Not the Only Ones to Find Fault with the Times

Over at the Stranger's blog (the Slog), they are discussing the laughable logic that the Times' editorial board uses for policing of our fair city. They want more cops and loudly deride McGinn for leaving our city unsafe but have absolutely no ideas on where the money would come from for said cops (meanwhile McGinn has moved some bicycle patrols to foot beats in parts of downtown to try to help the situation).

The Slog points out that their editorials make the Mayor look like he doesn't care but their own news stories show that he is trying with what he has.

I wrote in the comments section that they have somewhat the same problem with their education editorials. They love to say how great things are, especially under the Superintendent's leadership, and then never define success or give specific examples.

Good to know we aren't the only ones with issues about the Times and their editorials.

Comments

Chris S. said…
This is my favorite:

"Well we know the Seattle Times is pro-torture since they keep publishing their Op-Ed page."

I used to keep an eye on their site in case they said anything stupid about education. Now I stay away for the sake of my mental health...
Eric M said…
Have you seen this?
Seattle Times and Microsoft are going steady!
"the kind of thing you might see while flipping by Cinemax at 2 a.m. on a Friday night."

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/06/microsoft_and_the_seattle_time.php
seattle citizen said…
Melissa,
You wrote "Good to know we aren't the only ones with issues about the Times and their editorials."

Had you already read an early online post of Lynne Varner's editorial in the Times that prompted you to write that?

UNDER a capitalized column heading "RESET 2010"(perhaps a new Times theme (you know, like "Snopocalypse 2007,") we find the title to her piece: "School Reform: Talk is cheap, action takes courage, sacrifice." or "Ferrygate: On the Rocks")

http://seattletimes.nwsource.
com/html/opinion/2012238969_
lynne30.html

The online version is titled, "Summertime but Seattle Public Schools and its teachers union won't rest easy," which shows the REAL anti-union thrust of the piece, but the main problem I have with it is this statement:

"unions risk alienating the public by flailing at any idea or support that hints at a reform agenda. Lately, they have trained their ire on businesses and philanthropies, accusing the twin engines of "corporatizing" education. The way I see it, these groups have long been urged to be part of the solution for education and a new breed of philanthropists and corporate leaders are rightly following their money through the schoolhouse door and expecting a role improving education."

Lynne, civilization is founded on the civil, not on business or on private actions (such as "philanthropy." "Civil" is we the people and our overarching public government and organization.

Schools are public, they're civil, and NOT an arm of business. Business is a subset of the civil, and serves it. I don't remember myself "urging" business to be a part of the "solution" for education. Where business serves education is where education prepares citizens to perform business, not where business prepares citizens to perform business.

Business prepared citizens to hand out sub-prime loans and build cheap oil wells. I certainly am not urging business to "follow their money through teh schoolhouse door." Quite the contrary, as a ctiizen who follows heart and people first, I expect business to counter its own predatory nature (no disrespect, but good business is profitable, profit is a taking) by actilely remaining submissive to the ovararching civic voice. If I ask business to enter a school, I ask it to do what the school wants it to do: help train workers to be part of the the larger picture. Business wants to train workers to be just workers; it's its nature.

Business is, I repeat, by nature corporatizing, and if it is allowed to "follow its money" without following the desires of public educators and the public behind them, we will get even more of the standardized, packaged, promoted, profitable eduproduct than we are already getting.

KBO
Chris S. said…
Eric M: can you repost the whole url for the seattle weekly? I'm very curious and I can't seem to find it searching.
Eric M said…
Microsoft gets in Bed with Seattle Times: fat does stupid

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/06/microsoft_and_the_seattle_time.php
Eric M said…
Bah! One more try, with spaces to prevent run-on

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/
dailyweekly/2010/06/
microsoft_and_the_seattle_time.php

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