Pay a quarter; hit the reporter: just don't forget to pay...Small clams update: Sun done; QAB set for Wed. Feb. 24th

She was going to take the hospital down

Another day in court with my media moguls the Kern Valley Sun "News"paper, and their new radio pals, QAB media, owners of the local radio stations we can actually hear in this rural enclave called the Kern River Valley.

As I sat outside the court room while the defendants came ambling in, a couple at a time, waving to others they knew. It was old home week at the courthouse.

Unlike the days where the two competitors for advertising were divisive, at least I know from the Sun perspective and from Mr. Bob Jamison's story telling days, they came into court on Wednesday, united by one thing: get that reporter. (just make sure to pay your quarter.)

We were again instructed by the bailiff to sit down, exchange information, and see if we could come to some sort of agreement.

Of course there was no agreement, and I had added a few things to my packet, like Ketchup and mustard, but other than a print out of my blog, weighing down Mr. Bohn, (there are more than 250 posts now) it was same place, same thing.

Bohn, who seems to be doing all the work in this case, pointing to Mr. Jamison as his "witness."

Now this configuration works for me as a witness Mr. Jamison will have to testify to these items, under oath, and to people who are not as "stuck on stupid" as Mr. Jamison seems to like to think the rest of us are.

I get to cross examine him, where he will have to answer.

For more than three years I have not gotten Mr. Jamison to say a word, except to threaten me, at the Kern Valley healthcare District board meetings. I've asked direct questions and as expected the board could not make him answer.

Now, for the first time, he will have to answer, in court. I must say I am gleeful for that. As I said there are few places that can bring lies to their knees, and one place is court.

When I raised my right hand and swore to tell the truth I was glad to do it. I am appreciative of this opportunity to make my argument to the court about what happened to me via the media in this town.

We all know it's not just about me, but I'm the one doing the digging, carrying the shovel, so that's the way I shall characterize it.

I did some reading last week

After reading and researching libel and the laws and history surrounding it, I had some epiphanies, and I read about the trickery that attorney's use to turn a case their way.

Excitedly, I told my sister that I had learned all kinds of things about court and then I listed all the traps and tricks only to hear nothing but silence.

"What?" I asked my sister.

She said nothing, and I got concerned. Then she took off after me.

"I can see you've done your homework and found all kinds of fancy ways to do this, but the thing that you do best is just say it...tell the truth like you do when you write the blog and it will all work out."

Thank God for little sisters who tell you you're heading down the wrong path.

When I woke on Wednesday, a bit grumpy, I decided I will just tell the truth in the most organized fashion I can, and let the universe decide.

I've noticed that the truth has a strength that lies don't contain, like a genetic deficiency. So, rather than being like an attorney, I went in like me, and told the story like me. And a decision will be made by somebody who is both learned in lying and stretching, but noticeably good at seeing through specious reasoning.

Before court, Bohn asked me again

As we sat outside waiting to be called into court, Mr. Bohn, got up and asked me if I was ready to drop the case; I politely said no, and he notified the bailiff that we were not coming to any sort of agreement.

I won't tell all of this story yet, as we are still not finished or rather, haven't even started, the second case with Mr. Bohn and Mr. Jamison. But there are some funny remarks made that I will talk about once we are finished with this court case.

While we waited for court I was recollecting other things my sister told me which had made much sense.

"You don't ever need to waste your time with people like this again. You just have to finish what you started."

Sometimes it's not easy being me

I showed up alone to court, while the others brought along, I don't know, maybe witnesses, or just somebody to talk to while they waited, I'm not sure and didn't ask.

When I was called up to tell my story I was initially nervous, repeating in my head that simply telling the truth is enough, no lawyer games necessary.

What I realize is when you tell the truth, you stop being nervous because it comes naturally, rather than being contrived to fit the moment. So, as you can imagine, off I went, making point after point, and allowing myself to not know the answer as well.

After the judge asked me questions, I felt good, like I had been given a great opportunity, to tell the truth.

At one point I even allowed myself to cry. I choked for a moment not wanting to look weak by crying, then I thought, I don't care if I look bad or weak, it hurt.

I told the Sun and it's managers, it was cruel to have left a threat against me even after I told them I had already had a gun pointed at me. I made a point of telling them, I'm just human and this sort of thing affected me emotionally and my health.

Whether they care or not doesn't matter, it's that I let myself be vulnerable in front of what have appeared and acted like enemies who would like to see me look bad or even be physically harmed.

No witnesses to cross examine

Though I almost got to ask questions of Susan Barr of the Sun, it seemed superfluous after Marsha Smith admitted that the article about my prayer at the meeting wouldn't have flown had she known about it, I will need some practice.

