Hurrahs to Phil Heron, Delaware County Daily Times Editor
A thank you and a Hurrah goes to Phil Heron, the editor of the Delaware County Daily Times for today's editorial, Letter from the Editor: Don’t believe everything you read in blogs
Mr. Heron makes a lot of good points, particularly in pointing out the big differences between newspapers and blogs. And I can understand that nobody wants to have the newspaper called a "pathetic rag", as one of our anonymous commenters said about the Delco Times. And the PA-7 Watch blog team certainly haven't always been kind in our comments about the Delco Times and Gil Spencer in particular.
So while we may sometimes disagree, I salute Mr. Heron and the Delco Times' efforts. Theirs is a much bigger responsibility and a much bigger audience than we have here in the PA-7 Watch blogosphere. We rely on the Delco Times newspaper as a major source for a lot of the information that we post here...and comment on. Thank you for all of that!
So I'll follow Heron's lead and start the "Hurrahs" and "Razzies" to complement the Delco Times "Darts" and "Laurels."
Hurrahs to the Delco Times for:
Resources - As Heron states, "This newspaper has invested a ton of time and manpower in our coverage of this crucial race." Delco Times has spent a lot of resources on politics in general and the PA-7 Congressional race in particular. And the Delco Times writers and columnists have done their job in investigating, reporting and commenting on the news. Bill Bender has done a particularly good job.
Responsibility - The Delco Times has to hold itself up to standards of investigation and reporting that are significant and important. The Delco Times editorial staff has a responsibility to base their commentaries and editorials in fact.
Checks and Balances - Hurrah for being upfront and honest. Heron says:
Razzies to the Delco Times for:
Interactivity - I've tried to use the Post a Comment feature on the Delco Times articles, but they never get posted. I understand that there has to be a lag to have the comments reviewed, but after posting 5 or 6 comments that didn't show up in a few days, I've given up posting comments. In some cases they were complimentary, in other cases, not. But the comments I tried to post would not violate any obscenity regulations. So open it up!
PA-7 Watch and blogs - a different point of view:
Resources - We don't have the reporting and investigation resourses that newspapers have. So we cannot survive without the newspapers. That is why we always link to articles in the Delco Times online newspaper website and many other news sites, blogs, etc. I hope we are driving traffic to the Delco Times site so that they can sell more online ads and keep the paper well-staffed and profitable. We rely on them. The resources that we do have are time, interest, a web presence that is very inexpensive, and passion about our topics.
Responsibility - PA-7 Watch also feels a self-imposed sense of responsibility to stick close to the facts. But we also have a freedom to speculate that the newspapers don't necessarily have. We can throw out a topic for discussion that might not be completely hashed out, or completely investigated, and throw our opinion in with it. Then we see what people say about it.
Checks and Balances - So wasn't I shocked today to see the Delco Times shining the light on the PA-7 Watch blog! But I welcome the Delco Times' interest. Thanks for taking notice.
Interactivity - Here's where a blog like PA-7 Watch thrives. There was one recent post that has gotten 49 responses so far. We also choose to let the comments come in unfiltered, which makes for some lively discussions! While our posts set the topic and maybe the tone, the comments certainly make it much more interesting. This is Web 2.0 at it's best, with user-generated content living large.
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There was on particular point of discussion that Heron went into detail on - his laurel to Weldon and "Hang in there, Curt" comment. That still doesn't sit well with this PA-7 Watch blogger. Heron says, "I never intended to give the impression that we were brokering a pass to Curt Weldon, nor the probe that is engulfing him. It was merely an offering to a person who was having a horrific week." I think even Heron might admit that it sounded like encouragement to Weldon, and maybe that's why Heron offered further explanation today. Heron also says, "Regardless of how you look at it, the timing of all this stinks." Yes, I agree. The investigation should have come a couple of years ago when the ethics issues were first raised. Weldon had more time to do more ethically-challenged activities in the past two years. I wish the Delco Times had dug a little deeper back then. So I'll stick with a Razzie on that one. And I'll also admit that our comment about Heron-Weldon interaction at the debate might have been a bit overboard, so we'll give ourselves a Razzie too.
But I will add another Hurrah to the Delco Times that I failed to mention when it happened. In the Darts and Laurels of Oct 28, 2006, the editors give this:
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Heron says:
No argument there!
Mr. Heron makes a lot of good points, particularly in pointing out the big differences between newspapers and blogs. And I can understand that nobody wants to have the newspaper called a "pathetic rag", as one of our anonymous commenters said about the Delco Times. And the PA-7 Watch blog team certainly haven't always been kind in our comments about the Delco Times and Gil Spencer in particular.
So while we may sometimes disagree, I salute Mr. Heron and the Delco Times' efforts. Theirs is a much bigger responsibility and a much bigger audience than we have here in the PA-7 Watch blogosphere. We rely on the Delco Times newspaper as a major source for a lot of the information that we post here...and comment on. Thank you for all of that!
