[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=15009

Metheny Criticized For His Criticism
Committeeman says he is expressing his freedom of speech; Democratic Party leaders say he’s breaking common-sense guidelines.

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Dennis Metheny, Coolspring Township trustee and Democratic precinct committeeman, says he is being forced to choose between his precinct position and his right to free speech.

Metheny used his Saturday morning WEFM radio show to blast efforts by party members to oust him as precinct committee person because of his public criticism of fellow Democrats.

"I want people to see how the La Porte County Democratic Party wants to shut down my freedom of speech," Metheny said. "I went into the military to defend the freedom of speech for everyone."

Vidya Kora, the La Porte County Democratic Party chairman, said the issue has nothing to do with freedom of speech but is a matter of Democratic Party rules for precinct committee persons.

Kora received a letter from Rich Mrozinski Jr., president of the La Porte County Democratic Civic Club, saying the members unanimously voted on April 10 to request Metheny's removal. They said he was violating guidelines requiring him to be supportive of the Democratic Party and promote party candidates.

The letter criticizes Metheny for verbally attacking fellow Democrats in public, encouraging citizens to vote against certain Democratic candidates and criticizing Democratic elected officials. It alleged he "uses his radio show to state his anti-Democrat views."

Mrozinski, on behalf of the Democratic Civic Club, said his behavior was "all right for a regular citizen" but not for a Democratic precinct committee person.

Metheny is miffed he never received a copy of the letter and said he didn't know about it until someone told him at a May 6 primary election gathering. Metheny also told The News-Dispatch he never got a copy of the guidelines for precinct committee persons.

Kora said the guidelines have been "passed around at precinct meetings" and they are common-sense practices.

"A precinct committee person's duties are to promote the best interests of the party, to promote party ideas," Kora said. "You look at it in the same way as a member of a team. What's the point of being a precinct committee person if you're bad-mouthing people?"

Kora met with Metheny on May 12 to discuss the matter and suggested it would be easiest for everyone if Metheny resigned. Metheny said he didn't intend to do so, but he understood the position Kora was in by getting the letter.

No official action has been taken against Metheny, who said he has contacted an attorney. Kora said he is having transcriptions made from tapes of Metheny's public access TV program. These will be turned over to a seven-member precinct review committee for evidence of guideline violations.

If the committee finds violations, Kora said Metheny will give him an opportunity to respond. Metheny said he has told Kora, "this will end up in front of a judge."

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Mr. Metheney seems to be an effective trustee. He is also a rude, arrogant man. If he is not following the Dem Civ Club rules, he gets the boot! It really is that simple. Bring this before a judge? What a wacko--the only worse thing would be if a judge found his complaint had merit and took it on in the courtroom. Again, as stated elsewhere, the political parties are free to run their affairs as they wish; there are no Constitutional guarantees on members of these organizations.

[Dave]

"A precinct committee person's duties are to promote the best interests of the party, to promote party ideas," Kora said. "You look at it in the same way as a member of a team. What's the point of being a precinct committee person if you're bad-mouthing people?"

So if you're a precinct committeeman and you think one of the elected officials who happens to be a member of your party is an incompetent moron (I can think of one or two of those in LaPorte County), you have to keep your mouth shut and suck it up?

[Roger Kaputnik]

Not in party meetings. Not if you are speaking as a private citizen. Yes if you are speaking as a party apparatchik.

[Southsider2k12]

So if you're a precinct committeeman and you think one of the elected officials who happens to be a member of your party is an incompetent moron (I can think of one or two of those in LaPorte County), you have to keep your mouth shut and suck it up?

Essentially yes. It goes back to that the party's can make whatever rules they want within their party structure.

[Southsider2k12]

Needless to say, he was pretty angry on his show tonight. I will disagree with him in the aspect that this is NOT a constitutional manner, as it doesn't involve the government instituting rules against him, but a private entity, so all of his readings of the declaration of independence, and the indiana constitution are worthless in my eyes. Those bodies protect the individuals in this country first and foremost, and individuals are allowed to be as foolish and ignorant as they want to be.

[Dave]

People do seem to confuse the major political parties with the government, but the parties are actually private entities. Limits on the government, such as the first, fifth, and fourteenth amendments, don't apply to the Democrats or the Republicans. If the Democrats decided that left handed people were to get two votes in the primaries, they could do that. I don't think they could discriminate based on a suspect class (age, religion, race, gender), but I don't think they have to stick to "one man, one vote." Not for the primaries, that is. A whole differnet story for the general election, though.

[Roger Kaputnik]

It is very different in the primaries vs. the general election because in the primary votes, the voters are voting under the rubric of a private concern, viz., a political party. In the general election, the rules apply as set forth in Indiana and Federal law, and all the constitutional protections are in force.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=57913.79

Metheny Should Be Removed
Mr. Metheny has not only chastised and slandered fellow Democrats, he violated guidelines and targeted certain Democratic candidates and elected officials. Mr. Metheny should be removed as a precinct committeeperson.

Ronald Dombkowski

La Porte

[JHeath]

From the N-D's website (Soundoff section):
http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=58322.09

Posted: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Sound Off! entry by: Greg Kelver

Metheny Switched To Dems
Just to set the record straight, Mr. Metheny was not "heavily involved with the Libertarian Party for years." I believe that Mr. Metheny would confirm that he was a long time Democrat who returned to his roots after making an unsuccessful run for Sheriff as a Libertarian candidate in 2002. Perhaps Mr. Metheny should run as an Independent or just start his own Perfection Party.

