14 comments:

• Josh Morgan posted at 6:48 am on Sat, Feb 23, 2013.

  Posts: 518

  Mr. Chaney, you wouldn't know a compliment if it slapped you in the face. Knock that chip off your shoulder and stop thinking that every one is out to get you. None os us is that important!

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• Doug Chaney posted at 9:08 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 388

  And some of those comments you have removed, I've copied and pasted from other local news sources, mainly the Stockton Record comments and yet they are deemed to risque or taboo for Marty and Rich. Go figure.Maybe you should find the old kiev website and see their evaluation of Marty. I have many of those comments on my external hard drive, that is, until someone had that website taken down. Maybe even that same computer hacker that Marty hired to find out who was making negative comments only to find out that it was someone on his own staff using a computer in the Sentinel offices. I notice shortly thereafter, that employee was mysteriously replaced with a long line of others who have long since left employment at the Sentinel. That's why I don't trust either Marty or Rich and those staffers they use to make sure that no one offends the good old boys by violating their freedom of speech.

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• Doug Chaney posted at 8:58 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 388

  The only thing I find unfair about you, Simon, is that you seem to remove my comments that violate no terms of this website and stifle our freedom of speech. Is it to appease your superiors wishes or just to make sure one of the affluent personalities that is so highly regarded in the good old boys commmunity may be proven to be far from the "nice guy" image this newspaper portray them as?

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• Doug Chaney posted at 8:52 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 388

  Mr. Morgan, your rant says nothing about the east side of Lodi and the minorites being left out of the "movers and shakers" and, as you put it, "good ol boyz" clan that so dominates every move in Lodi, including all your good personal friends, the illustrious city council members, past and present. It indicates that you too, sir, are indeed one of those "chosen few".

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• Joanne Bobin posted at 4:18 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 3201

  Simon Birch wrote: "We did it earlier this week with a story about General Mills. We were trying to inflame resentment and bigotry toward Cheerios."

  One can only interpolate with the evidence given - especially when one has A LOT of experience over the past 35 years with the attitudes in this lovely city. When YOU become the target of these attitudes, I suppose then you can offer experiential evidence that either affirms or refutes my contention.

  Actually, the LNS should be trying to inflame resentment and bigotry toward Betty Crocker cake mixes - leave Cheerios alone - at least they are a healthy food choice!

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• Josh Morgan posted at 4:13 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 518

  Folks, I've lived in this community for more years than I want to admit. I owned and operated a small business for years until retiring and selling the business. I've raised my three children and all attended Lodi public schools. They have moved on with their lives and are having very successful careers. I have certainly had my battles with City Hall regarding what I believe has been over regulation and overburdening fees. (I didn't win many of those battles) But over all I believe Lodi has been a wonderful community to live and do business. I've known almost every City Council member personally as well as the staff. That doesn't happen in most communities where their elected officials are "unavailable" most of the time. We are fortunate to have a locally owned and operated newspaper. How long that will continue is unknown but I know for sure locally owned newspapers are becoming a rare commodity. We have had a Latino population ever since I can remember and they have been productive members of this community. I've known nearly all of those "good ol boyz" Mr. Chaney refers to as having Parks and Streets named after them. I'm proud to have known them and thank them for the contributions they've made to this community. I'm pleased to know Mr. Chaney is dedicating himself to a group of people he believes is underrepresented and/or in need. Over the years Lodi has been blessed to have had many of those individuals. Some of those individuals are the "good ol boyz" Mr. Chaney refers to. Every community has "movers and shakers". That's how things get done.

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• Kevin Paglia posted at 2:06 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 1729

  Doug: You complain about Latino representation in city politics, how many RUN for those positions? How many are qualified for those positions?

  Aren't informed about up coming city council meetings? How is that possible? I have no desire to go to any council meting but I still KNOW when they are. If it was important or even if they were mildly curious as to a council meeting they could EASILY discover when they are.

  As an exeriment I just tried to find out when the meetings were. Took less than thirty seconds. I guess it is easier to complain than to actually do something about it.

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• Kevin Paglia posted at 1:58 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 1729

  [offtopic] But still: Hey Simon, I still respect ya. Even if you removed a couple of my past comments [smile]. It's tough being the visible one everyone can point to and blame for their own bad behavior.