So I'll follow Heron's lead and start the "Hurrahs" and "Razzies" to complement the Delco Times "Darts" and "Laurels."
Hurrahs to the Delco Times for:
Resources - As Heron states, "This newspaper has invested a ton of time and manpower in our coverage of this crucial race." Delco Times has spent a lot of resources on politics in general and the PA-7 Congressional race in particular. And the Delco Times writers and columnists have done their job in investigating, reporting and commenting on the news. Bill Bender has done a particularly good job.
Responsibility - The Delco Times has to hold itself up to standards of investigation and reporting that are significant and important. The Delco Times editorial staff has a responsibility to base their commentaries and editorials in fact.
Checks and Balances - Hurrah for being upfront and honest. Heron says:
But we are no longer alone. Through gritted teeth, I am coming to embrace the technology that I find myself up to my neck in each day.I understand...hey...I read the same thing today in their editorial! But that light is what keeps us all honest.
...
I am quite used to shining the spotlight on others. I will admit I am not all that comfortable when the spotlight falls on me, or this newspaper.
Razzies to the Delco Times for:
Interactivity - I've tried to use the Post a Comment feature on the Delco Times articles, but they never get posted. I understand that there has to be a lag to have the comments reviewed, but after posting 5 or 6 comments that didn't show up in a few days, I've given up posting comments. In some cases they were complimentary, in other cases, not. But the comments I tried to post would not violate any obscenity regulations. So open it up!
PA-7 Watch and blogs - a different point of view:
Resources - We don't have the reporting and investigation resourses that newspapers have. So we cannot survive without the newspapers. That is why we always link to articles in the Delco Times online newspaper website and many other news sites, blogs, etc. I hope we are driving traffic to the Delco Times site so that they can sell more online ads and keep the paper well-staffed and profitable. We rely on them. The resources that we do have are time, interest, a web presence that is very inexpensive, and passion about our topics.
Responsibility - PA-7 Watch also feels a self-imposed sense of responsibility to stick close to the facts. But we also have a freedom to speculate that the newspapers don't necessarily have. We can throw out a topic for discussion that might not be completely hashed out, or completely investigated, and throw our opinion in with it. Then we see what people say about it.
Checks and Balances - So wasn't I shocked today to see the Delco Times shining the light on the PA-7 Watch blog! But I welcome the Delco Times' interest. Thanks for taking notice.
Interactivity - Here's where a blog like PA-7 Watch thrives. There was one recent post that has gotten 49 responses so far. We also choose to let the comments come in unfiltered, which makes for some lively discussions! While our posts set the topic and maybe the tone, the comments certainly make it much more interesting. This is Web 2.0 at it's best, with user-generated content living large.
-------------------------------------------------
There was on particular point of discussion that Heron went into detail on - his laurel to Weldon and "Hang in there, Curt" comment. That still doesn't sit well with this PA-7 Watch blogger. Heron says, "I never intended to give the impression that we were brokering a pass to Curt Weldon, nor the probe that is engulfing him. It was merely an offering to a person who was having a horrific week." I think even Heron might admit that it sounded like encouragement to Weldon, and maybe that's why Heron offered further explanation today. Heron also says, "Regardless of how you look at it, the timing of all this stinks." Yes, I agree. The investigation should have come a couple of years ago when the ethics issues were first raised. Weldon had more time to do more ethically-challenged activities in the past two years. I wish the Delco Times had dug a little deeper back then. So I'll stick with a Razzie on that one. And I'll also admit that our comment about Heron-Weldon interaction at the debate might have been a bit overboard, so we'll give ourselves a Razzie too.
But I will add another Hurrah to the Delco Times that I failed to mention when it happened. In the Darts and Laurels of Oct 28, 2006, the editors give this:
DART: To U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon. He claims he has a letter from the House Ethics Committee clearing him of any wrongdoing tied to a business operated by his daughter, but he won’t release it? We have just one question? Why?When Michael Smerconish interviewed Weldon on his Big Talker 1210 radio show recently, he pushed Weldon on the same issue. Smerconish came to the conclusion that something is wrong with Weldon's response to continue hiding this letter. Hurrah to Smerconish too.
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Heron says:
People often joke that you "shouldn’t believe everything you read in the paper." I suppose the same goes for online material.
No argument there!
posted by Seventh Watch at 3:35 PM
10 Comments:
Newspapers are dying a slow death all over the country. Their circ figures and their ad dollars are both on a continual slide downward. Some very recent statistics here on that slow suffocation.
Online is the future for news. Print newspapers tend to look down their noses at "blogs" and online sources, but that's what's pulling away their readers. Until newspapers figure out a way to capitalize on the Internet and related developments -- and not eschew it -- their slow, sad death will continue. At some point, the patient will be beyond help.
