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Dark, Anti-Democratic Forces Sue the Davis Vanguard

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These dark forces are believed to be funded by the Dark Underbelly of Davis. 

In true Davis Vanguard journalistic style, no information on who the dark forces may be or why they are suing, but the Vanguard did ask for money to the tune of $100k.  Statement:

Keep the Community's Voice Alive

The Vanguard, a community-based watchdog and news reporting organization that publishes daily coverage of local government and criminal justice reform, said it’s asking supporters for help to fight its battle to remain viable.

“We have attempted to bring transparency, accountability and fairness to local government and the courts, while promoting social justice and democracy, and adhering to principles of accuracy and fairness in our reporting,” said publisher and editor David Greenwald.

The Vanguard began as The People’s Vanguard of Davis in 2006, and covers the courts, housing, transportation, local government, trees and the environment and the school district.

Now, The Vanguard provides coverage of criminal courts throughout California – including Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles and others – regional and national coverage of justice issues, extended coverage of legal and innocence issues, and prison journalism.

“We are being targeted. Anti-democratic forces, apparently hoping to end our news coverage of these issues, are forcing us to put together a legal team to fight back to preserve The Vanguard and our work to inform the public,” said Greenwald.

I'll let y'all have fun tearing that apart.

Links are here:

https://davisvanguard.networkforgood.com/projects/219056-urgent-save-the-vanguard?fbclid=IwAR1IN8WsCNHqpc1KeaCBS-PXbBG87WU8Cj-6zjd0QsDv5_EXctYXqTs-3Q8
 
https://www.facebook.com/davisvanguard
 
Someone named Ellen Kolarik donated $500,  because "The Vanguard is an important platform for individuals to share their views about about local matters which impact our community".  Not if you're banned for life, say I.

Interestingly, Beth Bourne posted on the Vanguard's Facebook page,
 
"Wow, is this really true? Who are the "anti-democratic forces hoping to end (Davis Vanguard) news coverage"??!!
 
Yeah, exactly.  That's what we'd all like to know.
 
A Brandon Povich then speculated, in response to Beth Bourne,
 
Maybe the same ones that collect photos of Davis minors because they’re obsessed with their breasts. Don’t you do that? I’ve seen the snapshots.
 
Well, there's one theory.
 
But my news story gots nothing, and nobody knows nothing.  So I published this in the hopes that someone out there with a shovel will do some digging and post their findings in the comments below.  Thank you in advance.
 
And for the record, I am not the anti-democratic force.  Nor do I want to see the Davis Vanguard shut down.  I find it a valuable contribution to let us all know how people like David Greenwald think, so that we may better oppose the ideas of people that think like him.  And occasionally I agree with him, like about commissions. 
 
What I would like is for Mr. Greenwald to get his head out his arse regarding current heavy-handed and hypocritical moderation practices that have all-but-killed the Vanguard's comment section, once a lively community forum (look at any archive from ten years ago when the dissenting view of arseholes like me was encouraged).  But I don't think it's possible to sue someone over where they keep their head.

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Alan C. Miller

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Comments

20 responses to “Dark, Anti-Democratic Forces Sue the Davis Vanguard”

  1. Roberta L. Millstein

    “covers the courts, housing, transportation, local government, trees and the environment and the school district.”
    Really? I recall precious little coverage of “trees and the environment.” Seems like he was fishing for items to add to his list.
    If this was a word cloud, HOUSING would dwarf everything else, along with INNOVATION PARK, which I guess has gone out of fashion since DiSC was defeated because he doesn’t even mention it.

    Reply
  2. Ron O

    “Dark underbelly”.
    Could that be the Vanguard’s own moderator, who occasionally opposes David (e.g., regarding homeless encampments)?
    Very little information put forth, and not even appearing on the Vanguard’s website so far.
    “Nor do I want to see the Davis Vanguard shut down.”
    I’d actually prefer it to be shut down, though my life has been improved since I stopped commenting on there. Maybe I’m the semi-local dark underbelly?

    Reply
  3. Colin Walsh

    It will be interesting to see what the Vanguard is accused of doing and who is accusing them of doing it. I suspect there are several potential grounds that are sufficient to initiate litigation against the Vanguard. We will see what evidence is brought forward.

    Reply
  4. Alan Hirsch

    Come to the fund raiser and learn.
    While everyone else holding full time job David for 16 years been doing an imperfect but effective job shining line on politics neglected by for profits enterprise. While it true David has neglected coverage of lost dogs, mondavi concerts, high school sports so very import in a small town like Grover’s Corners, (and university press releases)a they are so amply covered by enterprise,,I it arguable he has made up for it in other areas. Davisite provide an important alternative to Davis idiosyncratic predictive— competition raises everyone game).
    Does anyone argue Davis would be a better place without the vanguard.

