Attention Citizens Of Asheboro, North Carolina: Pravda Has NOTHING On The Courier Tribune (Subtitled: When Your Local Newspaper Can Be Bought)

9/20 Author's Note:  This post has been updated (scroll to bottom).

"Every news organization has only it credibility and reputation to rely on ." 
     - Tony Burman, ex-Editor-in-Chief, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News

I promised more . . .

Late Friday afternoon, the following e-mail was sent to Diane M. Winnemueller, the new publisher of Asheboro's Courier Tribune, under the header, A Serious Matter pertaining to the Journalistic Integrity of Asheboro, North Carolina's Courier Tribune.

It has since been copied to Stephens Media Group President, Sherman Frederick; VP/COO, Michael Ferguson; and VP/General Counsel, Mark Hinueber.

I believe the e-mail speaks for itself.  If you're an Asheboro resident, I would suggest that, before sitting down to read it, you pour yourself a very large glass of TEA in a disposable glass.

As the matter-at-hand is very disturbing in a democracy/republic with a "free press", with just one exception, there will be no multiple colors for emphasis today.  Links are simply underlined.

Ms. Winnemuller,

Welcome to Asheboro.

First, I want to thank you for allowing my comments on stories at the Courier Tribune. I would expect that you've already gotten some grief for letting them post. I was actually very surprised when they began to be accepted.

I've been blogging about what was done to me in Asheboro for five years. Yet until your arrival, I had been totally shut down/out by the Courier Tribune.

For your information, several Courier readers have complained that they cannot pull up my comments on recent Courier Tribune stories/columns. There was some angry speculation the comments had been deleted. However, I was able to pull them up when I logged in.

I believe the misconception exists because these readers do not understand that they have to log in to read stories over a week old. It is a policy I would suggest that you and your webmaster rethink as a method of increasing traffic.

However, a suggestion for your webmaster is not the purpose of this e-mail.

Comments on stories are not nearly as important as the stories themselves . . . in this case, stories that have not been told . . . and more importantly, WHY they have not been told.

As you well know by now, mine is a story that the Courier's former publisher, David Renfro and its current Editor, Ray Crisco, have determinedly and methodically ignored for all of SEVEN YEARS . . . in deference to the "right people" in Asheboro. And that story is this:

The WAY-overrated, WAY-overpaid senior executives (Robert Morrison and Steven Eblin) of "non-profit" Randolph Hospital repeatedly lied under Oath about matters relevant to a damages claim (during the discovery phase of their own SLAPP-suit no less) in order to swindle a homegrown Pediatrician-formerly-in-state-&-Federal-service out of the fair/just compensation she was rightfully owed . . . after she was fired for defying threats and doing her sworn duty, saving a critically-ill baby's life.

I have the original, black-&-white, sworn discovery responses proving these allegations in my possession (because of safety concerns, you should know they are not stored in my - or my Mother's - home).

In being run out of my own hometown for doing the right thing by a very sick baby twelve years ago, not only have I endured incredible financial & personal hardship over the years (while the hospital spent the public's money to use the legal system as a weapon of Bob Morrison & Steven Eblin's personal malice, intimidation and retaliation), but the missions of the state and Federal programs I served (to recruit and RETAIN Pediatricians to Asheboro) were thwarted and a FRAUD was perpetuated on the taxpayer:

http://drjshousecalls.blogspot.com/2009/12/dr-mary-johnson-vs-randolph-hospital.html

But in seven years, the Randolph County District Attorney, Garland Yates, has refused to even meet with me to discuss the matter. He has also REFUSED to refer the case to the NC Attorney General's office. No reason or explanation has EVER been provided. I cannot get past the DA's office front door. Yates also shut down a SBI investigation ADA King Dozier had promised before it could take place.

I have been totally locked out by the justice system. I am dirt.

