News Star Sells City of Monroe $25 Thousand in Ads for 2012

The (Monroe, LA) News Star, the local Gannett Company, Inc. newspaper, was paid nearly $25 thousand in 2012 for legal ads by the City of Monroe, according to documents obtained by Lincoln Parish News Online (LPNO). The News Star is the “official journal” for the city.

See here the 2012 payment vouchers.

All local governments in Louisiana are require by state law to select an “official journal” – LA RS 43:141.

Long-time readers of LPNO are familiar with our dim view of that practice. We have suggested that it is little more than government welfare for newspapers, and that governments might use such an economic relationship as a way to curry favorable editorial and news coverage. In other words, give us favorable coverage, and we’ll remember you when contract renewal time comes.

Similarly, politicians who suggest competing publications should get some of the “welfare” can expect negative coverage.

Consider the following:

During the 6/28/2011 council meeting, there was this discussion about selection of the “official journal.”

Resolution No. 5748 was offered for final adoption by Mrs. Ezernack and on her motion seconded by Mr. Clark was unanimously approved and adopted. (There were no comments from the public.)

Resolution appointing The News-Star as the Official Journal of the City of Monroe, Louisiana, pursuant to the Louisiana R. S. 43:141 ET. SEQ. and further providing with respect thereto.

Mr. Clark wanted to know how we determine our official journal for the City.

Mrs. Summersgill stated I think Mrs. Riley could answer that better for you. There’s a specific statute on it.

Mrs. Carolus Riley, Council Clerk, informed the Council that with the information she advertise she need a daily circulation newspaper that way everything don’t get backed up as far as an ordinance that needs to come back in seven days. If a weekly paper is used that seven day ordinance that has to lie over will skip a meeting.

Mr. Clark stated I read that statute and most of the smaller municipalities don’t have daily papers.

Mrs. Riley explained that they also only have one meeting a month.

Mr. Clark noted that’s true but if the City wanted to advertise an item like that particular item only, could we also look at alternating our official journals.

Mrs. Riley explained that they all use to be named the City’s Official Journal; it’s not that they don’t get out business; they run the minutes and other departments.

Mr. Clark wanted to know how long the news star has been our official journal.

Mrs. Riley noted that the City has always used them and the other two, which has recently stopped.

Mr. Clark noted this is what he is looking at the Newsstar being the official journal the other two being the Free Press and the Dispatch, they get on an alternating basis and they get business here and there. He wanted to know how long how long the Newsstar has has been the official journal and what is the current price that we are paying for our official journal.

Mrs. Riley noted that it is less than the two other papers, which is $3.85 I believe to the News-star and $4 to the others.

Mr. Clark wanted to know if quotes were solicited from the other two papers, The Dispatch and the Free Press.

Mrs. Riley explained this is how it’s been set up. This was done prior to and this is how it has ran when bids were done when it first started.

Mr. Clark wanted to know how we know that the other two are higher.

Mrs. Riley noted that they run the minutes and that’s what they charge. $4.00 a column inch.

Mr. Clark wanted to know how they know that the price wouldn’t have changed if they had given a quote.

Mrs. Riley noted that one of them has been trying to raise the price anyway, but the Council can do that if you like.

Mr. Clark noted that at the school board the Dispatch was at $2.00 and he doesn’t know if they even asked them what the quote would be. Mr. Clark would like to see it get around to everybody if possible.

Mrs. Riley noted right and as she said the City did use them all, they were all the official journal and somewhere during budget hearings all that changed.

A similar discussion occurred at the 6/12/2012 council meeting.

Resolution No. 5909 was offered for final adoption by Mr. Clark and on his motion seconded by Dr. Starr was unanimously approved and adopted. (There were no comments from the public.)

Resolution appointing the News-Star as the Official Journal of the City of Monroe, Louisiana, pursuant to the Louisiana R. S. 43:141 et. seq. and further providing with respect thereto.

Mr. Clark asked Mrs. Riley, Council Clerk if this went out for bid.

