I smell yet more hypocrisy!

He discussed his activity on Gay.com with the newspaper:

How about this: you're yet another pathetic right-wing hypocrite who deserves everything that you've got coming!

Yet another gay, anti-gay rethuglican, Im shocked, really.

Oh, it's worse. He is also being accused of having sexually abused some young boys back in the mid-to-late 1970s. And two of his friends who were similar linked to the abuse committed suicide once the allegations became public.
Editor & Publisher: After 3-Year Probe, Spokane Paper Alleges Sex Abuse by Mayor

Thanks guys, you beat me to the punch. I nearly fell out of my chair this morning when I read the headlines in my Spokane-Spokesman Review. So it is true Mayor West??!! This has been a strong solid rumor both in the Spokane gay community as well as in both houses of the Wash. State legislature.....I can't believe the man has had such major lapses of judgement here, especially given how highly regarded he well used to be. The articles about all of this filled about 6 pages in the morning paper including a transcript of his online conversations with his 18 year old boyfriend. The Mayor is in complete denial about even being gay, and says he "doesn't know whay he does things" including dinner dates, going on gay.com letting his boyfriend drive his Lexus convertible and on and on and on..
But what really gets me is the fact that he has been so loud and so vocal on anything that has to do with so called "gay rights". His voting record both at the State level and in city hall have been virulently anti-gay. In short the man is a Repuglican hypocrit of the worst kind. For shame Mayor West. I expect him to step down today. Do the right thing Mr. Mayor.

[ May 05, 2005, 11:41 AM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]

Maybe Republicans shouldn't be allowed to be boyscout leaders.

Edit: sorry, bad joke.

[ May 05, 2005, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

Just looked at the Mayor's offical response on video from station KXLY-ABC 4 here. He says that he denies any wrong doing with regards to the molestation charges leveled against him, and he said he did not deny that he went online to a "gay chat room" to talk to other men. Said nothing about any resignation. Should be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few days here.

If this guy is molesting boys, he's a pedophile and a child molester. He's not part of our club.

It looks like he enjoys the company of the "barely legals" - 18 so its not a crime.

Still slimey, however.

WEll there was about another 5-6 pages worth in the morning Spokesman-Review here about the fallout. Again, the Mayor has said nothing about stepping down, which I believe needs to happen, because otherwise the City will continue to be dragged down and along with him each day that he remains in office. There have been some interesting comments from local Repuglican leaders, who in my opinion are being unusally soft on him which to me is yet another example of Repuglican hypocrisy. Again, he is denying anything to do regarding abuse even though there was a HUGE story about this in today's paper, and he has also said he could not deny that he has been on gay.com looking for young boys.

[ May 06, 2005, 07:49 AM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]

yes. he is a disgusting in-the-closet-troll.
Yes. He is a liar and slimeball.

But those really have nothing to do with political affiliation.

This mayor, who likes to hangout with Gonzaga University College Republicans apparently, should do what McGreevey did and resign.
(by the way, a new poll released says that most NJ residents would vote for McGreevey again)

[ May 06, 2005, 08:15 AM: Message edited by: ung ]

I think the editor said it well;
Editor Smith wrote, "This is not a story about sexual orientation. This is a story about alleged sexual abuse of children and misuse of power and authority. Using the trappings of office to lure and groom young sex partners, barely of legal age, is the public's business whether those potential partners are men or women."

That's the most pressing issue. The legal age of consent for all relations(M/F,M/M,F/F) in Washington state is 16/18 as of 2001. I'm not sure of the ages of the alleged victims in the 70's, or what the legal age of consent may have been before 2001. That and the credibility of the witnesses will most likely be where his lawyers would start in any defense.

Molestation as most of you know is about power, not about sex. This next line sends the moral majority through the roof but "most molesters are heterosexual in their everday life." It bothers me too that most people in society down our community when it comes to these allegations. We're just an easy target for them to shift blame.

The mayor has issues that he needs to address. I agree that he should step down. It's in the best interest of his city and for himself. He's got lots of self loathing going on.

[ May 06, 2005, 11:34 AM: Message edited by: TommyC84 ]

But the accusations from the '70's were for boys that were 7-8 years old.

