SUNDAY: PROFILES IN EDITORIAL COURAGE
As I've said many times, I don't commit journalism here and I'm not a trained professional in that field.
I do, however, recognize dithering when I see it. The Whig editorial Sunday was an exercise in dithering, temporizing and list-making. Guys, if you want something to happen, tell us what it is!
The only thing one can conclude from reading the editorial on "pay policies" is that the Whig editorial board's favorite color is plaid.
(I should add here that there was also a comment piece by Ed Husar discussing the budget amendments up for third reading. In that piece he somehow omits to mention that 8 of the people who will vote on modest pay raises for a few city employees, ALREADY HAVE THE PAY FOR THEIR JOBS INCREASED AND LOCKED IN. How could a newsman fail to point that out?)
Here are some of the nuggets our editorial friends provided us:
"Public Officials...must broaden their vision.....recognize the concept of 'automatic' pay raises is no longer viable" [note to board: all public bodies VOTE on pay raises in budgetary legislation or in approving CBA's--they are never 'automatic']
My personal favorite is "new rules must apply" [Actually, the rules are exactly the same. Legislative bodies legislate, including the adoption of budgets.]
Another real beauty is ""budgets are about more than money......" [Who knew?]
And here is the socko, boffo insight: "Fresh perspectives must replace old assumptions" [Okay. How about this one: are you against employee raises across the board or not? Could we take a stand instead of just running linguistic laps?]
Finally, there have been a lot of proposed budgets made available to the public and a great many opportunities for public commentary afforded by all the local taxing bodies. I find it interesting that this dithering editorial is popping up now after all those other opportunities for commentary were ignored or declined. Guys, if you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly.
The basin has no investment in the brush fire war between QNO and QNI and I certainly have picked on QNO when I thought they had it coming. This dithering, wandering comment piece (against the backdrop of the Husar commentary) just couldn't be ignored. Late to the party and weak.
TL squared.
posted by UMRBlog @ 07:49
4 comments
4 Comments:
I would remind that the mayor hinmself said "The budget is not set in stone, it's really a living document. We amend it numerous times during the budget year."
Therefore there is no improper time for bringing up budget issues.
Having said that, I do believe there is a lot more power behind anyone's budget arguments if they get them in prior to the main budget approval.
We agree more than we disagree.
I would have taken a strong argument on its merits, but dithering in overtime is no way to inform public opinion.
TYFCB
In the Sunday's HW editorial, you would think the editor would at least get the facts correct before he counterdicts himself. He lost he credibility and his agrument in these two paragraph.
Yet, a business-as-usual approach is evident in some circles.
The Quincy City Council,for ex-ample, approved a budget a budget April 27 that includes a 3 percent pay increase for non-union emplo-yees and department heads. In doing so,aldermen followed the traditional practice of matching raises given to union employees."
He should have investigated all the facts or at least read the approved budget. He would have realized the budget also included a 4 percent pay increase for union employees.
1345,
Some, not all. But your point is factually sound. It was neither identical nor "automatic".
My bigger point was make a point, if you're trying to make a point. At least Ed had a message even though he failed to point out that the people who got raises were deciding to take away raises from select other people. He landed someplace.
The ed. op. was purely pointless.
TYFCB and for your partially correct and nonetheless useful point.
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