And it is UNACCEPTABLE. To re-emphasize: I am a "home-grown" Pediatrician, born and raised and completely educated within an hour's radius of Asheboro . . . a Pediatrician who came home and did EVERYTHING she was asked to do honorably and well . . . a Pediatrician who was fired for doing the right thing by a patient . . . and on top of all that, I am the victim of a CRIME . . . perpetuated and then COMPOUNDED by people charged with the public good.

NOT ONE step of oversight has worked as it should . . . including the local press . . . which, in this country, is supposed to our last/best defense against corruption.

For what was/is STILL being done to me is public corruption at its purest and most sinister - going on right under the Courier Tribune's nose. This fraud upon the public has been compounded by the Courier Tribune's failure to investigate or report the story . . . I always presumed because of the inherent conflicts-of-interest presented by the husband-wife "team" of David (publisher of the Courier Tribune) and Bonnie (President of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation) Renfro.

"Bad" news was not reported. Criticizing the extended "team" running Asheboro's "incestuously incestuous" big businesses and its non-profits IN ANY FASHION could not be tolerated. It might affect the town's bottom line. Businesses would look elsewhere. Young professionals might not flock here.

As if.

Before I get to the matter that's been brought to my attention, let us briefly review the Courier Tribune's roll in my sad saga:

When Randolph Medical Associates (RMA) fired me in 1998, the Courier received a number of letters from angry parents on my behalf - demanding intervention/reconsideration by the Randolph Hospital's Board of Directors (an oversight body that never deemed it necessary to meet with me or hear my side of the story). The Courier only printed one or two, edited versions of the most tame letters.

When I sued Randolph Medical Associates in 1999, the Courier Tribune did not report the lawsuit.

But when RMA's "parent company", Randolph Hospital, filed its despicable "libel" (SLAPP) lawsuit against me in 2000, David Renfro made sure that it was front page news I was a liar.

My parents got to read that.

When the lawsuits were settled IN MY FAVOR in 2001, the resolution was only reported as a second-page "short-take". Many of my parents' friends had no idea that Tom and Irene's daughter had "won" the fight.

When I discovered in 2003 that I had been swindled of fair restitution at the settlement . . . by brazen, in-your-face PERJURY, CONTEMPT and FRAUD on the part of a "non-profit's" executive officers, I sent the evidence to the Randolph County DA demanding an investigation/prosecution by his office (or, in the alternative, a referral to the North Carolina Attorney General's office). Mr. Yates blew me off and your newspaper (once again) turned a blind eye . . . in FAVOR of the hospital and the community "honorables" who run it.

Meanwhile, bashing Dr. Mary Johnson has been public sport:

http://drjshousecalls.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-fecund-stench-permeates-courtroom.html

When I appeared at Asheboro City Council meetings (twice - first in 2004, and then again in 2008), to get my story out and literally beg Council members for assistance, my family and friends watched in disgust as your "newspaper's" "reporters" literally put down their pens & folded their arms, and/or walked out.

And now I know why (in other words, there is a reason that every time I've attended a City Council meeting I've wanted to bathe immediately afterwards). It appears that this has not just been a case of the simple "wink & nod" routine patented by the "good-ole-boys" running North Carolina. No. It appears that the Courier Tribune can be bought . . . by the very government officials that it is supposed to help police.

I have been made aware of a tape of an (2/9/2006) Asheboro City Council meeting in which Council members (unaware they are still being recorded) discuss "hiring" Courier reporter, Chip Womick, to do their bidding for the night (in that particular case, walk out of the meeting/not report on what occurred there). Council members are heard disparaging and then laughing at a local private business owner (Pat Bradshaw of Peachtree Street Grocery) who gave a presentation at that meeting (pertaining to a dispute with the city over the administration of the local Farmer's market - a dispute which has since progressed to litigation against the city).

Particularly disturbing is what was caught on tape immediately after the meeting adjourned (with Mrs. Bradshaw long gone). Council members were greatly amused that Mrs. Bradshaw was understandably disturbed when Mr. Womick suddenly stood up and walked out of the meeting right before her presentation.

