I’ve been attacked several times over this campaign, and it’s sad and scary, but amazing humans have come forward to advise me and get me through it. Thank you Jill, Kirstie, Junie, Ashley, Rachel, Zan, Markell and others who’ve shown up when I was beaten down emotionally.

And I get it: I’ve long been something of a public figure in this little fishbowl, and I’m not perfect, but I’m also a good human, and not the projection some folks would have over me.

So, here, I correct the record. For those who don’t care about anonymous attacks and drama, I’m with you: do know that what matters is ethics, caring, service, urgent action to help our community…and I will bring that to Boulder City Council and our dear, challenged town if elected.

 
Thank you community. Appreciate your caring. Here’s a little list refuting some of the attacks. It’s such a frustrating part of putting oneself out there, but it’s the muddy world I’ve jumped into.

Someone just sent me an old anonymous thread attacking me. I’ve been savaged many times over the many years Elephant has been a prominent web site, so this is nothing new to me. Many folks say: don’t reply, but I’ve seen actual politicians get muddied and bloodied because they don’t bother to correct the record, and I don’t think that’s fair or healthy for society. Online lies and defamation should be called out, or if ongoing, sued as they are meant to be damaging to one’s genuine community reputation, and untrue. So here goes nothing.

All anonymous and cowardly and not-true. I’ve been something of a public figure in this small town for many years, so I get it, people project, and lies swim around the globe in the time truth takes to get out of the door, as the saying goes. But here’s my replies, without giving the various attacks a voice:

Hey all. Waylon here. Some of the below comments are frankly ridiculous.

City Council barely pays, that’s well known if you bothered to look it up.

I was an early and prominent (meaning I got attacked from the other side) voice saying it was good the Sakyong was exposed, and that Shambhala should separate from him formally, without hate. That has now happened.

Elephant is media, and media has been largely crushed by Big Tech algorithms and lack of links over the past 7 years. Ad revenue is only a small part of our modest income, and salaries to our staff is where 90% of our revenues go. We have good retention and I’m proud of 90% of our articles, even if I disagree with 10% or so.

With the serial sexual assaulter Bikram—if you actually care you’ll bother to watch my video, not just read the scummy headline from whatever blog—I say he should go to jail if found guilty. My video was recorded before he was found guilty, and, appropriately for this thread, I was simply talking ab journalism ethics 101: look at facts, not online attacks.

As far as throwing a cat!? No, sorry, didn’t happen and wouldn’t.

I have nothing but wishes for peace for that ex, but there is a track record there and others would come forward about that who personally experienced it. I wanted nothing but to be left alone and I wish her all the best. Only one person attacked the other in that brief relationship—and it wasn’t me. I did push her (without touching her, by the collar) out of my house as is my right, she was trespassing and trying to sleep over and had already attacked me, jumped on me, texted 40 times in an hour repeatedly, faked a separate, serious injury unrelated to me for months, threatened suicide if I didn’t meet her for brunch, created a fake social profile, tried to hack mine, slammed my glass entrance door for hours at 3 am, etc…she wasn’t welcome and she did slip but it was not off the stairs, that’s a lie, and it wasn’t icey, it was onto the top of the landing from the landing, into a foot of snow from standing to sitting, and even then I half-caught her–I was not trying to hurt her, never would, I simply didn’t want her in my house, late at night, uninvited, when she was not well or welcome. Again she had physically attacked me, punching me, etc. There’s a lot I could go into but let’s just say she was not well and was suicidal (or said she was) and scary, manic, threatening, thoroughly stalkery to the point I got a lawyer and had my windows screwed down, and I tried only to get away from her.

If I were the woman in this case, the case would be clear: I was the victim. But men do get abused and threatened, attacked and stalked, and it was the only relationship in my life that was scary in that way.

Most all of us have had a hard relationship, or scary one, and that was mine. I am friends with 90% of my exes, at worst out of touch for the other 9.9%, and they are happy to back me up in my character as are my friends and community who actually knows me here in Boulder.

I wish you all the best but if it’s truth you care about, I am not what you all are projecting, I have repeatedly called out Shambhala when it’s been unethical, I am running simply to serve, it’s not a job anyone admires or respects, it doesn’t pay hardly, it’s hard, but I care about Boulder despite personal attacks like these here that wouldn’t stand up to fact checks.

Karelis in my view is guilty, and I have called him out as I hope we all would. Many, many, many of us in the Buddhist community were friends with the non-Trident Mike Smith, growing up, and while it’s painful to see a community friend do something like that and go to prison, I can care about him without supporting him in that, and one of my best friends has encouraged me to be there for him in his worst moments and I’ve tried to be.

As for tipping poorly, that surprises me–I’m always friendly and tip well as I’ve been a server, barista, and bartender. I’m friends with restaurants all over town, going way back. I was broke for many years building up Elephant from nothing, but that’s no excuse not to tip and I honestly always tip well. There were one or two restaurants that advertised but paid in trade/gift certif (better for them) who covered the tips—or said they did. If they did not that’s on them, but I am sorry to hear that didn’t happen as service work is hard enough.

I did drink as many do when younger and don’t drink now, I just don’t happen to enjoy it anymore. I never drank habitually etc. I can’t believe some of the comments here–drinking when young is…not unusual or something I’d apologize for. Again I was raised by a loving mom to respect myself and others. I am not perfect and don’t claim to be, but I am not the things folks are saying below.

The only comment I agree with: I invite this to go to journalism, as none of these charges would stand up beyond an anonymous, cowardly, fact-less Reddit thread.

This will be my only comment here. All best to you all. May we be of benefit—