Two Examples Of Good Old Fashioned Journalism
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The Broward County Commissioners have told the Sun-Sentinel’s Scott Wyman that they are about to cut their own budget.
Call me skeptical, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Scott Wyman
Commissioners whine about the sheriff Al Lamberti’s spending. They are cutting the days libraries and parks are open to close a budget deficit.
This is the first time we’ve heard about them getting serious about their own out-of-control spending.
Wyman writes:
“Spending shot up from $2 million to $3.2 million between 2001 and 2005 as commissioners opened offices in their districts, added aides and created a public relations arm. Since 2005, the size of the nine commissioners’ staff has been 37 or 38 people and spending has grown by $400,000.
Most offensive to this taxpayer is this line:
“They also spent more than $40,000 traveling last year, including a trade mission in Europe.
Thumbs up to Commissioners John Rodstrom and Diana Wasserman-Rubin who are the only ones who did not take any trips last year at taxpayer expense.
Thumbs down to Commissioner Lois Wexler, who took a two-week trade mission last year to Britain, Switzerland and France costing an estimated $4,600. If Wexler can show she accomplished anything for the county, I invite her to post it here.
Wyman’s story is good old fashioned journalism, the kind we need more of in Broward. It is right here.
Another example of good old fashioned journalism is from John deGroot, former city editor and columnist for the Fort Lauderdale News/ Sun-Sentinel.
deGroot writes:
“Long ago in a galaxy far, far away where I worked for a small town newspaper, I was taught that news was less about what happened and more about what it meant to my average reader who, I was taught has a seventh grade education and the patience of an early adolescent.
“And so I learned that it was not enough to report that City Councilman Paul Yacavona wanted an additional $39,700 for street resurfacing in his district; it was also my task to list each of the pothole-ravaged streets that would be repaired by the city work crews.
“In short, as I was told by my editors, that context and meaning were just as essential as the basic Who,What,Where,Why and How of my newspaper craft.
“But that, as I said, was light years ago when I had all my teeth and I could drive all week on a buck’s worth of gas.
“So now we have today…. which, according to my local newspaper is laden with events too often devoid of meaning or context.
“Take, for example, the alleged crisis in local government funding.
“Which, we’re told, has been caused by a huge drop in ad valorem tax revenues
“However..
“What’s missing is the legacy of the Brothers Bush administrations in Washington and Tallahassee, which resulted in major cutbacks in state and federal services here in Florida (as shown below in numbers I easily obtained in my dotage from the University of Florida’s Statistical Abstract).
“More to the point, the numbers generate numerous questions that might have been raised by our local news media… but not anymore.
Government Employees
……………………….1997………….2007………….% change
Total Florida
Population…………..14,712,922…18,680,367….27%
Federal……………….120,303……..127,960………6%
State…………………..203,842……..186,973……..(9%)
Local…………………..595,984……..762,910………28%
Local Property
Tax Collected*………$12,885.2….$31,009.
Per Capita……………$876…………$1,660…………89%.
Total Broward
Population……………1,423,729……1,765,707…..24%
Federal………………..6,998………….7,761…………11%
State……………………7,958………….6,233…………22%
Local……………………63,506………..89,510……….41%
Local Property
Tax Collected*………$1,589.3……..$3,520.9
Per Capita……………$1,116………..$1,994………..79%
Total Miami Dade
Population……………2,070,573……2,462,292…….19%
Federal………………..18,086……….19,692………….9%
State……………………17,500……….14,385…………(22%)
Local……………………97,048……….115.588………./19%
Local Property
Tax Collected*………$2,101.3……..$4,774.7
Per Capita……………$1,015………..$1,939………..91%
Total Palm Beach
Population……………1,003,798…..1,295,033…….29%
Federal………………..5,735…………6,455…………..13%
State……………………8,377…………7,529………….(10%)
Local……………………38,855……….51,061…………31%
Local Property
Tax Collected*………$1,306.6…….$3,103.1
Per Capita……………$1,302……….$2,396…………84%
The always opinionated deGroot’s blog can be found at www.john-degroot.com or here.
August 4th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
You don’t need to quote the Sun-Sentinel or John Degroot. Both are the past. Nobody in politics cares what they do or think any more. Don’t bore us, Nevins, and get out and do some investigative reporting.
August 5th, 2009 at 4:48 am
“Wyman’s story is good old fashioned journalism, the kind we need more of in Broward. ”
How come no reporting about the charges against Rico Petrocelli being dropped??? You make it loud and clear you’re agenda driven and failing in the “good old fashion journalism” department.
August 5th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Finally someone exposes Wexler for the fraud that she is and always has been since her days on the Broward School board. She says one thing, does another. Doesn’t live in the district she represents. Is beholden and strongly influenced by a lobbyist–or she would never get elected. Cut your own salary Lois–FAT chance–being an elected official is the only job she has ever had. We pay her bills.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Hey Buddy… Thanks for the compliment. Although I must say I pulled some material from our infamous story on the same issue in 2006… To those wondering about the photo, Buddy did not crop it. I had cut it to be a profile pic for a while on my web page. Thus, the mystery hand….
August 5th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I mean your story of 2006. It was a good piece.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:01 am
WTF Scott? Major Snub…
First you crop out Uncle Fester and Gomez, then you won’t even acknowledge me. You’re out of the family!
August 6th, 2009 at 4:48 am
You caught me. Don’t tell Earl Maucker I was moonlighting on the “Adams Family.”
August 7th, 2009 at 7:58 am
LOVE YOU SCOTTY