Presently, he's 54... chasing after 18 year olds?

[ May 06, 2005, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: canmark ]

I was basing my comment on the sexual hijinx that he has acknowledged, not the alleged abuse. As I said, it may be legal, but it ain't pretty to think about.

When my Dad was widowed my sister and I told him he had to limit his potential girlfriends to those at least 5 years older than my sister, who is the older of us two kids. I think that's a good rule of thumb for him - keeps him from getting too randy with the young ones.

In the latest news this afternoon hizzoner Mayor West has offically resigned some post or (past) positon he held, with an organization here called Morningstar Boys Ranch. This organization deals with troubled young men. Smart move Jim.

Two more allegations surface yet this morning. One from a boy who was 15 years old at the time and attending Spokane's Lewis and Clark high school, who then said State Senator Jim West had asked him to go out with him, and another allegation from another kid who said that he was molested by a former Deputy who was a close friend of then Deputy Jim West, and who West told the kid to "forget about it". It just gets uglier by the day. Step down Jim and do the City a big favor!!

[ May 07, 2005, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]

I have to admit that I am a bit disturbed by some of the newspapers' actions. As far as the allegations of child molestation, it's impossible to prove one way or another after the fact. This is unfortunate since it means either that a criminal is getting away with it or a person who did not commit that particular crime is stigmatized by the accusation.
But as far as hitting chat rooms looking for partners, if they are 18, is there any crime here? Hypocrisy, yes. And I would have no problem AT ALL if someone investigated and found out and publicized it. In fact that would be great. But the paper running what is essentially a sting operation to uncover what is not, after all, a crime, is disturbing.
Just as I have to defend Rush Limbaugh's right to keep his medical records private, no matter how loathsome he is, and even though he would not defend the same right for others, I have to defend the right of Republican hypocrites to chat with whom they please.
As for 54 year old men going with 18 year olds, does anyone consider it a scandal when it's Donald Trump? Or other 50+ billionaires whom I could name (including at least one sports owner) who always seem to have some 20-ish "babe" by their side, a new one every few months?

At a minimum, it is completely unethical if true he used the City of Spokane's resources to find sex partners on-line. It's certainly an abuse of taxpayer money. Didn't he admit to some of this?

He used the prestige of his office to entice sex (he sent a link to the Mayor's office website while hitting on a 17 year old). He offered internships (in the Mayor's office) to get sex. Did you read the on-line chat transcripts he participated in?

And yes, call me a prude, but I find a 54 year old man and and 18 year old (barely) woman disgusting. I don't see that much difference in a 17 year old kid and an 18 year old (especially if they are in high school) other than yes, it is technically legal, but is it proper? Mayor West actually thought he was hitting on and chatting with a high school student. I have a problem with that.

As far as it being impossible to prove child molestation charges, many cases have been proved (see Catholic church). Where there is smoke, there is almost always fire. And I think this fire will turn out to be raging inferno. He deserves to go down into flames just by what he has admitted to at this point.

I don't care that a 54 year old is going out with an 18 year old. I do care when a 54 year old mayor is offering his 18 y.o. boyfriends internships, use of a city car, and other perks. Basically misusing his public office. It is perfectly fine with me that the paper wants to expose the misuse of that office with a sting operation.

I remember back a few years when a paper exposed a local politician for having an affair, people where outraged that the paper would do that. Well, if they had actually read the article they would have discovered the paper had documentation to show the affair was being payed for with taxpayer money.

The sex part is their business, but when you use a public office for it, it becomes my business.

The sex part is only your business if you aren't saying something should be against the law while partaking in that activity in private. It gets more cloudy if you're merely making moral judgements in public while participating in the activity in private. In this case, we have an anti-gay politician who has publicly worked against equality for gay people and same sex marriage. It's relevant that he's diddling boys (even of age boys) in private. Oposition of gay rights is a fairly strong indication that you consider the behavior immoral. Just like the pastor who preached about how important his marriage is to him doesn't get a free pass just because being caught in a sleazy motel with his secretary is legal (I didn't say hooker, because that would certainly be illegal), Just like Gary Hart didn't get a free pass when he did nothing illegal but taunted the press into finding any dirt on him, this guy doesn't get a free pass. If you don't want what you do in bed to be fodder for the press and the public, then you probably should go out of your way to make sure you're not advocating the government get involved in what anyone else does in bed.