Mrs. Riley explained that this item does not have to be bided, that the Secretary of State requires municipalities to appoint an official journal. It is up to the council to choose the official journal based on the qualifications and the need for that municipality as outline in the Louisiana Revised Statue. Mrs. Riley further explained that a daily newspaper is vital for the City of Monroe because there are a lot of departments other than the city council that run ads in the newspaper on a daily bases. The Planning and Zoning Department, the Purchasing Department etc. advertises time sensitive items and if only advertised in a weekly paper would put projects behind because council would not be able to act on those items in a timely manner. Also it was noted that the City of Monroe have departments that advertise in all of the local newspapers because of the need to adequately inform the public; by law it is required that the public be adequately and timely informed of governmental functions.

Dr. Starr wanted to know based on the State and the need for the continuity of publication that the News-Star was the option.

Mrs. Riley replied that it is a need.

Now, District Five’s Eddie Clark has been elected council chairman. It didn’t take long for The News Star to attack Clark, calling him an “ambulance chaser” in a 1/5/2013 editorial.

Their editorial board (President and Publisher David B. Petty, Executive Editor Kathy Spurlock, and community representatives Kay Kellogg Katz, Harris Brown, and Will Sutton) asked if Clark’s lawsuit against the Monroe City School Board for allegedly underpaying some employees was really an effort by Clark to “line his own pockets.”

See how it’s done?

What Isn’t in The (Monroe) News Star

Community Holds Animal Welfare Meeting in Monroe – KTVE-TV10

Dozens of Northeast Louisiana animal lovers gather to discuss how to improve animal welfare in the area, especially in the City of Monroe.

“This is something that’s been going on in our community for a long time,” says Anna Dunn to the nearly forty people gathered on ULM’s campus Thursday night. They’re fighting for the humane treatment of animals and for them it’s not just an interest, it’s a passion.

“This is a huge, big important issue.”

Folks representing several parishes are speaking up for animals. Many live in Monroe, where the animal control officer position has been vacant for months.

Animal Welfare Meeting: Citizens Speak Out – KNOE-TV8

Dozens of people gathered Thursday night to address one problem. The lack of an animal control officer in Monroe, and the ongoing problems that vicious, stray dogs are causing.

The last straw for many people was the recent killing of goats at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo.

There were people from Farmerville to Winnsboro in attendance at Thursday night’s meeting.

Monroe City Councilman Ray Armstrong and others with the City of Monroe were there to hear what people had to say.

The thing everyone agreed on, they need to be the voice for the voiceless.

One concerned citizen, Anna Dunn, says “a lot of policies that need to be looked at, and that’s one thing that we hope to do as far as better the lives of animals in this community.”

The policy that seemed to be the biggest concern, Monroe’s lack of an animal control officer.

Mystery “Education” Group in Monroe Tuesday

That mystery group that we wrote about last July – Coalition for Louisiana Progress, Inc. – will put in an appearance in Northeast Louisiana this week, and is a little bit less mysterious than it was then.

Monroe area news media are hooking up with the group for the Tuesday night forum.

Higher Education Forum Next Week
Louisiana Progress to co-sponsor education forum

The secrecy was lifted a bit, with the group listing the Board of Directors on their website.

The Chairman is Darrell Hunt, a long-time Democrat Party political operative and lobbyist.

The group’s Executive Director is Melissa Flournoy, a former Democrat state legislator from the Shreveport area. She also appears to be a political operative/lobbyist, judging from the groups she’s affiliated with.

Which touches on the unknown factors surrounding the group – specifically, who funds them, and how is their money spent.

As a federally recognized public charity, the group is required to file a public tax return, form 990.

However, the group claims to have raised no more than $50 thousand in 2010, and $25 thousand in 2009. That enables them to get away with filing a 990-N, an e-postcard return, with no information at all on where their money comes from or where it goes to.

See the documents:

2010
2009

Their website is full of rhetoric about “following the money” regarding cuts to education and other government spending.