I don't care for television and rarely watch only for special reasons, but there's a lot of TV about attorney's so I'm sure I can get a gander at some of the ways of bringing the truth to the surface during cross examination. I've got almost two weeks to practice.

After the publisher of the Sun and I finished the first case, the judge very nicely offered to hold court over if the employees were willing to stay on for another probable hour. More than five minutes passed as discussion amongst the employees could be heard and the judge reemerged into open court.

He told Mr. Bohn that the employees were willing to stay, I said I was fine with it, but I left the ultimate answer to Mr. Bohn who declined because of a basketball game. (Since court went into over time and we didn't play the rest of the game, what if the basketball game went into OT too? Would Bohn put off the game for another two weeks? Just curious.)

So, we have another two weeks, but like I said, the extra time will pay off again, I believe.

For more information as to the cause of these two cases, of media vs. media monopoly, the blog includes more than ten stories regarding the issues.

There are always reasons even if they don't rhyme
With two media outlets vying for a small pot of gold in advertising, it is not unusual to find media being timid and even skittish when it comes to making waves in a small area where they could step on toes and easily lose to other advertising outlets.

I'm saddened for them, but I'm much more interested in what happened to the patients at the Kern Valley Healthcare District nursing center who died under suspicious circumstances, the families of these residents, the fired employees who tried to tell the truth, the financial fiasco, then I am about whether the Kern Valley Sun or the Best Country had good ratings this week.

Or that they stayed out of trouble by not investigating the cries for help coming from all parties by 2007 when I was sent packing as the administrator of the hospital and her gang made it clear there was no money for those investigating the hospital.

But out of that situation came the nonsense, defamation about me "taking down the hospital."

However, it was said again in small "clams" court the other day, at our second appearance, in Hart vs. KV Sun, which has concluded, but QAB will be defending their case on February 24.

But let's start with a rumor cited by the Sun that still persists today: Laura Hart wants to take down the hospital.

The Sun seemed to indicate they were protecting the hospital. What do you think readers?

Wow.

But it's the perpetuity of lies or excuses which amazes me. Now, here is how the story should have be done:

"OH NO! The reporter! The big ugly, destructive reporter. 

Why, I think shes's taking down the hospital. How can we stop her? 

"We can't she's too big and too strong."

The end... (at least it would have been funny giving it some redeeming quality.)

Don't blame me, I didn't even know about the ABC story: everyone who has read this blog knows I wouldn't have endorsed that crap

Well, thanks Diane Sawyer and ABC news for making my night:

Yes, it was Kern Valley Healthcare District board meeting night, and the phone was ringing off the hook at home as I was trying to get ready to leave for the meeting.

And you want to know who these callers were? They were people who thought I knew or orchestrated the weak, at best, attempt at a story done by ABC "WORLD" news tonight, they have more credibility than the lone blogger.

I'm sorry that anyone would even question it, but no, as I described in a post below, oddly enough, I had to call the television stations to find out what happened, as none of my team made it to the ballpark, and I was hoping for the scoop on what happened in court.

Not strange now, but none of the other stations were in court, and 23 had some interest in "my" interest in the case. But never told me about the Diane Sawyer version that was to come.

If I had known I certainly would have questioned what they were doing. I assumed a local take on the court date, not a retrospective.

Instead, my stepfather, in a different state and time zone caught the news and said our local story had gone national. He didn't elaborate on the story except that he caught a glimpse of the "Jerry's story" soundbite from the attorney general's office where this investigation emenated, and a picture of the hospital in "Lake Isabella." (How it got to Isabella nobody knows, but we do have a penchant for mobile things, homes, mammography, around here.)

So, to clarify, I had nothing to do with this story, and do not condone "using" people to fill a minute of time in a news show. We are not fluff.

If it had been done with some new information, and maybe a touch of class, or even a graphic or two, it may have had the potential to be helpful. Instead the misinformation in the story outweighed any significant assistance the news organization could have actually been to our situation, which I might add continues on.

It's not over, but the only story they ever run is what happened three years ago, within a six month period. And words were used like "intentionally overdosing" patients. Hmm, there seems to be a discrepancy somewhere as there was not an issue of overdosing per say, as there was an issue of the type of drugs used.

But who am I to quibble with such accuracy.

And Pam Ott, the CEO, with the funny credentials, doesn't even get a dishonorable mention. As if she never mistreated families of victims or fired employees who attempted to stop the situation. (That's not interesting at all is it?)

They lost their chance to be effective and helpful.

