More on Stokes: "The War on Liberals"
by David Neiwert
http://cursor.org.nyud.net:8090/images/stokes.jpg
ANTIGREEN FERVOR: John Stokes, a Kalispell,Mont.,
radio host, lit a green swastika on fire at an
'anti-Earth Day' rally he helped organize.
Photo by Robin Loznak~snip~
Kalispell made the news last year when a militia outfit called Project 7 was broken up by local police. Its leader, a 38-year-old named David Burgert, was arrested for jumping bail on an earlier conviction for assaulting an officer and resisting arrest; when captured, officers uncovered him in possession of an arms cache of about 30 weapons and some 30,000 rounds of ammo.66
What was even more disturbing was the simultaneous discovery of his plans for this materiel: To run amok in a killing spree against local authorities. Burgert had organized a team of about 10 people to target some 26 city and county officials, including some of those same police officials, mayors and judges who came out for the potluck last summer.
Burgert, who received support from the usual far-right suspects, eventually pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges in the case, and faces a maximum 10-year prison term when he's sentenced in September. But no one has ever been charged in the alleged conspiracy, partly because any evidence that the plot extended much beyond Burgert's fantasies was not very strong. He has countered by filing a lawsuit against the FBI and Montana's state Division of Criminal Investigation.
But "Project 7" was at best the tip of the iceberg for what's been happening in the Flathead Valley in the past couple of years. See if this has a familiar ring to it: A rabid right-wing radio talk-show host has been stirring up a campaign of hatred aimed at local liberals. In this case, though, the threats have gone beyond simply empty words into concrete action involving threats and intimidation.
The talk-show host in question is a fellow named John Stokes, who operates little KGEZ-AM, a radio station south of town next to Highway 93 (in fact, there are reasons to believe he bought the station mainly as a way to scam the state out of millions in condemnation proceedings, but that's another story). Shortly after Stokes took over in 2000, he began broadcasting right-wing screeds that indeed made Rush Limbaugh sound like "the voice of reason" in contrast. Stokes regularly launched vitriolic attacks on all kinds of liberals; gays and lesbians came in for special scorn (he accused two lesbian activists in Missoula whose home had burned down in an arson of setting the fire themselves), and of course Bill Clinton was a frequent target.More:
http://cursor.org/stories/fascismxiv.php~~~~~~~~~~~Timeline
FVHRN's summary of Stokes' tenure in the valley.
Lives in Washington State where he forged the "Freedom County" mess, a secessionist
movement and worked to destroy Snohomish County's Bond Rating.
1994 Moves to Montana.
Sabotages the planning process in Flathead County while living in Lake County.
An over all feeling of hostility and fear starts to creeps into the valley.
1996 Stokes runs for the Montana Legislature. Is soundly beaten.
1998 Stokes runs for the Montana Legislature. Is soundly beaten again.
2000 Stokes contracts KGEZ, without putting any of his own money down, for $665,000.
KGEZ was one of the oldest, thriving radio stations in the valley.
-contracts the station knowing the highway will be widened.
-contracts the station knowing the airport wants to expand.
-fires the employees.
-starts "The Edge Talk Show" hosted by John and Pam Stokes.
2000-Present Stokes attacks community members by name on air, stepping up a fearful and
scary atmosphere.
The Edge Talk Show singles out conservationist, environmentalists as one of the many
groups to intimidate.
Vandalism, intimidation, and death threats against conservationist, environmentalists
and anyone who speaks out skyrockets.
Stokes refers to women as "babes", while claiming not to be a chauvinist.
Pam makes the claim that when women were given the right to vote, they ruined the
country.*
The community responds by boycotting KGEZ advertisers.
2001 January-John Stokes calls for a bomb threat on the Governors Office.* A webpage called aboutfacts.com (about Flathead Area Citizens Taking a Stand) is
started to try to stem Stokes' damage to the community. aboutfacts is affiliated with
FVHRN
Stokes attacks "Pennys for the Rain Forest" a elementary school program with the
kids.
Sues the Montana Highway Dept for 2.5 million dollars because the road is going to
be widened.
"Not in our Town" is started.
State Officials refuse to go on "The Edge Talk Show"
Governor Martz and Attorney General McGrath refuse to go on "The Edge."
5/23/2001 Martz caught up in radio show controversy, Missoulian State Bureau
5/24/2001 Missoulian State Bureau KGEZ radio - Martz: Show a no-go
Governor Martz's Letter to Stokes
Stokes calls a Holocaust survivor a "cheap whore"
The Daily InterLake -Holocaust survivor tells students about horrors of Auschwitz
Transcipt of Stokes' on air comments.
