Selective Conflict of Interest and Lame Newspapers

We find it very comical that both local newspapers, the mayor and his Disgruntled100 / Slate blog all accuse Councillor Jordan Bateman and others of having conflicts of interest.

Did Langley lawyer Calvin Patterson give Mayor Rick Green a donation of $1,000 during the 2008 campaign? Yes. Did Mayor Rick Green wine and dine Mr. Patterson and others in the mayor's office on inauguration night? Yes. Did Mayor Rick Green appoint Calvin Patterson to the Mayor's Standing Finance Committee most recently? Yes. Mayor Rick Green and his Disgruntled 100 supporters have a very selective view of what conflicts of interest are, and that is putting it kindly.

The Langley Times Hates Blogs

It is very interesting that Langley Times Editor Frank Bucholtz cannot write a single editorial these days without mentioning those darn local blogs. Friday was no exception, with Bucholtz writing this week,

"All those people who profess such concern about municipal spending and operations need to make their views known when open houses on the proposed budget take place next Wednesday and Thursday. They need to let members of council know, in no uncertain terms, where they stand.

It’s one thing to verbally complain about spending, write a letter or make nasty remarks anonymously on a blog. It’s quite another to come out to an open house, listen to what is proposed, and offer an informed opinion about how the Township should spend tax dollars"

While we can certainly agree with Mr. Bucholtz that people should come out and learn about the budget and speak to the Langley they desire to see (which budgets may or may not pay for), there is a place for blogs in our community and Mr. Bucholtz needs to get with the times (no pun intended). Perhaps more and more people are coming to blogs like this one because editors like Bucholtz are failing to allow them a voice. Especially if their opinion say, opposes Mayor Rick Green?

Shortly after taking office, Green was overheard on Douglas Day telling Sonya Paterson that he had the Langley Times editor in his "back pocket". We can therefore understand why we would be hated, as we tend to undo any publicist assistance that is afforded to the good mayor. We gather that reporters of a certain newspaper have been fitted with duck tape, hence our Langley Mimes comments.

Mr. Bucholtz and his Langley Times needs to wake up and realize they are in 2009. The Langley Advance is trying out blogs for their editor and reporters (smart move) at a time when the print news is going the way of the dinosaur...quickly. Many people under 30 have no landline, simply using their cell phones as their only phone. The e-mail address has replaced the physical address for many, many people. The IP address has become more important than the postal code. People are dumping cable TV and watching programming on computers.

People are sick and tired of reading the local fluff. You can only read so many "happily ever after" stories before you long for professional journalism and a healthy dose of investigative reporting. Time for the local rags to grow a pair and quit being lazy. Do your job or go home with your tails between your legs an allow the bloggers to give it to you straight, just as we have done here.