WHY WON'T THE SELMA TIMES-JOURNAL PRINT ALL OF THE NEWS???
6-19-07
Individuals in a town such as Selma expect the local community newspaper to present an accurate picture of their community. We are not speaking of the newspaper printing NEGATIVE news, but printing news which gives an ACCURATE picture of the community. We believe the Selma Times-Journal HAS WOEFULLY FAILED TO PRESENT AN ACCURATE PICTURE of the crime, malaise, and business failures in Selma, and worst of all, THE MESS IN THE SELMA POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CITY FINANCE OFFICE.
HERE IS WHAT YOU HAVE NOT READ IN THE SELMA TIMES-JOURNAL:
*BUSH HOG LAID OFF 200 WORKERS ON FRIDAY. We hope this was a seasonal lay-off AND WAS NOT PART OF THE 130 PEOPLE BUSH HOG SOME MONTHS AGO ANNOUNCED IT WOULD LAY OFF PREMANENTLY.
*SERVUS COMMUNICATIONS closed last Friday with the loss of 21 jobs and moved the operation to Texas.
*14 people in the Business Office at the Vaughan Hospital were terminated Friday as the hospital outsourced this operation.
*Phillies Cigar has reduced its work force to one shift resulting in the loss of 78 jobs.
*Selma Antiques on Dallas Avenue, 3 blocks from City Hall, was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight last week.
*Though the details are not yet known, there was another possible beating by police on Monday at a wreck near Hardees, after a police chase.
NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN IN THE TIMES JOURNAL, WHICH BRINGS US TO OUR NEXT POINT. DON'T THEY READ THEIR OWN NEWS STORIES FROM THE PAST? The STJ recently presented a glowing article about economic development in our area in which the STJ SAID WE HAD LOST ONLY 200 JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY while gaining 1200 jobs since 2004.
The STJ then listed the companies from which the 200 JOBS HAD BEEN lost; HOWEVER, THE STJ NEGLECTED TO LIST JOB LOSSES THAT THE STJ HAD WRITTEN STORIES ABOUT MONTHS EARLIER. For example, the STJ reported that LOUISIANA PACIFIC CLOSED WITH THE LOSS OF 115 JOBS, but LP was not in their list of companies where jobs had been lost. Also, the STJ, a few months ago, published a story that 130 JOBS would be lost at Bush Hog within the next 18 months, BUT, BUSH HOG JOB LOSSES WERE NOT in their list of jobs lost.
We actually think the EDA, Craig Authority, and our industry leaders have done a Herculean job of getting industries to come to DALLAS COUNTY. We especially thank them for their efforts IN SPITE OF WORKING WITH AN EGO-MANIAC LIKE JAMES PERKINS and the out of control crime situation he has allowed in Selma.
ANYONE WITH WALKING AROUND SENSE, can see that the growth is in DALLAS COUNTY WHILE THE CITY OF SELMA continues to deteriorate under the lack of leadership by Perkins and his City Council.
WE URGE THE TIMES-JOURNAL to give us AN ACCURATE, NOT A NEGATIVE OR A FALSELY POSITIVE PICTURE, of life in Selma. It is obvious to even a casual reader that the STJ HAS TAKEN A STANCE WHICH PROMOTES THE RE-ELECTION OF MAYOR PERKINS BY NOT PRINTING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MESS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE MESS IN THE CITY FINANCE OFFICE. Have they even read the blistering Management Letter the auditors wrote about the City Finance Department?
PERMIT US to illustrate how much the STJ bows to Perkins (in addition to not printing half of the crime state or robbery reports). Last week, the STJ carried a story about Fuller Building Material buying King Building Material. The story was accompanied by a picture of many Fuller family members as well as Judges Kim Ballard and Johnny Jones. ALSO PRESENT AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PICTURE WAS MAYOR JAMES PERKINS.
The story mentioned tha Ballard and Jones was present, BUT DID NOT MENTION PERKINS BEING PRESENT. When we saw that, one of our writers remarked to another that PERKINS WAS SUCH AN EGOMANIAC that the STJ would be reprinting that story and including the Mayor's name.
Lo and bohold! Although the original picture was not on page 1, THIS MORNING ON THE FRONT PAGE IS THE PICTURE OF THE RIBBON CUTTING AND A REWRITE OF THE STORY. The FIRST NAME MENTIONED IN THE STORY OF officials present--you guessed it - attending was Mayor James Perkins,Jr . .A normal person would not have cared if their name had been mentioned in the story or not, BUT PERKINS PERSONALITY IS NOT NORMAL . . A normal newspaper would have printed a small correction noting that Mayor Perkins was also present, BUT THE STJ is not your normal community newspaper. THE STJ PUT THE STORY ON THE FRONT PAGE WITH HIS NAME BEING MENTIONED.
We hope the Selma Times-Journal WILL BEGIN TO GIVE US AN ACCURATE PICTURE of life in Selma and Dallas County, not the false picture that the Mayor wants portrayed--so he can be re-elected next year. If by not printing ALL OF THE NEWS, the STJ thinks they are promoting industrial development, can't they see how much easier it would be to get people to come here is PERKINS WERE NOT MAYOR, CRIME WAS UNDER CONTROL, FINANCES IN ORDER, CITY STREETS CLEANED, A POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH A COMPETENT POLICE CHIEF WHICH ENFORCED LAWS AND DID NOT BEAT UP CITIZENS WAS IN PLACE, and people again had hope!
We believe the STJ is defeating their own purpose in not printing all the news in an effort to get industries here WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, helping PERKINS GET RE-ELECTED BY NOT PRINTING ALL OF THE NEWS!
