RUN-AROUND SAM
Okay, I told you on the show yesterday I would not talk about the Sam Cahnman car story anymore; but I did say I would blog about it. It felt really good when I received several phone calls, after the show ended, with folks saying "You're right on the money, Pamela." In fact, even one former Alderman said to my face "I don't know why Cahnman is giving you guys the run-around. It doesn't make sense."
So let me try to explain AGAIN, and show you what I have here. First here's the original story from the SJ-R. I reported the story the day before for WMAY News with a little bit different take on it. I also spoke with Alderman Cahnman on the air on my talk show the same day.
But here's the rub. Alderman Cahnman says he can PROVE he doesn't own the car. Well, that's what I'm waiting on. The SJ-R printed this... Cahnman, a lawyer and former Sangamon County Board member who is in his first term as a Springfield alderman, called it “much ado about nothing” and said he could prove he no longer owned the car. The car, I might add, that was abandoned and found with drug paraphernalia in it. According to the SJ-R, Yazell (the mechanic/agent who said he sold the car for Cahnman) said he had written two receipts for the sale, one for the buyer and one for himself. The receipt is dated Sept. 14 and written in red is that $150 was paid in full.
Okay. I asked Alderman Cahnman on the air if he could provide that receipt. He said yes. He said he would get it to us last THURSDAY. Cahnman told Jim Leach on his morning show that he could provide a copy of that receipt. WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A COPY OF THE RECEIPT described above. Instead, what we've received is a handwritten note that is nothing more than a statement from Mr. Yazell that he traded Alderman Cahnman's car. In fact, the note reads that Yazell owes Theil $150.00. There's nothing here that shows anything paid in full. Look for yourself.
The next story was released by the SJ-R with the headline "Court Documents Back Cahnman on Ownership of Car", but it doesn't. The "court document" is a ticket that was issued to an Ian P. Theil on September 15, 2007. All that does is show that Cahnman was not in possession of that car on 9/15/07. Something doesn't add up here. If there are documents to prove that Cahnman doesn't own the car, then PRODUCE THE DAMN DOCUMENTS. Alderman Cahnman is the one that offered that statement up freely in interviews. No other media has seen this receipt "paid in full." They've all seen the document I've copied for you at the top of this blog.
It's nothing personal, Alderman. But you're an elected official. And you're an attorney. There's no reason to give media the run-around when we're just asking you to give us what you promised to give us. And if you're going to do this on a "non-story" what should we expect when there's something of real consequence to the tax payers of Springfield? I heard Bernie Schoenburg from the SJ-R on Former Alderman Frank McNeil's show last night. (heard on WMAY Tuesday thru Friday at 6pm) He talked about being tenacious when a politician isn't shooting straight with him. I don't think I'm doing anything less than what Schoenburg would do.
Tell me the truth, don't jerk me around. This story is not that big of a deal, so there's no reason to be evasive. Unless, you have something to hide, Mr. Cahnman.
posted by Pamela Furr at
11:51 AM
41 Comments:
Pam, for the love of god, let it go! This has got to stop. Talk about beating a subject to death! I know you dont like him very much and you would like to see this story amount to more than it is, but I think it is starting to hurt your rep as a news person in this town. I am a fan, but I am begging you to let this go. It really comes across as a personal attack now. Please dont let the four or five people who think it is a story cause you to loose the many listeners who are tired of hearing about this.
Can you read? It says bill of sale. Lets call in the FBI and homeland security and have it examined. This could be a CSI or Law and Order Plot Line.
Annon 3:41 - it's not a personal attack. I'm not hurting my rep as a news person. This is my assignment as a news person. Call Jim Leach if you'd like me to drop it. I'm doing my job. Does it not concern you that an Alderman is not being honest here?
Annon 3:43 I can put a label on my car that says Toyota, but that won't make my Honda a Toyota. Read for yourself, it's not a bill of sale. Any judge in ANY courtroom would throw that out.
Pamela, if Jim thinks it is such a big issue, why doesnt he talk about it? Sam it being honest with you. It does not bother me. I do think this is personal and a majority of people do as well. I also think that if he was a GOP and not a democrat you would not keep going on about this. You need to realize that you have already established a past with Sam last year and made it well know that you do not like him. Let it drop, there are plenty of stories out there.
Annon 4:17 - Jim did talk about it this morning. You apparantly weren't listening. I have NEVER said I don't like Sam Cahnman. This has nothing to do with him being a democrat. Most people in Springfield know that although I vote mostly Republican, on the local level, most of my support leans democrat. This has to do with exactly what I have said it has to do with. We (the entire Springfield media) is getting the run-around.