The newspapers do have some catching up to do with the technology, but there is something stable about print media. No one's going to erase what you just read five minutes later.
The blogers don't have the same standards, training, resources or professionalism of the newspapers... but neither do the readers. The bloggers represent a community "letters to the editor" page without the selectivity, filtering or delays between exchanges.
One of the main reasons I'm blogging is that 100% of what I write gets published. The newspapers would never publish most of my stuff for length alone.
As for Phil Heron, if you don't mind taking a 100% pay cut for your writing, you can post here. :-)
However, Phil, I must take you to task for letting Gil Spencer off his leash (or his medication). His pieces for Weldon and against Sestak have been more than just biased and practically constitute political ads for Weldon. Gil takes cherry picking to a new level and as Editor of the Times, you should do a little more editing when his work comes across your desk.
I'm glad to see how much ink you've given Bill Bender and I hope that continues. Bill's been very even-handed in his coverage.
As for investigating, you guys know how corrupt the GOP machine is and how they run the courthouse and get business/political kickbacks. There's plenty of low-hanging fruit for a paper on a budget. How hard is it to find out that that rent on Weldon's campaign headquarters is worth about $10,000/month and Weldon is paying only $750/month? (seems to violate compaign finance limits, you might want to look into it)
I'll leave you with a recent quote from Weldon's previous challenger, Paul Scoles, "The Delco Times has been worth reading lately."
Wouldn't it be fantastic if the FBI did a complete roundup of the entire corrupt DelCo Republican Political Machine? Maybe they are. Maybe that's part of the reason why they raided Charlie Sexton's joint, and not just because he was in bed with the whole Weldon clan. I know DelCo trial lawyers are getting pretty tired of paying "greasing fees" to the DelCo GOP machine to make sure their cases don't get dinked. (If you don't know how this racket works, when you're about ready to go to trial in DelCo, you have to "hire" certain hand-picked GOP goons as "consultants" or your case gets choked in red-tape by GOP judges. The "consultants" kick back most of their fees to the GOP machine. It's an old game but still being played in DelCo.)
Kudos to Phil Heron for holding a mirror up to life, and appearing to impartially view it for what it is. I am hopeful that he will take advantage of the lessons the blog offered by providing him open and free access to readers view of his paper. I hope the candid writing continues.
I can only conclude that Weldon is not releasing the letter because it probably tells him that he will not be disciplined but that his actions were borderline and he should cut it out. That is, they were borderline from the perspective of a toothless, ethically-challenged Republican-controlled Ethics Committee.
Isn't the letter subject to Freedom of Information rules?
Isn't the letter subject to Freedom of Information rules?
FOI usually pertains to documents originated by the Administrative Branch. The document in question originates from a different branch.
FOIA includes various offices and departments, such as the FCC, FTC, USDA, etc., but excludes the Supreme Court, the Executive Office of the President, and the Legislature.
See http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-FOIA.php.
Sometimes you can get certain FOI docs via a backdoor. That's how the press got logs of Cheney's visitors -- they didn't bring a FOI suit against the White House; they brought it against the Secret Service. The SS has to comply with FOI requests; the WH usually does not.
The DELCO Times is a great paper. However I think it should take some lessons in journalism from the NY Post. We realize that the Post is concerned with a much larger populated area but we have to admit it is much more put togeather than the TIMES plus more for your money.
Gil Spencer is a great writer and a credit to your paper.
NDW
In The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Middle District
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania docket number 272 MAL 2008
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
v.
Jacuqin Jaron Byrd
Motion to file Amicus Curiae to Petition for Allowance of Appeal
Appeal from the judgment of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, dated April 15, 2008, at number 1873 EDA 2007, affirming the judgment of sentence by the Honorable William T. Nicholas of the petitioners direct appeal dated July 24, 2007, IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, CRIMINAL DIVISION, AT NO. 1939-06
As per. Conformance to Requirements (Pa. R.A.P. 2101) I request of the courts authority to permit non-conformity in petition as time is of the essence and the merit of facts be paramount in the public interest of judicial competence over form.
In this courts assessment of this motion for Amicus Curiae and request for wavier of conformity, when taken in its totality, will support the extraordinary facts and circumstances directly surrounding this case involving widespread criminal public corruption in law enforcement and judicial personal.
Richard Liberatoscioli / petitioner
203 W. Washington St.
West Chester, PA 19380
Tel: 610-945-8050
ncssi@msn.com
TO THE HONORABLE,
THE JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA:
Justice Ronald D. Castille
Justice Thomas G. Saylor
Justice J. Michael Eakin
Justice Max Baer
Justice Debra Todd
Justice Seamus P. McCaffery
Prelude
In the appeal for a new and competent trial currently before you (Commonwealth of PA v. Jacuqin Jaron Byrd), there has existed from its case conception widespread State and Federal Felony Criminal Public Corruption involving the law enforcement personal including the justices presiding this case.
