She can spell Jeffrey T's last name right, but not mine, lol.  Oh well.  At least she quoted me directly and didn't twist my words. :-D

She can spell Jeffrey T's last name right, but not mine, lol.  Oh well.  At least she quoted me directly and didn't twist my words. :-D

 

Honey you're a downtown media darling!  Here's a hint.  Just go with a first name, a al Cher & Madonna.  :wink:

 

She can spell Jeffrey T's last name right, but not mine, lol. Oh well. At least she quoted me directly and didn't twist my words. :-D

 

Honey you're a downtown media darling! Here's a hint. Just go with a first name, a al Cher & Madonna. :wink:

 

 

Haha, well I don't try to be, these things just seem to keep falling in my lap.  After the phone conversation had ended, I thought about calling her back and asking her not to use my full name, but then I just decided to let it be.  Cimperman sent me an e-mail thanking me for my kind words :).

She can spell Jeffrey T's last name right, but not mine, lol. Oh well. At least she quoted me directly and didn't twist my words. :-D

 

She may have had my name spelled right & complete, but words taken out of context.  Six of one...

 

Great comments, by the way. 

She can spell Jeffrey T's last name right, but not mine, lol. Oh well. At least she quoted me directly and didn't twist my words. :-D

 

She may have had my name spelled right & complete, but words taken out of context. Six of one...

 

Great comments, by the way.

 

Thanks.  I feel like there was probably a "but [insert more positive comment here]" that got left off of yours, eh?

 

And I didn't realize that was THE front page story yesterday, lol.

Did anyonre read "what the bloggers are talking about"  Jeffrey T....you're the man this week.

 

 

I was pleasantly surprised when I read the article and was happy for the most part with what she wrote. I saw that headline when I picked up the paper from my front porch yesterday morning and was already PO'd expecting the worst.

Did anyonre read "what the bloggers are talking about"  Jeffrey T....you're the man this week.

I was surprised they put that up there, considering my often condescending tone towards the local paper...

 

I was pleasantly surprised when I read the article and was happy for the most part with what she wrote. I saw that headline when I picked up the paper from my front porch yesterday morning and was already PO'd expecting the worst.

 

Overall, it was a good article - I made the mistake of reading the comments, though.  Gross. 

I was just reading the comments on the dot-bomb and I would agree. Gross.

Did anyonre read "what the bloggers are talking about"  Jeffrey T....you're the man this week.

I was surprised they put that up there, considering my often condescending tone towards the local paper...

 

I was pleasantly surprised when I read the article and was happy for the most part with what she wrote. I saw that headline when I picked up the paper from my front porch yesterday morning and was already PO'd expecting the worst.

 

Overall, it was a good article - I made the mistake of reading the comments, though.  Gross. 

I was just reading the comments on the dot-bomb and I would agree. Gross.

 

Why do you kids subject yourself to such punishment?

This is interesting given all of the media attention paid to the murders in Perk Park.  I have to admit that I have begun ignoring the local media and I apparently missed this murder when it happened.  The obvious question is: why did the Plain Dealer not spend a week asking people whether they feel safe in Richfield.  I can only imagine what the Plain Dealer would have done if the murder of a hotel clerk occurred in downtown Cleveland?  Why the double standard in coverage from the PD?  What is going on?  I am very tired of this.

 

Here is the link followed by the story:

 

http://www.fox8.com/wjw-news-murder-suspect-pleas,0,1740855.story

 

 

Man Pleads Guilty in Richfield Motel Murder

 

By Dan Jovic | [email protected]

 

March 2, 2009

Richfield, Ohio -- - The man accused in the brutal murder of a front desk clerk at a Richfield hotel has plead guilty to the crime and will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

 

According to Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, Dannis L. Lindsey, 46, of Brecksville Road in Richfield, plead guilty to one count of aggravated murder, one count of aggravated robbery, three counts of tampering with evidence for destroying or concealing his clothing, shoes, and the knife he used in the stabbing death of Bonnie Nevener.

 

Lindsey, 46, an ex-con, was a co-worker of Lindsey's at the Holiday Inn Express on Brecksville Road .

 

^There was exposure when it happened, but not to the same degree.  However, I think there is one main difference:

 

1) Richfield is not the entertainment spot downtown is, so not as many people are as interested

 

 

Cleveland Leader:

 

Time.com Names Cleveland Plain Dealer One of Next 10 Newspapers Likely to Fold or Go Digital

 

Submitted by Leader Staff on March 9, 2009 - 9:34am.

