Journalistic Ethics
Your newspaper’s bias against Judge Tim Grendell is obvious.
You refuse to publish letters favorable to Judge Grendell, however, you repeatedly publish letters containing false and misleading negative comments about the judge written by a handful of his political enemies.
For example, last week you published a letter from (1) an unhappy litigant (Mrs. Neff) who is facing multiple contempt of court charges for failing to comply with court orders; (2) a disgruntled individual (Mr. Buckles) who has cowardly refused multiple invitations to meet with the judge to discuss his “concerns;” and (3) a person (Mr. Allen) whose letters contain so much misinformation that one must wonder how anyone could get things wrong so often, and, with Mr. Allen being a security guard at Kent State Geauga, I’m very concerned for the safety of the campus.
Why is the Maple Leaf newspaper not bound by any journalist ethics?
John A. Ralph
Chardon
Editor’s Note: Mr. Ralph is Judge Grendell’s court-appointed constable. When asked to identify any letters favorable to the judge that we refused to publish, Mr. Ralph said he spoke with Hambden Township resident Helen Schuering last week and she told him we refused to print a favorable letter she submitted about the judge.
To the contrary, in late March 2015, Mrs. Schuering submitted a letter to the editor critical of former Geauga Park District Commissioner John Leech and his voting record regarding controlled hunting in the parks. The letter was in response to an earlier letter Mr. Leech had submitted for publication.
Mrs. Schuering was contacted by telephone and asked to provide support for her statements concerning Mr. Leech’s voting record on the issue. She said she didn’t have it, but would get it. The Maple Leaf never heard from Mrs. Schuering again.
Instead, several hours later, Judge Grendell’s budget coordinator and county liaison, Kim Laurie, and another court employee, Cheryl Koncler, came to the Maple Leaf’s Chardon office and Ms. Laurie hand-delivered her own letter to the editor along with documentation she claimed supported her statements about Mr. Leech and his voting record. Ms. Laurie’s letter was pubished in the April 2, 2015, issue of the Maple Leaf.
With respect to Mr. Ralph’s statement that we have refused to publish letters favorable to Judge Grendell, the fact is the Maple Leaf has received few — maybe one or two — favorable letters in the last several years and they have been published.
CPAs Needed on County Level
I am opposed to special interest tax levies as they are “double taxation” on property taxpayers.
Lawsuits have occurred in other states outlawing special interest tax levies, that includes public school tax levies.
State and federal grant monies are available and should be applied for, maybe with the help of a certified public accountant, or CPA, in lieu of special interest tax levies.
We, Ohioans, are in dire eed of county treasurers with a county treasury department because auditors are not suppose to write bank checks drawn on taxpayers’ monies. Auditors are supposed to do professional auditing.
We need CPAs on a county government level.
Barbara Richardson
Claridon Township
Editorial Pitch Fork
Regarding the Aug. 13, 2015, Letter to the Editor entitled “Secret Geauga Park Budgets” by Mr. Ed Buckles of Troy Township.
I continue to be disappointed by another presumptuous allegation made by Mr. Buckles and his small band of allegiant naysayers. To somehow imply a Geauga Park District budget process was “worked out in someone’s closed chambers” is a disservice to Judge Grendell, the Board of Park Commissioners and Staff.
The process of staff recommending budgets and expenditures to the Board of Park Commissioners remains today as it did in the past.
The fact is, proposed appropriations for expenditures of the Geauga Park District during the fiscal year commencing Jan. 1, 2016, was presented to all three Park Commissioners at the July 14, 2015, regular meeting.
The fact is, all three Commissioners voted unanimously to allow this information to be presented to the county Budget Commission.
The fact is, the information was shared and discussed with the Board of Park Commissioners in a public setting, with Mr. Buckles himself being present.
Mr. Buckles goes on to mention the “hard working staff of the parks.” If he truly cared about staff, he would put down his editorial pitch fork of political slander and not associate staff with his commentary.
One need only visit one of our great parks or attend one of our outstanding programs to appreciate the positive impact staff makes on our communities. Geauga Park District is truly better than ever.
Mr. Buckles did get one fact correct in his recent Letter to the Editor. It is in his use of the word “apparently.” The word is often used by speakers or writers to avoid committing themselves to the truth of what they are saying.
It is time for Mr. Buckles and others to move beyond fictional presumptions and assumptions pointed at Judge Grendell and concentrate on the programs, facilities and lands that make Geauga Park District great.
John Oros
Executive Director
Geauga Park District