    Reply
  5. Ron O

    “Does anyone argue Davis would be a better place without the vanguard.”
    Yes, I do.
    In fact, I believe most of his efforts have actually harmed the city (as well as selected individuals who waded into that cesspool).
    It’s an advocacy blog, not a news source. And lately, his advocacy has become an outright push for sprawl.
    But there’s also a lack of internal honesty within that advocacy, as he doesn’t seem to object to proposals such as the “Davis-connected buyer’s program” (despite David’s primary concern related to “social justice”), and that DISC (which David obviously supported) would have created more of a “housing shortage” (which is another primary concern of David’s), etc.
    I noticed that you (also) put forth an argument in your article today (on the Vanguard), stating that home values would decline if the school parcel tax isn’t approved. And yet, aren’t you one of the people who think housing prices are already “too high”?
    Truth be told, DJUSD is TOO LARGE in relation to the needs of the community. That’s why DJUSD poaches students from other districts, with no concern regarding the impact on other districts (or on Davis property tax payers).
    “Come to the fund raiser and learn.”
    The link shows that he’s asking for $100 donations (or more). I’d rather sit at a different table and heckle him while wearing a donkey costume, if anything.
    I’ve already learned “enough” about the Vanguard.

    Reply
  6. Ron O

    Regarding the parcel tax, that’s actually another HOUSING cost – same as property tax/Mello Roos, insurance, etc. Most of which is increasing, in cost.
    The only true/permanent “owners” of any given property are the government and school districts. They’re the only ones who have a permanent (and increasing) lien on any given property. They are the ultimate and permanent landlords.
    The rest of us are just “renters” – passing through until our inevitable end.
    I read somewhere that school districts ALREADY receive approximately half of ALL taxes received by the state. And yet, enrollment is DECLINING – statewide.

    Reply
  7. South of Davis

    I think Davis will be a better place if David gets a real job and the Vanguard went away. Can anyone explain how David’s race baiting, pushing development for his advertisers and getting “interns” to cut and paste articles other people wrote that nobody reads or comments on makes Davis “better place”?

    Reply
  8. Ron O

    From the Vanguard:
    “Guest Commentary: Anti-DEI Efforts Are the Latest Attack on Racial Equity and Free Speech”
    And yet, the accompanying photo seems to show an Asian student, who might not even gain admission if Affirmative Action wasn’t illegal.
    My apologies to some “progressives”, who wish that exclusively “white” people would be negatively impacted. (The same “white” people who are under-represented at universities, at this point. The same “white” people who might actually benefit from Affirmative Action – if it was implemented “fairly”. Yeah, right.)

    Reply
  9. Civil Discourse

    From this post:
    https://www.davisite.org/2020/02/is-the-vanguard-following-no-profit-law.html
    “the only way to find out is to take legal action. Accusations are nothing. Money, mouth is? Bit tired of the accusations, but would love to see a showdown!
    Posted by: Alan Miller | February 25, 2020 at 11:19 AM “

    Reply
  10. Alan C. Miller

    Hello Civ, (or do you go by Mr. Ms. Mx. Discourse?
    So is this a “hint” of what is about to go down?

    Reply
  11. Civil Discourse

    Alan- maybe? No idea. You challenged folks to take legal action, maybe they did?

    Reply
  12. Alan C. Miller

    Civ, I’d been hearing this about Vanguard violating their tax status by being political for years. I wasn’t so much challenging folks to take legal action as I was encouraging them to shit or get off the pot. Violations do not magically get punished because one accuses. It has to be proven in court. Sounds like someone finally shit. But the who & the why & the what for?
    Well darn, Civ, I was hoping you were the dark, anti-democratic force and could tell us what is up. So far mostly lawyers & developers & anonymouses bailing out the V. And one asshole who gave $1 so he could make a snarky comment.
    Wonder if when we finally know the who, will they have a go-fund-them page ? Of course, we need to know what the complaint is first.

    Reply
  13. Ron O

    “I wasn’t so much challenging folks to take legal action as I was encouraging them to shit or get off the pot.”
    I recall that there was a compliant submitted to the IRS. I assume that nothing came of it, though I believe that the Vanguard’s reported income was lower at that time.
    https://www.davisite.org/2018/07/irs-complaint-against-vanguard.html

    Reply
  14. Ann Block

    Pretty sure the dark, anti-democratic force is our own D.A. Jeff Reisig, who appears to have engaged a law firm in Sacramento to file a complaint with the IRS. The complaint letter is ALL about Jeff Reisig, filed before the 2022 election. More dirty tricks from our D.A. — after prosecuting a Dean Johannson supporter, Maria Grijalva, for Fair Political Practice Code violations (no D.A. normally files criminal charges for FPPC violations, the FPPC using cites people itself), he is now going after the Vanguard for pointing out his dirty tricks and other weaknesses. But Grijalva had provided the most independent funding to Johannson’s campaign, in the form of campaign signs. (Reisig also threatened Johannson himself at the end of their only debate about campaign sign placement — when they were supposed to be civilly shaking hands). Is anyone surprised that our viciously vindictive D.A. is behind this attack on the Vanguard?

