Gannett CEO Letter to Escambia Board of County Commissioners: Keep Public Notices in Newspapers (please!)

Last year was a watershed moment as the Florida legislature passed HB 7049 and it was subsequently passed by the senate and approved by the Governor in May, 2022.  The law became effective 1/1/23.

The bill was harshly criticized by the state's print media concerns.  It was criticized by national media as well.  Scare tactics and ominous talking points.  And yet it passed.

Meanwhile, the BCC has already begun publishing most public notices on a lower priced print newspaper not affiliated with the Pensacola News Journal.  There are some legal hurdles the county will have to navigate in order to fully integrate notices on our website--but that is a direction I certainly want to go.

It will save the county taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

And my perspective is this--in many instances the local paper has been biased, unfair, and frankly unprofessional and dishonest in how they cover the BCC and individual members of the board with whom they ideologically disagree.  That's been my personal experience with this paper, their string of editors, and their racist, now former cartoonist.  So why would we feed taxpayer revenue to an entity that is so hostile toward us?

Answer (in my opinion) : We shouldn't.  And for my vote, I WON'T.

I am going to work that direction for the savings it will produce for the taxpayers--- to boot.  

Now, this savings (not paying media conglomerates hefty fees for publication of routine public notices) from Escambia County alone may be insignificant to giant corporate players like Gannett--but if more Florida governments follow HB 7049 and publish public notices on their own respective, organic websites----that amount of a revenue loss for media interests will not escape notice.

Thus, the letter the BCC received yesterday, below.

Opioid Settlement Money to Start Flowing in Florida. Dribs and Drabs.....

While the U.S. is losing more than 100,000 citizens yearly to an overdose crisis--national media outlets all but ignore this reality in favor of covering seasonal storms, seasonal respiratory viruses, and a war in Europe.  Why?

Even though the national media ignores the opioid epidemic like it is nonexistent---the numbers tell the story.  In Florida and in Escambia County the damage and the carnage continues.  FDLE released the latest numbers (from 2021) which notch another tidy 10% increase in deaths from Fentanyl.  Some local TV News outlets cover this story of immense national significance--yet the national nightly media seem more fixated on the latest winter storm, the tragic, horrific (and as of yet) unsolved murder of four college students in Idaho, a war in Europe, Monkeypox, and seasonal respiratory illnesses that are common.

But they ignore 100,000 Americans dying every year from opioids!

Meanwhile--in the 1st judicial circuit alone (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, and Okaloosa Counties)--there were nearly 300 deaths attributable to Opioid overdoses.  With Escambia being the population center of the district holding more than 50% of the district's citizens--it would not be a stretch to assume at least 50% of this number represents Escambia Citizens lost to this drug.  That is a huge number.  Imagine if Escambia County had 100 or more murders yearly?.  Locally, WEAR did a good piece in the leadoff 6:00 newscast last night.

Still--anemic, if any, national coverage.

It's quite perplexing.  

But it's really not. 

The national media doesn't want this covered because:  1.) they know the biggest culprit is China lab produced synthetic drugs pouring over the porous, broken southern border with Mexico.  They (media industrial complex) just don't want to acknowledge this for reasons that are obvious---- and highly political and partisan.  And #2.) is they don't want to offend their patrons......just watch the national news lately and you see where their bread is buttered: Big Pharma and every drug under the sun they are telling you that you need.  One commercial after the other. Ad nauseum Paying for their existence. (that and car manufacturers' ads....)

So, to summarize:  Broadcast companies get rich, pharmaceutical companies stay rich, Law firms get paid, and local communites lose 100,000 citizens, getting "table scrap" level payments with lots of strings attached over long periods of time.---------------- AND to even mention this and dig deep on this at the national level media outlets  remains verboten.  Check.  Got it!  👍

Meanwhile--as the massive and complex lawsuits and settlements with big pharma and drug manufacturers and distributors move along at pace-----the big law firms that are a part of this mass tort are about to get substantial windfall payouts----while Florida counties and municipalities will be receiving dribs and drabs of small dollar money (compared with their actual total yearly budgets) over the next decade or so, with this money highly controlled with stipulations and limitations negotiated that will severly curtail what local governments can actually spend this money on.

