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39 comments:
During these tough economic times we need to always have cost savings
at the forefront for the city and it's taxpayers. Publishing notices in the local newspaper (The New Britain Herald) has very little broad reception due to the low number of subscriptions. It has really become a mere formality.
Conversely, The New Britain Herald when pressed with shutting it's doors as a business decision could not have be forced to stay open in order to provide public notices. What would have occured then?
Before Mr. Sherwood presents a resolution to save the paper some revenue he needs to have the budget
numbers that the city expends each year on notices so a clear business decision can be made on the cost savings vs. the media value.
We can't simply pledge advertising dollars in a resolution for something the city may not need any
longer. And we do need to find budget savings anywhere we can.
Sounds to me like Sherwood not only wants to control what the paper prints, but wants the taxpayers to fund paying for that privilege. This move appears to me to be little more than Sherwood's attempt to gain mpre power over the newspaper while forcing you and me to pay for his new found power.
There is nothing wrong with the city posting public notices on their web site, in fact I would expect more people to read it there than would ever read it in some obscure section of the Herald--especially with the Herald's dwindling readership.
Perhaps Mr. Sherwood should put the interests of the taxpayers before his own for a change and instead of looking to gain power over a newspaper and its contents, look into expanding the use of the legal notices section of the city's web site to save the people's money and make the notices more visible to all? A simple link to the notices page on the main page would probably suffice.
Though I rarely agree with alderman Sherwood on this issue I do. Public notices are an important part of the democratic process and should not be eliminated.
The publication of public budgets, notices of public hearings, and notices of intentions to create new taxation or benefit zones are essential to making informed decisions as a citizen/voter. Public notices also help to meet the requirements of both state and federal “due process of law” requirements.
Citizens need public notice to be sure the government is not spending tax money unwisely and that the government gets the best price for a service. They also protect creditors and consumers from fraudulent practices by requiring corporations and other business entities to publish their intention at the start or end of doing business in an area. Other public notices such as unclaimed property notices provide protection from insurance companies and other businesses that have money or property that belongs to a citizen.
Other public notices protect citizens from non-governmental entities which use public powers or institutions in some way. Such as probating a will. Attorneys must publish a notice informing the public of the appointment of an administrator of the estate being probated. This allows the public to object to any appointment based on conflicts of interest. The attorney must also publish a notice to unknown creditors. This serves the function of notifying anyone with a claim against the estate of the deceased that they must assert their claim within a certain time period, or else risk having their claim barred.
Information about government activities must be accessible in order for the electorate to make well-informed decisions.
This premise was so important to our founding fathers that In 1789, one of the first acts of the First Session of the First Congress required the Secretary of State to publish all bills, orders, resolutions and congressional votes in at least three publicly available newspapers.
Until a better process of informing the public is available the requirement of public notices being published should be left intact.
Until a better process of informing the public is available the requirement of public notices being published should be left intact....
Why not post them on Frank Smith Says?
Someone should point out to Alderman Sherwood that the New Britain Herald and the Bristol Press both carry public notices with their on line editions.
So with the city saving a large sum of money by going on line with its notices it would be in the best interest of the taxpayers.
I mention a large sum since you neglected to mention the sum involved for us credible taxpayers to analyze.
Maybe we should get quotes from both of our town papers, The Herald
and Hardware City Journal. The Journal publishes on Fridays so we can take care of all of the notices once a week and save money. It's all about saving some money. To the independent voter, it would be great not to have to cut back but that isn't the case. I wouldn't want to see someone lose their job to adhere to a newspaper notice resolution.
I agree with the Thorn too. Sherwood is brown nosing the paper with the November elections coming up he needs to keep his people on the good side of "journalism" in New Britain.
Is this the same advocate of transparency in government who took part in a special meeting of the council reportedly held behind locked doors, with Johnny Mel reportedly questioning someone about how he managed to get into the building during a "public" meeting of the council??
Why didn't Sherwood question Mr. Melinkowski as to why he would be openly challenging someone about gaining access into city hall, or did Sherwood already expect that the doors were locked up tight as a drum before the start of the "secret meeting?"
Sounds like Obama's brand of phony transparency in government.
Here's a suggestion:
Publish them on the city web site. This would allow other sites like Frank Smith to relist them, making them even more public than ever before.
For people who don't have computers, post them on a bulletin board in city hall, and another one in the public library, and possibly even at the Senior Center.
The cost of making these postings on bulletin boards available would be minimal in comparison to the cost of advertising in the Herald, and you will reach more people than ever.