We "is" should have read We "are". Sorry - throwback to an earlier, uneducated time.
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Pam
You are letting personal feelings for Sam get in the way of your job.
Let him go.
Hope this helps..
dont let it go. It all seems a little "too neat." Keep up the muckracking. There are a number of people in my precinct in Ward 5 who are a little disappointed in our alderman...and we did a lot of foot work and word of mouth on his behalf.
He is an elected official, responsible to the people who elected him. If he is being dishonest or witholding all the facts, then we are indebted to you for holding his feet to the flame. Keep it up!
Sorry to tell you but...any SIGNED document by both parties that state the car has been sold can be used as a receipt. As long as both partied signed it...it is legal. Pam you really are not well liked in many state offices here at the SOS. Madonia works here and you talked bad about him. Now you are so damn hell bent on getting Sam Cahnman in trouble, It has everybody up in arms. Do your job the RIGHT way. Stop acting like you know it all. It also pisses me off that my mother could not find a convenient place to park many times downtown while you avoided paying the meter. And continued to until you were caught. She is 80 with a heart condition but I guess you needed to park close so you wouldn't have to walk so far. You broke the law many times and you could care less about us hard working tax payers who needed those spaces to do actual business downtown. So why Pam....why did you wait and not pay???? Come on big shot......you want Sam to prove things what about you??????
Pam:
The word on the street is that you're leaving because of this thing with Sam.
Where and why are you going. It is rediculous to be forced out of a job because of this.
Say it ain't so.
Good Luck.
Annon 8:58 Do you see two SIGNATURES on the document? There's only one. It is not a bill of sale/receipt. Many, you work for the SOS office? This scares me. I'm not hell bent on getting Sam in trouble. I think it's the other way around. Let me ask you something about your mother. Did she try to park between 9am and noon every Wednesday? Because that's the only time I parked downtown where there is a ticket. Don't write me back and say yes, because as an annonymous poster, no one will beleive you. I've commented on the tickets on the show. I disputed the findings and lost, so now I'm paying off the tickets -- LIKE ANYONE ELSE WOULD DO.
Greg -
Word on the street? Well, the word is wrong. I'm not leaving. I'm not being forced to leave. As I've said at least a dozen times, my bosses are being me on this one. I'm doing my job. Why would I leave?
Pam,
Keep it up, you are doing a good job. You have obviously hit a sore spot with these Cahnman lovers. The bottom line is that the guy is a squirrel and I would not trust him as far as I could throw him. I love your show and think you offer a breath of fresh air here in Springfield.
Good luck. Also, I wish you would have pushed sexual harassment charges against Cahnman when he cornered you and kissed you last year. The guy is a bum.
Well being my mother and her friends who live in the Washington Plaza retirement home had to go downtown to buy veggies and needed to park down there. But thats ok you could care less about her or anybody else. And let me tell you something. She has the right to park downtown and plug the meters unlike you who refused to do so. Why don't you park underground and walk. Not like you don't need the exercise. No I and a few others will be watching your car and if I see it in an unplugged meter, I will call the police. Oh and has Cahnman been arrested? Has the police or states atty done anything to Cahnman?? From what I am hearing this case is nothing but an attempt by you to do anything to give Sam a bad name. Did anyone witness this so called trying to kiss you? I doubt it. Who would want to anyway? This case with Sam is dropped. Nothing more will come out of it. You lost again. As usual, you have bad info.
I hope you can go one day without saying a word about this...let it die. I not longer take WMAY seriously.
To anonymous 11:51am
Why even listen to her show to begin with? If she isn't talking about her queer friens she is crying about something that happened 20 yrs ago. Oh wait...did I mention sucking up to Davlin!!!!! I turned her off after this past city election. WFMB 1450 and the Big 550 are way better than little Miss crybaby.
You people need to get a grip. You keep complaining about Pamela on Pamela's blog about hating the show, yet you know you listen every single day. Also, to the one poster, Pamela's parking tickets weren't for parking ALL DAY downtown at a meter. It's public record, check it out yourself. The parking tickets are for parking after the meter expired. The tickets are on Wednesday's only. She was only parked there from about 8:30am (that varies) to about 12:15p - 12:30pm during her show. You talk about your mother going to buy her veggies. Ever think of doing her shopping? She's 80 for crying out loud. To the "kissing" incident. You heard the explanation to that. Jim Leach was a witness. It happened the day that Chuck Redpath & Sam Cahnman had their debate on Leach's show. I don't believe anyone is saying this is something Sam needs to be arrested for. But you guys do have to ask yourself why is he not being honest with not only WMAY, but every other media outlet. I say Pamela is on to something and should not let it go. Unfortunately, I think perhaps Pamela has been maniuplated by Cahnman so he can play the victim again. No one is trying to smear him. He's doing a damn good job of doing it to himself.
