Off the Record (February 26, 2020)

JUST IN: Gina Bean, represented by ace Coast attorney, Mark Kalina, has waived her right to a preliminary hearing and will be arraigned on charges of fleeing an accident scene at 9 am Friday, March 6. DA David Eyster is prosecuting the case himself. 

THE BACK STORY, beginning with the CHP account of the sad event: CHP Presser of, Dec. 6, 2019:

“On July 18, 2019, a hit-and-run traffic collision occurred on Highway 1 at Little Lake Road, resulting in fatal injuries to 21 year old Calum Pulido [Hunnicutt], from Mendocino County. The suspected driver, 41 year old Gina Rae Bean, from Mendocino County, was traveling northbound on Highway 1, when she struck Pulido as he was skateboarding westbound on Little Lake Road. Bean subsequently fled the scene in the suspect vehicle, a 2006 Toyota Tundra. As a result of a quick response and follow-up investigation by the California Highway Patrol, Bean’s Toyota was located at a local auto body shop. Upon locating the Toyota, it was determined that Bean’s boyfriend, 36 year old Ricky Santos, from Mendocino County, had attempted to repair Bean’s vehicle in an effort to destroy any evidence.   As a result of an ongoing and thorough investigation, the California Highway Patrol submitted multiple charges to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office on Bean, including Felony Hit-and-Run and Vehicular Manslaughter. Multiple charges were also submitted on Santos, including  Conspiracy and Destroying or Concealing Evidence. On November 27, 2019, the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office issued arrest warrants for both Bean and Santos. On November 27, 2019, investigators from the California Highway Patrol located Santos and placed him under arrest. With the persistence of the California Highway Patrol investigators pursuing Bean, she turned herself in to the Mendocino County Jail on December 2, 2019. Bean then posted a $50,000 bail and was released on bail.  

A COUPLE WEEKS LATER A READER WROTE:  “I just noticed that DA Eyster has decided to charge Gina Bean, the woman who somehow hit and killed pedestrian Calum Hunnicutt in Mendocino last year not with vehicular manslaughter as recommended by the CHP, but that Ms. Bean "...did willfully, unlawfully, and knowingly, being a driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in death to a person other than herself, fail, refuse, and neglect to give to the injured person and to a traffic and police officer at the scene of the accident her name and address...to render reasonable assistance to the injured person; and perform the duties specified in Vehicle Code Sections 23002 and 20004." In other words, vehicle code violations for fleeing the scene, not the penal code violation (PC 192) for vehicular manslaughter. I am not an attorney and I don’t know all the particulars of what happened that fatal night when Ms. Bean (allegedly) ran over Mr. Hunnicutt. But after a little on-line research I see where a prosecutor has to prove some level of reasonable negligence to justify a vehicular manslaughter charge and that one of the main defenses against a vehicular manslaughter charge is to essentially blame the victim for causing his own death by acting negligently himself. So I’m guessing that the CHP report may not provide enough information to prove negligence on Ms. Bean’s part, and, knowing a little about the dangers of skateboarding or walking across the intersection where the incident occurred, the DA may have calculated that the best course is the no-brainer fleeing the scene charge. This way he’s more likely to get a guilty plea and/or verdict and he can avoid the awkward defense tactic of having to publicly point out whatever the late Mr. Hunnicutt may or may not have done to contribute to his own death. (Going too fast? Drugs? Hot dogging? Poor conditions at the intersection, etc.?)  Nevertheless, I think dropping the CHP’s vehicular manslaughter charge this early in the case is premature and unjustified and shouldn’t have been done until after the case was well down the road and at least not sooner than the preliminary hearing.  So far I have not seen any outrage on the part of Mr. Hunnicutt’s friends and family concerning the dropping of the vehicular manslaughter charge though. Maybe they know something I don’t know.”  

WHENEVER JOCKDOM talks about role models and the "values of our organization," brace yourself for major hypocrisy. We’ve been getting it big time lately from baseball, especially with the Commissioner of Baseball’s failure to penalize the cheating Astros and all the huffing and puffing over Aubrey Huff’s idiot statements. Huff is a dumb guy who says dumb things all the time, especially since he's safely retired and beyond whatever real sanctions the Giants front office might mete out if he were still their employee. So now we get this from the Giants: “Earlier this month, we reached out to Aubrey Huff to let him know that he will not be included in the upcoming 2010 World Series Championship reunion,” the Giants said in a statement Monday. “Aubrey has made multiple comments on social media that are unacceptable and run counter to the values of our organization. While we appreciate the many contributions that Aubrey made to the 2010 championship season, we stand by our decision.”