Locally, from this chart provided by County Attorney Alison Rogers yesterday afternoon, it appears as if Escambia County will be getting about $216K over the next two years, Santa Rosa $126.5K, and the city of Pensacola $70K.

Escambia's Opioid Funding Advisory Board will be providing recommended expenditures to the BCC for our consideration and eventual decision and direction.

See what every other county and municipality included within this litigation will be getting, here.

Hey--we'll take it.  We will take it and spend it doing something good to help supplement the massive taxpayer  resources we're already utilizing in this fight.  

stay tuned.

Opinion Host Andrew "Tallman" McKay Weighs In on Upcoming BCC "Resign to Run" Ordinance

While purportedly reporting "news" Andrew "Tallman" McKay of AM 1620 expressed his desire that his listeners and the public "light-up" the Escambia Board of County Commissioners at their next meeting over a proposed "resign to run" personnel ordinance.  This garbage is NOT News.....

Flipping through the radio dial this morning I happened to catch AM 1620 morning host Andrew "Tallman" McKay opining and droning on about his "opinion" of an upcoming BCC decision on an employment ordinance.

Hey, everyone has their right to an opinion.  This is America.  And he is an entertainment/opinion program host.  Not a news guy----but rather an entertainmnet and opinion host masquerading as a news guy.  Problem is, some folks don't see a distinction.

Naturally, he is entitled to his opinion.  

But the issue becomes murky when he transitions between his opinion and his so called "news."  

He's not the only one who does it-- lots of hosts like Rachel Maddow, Don Lemon, and (former) host Chris Cuomo engage in this sort of "entertainment/news commentary." Report something, then opine on it, then drift back to opinion, add in some facts, then more opinion.  It's very fashionable these days and not uncommon and a leading reason why more and more Americans do not trust the media complex anymore.  Too much mushy garbage and no clear delineation between opinion and fact.  But this particular AM 1620 segment is called "future news"--- on a show called Pensacola's Morning News and where he, Tallman,  identifies himself as a "news" guy.   And in the segment in question he and his co host predict whether or not a particular "thing" (purportedly news) will happen---so the area becomes grey for listeners once again.  Is it opinion, or is it news?  Is it good or is it bad if the thing happens?  

I'll answer for him.  It's neither.  It's straight up "opinion."  And in HIS (Tallman's) opinion--this "resign

Town Hall Audience to PNJ: We Don't Trust You, and You Don't Represent the Values of Escambia County Citizens.....OUCH!

A "Sea of Red" comment cards fly into the air when the following statement is made:  "I believe what I read in the local newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal".....at the D1 Perdido/Innerarity Town Hall 1-22-2022

It has got to sting.  The blistering, unabashed distrust and dismay everyday, ordinary Escambia County Citizens willingly express toward the Pensacola News Journal.  It is somewhat shocking how a local daily newspaper can be so disconnected from the community they (purportedly) serve.

But disconnected they are, apparently.

From multiple inaccurate, deliberate false light portrayals of elected officials...

To a white cartoonist who uses the "N-Word" and is unapologetic about it and is not held accountable....but is actually REWARDED with lucrative, syndicated cartoon opportunities

To what stories and op-ed submissions get no coverage.....

To the blatant pandering expressed to certain so-called influential "community" leaders.....(who also spend heavily on advertising with the PNJ)

To a nonstop bashing of locally elected and statewide elected conservative public figures which the community supports...

and the list could go on.

But people see it.  They spot it.

Monopolies are good for folks like this, folks like the PNJ who do all of these things, yet still reap the monetary rewards from huge national advertisers and local advertisers who have no hard-copy daily news alternative with which they can do business.

