by Eric DonderoAnd so it continues...
We learn this morning that yet another major liberal newspaper may be on the rocks. This time the mighty Philadelphia Inquirer.
Yesterday, it was reported that the Baltimore Examiner is officially going out of business on Feb. 15. The ultra-left Seattle Post-Intelligencer is very likely to close its doors in early March. And the liberal activist Minneapolis Star-Tribune has just filed for bankruptcy. The Detroit Free Press, openly hostile to Michigan libertarians and conservatives, has cut back circulation and the number of editions printed a week. Heavy rumors of the coming demise of the elite liberal Boston Globe are in the air. Even the LA Times announced yesterday, that they will be laying off 300 employees, and will "consolidate sections."
Pennsylvanians being asked to "Poney up"
Now Philly's number one liberal rag has been added to the list. But there's a twist to this Philly Folly. Governor Eddie Rendell is riding in on his white horse to save the day.
Stephen Gutowski at Newsbusters reports:According to an interview between the Philadelphia Bulletin and Pennsylvania Governor Democrat Ed Rendell's press secretary [Chuck Ardo], there is little doubt that the Philadelphia Inquirer is indeed requesting a $10 million bailout. The request comes at a time of great financial trouble for the owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Media Holdings. The company has been missing its debt payments since June and is in "technical default" according to the Bulletin.Will the taxpayers oblige?
The fact that Chuck Ardo confirmed that the governor could grant the bailout without consent from the legislature leaves little chance that the Inquirer won't get the $10 million it wants, especially considering the Democrat governor was quick to bailout retail chain Boscovs.
A prominent leftwing Libertarian Thomas Knapp, recently commented on the trend of liberal newspapers going under on this Blog:"It's hard to tell whether the trend of newspapers hitting the financial wall is a "liberal" versus "conservative" thing."Even if that were the case, it's awfully hard to make a libertarian case for government bailouts of newspapers. Not a single one of the Nation's centrist or conservative leaning newspapers (Washington Times, Manchester Union-Leader, Dallas Morning News, Orlando Sentinnel, San Diego Trib.), is asking for such a bailout, as is the Philly paper and others up in the northeast, most notably three papers in Connecticut.
These liberal papers have brutally assaulted conservatives for decades. They mercilessly attacked George Bush and Republicans at all levels. Additionally, they've almost completely ignored libertarian views, and most especially Libertarian candidates. Now, they are seeking bailouts from taxpayers, in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and no doubt soon in other states. This will, no doubt, include dollars from taxpayers who hold rightwing views in opposition to the liberals?
Will conservative and libertarian taxpayers allow their tax dollars to go fund their advesaries and enemies in the liberal press?
7 comments:
Rendell has to save the Inquirer. Without it he wouldn't have any newspapers devoting front page space to slobbering knob jobs like this when he runs for President.
I'm just thankful this is PA's last year dealing with him. His first year in office he took a $2.4M budget deficit and balanced it, now he will be leaving office with a $1.9 BILLION budget deficit. PA can't take much more of him.
What a waste. And PA could have had Lynn Swann as a Governor. Instead they chose this mafioso thug.
"Stick up your hands Pennsylvania taxpayer... Gimmee all your money so I can give it to my friends at the Philly Inquirer."
Valerie,
Do you think it was a BAD thing that he sold the plane for above its value and MORE than what the state actually paid for it over a decade and a half ago?
Isn't that the kind of fiscal responsibility we should encourage? You're in PA, so I figure you probably know more about his other actions than I do. However, I don't think it hurts any to applaud when a politician does something that saves the state money.
Heck, I'm no Republican but I have no problem praising the way our Republican governor (Jindal) has taken the lead on some issues. By the way, I don't wanna hear nothing from you about PA politicians until you are ready to run against them! Pennsylvania is a great state and it ain't fair for you to be so smart and leave its politics in the hands of those whose policies you dislike so much. What do I have to do to get you to put the rush on your plans to run? ;)
Our freedom is expressed in giving and supporting those causes which we desire - and refusing to support those causes we oppose.
When Government taxes us to support causes we oppose - we are not a free people. And that's CERTAINLY NOT a free press.
This violates the constitution. The Constitution states that we must have a free press. There must be separation of state and press.
I think it is unconstitutional to use Government money to support the press and violates the separation of state and press.
Bint,
I think its great that Rendell unloaded the plane at a good price. I also think it's great that Palin did the same thing for the state of Alaska.
The point of my comment was to show how the paper will try and spin anything Rendell does as godly and anything a Republican does as being ridiculous and worthless. The article left out a few key details that wouldn't have made for such a pretty spin. First off the governor sold the luxury plane only after public outcry. The governors office had 3 planes, all of which were constantly being personalized and renovated by Rendell. He also kept them in pristine upkeep, which is good, except when the taxpayers are footing the bill times 3. Now don't get me wrong, sure the governor deserves a way to convieniently get from point A to point B, but PA isn't that big of a state, it takes approximately 8 hours to drive across, I can't see the point of 3 planes for one office. 2 should have sufficed.
The other details the story left out was the type of plane that Rendell was selling was Beech King Air 200, which supposedly is one of the most popular and sought after planes out there. Palin was something extremely less popular and basically obsolete that also had tremendous operating costs. So in actuality Palin unloading a plane like that at just a small loss is a huge feat. Eddie dumping off something like gold at a tiny profit and only because he wanted to get re-elected, is not as big of a feat.
Maybe if the Inquirer uncovered those details and told the whole story they would attract more of an audience and wouldn't be begging with their hands out.
How's the New York Sun doing?
The Tribune group?
Why would you waste taxpayer money bailing out part of a failing industry? This isn't the auto industry, people still need cars, but the truth is people don't need newspapers anymore. They could give them the money, but it won't stop them from going out of business in the next few years.
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