ASKING FOR YOUR HELP...(A PLEA)

I hate to even try this, but we're not wealthy here at the show or website. We find ourselves in serious need of a lap-top computer, something under a thousand dollars. We need it to help with both audio production, research and web-casting. It's a helpful tool that could let us seriously improve our work -- and, it would also give the intern staff a mobile place to do show production (we'd all love to have more soundbites and things like that to make the show better)..

So, if you enjoy the program and the website, we'd like to ask you to donate to it so we can purchase this much-needed computer for the program. If you feel so compelled - anything would help, as little as $5 would be appreciated. And, to make it easy -- we have a place right next to this one just a few turns of the mouse down where you can donate with your credit card through pay-pal, which is secure. I'll post a running tally of donations so you can watch us get closer to our goal. We just can't build it without you, and all the sponsors who work with the program do so in a mostly cash-less fashion. Hell, public radio makes more money they we ever have -- but once again, the truth hurts, and maybe moderate and honest points of view don't generate huge sponsors -- after all, we haven't had Wal-Mart come knocking at our doors to help spread the good word that we (unlike most other cities in America) have a truly balanced and open forum to talk about the things that matter -- and we have a place you can go without getting yelled at for having a different opinion..Oh, yeah, donate and you get an invitation to this year's exclusive first annual Arkansas Tonight Holiday party in December (entertainment by yours truly and other people who actually HAVE talent)...more about that later...also, keep it here for more about the new Arkansas Tonight book in the planning stages for this fall...lots on the way.

MORE ON THE KERRY ADS AND JUST HOW ROUGH THE ELECTION HAS BECOME

Last week in this space, I lamented (OK – vapor locked) about a television ad created by an organization calling itself “Swiftboat veterans for Truth.” Like Arizona Senator John McCain, I found it dishonorable and dishonest for an organization of fellow veterans to question the veracity of John Kerry’s Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts earned in combat in Southeast Asia. I haven’t since changed my mind, but thought the entire story deserved some more space.

One week in the political season can pack an incredible amount of information on readers and viewers, and a story like this one, a story with “legs” can change and change again in the period of just 24 hours. What I find surprising is just how distorted the entire Kerry ad situation has become.

For instance this – Rush Limbaugh, who I don’t usually consider a reliably objective source (after all, he does like to boast about his imaginary “Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies”) made a good point – one later echoed in an interview with former President Clinton.

Odd those men should agree on anything, but the point did make some sense.

If reporters have it right, Mr. Kerry has yet to release all his military records.

In some sense, he has that in common with the President, who still can’t seem to find all his, and when he can, they turn out sketchy at best. Both Right and Left blabbing mouths pointed out the best way to deal with accusations – by blabbing.

More specifically, Limbaugh said if Mr. Kerry has nothing to fear, the Senator should release those records and confront the “swiftboat accusations.”

During another interview, Mr. Clinton agreed, and said he always found the best way to deal with accusations (hmmm, except perhaps one time) came in the form of confronting those accusations. Clinton went so far as to say he relished opportunities like that, because those opportunities provided him a further way to communicate with voters and to forever hush accusers.

Agree or not with man’s politics, most reporters and many readers would agree with the premise.

The strange part of the week came courtesy of the Associated Press, which conducted an interview with a Mr. Jerry Corsi.

Mr. Corsi has co-authored a new book, entitled “Unfit for Command” set for release this week.

The book allegedly connects the dots in John Kerry’s Vietnam War record to reach the conclusion in the title.

Instead of talking about that, Mr. Corsi found himself trying to answer why he’d once decided to publish some very spiteful comments on a conservative web site. The AP cited a March posting on the site by Mr. Corsi; “After he married TerRAHsha, didn’t John Kerry being practicing Judaism? He also has paternal grandparents that were Jewish. What religion is John Kerry?” Again, even though the damage happened, Corsi told reporters he does not stand by those and some anti-Catholic comments he made, calling those comments “jokes.”

Unfortunately, as we get closer to November 2nd, voters can expect to hear more and more sleaze like Mr. Corsi’s comments – and we can also expect to read more ad-hominem arguments from both sides.

