- After reading Patricia McKeon’s “interview” Scott Wilk sends a letter (Debate Request 11292011) to our Mrs. McKeon requesting TEN Lincoln-Douglas style candidate debates between now and the date of the open primary in early June, or roughly one debate every two and one half weeks. And Bob Hau…er Patricia McKeon’s reply, from the Gail Ortiz school of writing, in it’s entirety:
Scott
Thank you for the nice comments. As I told Mr. Holt, I’m being very deliberate in how I’m developing my campaign organization and I’m doing so on a schedule defined by the volunteers working so hard on my behalf. I have no doubt that you and I will have many many opportunities to engage the public and to discuss the issues facing California and to that end I look forward to doing so.
Let’s be honest, your request is really a Campaign 101 tactic for a candidate who needs to raise their profile. As you and I know, the election is nearly a year away and the only people paying attention to this race are you, me, our supporters, and those you carboned on your note to me.
I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. It’s been just a couple of weeks since your last election and you’re already focused on your next campaign. I know that some think that campaigns are about merely reaching for the next rung on the political ladder, but I don’t share that view.
In the meantime, we both have a lot of work and a lot of listening to do before we do anything else.
Sincerely,
Patricia
Translation: We will have ten debates when monkeys fly out my butt
- I will link to the SIGNAL article only because of the great comments.
- Through other experiences I have had personally Wal-Mart is by far the most diligent retailer in catching phony credit card users and bad check writers. In this story they triumph again.
- Though I can’t link to it at the moment, some Occupy Santa Clarita folks were at the Occupy LA Tent City early this morning when it was cleared by LAPD and submitted video of the event. Kudos to both the LAPD for not busting heads AND the protesters for submitting to arrest without violence. I feel somewhat proud to know that both the police and the protesters in Southern California set up a model for how to do these things right
- And in the category of when all you have is a hammer everything you see is a nail Jon Hatami on his FB page now thinks it would be a good idea for the City to fund two full time deputies to patrol the Town Center Mall. In addition to preventing one alleged bathroom assault every 15 years the deputies could crack down on that bane of Western Civilization, underage smoking. Also, the City could update its ordinances and make it a misdemeanor to be a hipster doofus, which would bring loads of revenue into the City coffers and make it easier to get a genius bar appointment at the Apple Store.
And for those wondering if Jon Hatami is OK with the crony capitalism and mercantilism that pervades City Hall I guess he is, because this is a City subsidy for a specific business. Will Westfield contribute to his campaign?
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LOVE this brief, Tim.
In regard to having deputies at the mall, it doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me; one complaint of the retailers there is that mall security is ineffective at dealing with the hooligan teens who hang out there, particularly in the summer. It goes beyond smoking. But perhaps Westfield should pay the city for the extra help — just as arrestees are being told they need to pay for their jail accommodations.
This is always the problem with mercantilism by the government. If Westfield gets the subsidy, why don’t other retail installations get extra coverage? If Westfield were asked to pay for the deputies, wouldn’t they just rather go with cheaper private security? Thorny, thorny issues.
Many many years ago, I organized a (peaceful, family, park-centered) fundraiser for a local non-profit. We anticipated protestors — or, rather, the sheriff’s department got wind of the protestor’s plans — and the sheriff’s department then required the non-profit to pay the OT salaries of the deputies.
If the mall has known problems, which require more enforcement than their own security guards provide, and on-going sheriff patrols are needed, why wouldn’t the mall be required to pay? It is private property.
I’m not certain on who pays what, but I know that at one point both the Glendale Galleria and Burbank Media/Town Center malls had an actual police substation in the mall itself, staffed at least Friday-Sunday with at least one officer, and any calls to the mall, the initial detention/interview/etc would be in there. Not sure if they were a condition of approval of the mall or what. If I get some time I’ll try to look it up… but cops at a mall on at least a semi-permanent part-time basis is not uncommon.
Glendale Galleria still does.
If the merchants are having problems, they need to complain to Westfield. If Westfield, can’t keep the peace, then I am sure there are other empty retail shops that would love to have new businesses move in. Otherwise, I would like to have a Sheriff patrol my street all day and night.
CC:
I am never met a tenant merchant that did not complain about the landlord or the conditions of the property or the lease. It is their constitutional right to do so even if things are going swimmingly!