EVEN PABLO SANDOVAL, the guy the Giants helped wriggle out of a sexual assault charge back in the day, is on Huff's case.

WITHOUT HUFF, there might not have been a big year in 2010, and to disinvite him to the 2010 reunion is, as Huff himself, put it, "If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be having a reunion. But if they want to stick with their politically correct, progressive bullshit, that's fine."

SO, what did Huff say on social media that has gotten him blackballed? Back in November, he tweeted a picture of a gun range with the caption "Getting my boys trained up on how to use a gun in the unlikely event that Bernie Sanders beats Donald Trump in the 2020 election.” Uh, a stupid thing to say with its ignorant implication of Bernie as Bolshevik, but jeez, banning the stupeedo who said it?

WHEN THOUSANDS of literalists jumped on Huff’s case for that one, Huff tweeted that he was merely teaching his kids to shoot responsibly and that "I did make a political opinion, but at no time did I threaten anyone's life."

THEN THERE was his garbled, unfunny  joke about "kidnapping about 10" Iranian women to "bring them back here as they fan us and feed us grapes, amongst other things."

IF STUPID REMARKS were ban-worthy, most of us would be in permanent exile.

A READER WRITES: “I’ll never forget a home run Aubrey Huff hit on a warm summer day in 2010. We were sitting in the upper section at SF Park, first base side, but way out near the water. Huff hits a fly ball to right. It goes up and up, and then levels off and defies gravity for the longest time. It just kept soaring at maximum altitude as it passed before us in seeming slow motion. After what seemed like an eternity of floating effortlessly through the air, it began a long slow descent, eventually plopping into the bay with a tiny, very anti-climactic splash. We had the best seats in the house for watching its flight, the most majestic home run I'll probably ever see.” 

WITHOUT HUFF the 2010 season might not have been the whopper it was. It's just plain silly to non-person the guy for saying things one hears on Fox all the time, not to mention am talk radio.

CANDIDATE KENNEDY sees it clearly: “I may sound like a broken record here, but despite some special interest group's desire to re-write history on the purpose of the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), the tax was originally designed to compensate local government for the increased public service costs incurred by serving local tourists. It was not originally intended to 'market' the county, nor was it intended to favor any particular industry. How do we define 'local government'? Law enforcement/public safety is of course under the purview of county government. Local government also includes Fire Districts. Volunteer Fire Districts and Departments are affected by increased tourist activity. Hopefully our County Supervisors, despite who ends up getting elected, can seriously contemplate this message I've been trying to drive home for over a decade."

WITH pervery having sunk their ship, and the Boy Scouts in bankruptcy, maybe the Boy Scout property in Willits will become available as the vital resource it sometimes is as the water stored in its small lake is piped into Willits in time of drought.

THE GLOVES COME OFF! Fourth District Supervisor Candidate Lindy Peters:

Let’s talk about a real issue: Measure V. Though there are residents out in the Mitchell Creek Drive/Simpson Lane area who are busy spreading a rumor that I favor cannabis farms in every RR2 zone in the County, it is not true. Let me state here and now, in my own words, on my own page, I do not want all RR5 or RR2 zoned areas opened-up to cannabis. The specific overlay zone out on Mitchell Creek Drive where some growers opted-in and are currently legal is the only RR 2 area I was referring to in my comments. The neighbors want them to sunset in 2022. I think they should be allowed to stay. End of story. 

But let’s talk about an issue that affects more than just a few residents in an isolated area. Let’s talk about Measure V. 

Here is an issue that does affect the health and safety of all the residents of The Fourth District. Here is an issue where the majority has clearly spoken. The so-called “Hack n’ Squirt” initiative. Overwhelmingly supported by the voters of Mendocino County in 2016. Yet every time 5th District Supervisor Ted Williams has tried to enlist his fellow Board members to join him in demanding the County enforce this voter-approved initiative, Dan Gjerde has not been supportive. Last fall, when Ted made a motion for the County to enforce voter approved initiatives, Dan was pretty much silent. Watch the deliberations and see how the current BOS handles Ted’s proposal which occurred as agenda item 6c on 10/1/19. The next time Supervisor Williams brought it up to the BOS, Dan chastised Ted for grandstanding. It came up again on February 4. I attended and urged the BOS to support Supervisor Williams in his effort to advance the will of the people and direct staff to enforce Measure V. Only then did Dan finally agree to support a watered-down motion that promises to further study how to enforce the 3 year old law. We need stronger leadership on this issue for the voters of the 4th District. I promise if elected to give you just that.

