This week's opinion round-up
Here's a look at the sites that have taken notice of our views and judgments here at the Times' Opinion Manufacturing Division.
Virtual Collector, a blog with “information about Georgia & the world as collected from various resources,” posted our editorial calling for bankruptcy courts, not the government, to decide the fate of GM and Chrysler.
It seems Joseph Mailander thinks we’re funny. No, wait -- he thinks we’re a joke. In his post “The LA Times: a poor joke on local democracy” on his blog Street-Hassle, Mailander lambastes the Times for our “diverted” attention from local politics in favor of a “useless” mapping project and a column by Patt Morrison on the renaming of neighborhoods.
But Mailander isn't the only one upset with our local election coverage. Armand Vaquer took to his blog, Arman’s Rancho del Cielo, to share his displeasure with our endorsement to re-elect Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. His discontent is joined by Lincoln High 90031-Quick Notes, which called our endorsement “self-delusional.”
John Brown’s Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review, Version 2.0 links to an editorial on Hillary Clinton’s visit to Asia, which we say successfully presented a non-confrontational foreign policy. The editorial is also referenced in The Week’s assessment of Clinton’s visit.
In other political outlooks: Curbed LA said our editorial on Assemblyman’s Tom Ammiano bill to tax marijuana in California, in which we suggest the Obama administration reexamine the Controlled Substance Act, throws a “wet blanket on the idea.” Good to see we were clear on that point.
And Patt Morrison’s blog post on Los Alamitos mayor Dean Grose “stupefying” e-mail that shows a picture of the White house with rows of watermelons on the lawn and a caption that read “No Easter egg hunt this year” filtered through cyberspace. It was posted on a message board over at Mystic Wicks, an “online pagan community and spiritual sanctuary,” and it was linked over at White Noise Sanity.
Finally, outside the realm of politics, Louise Larsen wrote a follow-up post about her discontent with Joel Stein’s piece about peanut allergies on her blog Louise on the Left. As a mother to a daughter with sever peanut allergy, she was annoyed by Stein’s column which suggested it wasn’t a real concern, but a way to create “specialness” for kids. The post includes a Facebook message-exchange with the writer.
Yvonne, I appreciate you engaging my concerns!
The mapping project to me is a pure Internet-traffic exercise. It smacks of Tony Pierce. Anyone not knowing what community they live in should consult their Thomas Bros. Guide, where they are listed in 24 pt. light-blue caps.
My problems with your coverage of the Mayor's race are legion, starting with the editorial that stated that interviewing the candidates "veers towards pointlessness." The paper even gave Eileen Anderson more dignity.
Tell Newton and Horton I said hi. And I'm wondering what color Nissan Tony will rent at SXSW.
Posted by: joseph | February 27, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Yvonne,
I found your story on a search for Joe Mailander. Thanks for covering his comments. NIce story.
Posted by: Zuma Dogg | February 27, 2009 at 02:07 PM
Yvonne, I'm with Joseph on this one. The Times went ahead and endorsed Mayor Villaraigosa with barely a journalistic bat-of-the-eye at his challengers — many of whom speak to city issues at level of detail I have yet to hear from the incumbent. There's really no other way to interpret this than as symptomatic of the Times' cavalier and dismissive attitude toward its readers.
Sure, the Times profiled each candidate, but never the race itself. The paper's condescending treatment of Walter Moore, in particular, is shameful considering he announced his run for mayor back in 2007 and has since raised enough money to qualify for matching funds (the yardstick by which the Times once measured "serious candidates"). Furthermore, he did so largely through small contributions, not out-of-town developers or his own personal fortune.
If Times cares to do right by its readers in the few remaining days of the race, there are two hours of footage from the mayoral debate held in Sunland-Tujunga last Sunday I'm guessing the producer would be willing to share with you.
Posted by: Solomon Wolfson | February 27, 2009 at 02:11 PM
In case you hadn't noticed, the Times IS a joke; a sad, former shell of the paper it once was, and now nothing more to me than lining for the rabbit's cage. As a paper which is supposedly representative of the City of Los Angeles, your coverage of the mayor's race has been laughable, and even more frustrating, it's been condescending to the people of this city. Hopefully for Los Angeles, you at the Times will once again get serious about this city, and serious about the job of reportiing. Good luck.
Posted by: debbie | February 27, 2009 at 02:31 PM
Short of David Zahniser the Times is doing no decent coverage of municipal affairs. Irrespective of their feelings about anyone challenging Mayor Villaraigosa or other incumbents they have simply failed to recognize that many of these candidates and their simpatico leaders in the community have very significant followings in the City. It MAY not YET be enough to turn elections but there is a clear dissatisfaction with and growing challenge to the status quo.
I don't even agree with many of the stands of this nascent yet rapidly blooming rebel alliance. That being said they're here, they're getting louder and the Times needs to take them seriously if it's to retain any sense of true journalistic credibility before it prints its last fishwrap in the next few years.
You have the opportunity - will you take it?
Posted by: Michael | February 27, 2009 at 05:09 PM
Re-Electing again Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa means another period of Sanctuary City laws welcoming millions of more illegal aliens. Means Special Order 40 gives criminal aliens roam the streets or kill on the highways with a slap on the wrist by prosecutors.
YOU the taxpayer are forced to pay for illegal alien children crammed like sardines in our schools. Free health care for illegal pregnant females who managed to dodge the US Border patrol and any injured foreigner who predatory businesses dump on the hospital steps. a cornucopia of semi-secret handouts to support illegal alien families.
We need a new mayor who supports American Workers
Posted by: Brittancus | March 03, 2009 at 09:15 AM
My subscription to the Los Angeles Times ended lat year, except for Sundays when I grab the free grocery coupons. The LAT has losing it's readership, because it's become a Liberal rag. It no longer supports Americans and LEGAL RESIDENTS, but has played along with brain-dead editors, who support the ILLEGAL ALIEN INVASION. It's full of propaganda and has become a left wing political newspaper full of rhetoric, telling us that the 40 million ILLEGAL ALIENS living off taxpayers is good for this nation.
Posted by: Brittancus | March 03, 2009 at 09:21 AM