Sorry we’ve been out for awhile at wp2, but we continue to be amazed at the arrogance of the Statesman. We appreciate the more than 5000 visits to our site.
Besides the fact that they lied in the Larry Craig stories (and we will have plenty of sources to back up our story unlike the Statesman) they continue to hide their losses and the way they push newspapers on local Idahoans. This weekend wp2 witnessed several instances where Statesman paper peddlers were almost tackling people to take the paper. Circulation isn’t looking good. Neither is readership. How about coverage? Does that sound like a better word Statesman leadership?
The Kate Kelly story is becoming a joke. Dan Popkey’s apparent love affair with her legislation on government transparency is shared with many in the print media. Why don’t you check on her revolving door with DEQ? She used to work for DEQ. She is an attorney representing clients before or that are regulated by DEQ, but there is not mention of this revolving door.
When is the Statesman going to come clean on the Larry Craig story? wp2 will give them a little more time, but there is so much info they did not tell their readers that would have changed the story dramatically.
We also saw a story this week on the shortage of power for the Treasure Valley. Isn’t anyone else going to call the Statesman on the fact that they want more energy in the Treasure Valley, but they continue to call for breaching of dams?
Again, thanks to those inside the Statesman that continue to provide us with details of the stories inside the daily grind.
workingpresstoo 
January 30, 2008 at 8:09 pm |
Regarding the power shortage story, the Statesman did not do enough digging into what types of businesses these were. According to the figures published, these two companies needed between 240 and 480MW of power! That’s the size of a typical natural gas power plant and about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of a large coal or nuclear plant. According to the story, Micron, one of the biggest, if not _the biggest_ power hogs in the area uses 80MW, so these two needed 3 to 6 times the power of Micron. Despite what the Statesman and the local chamber of commerce booster club would like you to believe, these were not any sort of high-tech office park or even manufacturing facility. Even Google’s largest new data centers are only estimated to use 20-40MW of power.
If the Statesman had bothered to ask enough questions, they would likely find out that these were some sort of heavy industrial processing facilities — mining-related mills or smelters, etc. The citizens of Idaho need to know whether we even want the kind of growth these people were bringing. Actually, with those kinds of power needs, Idaho Power should have told the companies to just build their own power plant and leave them out of it.
January 31, 2008 at 2:43 am |
Kate Kelly? She wouldn’t use the fact that she worked for DEQ or that she’s a state senator to attact clients to her law firm, would she? NOOOOO, of course not! She’s above reproach!
So, according to Kate, if you use your experience and network for the benefit of your own business, that’s ok. But if you use that same experience and network to get a job as a lobbyist, that’s not ok.
For even more fun, let’s turn this whole thing on its head. Why not ban reporters from using their knowledge of the media business and connections in the newsroom to get jobs as press secretaries or public information officers for state agencies? How dare these people capitalize on their work experience to get a job that pays more and probably has a reasonable 9 to 5 schedule.
Robbie Johnson? Melissa McGrath? Jon Hanian? Andrea Dearden? Sorry guys! You’re out of a job! Why should Kate Kelly’s revolving door only travel in one direction?
January 31, 2008 at 2:45 am |
Ok, so Andrea Dearden works for the Sheriff (not a state agency, obviously). But the point stands.
January 31, 2008 at 5:37 am |
Interesting point, Kurt. The Statesman will spend 12 months searching every last nook and cranny to find out whether some gay activist blogger is or isn’t making up stories about Larry Craig.
But if we’re talking about some company that wants to locate a production facility here that would pump millions of dollars into the state and create possibly hundreds of jobs…eh…Why bother? Why should they prioritize a story that would actually have a tangible impact on the Treasure Valley? Let’s go for the juicy, tabloid stuff!
Maybe they blew their investigative budget sending Popkey to DC so he could hang out in the men’s bathroom at Union Station. They might not have enough money to pay for investigative reporting anymore. You know they had to spend in the ballpark of $20,000-$30,000 hounding Larry Craig – in addition to Popkey’s salary for the year – in a time when ad revenues are falling through the floor. I’m sure the rookie reporters making $19,000 a year didn’t resent that AT ALL.
February 19, 2008 at 5:13 pm |
Mr. Vendalu…a little education. The county is the lowest political subdivision of state government. The sheriff is a constitutional officer and thus can be restricted (as all county action) by a change in state law.
Secondly, I have heard that Popkey is in the romantic hunt for Kate Kelly. I’ve also heard that they have been out together. Is this true?