Those comments and the story still didn’t manage to answer any questions I might have about the military records of either Mr. Kerry or Mr. Bush, but golly, all those questionable words do look flashy and do manage to draw everyone’s attention away from a valid issue – or is it?

Just how much do any of the voters truly consider the Vietnam War a litmus test when deciding for whom to cast a ballot?

The wall of sound and obfuscation will just get denser.

Perhaps I wouldn’t invite Mr. Corsi to dinner at my place, but the old tactic of questioning the his personal veracity in an unrelated matter smells like politics, plain and simple – designed for effect the same way ad-hominem attacks in that questionable television ad aim to smear Mr. Kerry on an issue not necessarily at the heart of the election.

Will disrespect improve the economy and your wages?

Will it solve problems in the Middle East?

Will it prevent an opinion, a political book from hitting the store shelves?

What do those attacks really accomplish short of drawing your attention away from your duties as a voter?

I spoke with someone last week about this story, or about the war-record portion of it. That person made the following points to me: first, Mr. Kerry has campaigned heavily on his war record, thusly making that record fair grist for the opposing campaign.

Not only that, this new acquaintance pointed out that Democrats have hounded the President over his war record, regardless of Mr. Bush having received an honorable discharge from the National Guard during Vietnam, regardless of where he served, or how much or little he served.

The question?

Didn’t I find that at least equal to the disrespect of questioning Kerry’s medals?

Honestly, I had to agree to a large extent.

But the “wall of static” works especially well on journalists. Now I feel like I won’t be able to fall asleep at night until I get the truth about both candidates.

As a veteran, I’d love to hear the real inside-story about both men, know how both really served their nation in a war that seems to have come back from the dead in a big way this campaign season.

HOW DO WE RATE PUBLIC EDUCATION?

This is a sneak peak at a longer piece I wrote for the upcoming issue of Citiscapes. Apologies to the purists and educators, and everyone who approaches education as a science -- this is the "Popular Technology" approach to the issue.

-- Don Elkins

“It is a greater work to educate a child, in the true and larger sense of the word, than to rule a state.” – William Ellery Channing (1780-1842)

Long-dead educator and preacher William Ellery Channing had it right, and in more ways than one. Channing, who became one of the founders of Harvard’s Divinity School, came pretty close – however, for those of us inhabiting the year 2004, the work of educating a child may feel (and actually be) more complicated than running your basic third-world country. On the surface, it looks idyllic with yellow school buses rolling to the neighborhood elementary and kids of all ages pouring out across the playground at the final bell, but the devil, as they say, is in the details.

LET’S START SMALL…

Last month, as part of a story on a local 6 p.m. newscast, a television reporter visited a Wal-Mart Supercenter. She went armed with a credit card and a list of all the things Fayetteville’s Leverett Elementary required parents to purchase for students, before those students went back to classes in August. After all the crayons, pencils, wipes, markers and other assorted flotsam and jetsam, the bill came to about $18.19. Of course, that didn’t include the price of a new backpack, which many kids will need, especially seeing as many schools, including Prairie Grove’s new high school, no longer come equipped with lockers -- too many opportunities for contraband, drugs and other nasty things.

That final price also didn’t include school clothes, the latest must-have pair of tennis shoes, and…well, let’s just say if you have children attending either public or private schools in Northwest Arkansas, you probably have your own list of “didn’t includes” that set your head spinning when you arrived at the cash register or when you received your credit card bill at the end of the month.

This month, the first full month of the new school year, Citiscapes decided to take a closer look at that price tag – specifically what other things not on those lists of “must haves” will you have to pay for anyway?

We also wanted to find an answer to the age-old question, “who has the ‘best’ school” and also discover what kind of public education your tax dollar buys you this fall season – do you get the best value in your district? And, for the graduate part of this early-in-the-term essay – we wanted to know what major problems the school system in Northwest Arkansas faced last year, how the schools met those challenges, and what hurdles regional pedagogues can expect to overcome in the near term.

In all, we may have only earned a “B” grade on the assignment, but discovered some of those ‘simple’ questions just don’t have simple answers. Some of the answers make up thousands of pages of court documents and newspaper column inches. So, consider this your “Cliff’s Notes” guide to education in Northwest Arkansas.