But cracks may be forming.  So many of us are increasingly disappointed with the ever shrinking content in the PNJ, that people are starting to point it out.  Saturday PNJ papers here in Pensacola are soon going digital only.  Midweek papers are wispy-thin with content swiped from USA today or other "partner" publications from other parts of the state and country.

It's weak, lazy, lacking credibility and they shouldn't be rewarded.

It's a real disappointment.   

If only we had a local paper that represented our values and our community's ideological slant (center right, PNJ, not left).  But we don't.  We get what we get, and with the dollars we spend on this paper, we not only accept but CONDONE this subpar "news" outlet.

Sad.

I asked for audience input on the following two statements as a part of my townhall last night:

1.         Our local Newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal, is in step with our community’s values.

2.          I believe what I read in the local newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal. 

These statements were specifically about the PNJ---to which both elicited OVERWHELMINGLY  Red, Disagree comment cards held high in the air.  Overwhelming.  (95%-5% Disagree.)

It was a very basic message to the PNJ from our town hall audience:  PNJ, we don't trust you, and you don't represent the values of Escambia County Citizens, period.

Ouch.

Watch this portion of the meeting here at minute 52:41 of this video.  Don't just take my word for it---see it for yourself.

Two Editorial Cartoons in One Weekend!!

 

Andy Marlette Shamelessly plugs his stupid, non-humorous comic strip, Pimp & Twits, at the Pensacola Beach Air Show July 10, 2021--with the same predictably disastrous results as PNJ's news, editorial, and features output and as equally dismal as PNJ's feeble attempts at subscriber growth and retention.....it all just ends in a fiery mid-air disaster......

Wow! PNJ Editorial Cartoonist Andy "Dandy" Marlette and the crack 2-person editorial PNJ team have been  busy little beavers this weekend, once again on the attack, lashing out at the hard working Escambia Board of County Commissioners.  We got two (2) cartoons this weekend, one on Saturday and one this morning.

Andy must be really, really lathered up and exercised to take a "Sunday" slot (the only day PNJ has any circulation over 200 readers) and pivot away from Trump, Rubio, Scott, and DeSantis---to attack us!

It's amusing

But the smaller and smaller number of subscribers PNJ clings on to must be wondering what his anger and venom is all about.  Around town at various social events I attend, I'm always asked "Wow, the cartoonist is always after you--what's up with that?" to which I simply respond, "He's an idiot, he is glib, everyone knows it, and I live rent-free in his head."

So yes, I understand Andy hates those of us that roll up our sleeves and do the difficult yet necessary (and often messy) work of local governance --work he himself couldn't do and couldn't handle---yes, we all get that.  Yes, yes we know he has a fixation on the BCC and yours truly in particular.   Yes we know he has been drawing cartoons about us that are stupid for years now, and yes we know he makes some money for the failing PNJ with his syndicated cartoons which help keep the PNJ financially viable.  (He punched his ticket by attacking former president Trump mercilessly over the last 5 years--which gave him "the creds", apparently, to have a nationally syndicated comic strip given to him--from which he more than likely makes a few bucks).  He uses the N-Word in his cartoons, so what says his employer?   It's not like he's someone that should get cancelled like the Bachelor host, right?  Yes, he hates Trump, makes money for the liberal PNJ, runs a recurring schtick that he's a "Republican" (yeah, right), and does as he is told by his local advertisers---- so they, in turn, ignore that messy piece of nastiness about Andy Marlette, a privileged white man who used the N-Word and flipped the finger to those who wanted to cancel him.  Apparently, he is untouchable unlike so many others who got cancelled for doing the same.  So, yes, PNJ keep him around because of that.  He's nothing but a useful tool.  For the money, and because he does the Patron's bidding unflinchingly.

But when he makes stupid cartoons about me and what I do, I'll continue to manipulate them and make them actually funny.  He really hates that which is also very amusing.  It drives him nuts but he can't do a damn thing about it!   So.............

Introducing "Pimp & Twits"

Introducing "Pimp & Twits!"

