"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Objectivity? Hard To Believe

It is hard to believe the Watertown Daily Times remains objective in their reporting when one of the editors on staff who writes Northern New York Follies pens a piece like this one here.

There is very little question that Political IV comes down on the right side of the political equation and Danger Democrat comes down on the left of politics, but neither of us write, edit or oversee broadcast or print reporting. There is no desire for the Watertown Daily Times to favor the left or right in politics, but when writing like that of Northern New York Follies comes from the high ranking staff it is hard to believe objectivity exist at the paper.

So here is the question to Mr. NNY Folly and others;

Given the fiscal crisis our state is facing, do you prefer taxpayer money be spent for campaign material like the one below for Aubertine? Or should campaigns and committees whether local or state raise money separately and pay for their campaign material like the one for Renzi? Mr. Aubertine is using taxpayer's money while Mr. Renzi is using campaign money.

This is taxpayer paid for.











This is campaign paid.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you absolutely certain that the WDT is behind NNY Follies? Some of the postings on NNY Follies contradict what I understand to be the personal sentiments of the editorial and publishing staff. If you are correct, one might say that they are not only NOT being objective but also being duplicitous. Of course, they may just be trying to stir the pot. I wouldn't put that past them!

That all having been said, my concern with the $800,000 is having downstate run Dave's campaign like they did Will's. Everyone said "never again" after that fiasco, but I'm beginning to see hints of it today. God help us!

ConcernedCitizen said...

If you are correct, it makes sense. I still have no idea about which WDT staff member writes it. However, I follow that blog and find it is quite professional and well documented even though its politics do not always swing my way. On the other hand, your post about dirty politics and two similar letters was laughable. Step back, read what you wrote, and giggle a bit. We all fly off on occasion.

P.S.

Before you criticize a professional writer, proof your work.

Anonymous said...

"Professional" is a word I would rarely attribute to the WDT editorial staff. The snark and condescending tone is very evident.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Aubertine is the elected official. He has the advantage, as do all other elected officials, of informing his constituents about his work by using taxpayer funded mailings. In all cases, those messages will be positive, be it Republicans, Democrats, or Others. Incumbents, also have the advantage of first listing on the ballots. John McHugh has that same advantage. Read his recent mailings and you will see the same positive messages about his work. That is simply the way it is.

Your choice has to overcome this disadvantage by bringing forth a more positive message than the incumbent

Anonymous said...

One commenter is uninformed. The incumbent does not have advantage of first listing on the ballots

Do you expect fair reporting from someone who is buddy buddy with Aubertine spokesman Drew Mangione and watches football every Sunday with him.

Anonymous said...

I also hear that reporter and that spokesman worship the Lord together. Scandal!

Anonymous said...

Ha, are u telling me the times is in Auberines corner? You have officially lost it. John Johnson has been after Darrel since he was chairman of the county board. He has been so desperate to oust Aubertine he once endorsed Scott Gray for assembly when he ran against Darrel.

Oh and why no post on the Sienna poll?

Anonymous said...

I guess that is why when the times was so concerned with who IV is that they never brought up NNY Follies. I know who NNY Follies is and I can not believe the times allows him to write a blog. They don't allow reports to be involed in political parties or offices so why do they allow him to write a blog???

Anonymous said...

If everyone looks at the name "Kents boss" they will know the the man who writes it from Adams.

SmallTownAmerica said...

What's the dif if they are WDT reporters who are writing NNY Follies?

They are on their own time. They are not stating it is "news." It is an opinion blog. Even reporters are entitled to their own personal opinions.

Being constrained to objectivity in their jobs, NNY Follies is apparently their outlet for subjectivity.

Write away, I say! That's what free speech is all about, and why you and I are on here as well.

Anonymous said...

What is your problem with his newsletter? Every single incumbant since the beginning of time has sent them out to their constituents. It must be different when John Mchugh and Jim Wright send them out right? Quit grabbing for straws IV, it makes you sound desperate. Of course after reading that poll you should be.

Anonymous said...

I am not convinced that NNY Follies works for the WDT owing to the many inaccuracies in their postings. If he/she does work for the Times, he/she is clearly not reading their employer's newspaper. Hell, I could have written a more factual piece on the Rutland Board just from the Time's archives!

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe NNY Follies works for the WDT owing to the many inaccuracies in their postings. If he/she does work for the Times, then he/she clearly does not read their employer's newspaper. Hell, I could have written a more factual piece on the Rutland Board from the newspaper's archives!