 

The original epicenter of the toxic subprime loan industry fallout and subsequent foreclosure crisis, Cleveland continues to face tough economic times. Cleveland's lone remaining daily newspaper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, faces similarly harsh economic conditions and is struggling to survive. In an article published Monday, Time.com writers predict that the PD will be one of the next ten major newspapers to either fold or digital in the next year.

 

Circulation and ad sales are down, and they've been continually cutting back the actual number of printed pages in the paper for awhile now. Staff has been slashed, and raising the price to an appalling $0.75 per day hasn't done much to help matters either. The Plain Dealer is so desperate to stay afloat that in January they even announced they were looking to rent out parking and office space in its Superior Ave. and E. 18th building. The future of the PD is not looking very bright.

 

Time writer Douglas A. McIntyre warned:

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is in one of the economically weakest markets in the country. Its parent, Advance Publications, has already threatened to close its paper in Newark. Employees gave up enough in terms of concessions to keep the paper open. Advance, owned by the Newhouse family, is carrying the burden of its paper plus Conde Nast, its magazine group which is losing advertising revenue. The Plain Dealer will be shut or go digital by the end of next year.

 

Founded in 1842, the Plain Dealer has a long history in Cleveland. It has outlasted every other major daily paper in this city, gulping up and pushing out competitors over the years. If McIntyre is right in his predictions, it's reign may soon be coming to an end, forcing the PD to close up shop for good or duke it out in the extremely competitive online news market.

 

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/9233

Here is the Time article:

 

 

 

Monday, Mar. 09, 2009

The 10 Major Newspapers That Will Either Fold or Go Digital Next

By 24/7 Wall St.

 

Over the last few weeks, the newspaper industry has entered a new period of decline. The parent of the papers in Philadelphia declared bankruptcy as did the Journal Register chain. The Rocky Mountain News closed and the Seattle Post Intelligencer, owned by Hearst, will almost certainly close or only publish online. Hearst has said it will also close The San Francisco Chronicle if it cannot make massive cuts at the paper. The most recent rumor is that the company will fire half of the editorial staff. That action still may not be enough to make the property profitable.

 

24/7 Wall St. has created its list of the ten major daily papers that are most likely to fold or shut their print operations and only publish online. The properties were chosen based on the financial strength of their parent companies, the amount of direct competition that they face in their markets, and industry information on how much money they are losing. Based on this analysis, it is possible that eight of the fifty largest daily newspapers in the United States could cease publication in the next eighteen months. (Read: "The Race for a Better Read")

 

10. The Cleveland Plain Dealer is in one of the economically weakest markets in the country. Its parent, Advance Publications, has already threatened to close its paper in Newark. Employees gave up enough in terms of concessions to keep the paper open. Advance, owned by the Newhouse family, is carrying the burden of its paper plus Conde Nast, its magazine group which is losing advertising revenue. The Plain Dealer will be shut or go digital by the end of next year.

 

— Douglas A. McIntyre

 

 

 

    * http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1883785,00.html

 

Copyright © 2009 Time Inc.

the PD is not in as bad shape as some papers but it negative news has affected advertising badly.

 

i've said it before.  Clean house and start over.  Not an excuse, but I see the SF Chron, PDN, the Miami Herald to Close before the PD.

 

What you all don't know is that if a major Paper closes a TV station will follow behind shortly.  That was left out of the original story.  Not sure why, (I can't ask about editorial content) but I have a feeling that other media outlets will be spotted later.

Ok this might seem like a dumb question, but what's wrong with just being a digital paper?  Most of these articles make it sound like a bad thing.  I honestly prefer to get my news online.  Maybe it's me, but I find computer screens far easier to read than print. 

I don't see why it's such a terrible idea, either. At all. Is the only reason because it's print, and that's the way it's always been done? Because if that's the only reason, then that's a stupid reason.

 

The only other thing I can think of are the fact that lots of other sites offer news for free .. but why not just get rid of the print editions and have an exclusively online edition of the local paper?? Rely on advertising revenue, and maybe offer subscriptions for exclusive, members-only access to particular articles or features.

 

Obviously, I don't have the numbers for this economic model, but getting rid of a print edition and keeping it exclusive to online has got to cut down costs by a ton.

Well, it's nice to have a paper sometimes when you don't have access to a computer.  That's less a concern for people who have a computer and internet at home or are desk jockeys than it is for people that don't have computer or internet, or that have some type of non office job, or like to read the paper at a diner or coffee shop, or in the park, or anywhere that is not in front of a computer.  Making the city's main source of news an online only affair will impose a serious information disadvantage on poorer people, or those who aren't computer literate.