HOW DO WE “RATE” THE SCHOOLS?

If you’ve just arrived from out of state, or if you plan an in-state move (and you have school age children who will intend public schools) you may have questions like “how good are the schools in that district?” Or “Which of the schools in that district is the best?”

Don’t expect to get a satisfactory answer from the District – because, as any good reporter – after talking to the schools PR guy -- can tell you, “they’re all fantastic!” – But are they really?

Washington State’s Education Association has some advice when you find yourself asking those very serious questions. What kind of an answer you’ll find satisfactory may depend on what you really want to hear. If what you really mean consists of “how well did the district or school’s students do on standardized or state administered tests?” you can readily find the answers to that at the Arkansas Department of Education’s website under “school report cards.”

For instance, let’s compare a couple of test results between Bentonville and Fayetteville districts. For 2003, Bentonville students scored consistently higher than students in the rest of the state on all portions of the both standardized and statewide benchmark exams.

For graduating high school students taking the ACT college admission test, those students produced an average score of 21.7. Does that tell you what you need to know? Now, let’s look at Fayetteville, which, in 2003, also had students which consistently scored higher than the state average on standardized and benchmark exams.

Graduating seniors taking the ACT in Fayetteville scored an average 22.8 on the exam. Finally, the state provides a long-range look at what you might expect from any given school district in terms of how many kids make it all the way through school to that happy day of caps and gowns. So, who does the best in getting those kids out the door? Our friends in Lincoln, which managed to get 93.31 percent of all the kids to graduate between 2000 and 2001.

DO THE NUMBERS REALLY TELL US ANYTHING?

However, Washington State educators say to find the “right” school, parents have to take into account family “interests, beliefs and priorities.” Families need to consider how much to value strong athletic programs, marching bands, music programs, science and art programs and the like at a public school.

They also need to think about diversity – should a child learn in a diverse environment and gain experience from the different cultures of fellow students, or should that child spend more time with others “just like them?” Never fear because WEA has some suggestions for finding the “right” school: it all starts with an in-person visit.

First, find out about class sizes and the condition of a school’s facilities. Next, consider the kinds and types of school projects on display. You might also consider taking the staff’s temperature – do they come across as energetic and friendly?

Remember, you’ll have to spend time with them this year, and so will your child.

Consider the age of textbooks and computers and the availability of supplies. Last but not least, find out about the availability of extracurricular programs and activities.

WHAT ABOUT CLASS SIZE?

So, perhaps the size of your youngster’s class means a lot – you’d like your son or daughter to get more attention from the teacher. The group “Educate Arkansas” claims teacher-pupil ratios in the state have decreased from one teacher to 22.5 students in 1965 to one teacher per 13.37 students in 2002.

However, a quick visit to some local schools may serve to remind you that those numbers are simply averages. Some classes may have as many as 28 students (or more.) Much of that depends on the district population, the population of any given age group of kids at the school and available facilities and funding. The State Legislature also consolidated districts, eliminating more than 50, and most likely increasing class sizes in some areas of the state. And, just to confuse matters, a group of researchers in California have something to say about class size.

Those anonymous number crunchers claim to have looked at the left-coast, and found very little improvement in standardized test results after teacher-pupil ratios declined. Again, no one really seems to agree on this. Ask another set of researchers, and they’ll say small ratios mean greater skill and early comprehension improvement in math and language in early primary grades.

All sides can agree on one thing – what actually goes in class remains more important that the number of kids in the room. To wit? The aforementioned personal visit and a little personal research may lead you in the right direction.

…AND TEACHERS?

Obviously, they play perhaps the central role in your child’s education. Who doesn’t remember having enjoyed that certain teacher at a young age-- the nice teacher, the one who considered you ‘the pet’ or the one who encouraged a life long interest in writing or science or sports or whatever? But teachers in Arkansas have had a hard time making ends meet – and can make for cranky instructors.

They say making ends meet on Natural state salaries can be tougher than the SAT’s, ACT and statewide exams rolled into one! Some believe the legislature saddled them with “unfunded mandates” during the special legislative session this spring (more about that a little later.) Now, teachers have to worry about a child’s body-weight index and a whole slew of other things that need done – except lawmakers didn’t allocate any extra money to help accomplish those tasks.

