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A blog by Managing Editor James Jordan about the newspaper. So far it's mostly about city commission, but I hope to delve into other local issues.
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My Blog List, My blogs are in capital letters
people following this blog
Blog Archive
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2009
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March
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- city commission candidate Bob Mathews
- new patrick
- City Candidates
- Picture from last friday
- Disposing of yard trash
- Sunday
- Ice storm
- Saturday morning live,10 a.m.
- Post-Forum
- The music
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- city candidate forum
- obama's speech
- forums
- Misplaced anger ?
- Storm sirens
- cool link
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- another drug abuse question
- Live blog, with guest from Iraq
- Thurber sentencing live blog
- Live interview saturday
- welfare drug testing
- Bryants Hardware closed
- Live meeting tonight at 7
- Late-meeting fireworks
- Worksession live blog
- city agenda
- here is an outrage
- Sunday morning
- Saturday morning live,10 a.m.
- Live blog Saturday
- Music festival
- city - hospital board
- Live blog, city commission Thursday 7 p.m.
- forums for local races
- Just a tangent
- More on death penalty
- Saturday morning live
- live blog tomorrow
- Video of commission meeting
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- da mayor
- Tuesday's meeting
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- City worksession
- More live blogging
- re-posting sunday morning
- Sunday morning
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March
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Live Blogs
About Me
- Traveler Editor
- I have been at the Traveler for 4 years. I have been in the newspaper business longer than that. I came here from South Carolina. Apart from that, I am an unapologetic Jesus Freak. I am not, however, Republican.
21 comments:
Hi everyone. Sorry I've been out of the loop so long. I don't know that I can get back to keeping up with the blogs again, but I'm trying.
James,
I read where you told people that it was Scott’s idea to put the city purchase records online. That is not the case. We had a lot of difficulty approving the purchases at each and every meeting going over so many records in detail. Most of us chose to do it with the city manager or city administrator outside of the meetings, but Scott chose to do it in the meetings. This took a lot of time and the other commissioners had already gone over it... During a commission meeting I asked Scott if it would be satisfactory if the whole list were put on the internet, where everyone had access to it all the time, if we could avoid having to hash it out every meeting. He agreed and I asked the city manager to arrange for it to be made official at the next meeting. It was approved at the next meeting and we have not had to approve each line item since then.
By the way, if anyone has questions that I don't get to on the blog they are welcome to contact me directly - pmcdonald2005@sbcglobal.net or feel free to call me or visit with me at my shop.
Patrick,
It's good to have you back. Hopefully after the election you will have two objective commissioners to help turn the tide agains the three amigos and actually get something done in this town... after you clean up the messes of the last 2 years that is. I know the ship has sailed on the Lowe's deal because of the way Kuhn treated them, and especially with the economy in the toilet, but I look forward to some good ideas seeing fruition under calmer and cooler heads.
Thanks for running again.
Good to hear from you, Commissioner McDonald. Seems like you may have used this media to take a shot at an election rival.
I saw your ad reminiscing on past issues. AC needs a direction. That is not an indictment. EVery organization needs a direction and new leadership ought to come with a promise of a direction and not a recounting of its past path.
Anyone who cares knows about the old issue and teh votes were well documented. So now talk about what 4 MORE YEARS of McDonald will bring us!
No one ahs come to my neighborhood to check on crime or infrastructure or community projects in over three years. I went to my church and listened to a vulnerable 80+ year old who was simply confused about being charged an additional $100 dollars for simply forgetting to pay his current bill.
Are we going to take $100 from confused 80+ year old folks to bridge the gap? Is that the new direction? We funding City Hall manager salaries off old folks medicare payments? Or are we lumping them in with those dreaded "casino addicts" that the Commission spoke of?
An incumbent might be better served campaigning on a promise to give the old person their $100 back so they can buy their medicine and maybe even offering an apology to folks whose values won't let them go inside a casino.
Well it was scott who first introduced the idea of putting that stuff online during a public meeting.
Its election season.
I understand :)
It's Pat's right to say anything he wants to about me any other topic. That doesn't make him right. I look forward to the debate on real issues and our city's future. We obviously have some very real differences.
Yep, let the games begin! Or "play ball!" Hee! Hee!
