It is no secret The World editorial board and MGx do not see eye to eye when it comes to reporting or editorializing upon matters involving taxpayer investments and economic development, amongst other things. Nonetheless, it is possible to let the paper slide on perceived biases in its reporting because media is regularly accused by both sides of a divisive argument of betraying a preference for one or the other. It might be safe to say that the better part of the paper’s reporting makes a fair effort at presenting all sides of a story even if it omits details many of us believe are relevant.
The editorials, however, are a disaster. It isn’t just that I can’t abide the paper’s conclusions. Everyday I read well written opinion pieces I ultimately disagree with but they are crafted such that it is possible to determine how the author arrived at these opinions. An argument is built from which conclusions are drawn and the essays are enjoyable to read whether or not you agree with them.
All too often, in the absence of fact, the editors resort to name calling, “clowns”, “gadflies”, “natterers”, “bands”, “critics”, “haunts”, to name but a few. In its zeal to support the beliefs of a handful of “tenured”, entrenched local leaders who have presided over thirty years of failure, the authors substitute opinions delivered in the form of declarations as a replacement for facts and building any type of valid, measurable, supporting argument. In doing so, the paper assumes the reader shares the same biases but is this really the case?
For example, a recent editorial endorsed three candidates for Coos County commissioner because they have “requisite” business experience and dismissed another candidate for being a long time government insider. There are at least three overreaching assumptions here. 1) Even though county government and business are two very different things, the paper believes the reader agrees that business experience is necessary to be a competent county official. 2) The paper assumes the reader believes government experience automatically disqualifies a candidate from becoming an elected official and 3) that government is bad.
All experience is invaluable but does owning a business automatically make someone more competent to run a government agency than someone with years of experience running a government agency? A fresh perspective is always good but business folks are just as prone to tunnel vision as any government worker. One advisory committee member, Al Pettit, like to talk about how Curry County plans to outsource many of its services. This may make sense to a someone who doesn’t understand what government does for citizens everyday but do you want your next call to the assessor to be routed through India? Privatizing services will not save the county money because the corporate alternative must first produce a profit for its shareholders requiring it to either raise rates, reduce wages and therefore local spending capacity, or cut back services. The more likely answer is all three will occur over time. Read how privatization affected one county here
Regardless of where you stand on the latter two, the paper by propagandizing ideological themes that public servants are somehow incompetent in their jobs and therefore their experience is not only worthless but disqualifies them from holding office, is insulting the more than 4,220 federal, state and local public servants employed in Coos County. That is 16% of the workforce and 12% of the voters including law enforcement, fire fighters, health inspectors, judges, clerks, Coast Guard, military and other vital service providers. Contrary to the editors’ obvious bias, government employees tend to be better educated than their civilian counterparts, which means they actually can read and reason for themselves. When does acting as the propaganda arm for a few business leaders start to become a bad business move for parent company Lee Enterprises’ shareholders?
Now I know who Geno has been listening to.
Lynn Mystic-Healer, Instead of cutting and pasting your off-topic ideas to these pages I would like you to read the actual article and try to make an on-topic comment.
How about it?
Dear Ones,
We are in a paradigm shift on planet earth.. all systems must change… It is time for New Earth Community LIGHT CENTERS with Transformational EDUCATION with virtual,physical & interactive local and global Teaching and Training for our New Earth Civil Service JOBS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES that have no harmful side effects. NEW EARTH CIVIL SERVICE JOBS FOR: teachers, healers, lightworkers, Spiritual ACTIVISTS, cultural PROGRAMS, ALL Arts, GREEN Energy AND INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS, Soul Energy & Soul Purpose development PROGRAMS and Loving peace maker JOBS, NATURAL FOODS & REMEDIES and ANIMAL HEALER JOBS!
These New Earth Civil services will shift this planet away from the costly and destructive use of fossil fuels, violence (except in sports), drugging and WARRING!!!
—–IT IS TIME…
WE THE PEOPLE-99%- NEED YOUR HELP—-TIME to teach and train and pay people to HELP, HEAL, enlighten AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER, animals and mother earth– and STOP PAYING PEOPLE for DRUGGING, JAILING AND KILLING ONE ANOTHER!
Please,Pray for all humanity to SEE THE LIGHT-NOW-
I PRAY that You and your contacts can spread the word and start massive online petitions, YOU-TUBES, RT.com, dailymail.com and other internet news,leaders of google, facebook, twitter, skype..etc.. for organizing communities.
