Wednesday, January 30, 2008

SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

Apparently to build circulation, the faltering New Era on Jan. 23 ran a front page, five column headline "Sex for sale. Dozens of local women on Internet's Craiglist offering 'erotic services'."

WATCHDOG: Our editors might not quibble with the regulation and control of prostitution ("legalization"), but promoting it by giving free advertisement of services on the front page smacks of avant-garde liberalism!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Kudos

To Jeff Hawkes of the Intelligencer Journal for his column "Single-payer plan deserves second look." It is good to see Hawkes regaining his voice.

WATCHDOG: Hawkes's column is an example of the recovery taking place at the Intell now that there are fewer occasions to have to cover up its parent company's disreputable dealings, although we probably will have to wait till the next Ice Age before it will criticize the rapacious Penn Square Partners' dealings with the Convention Center Authority or the bird brain Trolley Car scheme.

What ails Lancaster is leadership by the ignorant and / or self serving and greedy Power Elite of the silent and disinterested. It is the monopoly ownership of the newspapers that allows this to happen.

Bias

In a Jan. 10 article titled "Grand Jury impact: more sunshine, but.." the New Era wrote: "Confronted with grand jury evidence against them, Commissioners Dick Shellenberger, Pete Shaub and Molly Henderson pleaded guilty to violating the Sunshine Act by meeting secretly prior to selling Conestoga View."

WATCHDOG: It was precisely because the commissioners were NOT confronted with grand jury evidence but rather led to believe that a serious felony indictment for cause unknown might be forthcoming that, after almost a year of judicial mugging by then district attorney Donald Totaro, they agreed to a plea bargain to an unsubstantiated accusation of a violation of the Sunshine Act.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Bias

The New Era ran a puff piece entitled "Mayor at mid-term: 'Better days ahead'; Rick Gray says city is on the move — and many agree with that optimistic outlook."

WATCHDOG: There was not a single critical comment concerning Gray or his administration in the entire article. Such is the reward for officials who avoid clashing with the Power Elite.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Bias

Intelligencer Journal January 5 article: "County gets national recognition, Now a Preserve America Community."

WATCHDOG: (From a contributor) Media bias is also in what is NOT printed. This article does not make even one single mention of former County Commissioners Molly Henderson and Dick Shellenberger, the individuals who did the work that brought this award to Lancaster County.

It's one thing to slander and attack political opponents. But denying them the public recognition they deserve is nothing short of despicable.