THE PRINT MEDIA CARTEL & NOVATO ELECTIONS

Not only is Judy Arnold out of touch (does she actually sleep in District 5?) so are the Independent Journal’s LTE and Opinion Page Editor Brad Breithaupt and the Novato Advance’s Editor Joe Wolfcale. Both appeared to be deliberately denying Toni Shroyer any opportunity to present herself to District 5 voters.

Breithaupt deliberately let non-District 5 residents LTE’ criticizing Shroyer with negative untrue comments regarding her character and integrity while refusing to note that the writers were overtly connected to Arnold as county employees, appointees, etc.(standard journalism ethics require full disclosure).  Many District 5 residents’ submittals to the Editor for publication were ignored despite their quality and reasonableness.

The Advance would not accept politically oriented letters to the editor before the election nor would it permit Shroyer a modicum of space to express her platform while nonetheless allowing Arnold 15 column inches of free publicity and her touched up photo to drone on over a county program that reflects positively on her. Then, right before the election front page and center the Advance enthusiastically endorses Arnold while simultaneously being unable to identify one positive thing to say about Toni Shroyer. Why the front page and not the traditional internal opinion/editorial page? It came across as blatant bias with no reason for publication other than that.

Neither of the two papers addressed in depth the differences in positions on issues. Their focus was transfixed on “lack of experience” and robocalls by Shroyer while Arnold did the same but unbelievably it was not worthy of mention.

Arnold’s two last minute repulsive hit piece mass mailings received no comment. Nor, did Arnold’s last minute fundraiser when she had already raised twice the funds as Shroyer  80% of which was sourced outside District 5. Apparently, to the print media this was not a District 5 election. It was the county electing the District 5 Supervisor.

To the uninitiated It appeared that Breithaupt and Wolfcale were on Arnold’s campaign strategy committee. The “fix was in” from the beginning to deny District 5 voters a reasonable opportunity to differentiate between candidates and in particular to get to know Toni Shroyer. The pattern of denial was “in your face” overt. No pretense of neutrality or responsibility towards their readers.

The part the Advance and IJ played in the election was a disappointing and a disgusting journalistic performance. The County and District 5 deserve a better level of journalism.

It is time to develop an alternate news source for District 5. The existing print media can no longer be trusted to act in the best interests of an informed District 5 Novato electorate. Cancelling subscriptions would be a good first step. Go back to the weird SF Chronicle. Don’t feed the beasts of biased journalism.

Novato Patch could  fill the bill but the wacko’s and sicko’s who attack contributors by posting false personal information will limit Patch until it takes the initiative to clean up the comments section’s radical anti-social intimidators who appear to have completely gone off their meds.

This is what evolves when there is one party rule. No one is willing to get sideways with the only game in town. This situation breeds institutional arrogance and ethical corruption as well as total disregard for the concept of conflict of interest.

The print media world in Marin resembles Russia light. The truism was at one time “never get into an argument with anyone who buys ink by the barrel”. The paradigm has changed.  The new local truism is “ink stinks”.

This unfortunate set of circumstance extends down to the City staffs who perceive their job to be one of “managing” their citizens not working for them. Hoping for promotion to better paying positions at the county level city managers and staff shrivel before the mandates of the county and State. Throw in the consultants who provide cover for anyone ever having to take responsibility for a potential controversial decision and you have Marin County pretty much covered. It is a very bad situation for the individual who rightfully expects competence and acceptance of individual responsibility for decisions made. In the private sector it is called accountability.

An incumbent whose extremely close race is described by her as “bizarre” and a county newspaper that is “surprised” by the same is indicative of how out of touch and tone deaf these two are and how dangerous they are to democracy in District 5.

It’s up to Novato residents to grab the brass ring and save the day.