Well here is the latest as of Monday morning. The huge story from Sundays headlines in the Spokesman-Review was that Mayor West admitted to female City Councilperson Sheri Rodgers that he had engaged in mutual masturbation in his office online with a guy on gay.com. Rodgers indicated to the Mayor her concerns over him using City computer equipment to which the Mayor replies, " I know...I know."
So then later that morning the official response from City Hall over this story was that Councilperson Rodgers "misunderstood" what exactly the Mayor told her. Rodgers responded to this statement by saying she stood by what the Mayor had told her..

Its also known that the Mayor had initally denied he was gay, and said he was more bisexual. In this mornings story in the newspaper he again is saying he is gay and goes on to say: " I am being destroyed because I am a gay man, which is fine. I've been in public life, I can accept that. Because I am a gay man, because of this double life, it has been hell."

Well gee Mr. Mayor, maybe if you had not been such a hypocrit when it comes to being so adamantly anti-gay in your positions and your voting record, maybe things wouldn't be so bad, yes? :confused:
He is also indicating still, he has no plans to step down, but I predict it will be very soon.

[ May 09, 2005, 06:40 AM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]

The story was on The Today Show this morning. Once Katie and Matt are talking about it, the sh*t has really hit the fan.

It appears his fellow Republicans are abandoning West, leaving him hanging, swinging slowly in the wind. No politicuian can survive that, so he'll be gone before long. Maybe other politicians will learn a little object lesson: one must not condemn actions in public that one engages in while in private. It'll get you every time.

~Adam

>>>Maybe other politicians will learn a little object lesson: one must not condemn actions in public that one engages in while in private.

Oh, come on. That's not the lesson to be learned here. The lesson is, as always, "Don't get caught".

LXN

Say what???? He is so screwed up.

First of all... he's bisexual? I suppose he's bisexual like George Michael, Boy George and Elton John were all at some point "bisexual".

Second... masturbating in office to an online site? Puh-Leeze! At least Clinton had a real live mouth in his office (or is that "orefice"?)

and lastly.... "I'm being persecuted cuz I'm gay".... No... not really. You're being persecuted cuz you're a lying sleazeball who persecuted other gays.
and his "double life... which has been hell..." Who is the only person responsible for his so called double life? I can tell you that it's not the gays trying to push for equality!

Dumbass! You're the only one responsible for all the screwed up decisions you made in your life!

If he resigns as mayor, maybe he'll be a priest next.

Nah, he will become "born again" and then run for election as a Republican Congressman

Or maybe just become the new White Correspondent for Talon News Agency. I hear they have a vacancy.

[ May 09, 2005, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: swiminbuff ]

but in order to qualify, he has to be a gay prostitute.

Being a child molester isn't enough to qualify for that prestigious position dining with Scott McClellan

At 3:00pm this afternoon Mayor West addressed the City Council during their regular Monday afternoon council session. He said that he is going to take a 3 week leave of absence or vacation, not sure which, at which time he will use the time away to "gather his thoughts" and prepare to defend himself against these allegations. He said nothing what so ever about resigning and also said the Spokesman-Review newspaper is "persecuting" him. ( In its Sunday editorial it called for the Mayor to resign. The newspaper endorsed Mr. West in 2004 when he ran.)Also of note, a Spokane woman took the first step towards recalling the Mayor today at the Spokane County Courthouse.

I totally agree this man is a disgusting hypocrite. And now he's crying that he's being persecuted because he's gay? After he built a career on persecuting us?
But I still don't think the newspaper would have mounted a sting operation if a straight mayor was doing the same. I imagine that offering "perks" to "pals" is hardly unique. Not saying it isn't gross, just that I doubt West invented it.
I also find 50 year old men and 18-20 year old women disgusting, but the majority opinion is something like "lucky guy to be so loaded, he can get all the hot babes" not "why doesn't he grow up and look for something other than eye candy?"

