Estúpido Savannah

Is it only in the TV business that you can lose money and market share and get a promotion?

This blurb about Savannah’s alwaysabridesmaid WSAV-TV caught my eye because the guy who has overseen the decline of the station’s fortunes over the past three years, Brad Moses, is being rewarded with a trip to a much larger market.

"During the past three years, Brad has provided exceptional leadership in all areas of broadcast management as general manager for WSAV," said Media General North Carolina President/Market Leader James R. Conschafter.”

Really Connie?

Cause the way I hear it, in addition to the layoffs imposed on the station from those corporate geniuses up in Richmond, Moses couldn’t keep a sales staff, fired a veteran anchor who was then hired at WJCL on the same day and somehow managed to run off the entire marketing department, the crime reporter, neighborhood news reporter, weekend anchor and sports director as well as the executive producer.

I can’t give you a link to the ratings, they cost money and aren’t shared freely, but my understanding is they have been flat or down significantly during his entire tenure.

I guess the good news in all this is that WSAV may improve under Moses successor; it certainly can’t get any worse. We need to say a prayer for the folks in Raleigh.

From the Vox - Dumb, Dumber and downright Stupid:

"The reason we have so much foreign trade today is greed. American merchants just want to make more money."

Yes. And?

For this little piece of ignorance I blame the schools. They apparently are no longer teaching the basics of economics.

Supply and demand… capitalism… is this ringing any bells?

"Grocery stores don't seem to be competing for our business. I'm clipping coupons and trying to save like a desperate fool. They have us figured out, charging $3.55 or more for a bag of chips."

Let me get this straight… you are clipping coupons and beeatching about it because you can’t afford a bag of chips? A bag of chips that, when consumed, will provide to your body absolutely no nutritional value. A bag of chips that, when consumed, will probably make you less healthy due to trans-fats and sodium levels and general greasiness?

How can you look at that level of intelligence and still believe in “survival of the fittest”?

"The caller who said he wouldn't buy a Chevrolet because of the stimulus funds doesn't understand that, without stimulus funds, there wouldn't be a Chevrolet to buy."

Yeah…I think that’s what they meant. There shouldn’t be a Chevy unless Chevy can survive without being propped up with tax money.

Savannah’s self-appointed GAY spokesperson Kevin Clark is at it again – This time he’s right – for the most part.

Clark is beeatching about how a group of gay “leafletters” were treated at the recent innovation awards. The police acted “stupidly”, to borrow a phrase from the president, when they rudely and unconstitutionally sent The GAYS away from the public streets and sidewalks where the awards were handed out.

However he makes a key mistake in is tirade that the paper should have cleared up or excised from this SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS piece.

Moreover, why did prominent politicians, including Alderman Tony Thomas and County Commission Chairman Pete Liakakis, who were in attendance, stand by and watch as their police committed this embarrassment?

Mr. Thomas and Mr. LIakakis could not, by law, say boo to the cops in this or any other situation.

The SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS knows this, they have lauded this particular part of the Manager Form of Government and they have berated the City Council for Micro Managing when they dared to ask a difficult question of the police chief because they simply wanted to know how many cops we have and where they were assigned.

The paper should NEVER have printed this unfounded accusation.

They know full well that repeating Clark’s criticism makes two electeds look as though they don’t care when the truth is they were as powerless as The GAYS.

In the city’s case Aldermen are strictly forbidden to interfere with the day to day operations of any city department. On a bigger scale anyone – ANYONE – interfering with a police officer duties in just about any situation could be charged with obstruction.

Don’t like the idea that the police can break the law and trample your rights and no one can stop them on the spot?

Tough!

This is the price you pay to live in the false belief that you and your family are safe.

One from the VOX:

"The news told of a young lady being gang raped as a crowd of chicken livered onlookers watched. How revolting and cowardly. That would not have happened back in my day."

