For Gannett's PNJ---- the Ends Justify the Means

Criminal conduct must not ever be induced, rewarded, or countenanced.  Otherwise it will continue and grow.

It's why when demand for catalytic converters by scrap yards, regardless of the origin of such parts, was remunerative for theives and the scrap metal markets alike--the expensive,exasperating issue of folks having their catalytic converters stolen from their cars swept the nation.  Scrap yards could buy boxes full of these valuable parts from anonymous, shifty, sketchy and unknown individuals, shrug their shoulders and say, "We followed the law--WE didn't steal these."  Then a raft of states dealt with the demand side of that illegal activity/trade  by passing laws that put the onus on the "buyers" of catalytic converters (scrap dealers) to verify the origin of the individual parts prior to buying them.  These laws also made unauthorized possession of such parts illegal.  Now these crimes are on the decline--because the inducement and normalization of the improper, unlawful conduct has been removed, appropriately, by legislators.

Ditto for scrap copper theft around the nation.

This is why it is important to deal in facts and ignore distractions as it pertains to the current issue in Escambia County of what appears to be criminal conduct by those who stole county files and disseminated them unlawfully, continue to possess them unlawfully without authorization, and disseminate them inappropriately. 

Words are important, too.  

These are stolen county records--the sort of records that mere possession of which is a crime. A theft has happened.  It is potentially criminal. PNJ minimizes and attempts to sanitize this by calling this an issue of "Leaked" files.

Worse, Gannett's PNJ condones the theft of these files by continuing to possess and publish stories from them--which will invariably induce and embolden others to inappropriately steal files in the future--  here and elsewhere--from those with whom they disagree politically.

So individual aspects of this whole sordid event must be dealt with separately.

The issue of these stolen files and their continuing, unlawful, unauthorized possession by multiple individuals and Gannett--- in contravention to state law--- is one stand alone issue that is being investigated , a court action has been filed, and soon this matter will be litigated.

A separate issue is Florida's Public Records law and how it meshes here with files that have been stolen from the county's computers while such files were in the care and custody of the county--creating a condition where multiple individuals and entities now have possession, apparently, of a complete file the majority of the contents of which are actually private and not public records. Much of  this file contains privileged, confidential, Personal Identification Information, and individual personal medical records on more than a dozen local citizens that would never be released under any public records request anywhere in Florida ever.  Gannett knows this.

1. Stolen records

2. Public Records Law

Two separate issues.  And again-- Gannett's PNJ know that.  They are also aware of the fact that in 18

Retraction Requested of the PNJ

 

PNJ Article Twists Facts into a Knot and Mixes in Lots of Innuendo, Lies, and Hearsay....Disgusting

When a newspaper's content is dictated by advertisers and special interests and the resultant output is deliberately built on lies, hearsay, innuendo, and deception----there is a problem.   And truth, integrity, and honesty---along with readers--become  the casualties...

In what will be an upcoming Sunday morning hit-job by the PNJ cartoonist--once again important facts are left out, lies are told, truth is obfuscated, and good reputations are purposely impugned.   Some legitimate reporting by a PNJ columnist is contorted, taken out of context, and then jammed into this rant ostensibly to add a level of legitimacy, and to fit a defective narrative in order  to inflict damage on County Attorney Alison Rogers and multiple members of the Escambia Board of County Commissioners.

It is astonishing to me that they get away with it.  I'll do my part and call a liar what he is, a liar.  Andy Marlette is a dishonest liar. 

Interesting these Andy Marlette types proclaim to support free speech--they even put a blurb in their paper, an excerpt of the First Amendment.  Heck---Andy Marlette even uses the "N" Word in  his cartoons with no pushback by anyone to illustrate his ability as a white privileged man to say and do what he wants, whenever he wants, with no ramifications whatsoever.  Crickets....from NAACP and media.   No, wait,  Marlette not only uses the N-word in his cartoon and gives the finger to anyone who would criticize that despicable word choice---He actually gets rewarded with syndication $ for his dumb and non-humorous comic strip. Others get cancelled.  I guess If you're nothing bt a liberal tool that nobody knows about, cares about, or thinks is funny, I guess you are immune from cancellation.  

How about that?

Yet folks like Andy Marlette  hate when they, themselves, are called to task for the putrid tripe they put

PNJ Shenanigans with the Truth Paint me in a False Light Deliberately

PNJ is always engaging in their machinations against those with whom they disagree, or with whom they dislike.  Or with whom their advertisers and patrons dislike.

As they have done in the past to me, they are once again painting me in a false light with actual malice.

How so?

After a recent meeting, there was hearsay that the PNJ ran with intimating some commissioners had said things that were offensive about our clerk of the court Pam Childers.  It was not true, and I categorically denied it at the time.  It blew over when the clerk herself brushed it aside and deflected when asked who said what and who heard what.  It was over.

But in their rush to publish that salacious, inaccurate article built on hearsay--they (PNJ) put my picture on the caption in the headline online---even though I was not one of the commissioners even accused of saying anything in the first place.  When called about the accusations---I was the only commissioner who even took the time to take the PNJ's call and give an on the record comment.

And then they did this to me.....  See screenshots of my conversation with Lisa Nellesen Savage below.

She tried to explain and to fix the issue--but this is at least the second time they've done this to me.

Coincidence?  

I don't think so, I don't believe in them.  Not with the PNJ.