Outside of the VERY important issue of the digital divide (as well as the smaller issue of preservation ... will you be able to go down to a library and scan through the full contents of a paper from 2009 in 2029?), I think a lot of people are less concerned with the delivery method and more with the overall eventual quality of the product. When the switch is made to an online vehicle primarily as a way to cut overall staff numbers, it may mean a reduction in number of journalists. Then you end up with people covering multiple areas of news and not covering any of them particularly well. However, with its consolidations in the past few years, I think this has already been playing out with the PD in the past few years. Moreover, switching to an online format doesn't HAVE to mean a smaller staff of journalists; smart papers will use reductions in printing expenses to ramp up the quantity and quality of their writers. Just not entirely optimistic that the PD is a smart paper.

 

And then there's also the issue of ease of read. Not sure about anyone else, but I find it difficult to find news stories on cleveland.com, particularly with their newest format change. It doesn't strike me as particularly user-friendly. They'll have a front page link to a news story from two weeks ago b/c it had a lot of comments written and a news story from today takes a bit of a search to find. I don't really get it.

 

Then there's all of the ads that sweep down over the screen and interrupt reading, not to mention the cleveland.com bombers. So ugh ... not always the greatest website IMHO.

 

 

 

 

 

The main reason that a non-print newspaper hasn't worked and it's not really considered an option? Advertising rates are still ten cents on the dollar online. The massive staffs (which are too small to cover what they should be covering) can't be supported.

 

As far as charging for online subscriptions: Beyond the Wall Street Journal, no newspaper has been successful gaining a real subscriber base that way.

 

One thing many people don't like to admit (especially us in the industry) is that for all the noble goals and ideals we have, more people bought the paper to see sports scores, get the weather, do the crossword and check out the funnies than to read the stories. Once all that other stuff became ubiquitous, part of the model fell out right there.

 

Then newspapers gave away all their stories for free online.

 

And they undercut their credibility by continuing to lay off good reporters while cheaper, crappier, younger journalists take over. Institutional knowledge fades. Ethics get bent more and more and more as they try to come up with some kind of advertising model to fix the damn thing. And we wind up where we are today. A crappy paper and no real alternative for solid news. 

There was a PD Delivery truck sitting in front of my house when I left for work this morning.  The driver was taking a break and eating a banana.  I was tempted to tell him to get out of my front yard, lol.  But, alas, I'm not that mean....

The main reason that a non-print newspaper hasn't worked and it's not really considered an option? Advertising rates are still ten cents on the dollar online. The massive staffs (which are too small to cover what they should be covering) can't be supported.

 

As far as charging for online subscriptions: Beyond the Wall Street Journal, no newspaper has been successful gaining a real subscriber base that way.

 

One thing many people don't like to admit (especially us in the industry) is that for all the noble goals and ideals we have, more people bought the paper to see sports scores, get the weather, do the crossword and check out the funnies than to read the stories. Once all that other stuff became ubiquitous, part of the model fell out right there.

 

Then newspapers gave away all their stories for free online.

 

And they undercut their credibility by continuing to lay off good reporters while cheaper, crappier, younger journalists take over. Institutional knowledge fades. Ethics get bent more and more and more as they try to come up with some kind of advertising model to fix the damn thing. And we wind up where we are today. A crappy paper and no real alternative for solid news. 

 

 

I agree, the principals applied to magazines have not and cannot translate into a daily newspaper.

 

Our studies have shown, people prefer a physical paper in hand. 83% of those 40 older prefer a hard copy paper. The number increase with age.

 

The only way newspapers could make revenue on stories is to "make archives" pay per purchase.  This is why links revert to archives after a month or two.

 

 

And then there's also the issue of ease of read. Not sure about anyone else, but I find it difficult to find news stories on cleveland.com, particularly with their newest format change. It doesn't strike me as particularly user-friendly. They'll have a front page link to a news story from two weeks ago b/c it had a lot of comments written and a news story from today takes a bit of a search to find. I don't really get it.

 

Then there's all of the ads that sweep down over the screen and interrupt reading, not to mention the cleveland.com bombers. So ugh ... not always the greatest website IMHO.

 

 

 

I agree, the layout of cleveland.com is horrible if you are really looking for today's news.  Even without the horrible comments, I've always disliked that site, and the newest format change did not help.  If they went to online-only, they would really need to completely redo the website.