BTW, since it's been mentioned about the former New Jersey pol, it's reported he has a "good friend" in Mayor Gavin Newsom's office.

The newspapers and televisions stations in my area, have done stings on public officials who have offered perks to friends and relatives. From clearing speeding tickets, to offering jobs to friends and relatives.

I remember one where a city official offered a contract to remodel a public building in exchange for that contractor to remodel his house for free. The contractor instead of taking the deal went to an investigative reporter and the caught the whole deal on tape.

The press will readily go after anyone who does this type of thing. What differs is the response after it is revealed. If I remember correctly the city official I mentioned before resigned, then later ran for office again and won.

Two more allegations surface from 2 young men who say Mayor West propositioned them as well. One was from an openly gay member of the City's Human Rights Commission, who said the Mayor once offered him $300 to swim nude with the Mayor. Yesterday I saw this story on Good Morning America/CNN/ and the Today show. I am just shocked that so far, West thinks he will be able to survive this. A big article in the Spokesman-Review this morning as well about how angry the local gay community is over this as well.
The latest

[ May 10, 2005, 06:40 AM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]

Spokane Mayor Jim West's votes on gay-rights and human-rights issues:

On Christmas Eve 1985, Gov. Booth Gardner signed an executive order banning discrimination in state hiring based on sexual orientation. West and 14 other Republicans responded by introducing a bill in January 1986 that would have barred gay men and lesbians from working in schools, day-care centers and some state agencies. The bill called for screening prospective employees for sexual orientation and firing state workers whose sexual identities became known. The bill failed.
Also in 1986, West voted to bar the state from distributing pamphlets telling people how to protect themselves from AIDS during sex.

West opposed gay rights bills introduced in 1985 and 1987.

In 1989, West opposed a proposal to expand a needle exchange program to protect people from AIDS from Pierce County to the entire state.
In 1990, as part of a bill on AIDS education, West proposed that teen sex be criminalized. The bill, written by the abstinence group Teen Aid, would have made sexual contact a misdemeanor for unmarried teenagers under 18. Sexual contact was defined as "any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person" for sexual gratification.

West voted in 1998 for the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman. Gov. Gary Locke vetoed the bill, but the Legislature overrode his veto.

As Senate majority leader, West and other Republicans in 2003 bottled up the gay-rights bill in committee and it died.

As Spokane's incoming mayor in November 2003, West said he's opposed to extending City Hall benefits to domestic partners, citing the cost. In April 2005, the City Council approved domestic partner benefits in a 5-2 vote, enough to withstand a mayoral veto.

Well... if nothing else. West should practice what he preached for a very long time and resign. since he wouldn't qualify for his position according to his own stated views.
and he's saying he's being hounded cuz he's gay?
right! And Michael Jackson is being hounded cuz he's black.

At least McGreevey was hot. This one looks like your everyday in the closet letch. Ugh! :mad:

In the current climate--hell, in the climate that's existed for years--if rumors persisted about a heterosexual politician trawling chat rooms looking for young "pals," I'm sure journalists would report on the allegations & some of questionable ethics would have resorted to the same technique used in West's case. A sleazy scandal is often the only time one sees local politics on the news!

~Adam

I knew it was bound to happen.
West is being persecuted because he is a conservative. That's the latest line.
He's a persecuted gay conservative. You see, a closted gay man or woman who supported "THE GAY AGENDA" would not be outed but because he does not support "THE GAY AGENDA" he is persecuted. I swear I just heard that last night.
Now there are differences in our community on a lot of issues, we sure see it here, but no one supports a bill to ban us from teaching or to block an innocuous commemmoration of International Women's Day unless it deletes references to sexual orientation.
It's well known that many of the worst homophobes are closet cases. Their homophobia is based in part on insecurity about their own sexuality. They can't admit to being gay, which they've always heard is awful, and they are horrifed by out gays and lesbians. So they have to shove us back into the closet where they live. Clearly another case of this. It's not the first time some raving homophobe has turned out to have a double life.
I'm going to suggest a hypothesis. While it is highly unlikely there is a specific "gay gene" there does seem to be clear evidence that sexual orientation is at least in part inherited. Which means, obviously, being GLBT would run in families. I wonder if that might explain the seemingly large number of well-known homophobes who have close family members who are gay (Phyllis Schlafly, Lloyd Moseby, Newt Gingrich, many others)? If their children/siblings are gay, could some of their homophobia be based on a suspicion they themselves might not be straight as arrows? Just a thought.