And now, with all of this ruckus in the backdrop--- stay tuned for a brand new, actually funny "cartoon" strip of my own based upon Andy's failing, stupid one that nobody reads and that isn't funny.  My version will be titled "Pimp & Twits"  ---Set in the fictional, Florida coastal fishing town known as "Patronville" Starring a meth-addicted, media-obsessed Crocadile who is actually a former human being known as El Patron ---but  who was tragically transformed into a Crocadile/human hybrid in a life-extending, youth enhancing plastic surgery procedure that went haywire in lab in Belize. In addition to becoming a crocodile, his mind became warped and he suddenly, genuinely believed he was loved by all, respected by everybody, and that all people would do his bidding universally. Surrounding the croc, affectionately known as "Pimp"(because he "pimps" everyone around him to do his bidding)  are his cast of cronies that run his deals and his games for him.....  Lisa and Andy, two simpletons that love to dress up like characters from Hogan's Heroes and play-act scenes from that 60's  show, two dimwitted

Fake News Media Give "N-Word Using Andy Marlette" a "Pass"

White PNJ Cartoonist Andy Marlette used the N-Word in a disgusting, racist cartoon--and signed his name to it. It was posted recently on the official PNJ Facebook page and NOT immediately taken down.  It is still up on their site.  Is this acceptable in 2021?

A cartoon created by Andy Marlette of Gate House Media's (Formerly Gannett) Pensacola News Journal was recently posted on the PNJ's facebook website.  A censored rendition captured from a screenshot is above.

In this era of "cancel-culture"--a dangerous practice that I do not condone-- I find it to be astonishing that Andy Marlette gets away with writing the N-Word on his cartoon, and signing his name to it.

No ramifications, no apology, no explanations, nothing.

One media professional with whom I spoke on this recently about this matter specifically told me, candidy, "we tend not to report on other media figures unless it is something really beyond the pale, or unless citizens come forward and press for it"

So while the rest of us apparently have to watch Classic Disney movies be de-platformed, while decades old pictures in Dr. Seuss books get cancelled, while "The Bachelor's" 20-year host Chris Harrison gets canned----and he didn't use the N-Word like Andy Marlette did--- and while many average, everyday citizens who say and do much less get cancelled- "N-Word using Andy Marlette"---a white, privileged liberal elitist--gets to use the N-word in his cartoon, sign his name to it, and carry on smiling in 2021.  

And the FAKE NEWS MEDIA GIVES N-WORD USING ANDY MARLETTE a PASS!

The PNJ is apparently so unabashed about their support for this conduct, they left the facebook post up where this Marlette cartoon was posted.  Look at it here.  Wow!

Andy Marlette is a public figure, just like I am.  Andy frequently accuses others of being racists.  He is a dishonest, toxic fake in my opinion; he has accused me of being a racist multiple times via his cartoons and insinuations in his articles over the last 15 years. 

When he requested a meeting with me, he was frenzied in his rapid-fire, condescending, and harried questioning and accusations.  I was calm, cool, and collected in my rational, cogent responses to him (which he frankly did not deserve)  But boy oh boy, he sure was angry when I looked him in the face and told him I'd continue to manipulate his cartoons whenever I want to.  He shrieked like a squealing pig to his editor about it.  He was unhinged; totally and completely unhinged.  But he is/was a hypocrite who was projecting, apparently.  Because come to find out--He's the one that is racist, apparently, so far as I can tell from his cartoon above.  He uses the "N-Word" freely and nobody says a thing.  NAACP is silent.  BLM is silent.  Gate House is silent.  PNJ is silent.  FAKE news liberal press doesn't report it.  Rooms to Go continue spending massive sums of money advertising with PNJ.  The silence is deafening.

I guess Andy Marlette  must make too much money for his bosses in the liberal press establishment for them to call him out or at least make him offer an explanation and apology for this disgusting racist cartoon.   

