What's in a "spat"?

Today (9/20/11) I read in The Berlin Daily Sun where Laidlaw and Cate Street are having a “spat”, how interesting! It would be more interesting reading about what’s really going on, what “the rest of the story” might be. I find it hard to believe that Cate Street is just “stiffing” Laidlaw for no reason and there lies the problem with the lack of depth by the local media. Could it be that the cozy relationship between the staff at the Sun and the staff at City Hall and mayor Grenier in particular makes this issue a “hands off” issue? Not investigating why Cate Street is not paying the alleged $5M due Laidlaw is a story in itself and it deserves more than the report of “spat”. I can speculate about the reason for the spat and I can come up with several guesses, but my guess is just that, a guess. Newspapers are given the power to investigate these types of issues by our constitution and when they fail to do their job the citizens are left in the dark about issues that might change their opinions about public policies and their public servants. Am I surprised about this “spat”? Hell no, I’m surprised something like this or worse hasn’t happened before now. Two or three years ago when I spoke to public officials in Ellicottville NY and then to others who had working relationships with Laidlaw, the advice and warnings about the company were unanimous, “be careful when dealing with Laidlaw or best of all, don’t deal with them at all if you have a choice”. There was a reason that the Bertrand administration was less than enthusiastic about dealing with Laidlaw and that one of their first moves was to hire a good lawyer. The handwriting was on the wall as a result of learning that Laidlaw had sued Ellicottville NY for $10 million. The City is lucky to have dodged the Laidlaw bullet and that the “spat” is between Cate Street and Laidlaw and not between Berlin and Laidlaw.  It’s interesting that our mayor is silent about this “spat”. In the past he hasn’t been shy about his praise of Laidlaw and Mr. Bartoszek, but I guess he now finds himself between a rock and a hard place with this “spat”.

Comments

[warren]

Since When do You give a @#$% for the U.S. Constitution, Rocky? Only when it Suits You??? Why not Show Everyone at Byte & Chew Your working Knowledge of Where the Constitution gives "Newspapers the Power to Investigate" any Type of Issue...

The First Ammendment ONLY States: "Congress shall make no law respecting...the freedom of speech or of the press; "

All else falls under Editorial Discretion.... as Tony so eloquently said;

"As for out-of-state (and local) "journalists" they publish what they want. Remember the New York Times piece with the lovely photo of the old Rite-Aid block across from Gallus?"

Newspapers have the "freedom" to say what they WANT to say, and are Bought and Sold for a price. Historically ( In America ) by the likes of J.P. Morgan.

[toonist]

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrxoxdIGt91r39p06o1_500.jpg

[jon]

There is a solemn and very sad twist to your toon toonist; grenier and barbara have no idea what you mean by it, I'm certain.

[toonist]

Ya think? You recognized Barbara :) :)

[Rocky]

This is beginning to sound like a soap opera........maybe it is.

[warren]

Bet The Sun would not print that one either Dennis!
- Laidlaw's "Shelf Life" expired a while back and old news isn't good copy.

[toonist]

Maybe so warren but I don't really give a rats ass what the Sun would, or wouldn't, print.

[warren]

I'm sure the feeling is mutual there Dennis...

Meanwhile; http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/sum-fears-stocks-commodities-tumble-over-risk-recession-201442627.html

[toonist]

I hope so ;)

[toonist]

BTW warren you seem to be supporting the Sun a lot lately...you turning Liberal? You should go apply for a cartooning job with them. Their last cartoonist wasn't Liberal enough!

[warren]

Nah, I only wish I could Draw. I've said before that I am an Independant, and it Really Upsets me that I have to Register as "Unenrolled"! I do appreciate a little Laissez Faire though, even up to the point of Populism in some cases. But I am just not a Counter Culture, America Hateing/Blaming Red Diaper Doper Baby...thats All.

[toonist]

I'm willing to bet you can draw cartoons. Check out the AAEC website and look at some of the cartoons...you can probably be just as good or even better than some of the 'professionals' on there. Seriously a bit of practice, your love for political banter, you can do it! You won't get rich at it but it's really fun to take a ridiculous situation and turn it into something really silly and piss off a bunch of people. Give it a consideration.

[Antonio Andolini]

"How do you stimulate the U.S. economy when the workers you retain or rehire with your stimulus billions head for Walmarts on Saturday to buy goods made in Japan, Korea and China?"
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110922/OPINION02/709229995

[Antonio Andolini]

What a Laidlaw/LLEG lemming learned:

CTTC Member Profile CTTC
Thursday, September 22, 2011 11:09:56 PM
Re: None
Post # of 101388
Here is a piece of information I would like to share with you guys (and girls). I had a long talk tonight with my Portsmouth source about the Berlin Project. She thought the reason LLEG hasn't been paid is because the fine points of the financing are still being worked out and the money may not yet be available. She also said it's her understanding that the present project ownership is a troika of Cate Street, Gestamp, and a third big investor with Gestamp engineers coming from Europe to oversee the project. She said she hasn't heard anything of a LLEG involvement in the project since late last year.
Remember this is third hand information but it seems to make as much sense as anything else.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave...

[Antonio Andolini]

More of our money down the green jobs hole:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/22/bankruptcy-scenario-played-out-before-solyndra-col/

If I got it right, the no-bid consulting fee cost about $1,000 per employee. Should have just given them the cash when letting them go.

[Antonio Andolini]

"In November, the Tea Party coalesced around citizen legislators because its members believe career politicians will never cut spending and bring the massive federal government down to size."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/22/tea-party-leadership/

[toonist]

Does that mean the t-baggers will refuse to collect their pensions and benefits from the US Government when they get booted out?

[warren]

Thanks tooner!

It would be nice to think that when the TEA Folk do step down this would happen, but money ( and power ) can corrupt even the best of people. Of course SOME take the freebie's to extreems... check out Nancy Pelosi's record of Frivolity! Being married to that Blum Guy, she certainly could afford to Pay Her Own Way! It is interesting to note how the most Vehement of Socialists are Born VERY Rich ( muse on the "Power" thing for a while ) Even Karl Marx Himself was born the son of a Rich Prussian Junker.

[warren]

Yup, It would be Fun!

http://nieonline.com/cftc/pdfs/2011spent.pdf

I think the Political Cartoonist called Ramirez has Serious Talent...

[toonist]

Ramirez one of the few Righty cartoonist. He's won a bunch of awards and they're all deserved. One of the few remaining full timers too.

[toonist]

Draw a Stickman
www.drawastickman.com
Draw a stickman and watch him come to life!

Just adding a bit of levity

[warren]

....Like we used to do on the corner of every page of our text books in school! I could make him turn in Left circles, kinda like Rocky :-D

[warren]

How about Mallard Fillmore? He is Awesome with the Nutty Lefty Professor. There is a Lot of Truth in how the 1930's University crowd who were so enamoured by Lenin & Stalin, took over Education, The Press and even the Church. Their Children became "Psycotic" in the 1960's... and America is reeling Today. It's all hanging in the Balance like a loose tooth.

[Antonio Andolini]

Well toonist, since you must have five years of service to qualify for federal pension benefits at 65, Congress members need to serve three (2.5)terms. So, if you took a job out of town (not in commuting distance) for six years would you refuse pension and benefits from that employer?
http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30631.pdf
http://www.opm.gov/INSURE/HEALTH/INDEX.ASP

[Antonio Andolini]

As for getting "booted out," November 2012 is a long way away.