And they didn't show up for the  meeting. Yes, that's correct the ABC news affiliate in Bakersfield, Channel 23, where the story from last night's ABC elder abuse scare (they could've called it, "slipping mickey's to Grandma" if they wanted to) orginated, did not attend our current meeting.

Umm, what happened? Are we a one night stand? I thought you cared about us, our community. But it seems not. You tell stories we believe you, or at least people outside the situation who know absolutely nothing, believe you.

Anyway, please don't think I did this, it's embarrassing. And I'm sorry I had no time to address this before it happened.

We have more issues to deal with like the board member, who is unfit for his elected position, Bob Jamison, and his saga with using a radio outlet with no competitors to broadcast propaganda about serious health and safety issues at the hospital he was elected to represent in an honest fashion. (That's not interesting either?)

And major issues with our hospital, it's longevity, it's staying power...more to follow.

ABC radio news: They say they didn't know what KVHD board member, Bob Jamison, was doing...now they do

Dismantling the "tower of power"
After years of reporting Kern Valley Healthcare District's board member, and our valley's only radio station, QAB, DJ and talk show host, Bob Jamison  to several agencies including the FCC (federal communications commission), for his repeated attempts to use the radio station to cover the public safety problems at the hospital.

But his use of the airwaves and being the only true "local radio outlet" made him powerful and dangerous as he was allowed to use the airwaves for his election campaign, his defamation of local citizens, and to lie about a public safety, health, issues.

Jamison didn't stop there as we know, he attacked all of us who knew the truth and disagreed with him.

He slandered employees of the hospital on the air. (Hard to believe, but true)

He attacked good people in the community who were trying to help. (one person happened to be "woman of the year.")

But he was viscious to the other board members he disagreed with, Robert and Kathryn Knight who were called many things, and posted defamatory blogs on his website about them, and then would pull the blog down in a "peekaboo" manner to avoid detection. (I'm not making this up, it's all true and I can prove it)

He allowed the phony balogney, Ott, to use an hour of air time to overtly lie to the community about the deaths and dangerous conditions occurring in the nursing center at the hospital. That was not right, Jerry Brown, Attorney General, who almost made the same mistake in trusting Ott.

The attorney general has not even realized that obstruction like Jamison did on the radio, kept this case and witnesses from coming forward. So, how are you going to help us with this problem Jerry Brown? (Don't be afraid of Jamison just because he's a republican; Jerry you're smarter than he is, we need your help in closing down that pipeline of slander and deceit.)

And his favorite target, I guess because I'm the scariest of them all, is me.

He used the station to attack me. He apparently thinks this behavior is okay. I am not giving up until this is over and the outlet is either closed down out of disgrace or they lose their license for unethical behavior.

But two years later, when I finally got around to putting up the blog, he wasn't so pleased. He can dish it out, but cannot take it.

He likes to tell others that the emails he sent me early on when he acted as friend and potential employer (we will get into the sexual harassment aspect of this as well in another post soon. Some will be at the meeting tonight) are made up or tampered with.

I assure you the only reason I still have MSN as my internet provider is that they can verify that I did nothing to these emails and they indeed did eminate from the Jamison IP address. We have them backed up of course, but the carrier is a better witness.

He doesn't get it, he thinks the power is his and the radio station will do his bidding...

Mr. Jamison I'm sure doesn't realize that we have been taping his talk shows for some time now, and plan on giving these tapes over to the only people who seem to care that a radio DJ slandered and dashed us all for the sake of his cover up: ABC radio news.

After years of calling government agencies to help stop the insanity here in the Kern River Valley, we were laughed at by Jamison and those at QAB who would not listen when we asked repeatedly that Mr. Jamison stop his private use of the radio airwaves.

Nobody cared, the owner Anthony Bohn, didn't care. And the fact is he told someone that the reason Jamison is still with the station is that he is the only one who knows how to do the engineering. (sad excuse I would say for a media outlet which could help it's community and not lie to it. That's why we are going to court next month. I want to hear them answer to this.)

ABC radio news we tried to tell you too

I spoke with ABC radio news today and told them that we have a problem with one of your ABC news affiliates here in our hidden valley ranch dressing (sorry I'm hungry) where information is scarce and one radio station owns the airwaves.

I explained that we have been recording the infamous Bob Jamison and have all his blogs he put up on the station's website which reflects on the ABC radio news name.

They now know there is a problem and I am in the midst of supplying them with all the evidence of what one man can do with his "tower of power" to a community. None of it good.

We can only hope the days of the reign of power by these small minded folks from the media will end, and a new way of reporting and journalism will emerge because of it.

But no more Mr. Jamison, no more. See you tonight with your own emails.

Board meeting 5:30 pm in the hospital cafeteria.