I agree, good brief Tim
“one complaint of the retailers there is that mall security is ineffective at dealing with the hooligan teens”
I was a retailer in the mall for years and felt the mall security harassed and pestered the kids for no reason. I get their meer existence bothers some people but they are customers too. If the Mall would like Sheriff’s to patrol they should go the route of AV Mall and pay off duty deputies. The public should not be paying for extra security for a private business, especially in these hard economic times.
Security typically enforces the rules and policies that management puts into place. So in this case it would be Westfield that created the rules that tenants and customers had to abide by, blame them
Or they are security guards are just being punks.
Anything is possible. I can only tell you that the dept I worked for was very professional and was set up by a former police officer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgkNOiMCBTE&feature=related Sooo wanted to do this a couple of times
So if any businesses having problems, will they all be assigned a deputy?
By experience in working around other Westfield owned malls, they all have police present, many with substations. One would only guess Westfield is donating large amounts of money to these organizations to pay for their own police force.
That would be “mere”
I worked for a Westfield property many years ago and they had the same policy of having 2 police officers present at the mall during peak hours. The city billed them for the police officers, who worked overtime by the way, and everyone was happy. Don’t know if that’s the case here.
But then the deputies should be at GVH for all the underwear showing teens there that are violating indecency laws. We know it doesnt happen at Einstein academy.
Petz is scratching his head as to why Wilk did not invite Paul Strickland to the debates. This would have been magnanimous on Scott’s part, and if Patricia wants to sit on the sidelines rather than get into the arena, Scott and Paul can carpool to the events together. and leave her out in the cold. Me thinks Tim Meyers and Jeff Wilson could moderate the debates with Petz.
Also, it’s an open primary. The field hasn’t settled yet, but it should include everyone with a legit campaign.
Leave the Dem out, let him talk to the walls-no reason to give him a forum.
$50 says if there are three Republicans and one Dem on the June ballot, the Dem outperforms at least one Republican.
Mike, I would say that if their are three Repubs and one Dem the Dem will most definitely come second. If there are two Repubs and one Dem we might have a chance of a two Repub runoff, which would tilt to Wilk (maybe) because of hostility towards the McKeon name in the center left and the division amongst the right.
Insiders are dumbfounded by the seeming arrogance of Buck and Patricia. Their attempt to capture the Assembly seat for Patricia, whose only asset is the name recognition of her husband, has created quite a surprising backlash. Surprisingly, several people “in the know” have independently mentioned that this “overreach” combined with Buck’s complete inattention to the Cemex issue, has made Buck vulnerable to a potential challenge to Rep. Elton Gallegly. So, ironically, their attempt to parlay his high standing into elected office for both may indeed backfire on both. In 30 years I’ve never heard so much behind the scenes chatter of disenchantment with Buck; it is simply shocking. People are questioning his effectiveness for the SCV and the reverence is dissipating.
I’ve noticed the same. In fact, I don’t know a Republican who isn’t an elected official who is happy with him. Although I wonder if this is creating waves beyond the few who really pay attention to these things, never mind the Antelope Valley where Buck is able to score for local industry on a regular basis. I doubt Elton Gallegly has more than 5% name ID out there.
Someone has a problem with giving people choices.
And free speech too. No wonder Gary Johnson was shut out of the Republican debates.
Petz:
I think Paul kind of sort of is not an official candidate because he wanted to stay on Smyth’s payroll, so he may not actually be running.
In correspondence with Scott he said that the debate he suggested be open to all candidates including Paul and the Dem. Offer not exlusive to Patricia.
Petz says leave the Dem out.
You may not be so proud of the LA protesters after they crash the port of L.A. and the Rose Parade.
If only we knew what they were protesting.
Not enough free Doritos or space in Mom’s basement?
I think it is a collection of justified and unjustified malcontents.
Sure, the crowd includes those who are there just ot be there, or to push their sidestreet agenda.
But there is a large group of lower and middle class people who are fed up with Washington politics that favors the corporations over the voters. How many examples do yo need to get outraged to Howard Beal levels? Bell? Offshore jobs/profits combined with tax breaks and subsidies? The 1% having the highest concentraoitn of wealth in this country’s history? Congress giving themselves immunity from insider trading laws? Ad Nauseum…
So with so many divergent examples of politics gone wrong, there isn’t a unified path to fixing it, either. The many types victims of the selfishness of the corporatocracy in charge means they share rage and oppressoin, but not solutions.