A few weeks ago when Goldberg spoke at an SPJ event, she mentioned the PD was in contract negotiations with Amazon to provide the PD via Kindle. I know it's a niche product right now (and one I happen to own), but I think a cheaper version of the kindle a few device generations with color and touch screen could be a serious new delivery model. I love reading my Washington Post every morning on it now (delivered to the device wirelessly each morning).

 

Right now, you're just paying subscription cost. Once a device is a tad larger, maybe magazine size, with color and video possibilities, I could see ad revenue working out fine in a device like this. I don't think it will be the ONLY delivery option, but I think it could certainly help.

The online edition needs to "look" just like the printed edition.  and all stories should be available.

 

The name "cleveland.com" doesn't help either.  It should be  "clevelandplaindealer.com" or "ClevelandPD.com"  something that identifies the PD not a forward name to cleveland.com.

But, and I may be wrong, Clevelanddotcom is not the Plain Dealer, just a provider of online news (contracted by the PD) , that posts the PD articles... with their own staff etc (I think they are located in the flats) 

The PD actually has a site that is separate.

 

edit: that may not be the case anymore since I just checked the PD site and it is just info on advertising etc.

But, and I may be wrong, Clevelanddotcom is not the Plain Dealer, just a provider of online news (contracted by the PD) , that posts the PD articles... with their own staff etc (I think they are located in the flats)

The PD actually has a site that is separate.

 

edit: that may not be the case anymore since I just checked the PD site and it is just info on advertising etc.

 

Correct, for news you are sent to cleveland.com

Both the paper and the cleveland.com website are owned by Advance.

 

http://www.advance.net/index.ssf?/advance_publications/about_advance_publications.html

Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer are technically separate companies, but they are both owned by the same company (Advance Publications).

 

It's one of the backwards ways the Newhouses set up their company. In New Jersey, up through 2000, the photo staff was a separate company. Any time they needed a photo, the editors called that company to set up a shot. It was ridiculous.

 

Same deal with their Web site.

But, and I may be wrong, Clevelanddotcom is not the Plain Dealer, just a provider of of online news, that posts the PD articles... with their own staff etc (I think they are located in the flats) 

The PD actually has a site that is separate.

 

The PD site is a media site, you are correct that "cleveland.bomb" is a redirect site for the PD

Don't know if any UO people are interested, but the Old Stone Church has been doing a series of lunch presentations by local people of importance as part of what they call "hope for the city."  Cimperman spoke at the last one, and the one this wednesday is with Terry Egger, the publisher of the PD.  The Mayor is speaking at an upcoming one as well.

 

I'm anti-church but I will definitely go to a free lunch when there are presenters like these, thought I'd pass the info along.  Lunch is included and the presentations are 12:15-12:50.

^give 'em hell.

 

(or heck since it is at a Church)

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2009/03/plain_dealer_fileexterior_of_t.html

 

Plain Dealer cuts pay of non-union employees and requires 10-day furloughs

Posted by Michelle Jarboe/Plain Dealer Reporter March 23, 2009 15:17PM

Categories: Economy, Real Time News

 

The Plain Dealer will require non-union employees to take pay cuts and 10-day furloughs, an attempt to cut costs but preserve jobs as advertising revenue dwindles.

During meetings with employees Monday, Publisher and President Terrance C. Z. Egger announced that full-time non-union employees will take 10 days of unpaid leave between April 20 and Oct. 4.

 

Full-time and part-time non-union employees will see their first $50,000 of pay cut by 8 percent and any additional pay cut by 10 percent as of June 1.

 

 

My first instinct, is to say fire them all!

 

However, I'm not sure the Publishing side of the paper is as inept as the Editorial side.

Wanna bet? I've worked under the Advance Communications Corp. umbrella. I suppose I still do as a freelancer but I won't miss my fee. I don't think they, and many other newspapers in this country, know how to function in a world where Internet news now rules. The Cleveland.com site is a joke.

 

If they want to see a dominant, alive and interactive news website, ESPN.com is a good example. They have free news. They have paid news/opinion. They have video. They have ads that command attention. Too many news website are "dead" -- in that they just sit there and you look at them.

As much as many of us don't like the slant that the PD puts on things, and slant may be a nice word there, I think that we as a community need it to survive.  There is quality buried in there somewhere trying to get out.  Some of the editors, like MTS alluded to, are half@ssing their job and really bringing the whole paper down with them.

As much as many of us don't like the slant that the PD puts on things, and slant may be a nice word there, I think that we as a community need it to survive. There is quality buried in there somewhere trying to get out. Some of the editors, like MTS alluded to, are half@ssing their job and really bringing the whole paper down with them.

