Editor-In-Chief
HARLINGEN, Texas - Man, it's been a vicious year for this small town in desperate need of help, help from anybody. Residents will tell you they get nothing from paralyzed City Hall these days, zip from the comatose newspaper, nada from the Heavens. If a town can be properly portrayed in accurate colors, it would be India ink and bistre-wash for this despair-white outpost midway between McAllen and Brownsville.
Now come two more killer uppercuts.
One concerns high-maintenance City Commissioner Kori Marra. The other is perhaps a bigger shock, namely reports that Editor Jerry Deal has been playing with his comments number on his popular Blog, MyLeaderNews.com. In a way, Ms. Marra's problems rather entertain this town of 74,000 success-starved souls. She's either the sure-shot Annie Oakley to some, or the ditzy Goldie Hawn to the others.
This week, she burst from the comfort of the world of Real Estate to lash Blogger Jerry Deal after MyLeaderNews.com posted a story about her troubles with the State of California involving a traffic violation. Ms. Marra, a single mother, did not take it lying down. She loaded her cannon and lobbed a terse note to Deal, demanding an explanation as to why MyLeaderNews.com considered that newsworthy.
Deal, however, saw it as a scoop in the highly-charged world of Blogging in Harlingen. About Ms. Marra's public angst, he wrote: "She also asks if she should be concerned, being on Facebook, where this publication got the ticket informaton. She claims concerns about putting photos she oks of her and her children on Facebook, wondering if she should be aware that that someone who hates her would do her or family great harm."
And so Deal, unaccustomed to friendly fire, begs-off the complaint, writing, "Ok, come on Kori, you were already on Facebook and I do not believe a little article about a minor ticket is going to change your life or your children’s lives."
Of course not. The Commissioner has a knack for acting oddly. Her public service history is a wagon train of woe. As an elected official, she is subject to being written-about on matters she may feel are private or minute. As Lois Lane might say about here, "Honey, that is something the media decides, not you." Still, the idea that she is open to criticism has to register with her at some point. This, mind you, is a mature woman, in years anyway.
The revelation, if true, is no small plate of refried beans in town. Jerry Deal recently crowed loudly about MyLeaderNews.com being the best online publication in the area. In claiming the lofty perch, Deal cited a review of local websites by unnamed journalists, adding that he also receives many more comments to his site than any other area blog. The investigation by HarlingenBlogs.com is damning. Deal's decision to ignore the information does not bode well for his effort, for his claim.
There is a mountain of problems that stall this city's progress. Word filters out this morning that a mysterious group is launching a recall election against City Commissioner Robert Leftwich. To that we say: Go ahead and kill yourself, Harlingen.
What else is left?...
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5 comments:
I "bow" to the King of Editorials, no doubt in my mind. Alcatraz, you are a Pit-Bull when it comes to writing. This editorial has to be one of the best, and you have written quiet a few.
I hear through the grape vine, a frequent writer to the VMS, wrote a letter to the editor and is quoting some of your comments. I am hoping the letter will be publish soon. The word is it takes 10 to 15 days to get something published.
Oh well, stay on the key board. You won't believe this but some of us here in the Valley, enjoy well written articles. Sail on Brother, Sail on!! (Sofia)
Easy...on our lost in the ocean city, Mr Editor, I don't know what happen in Harlingen, but man, it is crazy down here.
The political talk at Mi Rancho was pretty good this morning. That potato and egg plate tasted good. But the political talk was something else. Some guy, former commissiner wrote a letter to the editor, and some other looney old guard is trying to start a petition. Not to worry, we are prepared to support Robert Leftwich.
ANONYMOUS SOFIA & PLAIN OL' ANONYMOUS:...Thanks for the kind words. We take our readers into account when we look for ways to tell these stories, and it pleases us to know it all pleases you. You should know that El Rancho is a breakfast stop of mine, as is Las Cazuelas, when I'm in Harlingen. As for the recall of Robert Leftwich, well, surely the town wil not stand for that. Removing the only guy with a pulse on the City Commission would be a major disaster... - Editor
Good post, tell it like it is, no sugar coating, just the facts, the damn old guard is trying like crazy to get rid of Leftwich and Prepjchal.
It won't get any traction, everyone knows Robert cares about the people. I say Robert for mayor.
Patrick, I must commend you for all the bashing you have been taking at mlnews, concerning the veterans article.
By the way, who is that idiot name jake, about all vomits is hatred and anger. Heck, I would call the police, he sounds like an angry stalker.
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