DFO: Who’s Intimidating Whom?

I’ve been thinking about Dan Gookin’s claims that there is a “culture of intimidation” in some segments of the Coeur d’Alene community — and EJS’s contention that such a culture may exist at Huckleberries Online. In the old days — and to some extent today — most of the movers and shakers tried mightily to stay on the right side of Duane Hagadone, his lieutenants, and the Coeur d’Alene Press. I survived all these years in the Lake City because I work for the other guys. Mayor Sandi Bloem is the only major political figure to survive despite attracting Hagadone’s ire. Hagadone doesn’t carry the clout that he once did. But Coeur d’Alene still can be intimidating. After all, it’s a small town with a lot of connections. Individuals who challenge the status quo can find themselves on the outside, the subject of gossip. Conversely, Gookin, Mary Souza, & their colleagues at OpenCDA.com have intimidated city and urban renewal officials via their Web site and that of the Coeur d’Alene Press. I know. I’ve talked to the individuals on the receiving end of some of those comments. The fact that few if any locally elected officials comment on those sites underscores my point that intimidation has taken place on the other end. Finally, the comments thread at Huckleberries Online can be a rough place at times. I step in when it’s clear that a commenter is bullying someone. I use warnings and the cooler to calm things down. It’s not an exact science. But things have calmed down. I want everyone to feel welcome here. However, you need to have some skin thickness to hang out here — DFO.

Question: Obviously, Duane Hagadone remains the most intimidating person in town. Who are some of the other intimidating people in town? Why?