And the pay? That remains a long-standing bone of contention between teachers and the State of Arkansas.

Here’s how bad things have been.

To teach and otherwise help about 450,000 public school students, your average teacher – and are any of them really average? – made about $37,536 last year, or so says the American Federation of Teachers.

Unfortunately, when compared to the rest of the country, that places teachers in Arkansas in 44th place out of the 50 states and D.C.

Because of a new law, this fall, teachers will start at no lower than $27,500 a year. The nationwide average pay for all teachers in 2002-2003 came in at $45,771. If you believe the national organization which conducted the salary research, the paltry money paid teachers in Arkansas makes it hard to find good teachers and keep them here, when they can easily run across the border and improve their financial lot.

After all, teachers also have to deal with the rising cost of health insurance and just about everything else you find on store shelves. And what about the dreaded substitute teacher? They also face a wide range of pay plans according to a recent survey. Certified teachers in Bentonville make $60 a day in Bentonville to about $135 a day for long term substitutes in Rogers.

If the sub just has a high school diploma, they could earn $47.50 in Bentonville to as much as a whopping $64.40 in Springdale. So, what should parents make of all this?

Speaking with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette in July, State Senator Jim Argue, D-Little Rock said, "The quality of teacher is not the only variable, but it is the most important variable,,, I think there are a lot of issues related to teacher salaries that we need to address, but for now we’re making pretty darn good progress."

Argue also said fattening those paychecks would provide the key to luring better qualified teachers to the area – and the rest is a domino effect --,better test scores, better schools and hopefully more educated students.

For now though, pay remains a sore spot for pedagogs and parents alike.

NCLB MEANS WHAT? WHO?

President Bush likes it, but not everyone else seems to agree on it. That “NCLB” stands for “No Child Left Behind” something passed by Congress a couple of years ago. First of all, you’ll only get the idiot version of it in this article. In the proverbial nutshell, it’s the culmination of a system of thought about how to improve the nation’s schools that’s been rattling around since the late 1960s. It’s all about (buzzword here!) accountability!

When Mr. Bush visited Van Buren earlier this summer, he chose to speak about NCLB. The act has come under fire lately and has become a political football for both parties in this year’s general election.

In effect, NCLB requires schools to post fairly high test scores on national exams, or face various forms of punishment.

If you believe the President, Americans pay a lot of taxes which go toward schools, and have every right to know if their investment was both effective and wise. If a school can’t live up to the numbers in NCLB, it stands lose a veritable Fort Knox in federal funding, then faces the chance federal and state officials will provide students with vouchers allowing said students to attend a more successful school.

However, critics like to call NCLB another “unfunded mandate” and criticize the President for spending more money and the military than he does on education, and criticize him for failing to put enough cash into the program to make it actually work.

Democrats quickly seized the opportunity to take the political football and run with it, promising to fund the program if elected to the White House in November. And, not to beat up on Mr. Bush too much, but critics of NCLB from the world of education also think it can have another deleterious effect. They believe with so much riding on successful test scores, teachers will feel compelled to do one thing – teach kids the test, prepare youngsters all year long for what amounts to a very drawn out mortgage application filled out with a number 2 pencil and scored by computer.

And, NCLB requires focus on two things – reading and math. So, will already sparse funds (topic = equity, coming next) vanish from band and art and social studies because English and Math have greater needs, and play a greater role in the NCLB-slash-millions of Title I federal funds drama? Again, the answers could take up thousands of pages, but now you know more about the question.

THE BIG “EQUITY” STORY…

All of the things you’ve just read about affect the quality and cost of your child’s education in Northwest Arkansas’ public schools. But the final piece of the puzzle, the real contested ground in the story carries a single name – Lakeview.

In a nutshell; in 1992, the Lakeview School district filed suit against the state. Fast forward to 2003 -- the Arkansas Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling in the case, which adjudged the way Arkansas paid for public education as both inadequate and inequitable, in short unconstitutional. The Court gave state lawmakers until January 1, 2004 to make amends, or face the possibility of the state taking over operation of the public schools. As a result, we saw a long fight over consolidating smaller school districts, heard lectures from the Governor about valuing the hometown high school football teams more than we valued education and generally saw long periods of acrimony in the state house.

