Home Affront

Yawn and garden: This is a response to a response ("A Thug's Life," Letters, June 5).

There's a reason the middle and upper classes vacated downtown in the last two decades. Out here (down here?) the only time you see a police helicopter overhead in a park is when a jogger loses a fanny pack. The only loud "bangs" you hear after dark are Canada geese landing on power lines, and parking a car on your own street is liable to find you digging out a "work at home" flier from under your wiper.

I don't feel sorry for "Name Withheld Upon Request" who "hated" Overland Park. If cheap rent downtown is a priority, then you make your choices and take your chances.
Bob Darnell (thirteen-year OP resident)
Olathe

Chris Reiter was not "running a $130,000 marketing campaign." He ran one part of it -- the event planning and sponsorship. Ryan Rimmer ran another part of it -- sales and contract compliance -- and I ran the rep staff. Chris, due to his self-absorption and all-consuming conceit, took credit for the dedication and hard work of others. The article said that Chris was at 136 percent of goal. That is completely untrue. My reps were at 136 percent of goal, and Chris had nothing to do with my reps. They exceeded goal because they were great at what they did.

Chris did not hire fifteen reps for the Verizon Amphitheater Program. Jeremy Scheuch did. Chris did not shut down the office; we all did. It doesn't really matter except as an illustration of Chris' paramount arrogance, which no doubt hypnotized Mr. Paynter. (Don't feel bad, Ben, you're not the first one to buy into his bullshit.)

I was quoted as saying that I told the reps their opinions didn't matter. I know where Mr. Paynter got that, but that wasn't what I said. I would never say or even imply that. If it weren't for my reps and the reps who came before them, Camel would not have had the great reputation we had in this town.

And there were more requirements than good looks and good handwriting to be a rep. The requirements were a solid work ethic, integrity, intelligence, personality, initiative and knowledge of the nightlife.
Ryan Short
Kansas City, Missouri

Power puff: I want to thank the Pitch, the inexperience of writer Ben Paynter, and the lying and arrogance of Chris Reiter for making "Burn and Crash" rife with error and inaccuracy. While Ben Paynter did interview Ryan Short, Ryan Rimmer, the reps and myself, he either ignored us or failed to see that Chris was taking credit for things he didn't do.

Chris did not run a $130,000 marketing campaign; he ran part of it. I managed the Amphitheater program and was responsible for rep hiring, payroll, goals, paperwork and field procedure at Verizon.

Chris did not hire fifteen new reps to start working a white tent at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater; I did, though he may have stuck his head in on a few interviews if he thought the applicant was hot. I was promoted to the position of market manager for the Verizon Wireless Camel Program, and I did my job very well. This was a professional, salaried job with benefits and 401(k). Yes, it was a fun job, but everyone from the newest rep to management worked very hard to make it as successful as it was. So seeing someone take credit for things he didn't do is more of a "swift kick in the dick" than losing my job.

One would hope a front-page article that took over a month to do could be more accurate. The factual carelessness of the Pitch gives me little confidence in any articles past or future in your publication. This was an article even Jayson Blair would be proud of. It is the Pitch, though -- I did get what I paid for.
Jeremy Scheuch
Kansas City, Missouri

A professional, salaried job with benefits: I have been Ryan Short's girlfriend for ten months.

I met Ryan when I applied for a job. I worked as a rep for three months, then quit because my boyfriend was more important than a part-time job.

I know what the reps do, and Ryan Short is the most incredible man I've ever met. Both were completely misrepresented in the article I like to call "Chris Reiter's fifteen minutes." That article was completely raped and sodomized by Chris, and Ben Paynter fell victim. As you know, Ryan is on the road, so he had to read it from his computer, and I am sure you will be hearing from him as well!

When Paynter said that reps just had to be pretty and have good handwriting, that was offensive to all of us and made Ryan look like some total jackass! Ryan Short was the SOLE person who hired the reps. I was there having sex in the office with him every day -- I know! NOT CHRIS; he only came in during an interview if she was hot enough to fuck.