This has turned out to be an unusual week. The Gazette has received three angry letters to the editor from Katzenjammers hostile to this column. Our newly appointed Mayor Patti Walker, with Mr. Brian Sipes and Bob Stroh, have demanded their letters appear in this week’s Gazette, with confirmation that the letters have been received. In the case of Mayor Walker (who indicated the time and date of submission to insure that her letter satisfied the publication deadline) she authorized its publication as an advertisement at her expense.

Mayor Walker’s concern was that her letter slightly exceeded the standard limit of 250 words – by about 1,250 words. In this situation I would have made a special effort to publish the letter because it is highly critical of me. However, her letter was accompanied by the Sipes letter (730 words) and Stroh’s (660 words). That’s nearly 2,800 words or 2,050 words over the limit. To complicate matters, the letters all came down from 8 hours (Stroh) to two hours (Sipes) to 15 minutes (Walker) before deadline.

This has happened before with the same group. It was clearly an orchestrated maneuver designed to have me drop everything and research answers to a stream of questions and accusations. Fortunately, I am not a city staffer who must labor thanklessly to satisfy their demands.

But answers they will have, in full, to each question and accusation. It’s time to set the record straight and defend against the false allegations of “lies.” There is a whiff of a threat in these demands, particularly in the confused screed from Mr. Sipes. Truth and full disclosure is the best medicine here.

Answers to this broad range of accusations and demands for answers involve several years and various issues. Since there is insufficient time to provide them on such short notice this week, space will be created next week for all questions and issues. I will research each and every question and issue, providing necessary quotes, references, names and times.

Mayor Walker, Mr. Sipes, and Bob, now is your big chance. Make sure your questions are in order and intelligible. You have till Friday, noon, July 17, 2009, to add any new questions or sharpen-up those already asked. Please, no fuzzy allusions, hearsay, innuendo, or obfuscation. Ask your questions directly and expect direct, authoritative answers. I’m going to take the time to do this, I expect you to take your time to make your best case. Frankly, it’s my intention to make a case for the recall of Councilman Brooks, Councilwoman Washburn, and our newly appointed Mayor Walker, among other things.