The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) annually honors development and planning projects that help ensure sustainable growth for north Texas. This year, only nine projects were honored with a NCTCOG "Celebrating Leadership in Development Excellence" (CLIDE) award. Only three projects were honored in the public policy and planning category, including Richardson's 2009 Comprehensive Plan. Brenda Scheer, the CLIDE Awards jury chair, said the plan "uses interesting and important themes to tie its various recommendations, which focus appropriately on sustainable goals and making Richardson more livable and more urban." Andrew Laska, in The Richardson Echo, has the full story. Kudos to the Richardson City Council and Planning Commission.
8 comments:
Does or did the public persona or firm "Andrew Laska" that "signs" the majority of published articles on “Richardson Echo” internet web site have a monetary relationship with Gary Slagel? Was money exchanged between this Richardson public publishing icon "Andrew Laska" and Gary Slagel at any point at any time ever for services rendered? Much like the publicly posted “Richardson Echo” reporting technique regarding sources, unnamed sources tell that money was indeed exchanged but mysteriously unnamed sources cannot be named because of promises made to not.
The public persona or the “we” of "Andrew Laska" is using the name of a bygone public newspaper "Richardson Echo". The public site uses “we” when referring to “Richardson Echo”. This would seem to indicate more than one person or personas. So does it?
The public internet site "Richardson Echo" had at one time harsh remarks written with byline "Andrew Laska" about Mayor Steve Mitchell in several past articles. By contrast it featured Mayor Gary Slagel in a positive light with Council John Murphy and a couple of others selectively. Now oddly the negative remarks by "Andrew Laska" on "Richardson Echo" about Mitchell from past articles have mysteriously been edited or removed entirely in some cases. It is favorable again to Mitchell that he is not the mayor and Slagel is.
Things are very odd with the publicly posted "Richardson Echo" indeed. I learned of the "Richardson Coalition" as a matter of fact from a link sent to my business group anonymously about "Richardson Echo" "reporting" in a strained revealing not revealing article interviewing public leader and public building namesake “Chuck Eisemann” about political activities that has since been altered from the “Richardson Echo” site.
The practice of editing after posting stories, the abundant quotes of Gary Slagel, the "Richardson Coalition" immediate ties linking to the "Richardson Echo" and the “Richardson Echo” mysterious interview of unnamed persons conducting political surveys, confirm to me that growing uneasiness with said site justified.
As surreptitious as it could be in amending part of its demeanor or changing its stripes and words, literally, it is not so that those watching “Richardson Echo” from the outside have not noticed. “We” have. Will this “Richardson Echo” change again come election time? Who is behind the “we” of “Richardson Echo”, discounting the upfront and unawares guest columnists if “we” are to take it as “reporting”? What kind of money are people whispering about? Only the Shadow knows. Is it as cunning as the official “Richardson Coalition” web site. Is it real or is it memeo. Really?
Signed
Burn Notice
"Burn Notice", I don't know the answers to the questions you raise. And I don't intend to investigate. I don't give much weight to questions raised by an anonymous Internet poster using anonymous sources. Or making unspecific charges ("past articles have mysteriously been edited or removed entirely in some cases" -- which articles, which cases?)
In the interest of full disclosure, articles on "Ed Cognoski" are sometimes edited after publication, usually for spelling, grammar or punctuation reasons. But sometimes, I'll change a word or add a clause to more accurately capture original intent. However, such changes are always done shortly after publication and never in response to subsequent events. If I change something to correct a reported error, I'll mark the changes so readers can tell the before and after wording.
The posting by the anonymous 'Burn Notice' would be laughable if it weren't designed to damage the reputation of a decent, upstanding, and involved Richardson citizen.
Anyone who is the least bit involved in Richardson governmental and political affairs knows that Andrew Laska is the president of the Richardson Heights Neighborhood Association. He is a frequent attendee to City Council meetings and even occasionally speaks at Council meetings on subjects of interest to him, his neighborhood, and to the citizens of Richardson in general.
In fact, if 'Burn Notice' had come to this week's City Council Workshop (6/22/09), he/she could have seen Andrew speaking on one of the consent agenda items on behalf of his neighborhood association.
Even if 'Burn Notice' somehow had managed to have never met Andrew, it would have taken approximately 3.4 seconds of searching on the Internet to have discovered that he is a real, live person.
So, we have two choices: either 'Burn Notice' is so out of touch with Richardson that we have no reason to suspect that he/she actually knows anything of any interest to anyone, or 'Burn Notice' is deliberately trying to slander Andrew and the Richardson Echo in pursuit of his/her own personal agenda.
Given that people normally make anonymous attack postings because they are posting things they know not to be true, I suspect it's the latter.
As one of those "upfront and unawares[sic] guest columnists", I can tell you that the Richardson Echo has instant credibility, because Andrew doesn't publish anything that someone isn't willing to put his/her name on...so you'll never see cheap slander like this on his website...
Bill
William J. 'Bill' McCalpin, thank you for setting the record straight.
I don't think it behooves myself or anyone to respond seriously to personal attacks of the nature of "Anonymous."
I will give these general comments. A real name is attached to anything published in the Echo (except perhaps general press releases labeled as such). That is so the speaker can take responsibility and be accountable for what is said. If something has editorial content it is labeled as an editorial and The Echo doesn't pretend it's news.
The Echo accepts user submissions but they have to follow those standards.
Because I care to understand any viewpoint about Richardson, I would be happy to sit down with anyone and discuss views on our community. That includes Mr/Ms/Mrs Anonymous.
Andrew Laska, thanks for setting the record straight.
In the interest of full disclosure, *everything* appearing in "Ed Cognoski" should be considered editorial content, that is, opinion, and not news. And that includes the new tagline. Which, by the way, won out over "Giving Bias a Good Name since 2005." What do you think? ;-)
Ed, I hadn't noticed the new tag line; thanks for pointing it out.
But "trusted"? Isn't that just hearsay? (oops, slap my hand!!! ;-) ) [note to readers, this is an inside joke referring to another posting]
Well, I guess it's OK..."Fair and Balanced" was already taken...heeheehee...but I do sort of like the inherent honesty of "Giving Bias a Good Name since 2005". It says just what you mean and do...
Bill
OK, I just promoted the also-ran tagline option to first place. This comment thread made me realize there's no place on the blog where I explain it's an opinion blog, not a news blog. Nor any place where I point out that I don't take myself too seriously. Done and done.
Post a Comment