Anonymous said...

The WDT is not behind NNY Follies. Obviously - the newspaper is conservative and NNY Follies is quite straightforward with his own opinions. As a private person, this man is no different than the PIV right wingers (aside from the fact that NNYF can correctly construct a sentence)in that he is welcome to his own opinions.

I know NNY Follies and you, sirs, are no NNY Follies...:-)

Anonymous said...

"He has been so desperate to oust Aubertine he once endorsed Scott Gray for assembly when he ran against Darrel."

Now that is the bottom bottom of the pickle barrel !

Anonymous said...

The Times shouldn't allow Perry White to write NNY Follies. Everyone wants to say this is Scott so I will let everyone know who NNY Follies is. Right Clark Kent's boss????

Anonymous said...

Why shouldn't the Times let NNYFollies blog? The Times even got caught having one of their employees sockpuppeting on the local webboard a few months back... their 'journalistic integrity' is suspect.

Anonymous said...

Kent's Boss is the best and most comprehensive blog in Northern New York. I do not care if it's Perry White, Cinderella or the Easter Bunny. Political IV is either hot or cold. The problem with IV is that he or she shows extreme favoritism to the Republican's. They like the Dem's are not always right or wrong. IV seems to point out nothing but bad about Aubertine. Aubertine is by no means perfect. He has though taken the Republican numbers in the district and made them to shambles.

I think that the machine will be 0=2 for 08.

Every dog has it's day in politics.
As will Aubertine one day, it just will not be this year.

Anonymous said...

Ok...enough ! It is time to get back to ATVs.

Bring us chapter III.

ConcernedCitizen said...

Holy Crap !

Kentsboss as in Clark Kent? You mean Parry White is the Author. I love Parry White !!

Anonymous said...

Kents Boss is also a coward- any comments that criticize him are not posted.

I commented on his last piece- the fact that he didn't bring up the millions spent by the Dems in February- or the taxpayer funded mailers, and that he is intellectually dishonest and a poor example of a "journalist".

It didn't get through. What a surprise.

Anonymous said...

He also never post anything positive. If it is something god going on he won't write about it.

Anonymous said...

Is Kentsboss the same guy that outted Scott Gray?

City Watch said...

To the commenter who has twice posted a person's name who is the recipient of the mail piece.

Your comment is irrelevant and was rejected and will continue to be rejected, no matter how many times you ask me what I did with it.

The recipient of any mail posted on here has nothing to do with the content of the mail piece or issue.

That should be fairly clear, I did not realize I needed to point that out.

Anonymous said...

Didn't the Times fire a guy who was blogging while employed by the paper? Why do let this guy continue doing it, especially when his positions are OFTEN diametrically opposed to those of the Times owners and editors?

Anonymous said...

I disagree with the free mailings. But it is the incumbent who spends are taxpayer dollars not Aubertine. Wright did it before him and so on and so on. The first to denounce mailings within 9 months of the election will get my vote and will be the first political sign I have ever posted in my yard.

Anonymous said...

Call Dave Renzi for a lawn sign -- he denounced the mailings on Thursday. Sez Darrel spent $200k since August on mailers -- a new record.

I got thm at my house -- theey look like crap, contain useless information and really torqued me off because I keep reading about budget cuts in Albany, but Darrel keeps sending me this crap.

I'm getting a lawn sign too from Dave. Darrel probably figured out a way to get taxpayers to pay for his!

Anonymous said...

7:46 -- nine months before the election? Darrel was elected 6 months ago LOL. Your proposal seems a little unfair. And 6:33 -- WHO would be up and on this blog at 6:33 AM and have exact info. as you allege, besides the propiertor?

Stop posting blogs, and then posting anonymous comments to your anonymous posts. It makes this whole blog look reeeallly silly.

IV, why are you so upset about someone putting the name of the recipient of the mail YOU posted, in a comment? There is nothing odd about that. I suspect you know that, so nice try.

Anonymous said...

Aubertine's are better.

Anonymous said...

How about the fact that David Renzi is using State resources, in the form of video clips edited by Senate Republican staffers from Chris McKennas office, to run his campaign? Will you denounce such tactics?

Anonymous said...

This whole thing started because a Republican, Wright, chose to not fill out his term because he could make more money in the lobby industry. That selfish move cost taxpayers untold fortunes because we had to have another costly election. Now the Republicans want to protect taxpayer money?....when did that become important to them?
The polls show it is not working. Perhaps they should consider doing their job better and use that as the reason they should represent us.

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