Monday, June 03, 2013

Record Refuses to Print Truth About Visitor and Convention Bureau -- Who is Edward Albanesi and Why Does He Presume to Censor Record Readers Views?

The St. Augustine Record refuses to print a letter about antitrust and civil rights concerns arising out of our $4.6 million year tax-funded Visitor and Convention Bureau (similar to the blog post below), on the ground that it is too "antgonistic." 
This is the same viewspaper prints mainly right-wing columnists, including obscene Ann Coulter.  Ann Coulter is as opportunistic and antagonistic a bigot as ever lived. Ann Coulter was fired by conservative intelletual leader William F. Buckley, Jr. and his National Review for anti-Muslim bigotry after 9/11, when she called on us to kill and Christianize Muslims.  Ann Coulter called John Edwards a "faggot." Ann Coulter makes a living by writing smarmy columns and books about who she hates -- Democrats, liberals, unions, activists, Jews, Muslims and Mexicans.  Ann Coulter is laughing all the way to the bank with money from syndication, part of which, dear Record readers, we pay every month.
The Record cannot excuse what VCB has done -- and not done.
It censors the news.  Watch a government meeting and then read what the Record leaves out -- it boggles the mind.
Now it censors its readers' views. 
The Record recently hired one Edward Albanesi as Opinion Editor.
Edward Albanesi is a longtime Public Relations man, who teaches PR to college students.
Edward Albanesi had two (2) letters printed in the Record.  One Edward Albanesi letter supported Karen Stern (after her electoral defeat when she was about to be appointed to a board by Governor Charles Crist).  The other Edward Albanesi letter opposed Amendment 4 (Hometown Democracy).  Both letters may be construed by some as "antagonistic."
Edward Albanesi formerly edited FloridAgriculture, the Florida Farm Bureau's house organ.
Edward Albanesi evidently supposes that he is Cato the Censor, rather than Opinion Editor. 
Edward Albanesi evidently thinks readers' views must agree with the hamhanded and subjective value preferences of a PR man (himself, Edward Albanesi)
Edward Albanesi evidently has the misimpression that readers' views must agree with him, or they will not be printed.
I have had 55 letters and columns in the St. Augustine Record since 2000. 
The Record has long been a forum for free voices -- at least on the editorial pages. 
Is that changing now because the Record hired an agribusiness PR man as its Opinion Editor?
I hereby issue a challenge to Edward Albanesi to debate the Record's Opinion page priorities -- what is the purpose of an editorial page, if not to print readers' views?

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