Unnless we find a new political solution to this, it can easily degrade into middle-east style anarchy and destruction. But so far no one has stepped up. Perhaps nobody can?
Those who remember the ’60s rage against “the man” will understand what is happening.
Perhaps “a little revolution is a good thing every now and then”?
…and yet they have not made this or any message clear. Half the people are just mad over student tuition. Some are mad about not having a job. They aren’t unified and all the attention has gone to the destruction of public property and being public nuisance. It’s hard to get the 90% (the ones of us that are functioning) sympathetic to a cause that we aren’t clear on. Especially when they prevent us from going to work.
When the prior process fails, a new process must be used. Clearly the voice of the majority is being drowned out by the rich individuals and corporations that control Washington.
It would be madness to participate within a system that by its very nature is preventing such participation.
I think it’s pretty clear there is a multitude of issues borne of multiple process defects in our political system. Expecting a singular response to a coalition of faults is not reasonable.
…unless the singular response is to bring down the current system so it can be rebuilt. This, despite whatever destruction it may bring along (friendly fire), may be the outcome before long.
I am not advocating this, but I am pointing out that it can be a likely result, if the “90%” you mention doesn’t do something constructive themselves.
We have 0.1% protesting the treatment of the 99% by the 1%.
The real questoin is, what is the 98.9% that are not protesting doing to solve this? At least we should speak up and help the 0.1% organize, rather than criticize their lack of organization.
Speaking for the 98.9%, I’m waiting for a well spoken, sensible leader to rally the people into real change. I’m not going to hitch my waggon to a bunch of 20 somethings beating drums around the campfire and urinating in the park. Dr. Martin Luther King was well spoke, well dressed, and advocated peaceful protests. His message was clear. When this sort of individual emerges, maybe then I will get on board. Not before.
How old were the founders?
I agree. Some of the protesters are quite articulate and they have legitimate gripes. If I were a lot younger or a little older, I would be out among them. This morning on Channel 7 a reporter interviewed one fellow who is a veteran and part of the Occupy movement. He said that in the military he spent a lot of time guarding oil fields, only to return home and find himself jobless and screwed by the corporate interests that have bought our government. He spoke angrily about the National Defense Authorization Act (S-1867), which he said seeks to declare the entire U.S. a military battlefield and puts citizens at risk of arrest and indefinite imprisonment.
As I see it, the number one priority should be to get the money out of politics. I wish the Occupy movement would throw in with Dylan Ratigan’s group. People would rally behind them if they had simple concrete goals.
And then they should all throw in behind Gary Johnson for President.
You can listen to him make sense with Dylan and the Megapanel here:
http://www.dylanratigan.com/2011/11/14/gov-gary-johnson-the-government-is-up-for-sale/
5:20- he speaks about occupy
Do you include unions in the mix?
10 debates for an Assembly primary is an absurd request. Of course she’ll say no to it, so would anyone. Maybe he’s going to pare down the request in a future email(s) or something. That might be part of the plan, but the way to embarrass her it to have her refuse to debate, period. It’s in her interest to avoid a one on one with Wilk at all costs and it’s up to him to keep her from running out the clock. Seems like a wasted chance for a great opening play.
He was able to elicit a ridiculous email in response, so there’s that.
Agree. Lincoln and Douglas only had seven debates and slavery was on the table at the time…so ten might be a bit much for State Assembly. Also, Wilk is the loser in his own analogy. In the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the guy who lost the Senate race is the guy who pushed for the debates (but did win the Presidency, which isn’t too shabby). You’re only supposed to attack up, and Wilk’s actions show that he thinks McKeon is worth a lot of his time.