Yes, I heard a bit of the Mike Gallagher talk radio show this morning and he was inferring that West was a target because he is a conservative Republican. He even stooped to drag Barney Frank's lover years ago who was a male madame working out of Frank's home and posed the question "is this any worse than what Barney Frank did"? Geez Louise!

I just read the Blade's blog today and they justifiably take NGLTF and its leader Matt Foreman to task for their release and statement, which got picked up by several reporters.

Here's an excerpt:

[snip]

Reaction from Washington D.C. to the sex scandal from Washington state was lightning quick. Matt Foreman, the executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, was in such a hurry to condemn West for violating the rights of others he even skipped over the notion that West is innocent until proven gulity in a statement issued today:

"Three victims of Mayor Jim West's predatory and appalling behavior have already come forward and, based on what we know about pedophiles, it's almost certain there are many more.


"Some media reports quote people as saying this is a 'tragic' situation for West and imply that his conduct showed he was 'uncomfortable with his identity.' Nonsense. Pedophilic behavior is always wrong and has nothing do with sexual orientation. This man — whether he's straight, bisexual, or gay — deserves nothing but scorn. He needs to resign immediately."

The alleations certainly are appalling and West has already admitted to enough conduct that he should resign. But the Task Force's statement is irresponsible. Until a court rules or West confesses, there are only "alleged" victims.
[snip]

I have not been following this story closely, so I don't know if criminal charges have been brought against West and it seems to me the Blade blog entry is right to call Foreman on his statement.

[ May 10, 2005, 08:10 PM: Message edited by: MPetrelis ]

Wow, $300 to swim naked. What a dope I am...I've been doing it for free all these years.

Here is the latest as of Wednesday morning. The F.B.I. is now involved and in the inital stages of a "public corruption" investigation into allegations Mayor West abused his office by offering jobs to young men he hoped to entice into sexual relationships. F.B.I. agents today are expected to interview Ryan Oelrich, and another man, both 24, who said they were independently offered a position on the Human Rights Commission, and City Hall jobs, after online chats with a man who turned out to be West. I understand about 6 City Hall computers have been seized as well so the hard drives can be checked.

Two former Mayors of Spokane have also called upon West to resign his position. West is now on a leave of absence.

Me too!! Never realized I could have gotten paid for doing what I love to do.

to those who ask "Is this any worse than whatBarney Frank did?"

well... first of all. Frank wasn't prostituting himself.. cuz frankly... he wouldn't have had any takers.

second...These people who say that (supposedly) this is the same as what Frank did... well, How many of them lined up to defend Barney Frank back then? Or did they condemn him as appalling, immoral etc etc?

http://www.perverted-justice.com/

This is a link to a site that deals with this subject. As a survivor of this sickness. It is very important I think and if the Gay Community needs to take up a cause, this would be top on my list. The damage that is done by these pedophiles is undescribable. It is bad enough for straight victims, but the damage it can do to gay victims may be more because of all the other issues they already have to naturally deal with. It is something put in the closet, and they are made to feel ashamed of it. Then the pedophile can say "well thats a problem with gays". I am looking into making this a purpose of mine, this is a very important cause. How many times have I heard of these old guys with a lot of money going to places like Mexico or Thailand and victimizing kids there, and most people choose to look the other way. And then it still happens in this country too, usually by hypocritical people who commit the crime, then go around and blame openly gay people, who dont have these sick pedophilia urges. Very Important cause to look into.

The Pacific Northwest Inlander, a weekly here, has also called for Jim West to resign.