UNDERACHIEVERS FOR OVERPAY

(Ed note: The following is from Anon, but it reflects the local political opinions of Supervisor John McCowen.)

Editor,

I think you had a comment recently about how the increased salary for the Board of Supervisors was supposed to attract a higher caliber candidates. Whoa! With all the underachievers who have come forward it's time to hit the reset button!

In the First District it's a choice between James Green, the invisible man, who has no experience in local government; Glenn McGourty, a career bureaucrat with no record of accomplishment; Jon Kennedy who thinks he’s still in Plumas County based on his featured endorsements; and John Sakowicz who defies rational description. McGourty at least showed up for work every day but now has a chance to double dip with a second pension if he can get five years in with the County. Green, who claims to be a self-employed tech guy, will be looking for his first pension. Kennedy, in addition to getting himself elected as a Plumas County Supervisor at least spends his spare time working without pay to build new homes for Redwood Valley fire victims who were without insurance. Sako, as he is called, is not known to have held a job since he resigned or got fired from working at the jail, an odd move from his claims to a career in high finance. Good luck picking a winner!

In the Second District it's Joel Soinila, a relatively unknown real estate guy with deep roots in the county; Maureen "The Mo you know" Mulheren who sits on the Ukiah City Council and shut down her lackluster insurance business to run full-time for supervisor; and Mari Rodin who claims to have written $100 million in grants and served on the City Council before moving away for a few years. Of the three, all of whom are looking for jobs, Mo clearly needs one the most. With Mari and Mo sitting on the city council each has a lot to account for. Neither has done anything to address the crumbling Palace Hotel which makes a joke of revitalizing downtown. Both support the "road diet" that is supposed to improve traffic flow by shrinking four travel lanes to two downtown. But Mo is going along with recommendation to use measure V funds for high-cost roadside incidentals like replacing water and sewer lines. Mo is also advocating putting in 400 parking meters downtown. Between the road diet construction chaos and the parking meters, that should just about finish off downtown which is already seeing lots of businesses closing. Mo’a only known function on the city council has been as the self-described cheerleader for the rail trail, better known locally as the Hobo Highway. It's a great opportunity to see the seamy underside of Ukiah as one gently steps around the drug addicts needles, trash and deposits of human waste that litter the trail.

In the Fourth District is the relatively undistinguished career politician and incumbent Supervisor Dan Gjerde challenged by earnest but undistinguished local radio personality Lindy Peters who is recently retired and also looking for second pension or at least a paycheck. If Gjerde wins he will be the Dean of the board with eight years in office joined by Williams and Haschak with two years each. If Peters wins the five members of the Board of Supervisors will have a total of four years on the job. In short we are doomed! So much for higher pay attracting more talented candidates!

Name withheld

Ukiah

HELP! The following note was forwarded us from culture critic, David Yearsley: “My name is Lucas Lubic and I'm living in Mendocino County. I got your info from CounterPunch and am struggling with an issue I am hoping you might be willing to help with. I'm renting an rv space for my 5th wheel and have found myself in a landlord's clutches. The Swithenbank family is a large and powerful family here in Fort Bragg and I cannot contend with them legally or otherwise. This is who I'm up against. Can you refer me to a tenant landlord law attorney, whom represents tenants? The only lawyer in town represents the landlord (Swithenbank) and I'm scared. Jone Lemos. I'm in Fort Bragg. I have been experiencing harassment from the landlord and his henchmen. I called the Sheriff last night on the logger live-in caretaker who is the Swithenbank’s brother in law. When the sheriff arrived he had to calm him down as he was screaming ‘liberal faggots’ at my partner and I. Then we were reprimanded. WTF definitely comes to mind? There is more detail if you are interested. Can you offer any guidance? This is probably a long shot but we are at our limit of tolerance with the situation. We would be grateful for any guidance. We otherwise love your articles on Counterpunch and appreciate your mission. Thanks for writing! Lucas+Mickie Lubic, Fort Bragg.”