How about some disclosure from Coalition for Louisiana Progress? And how about a little investigative reporting from the “real news media” before you all hook up with groups that are a front for lobbyists?

Hearing on Hakim v Gannett Continued

Despite being listed in the 07/23/12 Civil Docket for the Fourth Judicial (Morehouse, Ouachita parishes) District Court, a hearing on a “special motion to strike” in the case of Hakim v Gannett was not held this morning.

It turns out the judge in the case had earlier this month signed an order to upset and reset the hearing, but the Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court neglected to show that change in the published court docket.

The new date and time is 9:30 AM, October 16, 2012, Ouachita parish court house.

See here the order, signed by Division A Judge Scott Leehy.

Eddie Hakim’s original suit claimed Gannett’s The (Monroe) News Star defamed him in their reports on the trial of former Monroe City Councilmen Arthur Gilmore and Robert “Red” Stevens.” Hakim was the prosecution’s chief witness against the two.

Last month, Gannett filed what is called an “anti-slapp” motion, which would if upheld require the plaintiff to prove a probability of success in his claim.

Attorneys in the case are Joe Guerriero, plaintiff, and William McNew, defendant.

No Tax Returns Found for Mysterious Non-Profit

An extensive search by Lincoln Parish News Online (LPNO) has been unable to locate tax returns for a high-profile non-profit organization that has opposed education reforms enacted in the last session of the legislature.

The Coalition for Louisiana Progress has over the past few days aligned itself with several Louisiana tentacles of the Gannett media octopus and the two have been holding “forums” on education.

Panelists, public discuss La. education
Panelists address state of education
Educators quizzed

The group’s website lists no board of directors or from where it gets funding. It’s website says:

The Coalition for Louisiana Progress was incorporated in 2005 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to inform, engage, and mobilize progressive leaders, activists, advocates and policymakers to lead Louisiana into the 21st century.

We did locate one donation of $6,453 from a Washington, DC-based non-profit called the Razoo Foundation.

See here the document, page 99, line 11.

The IRS lists the group as public charity with an employer ID number of 20-2640239. See here the link.

According to IRS regulations federally tax-exempt organizations, with the exception of churches and state institutions, must file a return annually.

A phone call to the group’s executive director, former Shreveport state senator Melissa Flournoy, was not returned by post time.

News Star Files Anti-SLAPP Motion in Defamation Lawsuit

The (Monroe) News Star, through its attorney William McNew of McNew, King, Mills, Burch & Landry, has filed a “special motion to strike” in the case Hakim v Gannett, a defamation lawsuit filed last April by Monroe businessman Eddie Hakim.

Hakim alleged that the News Star defamed him in news articles written about his testimony in the recent federal trial of former Monroe City Council members Arthur Gilmore and Robert “Red” Stevens. Hakim was the chief prosecution witness in that trial.

The special motion to strike is often referred to as an “anti-SLAPP” motion, and is designed to defend against what are called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits.

The law regarding the special motions is Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (CCP), Article 971, Special Motion to Strike.

Wikipedia defines SLAPP suits thus:

…a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.

SLAPPs take various forms but the most common is a civil suit for defamation, which in the English common law tradition is a tort. The common law of libel dates to the early 17th century and (unusual in English law) is reverse onus, meaning, once accused, the defendant is presumed guilty until they can prove innocence.

In the memo in support of the motion, McNew wrote that:

(Plaintiff) sets forth conclusory allegations of defamation stemming from the use of two words to describe a portion of Plaintiffs three days of testimony in the numerous articles covering the twelve (12) day Federal criminal trial of two Monroe City Councilmen for bribery and racketeering.

Plaintiffs misconception of falsity is the belief that the press’s coverage of a live judicial proceeding spanning twelve (12) days without the benefit of a transcript must withstand a verbatim scrutiny applied by Plaintiffs counsel many months later armed with a transcript of the proceeding. It is apparent, that Plaintiff has compared all articles covering the trial with a transcript of the trial for the slightest deviation from exact words that appear in the transcript. This is an act of a man looking for an excuse to sue, not a man prompted to sue.