 

I think the problem with the PD is that it's gotten too cocky for its own good in a lot of senses. It's the only real daily newspaper in the market. And I think it, along with a lot of the region, doesn't think it needs to change because it's always been around, unchallenged.

 

The sensationalized headlines are desperate attempts to bring people to the paper because it doesn't believe that, by just providing good, uncompromising reporting, that people will be attracted to that. They essentially think that people are stupid.

 

But people aren't stupid, by and large. And desperate attempts will be seen for what they are. And I think that, in order for the PD to change my opinion of it, it needs to fundamentally stop the bullshit it keeps trying to pull.

 

The PD is a Cleveland institution. It would be a total shame if it had to close down. But times are changing, and I think it would be a combination of not wanting to evolve and pulling these sensationalistic tactics that would bring about its downfall, if it does happen. And honestly, if either of those reasons lead to that conclusion, I personally say, don't let the door hit you.

 

I want to see the PD succeed. But not if they keep pulling what they pull now. I mean, bring some PRIDE back into what you do!!

Cleveland is a very innovative city with a vast network of civic foundations that strive to improve the quality of life for it's citizens. 

I hope the PD can leverage some of that and reposition its business model for survival and growth over the next 20 years.

 

Because selling your editorial opinion to companies who buy ad space is a horrible way to run a newspaper.

Cleveland is a very innovative city with a vast network of civic foundations that strive to improve the quality of life for it's citizens. 

I hope the PD can leverage some of that and reposition its business model for survival and growth over the next 20 years.

 

Because selling your editorial opinion to companies who buy ad space is a horrible way to run a newspaper.

 

I agree, but we don't know that is happening.  I would hope the separation of "church & state" is in play.  And it's illegal.

 

I know it appears that certain company's are using the PD as their own PR machines, but it's not out of the ordinary.

 

I'm willing to give the Plain Dealer the smallest benefit of doubt.

 

I think the problem with the PD is that it's gotten too cocky for its own good in a lot of senses. It's the only real daily newspaper in the market. And I think it, along with a lot of the region, doesn't think it needs to change because it's always been around, unchallenged.

 

cocky I say lethargic and lackadaisical.  That incorrect as the Cleveland Press was around and more popular from an Editorial Standpoint than the Plain Dealer.

 

The sensationalized headlines are desperate attempts to bring people to the paper because it doesn't believe that, by just providing good, uncompromising reporting, that people will be attracted to that. They essentially think that people are stupid.

Part of that is not  true and if you have some facts, please provide to backup your claim. 

 

They have a poor editorial pool (and I know you folks at the Plain Dealer are reading this) which does not think outside the box.  They have no desire to improve, therefore holding the city and region back.  They have virtually no partnerships with the schools or neighborhood associations, or the information they "report" would be more accurate.

 

In addition, advertising and advertorials are down, because nobody wants to buy a paper full of such death and dispare.  Based on that bad business model, they can't charge for advertsing online since there is not draw. (I'm not an expert on News Papers, but drawing conclusion based on Magazine Research, which is similar but still very)

 

The PD is a Cleveland institution. It would be a total shame if it had to close down. But times are changing, and I think it would be a combination of not wanting to evolve and pulling these sensationalistic tactics that would bring about its downfall, if it does happen. And honestly, if either of those reasons lead to that conclusion, I personally say, don't let the door hit you.

 

I want to see the PD succeed. But not if they keep pulling what they pull now. I mean, bring some PRIDE back into what you do!!

I disagree.  Just because it's an old time Cleveland business does not mean it has to stay in business or continue if the business is failing.  To me the PD is NCB/Wachovia of newspapers.

 

I say clean house and bring in a fresh new diverse & talented Editorial Board and EIC.  There are plenty of unemployed talented, young, bright and diverse editors, writers, reporters, journalits that could turn the paper around.

I want to see the PD succeed. But not if they keep pulling what they pull now. I mean, bring some PRIDE back into what you do!!

That I can agree.  However the management of the PD, doesn't seem to want to run, manage or publish a newspaper that is fair and unbiased that represents all of NE Ohio. So I'm in favor of a closure.

The Plain Dealer's future in these economic times

by Staff reports

Tuesday March 24, 2009, 3:41 PM

 

In these tough economic times, how will The Plain Dealer keep its commitment to serve Northeast Ohio? Mike McIntyre will interview Publisher Terry Egger in Wednesday's "More to the Story" live at 11 a.m. Find out how Egger plans to guide the paper through the recession and beyond. Ask questions; share your concerns and suggestions.