Media is biased, and they most certainly condone,  no,  ENDORSE this; it illustrates the double standard they enjoy--which is disgusting and one more reason why more and more people distrust them!  

PNJ Won't Even Acknowledge My Email--Meaning They Won't Print this Rebuttal

I sent this email to the PNJ editorial team Monday Evening in response to their Sunday editorial that was a complete hatchet piece on three of the commissioners--as of today no response at all, no acknowledgment that I even sent it.  It doesn't surprise me, I did not think they would print it......

Attached to this email I sent them, above, was this 600 page rebuttal, below, to Sunday's Editorial.

The Joker

The "real" Joker will be featured in a cool new blockbuster film that is in nationwide release starting today.  The "wannabe" Joker, by contrast, is with us constantly locally as the cartoonist in our local paper-and is not cool....at all....

Andy Marlette, even by his own very flimsy, flexible, and slippery standards--has sunk to a new low.

  His disgusting, disingenuous cartoon from Sunday September 29th DELIBERATELY misrepresented a tragic situation that occurred in 11-Mile Creek two weeks back.  When a constituent's dog died shortly after coming out of the creek--we all went to red alert.  We demanded testing, and we will be planting warning signs and doing additional testing.  We took serious action.

What did Andy Do?  Well, he disgustingly attempted to capitalize on this young man's tragedy, while simultaneously conflating the facts surrounding this dog's death and attacking the company he hates with every fiber of his being, the company  that is his nemesis, International Paper.

In his cartoon, he intimates IP contributed to this canine tragedy--by depicting the dead dog on the banks of the creek, with the IP Discharge pipe directly on the other side of the river where the dog died.

But the problem is this is not true.  IP does not discharge into eleven mile creek and they haven't for 7 YEARS!  Furthermore, the area where the dog died is TWO MILES upstream from where IP's effluent pipe empties into a 1400 acre private wetland area.  IP effluent no longer is discharged into 11 Mile Creek--and Andy and PNJ should know this.  But hey, don't let facts get in the way of a good attack piece and cartoon, right?

The truth is these blooms of algae that produce toxins that are harmful to animals are occurring all over the southeast--and are caused by high temperatures and low rainfall combined with other biological factors.  To believe otherwise, as Andy wants you all to believe, would require that you believe that the IP Mill in Cantonment is responsible for blooms and canine deaths in Mississippi and South Florida too!

But never mind these facts, though--right Andy? 

Nah, just take more shots at this young man who lost his dog, IP (who you hate) and those of us that are looking at facts and trying to solve issues logically and practically within the bounds of our abilities.

Nope--what we get from Andy is more disingenuous, disgusting, and inaccurate cartoons.

No wonder people in America no longer have respect for the newspaper industry and the larger media in general.  Unrepentant dishonesty and mean spirited, biased, tactless misrepresentations.

Disgusting.

Escambia, Santa Rosa Have a Legacy of Lacking Good Journalism

We have had two back to back editorial whoppers from our local newspaper—slamming public servants.

The theme of last week’s crack offering from the two person PNJ editorial board:  Activists good—ALL elected officials bad (especially the locally-elected conservative Republican ones)—and nothing gets done if not for activists.   And elected officials everywhere can do nothing right… 

Okay-I will say that I admire folks that become active and engaged in their communities for good causes.   But what that cynical piece leaves out is that often it is a super-motivated ACTIVIST that ends up running for office in to make changes!  And the other important thing the PNJ article misses is that sometimes the mob gets it wrong—and it takes an elected statesman to make a tough vote---despite the vocal activist mob’s protestations-to get an issue right for the WHOLE community.

When I served on the school board, we voted to close schools and loud groups of protesting citizens packed rooms and screamed in our faces calling us terrible names—but by 3-2 votes we did what was required and necessary in those instances—not what was politically expedient.

