Tim Russo copied me this morning on a letter he’s written to Brent Larkin regarding the former director of the Plain Dealer’s editorial page’s essay in this morning’s PD. Brent, I’m not clear on your column today against splitting downtown into 3 wards. It seems your entire argument is, well, “because.” More representation among more [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Okay Plain Dealer reporters: the outlook is dark and tragic. No easy way to put it. So take advantage of the Newhouse family’s bad situation of caring more about making money than serving the public. If they’re going to go to three days start now producing some hard hitting stuff that tests [...]

[Update at 1647 -- Anastasia Pantsios weighs in on the story: People involved in the "Save the Plain Dealer" campaign are asking "Where will we get our news?" Maybe we should respond, "Well, where do we get it NOW?" The PD may currently publish seven days a week and have a staff a third larger [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: The column began with this sentence: The lead story on the front page Wednesday dealt with Mitt Romney’s assertion – secretly taped – that many Americans have a sense of entitlement. Amen Brother Mitt. Then he went on to talk about entitlement, as you’ll see. It was a column from the St. [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: I think I’ve concluded. The Plain Dealer front page Sunday convinced me. I’ve been thinking how bad it would be that the city didn’t have a daily newspaper. Reality finally hit. No it wouldn’t. Why? The paper provides too much untrue propaganda. The paper ignores too much reality. It avoids what needs [...]

I think I see a theme building here… Between plays of the Notre Dame, University of Miami game last evening, Adam Harvey and I talked a little bit about the imprending demise of the Plain Dealer. For the people who work there, I mean actually work, the people who get up every morning and struggle [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan – two guys from wealthy families who have never had to toil for a living – will tell working stiffs what’s good for them. And what might that be? Tax breaks on wealth to provide incentives to the rich; less social security and Medicare as motivations to [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Jimmy Dimora was a victim of ignorance. The ignorance of his choice of friends. The ignorance of his expectations of public office. The simple ignorance of a simple man. He added arrogance to ignorance. An explosive combination in public life. He was also the victim of circumstances. This resulted in the over-sentencing [...]

Glenn Greenwald writes: The attribute of writing on the Internet that I’ve always valued most is that any errors I make — factual, logical or otherwise — will be very short-lived because they will be exposed by commenters, tweeters, emailers, etc., rather than days or weeks later (if at all) in the form of a [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Can we bring back Tom Chema? Why? Well, he’d fit right into Cleveland’s present leadership. How desperate can we be? Old, tired, used up. Choose your choice of description for Cleveland’s leadership these days. Mayor Frank Jackson. Top of the list of old, tired politicians with no vision though the Plain Dealer [...]

I fear that the Pee Dee will pull one of its silly editorial tricks come November. Here’s what I sense. Hope it’s wrong but… The PD boldly will endorse Sen. Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate. A Democrat over Republican. Josh Mandel, Brown’s opponent, has been shooting himself in the foot. The Pee Dee has [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Some 30 years ago when I was producing my newsletter Point of View I’d spend lazy Friday afternoons at the County Recorder’s office. There was no time to waste. I’d go through the documents that recorded business formations in the county. The time spent was often rewarding. I’d find who was partnering [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: If you want to read a masterpiece of bullshit propaganda please read Brent Larkin’s column in Sunday’s paper. Larkin lauds Jackson with inane manufactured praise. You have to leave your brain somewhere to get this ridiculous. Larkin writes about the school plan Jackson – and the establishment and the Plain Dealer – [...]

I noted the news of Cleveland’s ALOCA stamping mill on Friday. Metafilter picked the story up today and the Plain Dealer has responded with…

Arthur Bisbane asks: I’m looking for reader input on whether and when New York Times news reporters should challenge “facts” that are asserted by newsmakers they write about. And people wonder why newspapers are dying…

Roldo Bartimole writes: With newspapers in such precipitous decline my thoughts have traveled back to my first newspaper job in Bridgeport Conn. in 1959. It made me think that I was lucky enough to experience the days of old newspaper people and when the daily newspaper WAS the news. I had the opportunity to enjoy [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Transparency. It has been the righteous code word of the Plain Dealer in its dealing with public officials. Especially the new County Council. What transparency means is this: Honesty. Openness. Trustworthiness. Fairness. In this respect, the Plain Dealer is absolutely correct. And righteous. And true. Now comes the hard part. What’s good [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: When the Plain Dealer endorsed John Kasich for Governor it said it did so “with trepidation.” We soon found out why. Yet on Sunday, the Cleveland newspaper endorsed Governor John Kasich’s anti-government, anti-worker and “flawed” SB 5 by urging voters to vote “Yes” on Issue 2. What a crock. One mistaken endorsement [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: It takes courage for a newspaper to monitor the police. Gabriel Baird and Henry Gomez are following the activities of the Cleveland Police and its Chief Michael McGrath on reviews of possible police misbehavior. Very important material. They note that “in all 37 cases” of possible misbehavior the Plain Dealer examined, the [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: My, my. Is the Plain Dealer feeling guilty? It should be. A Sunday editorial took Gov. John Kasich to task. They don’t like what he is doing. Big surprise. Wasn’t he their choice for Governor? Of course he was. The same PD editors last year gave him the nod over Ted Strickland [...]