Divided We Stand

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At first glance, Sunday’s Gazette front-page feature titled “Two for the show” seemed like an attempt by the newspaper to smooth the edges from the sharply divisive rhetoric espoused by a local church over funding of a fireworks display - of all things. But in typical fashion, the newspaper just continued to reload and fire on the Janesville community with more reactions from residents and weak comparisons between the two Independence Day organizers.

JG Excerpt:
Of course, the two shows also have a few things in common.
Both are nonprofit organizations putting on shows for the benefit of the community; both say they wish each other well.

That’s it? Both are non-profit and wish each other well? Another one of those golden moments squandered by the Gazette to help bring the community together. This article would have been a good time for the professionals at the paper to use a little improvisational journalism without sacrificing politics or profits. A few extra commonalties however obvious would have helped. But nooooo. They seem to be having fun with all this.

On a different subject but with the same theme, their editorial about the Janesville teacher negotiations also seemed like an attempt to stir up public reaction against somebody about anything involved in the negotiations. Because both sides agreed to hold closed door meetings to iron out long-running contract differences, the newspaper now feels shorted in it’s ability to exploit the information.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
Just what was it about the board's position that insulted the union leaders and couldn't be taken seriously? We don't know the details because contract negotiations fall under a veil of secrecy allowed in the state's open meetings law.

Despite this “veil of secrecy” as the Gazette puts it, they still were able to spin union negotiators comments as public posturing. The school board was elected to protect more than just taxpayers interests, heck that’s only money. They must be able to convey a fair and decent message, a meeting of the minds if you will, directly with the teachers union – no matter what the Gazette will say.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
Of course, Janesville's teachers will point out that the district might have saved an estimated $2 million because health costs have been lower than estimated.

Certainly, overages don’t belong to the teachers, but if this surplus was due indirectly to the health condition or related efforts of the covered group, I would say the teachers have a valid point. Obviously there is more at stake here than fighting over a surplus.

But I’m not here to jump to conclusions about these negotiations as much as I see the very same newspaper that complains about the political partisanship, economic divide and idealogical differences that legitimately divide us as a nation is the same paper that pits its readers against one another over local things like teacher negotiations, swimming pools and fireworks displays. It all begins right here.