During the past two weeks or so the Gazette has received three letters to the editor; two from my nemesis, Bob Stroh, and one from former council member Patti Walker.

After years of mischievous, misleading, and deliberate falsehoods, Bob was placed in the paper’s No Go category, and (I think) banned from the website. This prolific blogger became notorious for indiscriminately repeating anything he happened to hear, creating his own “facts” from thin air, and simply being a nuisance with his habitual untrustworthiness. Answering Stroh’s blitz of falsehoods became an unpleasant waste of time and only encouraged his misbehavior.

But now and then it’s necessary to respond to lies and misrepresentations. It seems Patti has fled the scene of her devious council undertakings by moving out of town, but not before virtually collapsing city government. A charter member of the Katzenjammers, the very possibility of Patti’s election to the council caused many veteran staff members and department heads to vacate their offices prematurely, or take early retirement, rather than deal with her. When fellow Katzenjammers, Jamey Brooks and Gayle Washburn squeaked-in November of ’08, virtual panic set in among the remaining staff and department heads, others also scurried for the exits. The election of Brian Sipes in 2010 calcified the Katzejammers grip on city government. Councilman Steve Conaway was the only remaining remnant of the once-trustworthy council.

As usual, I’m rushed to finish my gnat-in-the-eye comments. Suffice it to say that two of the most recent Katzenjammer lies (as opposed to their vintage ones) come from Patti and Bob: Bob (in his rejected letter) claims I was first to object to the north Fillmore redevelopment plan. He neglects to mention that I objected to some 1,100 homes, cheek to jowl in that space. I approved of the reasonable compromise of 700 homes, which would have saved the project. Patti and the Katzenjammers refused this offer and held out for some 300 homes, which, it was pointed out, would make the project economically unfeasible. This killed everything, as did their Proposition H and I. Ask the Keller company about the facts – Patti and company ruined their business, and other projects, leaving north Fillmore as a weed patch to this day.

As for Patti’s most recent letter: she claims that I once told her that I enjoyed intimidating people with my camera at council meetings. This is a lie typical of Katzenjammer modus operandi. They hate to have their pictures taken during meetings. Gayle Washburn is especially allergic to the lens, and claims I abuse the privilege to take public meeting photos for the paper.

None of the fearsome foursome (Washburn, Sipes, Brooks, or Patti) have learned (despite my lectures to them) that the First Amendment of the American Constitution states my right (not privilege) to report (and photograph) such proceedings. Patti finally got out of the kitchen; time for the other three overly-sensitive cooks to follow suit.

Should I show more photo out-takes?