OD on a Witch Hunt?

UTICA, NY – The OD has been giving front page stories lately to this so-called investigation by the Oneida County District Attorney regarding finances of the Independence Party and a donation made by Republican candidate for Congress, Richard Hanna. The power of the media is strong. They have the ability to shape public opinion to fit their own agenda – whatever that agenda may be. We see it everyday nationally. If you switch between MSNBC and FOX NEWS one might think they were living in two different worlds. What people need to realize is that neither station is “news”. They are merely entertainment and commentary. You are certainly free to watch and/or believe either one, but remember that they are entertainment and opinion.

It used to be that we could always count on our printed press to give us the unbiased and straight forward news and investigative journalism, without any political slant or filtering. Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore. Especial when it comes to the Observer-Dispatch. The lines between the Opinion page and News have become so blurred to the point of total chaos. Take the story about Independence Party Chairman John Dote and a DA investigation into a donation made by Richard Hanna as an example.

The OD has vigorously pursued this story as if there is some major conspiracy or illegality. First of all, their original story left out many major facts and quotes. Although they contacted the Madison County Chairman and the former IP Chairman, Jim Zecca, they never reported or printed their quotes. Was it because both of these men defended the practices? Second, the complaint filed by party member Rocco Garro never even implied any criminal allegations. Garro told the UDN, “He added that he didn’t have any specific idea where the money went, and that the substance of his complaint, which he said was filed months ago, was simply that he questioned where the party spent its money. He said the reports that followed have surprised him.”

Kudos to the Utica Daily News for doing a real story and telling all sides. According to Garro’s own words, he simply wanted to know where money was spent. That is a party issue and the finance reports are viewable to the public on the NYS Board of Elections website. If he had any further questions, they should have been directed to the State Board of Elections. Another issue is why the DA waited months before making this an issue? Did he wait to see if his friend, Mike Arcuri, was going to receive the endorsement first? If Arcuri did in fact receive the endorsement, would McNamara have opened an investigation? I would venture to say no. Let’s not forget that McNamara was Arcuri’s First Assistant while he was Oneida County’s DA. Arcuri appeared in television ads in 2007 endorsing McNamara in his successful run for the District Attorney post.

Arcuri Donates $1,000 to IP

Furthermore, the OD never once pointed out that Mike Arcuri also donated a large amount of money to the Independence Party during that same cycle. Arcuri donated $1,000 to the party that same year. What they also failed to highlight was the fact that Hanna’s donation came after he was already endorsed and on the line. Petitions were already filed and there would be no way for the IP to remove him from the line.

Media Connections

With the exception of the Utica Daily News, the mainstream media is dominated in Oneida County by the Observer-Dispatch, WKTV and WIBX. it’s no secret that they have their own culture and often socialize together. It’s also no secret that every politician and political faction tries to infiltrate that culture to gain preferential treatment. So, how could that be the case here? Well here are a few facts that they should make clear to there readers and viewers.

WKTV Reporter Pat Bailey is married to the niece of County Executive Anthony Picente, the same niece/wife that is also directly employed by District Attorney Scott McNamara.
McNamara’s sister was recently hired as the new Research Analyst for the County Legislature.
Rocco Garro, the complainant, is a frequent columnist for the Observer Dispatch.
Rocco Garro also maintains a county contract that is dependent on the County Executive and Board of Legislators for yearly renewal.
The Utica Mayor’s assistant is dating another WKTV reporter. The same Mayor that is part of the “Gang of 13″.

The list goes on, but connect the dots. In the meantime, it’s obvious to this observant that this is yet another example of a long history in Oneida County of dirty politics, and elected officials abusing their power to sway public opinion and keep a stranglehold on the people of this region. They know that most people don’t pay attention to insider politics and believe what they read. It’s the accusation that sticks – most people can careless about the truth. Bob Julian said it perfectly in a UDN story, “I’m reminded a story Lyndon Johnston used to tell,” he said. “A Texas politician was running against another individual for office. The politician tells his campaign aides that they’re going to accuse the other candidate of having an inappropriate physical relationship with pigs. The aide says, You can’t do that, you have no proof, and he says, I just want to hear that SOB deny it. The article is not fair in the sense that, particularly the headline, it’s couched in a very ominous, investigatory way. When you get into the substance, you find that, well, reimbursements are permitted by law, and they are custom and practice by political parties.”