Yo! Pat cheap shot.... you just lost my vote with your whining blog.
You know the paper may make errors they are only human. But you commissioners are always blaming the paper.
Mayor Mel, and you, and Joel shouted from the roof tops at the senior center about crash tax (fee)back in Oct, Sept last year, when a downtown merchant told you that the ordinance about the crash money was going to bill all the at fault drivers.
But, no you just kept saying that's not what it says. The paper was wrong.... guess what you were wrong. You Mel, and Joel.
You hollered about the paper not being right about Lowe's deal. Show the public one shred of paper, one shred of a recorded meeting where Lowe's or a person allowed to sign for Lowe's on their behalf that they were coming to this town. Just one Pat.
You stated over and over that the paper got it wrong.
This is where I get my news and once in while they put the wrong name under the wrong picture, and once is while they get a date wrong. Heck we all do that. But the body of the written text is good and the proof is in the puddin.
Now you are living on what you didn't do. You haven't brought one thing forward on your own. You have never voted stand alone.
And I don't want a commissioner that is talking one on one with city staff and not each other. Sorry you have to attend long meetings. Then you shouldn't have signed up to run.
Are you going back to the way it was with secrete away from the public discussions. They are suppose to discuss and argue their point in front of the public not one to one meetings with Steve and Lane. This is what we have been saying I told you now you have it in his own words. "Most of us chose to do it with the city manager or city administrator outside the meetings." Outside the view and the scrunity of the public.
I wsnt an honest commission warts and all. I want to know what you know when you know it that is my right as a citizen.
@ 4:49 PM
Pat was for the Lowe's deal all along. I think you have your facts mixed up. And if Pat says it was his idea to make the records public, I believe him. He has never lied to us before. We have argued many times, but he has never lied that I know of.
I don't think Patrick is lying. I do think he is playing politics.
He may have been the first one to mention it in a worksession. I really don't remember.
But it was Scott that made the request in the regular Tuesday meeting.
To me, the one that makes the formal request at the Tuesday meeting, or the motion, is the first one because that is the official one.
This is just splitting hairs.
Well, if one person says it, and then another says it and THEN takes credit for saying it first, I would fault the second person, not the first.
Just ask Nikola Tesla.
And if I were the first person, I would definitely want the truth out, and would speak out, just as Patrick has done.
I wouldn't call it playing politics, or splitting hairs, I would call it the truth.
Hey JJ, I finally found a good use for the bible:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090308/ap_on_re_us/church_shooting
Good thing he was reading from First Kevlar 3:57 that day
ooops. I had only read the headline. I just read the article and saw that the preacher died. my bad. Takes some of the funny out, don't it. damn me all to hell.
I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect for Scott. And I do admit Scott is willing to go to extremes to promote transparency. I meant to direct that information to James and not cause an uproar.
I don't remember who made the motion in the public meeting, but the idea was brought up just the way I described it. It was not voted on at the meeting where I asked the city manager to put it together. It had to go through a process and an ordinance written. Perhaps that is where the confusion lies. I believe the actual ordinance happened in the following meeting and believe Scott made the motion on approving the ordinance.
In any event, I tease James regularly for little mistakes. I didn't see this as an issue. We have more important things to be concerned with.
And a thanks to Scott for offering debate on real issues. Scott and I do have differing goals and priorities, but I am just as certain he believes those are best for Ark City. I am also a little worried that he is considerably better with his words than I am, but I look forward to it all the same.
Patrick McDonald
Yes lets move on to the real issues.
But it wasnt a mistake :)
Yeah, everyone knows the Traveler never makes mistakes.
JJ, your missing revenue! Aren't politicians supposed to pay for their "print " media?
this isn't print media
But it is advertising for gain.
Politicians can post on here.
It is a fine line, some understand how to use the media better than others.
Politicians can post on here.
It is a fine line, some understand how to use the media better than others.
March 10, 2009 6:35 AM
FINE LINE!
And as long as he is on the commission, so is Mel's bidding or not bidding on city work. As such the good ole boy net work, with the uptown heroes and the Traveler remains alive and well.
PATRICK McDONALD said.....
I meant to direct that information to James and not cause an uproar.
then don't use this blog call him on the phone.
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