THE FOR-PROFIT apparatus masquerading as the Democratic Party announced last week that although Bloomberg didn't have the donor qualifications of the other candidates he was polling so well that Democrat Inc just had to include him in tonight's debate. Nothing to do with money, of course, and many Democrats, including more than a few around here, are already saying that they would support any Democrat, including Bloomberg, over Trump, nevermind that Bloomberg's back story is nearly as sordid as Orange Man's. Here at Boonville's beloved weekly we're for Bernie and maybe Warren but that's as far to the right as we will go. We'll vote third party if some combination of Mayor Peter and Klobachar are our choice. We've gone third party since McGovern in '72 who, incidentally, lost to Nixon by a huge margin in Mendocino County, but Bernie isn’t the pushover McGovern was.

(OUR HOUSE was McGovern headquarters in '72. A guy named Mickey Tennenbaum was in overall charge of the get-out-the-vote for McGovern, Mendo branch. I remember calling up Democrats to get out the vote for George because every other person who answered their phone had something insulting to say: "McGovern? Are you nuts?" And a couple of the "That communist! Never" variety. And these were Democrats I was talking to.)

I FULLY EXPECT Democrat Inc. to again shaft Bernie, but this time it will be more dangerous to do a Clinton on him. The millions of young people he's energized, many of them with no shot at whatever has been sold to them as the American dream, and looking at another four years of Trump, just might take to the streets in numbers large enough to put some fear into the oligarchy, ala French working people and the young people of Hong Kong.

MENDO SUPERVISOR CANDIDATE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS (as of latest February 2020 filings with County Elections office)

FIRST DISTRICT

Candidate John Sakowicz: John Sakowicz. $2,000; Stephen Projan, Retired. $2,000.

Candidate Glenn McGourty; SEIU Local 1021. $5,000; John Valentic, Dermatologist, UVMC $500; Jan McGourty (wife). $2,000; Barry Vogel. $125.; McFadden Vineyard. $1,000; John Buchsenstein, “Wine Educator.” $200; Alex deGrassi, $100; Ann & Tommy Thornill, $100; Donna Moschetti, $100; Phyllis Curtis $200.

Candidate James Green; Janet Lapierre, Ret’d. $500; Chris Philbrick, $500; Ross Liberty, $999; Paul Green, $100; Johnny Keyes. $1,000.

Candidate Jon Kennedy; Chris Philbrick. $500; Donald Foster, $250; Kerry Randall, $100; Eve King, $100; Jim Leddy, $100; Janet Upton, $50; 

SECOND DISTRICT; 

Candidate Mari Rodin; Mari Rodin. $1,000; Burt Rodin (retired). $2,000; Barry Vogel. $300; Katrina Frey: $200; Guiness McFadden: $250; Susan Rounds (Educator, Dharma Realm): $100; Renee Vinyard, Phys. Asst. Adv. Health: $250; John Schaeffer $250; Norm Rosen Esq. $250; Justin Peterson Esq. $320; Adina Merenlener, Researcher Hopland Field Station. $2060.; Lisa Hillegas Esq. $125; Margaret O’Rourke Esq. $200; Martha Barra. $1,000 ; John McCowen $1,000; Madelyn Yeo. $100; Susan Jassen. $100; Michael Cannon. $300; Timothy Pletcher, $100; Ian Roth, $100; Alan Nicholson, $100; Clare Friendlander, $100; Marvin Trotter, $100; Howell Hawkes, $250.

Candidate Maureen Mulheren; Suzanne Pletcher $100; James Mulheren (Father). $500; Edward Mulheren $100; Patrick Pekin Esq. $250; Brandy Moulton $520; Jim Brown (retired Prob. Chief, former City Councilman): $100; Lester Marston Esq. $500; William Nathan (Consultant). $900; Shannon Johnson North American Organics. $1350; Cold Creek Compost. $500; Dina Polkinghorne (Project Sanctuary). $200; SEIU 1021. $5,000; Cynthia Dumont. $100; Sunshine Pleasants, $120; Julie Beardsley, $100; Jodi Todd, $100; Melanie Bagby, $144; Chiah Rodrigues, $100; W.Bies Valasco, $100; Maureen Mulheren. $92.

