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Thursday, November 01, 2007

Here's what stinks

This morning the front page of the T-P carried a story about how two well connected and rotten garbage collection (that's right rotten garbage collection) contractors have been ripping off the city through a recently signed trash hauling deal. I pointed out in a comment thread at b. rox that the paper seemed a little over-enthusiastic in apportioning blame to Council-At-Large candidate Cynthia Willard Lewis while letting other culpable members of city government off easy. Go read the comments for the details there.

This evening, NOLA.com has what will likely be tomorrow's front pager about a federal investigation into how the same two well connected and rotten contractors may have bribed school board member and current state House candidate Una Anderson in connection with a school board contract.

But notice, in the second story, the paper takes great pains to communicate and even support Anderson's contention that this is somehow all Stan Barre's fault.

Interesting.

The T-P runs one story where many many people are at fault but still manages to point the biggest finger at Willard-Lewis. The T-P runs a second story involving bribery allegations against one person and immediately attempts to deflect blame onto the next nearest bad guy.

Both Willard-Lewis and Anderson are currently involved in campaigns. The T-P favors Willard-Lewis's opponent Jackie Clarkson in the At Large race, but has long supported Anderson who is, after all, one of the paper's favorite anti-"corruption" dragon slayers.

Maybe we'd be better off if the T-P just fired all the reporters and let James Gill write every story. That way the whole paper can be one anti-"corruption" piece after another that selectively ignores the responsibility of favored candidates. But at least the writing will be funnier.

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