The conversation began to see more urban and wealthier parts of the state, including Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas squaring off against places like the Delta region. Larger districts wanted to consolidate; smaller ones knew consolidation meant extinction.

Some lawmakers in Northwest Arkansas proposed bills which would have avoided tax hikes.

Some complained, saying if the High Court wanted to achieve equity; it would fail to do so by making property owners in the Northwest pay money to fund poorer schools, instead of schools nearby.

A special legislative session essentially finished things with a bang. Lawmakers decided to spend $400 million dollars more on schools, and also decided to raise sales tax on everything to get it done. Lawmakers fought over the tax, but not before fighting over who to tax. Should corporations pay more? Should we tax services like advertising (didn’t happen) and dog groomers (yes) and tattoo parlors (yes again) and (right again) dry cleaners?

WHAT ABOUT THE PRICE TAG?

With lawmakers still wondering how to make ends meet fiscally, teachers still lobbying for more pay, more federally and state mandated tests about to start -- you might find your original $18.19 spent at Wal-Mart the smallest and easiest bill you’ll have to deal with to get the kids and the books together for some quality learning.

And ironically, when you tally up the entire bill for education (including backpacks), you’ll find extra taxes tacked onto services and sales to pay for equity statewide.

And, as the population continues to grow in Northwest Arkansas, the demand for quality and affordable education will also grow.

HER TWO CENTS WORTH

Editor's Note: I will from time to time take submissions. This one comes courtesy of one of the show's interns, Ms. Nicole Groves. For the sheer hell of it, she relates an experience she had on the highway recently. Perhaps this can serve as an open for discussions on gender issues...perhaps not.

-- Nicole Groves

I value the services that the police force in any community provide. There are numerous things that would go wrong with any lacking in these moral watchdogs, but I do have a few bones to pick.

Last summer I was pulled over on my return home to Arkansas from Texas. I knew I had done nothing possibly wrong, but again I trust the judgement of the police. As the officer walks up to my window I am reviewing my actions and any mistakes that I could have made. I was asked to immediately step out of my car and was pounded with questions even before I was told why I was pulled over. He asked the typical "Where are you going? Where are you coming from?" followed by some unordinary proceedural questions such as "Where do you go to school?" and "Where do you work?" mixed into the questioning. Sometimes the investigative interrogations are necessary, but I was a little shocked by the personal nature of these. After the questioning I was told that I was pulled over because I was driving in the left lane--- on an interstate. I'm confussed, is the left lane built from our taxes just to be ignored or scared to drive on? "The left lane is for passing only," said the officer.

I recieved a warning even though I knew I was previously in the left lane, but pulled into the right almost a minute before the blue lights went on. Was I pulled over because I am a young, attractive female or was this officer doing an honest days work?

An Arkansas state trooper told me that the Texas cop was right and that the left lane is for passing only--even in Arkansas. This only reassures me that every American citizen should be taught, beginning in primary school, to know their rights---be it in a car of any senario. There are too many of us that will fold and accept infringments rights just because they're wearing a uniform and we're not.

Curious as to your take on this -- anyone?

ANOTHER FANTASTIC SHOW!

I have to tell you -- I enjoy working in television, and writing is the way I vent and relax, but the most fun I have is bringing you Arkansas Tonight now that we've gone live.

Those of you who've called the show were very sharp. Those of you who joined on Pal-Talk -- I read your messages afterward, but will be able to roll along with your comments next week. I'm also curious if anyone listened to the web-cast coming from this page. I had some trouble with it at one location, and don't know how it might have sounded anywhere else. Drop me a line and let me know how it went.

ASKING FOR YOUR HELP...

I hate to even try this, but we're not wealthy here at the show or website. We find ourselves in serious need of a lap-top computer, something under a thousand dollars. We need it to help with both audio production, research and web-casting. It's a helpful tool that could let us seriously improve our work -- and, it would also give the intern staff a mobile place to do show production (we'd all love to have more soundbites and things like that to make the show better)..