When exactly was your “day” - 1964 perhaps? That is the year Kitty Genovese was stabbed and suffocated on her own blood within site and earshot of more than a dozen people who did little or nothing to help her.

Or perhaps your “day” was the 1920’s or 1930’s or perhaps 1940’s or 1950’s when groups of people banded together to hang individuals from trees until their necks broke or they choked to death. No one lifted a hand to stop them and instead cheered them on back in those days.

We are a violent group of animals. We have always been a violent group of animals and we have always run away from our fellow animal’s problems when we have the opportunity.

That is why we survived so long and so well among faster and deadlier groups of animals.

Don’t play dumb!  The exact same levels of violence and cowardice exist in each and every one of us yesterday, today and tomorrow.

For the first time in a long time I was at a complete loss for words but oddly proud of myself at the same time.

So what did you do on Halloween?

I decided to stay in and get caught up on what happened at the quarterly town hall meeting they had over to the civic center the other night. Scary dull I know.

You might be asking yourself “what town hall meeting?” I certainly was since I saw nothing on it from my usual news sources. I managed to find a blurb that it was coming up but no coverage of the actual meeting.

Turns out I didn’t miss much, however the Savannah Morning News could have used this as an excuse to report the current and future economic state of the city -- since they missed that story at the last City Council and still have yet to report it. Head Penny Pincher Chris Morrill provided a brief budget explanation for the apparently very small crowd of neighbors who showed up.

Despite the fact that Morrill called it “The Great Recession” , which is hyperbolic, his talk was to the point and chock full of as yet unreported, important information about how all that money we give to the local government is being spent and who might get laid off and what services might get cut and such.

Besides that we got the regular “Here’s What We’ve Done For You Lately” somewhat self-serving priorities bit from the bureaucracy and a talk about the as yet completely ineffective Youth Futures Authority and something about Black Male Achievement which I skipped over because I have already achieved what I plan to achieve. You too can skip right over that and the other stuff that doesn’t grab you with handy dandy index points provided at the link posted above.

The other thing that I did NOT skip over was the bit from the Housing Authority of Savannah. They are the Public Housing Folk basically the local arm of the Housing and Urban Development department of the Federal Government.

It looked like it would be a right interesting historic perspective on what the HAS has done since its founding back in the 1930s. And it was, interesting I mean, right up until they got to the bit about Stubbs Tower.

Ms. Earline Davis the executive Director of the HAS described a slide she indicated was an Ad for Stubbs Tower at the time of its construction.

“This is Stubbs Towers the first high rise senior building built by the housing authority. For those of you who remember Stubbs Towers, I want to read

for you what is on the literature ‘Move up to Stubbs -Stubbs Towers offers cutting edge high rise living with breath taking views an exciting floor plan with the slickest contemporary design and the clever use of modern materials and space made for today’s living.’…”

I almost swallowed my tongue.

I created that ad for this blog in 2007. It is not a 1960's era ad for a High Rise Senior Living Facility-it is a fake, a fraud, a poor attempt at funny photoshopping.

I don’t know how to react to this, I mean, do I need to put disclaimers on what are obviously photo fakery? Should I be proud the work was so convincing?

I feel I have to point it out but, given the anonymous nature of my work, I can’t very well call up Ms. Davis and tell her.

So I will leave it to you my dear readers to inform her, as gently as you can, that she should remove that slide from future presentations and should check her sources more carefully in the future.

I am a little ashamed that I was at the root of one of those internet artifacts that becomes historical fact simply because no one knows any better.

I also am a little proud that my work could be mistaken for the real thing…is that wrong?

Yo Kettle! It’s The Pot here. YOU’RE BLACK!

Poster child for media bias Campbell Brown claims the White House lacks credibility on media bias issue.

I have largely ignored the supposed battle between the President and Fox News. I couldn’t care less except it makes him look like a child angry at the TV because his favorite Power Ranger isn’t getting enough screen time.