As many formal criminal felony complaints have been filed against these public officials at local, county, state and federal levels, no investigation has been conducted even after Governor Edward Rendell asked for a full investigation of the felony charges be investigated by the Montgomery County District Attorney and the Lower Merion Township board of Commissioners.
The following copy is submitted that will hopefully show “in essence” of why the appeal for a new trial be granted:
Mr. Byrd,
Thank you! …. for writing your letter to me. I write you at this time to introduce myself to you and to share our common concern for fair and equal justice for all people of our community.
In following the events and submitted evidence of your case, it was blatantly evident you did not receive a fair and un-biased trial. I’m sure your father’s father and your father have handed down to you the knowledge of the cruel and unconscionable injustice to a community when criminal public corruption exists within our justice system. What you did receive was nothing less than a pre-meditated “lynching”.
What you were not told at your trial was that your trial judge was identified by Montgomery County Senior Norristown Detective as a felon directly involved of the felony crimes committed by the Lower Merion Police under the direct knowledge of Superintendent Joe Daly. This was affirmed by the staff of our local District Justice in Lower Merion.
State and Federal felony criminal charges filed against the Lower Merion Police include the fabrication of police evidence, fabrication of police reports, premeditated felony attack and attempted murder by the Lower Merion Police resulting in permanent disabilities. Resent threats to carry out this murder by Lower Merion Police Department remain un-investigated thru a long standing criminal collaboration throughout Montgomery County.
The Lower Merion Township Board of Commissioners has long been served official notice of the felony crimes under their authority and sworn duty to enforce the laws of the commonwealth. The Lower Merion Township Board of commissioners promised “a full investigation of these crimes” … yet months later … was told there was no investigation by the board.
The criminal municipal corruption is widespread in this matter. In short, evidence presented against you was sourced from felons within the Lower Merion Police Department and in criminal collaboration by other law enforcement employees including your trial judge. These felony criminal charges were made known to your “court appointed lawyer” from the District Attorneys office … yet he presented nothing of this criminal injustice in your behalf.
For the judge to have given you a fair trial he knew the charges of fabrication of police evidence, fabrication of police reports and many other felony crimes committed by the Lower Merion Police ........... would lead right back to him exposing his involvement in the felony crimes at Lower Merion Police.
Mr. Byrd, you were “lynched” ….. to avoid discovery of the felony crimes of the Lower Merion Police and other “law enforcement” employees in criminal collaboration.
Emergency petitions for injunctions against this judge to make “judgments” in your case are being sought to afford you a fair and un-biased trial. A statewide special grand jury is being requested from the PA Attorney General, as the municipal corruption is dangerously widespread.
The felony crimes were committed during the height of the Lower Merion Police attempts to obtain “accreditation” of competent police work. Commissioner Maryam Phillips was directly involved as head of the “Police oversight committee” in the review of all the police reports in question. The PA Chiefs of Police gave accreditation to the LMPD Police Department …. making the PA Chiefs of Police “accreditation program” a dangerous and worthless accreditation program for proof of competent police work for any community.
In filing formal petition under their own by-laws to the PA Chiefs of Police to show cause for desertification of this “bogus accreditation” ….. they will not even respond.
Formal charges of criminal municipal corruption against Lower Merion Police and the Lower Merion Township Board of Commissioners have been filed with the PA Attorney General Office.
PA Attorney General Tom Corbett is also the commissioner of this PA Chiefs of Police “accreditation program” where he was featured on the top of the list of commission members at the PA Chiefs of Police website. If you look today at their website PA Attorney General Tom Corbett was removed from the website and replaced by a front man from the PA Attorney Generals office. He told me PA Attorney General Tom Corbett is still an active member of the commission.
This will be the true test of PA Attorney General Tom Corbett …. of how well he does in cleaning out “his own house” of public criminal corruption.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” – MLK Jr.
Justice William T. Nicholas 38th Judicial District (Montgomery County, PA)
Justice Kathleen M. Valentine 38-1-07 (District Justice)
Superintendent Joseph Daly Lower Merion Police
I respectfully ask the Honorable Supreme Court Justices of Pennsylvania to intervene by order of formal criminal investigation of the deeply entwined facts and circumstances of these crimes.
Sincerely,
Richard Liberatoscioli
Cc:
Representing: Jacuqin Jaron Byrd, Petitioner
William Read McElroy, Esq.
Address: 101 E Moreland Avenue
Hatboro, PA 19040
Phone No.: (215)773-0543
Representing: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Respondent
Risa Vetri Ferman, Esq.
Montgomery County District Attorney's Office
Swede & Airy Sts PO Box 311
Norristown, PA 19404-0311
Phone No.: (610)278-3099
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