Presently, the racecourse crosses Private and Public Lands, and at no time have we been shown any documents regarding waivers from private property owners and the BLM. For that matter, RARA is refusing to grant access to Public Records and Observation of a Public Record Event, and the racecourse maps are deliberately vague at their website. The only true racecourse maps exist on the walls of the Pilot's Briefing area, and the fact that the pilots are violating State and Federal regulations is being kept from the Public, some of the pilots (though others do know...), the Press, and Law Enforcement, with the exception of the FAA, which also knows that these people are screwing up royally.

We'll seek a Court injunction since RARA has the local FAA in their pockets, and their friends in politics and the RRL, have the FAA National in their pockets! Any attempt to block myself or my photographers from private land, where the owner permits our access, or Public Lands, will be considered an attempt at False Imprisonment, beyond the issue of First Amendment Civil Rights, i.e., Freedom of Press.

I will add that the Constitution provides for the unrestricted movement of U.S. Citizens from State to State, and within the States. Anyone interfering with my reporters or myself, will be dealt with by my organization and myself, as a Civil Rights Violator. And I will go for maximum punishment!

Attorneys Beware!

In the meantime, we direct you to RARA's website and this address ~ You will have to copy and paste the address because it would appear these people are so frightened of the Truth, that they have their page set up to reject links to it from our website in particular:

http://www.airrace.org/photoContest.php

You can also go in via www.airrace.org and look down the column on the right for "Photo Contest." We've made copies of the pages for Court, so if they attempt to run any other interference, we will publish per the DMCA and the Copyright Act.

This is one of the latest bribes by the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) and Mike Houghton to get good Press from members whom they issue Press Credentials to, a violation of the First Amendment, Journalistic Ethics (for those Press organizations accepting RARA Credentials), and part of an ongoing fraud in which the RARA buys good Press in exchange for Press and Pylon Passes, plus a myriad of other perks and benefits handed out to their "bought Press," including Wayne Sagar's AAFO.Com.

What makes it a bribe? The fact that only photographers "credentialed" by the RARA are allowed to compete, not the fans, not the general public, who have paid their way in. There is an additional bribe as the prize to be won is the winner's choice of a non-media pylon at which to stand to take photos at during the Sunday Gold.

There will also be a People's Choice Award, though the People are left out of the competition.

Other Press Photographers who pay their way in so as not to be unethically bound by RARA's "Press Regulations Rules," another First Amendment violation, are also excluded, though they may not have any political or personal disagreements with RARA, and they're still going to report.

Bought Press. Bought Press. Bought Press. It's that plain and simple.

Click on this link Ethics Check List for the Committee of Concerned Journalists (CCJ) at www.journalism.org, and this Link under "Maintanining your Independence" for Conflict of Interest Checklist, for a COI List that will tell you, the reader, just how many ethical guidelines are being violated by both the event, RARA, Houghton, and more importantly, any Journalist that accepts these bribes that include Pylon Pass, Press Credentials, free food, connections to print publications for financial gain, prizes, preferential treatment in regards to Photo Contests, Air to Air photography, Pylon and Racecourse access, etc.

After that, try and be careful as to whom you get your Press from. Find out who accepts these bribes, find out who doesn't, find out who speaks out against misconduct at the event, find out who doesn't, find out who is concerened with ethics and Truth in Reporting, find out who isn't, find out who's afraid of the event and Houghton, find out who isn't, and then make an educated decision as to where you should get your news from.

Our sources indicated that the Press Corps has been whittled down from approximately 900 people when Houghton first took over, to approximately 50 people at this time. RARA has a lot of pressure on the remaining "RARA credentialed media," who are not supposed to be RARA credentialed but only credentialed by their Press organizations, to tow the line as there are approximately 850 other people, Journalists and non-Journalists, who would love to take their place.

Solidarity...almost totally lacking in Air Racing and the "Reno-credentialed Press Corps," and I use that latter term lightly.

Strength in numbers only applies when those numbers possess strength in their morals, ethics and values, not to mention, moral and physical courage. Otherwise, it's "dog eat dog" and "every man for himself." Chivalry is not dead, except at Stead Airport, Nevada, each June and September.

When the Air Races are dead, remember who reported the Truth and who didn't, before you assess blame on the media. When the Air Races are dead, remember who sold the land to their friends at the AAWC: Mike Houghton and the Board of Directors of the Reno Air Racing Association.

See Also:

RTNDA Guidelines on Professional Ethics in Journalism