2001 and 2002 April-Stokes brings the Swastika to the community to intimidate conservationists,
environmentalists and the citizens in general.
The county attorney, sheriff, Kalispell police chief and other community leaders asks for a more
"civil level of public discourse"
May-Makes on air attacks about "The Violent Free Crisis Line"
Transcript of On air comments
The UN Flag shoot
Stokes shows himself as a racist. People who promote Martin Luther King suffer threats.
The Missoula Independent names John Stokes the "Worst Perversion of the public
airwaves".
October-Stokes tries to start "Gate Opening Days". This is an attempt to vandalize
the closed forest gates. The gates close off land to the public for part of year to
protect animals and for fire danger. Non-motorized human traffic is still allowed. The day is a
failure for Stokes.
2002
Over the Edge New report highlights harassment in Flathead Valley
by Ron Sheldon Missoula Independent February 28, 2002
Critics Claim Anti-Green Shock Jock Goes Too Far With His On-Air Antics
Wall Street Journal March 15, 2002
In the heart of the militia belt, radio host John Stokes' show plays to the anger some feel over the federal
government's controls.
By KIM MURPHY, Times Staff Writer Los Angeles Times March 24, 2002
Kalispell rallies against violence, bigotry
By Dave Reese, The Daily InterLake, Kalispell, Montana April 6, 2002
Radical reputation bedevils Mont. Alleged plot reflects times across West
By Tom Kenworthy USA TODAY Monday April 8,2002
The Montana Human Right Networks publishes "School Yard Bullies".
Project 7
Stokes becomes very involved with the "Convoy of Tears" on the radio. He even builds a
swastika for Klamath Falls. The swastika is refused.
The Sheriff department is over loaded with complaints.
Reduces the lawsuit against the Highway amount to 1.1 million when the judge rules
against him.
Brings the Swastika again, to our community to intimidate conservationists,
environmentalists and the citizens in general.
Stokes recruited people to file the lawsuit against Flathead Valley Community College.
Asks listeners for money (with the promise of returning it) for the lawsuit then casually
mentions on the air "The money will be used for future lawsuits", the money is never
heard from again.*
2003
The first FVCC lawsuit is settled out of court.
April-Stokes defaults on the loan for the radio station with Qwesta Mortgage. Qwesta
Mortgage doesn't file foreclosure procedures because they hope to get their money
from the Montana taxpayer byway of the Department of Transportation Lawsuit.
John Stokes gets very creative (but illegal) with financing . Valhalla Mortgage
Stokes, a plaintiff this time, files another lawsuit against the college because the first
lawsuit is settled.
2004
Qwesta Mortgage finally files foreclosure proceedings against John and Pam Stokes for the
KGEZ station.
KGEZ starts to run "Fox News" Programing. A few businesses think the station has changed
hands and start to advertise.
April-The Highway widening project goes forward, without any noticeable change to the quality
of KGEZ's broadcasting. FVHRN is of the opinion that Stokes is using the station to extort money
from the Montana Taxpayer because he can't pay his bills.
The FVCC lawsuit is dismissed again.
May-John and Pam quadruple their claim on the taxpayers of Montana. KGEZ's radio signal and
quality of bradcasting remain intact, but still they want MORE money.
The Montana Human Rights Network and The Flathead Valley Human Rights have a huge laugh
when Stokes and his lawyer try to cencor free speech. This is really funny.
2005
Supreme Court throws the college lawsuit out again.
Plans another Swastika event and UN shoot. These events use guns and violence to intimadate those
Stokes and his thugs don't like. Later....It's cancelled, Stokes has to appear in court.
March-The Hungrey Horse News runs a story on Stokes being in foreclosure.
Stokes has his FCC license dismissed, probably until he pays his bill to the FCC.
The jury trail for Stokes demanding more money from the Highway Department and more
wasting of the taxpayers dollars.
June 30- Stokes holds a fund raiser for himself. He claims the money will be used to up grade the
station. aboutfacts bets he has a bill that has come due for $15,000. This is about his poor business
practices, the foreclosure,and the many lawsuits he's involved in, not equipment upgrade.
Later.. He states on air he raised $12,400. We are are more then willing to help by letting the IRS know.
July 29- Brad Johnson, the Secretary of State goes on the air with Stokes. I get the impression Mr. Johnson
doesn't realize that Stokes is sleazy. But as the conversation goes on it seems Johnson is figuring it out.
2006
The Highway Dept Lawsuit is settled out of court. Stokes Has to pay back $350,000 of the $750,000 the DOT
already paid to him.
