Despite the fact that he had always been abusive towards me me I always supported his efforts. For example, in 2007 when it was made public that Ben Holder wore a wire while working as a journalist I left the following comment at EdCone.com
"I think a lot of commenters here are missing a bigger point: How is it that with so many professional journalists, the N&R, area bloggers and others all investigating, writing, and commenting on this very story, none of you knew about Ben's involvement? It appears that with the exception of Jerry Bledsoe there has been very little journalism involved in uncovering the facts concerning this case.
Will Ben's reputation suffer? Yeah, probably but not nearly so much as all the others who have spent the last couple of years presenting the "facts" concerning this issue.
I hope Ben continues doing exactly what he's been doing. Is he too cocky? Damn straight. Has he made mistakes? Yes, he's made some mistakes but he's right more than he's wrong. His posts could use an editor but who am I to complain about that? I can tell you from my own conversations with any number of Greensboro police officers and city employees that the rank and file trust Ben Holder when they feel as if they can't go to the "media" and I think the world needs a few more Ben Holders.
The rank and file tell me our local media is too cozy with local "media" so they go to Ben instead.
Ben's reputation will recover, police and city employees will continue to go to Ben when they fear going elsewhere and if nothing else this has proven the level of public distrust and loathing of traditional media.
If I were a journalist I'd be more concerned about being scooped and proven wrong by a local blogger and a single "retired" journalist than I'd be concerned about any mistakes Ben might have made.
Ben Holder is providing a free public service that government and media are either unwilling or unable to provide and we're all better off for it.
And frankly I think Ben is owed some thanks for sticking his neck out and exposing corruption in a city in which he no longer lives. Right now Ben is worrying that there may be retaliation against him for wearing that wire and many reading this have the audacity to complain about him not being transparent enough.
Thank you, Ben."
And how did Ben Holder respond to my thanking him for his efforts:
"Dear bitches, ...killian, clarey, lex, and others...go here...http://thetroublemaker.blogspot.com/2007/03/wire-rest-of-story.html
Billy,
Shut the fuck up. Ben's personal relationships with city employees is what gets him the info he presents. This is not true...i dont have lovers in city hall or on the force..i dont havce buddies...your commenting is supproting me with jibba jabba...I am not well liked..there is not presents...not at city hall"
I should have never given Ben Holder the time of day after that incident in 2007 but like many in Greensboro I was still convinced he was doing good things for our city so I swallowed my pride and let it go like so many times before and after.
But where Ben finally lost my support once and for all, where I finally saw Ben Holder for what he really is, came just days after I gave in to his begging me for his endorsement for city council after I had just written Why I'm Voting For Ben Holder he turned a disagreement about Jamal Fox-- a candidate he wasn't even running against-- into a personal attack against me.
Two things politicians should never do is 1. attack politicians they're not running against and 2. attack someone you begged for an endorsement.
I knew from that point on that once Ben Holder got what he wanted from you he had no more use for you what-so-ever. And I knew he was skum.
Quite honestly, I've kicked myself many times for not retracting that endorsement. Thank God he lost.
Now without any doubt what-so-ever I have established that Ben Holder is a completely self centered asshole with no respect for anyone else. What is next to be determined is whether or not Ben Holder is a liar and quite possibility a thief. We could have determined that a long time ago without the need for these first 9 episodes of the True Confessions Of Ben Holder
but rather than answer my questions Ben has chosen to curse me, deny the evidence without providing evidence to the contrary and post his own story that I easily debunked.
Oh, and as you can see in this video he posted to his blog just today. Ben seems quite adept at childish personal attacks and inferring that others are cowards but he remains afraid to answer my questions.
Oh and this is just too funny. Ben Holder just spent months working as a consultant to code enforcement taking thousands of taxpayer dollars but what do we find on Ben Holder's Twitter Page?
Click on the image to view full size.
Honestly, I couldn't make up this kind of stupidity if I tried.
There's an old saying by cartoonist Scott Adams: "One ‘aw, shit’ wipes out a thousand ‘attaboys’” Ben has had far too many 'aw shits' to ever catch up now.
They say falling off the pedestal is hard-- looks like Ben Holder is falling straight to Hell.
Answer my questions Ben, why are you scared of answering my questions?
My next e-mail to Ben will include a link to this post along with the words:
"Now who's the coward? Answer my questions."
Will Ben Holder answer my questions or will he continue to elude the very Greensboro taxpayers and residents he claims to have been helping all these years? Find out in the True Confessions Of Ben Holder: Episode 10.
Or not.