LET’S UNITE ALL THE OCCUPY GROUPS, UNITED NATIONS, CHURCHES, TEACHERS groups,NURSING GROUPS, WOMEN GROUPS, PEACE GROUPS (especially,Veteransforpeace.org), COLLEGE GROUPS, NEW AGE GROUPS, LIGHTWORKERS, SPIRITUAL GROUPS, METAPHYSICAL GROUPS, HEALING GROUPS, ARTS GROUPS,MUSIC GROUPS, THEATER GROUPS, ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUPS, HUMANITY GROUPS, HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS,Rotary International, Natural Foods, Natural Remedies,Edible landscaping, Natural homes AND GREEN ENERGY GROUPS TO CREATE NEW EARTH HEAVENLY FOCUSED CIVIL SERVICES for the SOUL-UTIONS NEEDED NOW ON THIS PLANET THAT HAVE NO HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS AND THEY WILL ALSO ALLEVIATE the costly, destructive and problematic USE of FOSSIL FUELS, VIOLENCE(EXCEPT SPORTS),DRUGGING AND WARRING ON THIS PLANET!
TIME IS NOW TO CO-CREATE COMMUNITIES OF LIGHT,GREEN & Peace JOBS WITH NEW EARTH EDUCATION (virtual & interactive-local and global) HEALING, TEACHING AND TRAINING FOR OUR NEW EARTH CIVIL SERVICES THAT FOCUS ON EACH PERSON’S SOUL PURPOSE, UNIVERSAL LAWS, UNITY AND WORLD HEALING TO CO-CREATE HEAVEN ON EARTH AND UNIVERSAL TRAVEL
If anyone is angry they can call or go into the transformational enlightenment community centers & learn how to find their answers within them and how to use their divine Soul power connections to direct Soul(love and light) contacts and find their Soul purpose, learn universal laws and become part of the planet’s Soul-utions to grow our JOY, PEACE AND TRUE SOCIAL SECURITY!
—–
Help the USA lead the WAY–WE THE PEOPLE ….ONE NATION UNDER GOD TO ONE WORLD UNDER GODWITHIN;so that humans are SHINNING OUR INNER LIGHTS TO DISPEL THIS PLANET’S DARKNESS IN EVERY COMMUNITY…WITH NEW EARTH EDUCATION for health and human services, social services that focus on co-creatinf heaven on earth and universal travel with OUR- NEW EARTH COMMUNITY CIVIL SERVICES.
We are all connected and there is NESERA FUNDING WAITING TO BE IMPELEMENTED TO help us with OUR divine co-operation for our new earth civilization!
Amen- Aho..Aloha
Lynn Mystic-Healer
For all of my many years I have avoided calling any person a liar. I cringe when I hear locals calling the World paper senior staff liars. I now call, based on verifiable fact, the editorial staff LIARS. What in the hell is their agenda? Isnt’ it time that Walworth’s leader be informed of our complaints about his newspaper? Walworth”s leader is Rick Parrish, a man who is also the publisher of the Daily News in Longview Washington. His e-mail address is rparrish@tdn.com. When Mary Geddry – self described as being as far left of center as could be, and Jim Bice – occasionally over the iright edge agree that the World paper would not know the truth if it jumped up and bit them on the ass, something is very wrong. The paper has been losing about 10% of its readers annually. With raised prices that now come close to the Register Guard, why not consider a change if you need a daily paper? As I write it’s 0530 and I’m in the boonies of Coos County. The Register Guard that I receive seven days per week, not five, occasionally four, and by 0630 (guaranteed) not after dark. For a few pennies more daily, I get late yesterdays news this morning, not Fridays news on Tuesday. I get well written articles, many sections of the paper, and many pages in each section. OK, its a Democrat owned and managed paper. The editorials are written by professionals, not by the food editor and by twenty something children who were writing about skateboards and different style chocolate a year ago. Isn’t it time to say good bye to Clark and his excuse of a paper?
The people can either accept mediocrity or demand excellence but complaining to upper management won’t do anything if the paper meets its quarterly margins with its current model. To change the paper it must profitable for them to change or expensive for them not to. Boycott The World advertisers and tell them why if you really want to make an impact. That is how people got Glenn Beck off Fox, they refused to support his advertisers.
I don’t care, I sent an email to the guy anyway. It’s essential for any community to have access to news. We do not. We have nothing but a propaganda arm up Clarks’ arse telling him what to do. And Clark evidently loves it.
I remember when the same editor said to vote for Nikki Whitty because she had more experience than Van Elsberg. This paper does what its overlords tell it to, not what is right for the rest of us