[Roger Kaputnik]

In the very few dealings I have have with Mr. M., I have found him to be infantile in his demanding attitude and one of the rudest people I have ever met, though essentially harmless.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=49085.43

Who's Next If Metheny Goes?
What Dennis Metheny lacks in finesse he makes up for with determination to inform the public of what may be going on in the often corrupt world of politics.

Democrats seem to resent Metheny using a radio program as a sounding board for his opinions. The radio program encourages audience participation, but how many disgruntled Democrats have called in to challenge Metheny's comments? If Mr. Metheny is removed as a Democratic precinct committee member, who will be railroaded next?

Nancy Innes

Michigan City

[Roger Kaputnik]

The Dem Party in the County can do what they want. Does Mme. Innes think there is no one who can do what she says Mr. M is doing? Who is he: Jesus Christ Metheny?

[Dan]

Wait, wasn't this the guy who used to be on Public Access all the time, doing th "newspaper clipping" thing?

[JHeath]

Wait, wasn't this the guy who used to be on Public Access all the time, doing th "newspaper clipping" thing?

Was? Try still is. He also co-hosts a Saturday morning radio show with Al Austin on a local FM station.

[Roger Kaputnik]

I may have to call him up and hassle him.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=16488

Metheny Given Final Warning

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - A final warning has been issued to Dennis Metheny, Coolspring Township trustee and Democratic precinct committeeman, by Vidya Kora, La Porte County Democratic Party chairman.

Metheny said he got a four-page letter from Kora warning him that he would be ousted from his precinct committee post if he continued to criticize Democrats on his radio and TV programs. Metheny said he is still "digesting what his next move is going to be."

"I may resign so we can keep the focus of this election on those who are running rather than Dennis Metheny," he said.

But Metheny said he is not going off of radio or TV.

"They're trying to shut me up," he said.

Charges against Metheny were first leveled by Rich Mrozinski Jr., president of the La Porte County Democratic Civic Club, on April 10. Club members unanimously voted to ask Kora for Metheny's removal for violating Democratic Party guidelines by verbally attacking fellow Democrats in public.

"As a precinct committee person, there are rules you have to live by," Mrozinski said. "He has to stop bad-mouthing Democrats. If he doesn't, Dr. Kora has the power to remove him."

Kora said a precinct committee person's duties are to promote the best interests of the party and promote party ideas.

In a meeting with Metheny on May 12, Kora suggested the best course would be for Metheny to resign.

Metheny refused, claiming the right to free speech. At that time, Metheny threatened legal action.

[Dave]

Club members unanimously voted to ask Kora for Metheny's removal for violating Democratic Party guidelines by verbally attacking fellow Democrats in public.

Considering the actions of some of our local elected officials who are members of the Democratic Party, it would be difficult to not violate those guidelines and maintain an above-room-temperature IQ.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Metheny should get the boot. He just does not get the difference between acting out publicly and talking privately. As I have mentioned, his extreme rudeness does not make him many friends.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=16729

Local Democratic leaders demanding one-another resign
Kora: Metheny breaking party policy; Metheny: Kora shouldn’t be running for a school board position.

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The battle between Democratic Coolspring Township Trustee Dennis Metheny and the leadership of the La Porte County Democratic Party is heating up.

Metheny is adamant he won't resign as precinct committeeman. He received a letter from local party chairman Dr. Vidya Kora warning Metheny to stop violating party rules by making public comments against Democratic officeholders, candidates and appointees.

The letter said that if Metheny does not stop, the Precinct Review Committee will seek to remove him as precinct chairman.

Metheny said that is nothing more than a ploy to silence him before the fall election.

"I don't play these politics," Metheny said.

Now, Metheny is asking for Kora to resign as party chairman because he is running for a non-partisan position on the Michigan City Area Schools Board.

Kora said he doesn't feel his resignation is necessary.

"I'm running as a regular citizen who is interested in education," Kora said. "Being party chair does not prevent me from running for school board."

In his letter to Metheny, Kora cited verbatim comments from Metheny's radio and local cable television shows as evidence of a pattern of "attacks and questioning the motives, integrity and sincerity of Democratic officeholders." The comments cited by Kora had Metheny calling for the ouster of County Commissioner Bill Hager, State Rep. Scott Pelath, County Assessor Carol McDaniel and county attorneys Shaw Friedman and Robert Szilagyi.

Metheny said none of the people he criticized have called him. He also maintains he has a constitutional right to criticize elected officials, regardless of party affiliation.

"If they don't want me to talk about Democrats, why don't they keep them off the front page of the newspaper?" Metheny said. "I'm just discussing issues they've gotten themselves into."

Kora countered Metheny is entitled to freedom of speech, but as a precinct committeeman his comments must promote party interests. The party chairman said Metheny's actions fall under two categories listed in party rules as grounds for removal: "disloyalty to the party" and "any course of conduct that does not promote the best interests of the party or creates dissension within the party."

According to Metheny, he didn't know anyone was concerned about his on-air comments until a man he doesn't know told him at the post-primary election party in May.

Metheny said he's miffed no one from the Democratic Party leadership talked with him before a May 12 meeting he had with Kora, which is when Kora asked him to resign.

A request for Metheny's removal came first from Rich Mrozinski Jr., president of the La Porte County Democratic Civic Club. Club members said Metheny violated Democratic Party guidelines by verbally attacking fellow Democrats in public.

Metheny told The News-Dispatch that Mrozinski has had a vendetta against him for 28 years because of a work-related incident.