 

<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/news-videos/">WATCH AND CHAT HERE AT 11 A.M.</a>

Well, I didn't get a chance to ask even one of my questions to Terry Egger, though I had a few written down.  The whole program was extremely brief - he spoke for maybe 10 minutes, if that, and then took questions for about 10 minutes.  I plan to follow up with some of my issues via email.

 

One thing I wanted to take him to task for was the fact that someone brought up their negative reporting slant (which he claims has been the same complaint at every paper he's worked at across the country) and he said it's the paper's job to report "the truth," including when it's negative. This is after he talked in his speech about how we have to all be "ambassadors of Cleveland" and spread the word to people outside our area and outside Ohio about the great things Cleveland has to offer, and so I wanted to touch on not just that his comments contradict each other but that that there is a way to factually present the news without giving it has a negative slant.  I had a few other questions too but oh well.

Well, I didn't get a chance to ask even one of my questions to Terry Egger, though I had a few written down.  The whole program was extremely brief - he spoke for maybe 10 minutes, if that, and then took questions for about 10 minutes.  I plan to follow up with some of my issues via email.

 

One thing I wanted to take him to task for was the fact that someone brought up their negative reporting slant (which he claims has been the same complaint at every paper he's worked at across the country) and he said it's the paper's job to report "the truth," including when it's negative. This is after he talked in his speech about how we have to all be "ambassadors of Cleveland" and spread the word to people outside our area and outside Ohio about the great things Cleveland has to offer, and so I wanted to touch on not just that his comments contradict each other but that that there is a way to factually present the news without giving it has a negative slant.  I had a few other questions too but oh well.

 

AMEN!

 

You go girl.  This is the point I wanted to express to HJG in the MM/CC thread!

I *will* go, you bet, if he responds to my email.  I think maybe I'll invite him to lunch, I have a lot of things about the PD I'd like to get off my chest.

I *will* go, you bet, if he responds to my email.  I think maybe I'll invite him to lunch, I have a lot of things about the PD I'd like to get off my chest.

Make sure its on a day when your pregnancy hormones are in full gear!

I *will* go, you bet, if he responds to my email. I think maybe I'll invite him to lunch, I have a lot of things about the PD I'd like to get off my chest.

Make sure its on a day when your pregnancy hormones are in full gear!

 

Honey that is EVERY DAY.  Today would have been particularly good though as I am on edge waiting to hear from mr. rockandroller, they are having more layoffs at his company (2nd time this year) and we are hoping he avoids the axe.

Oh, and WHY do people ask such stupid questions?  Some woman he called on said that while she thought it was great to suggest that we're all (or should be) "ambassadors of Cleveland," what we really need is big businesses here to employ us, particularly those that will put an HQ here.  I'm like, first of all, THAT IS NOT A QUESTION and second, WHAT THE F DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE PLAIN DEALER?  *stbz*

Oh, and WHY do people ask such stupid questions?  Some woman he called on said that while she thought it was great to suggest that we're all (or should be) "ambassadors of Cleveland," what we really need is big businesses here to employ us, particularly those that will put an HQ here.  I'm like, first of all, THAT IS NOT A QUESTION and second, WHAT THE F DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE PLAIN DEALER?  *stbz*

 

I'm surprised you didn't ask her.  lol  ;)

Well, it was in a church, so I tried to behave. 

Well, it was in a church, so I tried to behave. 

Amen!

Yes I'm posting at 1:15am on a Saturday night, but I am absolutely incensed over the blatant and pathetic editorializing in the middle of this story.  Numerous angry emails went out - I am disgusted.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/03/chris_kennedy_of_merchandise_m.html

 

Chris Kennedy of Merchandise Mart Properties says Cleveland lacks strong leaders

Posted by Joe Guillen/Plain Dealer Reporter March 28, 2009 20:44PM

 

Cleveland lacks strong leaders and is attracting no business investment, says Chris Kennedy, the Chicago executive leading the charge to build a $425 million medical mart and convention center downtown.

 

"Without us, you would have no one," Kennedy said in an interview last week.

 

He said he has been struck by how negative people and the media are in Cleveland.

 

"If the mentality of the town is people shouldn't be successful, I don't want to do business there," he said. "The hope of success has to be greater than the fear of failure."

 

If the plan works, downtown Cleveland might one day teem with people again. Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime with downtown workers and visitors, but the declining economy and departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren.