Blog-IT-o ergo sum

	4/17/2006

Ellis Island seized by eminent domain.

Thanks to Jeff Palmer, the things you can pick up on the Libertarian Party of North Carolina Yahoo group.

There really was a reason for the 4th Amendment.

9:48:15 PM

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HOT topic case in point: Why Greensboro101 is important.

With talk of stadiums, trendy light rail lines and other sugar plum dreams of real estate developers, it is not surprising that the paper of record in town provided puff piece coverage on the recently completed Heart of the Triad (HOT) charrette.

You would think however that their pesky and successful local nemesis the Rhino Times would have provided the balance coverage on this event. The HOT meetings certainly had all the alarm bells for a "conservative" paper looking out for the taxpayers best interests: the aforementioned stadiums and rail line boondoggles, annexation, eminent domain, etc, etc. But what did people find in the current issue of the Rhino on this event? Nothing.

I guess it was just not a story. There are only so many journalists to match with priority lists in a streamlined organization. And really, who am I to fault Scott Yost for spending his nights out photographing and otherwise cavorting with former Panther cheerleaders instead of spending three nights in one week with Robbie Perkins?

Indulge me for a moment however while I adjust the camber of my tin-foil hat and offer an explanation. While it theoretically could change, for the moment, Greensboro101 (and jimcapo.com) are not driven by advertising dollars. If you look in the N&R or roughly the middle third of every Rhino Times you will note that revenue obtained from real estate firms in the area are a major source of funding for these publications.

Since these real estate firms, their affiliated agents and development partners are providing most of the backing for the HOT initiative, is it too much of a stretch to imagine that owners and reporters for these news organs have pragmatically determined (sometimes against their better journalistic instincts) that it is unproductive to unnecessarily irritate the people that are writing you checks every week? Perhaps my spiddy senses are over reacting but that's what it feels like to me.

Alternative media and independent blogging works because in most cases they are not as beholden to financially flush special interest forces that are funding what are in effect their extended company newsletters.

Just a non-journo's hunch here.

Financial Disclosure Statement: The writer holds a small minority stake in Altmedia101 the parent company of Greensboro101.

9:33:10 PM

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Toyota plant in Greensboro?

The HOT topic today:

Toyota is also considering sites near Chattanooga, Tenn., Greensboro, N.C., and in northeast Arkansas, where state officials have tried for years to land an assembly plant from a major automobile manufacturer.

The Virginia site became more attractive to Toyota after Ford announced it would close its Norfolk plant, company executives said.

No matter where it puts the plant, Toyota will probably be offered lucrative incentive packages from the states, said James P. Womack, a specialist in manufacturing efficiency who has followed Toyota for nearly two decades.

"Every governor, every senator, every congressman is falling all over himself, saying, How can I get one of those things?" Mr. Womack said. "They're big, they're visible, you can see them from the Interstate."

There's a reason Toyota has $46 billion dollars of cash on hand.

BTW: Greensboro just happens to be the mid-point between the two largest Toyota group investments in the state. ASMO in Stateville (my old company's main customer) and Aisin Warner in Durham.

7:41:26 PM

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