RIngo Starr Reporting

1. What can you say about a newspaper that takes a call from a corporate public relations maven (at Casa Monica Hotel) and reports that ex-Beatle Ringo Starr's in town, when he's not? See below.

2. What can you say about a newspaper that reports whatever City Hall denizens want reported, and little else about City Hall?

3. What can you say about a newspaper whose longtime staffers are so thoroughly compromised by pretend-friendships with the likes of WILLIAM B. HARRISS, WILLIAM L. PROCTOR and JOHN LUIGI MICA that they forget how to cover the news?

3. What can you say about a newspaper that didn't have a front-page article when Obama was elected President?

4. What can you say about a newspaper that didn't have any news story when a local soccer mom was nominated to run for Congress, then refused to cover her campaign against an entrenched right-wing Republican?

5. What can you say about a newspaper that is bound and determined to cower to power and cover up real news, never reporting on RANDY BRUNSON's taking free and then cheap rent from hotelier KANTI PATEL?

6. What can you say about a newspaper that prints rumors, or the purport of rumors, while not checking facts?

7. What can you say about a newspaper that continually ignores public concerns in public meetings, whose reporters all but sit in the laps of City officials in the back of the meeting room?

8. What can you say about a newspaper that was only the third newspaper in Northeast Florida to report on St. Augustine's illegal dumping (after The Collective Press and Out in the City, Jacksonville's Gay newspaper), but does not investigate further, while relegating the news to the 7th most important story of the year (and habitually calls the Old City Reservoir a "water-filled borrow pit?")

9. What can you say about a newspaper that has proof on videotape (on its website in the introductions in the Record's candidate interviews) that Commissioner ERROL JONES did not deny Judith Seraphin's concerns about his drunkenness in meetings, but never asked JONES to comment or ran a story about it?

10. What can you say about a newspaper whose Grand Poohbahs cancel a meeting with two Democratic ladies whose campaigns were all but ignored journalistically and editorially given short shrift, with no good excuse?

11. What can you say about a newspaper that aligns itself with the powerful, not the people, then scratches its collective head about its low circulation?

12. What can you say about a newspaper that prints anonymice comments below news stories and articles, even reproducing them in the paper every Monday?

13. What can you say about a newspaper that encourages homophobia and worse, devoting endless mash note articles to terrorist RANDALL TERRY, inflating the size of his crowds at anti-Gay rallies, while opining against the Federal Court order upholding the First Amendment right to display Rainbow Flags on our Bridge of Lions?

14. What can you say about a newspaper that won't cover any issue involving corporations (even cab companies) with any depth, failing to report that only cab companies were allowed to speak on a taxicab meter resolution at the behest of JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR., the tatterdemalion, prevaricating, tacky, termagant who thought himself qualified to be Mayor (which he said was only a "ceremonial position") because of his "sense of humor." We're not laughing, Mr. BOLES.

15. What can you say about a newspaper that prints City of St. Augustine and Congressman JOHN MICA press releases without attribution, but treats Democrats as diseased, while failing and refusing to even inform readers exactly what it is that JOHN LUIGI MICA does in Washington, D.C., while urging he be re-elected for pork barrel reasons?

16. What can you say about a newspaper that fires an award-winning longtime cartoonist for drawing a cartoon about a generic school official, not even referring to St. Johns County, because the School Superintendent, PHIL MCDANIEL and other schoolmarms raised a ruckus (collective protected activity) -- but refuses to consider First Amendment defenders who object to such anti-free-speech firings (on the basis of collected protected activity).

17. What can you say about a newspaper that confused "public" with "pubic," running a front-page banner headline about 100 Years of Pubic Service in 1994?

It's called the ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD. To its credit, it is good about printing local opinons, and has printed some 50 of my letters and columns since 2000.

But the ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD still has a long row to hoe to become a real newspaper.

If it is to survive into the 21st century, it must listen to people, and treat them with dignity, respect and consideration. Peter Guinta and Margo Pope, are you paying attention?




St. Augustine WReckord Publisher DEREK MAY





St. Augustine Wreckord Editorial Page Editor MARGO POPE