To Anon at 1:16 I am sure you work with her or you are a family member. She is out of line and she will not stop. I listen to her show because she used to talk about important issues. I am giving her a chance to when me back as a listener. The parking issue makes you wonder why she feels she can demand answers from Sam. She has her own issues to take care of.
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To Anon 2:23. I don't work with her nor am I a family member. What would make you say that? No, I just know Cahnman and his stupidity. If you listen to her show, then you know she has addressed the parking meter situation and is paying off her debt. But just because she does owe money for parking tickets, doesn't mean she doesn't have a right to demand the truth out of an elected official. It wouldn't surprise me if one of you, or all of you aren't the CON-man himself posting.
No, I am not Sam. However, I do think that he does contibute a great deal to this community and for some reason Pam decided to try to further her career by trashing his and I cannot tolerate it. WMAY does nothing more than get a copy of the SJR and read the headlines. It is not hard to see that. When is the last time she came up with her own story. I think in todays show she is going to read the movie listings.
Freedon of speech??? Yea right. Go ahead Pam and delete my posts but maybe another blog will spill the truth about what you are doing. You will not delete posts on my blog!!!!!!!! Hey everybody it is 3...time to switch quick to the Big 550 or 1450 WFMB....the home of the Great White Sammy!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I'll be doing movie listings and the dictionary.. "A's & B's" today. Tune in. :>)
Tell me, by the way, how I have trashed Sam's career? And did I further mine? I'm just doing my job. Relax for a few minutes and get a clearer head before you post. Good grief.
I do original stories all the time, you just don't hear any of us say "oh - that story was written by Pamela Furr" or "Jim Leach" or " Kirk Farah" Or "Barb Fees."
Pamela,
I love that all of these people are trashing you, but yet they are at your blog spot? Makes no sense to me what so ever! If they did not listen to the show then they would most likely not know about your blog spot. I think you did a great job with the story.
Well, tell us anon 3:06 where your blog is so we can read your incredible posts. I will delete if you post something inappropriate. Sorry.
Sorry but you delete nothing onmy blog. Get over it.
Anon 3:25 - you make no sense.
Like I said...good luck deleting anything that I write on my site. Het Steven A Smith has a great show today on WFMB. Talking about Kobe Bryant!!!!!!!!!!!
Pam, I know for a fact that you guys get 95 percent of your news from the sjr so that is why I am so confused that you are going to continue with this story. You are going to have nothing to go on since the SJR dropped it. That was a very touching segment you had at the start of your show today about your friend who is ill....see I can saying something nice!
To anonymous at 3:40
Glad you can because I will never say anything nice about this person. Not when she does wrong and won't admit it yet Sam has to bend over and kiss her ass. No way Jose will that work in my book. The issue with Sam is dead...ask the police, states atty, the SJ-R......anybody!!!!!! Now off to write some more about this pitiful person and wmay!!!!!!!!!
Anon 3:40 - Please direct your comments to jimleachshow@hotmail.com. I'm sure he would love to know how you know "for a fact" we get 95% of our news from the SJ-R. That is hilarious. Would you like to list those stories for me? Oh, by the way, the Police & the State's attorney's office have not "dropped" this. They are investigating the drug portion of the story. Have you forgotten that part?
Its not hard to know when you lead off every news story by saying "the state journal register is reporting.." In your next segment would you mind reading me the dear abby section.
Pam...
The police and states atty are not investigating Sam Cahnman. They are investigating the actual owner and his son not Sam. Keep trying to implicate Sam in all of this. He has to answer to only the police and states atty not any radio show host.
Anon 4:17. Where do you read where I said they were investigating Sam Cahnman. I said the drug portion of the story. Jesus - you guys. READ. CLEAN OUT YOUR EARS. I'm not stumbling here. You are the ones making a big deal out of this, not me. Oh wait - let me check my tracking device. Is this coming from a particular law office in town? Hmmm
Wow - that's shut 'em up, eh? LOL! Can't help but laugh. out loud. VERY LOUD.
Parking scofflaws clearing up fines
Out of $165,000 owed by 152 violators, $112,000 has been paid
By SARAH ANTONACCI
STAFF WRITER
Published Sunday, August 19, 2007
A total of 152 people owe the city of Springfield more than $500 each in parking ticket fines.