See here the documents.

Special Motion to Strike
Hearing Order
Memorandum in Support

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for 9:30 AM, July 27, Courtroom No. 6, Ouachita Parish court house, before Fourth Judicial (Morehouse, Ouachita parishes) District Division A Judge Scott Leehy.

Hakim’s attorney is Joe Guerriero of Monroe.

Gannetoids Squeal at Loss of Legal Ads

Ever since we’ve been doing our newsblog, we’ve written about the incestuous relationship between local governments and newspapers via an antiquated payoff scheme called “legal advertising.” It is little more than a method whereby politicians can buy – with taxpayer dollars – sympathetic news coverage from newspapers who know how to play the game.

Today, we have an example of what happens when a catfight breaks out over the money, and the predominant newspaper loses the business to another competitor.

The Caddo Parish Commission voted to award their legal advertising to the Caddo Citizen and The Shreveport Sun. The folks at The (Shreveport) Times – Northwest Louisiana’s tentacle of the Gannett octopus – are not happy.

Did commission’s decision really benefit taxpayers?

The Caddo Commission has decided to award its legal advertising for fiscal year 2012-13 to the Caddo Citizen, located in Vivian, and The Shreveport Sun. On the surface, the action was a near repeat of what happened last year; however, there is one key difference. This time, the commission decided 7-5 to pay more for this legally required service to reach fewer parish residents.

While the commission certainly is allowed this choice by law, it doesn’t seem like the action reflects sensible fiduciary management of taxpayer funds. Pay more for less? The equation doesn’t work logically from any angle. And it raises the question, rightfully so, of what other purposes are being served here?

If the decision concerns you, contact your commissioner and let them know your take on the equation. Contact information for commissioners:

News About the (New Orleans) Times-Picayune, In a New York City Newspaper

New Orleans Paper Said to Face Deep Cuts and May Cut Back Publication

The New Orleans Times-Picayune, which distinguished itself amid great adversity during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, is about to enact large staff cuts and may cut back its daily print publishing schedule, according to two employees with knowledge of the plans.

Newhouse Newspapers, which owns the Times-Picayune, will apparently be working off a blueprint the company used in Ann Arbor, Mich., where it reduced the frequency of the Ann Arbor News, emphasized the Web site as a primary distributor of news and in the process instituted wholesale layoffs to cut costs.

More here:

Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge

What New Orleans Can Expect When Its Newspaper Goes Away

New digitally focused company launches this fall with beefed up online coverage; The Times-Picayune will move this fall to three printed papers a week

Times-Picayune publisher spews standard workforce-reduction garbage

Times-Picayune Confirms Staff Cuts and 3-Day-a-Week Print Schedule

Budget cuts are alarming (Translation: My husband’s job may go away)

In today’s The (Monroe, LA) News Star:

The University of Louisiana System board has called an emergency meeting for Monday to develop strategies to address the state’s budget bill, which passed out of the Louisiana House of Representatives with no one-time or rainy-day funding to fill in the gaps.

But unless the people of this region act, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Louisiana Tech University in Ruston and Grambling State University in Grambling will be devastated.

You do not even have to be an economist to know that this means jobs. Many jobs.

And that does not even begin to mention the impact of each loss of faculty in our communities. Take a significant number of $50,000 to $100,000 jobs out of a community, and in northeastern Louisiana — that’s felt by everyone from the dry cleaner to the restaurateur.

You have the opportunity to contact your legislator —- there is still time to repair some of this damage — and let them know you’ll meet them at the recall petition or in the voting booth if they don’t work to repair this damage.

The editorials in this column represent the opinions of The News-Star’s editorial board, composed of President and Publisher David B. Petty, Executive Editor Kathy Spurlock and community representatives Kay Prince, Billy Haddad and Dan Robertson.

Kathy Spurlock is married to Lindsey Wilkerson, who is a web development manager at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Higher Ed Roundup – 5/1/12

Board member: Jindal didn’t direct LSU chief’s ouster

Time for bold action for our community – LSUS/Tech