I couldn’t ignore this from AP:

“Meanwhile, Fox received support Wednesday from an unlikely source: CNN's prime-time host Campbell Brown. She interviewed Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett and asked whether the White House considered left-leaning MSNBC biased as well. Jarrett wouldn't speak about the network.

She "seems loathe admitting that MSNBC has a bias," Brown said. "And that is where I think the White House loses all credibility on this issue."

Really Campbell? Really?

What was it Matthew said about removing the I-beam from your own eye before…

I actually have no words to describe the level of hypocrisy that must be present in that young woman for her to be able to say that with a straight face and on Television even.

Yeah, you see we know when you’re just trying to score points for your network at the expense of others dear. Just give it up.

It takes a serious act of will to be this stupid or does it just come naturally?

“He sounds like a nice, unsuspecting guy who doesn't always read the fine print, believes what people tell him and suffers from lousy timing. Then bad things happen, like the condo market going off a cliff.”

An editorial in the Savannah Morning News goes on and on about this moronic guy that bought one of the condos that are inside the old newspaper building on Bay.

Okay – maybe Bartoon could say the guy was a victim of bad timing if he…say… bought at the end of 2007. The real estate bubble was slowly deflating here in Savannah and it looked like we might be recession proof or at least go shallow and recover quickly but that is not the case for this particular “victim”.

“Williams, an interior designer from New York, paid $670,000 for a fifth-floor condominium last December at News Place West at 165 West Bay Street.”

Last December? LAST December? Really?

What “fine print” did he not see? Could it have been this headline in the Savannah Morning News in September: Bailout unlikely to counter slump or perhaps this tiny little headline in December: Forecasters: Georgia's economic outlook 'dreadful' .

Truthfully though, in condo boy’s defense, it is hard to get an accurate picture of the local economy from reading Mr. Bartoon’s newspaper.

Here are a group of SMN headlines arranged by date. Can you tell how the economy is doing?

 Ga. economist: State could be facing recession 

Housing may rebound by year's end; economy to grow slowly

New reports give bleak outlook on housing, economy

Growth weaker than hoped; economy shrinks in Q4

Consumer spending gain provides hope for rebound

City Talk: Data suggest ongoing economic weakness

Report: Worst of recession likely over for Coastal Empire

Manufacturing data boosts hopes of recession end

Georgia hits record unemployment

Schizophrenic much?

Yeah people seem to revere Darwin these days without understanding the implications of the man’s theory.

One from the Vox:

"Why should I have to lock my car or anything else I own? Why do people blame the victims? Why am I responsible for the actions of criminals? I'm sick of it."

Here is the deal – Humans are animals and will prey on each other as animals are wont to do.

Why do you think porcupines have quills? They don’t use them to kill their supper. Those spiky hairs have only one simple purpose. They are there so old man porcupine don’t get eat up. A prickle of porcupines is nothing to mess with. Ask any predator dumb enough to try.

Of course even the best defense can be overcome with ingenuity – just ask the porcupines in Kenya… oh wait you can’t since most of them get eaten by humans.

The point to this little Nature Channel excursion is simply this – if you can’t protect yourself you will be preyed upon. Thus is the way of the world, thus the way of the world has always been.

That’s why shortly after the invention of the wheel came the invention of the knotted rope followed quickly by the invention of the lock 4000 years ago in Egypt and simultaneously in Assyria and every other civilization of the time.

You got nice stuff? I want nice stuff. You don’t lock your doors? I know how to open an unlocked door. Suddenly you nice stuff become my nice stuff.

What’s that? Huh? It’s morally wrong to steal?

Yes you drape your house in Moral Certitude and let me know how that works out. I’ll invest in a nice big lock and perhaps a nice big Glock.

You are not responsible for the actions of the criminal you are simply responsible for protecting the belongings you want to keep.  

OH THE INACCURACY!

I couldn’t believe this crappy Associated Press article about the city I love actually made it into print, in the Atlanta Journal of all places.

Really… y'all don’t read the article unless you want to get annoyed or have a completely distorted view of history.

