The Royal and Ancient Order of American journalism precludes me from saying much on the merits of Jeremy Portje’s status in the club. I’ll only say this for reader edification and better understanding of the situation: On the broad scale of “journalism” these days, he’d be on the far left propagandist wing of the spectrum. Kind of a local low-rent version of James O’Keefe and Project Veritas.
That’s the unvarnished truth.
For those not up to date on the Portje Affair, he was arrested in Sausalito at the homeless encampment there on Monday, Nov. 30, for battery on a police officer and resisting a law enforcement officer with violence.
Mr. Portje is a protest gadfly about town who says he’s a videographer for the homeless in Marin. It’s also relevant to point out that he has a certain reputation in Novato for using his camera to chronicle protests in a way that is pushy and intimidating for some. It won’t take the DA long to figure out Mr. Portje’s status and M.O. for “reporting”, but I doubt that any of that will be the hinge upon which this case swings.
The question will (and should) simply be this: What happened in that initial confrontation? Did Mr. Portje comply with the police? Or not?
If he did anything other than to immediately and fully comply, he should face consequences.
This should be easy to determine. Don’t let this one linger, Madam DA.
NOVATO’S EMBARRASSMENT
A sidebar to the arrest of Jeremy Portje is this: Why in the world did the Novato City Council put this guy on the police advisory board in the first place? The advisory group is not a joke. It needs serious appointees. Instead, we now have the town’s No. 2 person in the group jailed for assaulting a police officer. Not funny.
He’s not the only dumb appointee on the advisory board, by the way. But, I suspect the Council knows this too. Somebody’s got to mop up this embarrassment.
OAKLAND DOES THE RIGHT THING
Oakland, the city that loves to hate police, has reversed itself on the “Defund The Police” mantra. As we pointed out here last week, the mayor proposed hiring more cops in the wake of the murder rate in the city going through the roof.
Well, last week the City Council voted to approve two new police academies and to use a professional recruiter to help lure experienced police officers amid a debate over how to keep the city safe in the face of a spike in violent crime.
First, good for Oakland. This is a step in the right direction.
Second, Oakland’s going to need one hell of a recruiter because in the law enforcement world, the city’s reputation is mud.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
“Taking Viagra cuts the risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 69% and it could be prescribed to beat dementia, study suggests.” Now, if we can only remember to take Viagra.
ONE MORE THING
– Save the Earth. It’s the only planet with beer.
– I am officially “you look good for your age” years old.
– How does Moses make his coffee? Hebrews it.
– Beware of the dog. (The cat is shady as hell, too.)
– Put the politicians on minimum wage and see how fast things change.
It’s been a newsy end of the year in Marin, has it not? We know you have a lot of options. Thanks for reading us. Please, be kind to those you meet, laugh a little and always question authority.
(Sherman Frederick is an award-winning journalist and publisher of Marin’s community newspapers — the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. He is co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
Anyone with a video camera is now a videographer? As “Videographer of the Year”, not once but five times,, past president of the Professional Photographers of the Redwood Empire, and proud recipient of many awards for my video work many years ago, why in the world would we give any credence to this imposter of “video journalist”, Porkejee?
The Novato police did nothing to investigate my criminal complaint, all caught on my bodycam, that Jerkeme approached me downtown after a Trump rally and attempted to bait me into a fight, then stalked and chased me downtown with his woke female accomplice in tow until the owner of Finnigan’s came to my aid and stood by me in front of his restaurant and bar.
I want to thank the owner of Finnigan’s for standing up to these two racist, woke, derelicts who by doing so risked his restaurant being burnt to the ground in the middle of the night for protecting an old man and his two little defenseless dogs on leash. How many other victims of these deranged, race baiting, cop haters are out there is unknown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTMYyKeR2Ig&t=46s
Thank you George! I didn’t know that the owner of Finnigans came to help you!
In addition, last year I emailed the weblink to this video to the Novato City Council for review. After I got no response, I then demanded at a council meeting that he be removed from the Novato Police Oversight Commission, or whatever the F— it is called. I spoke for three minutes until the nazi mayor Eckland turned off my microphone. The woke city council said nothing, did nothing. No response. No phone call. No email. Moving Marin Forward did nothing but offer me another piece of cake.
I spoke last night at the Novato City Council telling them how aggressive Jeremy is with his camera and pushing a senior citizen to the point of the a security guard having to stop Jeremy from further aggression. He needs to be removed from NPRD immediately!
So you print George Barich’s comments but not mine?
I thought your only allegiance is to journalism
George Barich does not live in Marin County much less Novato. Why are you giving him ink but not Novato citizens?
As Megan has been told a dozen times now, I have business and property interests in Novato. That gives me the Constitutional right to speak about Novato and address the woke Novato city council anytime I please. Megan may not like our Constitution but this is a fact.
Megan must believe that one must lay their head to sleep in Novato in order to have a VOICE in Novato, which is absurd. I have tried to explain this to her many times but she simply doesn’t get it, or is simply in denial. Employees who work in Novato, who live elsewhere, also have the right to speak about Novato in Novato. Novato college students and school children, who live elsewhere, have the right to speak about Novato, etc. This is all covered in high school CIVICS class, but you have to attend class to get the information.
Rather than address the real issue here, some people just seem enamored by social deviants, career racists, police agitators, street bullies, fake dog lovers, and the habitual unemployed they can’t see straight. It is their Constitutional right to fight for the underclass and Marxist revolutionaries in our midst. I support the right of all those who live to enable lawbreakers, feed them, clothe them, help them apply for government handouts, and keep a roof over their heads.
Journalism is not about putting profanity, personal attacks, and outright lies in INK. That’s why many comments are routinely rejected here.
Agreed!!! well said George thank you!