Just posting them on Frank's site would reach more than ever read the Herald!
Many residents who want access to legal notices do not have a computer..where would they learn of public notices, if not through their local newspapers?
If the only way the Herald publishers can entice someone to read their rag, is to have a monopoly on the city's legal notices, that's really pathetic!
NB Resident, someone already addressed your concern:
For people who don't have computers, post them on a bulletin board in city hall, and another one in the public library, and possibly even at the Senior Center.
The cost of making these postings on bulletin boards available would be minimal in comparison to the cost of advertising in the Herald, and you will reach more people than ever.
It's no surprise that The Herald's newspaper circulation, which stood at 33,000 when the JRC took over, dropped to 7,000 by 2008.
When the JRC threatened to fold The Herald , more than a dozen local politicians like NB Alderman Sherwood and officials came together and sent letters to media companies, imploring them to buy the endangered JRC papers like The Herald and Bristol Press , even offering them tax breaks, sweetheart loans and other economic incentives.
It always has a use for lining bird cages!
I don't subscribe to the Herald, nor do I want to. It is a rag. I don't want to give them my money and I don't think they should have a monopoly.
But I do own a computer. So why should the people without computers get preference over me?
If the Herald has a circulation of 7,000, I would argue that the City would reach more people with online postings. They can then augment that with the Hardware City Journal. It's advertising rates are much cheaper than the Herald and it is free to residents.
You see, I would bet that if someone can't afford a computer, they probably can't afford a subscription to the Herald either.
DFB
You see, I would bet that if someone can't afford a computer, they probably can't afford a subscription to the Herald either.
The Herald subscription is much less than the cost of a computer. Also, not everyone can make daily trips to City Hall to check out the bulletin boards for legal notices...
It really doesn't matter too much, because in reality, how long is the New Britain Herald really going to survive? As long as they keep pedaling the same left wing dribble as the New York Slimes, they are just going to follow the same fate, unless the Mexican government is going to bail the Herald out too?
It's not that much less, especially spread over a couple of years.
DELIVERY RATES
$21.60 for 6 weeks
$46.80 for 13 weeks
$93.60 for 26 weeks
$187.20 for 52 weeks
MAIL RATES
$56.00 for 8 weeks
$91.00 for 13 weeks
$182.00 for 26 weeks
$364.00 for 52 weeks
" The Thorn said...
Sounds to me like Sherwood not only wants to control what the paper prints, but wants the taxpayers to fund paying for that privilege. This move appears to me to be little more than Sherwood's attempt to gain mpre power over the newspaper while forcing you and me to pay for his new found power.
Feb. 9, 2010"
Now, word has it that Sherwood is looking to reestablish his former, "Sherwood/Guinness/Levy" control center with The New Britain Herald. Supposedly, Sherwood has bamboozled Herald Liberal Editor, Jim Smith into doing a "profile/puff
piece on Sherwood.
Is Sherwood going to run for Mayor? State Rep.? Campaign Manager for Malloy? Etc., etc.? Don't forget, Phil has another mouth to feed now.
Why should my tax dollars be used to print legal notices in a paper nobody reads, just so Sherwood can compensate a left wing liberal for publishing every campaign statement Sherwood wants him to write? It has been common knowledge for some time among many that Sherwood controls every word the Herald prints.
Sounds like this Smith character worships at Sherwood's feet the same way the rest of the lunatic fringe media worship's Obama!
I guess it would be a cold day in hell when Smith would write a positive article about Mayor Stewart, not because the Mayor doesn't deserve it, but because Smith's political ideology won't let him acknowledge the good work of someone who doesn't share his liberal extremist philosophy.
By the way Mr. Smith, what is Sherwood besides one of fifteen Aldermen anyway?
You apparently see him as a God when he amounts to little more than a member of a gang of radicals.
And Schroeder wonders why his paper is going right down the crapper?
Can you say FOX NEWS?
If something works, why not follow that example?
Waterbury has the Republican American, New Britain has the Democratic Liberal Press.
Mr. Smith (not Frank because he does a good job keeping us informed), but the Smith at the NB Herald can be very proud to be part of the elitist Lame Stream Media that most Americans are tuning out.
Frank: The New Britain City Hall Website - Reported Being an Attack Site! Check it out!
The New Britain City web site at www.new-britain.net has been reported as an Attack Site and has been blocked based on current security preferences.
While Attack Sites try to install programs that steal private information, they use your computer to attack others, or damage your computer system.
Some Attack Sites intentionally distribute harmful software, but many are compromised without the knowledge or permission of their owners.