“Savannah was founded in 1733 and was one of America's first planned cities, with a series of squares and parks that can still be enjoyed today.

But the reason for those public spaces might surprise modern visitors: British General James Oglethorpe designed them as part of a military grid so his troops could set up camp and have shaded meeting spots.”

Yeah….uh….no.

First most of the military men were at the forts along the perimeter of the colony. The colonists themselves were expected to protect the town if attacked so I expect the militia did drill in the squares but they were not designed specifically for that purpose. To suggest that was the primary reason belittles the urban design accomplishment that is our amazing city plan.

But this author shows her willful ignorance of our history throughout the piece.

“Originally the city had 24 squares. It's a remarkable feat of preservation that 22 are still in existence and one more is being restored.”

Yeah….uh…no.

Originally Oglethorpe’s Savannah had four squares his plan called for six but they had four ORIGINALLY. Four is the correct answer to how many squares Savannah had ORIGINALLY. We did get up to 24 in 1851 more than 118 years after “originally”.

“Today the area is one of the largest National Historic Landmark districts in the country.”

Yeah…uh…no.

I know people here like to say this but there really is no actual designation for “largest NHLD”. If you go by size there is an 825,000 acre ranch in Texas that will kick Savannah’s ample buttocks.  Butte Montana’s NHLD is now over 9000 acres. If you go by number of contributing structures Savannah may rank 2nd but that would not be largest that would be thickest or densest NHLD. Bragging is fine but this has no place as a statement of fact in a news story.

I find it Sad and Pathetic that people know so little but say so much about Savannah and we don’t ever seem to correct them.

Pretty soon…

What am I saying? Pretty soon? How bout right now?  Nobody knows or cares about our true history anymore.

We have become the Eloi .

I like to think of myself as patient. I mean… I waited three whole days and a half before I pointed out this latest example of how piss poor the coverage of our local city government has become.

While I applauded the Savannah Morning News for their “just the facts” approach to last week’s City Council meeting I was unaware at the time that they actually missed the biggest and most important story of the day. Every media outlet in town apparently missed it. I would have missed it too if I hadn’t bothered to watch the budget briefing on the City Channel.

85 City of Savannah Jobs may be Going BUH BYE!

I should have known it couldn’t last. The city did so well balancing the budget for 2009. Like the little engine that could they climbed that mounting deficit till they reached the peak at $5 million and coasted down the other side without any layoffs, furloughs, firings or other shortcuts to Balanced Budget Land.

Unfortunately the picture for 2010 is even less rose tinted than I previously reported.

Here is what the big brains in the Chief Penny Pincher’s office are predicting:

They see $3 million less in revenue coming in next year.

That is a fresh $3 million revenue deficit added to the $5 million revenue deficit we saw this year…. That still too mathy?… um… How bout this?

Revenue is back down to 2004 levels but spending is still up at 2007-2008 levels.  

Think about what you were spending in 2008 – your expenses were probably just above what you could afford on your salary – now imagine your paycheck came in but the Accounting Department made a mistake and paid you your 2004 salary. You still have all the same bills but much less to pay them - that is what is happening to the city.

There was a smidge of good news – City Budgeteers see a small recovery on the horizon with more spending (a 1% increase in Sales Tax and Hotel/Motel Tax revenues), more building (a 5% increase in revenue from inspections fees). Of course those increases are above our already rock bottom levels so not really a cash banquet but still good to see even a slight reversal of fortunes.

Back to the not so happy news – The city has been trying to find a way to squeeze and stretch what they have in order to continue providing the same level of services and keep all their employees and keep from going into ridiculous amounts of debt.

The fact is they can’t do it.

No one could.

Something’s gotta give.

In this case they plan to eliminate some services, we don’t know which ones yet, and some 85 jobs could be erased along with those eliminated services.

Officially: 85 positions will be held vacant, reallocated or eliminated the city's goal is still to avoid layoffs.

