Parallels with Bell
Press-Enterprise - - 15 hours ago
But look at the mess in Grand Terrace. Its council and commission failed to pay federal payroll taxes on their monthly stipends for 32 years. ...
The Press-Enterpirse and Cassie MacDuff and all the reporters assigned to Grand Terrace have been pandering to the City Council and City Management in the past and not paying attention to the Citizens at the Podium at the City Council Meetings.
For YEARS, citizens have been alerting anyone who would listen to the graft and abuse that Mr. Schwab had the City Council support all those years. His "Staff Recommendation", bloated his Compensation and Retirement, including cars, a house and a real rich departure agreement. All this in spite of the numerous complaints and alerts voiced by citizens during their limited 3 minutes to address the City Council.
When complaints were advanced to the DA's Office nothing was done. Bea Cortez bragged that she had Friends in High Places in the DA's Office and an Investigative Reporter had better watch out.... as she wagged her finger at the reporter from the San Bernardino County Sentinel.
That magic finger wagging worked against the Press Enterprise and Sun Telegram Reporters and or their Management. Who were the News Paper Serving? Well we can conclude it was not the public. Was it Jack Brown, Developers, Contractors, or Tom Schwab and Steve Berry? Or is the lack of real investigative reporting a result of being cheap and lazy. The news papers would rather have the City phone in a story than come out and take the risk to write it for themselves, dig up the support documents and hold the Government in check. This is or was the function of the "Real Press"? It is a shame that small papers and blogs now must try with very limited funds to provide this service to the public.
GT is a Baby Bell, The City Council have been played like Ding A Lings, and the Citizens are the Clapper hitting their heads against the body of the bell. Question is are the Citizens and Voters listening YET? Or are Voters like some Council Members still wanting to cling to the excuse of Intentional Ignorance?
It is ok not to know. It is not ok to not know on purpose.
