind power and solar power would also bring economic benefits into areas of America that are windy or sunny.

I confess I do believe it is highly probable that global warming is happening, but I also see the fight against global warming as a win-win-win-win-win for America even if it turns out I'm wrong and it is a mythical problem.  An America that's cleaner and much more 'earth-friendly' by innovating new 'clean-energy' technologies while eliminating its dependence on foreign oil would be a better, stronger, more secure, more self-sufficient nation, and that's a good thing.  On that we can all pretty much agree.

And those are some of the other reasons why we do a story every week on our valley's 'War on Warming.'

The One Important Step Senator Craig Hasn't Taken Yet

There was this great episode of the since canceled NBC show 'The West Wing' where fictional Republican Presidential candidate Senator Arnold Vinnick (played by Alan Alda) faces a difficult political problem.  Just days after he comes out in favor of expanding nuclear energy, there is a terrible accident at a nuclear power plant.  Vinnick ducks the media for days, not wanting to answer tough questions on a position that circumstances appear to make indefensible ... that is until he comes to an inspired conclusion.  He decides to confront the media and his critics head on!

And so the candidate holds a news conference in front of the damaged nuclear power plant, defends his position, and answers every media question on live TV completely and truthfully until he wears all those reporters out, and the issue goes away.  It reflected a 'Hollywood wish' for a great moment of political steadfastness and courage many believe is lacking in our leaders today.

Now I'm not suggesting that Senator Larry Craig hold a national news conference in front of a Minneapolis Airport men's room, but if he truly wants to fight for his Senate job, it begins with him answering real questions publicly, honestly and truthfully.  Up to now, he hasn't done that, and it has hurt him.

Many of you reading this could see my conclusion as self-serving.  After all, I work in the news media, and we have a few tough questions for Senator Craig ourselves.  But let's face facts.  Statements and stonewalling aren't going to work here.  Idahoans want real answers.  National Republicans want real answers.  Voters, especially the conservative voters Craig courts, want real answers.  Nothing short of what they see as sincerity, truthfulness, and candor will do.

Craig's adopted daughter gave a hint of this sentiment in her interview on 'Good Morning America.'  She expressed disappointment so many had turned on her father before talking with him.  What she neglected to consider is that Larry Craig really isn't talking to anyone right now except his family.  She got to question him.  Why don't we, the people he serves?  Even Governor Otter, who has stood by Craig admirably, apparently didn't realize the Senator was couching his terms when Craig said in his news conference "it is my intent to resign on September 30th."  Craig can't 'Slick Willie' this situation and survive.  He needs to stop playing rhetorical games and start being forthright with everyone or get off the stage, much like former President Clinton eventually had to do to survive the Lewinsky scandal.

I could see where Craig perhaps wants to see where his guilty plea will go before embarking on the very difficult effort to retain his Senate seat.  Getting that thrown out would satisfy many viewers like the one who replied to my last blog with this statement:

"... so many words only attempt to cover up the real issue. Sen. Craig "did not do anything...illegal." Foot tapping? Perhaps he did some things wrong...after the evil foot tapping, but he should not be disgraced and abandoned." 

Craig's problem is his guilty plea to disorderly conduct is an admission of more than 'evil foot tapping' and he knows it.  If he can't get the guilty plea reversed, he doesn't have a chance (and even if does get it reversed, he would still face a potentially embarrassing trial).

If the guilty plea can be taken back, he then must convince the Senate Ethics Committee to drop its probe.  It seems unlikely either Democrat Barbara Boxer or Republican Mitch McConnell would be eager to do that.  Craig is looking at long odds on both fronts.

But as I said in the last blog, there's more at stake here than his job.  He also has his reputation to consider, and if Mr. Craig truly believes he has a legitimate case, the fight to save it needs to start now.

We should also realize this.  Senator Craig's future is no longer about his state or his party.  It's all about Larry Craig now.  His party leaders, including the President, want him to go away.  Judging by our e-mail responses, so do many Idahoans.  His decision not to go away quietly is all about serving his legacy, not serving us.

Part of me believes Larry Craig's decision on his candidacy for re-election was a lot more difficult for him before this broke.  I think he was truly undecided on whether to run again before last Monday.  Now, with his legacy in jeopardy, he may feel he has no choice.  He has to fight.  He has to run.  He has to win.  It's the only way to keep his embarrassing arrest and guilty plea from defining his entire political career.  But if Craig thinks he can get through this without answering the questions many in this state and this nation want asked, he's doomed, just like he mistakenly believed he could keep his arrest secret from the people who elected him in the first place.  His survival will depend not only on a court of law, but on the much larger court of public opinion.

Yes, the news media can be tough, but our questions are nothing compared to what he will face in front of a suspicious and angry Senate Ethics Committee.

As always, you comments are read and welcome, and I may use some for a subsequent blog or on the air.

Senator Larry Craig's New Legacy

A prankster put up some new rules in the stalls of the men's bathroom here at KIVI-TV.  They read like this.

1. Wide stance not permitted
2. No toe tapping
3. Leave papers on the floor
4. No luggage inside the stall

And if that doesn't make you laugh, you could have always tuned in for the latest Larry Craig jokes on Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno, or David Letterman.  The whole thing was one giant, nationally broadcast embarrassment for Craig, and for Idaho.  The words "I am not gay.  I never have been gay" and 'I have a wide stance" in the bathroom will be indelibly etched into our minds.  It's not just that the whole episode was a joke to the nation.  It's that it was a really funny and memorable joke as well.