Jodi Rell has the right idea to stop forcing towns to pay for advertising in newspapers that almost no one reads. In this modern age, posting them online should be all that is required. It is also clear to me that Sherwood is doing nothing more than trying to pay off the liberal editors of the herald for their positive coverage of his campaign.
Taxpayer's money shouldn't be wasted on saving floundering newspapers, even if they are responsible for one sided slanted reporting that is partly to blame for the success of radical extremists in the recent election.
Rarely do I comment on others post but some of the attacks on the herald are bordering on paranoid. Sherwood cannot force the city to use the herald. As others have noted there are other publications. Lets forget for a minute that the Herald seems to have a liberal bent. The issue here is not if the herald gets notices published the issue is should public notices be published.
As a conservative I am sometimes disgusted when "conservatives" fall into the same mold that I find abhorrent about liberals. There is no reason for us conservatives to get into name calling spasms, our ideals speak for themselves. If the Herald is a liberal rag don't buy it. If an alderpersons physical appearance is revolting to you than let him be the fool.
Public notices inform us about government actions, environmental conditions and economic changes. Public notices alert us when the interests of our family, our neighborhood or our business are affected by what others do. Public notices invite us to participate in the democratic process and in business opportunities.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT???
"Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." --Thomas Jefferson to Pierre Samuel Dupont de Nemours, 1816
Sally Eigenraam was correct when she cited in favor for saving the taxpayers the annual cost being proposed by Sherwood.
Seeing that this issue will come up before the City council and if Sherwood votes for it would it present a violation of ethics?
I forgot the Democrats are beyond being ethical.
I forgot the Democrats are beyond being ethical.
Can you say CATANZARO?
Anonymous said...
I forgot the Democrats are beyond being ethical.
Can you say CATANZARO?
February 16, 2010 11:59 AM
YES1 THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE EITHICS COMMMISSION TO THE THE COUNCIL REMOVE OR SANCTION PAUL FOR HIS VILOALTION OF ETICS AND ITH INFAMOUS VOTE OF 13-2 WITH THE TWELVE DEMOCRATIC, INCLUDING PAUL VOTED AGAINTS THE REFFERAL OF THE EITHICS COMMISSION.
THE "twelve" DEOMCATIC COUNCIL MEMBERS PROVED THAT THEY ARE BEYOND
APPROACH THAT NIGHT.
THE INFAMOUS 13-2 VOTE NOT ONLY INCLUDED CATANZARO'S VOTE BUT SHERWOOD'S ALSO--- "THE ETHICS CZAR OF THE COUNCIL".
Independent Voter said...As a conservative I am sometimes disgusted when "conservatives" fall into the same mold that I find abhorrent about liberals. There is no reason for us conservatives to get into name calling spasms, our ideals speak for themselves....
I guess only liberal Democrats are allowed to do sleazy things like posting vicious baseless attacks against the mayor on the same weekend that he and his family were mourning the death of his father. That is a perfect example of how sleazy Democrats act against anyone whom they don't agree with, despite how successful, beloved and popular they are among the people. I think it is just petty jealousy on their part because Mayor Stewart is so popular, and that despite all their childish antics and sleazy tactics at election time, the people rejected the liberal loon being put up for mayor by the liberal Democratic machine.
I guess Chicago style politics don't work in New Britain no matter how many out of town ACORN thugs go door to door campaigning.
I guess O'Brien will need to get a refund from Bertha Lewis for those work boots with Working Families Party written on both toes.
The voters rejected O'Brien's ideas for socialism in city hall, and now it is time to reject those same policies in Hartford.
The Thorn said...I guess only liberal Democrats are allowed to do sleazy things........
Everyone is allowed to do as they choose. But as you said liberals tend to do sleazy things and as conservatives our ideals about country, family and faith should elevate us above that.
cosnervative ideals are about country, family and faith, while liberals believe in bleeding they system for every greedy dime they can get, and being able to do whatever you want and there is no consequences to worry about which is probably why they tend to be so sleazy.
It helps to form a picture of sleazy in your mind if you picture O'Brien, Defronzo, Cantazaro, Trueworthy, Sherwood, Gerratana and McNamara in your mind.
Enough sleazy images?
I overheard 2 guys talking at the diner during lunch today, and they were saying that Phil Sherwood is one of the editors of the New Britain Herald. I checked the paper, and couldn't find Sherwood's name listed anywhere on the masthead, so is this something new?
Does anyone else know about this because that would seem like a conflict to me?
I wonder if Sherwood enjoyed today's story in The Herald about his campaigm finance infractions!!!!
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