I agree that 10 debates would be a bit much, but if Mr. Wilk is trying to humiliate Mrs. McKeon in terms of her command of the issues, 10 debates would certainly do it. Last year, we saw the Republican-extreme-right machine manage the campaign of relatively inarticulate Sharron Angle (R-Pahrump) who ran against Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Las Vegas) for a U.S. Senate seat from Nevada. Mrs. Angle was “tracked” by a Reid videographer everywhere she went, and there were a few verbal miscues on Mrs. Angle’s part. Ultimately her campaign managers would not allow her to speak to anyone, outside of tightly controlled Republican party events. There was lots of entertaining news video with television station reporters chasing Mrs. Angle from the doors of the private soirees to her car. The “avoid talking to anyone but supporters” strategy ultimately lost Mrs. Angle a few points in her election campaign, even though her backers funded a barrage of mailers which should have upped her vote total. I suspect that Mrs. McKeon’s handlers are following the don’t-let-her-talk-to-intelligent-strangers approach, and that they are hoping that there will be no trackers or news reporters with video cameras to chase her to and from her car.
Ultimately in the Angle v. Reid match up, Mrs. Angle was forced into one televised debate against the Majority Leader, with a notoriously intelligent TV reporter as the moderator. Mrs. Angle did well in terms of style: How she looked, her eye contact with the camera, her tone of voice. However about half way through the debate it was clear that she had merely memorized a bunch of sound bites (ala Palin and Bachmann) and she could not maneuver the sound bites in her brain in such a way as to properly answer many of the questions. I suspect that’s what Santa Claritans would see from Mrs. McKeon, unless she does a whole lot of debate prep in the next 4 to 5 months.
It doesn’t matter whether the candidate is running for the Assembly or the Vice Presidency. The candidate management tactics are essentially the same. Don’t put them in a spot where they are caught saying something stupid ala Rick Perry alluding to the fact-in-his-mind that the voting age is 21.
Any candidate for any public office who does not want to debate his/her opponents shows voters either or both: (1) That the candidate thinks they can win on the strength of money alone, to buy phone banking and mailers and/or (2) That the candidate’s handlers know the candidate cannot exercise higher brain function, and articulate a cogent viewpoint, while being nervous.
Katie Couric’s classic “What do you read?” question to Sarah Palin is how the more dim-witted candidates of either party are destroyed in the eyes of the electorate.
Hatami has responded, basically saying that something called “Juggalo” Gang members are threatening families at the mall and the place has become an opium den. Finally he tosses in the recent molestation case and says the cost of two Deputies is worth it even if it prevents only one future molestation, all but daring you to say “no, it’s not worth the cost.” He says the mall is a public place but westfield has resisted paying for Sheriff’s Deputies, therefore you and I should pay the bill to secure Westfield’s privately-held, money-making business.
Also Tim, aren’t you using mercantilism incorrectly? Mercantilism is the concept of the state enriching itself through acquisition of material goods & trade. It’s most often associated with colonial powers, not City governments and misinformed candidates who want the public to foot private interests’ bill. What you’re talking about is reverse-mercantilism.
I saw the response as well and Jon Hatami is basically saying that if you don’t agree with taxpayer funds to secure private property you are in favor of child molesters. Well now that we have cleared that up…..
You are correct that the City is probably practicing the most incompetent kind of mercantilism, since they just pass out subsidies and get relatively little in return. The historic example that always comes to mind is the British East India Company, which constantly had to be bailed out by the Exchequer of the empire because of its money losing ways.
Tim, nowhere does it say if you don’t agree with tax payer funds to secure private property you are in favor of child molestors. It does not imply that either.
What I gather is he wants funding for the deputies due to a number of problems there. If you truly think the only problem the mall is has is underage smoking and an alleged sexual assault every 15 years, you are terribly uninformed. And you call him naive???
I think every tax payer would agree that Westfield should be footing the bill. .However, I do not see an issue in the meantime with the city funding two additional deputies. Shoplifting arrests alone can take hours out of a cop’s shift. While the patrol cop is busy with that, do you not think that leaves his friends out there a little short? There are not that many cops out here for the enormous area they have to cover. If those mall deputies are not tied up with shoplifting nonsense, they could be proactive in dealing with the other crime that goes on there. The crime you imply does not exist.
As far as your comment about being a “hipster doofus,” I am shocked you are going to mock this idea as well (assuming you are referring to his idea about a gang ordinace). Actually, no I am not.
Gangs exist in Santa Clarita. Gangs are moving in from other areas into Santa Clarita.
Gangs exist because of drugs. There is money in it. With the large demand of drugs here, it creates a business opportunity for them. Why would we not want to update an ordinance against that?