PacCoast,
I want to first express sympathy. No one should ever have to face sexual abuse, unfortunately too many of us do.
But I want to say, and I say this will all due respect, that it is wrong for us to try and compare whether heterosexual or homosexual sex abuse is "worse" for either children or adults. You say that in the case of same sex there are the "gay" issues which is no doubt true. But I could claim that few would blame a small boy for being raped by a man but women and girls, no matter how young, are told that it is their fault. (In one state a judge dismissed rape charges against a man who admitted raping a 5 year old girl, saying the child was a "sexually promiscuous young lady", aside from the unlikeliness of that statement, he implied that it is OK to rape a woman if she's promiscuous.)
We absolutely do not want to get into a "my rape is worse than your rape" "contest". We should instead join and say that it is always wrong and that our community must be both sex positive and anti-rape. That means, for example, that gay men should not act as if rape and assaults against women are funny, something I've seen on this board and elsewhere. That gay men and lesbians and straight women and men as well should act in solidarity to support the right of all to control our bodies, including the integrity of our bodies from physical and sexual assault as well as the right of consenting people to chose our own partners and to decide if/when/how many children to have. A start IMO is that NAMBLA is not welcome at gay pride parades as they are not part of our community.
My $.02.

Thanks, I'm not saying one is worse than the other though, I completely understand what you are saying. I am saying that the psychological effects may be even more for a male or especially a gay male. When in our society males are supposed to be the stronger one's and not victims of this, and also how being gay just by itself is something that is still not accepted everywhere. I agree the crime is just as bad no matter who it's done to. So for a gay male victim of this it may be tougher to want to get help for this.

Especially since for a gay victim that whole, "well you must of wanted it" or "you dress in a provacative manner" is something that might be used against them to.

[ May 13, 2005, 02:04 PM: Message edited by: PacCoast ]

PacCoast, I'm also sorry to hear about what you went through.

Here's an even more bizarre case--an anti-abortion activist who admitted on the air to bestiality. Oh well--maybe we don't want *these* people to come out of the closet. Damn!

Newshound: Bizarre Sex Habits of the Extreme Right-Wing

Sounds like he's slandering rural, farm-raised Georgians!

[ May 13, 2005, 11:28 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

Yet another large article in the Saturday edition of the Spokesman-Review about Mayor West still resisting calls for his resignation. Supposedly many in the business community have talked with or met the Mayor to tell of their concerns and the need for the community to move on and upward. I hear you loud and clear. In another artcile the Editor of the Spokesman-Review said he has been very surprised at how large a nationwide story this has become. Not me. Given the level of hypocrisy that swirls around this story. Former Mayor, Sheri Barnard is urging Spokanites to show up at the next regular Monday meeting of the City Council and step forward, to urge the Mayor to resign as well.

[ May 14, 2005, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]

Puckman, I'm interested in knowing what has been the reaction of the people of Spokane to the newspaper doing this type of investigative reporting.

In the national media this weekend it looks like the focus as shifted from the actually controvesy to whether the newspaper should have done it in the first place. Many other newspaper editors have said ethical bounds have been cross.

In the past bloggers and activist have done this type of thing, to latter be picked up by mainstream media. This seems to be the first time a traditinal mainstream newspaper has done such a thing and got national attention for doing so.

I am interested in knowing the recation. Are the citizens of Spokane upset at the paper for doing such a thing and drawing national attention, or do they feel that it was necessary?

It will be interested because if readers accept this we may see more of this type of thing being done by newspapers.

Kuj: the reaction has been mixed for the most part. The Spokesman-Review has gone out of its way to inform the readership why they felt they needed to do what they did. I think I have read 3 large editorials from the Editor in his/their justification and explanations. Some letter to the editor writers have questioned the timing of the story, which has been going on for about 2 years + from what I understand. Some letter writers are very pleased that the paper did what it was supposed to have done. Its job. Then you get the other view from people who are outraged,feel West was "entrapped," but for the most part this has died down. As I mentioned earlier there are now a total of 3 investigations going on, and the Mayor has given no hint, at least yet, that he is or will resign. The other factor that I have found interesting is that for the most part, there has been few if any, letters to the editor from members of the Spokane gay community, who, in my opinion, should be absolutely outraged over Jim Wests' actions and policies as they relate to the gay community here.

By the way I forgot to mention there was a story about how other newspapers around the country have reacted to this story, and as expected, its been about 50% supportive, and 50% not supportive.

[ May 16, 2005, 06:30 AM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]