The county commission vacated a roadway two years ago for a very beneficial purpose---by 3-2 vote and despite the protestations of many activist citizens.  But it was the right thing to do and took intestinal fortitude from 3 of 5 to make that vote—despite pushback from some citizens.  The PNJ would have criticized that decision no matter which way it would have gone. Because it is easy to throw rocks from the sidelines and play Monday Morning Quarterback when you are in the peanut gallery and not in the game.

And to say NO President has made any difference locally?  Are you kidding me PNJ?

What about Lincoln’s Emancipation proclamation that changed America for good forever—Including Pensacola?

What about JFK’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”

Or Ronald Reagan’s “Tear down this wall” speech that led to the end of the cold war?

How can PNJ be so myopic?

And now comes this week’s piece—where conveniently once again several of the locally elected, conservative Republicans are targeted by PNJ as unworthy of the offices we hold.

“These guys should be run out of office, and people WE LIKE BETTER should replace them!” would have been an honest title for this week’s PNJ editorial.

The op-ed conflates the serious criminal wrongdoings of two high-profile former officials with artificially imagined “outrageous” behavior by several currently elected republicans locally.  Thrown 

Marlette Manipulation 12.0: "I Wanted to Finish Him OFF!!"

I manipulated Andy's attack cartoon on Mike Hill, above,  to better reflect the reality of the situation.  His article where he is talking to a chicken that he says is God, his previous cartoon mocking Jesus as an illegal alien, and now this cartoon from Saturday where Andy Marlette draws a disgraceful depiction of Jesus on the cross--Why does he continue to attack Christianity--In a Christian Community?

As I have done for over a decade now, in multiple instances and on a variety of his cartoons, I have once again taken one of Andy Marlette's lame cartoons and at least made it better and more reflective of reality.

Lately it feels like a sustained attack on Christianity--between his goofy editorials where he mocks God as a chicken, to the despicable cartoons where he depicts Jesus as a criminal in one, to being arrested for illegally crossing the boarder, to the one he did where he intimates Jesus is being crucified for being homosexual.  It is disgraceful and disrespectful.  Of course he and the PNJ enjoy the right of free speech, to mock Christians.  But why? Why mock  Jesus in this disrespectful manner--In a Christian community?

As I wrote in a blog post late last week, I recently was "invited" to sit for an "interview" with the 2-person editorial board of the PNJ (+ Jim Little).

It was a joke, a total set-up, ambush job.

Funny how the invitation I got came after I submitted an op-ed with which I know PNJ disagrees, and shortly after I manipulated their last "attack-cartoon" on Jesus.

Ok, so to summarize:  Based upon the attacks on conservatives and Republicans, God, and Christianity--it certainly appears as if the PNJ is deliberately trying to alienate their readers (customers).

I wonder what Gannet corporate thinks about this?

America's Distrust of the Media, Part I

In the original version of this cartoon, our President was portrayed as a rat demanding loyalty.  a more apropos rendition is the rat being the biased, partisan media trusted less and less by the American people

Trust in the American mainstream media is the lowest it has been since Gallup began tracking this metric in 1972.  Today, only about 1/3 of Americans trust the mainstream media to report the news “fully, accurately, and fairly.”  This number continues to fall with good reason.  America is polarized and everyone is a partisan, and the media is now taking sides and by a massive proportion the 4^th Estate aligns with the left.  

The evidence of this is on display with nightly attacks on the President of the United States by the media who are bent on his destruction.  The media is so focused on a non-story that they have worked themselves into a rabid feeding frenzy—desperately searching for the monster under the bed that is not there.  With reckless abandon, they keep reporting half-truths and innuendos that are flat out false, and “straight news” reporters are now editorializing during evening broadcasts.  Russia, Trump, Russia, Trump, Collusion, Russia, Trump, Russia, Trump, meddling, meddling, Russia.  It is mind-numbing and more importantly—it is undermining our country.  

Democrats are so furious over their loss in the Presidential election that they are working hand in glove with their ally the mainstream media in an open attempt to destroy a man’s reputation and take him out of office utilizing the power of their collective bully pulpit to pull this off.  It is a slow rolling coup d’état that is taking