Candidate Joel Soinila; Charles Bartleson (retired). $1,000; Cynthia Jeavons $700; John Jeavons, $150; Vicki Roberts, $65; Helen Raiser, $350; Moises Gonzalez, $25; Scott Miller, $20; Matt Leach. $37; Steven McCall, $20; Mark Maples, $10; Alyssa Ballard, $100; Katrina Ballard, $100; Kirk Kimmelshue, $100; 

FOURTH DISTRICT

Candidate Dan Gjerde: Dan Gjerde. $950.

Candidate Lindy Peters: Michael Strup, Wood Wide Farms. $500.

TED DACE NOTES:” I watched tonight on NBC Nightly News as Lester Holt said the $3 billion fine levied against Wells Fargo resulted from its employees creating new accounts for the bank's customers without their knowledge. Does anyone else find this strange? Why not blame the executives who ordered employees to create bogus accounts? This kind of bias mostly goes unnoticed, but the message is received nonetheless”.

WHEN the news broke earlier this week that those pesky Rooskies were again trying to hoodwink us honest Americans, this time on behalf of that dangerous old bolshie Bernie, I turned immediately to CNN's Situation Room for confirmation. Sure 'nuff, Wolf Blitzer was fairly spinning in his big chair, confirming this latest treachery from the potato-faced tricksters with a fancy babe whose blindingly white teeth seemed to obscure her bona fides. Over at MSNBC, Rachel Maddow was practically hyperventilating, claiming in essence, "First they bring us Trump, now this radical socialist!" And Chris Matthews at the same address went completely nuts, warning that a Sanders presidency would see mainstream pundits like him being executed in Central Park! (And if that glorious vision won't get you feelin' The Bern, you need another VisionQuest.) The Democrat's neo-Nixon, Mayor Pete, spokesman for middle-of-the-road extremists everywhere, declared that Sanders “believes in an inflexible, ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats, not to mention most Americans… That is the choice in front of us. We can prioritize either ideological purity or inclusive victory. We can either call people names online or we can call them into our movement. We can either tighten a narrow and hardcore base or open the tent to a new and broad and big-hearted American coalition." (Add Mayor Pete to your Central Park execution wish list.)

WHATEVER the Russians come up with by way of misinformation, they'll have a hard time topping the above. Face it, folks, for pure bullshit it's US going away. And as the sage said, there's truth and untruth. If you can't tell the diff you're either a Republican or a Democrat.

ON THE SUBJECT of middle-of-the-road extremists, we've got the National Women's Political Caucus, Mendo branch's 2020 Endorsements. This is another front for the Mendo Democrats and, specifically, consists of Val Muchowski and Joe Wildman. Although the NWPC supposedly advances female interests, for Mendo purposes they endorse male Democrats of the right sort as the two-person org did with Dan Hamburg, a male-type guy, over fellow Democrat Wendy Roberts,  a female-type female. This time around the NWPC’s dual membership voted to endorse:

• Glenn McGourty Supervisor, District 1.
• Maureen “Mo” Mulheren for Mendocino Supervisor, District 2 (plus Muchowski-Wildman made a financial contribution to Mo’s campaign)
• Dan Gjerde for Mendocino Supervisor, District 4

HMMM. Who do you suppose county CEO Carmel Angelo wants elected supervisor? Gjerde for sure in the fourth district; Green in the first, but McGourty looks like he may go all the way without a run-off, although Angelo may be over-estimating McGourty's stooge potential; and the CEO would be pleased with either of the two ladies running for the second district seat over Joel Soinila. The CEO and her entire apparat would leap off the Noyo Bridge if John Sakowicz were to be elected, certainly an excellent reason for voting for him, but Sako is the longest of long shots. It's quite likely that this election will give us more of the same, but if Lindy Peters manages to eke out a win over Gjerde, and Soinila noses out a victory in the Powder Puff Derby in the 2md District, there will be a little less rubber in the in the CEO's stamp. BTW, as the Farm Bureau candidate, McGourty has one primary obligation, which has been faithfully carried out by all his modern day predecessors, and that is real cheap water forever for Potter Valley ranchers and grape growers and their downstream comrades, cheap water for them which means ever-higher water rates for everyone else.