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• Simon Birch posted at 1:18 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 121 Staff

  Doug: Anyone on the News-Sentinel staff who signs in and posts a comment will show the "Staff" box below their name. I am not Marty or Rich. My official job title is Internet Services Manager, but I am often called other things, especially by people who comment here. A complete list of News-Sentinel staff along with job titles is available by clicking on the "Staff Directory" link at the bottom of every page.

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• Doug Chaney posted at 12:26 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 388

  Simon Birch, I thought you were the website moderator? Why is staff emphasized in bold lettering in a red box? Are you Marty or Rich?

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• Doug Chaney posted at 12:25 pm on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 388

  Working with many needy and low income residents of east side Lodi, I can assure you that 90% of those residents are completely uninformed how this corrupted little town operates. I see little or no communication between the Lodi city council, management nor any other departments in Lodi. Those minorities who speak a different language aren't even informed of public meetings and issues that affect them or their blighted neighborhoods that were created by the dominant and wealthy in Lodi, who in turn tell the council what they want, not what's good for Lodi as evidenced by the continuing gang, drug and crime problem, not just on the east side, but all areas of Lodi, in my opinion. These "movers and shakers" that dominate Lodi now have over run downtown with their glitzy wine tasting rooms, restaurants and bars with few merchants there to bring shoppers downtown except those who can afford the high prices of those glitzy businesses and restaurants. I hear complaints from some of those who are struggling that they feel they are treated like second class citizens and many still feel if they speak up or get involved to better themselves and their community, they will be deported, as it seems to have always been in Lodi. When will we see district voting so we don't have three dominant councilmen who live in the same area that are responsible for the blighted conditions of east side Lodi, they made sure they abandoned the Eastside Improvement Committee to assure the affluent neighborhoods their constant pandering while once again ignoring the pleas of those minorities who live there, some neighborhoods still not having street lights, while the city and council management build new parks with names like DeBenetti and Katzakian and the Grape Bowl when those funds could be used to rid the eastside of Lodi of the blighted area that keeps getting worse. Where are the Latino and Pakistani representatives going to be given a choice in how and where these constant feel good projects are approved and not in just the affluent parts of town?

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• Simon Birch posted at 10:16 am on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 121 Staff

  Joanne: When a story from one of the news services we pay for, such as The Associated Press, has possible interest to our readers, especially if one of our reporters contributes to the story, we will post it in the news section on the website. We did it earlier this week with a story about General Mills. We were trying to inflame resentment and bigotry toward Cheerios.

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• Joanne Bobin posted at 9:32 am on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 3201

  I find it very interesting that the LNS has put this article (which appeared on the front page of the print edition on Thursday, 2/21) on the website. Very RARELY have articles NOT written by LNS staff appeared under the "News" feature.

  Also, in July of last year, Marty Weybret published a brief article and figures from the 2010 Census reflecting the growth of the Latino population in Lodi and then the "Editor" commented that they would be periodically publishing "interesting" tidbits from the Census regarding Lodi.

  Haven't seen a single further mention of 2010 Census statistics.

  I can only conclude that the publication of these items is meant to inflame resentment and bigotry toward a group, specifically Latinos/Mexicans/Mexican-Americans.

  A very curious local custom.

  Excellent comments, Mr. Chaney.

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• Doug Chaney posted at 6:58 am on Fri, Feb 22, 2013.

  Posts: 388

  When will Lodi ever accept the fact that the growth in the Latino population is also growing here and the lack of not only the Latino but minority representation in this town is very apparent? It seems the opportunities for any minority or poor individual are next to none in Lodi? Isn't there supposed to be some sort of minority balance, especially in police, fire, city council, management, staff, and all of the various boards and their directors, advisory committees or any entity that deals with the public? Why is the city of Lodi still lacking in the hiring of minorities? There was a survey in 2007 in conjunction with, I believe, the Fitch ratings of LEUD, that showed that Lodi was a very bigoted town then and nothing seems to have changed since, seemingly getting worse along with the economy. The east side of Lodi, being mostly either low income, poor or minority residents has become a worse blighted part of town than ever with little or no code enforcement to assure the residents that live in that area, a safe place to live. The local investors, who have purchased many of these east side "estates" for 50K, or even less, after seeing these same "estates" foreclosed for anywhere from 200K-300K+, and then use property management companies to manage them and ask absurd rent/lease agreements with ridiculously high prices for these ill kept residences/multi family units, never improving the east side neighborhoods and assuring the affluent white dominated community a basically segregated area many are rumored to be afraid to even go to the east side of Lodi, especially after dark if you don't fit in with the minorities that live there.

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