"The writer Bret Harte was run out of Eureka by threats after writing about the 1860 massacre of between 80 and 200 Wiyot Indians at the village of Tuluwat (near Eureka) - but we have to say, had John Chiv been back there living & reporting he would have stayed."

 

Paul who ran MendocinoSportsplus started out as a kind stranger and became a friend and a colleague I respect. His loss to Mendocino news is irreplaceable. I remember many conversations with Paul, our journeys which led us to the North Coast and being strong in speaking truth.

I have stayed, despite the efforts to run me out of this County, which continue daily. I will leave, of my own accord. The ones wanting me gone are the ones delaying that move.

I share Paul's posts and a few others today to thank many of you who for 8 years regularly read and make it worthwhile to do this blog despite the constant efforts to silence me and tear me down.

I received this email today. This is why I continue do this blog. 

"John, Your blogging was a gift to me and my family! Especially when the chips were low, and it seemed like, nobody cared, but you! Please take care of you."

There are many readers who still keep in touch with me. There are few who don't walk away after their court case is over or the news I risked telling for them is no longer in the headlines . They ask how I am doing, they care about my well-being. And those are the ones I appreciate the most.

This county has a history of silencing truth and anyone who exposes the darkness. It is present today and most prevalent in the Courthouse.

The haters who attack me and others are all local. They are a minority compared to those who do value me and others. Humboldt hates outsiders; especially those who won't put up with disrespect, be sycophants to mediocrity and pretend like Humboldt is the second coming. There are good things about Humboldt and decent people who are overshadowed by the negative and are being driven away. 

Outside Humboldt, I have always been appreciated. Those who understand news, talent and are secure are not threatened by truth. The same applies in any field because the Humboldt way is not the standard.

I have been interviewed locally by KHSU, KMUD and nationally  by BBC, TMZ, CNN, KRCR and been contacted nationally and from London for my court coverage. People in the legal field in Los Angeles know who I am. When my post comes up in that Google search, it is because of hard work.

I manage to do that without the most basic tools needed for my job, with zero financial investment from most of this community, without paid ads or SEO and doing live, breaking complex news while fielding constant attacks and retaliation.

Those in the local courts, politics and this community who try and dismiss me are cowards and deniers. 

You think I care what a judge half naked partying on a boat with public defenders and facing a lawsuit thinks or a Supervisor who makes national headlines and causes Humboldt to be the butt of jokes by blaming San Francisco for Humboldt's drug problems thinks or numerous well known local families whose children are arrested and have criminal records such as Kailan Meserve, the McBeth boys and Tim Flemming think or bad apples in law enforcement who need to be the feature of another Netflix documentary for their botched raids and sloppy work in the Ray Christie case think?

I am a success. The opinions of those who attack me because they have been exposed and who want to deny facts and court records does not matter.

My struggles are the failures  of the weak enablers who have and continue to allow local bullies to have power and titles they do not deserve. Those who use apathy, greed and selfishness to try and shut me and others down. They are parasites.

There is so much money in this town and yet businesses, growers, casinos, educational institutions and non profits continue to fund sub standard garbage and hateful slop because they only want  their spin, PR and not local news that benefits the community. When you control the media, you can distract from what people need to hear and see. Conflict of interest is so ridiculous  and embedded in every aspect of this County and local media that those bringing it up conveniently for their agenda are the joke. 

The ones with the most money in this town and the faux rich are often the cheapest. I tip bartenders better than Kevin who owns Abraxas. I said it to his face at Speakeasy. Marian Brady told me years ago she was in line behind Dale Maples at Old Town Coffee Chocolates who bought $70 worth of stuff and tipped $2. You think I care what any of these losers think. 

People in this County don't want to pay for news but they demand a lot. Every one can afford at least $10 a month, $25 every six months or $100 a year as a donation to the smaller, individual media outlets. You read me daily but that does not pay my bills. I don't have corporate funding or the good ole Humboldt Connected money. 

The worst people are those such as Steve Wright and Gary Harner and a few others who are ungrateful backstabbers and who forget what I risked to cover their case. I will not be silent about anymore about people who are two faced users or backstabbers or people who smear me when I have been nothing but decent to them. Some of these people with no reason have gone out of their way to make things more difficult for me when I am fighting hard daily against the filth in this community.  These people bad mouth their own co-workers, bosses and everyone they do business with because there is nothing real about them. That is the secret to success in Humboldt, screw over decent people and the Humboldt Connected will make it worth your while.

I have invested my time, my money into Humboldt for 18 years after being deceptively brought here and had the rug pulled under my feet. And, I am not the only one. Dean Lotter and many others have had their lives ruined by Humboldt which is proof that hell exists and is real right here on earth.

Humboldt abandoned storefronts, dilapidated properties, drugs and crime are a result of lousy leadership and greed. The courts are jammed with cases and lawsuits which are full of Humboldt issues and drama and less about law. I write about what I see and what needs to change. Don't misdirect your anger at me when you won't fix the problems.  

I do support and write about the good in Humboldt. How many of you read those posts and go support those businesses, lawyers, people? 

The biased coverage on issues with the Auditor Controller and the June 7 election coverage are only two examples of certain media outlets constantly fostering hatred and division. They have nothing to offer of substance or interest.

Independent media in Humboldt are not funded by those with the money and the Humboldt Connected because they want the status quo that benefits them and only them.  

This post is for all those in Humboldt who are reviled for simply doing their job and standing up to the corrupt and evil. Humboldt will never change as long as a few stand up while others sit on the sidelines.