May 17- Stokes is picked up for drunk driving.
Mr. Stokes his bank accounts have been seized by the Dept of Transportation, along that of Qwesta Mortgage.
2007
Stokes loses 3 court battles
http://www.aboutfacts.com/Timeline.html*said on air
~~~~~~~~~~Air America vs. John Stokes: The Battle For Montana’s Airwaves
By Nate Schweber, 7-08-05
http://www.newwest.net.nyud.net:8090/images/thumbnails_feature/stokes.jpg~snip~
Stokes is also a member of the Constitution Party, which calls for religion in schools, no Endangered Species Act, no U.S. Department of Education, no immigrants, no welfare, no federally owned public lands, no gays, no U.S. participation in the UN, and no impediments to the free market.
More:
http://www.newwest.net/main/article/air_america_vs_john_stokes_the_battle_for_montanas_airwaves/~~~~~~~~~~~From the website of a Montana radio station:
Congratulations to John Stokes for being in the Top 100 Talk Show Hosts in the nation!
Listen every weekday from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm!http://www.z600.com/~~~~~~~~~~~John Stokes
http://www.klamathforestalliance.org.nyud.net:8090/Organizational/truthandjustice/photojohnstokes1.jpg http://www.klamathforestalliance.org.nyud.net:8090/Organizational/truthandjustice/photojohnstokes2.jpg~snip~
"Before all the liberals in the city get all uppity about (secessionist campaigns), they ought to remember who controls the water supplies. One little 50-gallon drum of PCP in the reservoir out there and (city residents) are all fu**ed up." - Seattle Weekly, March 30, 1994
"This (destruction of gates on federal land) is a region wide civil protest and the gates are being opened now in the dark of nite (sic) without fanfare. It's time Just do it and shut up (sic)." - Stokes e-mail, Oct. 10, 2000.
"This station... (is) going to be doing what we can to help Montana, and create jobs, and get our jobs back, and get rid of these green bastards in our community." Earlier in the same show: "Identify the enemy and drive them into oblivion or obliviate (sic) them." - KGEZ, March 2, 2001.More:
http://www.klamathforestalliance.org/Organizational/truthandjustice/johnstokes.html
Radio host faces lawsuit
By JOHN STANG/The Daily Inter Lake
Published: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 11:47 AM CDT
Radio talk-show host John Stokes has conceded that three of his radio statements about Davar and Todd Gardner were false, but it is up to a Flathead County District Court jury to decide if malice was involved.
That, and other issues, will be decided in a defamation trial that began Monday. In addition, the jury could be asked to decide how much the Gardners actually suffered from Stokes� on-air comments.
More:
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2008/09/16/news/news01.txt~~~~~~~~~~~
http://vpslink.hcn.org.nyud.net:8090/external_files/allimages/2003/sep15/graphics/030915-001.jpgThe West’s Biggest Bully
Feature story - From the September 15, 2003 issue of High Country News by Ray Ring
Environmentalists in Montana’s Flathead County make quiet progress against a 5,000-watt loudmouth
KALISPELL, MONT. — John Stokes, the West’s most notorious radio shock jock, begins his show one morning in August with a rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” followed by a Bible quotation about how God put humans in charge of nature. Then he launches into his chronic harangue, trying to make sure that Flathead County is the last place the environmental movement will ever make any progress.
“You look around now at all the wonderful things that environmentalists have provided to us,” Stokes drawls sarcastically, broadcasting from his KGEZ-AM studio on the southern edge of town. “You know ... we’ve all bought the propaganda (of Montana being) the Laaaast Best Plaaace, let’s saaave the Laaast Bessst Plaaace — this is what you got! This is what you wanted! These are the results.”
He’s referring to the forest-fire smoke that chokes the area, which he blames on environmentalists, because they don’t let loggers remove the flammable trees — and he also claims there’s a conspiracy of green arsonists, who just like to see things burn. Even if you can’t stand what he’s saying, his spirited delivery draws you in; with his shouting, his intimate near-whisper, his rhythm, he sounds like a revival-tent preacher. His anger is pure. He goes on about “the whining liberals and the eco-nuts” and “the fat-bottomed women ... of the Commies for a Better Flathead,” twisting the name of one group, Citizens for a Better Flathead.
“A hundred and forty-THOUSAND acres have been burned up!” Stokes blares. “Let’s do a little calculation ... Let’s say, for instance, there are two bunnies per acre in the forest land. So how many (have) the green policies burned? ... Two hundred and eighty-THOUSAND bunnies have burned. Let’s not forget the fawns.
More:
http://www.hcn.org/issues/258/14236
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