Help Nichole Help Us All

Hi, this is ED Denson. I am fundraising for Humboldt County's leading investigative reporter, Nichole Norris. Working on the thinnest shoestring of resources and antiquated equipment she has done with her investigative journalism what our two network TV stations and daily newspaper have not. She has uncovered County government policies that have robbed hundreds of rural landowners of millions of dollars, made buying rural real estate here a very risky proposition. Her work is being published and having practical effects, but it is not paying the bills.  She needs our help upgrading her equipment,  and for her expenses for gas, maintenance, and the practicalities of living and reporting in rural Humboldt.  Check out Red Haired Blackbelt for her latest, "Punished For Another's Crimes Parts 1 and 2.

Here is part of what she has uncovered. The county in addition to penalties, often levied on innocent property owners,  sought the destruction of  buildings, water storage, and other improvements to the land, worth millions when you consider them all,  and costing the owners millions more to destroy. These policies are enforced outside of the courts in adminstrative processes which lack the basic protections of the victim's rights to due process, the presumption of innocence, and freedom from excessive fines all guaranteed by the Constitution. The fines and destruction orders are imposed on the current landowners, even if they are innocent of creating the supposed nuisances and the actual "violators" are known. The violators go free, and the owners are "Punished for Another's Crimes."* Nichole has documented dozens of cases of outrageous treatment of rural residents.

 

Her work is having practical effects. She brought the excesses of the County's Code Enforcement Unit from the bureaucratic shadows to the attention of the public and even of the Board of Supervisors who unwittingly loosed this agency on the public without adequate oversight. It has alerted the public and the Supervisors to the enormous scale of wrongdoing by the CEU. Recent changes in CEU policy have come about directly because of her work which may save the rural landowners over $1,000,000. It is vital to the well-being of the rural people of Humboldt County that her work continues. So far, we are just at the tip of the iceberg.

Local publication fees can never even approach paying her a living wage. We seek to support Nichole Norris in  upgrading her equipment by replacing her ancient and unreliable computer, getting a webcam, and a better mic,  buying gas (!!)  to get to her interviews and paying for maintenance of her truck which suffers from the condition of the remote and mostly unmaintained roads of our county's rural residential areas, and, of course, living expenses. By contributing to this fundraiser, you are validating and supporting this amazing journalist's  work and benefitting our vast county's rural residents. Thank you for considering it.

ED Denson

 

*You may read two of her major articles in the important online publication, Redheaded Blackbelt. (Kymkemp.com) Search the website for Nichole Norris to see all her articles. My favorites are  "Punished for Another's Crimes" (226 comments) and "Penalties, Costs, Fines, and Fees: A Deep Look At the Humboldt County Cannabis Abatement Process."