At the very end of the tape, a voice that I believe to be then-Mayor pro-tem, David Smith, can clearly be heard saying, "We hired Chip" (garbled - either "for the night" or "last night") . . . she had a fit."

Current North Carolina Commerce Secretary (I trust the irony is not lost on you), Keith Crisco, was present during this conversation and yuck-yucking right along.

Pat and Mike Bradshaw have endured all manner of insult and injury due to the low-ball tactics of City of Asheboro.

Listening to that tape/CD makes my skin crawl.

The tape (I have seen and heard the original), provided by the City Attorney to the Bradshaws, who have since given a CD copy to me, has been digitally-enhanced/copied to CD, and certified as authentic by noted Electrical Engineer/Expert, Paul Ginsberg of ProAudioLabs in New Jersey (at Mike & Pat Bradshaw's considerable expense).

If an Asheboro reporter can be "bought" for the night, by the Asheboro City Council . . . and our current North Carolina Commerce Secretary (according to the Triad Business Journal, Bob Morrison's "long-time friend" . . . a man who literally sneered at me when I appeared before the Council) thinks it's a hoot . . . I am thinking that what has been going on in my own situation (for much longer) is probably far more sinister than I ever imagined.

When it comes to the Courier's DESPICABLE treatment of Dr. Mary Johnson, Randolph Hospital buying off the press would certainly explain a great deal.

It's certainly no less plausible than perjury, contempt and fraud totally buried by our suck-up DA.

When I have approached outside news media about my story - every single reporter I've talked to has told me this was a local story . . . that needed to first be told by my local newspaper (it could then be "picked up" on the wire). While, in this era of "healthcare reform", I believe that is a total cop-out on their part, I totally concur that the Courier Tribune should've told this story in 1998 . . . and 1999 . . . and 2000 . . . and 2001 . . . and 2003.

The reporters I've spoken to have all opined (those in Greensboro offered something more akin to a taunt) that I could just file another lawsuit. Then they would be all over it.

Of course, it has long been my position that if the law worked the way it is supposed to work . . . indeed, if ANYTHING in this town (or state - or indeed, in Federal government) worked the way it was supposed to . . . I would not have to file anything.

I believe that the reason Asheboro "won" the dubious "honor" of being named as one of the nation's ten fastest dying towns is because the same tightly-knitted band of yes-men and women have run Asheboro FOR YEARS without benefit of any real checks or balances. Good/honest people have been treated horribly by "the powers that be" . . . many have lived in abject fear. I know I did - FOR YEARS. Asheboro's "right people" (a term Steve Schmidly coined) can do whatever they want to whomever they want and no one will do or say anything about it . . . certainly not our local law enforcement and especially not the Courier Tribune.

Our schools, our medical community, our technical college, our neighborhoods and and our local economy have all paid a horrific price. Everything seems to be in the toilet.

But somehow the people who were in charge as everything tanked don't get flushed.

This year, Steven Eblin is chairing yet another committee for another public charity, when he should have been FIRED FOR CAUSE seven years ago. The paper prints fluff praising his accomplishments. I am SICK of it!:

http://drjshousecalls.blogspot.com/2010/09/dance-of-religious-hypocrisy-and-public.html

In short, Ms. Winnemuller, this discovery (my ears are still burning) only confirms what I have long known IN MY BONES about your newspaper. It is bought and paid for. It has no credibility and ZERO journalistic integrity.

I certainly understand that, in taking over from David Renfro, and as a journalist of principle, you may have been unprepared to land in a snakepit. And you are certainly not responsible for things that happened in 2006 . . . or 1998. But this tape is just shameful . . . and has broad-reaching implications.

I'm not really expecting you to find a "paper trail" (because I don't think that even Asheboro City Hall is STUPID enough to write Chip Womick a check or put a pay-off on the VISA card), but I'd LOVE to see a forensic audit of the newspaper's books . . . or of some of the long-time staff's finances . . .