Web extra: View list of people with unpaid tickets
Together, the amount they owe reaches about $165,000. But, perhaps surprisingly, those same 152 people have already paid $112,000 toward their parking fine debts.
Among them, they've accrued nearly 25,000 parking tickets.
A State Journal-Register story several weeks ago reported on the top 20 parking ticket scofflaws. The fact that the city was owed about $935,000 in unpaid fines as of last month prompted a return to the subject to examine the second tier of parking violators.
The list of everyone who owes $500 or more, generated by City Treasurer Jim Langfelder's office, covers August 1989 to Aug. 1, 2007.
Parking generates significant revenue for the city. In its last fiscal year, city government took in about $961,000 from meter revenue and fines. The total was $1.03 million the year before.
Of those who owe more than $500:
58 people have had their licenses suspended, and 27 more have had their names forwarded to the secretary of state's office for suspension; 20 have had warning notices sent to them; 29 have signed agreements to pay their parking debts; the cases of eight people have been forwarded to collection agencies; seven people have both had their licenses suspended and are in collection; and the cases of three others have been disposed of in other ways.
42 people on the list have paid nothing toward the fines they owe, but 30 already have paid more than $1,000 each in fines
Two people have accrued more than 1,000 parking tickets each.
One of those is Robert Markfield. Records show that Markfield has amassed 1,776 parking tickets. He has already paid $15,440 in fines, but still owes the city just under $1,000.
Messages left for Markfield at his home and where he is thought to work were not returned.
In fact, attempts were made to contact a half-dozen people on the list, but only one was willing to talk - it's what she does for a living.
Pamela Furr, a radio talk-show host on WMAY-970 AM, who has talked openly on the air about her parking issues, has received 118 tickets, according to the city. She has paid, or had excused, $305 worth of tickets, but still owes $1,020.
"The media pass I had did not have an expiration date on it. I was using it to park, and I would still get tickets," Furr said. WMAY hosts broadcast from downtown once a week, and Furr said she got most of her tickets when she was downtown for that reason.
"I put the tickets away and didn't think about it until I got a notice saying I had quite a few tickets."
She submitted a written statement to the parking ticket hearing officer in an attempt to get some of the tickets excused but lost, Furr said. She said she has since worked out a deal with the city to determine what tickets she owes for and to get on a payment plan.
Furr talked about the issue on her program earlier this month after she received a ticket for being over the time limit allotted on the meter.
"Let's see, 9:19 is when they gave the ticket. So tell me they weren't stalking my car. I'm a little (angry)," she said on the air. "I'll tell you something. I'm not paying this ticket. Not paying it. It's BS."
Furr was upset because she believed she her car was at the meter only a minute or so longer than it should have been.
"Now I see your frustration, Springfield," she said at the time. "Now I feel your pain. Now I understand. I'm going to fight this. I'm going to fight all the other ones I've got. It's my constitutional right if I don't agree with the tickets."
Furr apparently had calmed down a bit by the time she was interviewed last week. She also said she won't ask for another media pass.
"I'll just pay for parking. It's no big deal. Put a quarter in the meter."
Sarah Antonacci can be reached at 788-1529 or sarah.antonacci@sj-r.com
I am sorry but after a few tickets I would have checked into this to see if my pass was valid. I happen to know a few of the meter readers and sorry toots....you are not going to get gree passes just because you think you are a hot shot radio host. The law is what it is....you have acertain amount of time on a meter. If it goes over and you did not put money in...they can and as in your case WILL give you a ticket. They are doing their job. What they suppose to do??? Ignore it until an hour later? They knew you were a chronic violator. I would have been looking for your car also. Now....pay up toots and don't do it again. Or you might get the boot....hopefully out of town!!!!!!
I dont dislike Pam and I am not sure what these tickets have to do with anything. I am upset about how she conducted herself with Sam. I was a dissapointment. I dont know how you can go from doing a good interview (like yesterday with the lawsuit) and still be so hung up with Sam. Please drop it.
break out the cry towl...
There are some angry people in Springfield Illinois. Maybe there's something in the water. I suggest some therapy for this group and Pam don't respond to these odd, odd people. Or maybe some ideas for them for wonderful happy drugs. "Come on get happy"
I think we are happier in Ohio and we like to talk about subjects without having blood pressure issues. It's a lot more fun! Try it.
Ohio? You listen to WMAY in Ohio? Yay! But .. .why? Just curious...
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