As my eight loyal readers have noticed I have gotten a little snotty when I comment on the local paper’s coverage of the Red Plan. Its true. As we near the beginning of this construction season and I keep hearing more unpleasant stories about nearly every aspect of the Red Plan I’ve gotten much more pointed. I might even be getting a little sloppier about my fact checking.
I called the Trib’s Education Reporter yesterday to encourage her to go to the district-wide PTSA Council meeting. Sarah usually doesn’t start her day till about 10AM so I left a message. When I returned I found that she had called back and asked that I call back and give her a review of the meeting.
Sarah takes my criticisms pretty well although I’m sure she doesn’t much care for them. She’s never treated me badly although her headline writers often leave something to be desired. One of the first things she asked me had nothing to do with the Red Plan. She wondered who had told me this story about employee relations at the Trib.
I wouldn’t tell her, of course. I simply explained that I’ve always thought Duluth was the world’s smallest big city (or the world’s biggest small town) meaning that everybody knows everybody elses business. I added that for all I knew the story wasn’t true. I told her I wasn’t holding myself to journalistic standards and was content to be a “rumor monger.”
It was actually a cordial conversation because even though I’m naughty I’m also a pretty good egg. I just love to egg some people on.
Sarah never told me that my rumor was off base. If I ever find that it was wrong I’ll retract the story and offer my apologies to anyone who’s reputation might have been tarnished by my fit of pique.
