Specifics on Benton and Madore's Malingerings at County - From Several Inside Sources

O Vancouvria! has been chit chatting alot lately about what we see as Commissioner David Madore's weasel-like actions, and his use of Senator/Director of Environmental Services Don Benton's "bearded lady" Olympia and local strong-arming tactics. However, we realize that some of you might be saying "yes, so what? We KNOW they're corrupt - why beat a dead horse?"

So, here's some proof, from inside County sources, on a couple strange things Benton and Madore have done. I'll give one example with two sources for Madore, and two examples for Benton (along with one for his glamorous assistant, Chris Clifford, Program Coordinator for DES). 

Madore (and this was confirmed just last night by a couple folks in Clark County officialdom) has been busy promising favors to his consituents. 

To wit, he mentioned to Doug Lasher's aide-de-camp (who shall remain nameless at this time), in front of Treasurer Lasher, how appalled he was about his constituents who were being attacked by Treasury for back property taxes owed. Specifically, Madore told Lasher's assistant (in front of Lasher), "just send 'em (his consituents) on over to me, I'll take care of it (their tax troubles)". Not sure quite how a phone call to Madore and his good offices takes care of a problem not even involving County Council oversight (Treasury is independently elected). However, I suppose slippery hands grease wheels - or votes, as in this case. 

And yes, I have heard this info firsthand from said Lasher aide-de-camp. I know her well. 

As for Benton, we have two intriguing examples. The first one comes to us via the Legislative Ethics Oversight Board in Olympia, where a formal complaint is on the books about Deputy Majority Leader Benton "cussing and screaming" at another senator, on the Senate floor, during session. You can contact Oly and read it in black-and-white, folks. 

The second examples comes via the horses' mouth from a food educator here in Clark County, who visited Benton in his Olympia digs a few years back with fellow educators as part of a "meet and greet" tour. She noted Benton's front was "splotched" with bits of food, and he licked his lips while trying to grope one of her fellow educators. I firmly believe the veracity of said source - a once close friend of yours truly - and find it sad that such antics should play themselves out in Oly offices. 

As for Chris Clifford, Benton's "aide de camp", its clear from a quick Google review of his name (and various Seattle Times articles) that Clifford, who used to own a sordid nightclub called "Jersey's", in Seattle's Pioneer Square district, before moving down to grace our County with his presence, has been in hot water many times with Seattle Police's gang enforcement and drug squads over drug use, gangland murders, and rapes at said nightclub. All in black and white. I'm not shocked Benton would hire Clifford to come on down to "help out" with County enviro issues (like using tax dollars to insert pro-Benton Waste Management flyers in our bills), given that he and Pam Roach (a former state senator whom Clifford used to work for in Oly) are close. Seems like Clifford needed Vantucky's cool cover to escape the "heat" of running a Seattle gangland mecca? I don't know. 

So there you go. In black and white. Unimpeachable sources. Let's bear witness to the insanity by specifics, folks.