So, if you enjoy the program and the website, we'd like to ask you to donate to it so we can purchase this much-needed computer for the program. If you feel so compelled - anything would help, as little as $5 would be appreciated. And, to make it easy -- we have a place right next to this one just a few turns of the mouse down where you can donate with your credit card through pay-pal, which is secure. I'll post a running tally of donations so you can watch us get closer to our goal. We just can't build it without you, and all the sponsors who work with the program do so in a mostly cash-less fashion. Hell, public radio makes more money they we ever have -- but once again, the truth hurts, and maybe moderate and honest points of view don't generate huge sponsors -- after all, we haven't had Wal-Mart come knocking at our doors to help spread the good word that we (unlike most other cities in America) have a truly balanced and open forum to talk about the things that matter -- and we have a place you can go without getting yelled at for having a different opinion..Oh, yeah, donate and you get an invitation to this year's exclusive first annual Arkansas Tonight Holiday party in December (entertainment by yours truly and other people who actually HAVE talent)...more about that later...also, keep it here for more about the new Arkansas Tonight book in the planning stages for this fall...lots on the way.

HOUSE 95 SUIT DISMISSED...

Seeing as this article has his commentary on teh matter, I won't ask him myself to repeat anything on this story. H seems to think I give him too much of a hard time, so "mums the word" with us here. However, that will leave us in the lurch wondering if he did, or did not live inside the boundaries of House District 95 in Rogers within the amount of time state law requires. Hey -- haven't talked to the Tumey folks about this either...in fact, everyone today has been strangely silent. Here's Doug Thompson's take on the matter -- also, see the link above to read the rest.(also, if I start ranting about this, I'll run out of server space)

Lawsuit to remove Hutchinson filed too late, judge rules
Saturday, Aug 14, 2004

By Doug Thompson Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - A lawsuit to remove Benton County state House candidate Tim Hutchinson from the Nov. 2 ballot was filed too late and in the wrong court, a Pulaski County Circuit Judge ruled Friday. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Timothy Fox dismissed the case against Hutchinson's candidacy in a 20-minute hearing Friday morning. Hutchinson is a former deputy prosecuting attorney and the son of former U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson. His brother, state Rep. Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Little Rock, is seeking a third term as the representative of District 31.

AETN "ARKANSAS WEEK"

I had a chance to join the Arkansas Week panel again Friday. Had a good time, but sure felt challenged both trying to drive there and back, and felt challenged by the panel -- some sharp folks very close to the state house here. We'd love to have Bill Simmons from the Dem-Gaz on soon to talk. Same with News Father Steve Barnes. Steve, thanks for the kind words and the advice -- elucidate, don't advocate. Look for the show again Sunday night. Yours truly doesn't say too much this episode. But, we did talk some about the Kerry campaign shifting money out of Arkansas TV ad buys for now. Consensus is we'll see it return, but right now, that cash may be spending time in places like Ohio.

THIS WEEK'S SHOW

A couple of quick updates for you. This Saturday night (tomorrow) we'll go live again, but this time we'll do something a little extra. You'll be able to listen live on our website at Arkansastonight.com. We'll also simulcast on PalTalk.com. For those of you who use or have PalTalk (it's free, you can sign up) just go to "Social Issues" and look for Arkansas Tonight Live. We'll have producers standing by to answer both your "chat" questions and your calls.

NEW TOLL-FREE NUMBER

We have a new toll-free number now -- the new number (this is permanent) is 1-877-247-2138. That's toll-free across the planet, and we invite our listeners tuning in outside the natural state to pick up the phone and join the discussion.

Also, WE WILL RECORD the program and put it in the archives for you to access on-line. We didn't do that last week, but will do it this one. We look forward to hearing from all of you.

JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING...

Or why this is a gosh-darned blog and not the daily newspaper!
or, "don't be a weenie!"

If you read this, I apologize ahead of time for behaving in a rather cryptic fashion, but I have a couple of things to get off my chest, and these things have been building in me for some time, and some recent events brought these to the fore -- so I'm going to use the web space I pay for to do as I please -- blow off some steam. Have fun figuring out EXACTLY what it is I'm trying to say (yes, I know it's self indulgent, but it beats screaming at a wall, and I tend to unwind by writing -- just look at the post times for most of these pieces.