And I confess that my feelings on the Senator Larry Craig scandal evolved since it first broke.  At first, I had sympathy for him because I thought it would be a shame if Craig's entire political career was to be overshadowed by his arrest in a Minneapolis Airport men's room.  But over the week, my views hardened, because if you look at the situation objectively, it becomes clear Senator Craig has no one but himself to blame for the huge mess that has cost him his career.  After all, it appears he made a point after his arrest of involving no one else.  How much more poor judgment could the then-senior U.S. Senator from Idaho have used in handling this situation?

Here's just a few of him missteps.

1.  He says he did not disclose the arrest to family or his aides.  Yes, the incident was embarrassing, but if you are 'not guilty' as Craig claimed, why keep it a secret from those closest to you?  Their advice and support could have made a world of difference in how he handled the situation, including preventing him from making the 'guilty' plea to disorderly conduct that many hung over his head.

2.  He didn't retain a lawyer.  How does this law school graduate of the University of Idaho not seek counsel after such a serious incident?  It boggles the mind.

3.  He didn't disclose it to the Idahoans who entrusted him with his office again and again and again.  I understand he was embarrassed, but how better to make yourself look guilty than to keep it a secret?  When people learn you have been hiding something, they reflexively ask 'What else aren't you telling us?'

4.  He says he's innocent, but refused to answer questions.  His refusal to answer questions about what happened only added to the 'guilty' impression many took away from his first news conference.

5.  He blamed the 'Idaho Statesman' for his own mistakes.  No one bought that, and it just made the Senator look like he was seeking a scapegoat for his own poor judgment.

6.  His explanation of what happened in the men's room just doesn't seem plausible.  I cannot imagine a series of events where Craig could 'accidentally' mimic the signals for gay sex (in which we all got a harsh lesson).  Also, anyone who has sat in a bathroom stall appreciates the difficulty of 'accidentally' touching the foot of the occupant next to you.

Craig still denies he did anything lewd or improper.  He denies he has homosexual tendencies.  Senator Craig even used the phrase "I'm not gay" in his first news conference in a manner that may have backfired because it echoed former President Clinton's untruthful denial "I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."  Craig's problem all along was that the facts, amplified by the 'Idaho Statesman's' excellent reporting on other sexual allegations in Craig's past, were just too damning.

Craig's arrest and subsequent handling of this also gave pretty much anyone and everyone a reason to think he needed to go.  Pick your reason below.

Reason #1:  He's a hypocrite.  Craig was an outspoken critic of President Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.  If what was alleged is true, Craig's behavior was even worse because it not only violated the law, it also violated the standards he set for himself in courting the religious right and that he also placed on others.

Reason #2:  The alleged conduct in a public restroom is sickening.  'Cruising' bathrooms for gay sex is something that can bring a level of angst among us heterosexual males who must occasionally use public restrooms for their intended purposes.  There is a great scene in the movie 'There's Something About Mary' where Ben Stiller ends up getting arrested after trying to urinate at a rest stop frequented by gay men and gets caught in a sex sting.  I laughed, but it was a nervous laughter.  No man wants to find himself walking into a sexual encounter in a public restroom, much less one involving the person you helped elect to the United States Senate.

Reason #3:  He pleaded guilty, so he must have done something wrong.  I pleaded 'guilty' to a traffic ticket once that I was 'not guilty' of because it didn't pay for me to fight it.  Craig's misdemeanor guilty plea carries the same legal weight and maybe he saw it that way, but is clearly not the same thing, and that leads us to reason #4.

Reason #4:  He's a politician who is not being candid.  As one viewer succinctly put it in an e-mail, Craig "needs to admit he has a problem."  Instead, his entire approach seemed designed to hold onto power, something most Americans despise in their political leaders.  Perhaps Senator Craig felt he had no other choice but to fight.  He saw what happened to former Florida Congressman Mark Foley, who resigned in disgrace after it was revealed he sent inappropriate e-mails to male congressional pages.  Foley's admissions of guilt didn't save his reputation.  Craig admitting guilt wouldn't have saved his either, especially in conservative Idaho, and Larry Craig knew it.  But this was a fight he could not win because of Reason #5.

Reason #5:  It's a sex scandal the sex scandal-plagued Republican Party simply cannot afford.  None other than President Bush called Craig after his resignation speech and congratulated him for doing the right thing.  That's how high and deep this scandal went within the Republican Party.  Local conservative activist Dennis Mansfield expressed surprise at how fast national Republicans turned on Craig.  Maybe he doesn't fully understand just how worried Republicans are that they'll lose the White House and seats in both houses of Congress next year.  Allowing Craig to stick around would risk further depressing the turnout of 'turned off' Christian conservative voters, the Republicans know it, and warned Craig through Senator Mike Crapo there would be extensive public hearings on his conduct if he tried to stay in office.

Larry Craig didn't choose to resign.  Larry Craig had no choice but to resign.

Now that it is over, many in Idaho want to be charitable to him.  Senator Craig was a strong voice and influential politician who did many great things for the State of Idaho.  Many say this one incident should not define his 'legacy.'  They're right, it shouldn't! ... but it will.

Here's a reality check.   Most people won't remember what Sen. Larry Craig did in office.  They will remember what he was accused of doing in a Minneapolis men's restroom, and how it ended his career.  It is his new legacy, and that truly is a shame, but Larry Craig has no one but himself to blame.

How do you feel about it?  Let me know what you think, and I may use your comments either on-air or in future blogs.