Chris Morrill says they think they can do it without firing anyone “What we will try to do is to reassign those employees to areas where, through this economic crisis, we could use some more work there on a temporary basis.”

So those workers who find themselves surplus to requirements will be given the opportunity to do a different job.

City Manager Michael Brown puts it this way “We will give every employee the chance to make a reasonable transition.”  But he stated clearly that there may still be layoffs because some jobs are definitely going away and if the employee isn’t willing to make the transition and do the new job to the best of their ability they will not be kept on.

No matter what you think of the city’s plan I want you to ask yourself if perhaps this story should have been reported by the people actually paid to report on Savannah instead of your faithful unpaid blogger pal ESTÚPIDO.

We all pay for city services, most of us expect them to be there when we need them even if we never need them. How can an important story about an organization that WE ALL OWN not make the paper or television news?

Where is Savannah’s fourth estate?

A couple from the Vox:

"How is it that my house appraisal went down $30,000, yet my Chatham County taxes stayed the same?"

Because the state took away your homestead exemption.

“What this means to all Georgia homeowners who have filed for the homestead exemption is that you can expect at least a $200 hike in your property taxes for 2009.”

SMN could have easily cleared that up but of course the low-paid-under-educated individual that selected and published this Vox call probably didn’t know this. Oh, she could have looked it up but that would be too much like journalism and that is far above her pay grade.

"The board of education has frozen teacher salaries and the state furloughed us for three days, yet they want us to drive to meetings in our own vehicles with no compensation for gas or mileage. They need to look into the legalities of that."

Who is this “they” of which you speak? You should look into the legality of it and if you think you have a case go to court.

Meanwhile you could get in touch with the guys running for governor and point out to them that Governor Perdue had an option on the table last year that would have avoided most of the furloughs, pay cuts and other pain employees have been through.

It seems the State is leaving about a billion dollars on the table each year in uncollected sales taxes. That number comes from the Georgia Municipal Association by way of Savannah City Manager Michael Brown.

The number is based on how much money Alabama “found” when they switched from statewide collection of sales tax revenue to a local-level privatized collection of sales tax money.

The state’s share of that currently uncollected cash would go a long way in cutting the 1.9 billion dollar sales tax deficit.

Why wouldn’t the Governor look for savings like that instead of immediately taking out the shortfall  on the backs of state employees/teachers/mental health workers?

Why would you vote for any candidate that would allow this type of ignorant and poor money management to continue?

Why are you wasting so much ink on this?

There are maybe 200 cabs in Savannah. Why does such a minor industry warrant soooooo much press coverage?

Today we get Three, count them three, full on pieces on the taxi industry. They are from students so I guess the SMN, as a cost cutting measure, has figured out how to get even younger and cheaper labor through the door.

    1.       Toma: Cab owners seek City Council-abled cartel

    2.       Toma: College does taxi study

    3.       Toma: Some cabbies want to stiff riders

Here is the deal - the city is trying to decide if they should limit the number of taxi licenses or not.

They are leaning toward doing it and regulating the industry in a method similar to but not exactly like the medallion system found in New York and Atlanta.

Who Cares?

The only time anyone who might care interfaces with a cab is when they come out of the airport or perhaps the Amtrak station but those people’s standards are already low so don’t mind them.

The other people who use cabs regularly are the responsible drunks trying to get home from downtown or the poor and elderly who do not drive.

The former don’t notice or won’t remember, the latter usually use the same person every time and are accustomed to the current situation.

Nobody cares except the cab drivers and they are a microminority and don’t deserve all this attention from the media or academia or the city bureaucracy.

On a different topic: It seems Mr. Atkins filled in for Ms. Conn at yesterday’s city council meeting. He filed a report on the Bar Card issue which was by far the most important and far reaching issue on the agenda yesterday.

The article is a quite thorough recounting of the facts and I suggest you read it if you are interesting in council’s attempts to regulate the bar industry.