Just wanted to clear a couple of items up. I don't cater to anyone on this website, especially not the politicians. The opinions I put here aren't "talking points" of any party, they're my own observations and they are nothing more than analysis or stories I see elsewhere that catch my own eye, stories I think you might enjoy, stories that might provoke comments from you.

So, here's a tip: if you are a politician, a candidate or other person involved in governance, and you spend any time on this website reading its contents and feel you have the right to reply or have some desire to see something posted herein -- get off your butt and contact me because I can't read your mind. That's why I provide an e-mail address in every story, that's why I provide phone numbers on the sidebar, that's why I provide haloscan comment spots. If you can't figure out how to use e-mail, get educated and join the rest of us in the 21st century.

People who decide they don't get a "fair trial" or "fair press" on this website know what they can do -- they can take a proactive stance to campaigning or they can take a proactive stance toward commentary and they can get in touch with me. I almost never turn anyone down if they submit material, and in most cases never will. I don't run this website like a newspaper runs a website. I don't have a reporting staff covering the phones and the streets 24-7. I write this stuff and I do so when I darn well feel compelled to do so. I feel that I have a pretty fair record of giving both parties even say and more than fair opportunities to express their opinions, should they feel the need to do so. If you find an insubstantial amount of opinion from one side or the other, that is the result of a lack of voices speaking up. I just write what I'm thinking about at the time and have some friends who have differing opinions and occasionally submit their thoughts as well.

In all, I'm writing this because I've become sick of the back-room sniping in which some folks in the political world feel compelled to engage. I don't promise on-time reporting here -- if you want that, pick up a local newspaper or listen to radio or check a news website. This is my HOBBY, not my JOB. I have too many JOBS already. This page has a limited readership -- again, it isn't the local newspaper, it's a blog, which essentially amounts to an under edited on-line journal or diary.

Again -- fair notice to you if you run for office or if you hold office -- I consider you fair game for commentary and criticism on any number of levels, and you are free to reach out and respond at will. Don't expect me to come calling unless I get some free time from work or family to sit down with you or call you and conduct an interview on the phone or in person. Some of you may have noticed that other blogs conduct interviews through either chat rooms or e-mail -- time is precious. If that's what you want, you can call me and ask, beg, plead for my time.

Don't feel I'm misusing you because I don't reach out to you from this website. The TV station I work at will reach out to you on a regular basis -- it has the staff. The radio station where I work will do the same. The newspaper and the magazine where my work runs will most often do the same. THEY HAVE THE STAFF and the time to do so. So, please, with my hearty invitation, speak up with gusto and reach out and let me know you need to speak, you need to respond to something you've seen - because here, I run the show, here I am king, here I call the tune and choose the content. I choose the advertising, and I choose to publish when I desire -- others do not call the shots at this website, and if you don't like it, you'll have to simply live with it. That my friends, in short is what makes the internet so wonderfully appealing. Very little regulation, I can set up my virtual printing press and enjoy my First Amendment rights at will -- and I'm generous -- I'll share my space with you as well. You are welcome to be a guest here and politely express your disagreement, or even use some polite ad-hominem attacks, but don't expect me to send you a star-spangled RSVP to do so.

If you don't like this site, if it doesn't either a) anger you to the point of rebuttal or b) interest you in some small way...do what you would with other things -- don't like vanilla ice cream? Don't buy it. Don't like this site? Don't visit the thing -- can it get any easier than that?

Sorry about the vent, but I was watching Dennis Miller on CNBC, and remembered his old days when he would do his nightly "rant" on HBO and it put me in the mood. The cryptic part of this isn't intended to anything, but most of this post remains true for anyone and everyone who visits.

Again, I enjoy this, I enjoy all your posts and I even enjoy your comments and contributions more. Just like the radio program -- it doesn't feel good to fly everything solo -- it's better when others help make the finished product.

Finally, if you disgree with me on these points, I reserve the right to both publicly and privately refer to you as a "weenie" and will endeavor to do so as much as possible. That's about as a clean as I can be in public.