Are you the guy who’s writing his stuff?
The last two paragraphs of Brian B’s comment certainly make sense.
I don’t do drugs, and truthfully, if I had to get some, I wouldn’t know where to go, but I’ve never had the impression that our drug market in SCV is gang-run. Not that those in gangs don’t deal in drugs, but do they really run the drug game out here?
Gangs are the middlemen. Nobody deals with the cartel directly. Man, tho, that’d be great. A heroin factory store. Imagine the savings!
Everyone loves to attach “gangs” to everything…
Maybe the gangs need a high-tech and fancy web site to better communicate their position
Leon lead me to believe they hired a graphic designer as the Halloween shooter had a “Gang Insignia”, I am not sure what that means but I guess that is code for logo? They just need to hire a PR guy and they are ready to turn their negative image around.
Gang Thug .Inc Under New Management!
iMagic:
When you throw out “gangs” it scare the white folk!
BrainB – Is Jon “juking the stats” Hatami aware that the week before the molestation there were two sexual assaults on October 5th (Rape by force and Sodomy) less the 1/4 miles from the mall. Why does it only matter when it happens inside the mall?
What makes him think that having a Sheriff walking around would have prevented this… would he also like to assign a sheriff’s to each stall to make sure no one is messing with our kids while they use the restroom?
Where is the rational common sense in this? A horrible thing happened; why is Juking John trying to make it sound like an isolated incident in 15 years period warrants this type of overreaction.
Regarding the Westfield Town Center security issue, here is an idea: If the security company currently contracted to provide security services for the mall is not performing, FIRE them and hire another company that can get the job done. There are plenty of other security providers out there vying for those jobs. Competition in the free market place works to get a higher level of service they simply need to find a better service provider. The taxpayers should not subsidize security for mall businesses.
I totally agree that businesses should take care of themselves–though I just don’t see how you square this perfectly logical argument with the fact that you were OK with giving $60K to the auto dealers for advertisements (or at least you complained that some of us complained about the hand-out).
Based on this and other ideas, Hatami does seem to be the sort of wishy-washy, pick-and-choose, intervene-here-not-there Republican that dominates the City Council. You know, the conservative council that protects trash haulers from competition, gives free advertising to private companies, and spends loads of money on redundant economic development measures.
IHeart the money for the Auto Center dealers was to advertise “Santa Clarita” as the place to buy=sales tax revenue your next vehicle and advertise Santa Clarita regionally. Subsidizing the Town Center’s security does/would not provide an equal revenue benefit to the city or get our name out there in other area publications, etc so I do not perceive them as of equal monetary value.
I do agree that Mr. Hatami seems to have a very disjointed message and picks and chooses what laws etc to uphold without having a real grasp on local issues. I do not consider him a viable candidate any more than I considered Johnny Pride as my next councilperson either.
Its not to hard to google and find out the kids who died in a traffic collision on Hasley Cyn a week ago were gang members. Oh yeah, that’s right, we don’t have gang members in Santa Clarita. Of course those gang members would never go to the mall. I am new to this blog, but come on, get real. I am a Hatami fan!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfkPazzMFj4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Summer:
I suggest you and BrianB look up the term “straw man argument.”
Mike,
No.
I just find the bashing of anything Hatimi puts out mildly entertaining.
BrianB:
As a baseball fan, you just can’t let the fat fast ball go by!
On the issue of making the mall safe from “gang members”, it’s important to remember that both Westfield and the Sheriff’s office are faced with the same problem.
If a business owner utilizing a private security service “racially profiles” potential customers before letting them in a business like the mall, there is a chance that someone excluded from the business will sue the property owner for various civil rights violations. (There was a lawsuit like this against Magic Mountain some time ago. I don’t know how it turned out, but at the very least it cost Magic Mountain or its insurers money for attorneys fees.)
Similarly, the Sheriff and an Antelope Valley city are being sued by “citizens” who claim that the Sheriff has abused their civil rights at the behest of that city, because they are of a race where gang members can be found. The particular allegation is that the Sheriff and the Antelope Valley city are conspiring to force these citizens out of town by enforcement of Section 8 housing program rules by the Sheriff’s deputies. That case appears to be ongoing, but at the very least is going to cost the Sheriff and that city in terms of public agency attorney time to defend that case.