MOVIE NOTES from our commander-in-chief: “By the way, how bad were the Academy Awards this year? You see it? ‘And the winner is a movie from South Korea!’ What the hell was that all about? We got enough problems with South Korea out with trade. On top of it, they give them the best movie of the year. Was it good? I don’t know. You know, I’m lookin’ for like – can we get ‘Gone with the Wind’ back please? ‘Sunset Boulevard.’ So many great movies. ‘The winner is from South Korea.’ I thought it was best foreign film, best foreign movie. No! Did this ever happen before? And then you have Brad Pitt, I was never a big fan of his. He got up, said a little wise guy statement. Little wise guy. He’s a little wise guy.”

FRED GARDNER CANNABIS TALK IN WILLITS ON SUNDAY: “I've been invited by Richard Jergensen to give a talk at the opening of a new Cannabis Museum in the old Rexall Building, 90 So. Main Street, in Willits on Sunday  March 1, 2:30 pm. I'm going to recount the history of the medical marijuana movement (which was usurped from the grassroots leaders by Soros-funded operatives in '96 and finally derailed by The Industry by 2015). If I have time for the modern era, I'll discuss the corruption of Cannacraft, a multimillion dollar Santa Rosa corporation with a great PR staff. Dan Hamburg helped them wangle an important permit. (Info: 889-2449)"

ON LINE COMMENTS OF THE WEEK

 [1] Meanwhile here in China, the final solution to the virus problem will be to tell people to go back to work. This has already been communicated by the man in charge.

China can’t afford to shutter the country for much longer and the death rate is only 2%, mostly elderly and those in bad health. It is simply cheaper to sacrifice these and get on with the economy. China has plenty of people.

Today Shanghai is a ghost town. I took the car 15 minutes to the nearest McDonalds to get a real weekend meal and the streets were empty. A few electric bikes was all I saw. The local Carrefour was half empty and showing clear signs of empty shelves, a sign that people are hoarding.

The Western manufacturing company I work for is getting desperate to restart production and wants to send us to within a few miles of one of the most locked down cities in China. Problem is that if you test positive for fever they take you to the camp for testing. After a few days in this camp you will definitely have contracted something since anyone with a fever is removed by force to the camp. Corona, TB, cold, whatever, you are thrown into the camp with extremely limited facilities.

You must understand that the “makeshift hospitals” are not there to give you any medical care but to try to limit the contagion.

Temperature tests are carried out everywhere, when you enter a shop, a workplace or when you enter the gate to your residence.

Westerners do not have options, they will tell your consulate but that’s about it. You do not have the right to choose a private institution of your own, everyone must go to the state appointed “fever clinic”.

Another thing worth noting is that from today they have increased blocking of the VPN’s, making communication difficult.

Needless to say I have told my managers that I will not depart on such an adventure but will rather cancel my contract. There are still direct flight from here to my home country. Most other countries have blocked access to people from China.

Whatever they say this will absolutely screw the world economy up beyond recognition. Small enterprises like restaurants are going belly up and that means lower occupancy rates in commercial real estate. Large ticket items are being postponed. Anyone who can will stay home for as long as possible. Tourism will take big hit.

The Surgeon General has said that hopefully the spread will peak this month and then level off but this will go on for a long time. I think it will take until late spring or early summer before the general public begins to understand the hit the world is taking.

[2] I was a Boy Scout myself, well, 40 years ago now. My Scoutmaster was ousted for being, er, inappropriate with a few boys. Times were different then so it didn’t make any news, not even locally. Since there wasn’t any allegation of full-fledged molestation, or actual sex, the parents didn’t press legal charges. But the BSA did kick him out and banned him for ten years. Of course he should’ve been banned for life.

When I got a bit older I pretty much figured out that my Scoutmaster had his designs on me too. I believe that the reason he never did anything to me was that he was afraid of my Dad. And my Dad did not like him from the get go, and he knew it. He suspected that there was something off about him. That is the key: A Dad who is wise, on the ball, and willing to protect his kids. Sadly too many kids don’t have that protection.

My experience overall was that some of my Scouting involvement was fun and provided me with some good memories. But in the long run it wasn’t really very helpful or morally uplifting, and some of the lowest life characters I ever knew as a teen were fellow Scouts. Including the adult leaders. The BSA overall is full of shit/hypocrisy and filled with despicable people. I hope it doesn’t recover from this bankruptcy.