. . . the staff members that ALWAYS seemed to find the most inconvenient times to put down their pen or walk out the door . . . or completely pretend that certain citizens do not exist.

I'm sick of the "right people" in Asheboro pontificating about "small town values" while they treat their neighbors like dirt-to-be-walked-all-over (while the Courier religiously laps up their leavings and regurgitates it as "news" . . . as if it has a ring in its nose).

In short, it's 2010, it's America, you're supposed to be running a newspaper, and I'm kinda wondering what you and your superiors at the Stevens Media Group (whose senior management was informed of my difficulties with the former publisher here in Asheboro long ago - and did NOTHING about it) are going to do to CLEAN UP YOUR ACT?

My Father, who stood with me the first time I stood before the Asheboro City Council (in 2004) . . . who PLEADED with the Council to help (I wonder now how many of them laughed at him afterwards) . . . died before he could see justice done for his daughter.

My Mother, who taught in the Asheboro City Schools for over 30 years . . . who former School Board member, Keith Crisco, could only refer to as "that woman" when she served as local NCAE President . . . is going to see it. I don't care how many "right people" I have to plow through or over.

I look forward to your newspaper's response. I would respectfully suggest that it not be a threat issued by a lawyer. I am SO DONE with threats.

Mary H. Johnson, M.D., FAAP
Asheboro, North Carolina

And there you have it, citizens of Asheboro.  This is NOT just the wink and nod newspapers everywhere afford their major advertisers.  No indeed.  Our little newspaper that boasts the small-town-values . . . far, far away from the former Soviet Union . . . can be bought . . . by Asheboro city government, and (there's absolutely no doubt in my mind) by the "non-profit" mill town hospital that trashed a home-grown Pediatrician's life and career, and now pays its CEO over $700,000/year.

Once again.  Robert Morrison got $330,482 in deferred compensation in 2008 alone.  $48,643 in bonus & incentive compensation.  $30,432 in NONTAXABLE benefits.  On top of a base salary of $294,463.

There is NOTHING Bob Morrison does - or has done - in Asheboro that justifies that kind of compensation.  How many nurses/other staff has he and his minions laid off, pleading hard times?  How many doctors have he and Steve Eblin man-handled and nickled/dimed while they walk away with big money?

But the "newshounds" at the Courier Tribune did not even BLINK!!!  Something is WAY BEYOND WRONG here.  And based on this tape, I'm thinking it's not just because of the fantastic h'orderves Ray Criscoe slurps down at the hospital Foundation's Dine-Arounds, it's because because the newshounds literally have dollar bills stuck up their noses and can't smell that smell.

(The creme-de-la-creme of Asheboro raised $56,000 stuffing their faces and getting snockered for Randolph.  I invite the reader to compare that to "non-profit" CEO, Bob Morrison's, salary and benefits for 2008.)

How SAD is it that ordinary hard-working citizens needing help fighting public corruption and the abuse-of-power cannot turn to their newspaper?

On the other hand, how fortunate is it that we now have local blogs to shine light on this garbage when none of our high-minded local journalists have the stones or integrity to do it?

In short, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Cone, How's THAT for "citizen journalism"?

Author's Note:  I'm taking a blogging break - a REAL ONE - now.  This post needs to stay up for a while and sink in . . . especially for the benefit of some oh-so-noble & progressive blogging-journalists in Greensboro.

And it's clearly time for Dr. Mary to chat up some out-of-town lawyers and cram some TEA down some useless/toothless bureaucrats' throats.

P.S.  Dear Bob,  Dear April (Thornton), Mr. Armfield-of-the-Asheboro-Armfields and I are waiting patiently on a prompt answer to that public records request - for a list of your Board Members and Corporate Membership since 1994 . . . since ultimately, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE for your errors and omissions (i.e. previous failures to produce public records) . . . and THE BOARD APPROVED that obscene/absurd/viscerally-offensive 2008 compensation package.