    Reply
  15. Alan C. Miller

    But you said, “pretty sure”, so you don’t actually know? Also, wouldn’t it be a bit odd for a public figure to be suing a ‘non-profit’ while in office? And why now? Most of the attacks on Reisig were years ago. Time . . . . . . . . . ing is everything.

    Reply
  16. Ron O

    In reference to the Vanguard’s (and others’) preference for racial/gender quotas (per today’s article), I’m glad to see that more legal challenges lie ahead for organizations that attempt it:
    “The court made clear that even if you have a program that is not technically using race as a plus factor, in some explicit way, if it tries to do so in a way that is, in an implicit way, really focused on race and not in fact focusing on the individual contribution of the person, that could be subject to challenge,” he said.”
    https://www.legaldive.com/news/dei-hiring-contracting-quotas-legal-challenge-scotus-affirmative-action/689208/
    Personally, I’m no longer simply “indifferent” to “diversity/equity” – I’m actively opposed to it (and all forms of such discrimination).
    Make no mistake about it folks – supporters of “equity” are using a quota system, in regard to “results”.
    I’d increasingly suggest that no one (whether it’s students, parents, potential employees, etc.) voluntarily provide any such information. At least make the race/gender hustlers “work” for it.
    And no, this isn’t just about “white” people, as demonstrated by Asian dominance in education. And yet, the race hustlers do everything possible to claim otherwise.
    For that matter, these type of efforts will increasingly divide categories of groups that they like to call “brown” people. We’ve already seen that in action, when the governor had to appoint a replacement for Senator Kamala Harris. (I can’t begin to tell you how “satisfying” I found that battle – with nary a white person to be found among the candidates.) Of course, that battle was entirely predictable (if embarrassing) for the candidates who essentially said, “appoint me – on the basis of being the “right skin color”.) This is the inevitable result, when there’s more than one “right skin color”, and I look forward to more such battles from the sidelines.

    Reply
  17. Ron O

    Regarding “non-profits”, there’s an interesting article in The Chronicle today regarding the compensation that SF non-profit leaders receive (from the $3.3 billion that their organizations received in 2022).
    “Daniel Nissenbaum, CEO of the Low Income Investment Fund, made $762,000, more than twice the average. LIIF has provided grants, affordable loans and technical assistance to San Francisco childcare providers for decades. On the other end of the scale, James Bouquin of the Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement took home $149,000 for the nonprofit’s work providing mental health, substance abuse and homeless services in the neighborhood.”
    So apparently, non-profits are quite profitable for some.

    Reply
  18. South of Davis

    I’m not an attorney but I thought that it was the “job” of the DA to “press charges” if someone is breaking the law.
    I just asked Google:
    “Who presses charges when someone breaks the law in California?”
    The first hit was:
    “District Attorney’s Office. Only the district attorney (also called the “DA”) can decide whether to “press” or “drop” criminal charges. The victim of a crime cannot press or drop charges. The DA’s Office will either file (“press”) charges or reject the case based on the facts in the police report.”
    I’m in the “if you don’t enforce the law change it” camp and it is a joke how David and many other 501(c)(3) bloggers must wake up every morning read the law below then laugh (I bet David has a great “Dr. Evil” style laugh) before they write yet another political hit piece”…
    “Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.”
    P.S. I’m no fan of the DA and David (or Don) actually deleted a post I made to the Vanguard years ago when I said that it looked like DA Reisig was going for the “Vanilla Ice” look with his hairstyle…

    Reply
  19. Ron O

    Forgot to include the link to the article above:
    https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/nonprofit-ceo-contract-pay-18667516.php

    Reply
  20. Colin Walsh

    I am looking forward to finding out what legal challenges the Vanguard faces. I hope defending his organization makes it hard for DG to spend his time smearing people and shilling for developers. Imperfect is a very generous description for the blog that was voted, least reliable news source in Davis.
    This article came out a few years ago about the IRD complaint against the Vanguard. https://californiaglobe.com/articles/new-irs-complaint-against-non-profit-davis-vanguard-news-service/
    I have no idea if could still be dragging on. It’s also possible the Vanguard has done some other unethical to illegal things. Hard to know,

    Reply

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