I also point out that in cities where sophisticated gang activity takes place (such as Oakland) the gangs are geared up with attorneys on retainer to protect the gang members’ civil rights. (It is said that the Oakland mayor was elected with a lot of help and advice from a law firm which regularly represents certain gang members in a variety of cases, including anti-gang injunction cases. So powerful was the law firm, they were able to hound Oakland’s elected City Attorney, who wanted anti-gang injunctions, into quitting.) So the using of more City of Santa Clarita money for anti-gang policing activities in and around major businesses may be frustrated if the gang members find themselves private or public interest lawyers to protect the gang members various constitutional rights. (There are a whole passle of public interest lawyers operating south of Mulholland, who like these sorts of cases, and who are not under a compunction to ‘take only paying cases’ because the attorneys have ‘gotten rich’ in collecting attorneys fees awards in various discrimination cases against the County and the City of LA Legal resistance by gang members equals increased costs for the property owner and the City as funder of the anti-gang policing activities.
Ultimately, without “gang injunctions” (look them up on Wikipedia) in force in Santa Clarita, Westfield and to a lesser extent the City have to weigh the cost/benefit of aggressive policing against gang members activities (other than shopping) in the mall. I have no opinion on the merits of that issue one way or the other.
However, I suspect additional City money for anti-gang enforcement might be better spent on the streets of every part of the city where residents think there is a problem. Properly framed, gang injunctions can be obtained against the owners of the properties where the gangsters live, as well as against the gang members themselves. Typically, when a gang injunction is in place, the gang members will either violate it and be jailed, or they will move to another area.
Yes, gangs run the drugs out here. I could say all of them, but most.
IMagic- In my opinion, suggesting 2 paid deputies in the mall is not an over reaction. The idea is not because of a child molestation that occurred. His facebook page stated a number of crimes/problems , including up to a child molestation are the reason we should have it.
The argument about the child assaults in October is off base I think. It’s terrible they happened, and if you want more police presence then vote for him. Didn’t he say he wanted a new police station? Patrol deputies would be handling those incidents.
All I’m saying is, more cops in an area means less crime. The mall does have a lot of crime. There is a growing drug and gang problem out here, which is why the sheriffs department has created several new teams to address those issues within the city.
I would never vote for Stat Juking District Attorney… I think the Sheriff’s do a fantastic job up here and to have some elected suit tell them how to do their job just seems stupid. Let our Sheriff’s captain and the new Crime Prevention Unit decide where their resources should be spent. Not some yahoo who read the newspaper a couple times last month.
The Sheriff Station is right next to the mall. Maybe the beginning and end of each shift should include a cruise around the mall? A stepped up presence with a very small man hour investment.
I think our local cops can walk to the mall faster than they can drive to Jake’s Way.
What’s a matter Tim, you can’t handle real valid arugments being thrown back at your left wing rhetoric?
Your trying to inform the public, yet you measure up to no more then just a comic book author.
I hope Hatami wins and laughs in your liberal face Tim. If Hatami said the sky was blue, you would be the first to disagree with him.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Summer. The “comic book author” broke the news of your honey’s candidacy before any other news source in Santa Clarita and interviewed him for an upcoming piece in the Signal, in addition to covering his platform here in a very detailed way. The discussion and good natured kidding is great publicity.
When David Gauny ran for council, he was a frequent poster here and his even temperament and excellent writing skills won him a lot of fans, in spite of the fact that neither Jeff or Mike cared for him much. Your candidate would be well advised to follow that example.
Linda – You are correct that Tim broke Hatami’s campaign first. He is prob the reason Hatami got the signal to write about him.
As far as Tim covering Hatami in a detailed way I disagree. He does nothing but bash him. I don’t personally know Hatami, but it’s nice to see a random, non politician running. I don’t see Kellar or Ender posting detailed plans on what they propose to do if re-elected. I guess they feel since the already have a seat in office they just don’t need to put themselves out there.
Why wouldn’t I give him a chance? He appears to be a good guy.
http://youtu.be/1arAC9NHN2g
Is it Hatami or Hatemi? Google searches all come up with an e in his name. Why the change?
Curious why a letter was changed, but from my interview with Jon ? the Hatemi you find on the google search is the same person. Maybe the media stories back then spelled the name wrong?