I think it's time to contact, N.C. Secretary-of-State Elaine Marshall and see if running for the U.S. Senate might finally compel her to do her job. 

You see, by my reading of N.C. General Statute, Elaine DOES have the power to take complaints and submit formal inquiries to non-profits (say like, "Hey Bob, if you could take some time off from counting all that money you skimmed off the top, WHY did you and Steve Eblin feel compelled to repeatedly lie under Oath - and misrepresent the FACT that your financial records & salaries are fully disclosable to the public?).  She can also ask for the intervention of the N.C. Attorney General if she doesn't like the answer (or the non-profit does not answer at all). 

But like Garland Yates, Elaine's just been in a COMA.  Now she wants to be COMATOSE in Washington.  (Here's an oldie-but-goodie from 2008, courtesy of WRAL in Raleigh, in which Elaine makes excuses - and admits what some of us in North Carolina learned the very hard way . . . being registered as a non-profit is bascially a license to scam).

Monday Morning (9/20) Update:

Given that we're talking about the city of Asheboro buying off the local newspaper, there's a link that's buried deep in e-mail above that I think needs to come front and center.  It's an article from Southwest Virginia Today about the death of former superintendent of the Asheboro Wastewater System, Kirk Miller, who was a 1977 graduate of Asheboro High.  I vaguely remember him.  Kirk was reportedly distraught over the way he had been treated by the City of Asheboro - fired three months short of retirement under very suspicious (i.e. whistle-blower-like) circumstances.  He threw himself off the back of his brother's truck on Interstate 81 and was struck by a car.

According to his family, getting fired (especially the way he got fired) destroyed him, because Kirk lived his job - and took its responsibilities very seriously.  And he had been troubled by something going on at work . . . something he did not think to document beyond his city-owned computer.

Asheboro City Manager, John Ogburn (like Bob Morrison and Steven Eblin before him), declined comment when contacted by the press (that would be the press in Virginia as opposed to the press here), citing the old stand-by "confidentiality and privacy".  As was the case in my own situation, it's the reason the Courier Tribune ALWAYS gives for not investigating/reporting "employment-relateed" stories . . . even when you file a lawsuit on the public record.

And never mind that the employees we're talking about wanted the press to ask questions, and wanted people like Steve Eblin and John Ogburn to be put on the spot as they grappled for their lame answers.  It's interesting to me that the family describes Kirk's firing as "political" - because that's the same term Dr. Randy McVeigh (an anesthesiologist long gone from Asheboro) used to describe what he was told when he went on his own reconnaissance mission after I was fired.''

I'm thinking that maybe it's time we got rid of some of the "politicians", and cleaned house at our useless/suck-up/sold-out newspaper.

Now, while Chip Womick is suddenly writing stories about mental health advocates (long overdue in a town that tends to point and snicker), I don't recall reading ONE WORD in the Courier about the death of Kirk Miller - or the circumstances leading up to it.

It reminds me of the way the City of Greensboro treated Mike Baron.  Who is Mike Baron, you ask?  Just another "crazy" Randolph County blogger given short shrift by the local press - because his story is UBER UGLY too.

9/20 Evening Update:  I appreciate the calls and e-mails of support.  I only ask new readers that they spread the word.  Apparently, word-of-mouth is the ONLY way to get news out in Asheboro. 

Fellow doctor-blogger, Joe Guarino, has linked to this post.  In the thread, I have once again been asked to "summarize" my case in "less-than-100-words-or-less".  I believe that's called a Blogger profile (or "About Me" on the sidebar). 

The detailed summary (2110 words) is, of course, also on the sidebar.

I left a special message at Joe's for citizen-blogger-journalist Edward-Cone-of-the-Moses-Cone-Healthcare-System-Cones.

I lament the day I ever believed a word he said.