At Long Last... Competition For The Local Media Monopoly!
Today is not only the 200th birthday of the distinguished southern gentlemen, Robert E. Lee... it is also promises to be a day that marks a milestone in Giles County history. Today, I am announcing the launch of an expanded version of this Giles Free Speech Zone... a full fledged online newspaper, which I've named the Giles Rebel.
Please visit the website -- http://www.gilesrebel.com/ -- and read my inaugural comments.
posted by J. Kendrick McPeters | 1:58 AM
84 Comments:
Brilliant.
An online newspaper has already been tested in another community and failed because busineses will not advertise on sites they consider "controversial". So if you and others want to spend money out of your own pocket, it will fly, but if not it will fail. So good luck!
Instead of naming the site "giles regel" how about Grumpy Old Men...
The Giles Rebel is not looking to be controversial only present more complete, fair and balanced reporting.
Anonymous said:
"An online newspaper has already been tested in another community and failed because busineses will not advertise on sites they consider "controversial"
That's a possibility. But, as the old saying goes, "money talks and bulls**** walks." In other words, if I am able to attract a large enough number of eyeballs to my paper, the matter of controversy will probably become moot. If I deliver good value for the money, most other concerns of advertisers will fall by the wayside.
And I see no reason to expect the new paper to be all that controversial. If all that was presented was one side of everything, that would probably be controversial. But I'm going to go out of my way to see that "both sides" always get their chance to plead their case in the court of public opinion... and while that might be novel for a newspaper, I don't think it will lead to any controversy.
Finally, I am aware that earninhg a profit is an iffy proposition. But I have a backup plan, in case that advertising revenue isn't enough--- I will turn the paper over to a nonprofit corporation, and let it operate along the lines of a PBS television station. Donate money, and get a tax wsrite-off. You know the drill, I'm sure.
If that day ever comes, the paper will be renamed "GilesRebel.org" -- and yes, I've already bought the dot org domain name.
Anonymous said:
"how about Grumpy Old Men..."
Well, I'm only 42. Does that qualify me as an old man????
Reporter said:
"The Giles Rebel is not looking to be controversial only present more complete, fair and balanced reporting."
You've hit the nail right on the head. Thanks for your support.
There is already a new online news site www.gilesnews.us.It appears to be a good site.I don't know who is running it but they seem to be trying to do a good job.They have a banner add on each page advertising local businesses which probally pays the bills.I think you have a good idea but how many papers do people have time to read? best of luck though.
Anonymous said:
I don't know who is running it but they seem to be trying to do a good job.
The people running it are the Lakes. It's the same old fishwrapper, now in electronic form. The same bias against free expression -- which could be at least quasi justified when they were having to pay for ink and paper -- still exists in their internet paper. A 650 word length restriction on a letter to the editor? Bandwidth costs less than a dollar per gigabyte, so it makes no sense to restrict people's expression to an arbitrary 650 word limitation.
And the forum, with its "you must identify yourself and the editor must approve your post," is likewise a joke. If the Lakes had been running things 220 years ago, they wouldn't have published the (anonomously written) "Federalist Papers." And their Scrooge-like "squeeze every nickel out of the public" attitude towards, say, obituaries, is simply an embarrassment.
I could go on, but it's not my place to give the Lakes advice on how to run their online paper. Instead, I'll simply give them some competition, and show them, by example, "the right way" of doing things.
They have a banner add on each page advertising local businesses which probally pays the bills.
Actually, all those banners, except for one, are advertising Lake businesses. So, those "house ads" aren't bring in any revenue. The banner ad that is non-Lake (Jones Home Furnishings) is, IMHO, unlikely to be paying the claimed $700/wk that banners cost at that paper. Why am I skeptical? Because the ad industry generally pays about 1/10 cent "per impression" for plain vanilla banners. To be worth $700, that banner would have to be seen 700,000 times, and that is unlikely in the extreme, for a small town startup.
I think you have a good idea but how many papers do people have time to read?
There used to be room for two distinct papers in Giles County. I think there still is, but only time will tell.
best of luck though.
Thanks.
Kendrick, You are much older than your years.
To Anonymous on Jan 19. How about going back through our fine school system and learn how to spell rebel.
We DO have a fine school system here in spite of the poisonous remarks made by the wannabes.
9-23
Can anyone believe taking $1.4 million out of savings (reserves) to pay for the difference between revenue (sales) and expenditures (the cost of making those sales - 2006-7) is anything but negligence?
To all the wallowbees: gather your budget variations, tax increase demands, and the state audit reports for the years 2003-4 through 2006-7 (this year). I told you there was fraud in the 2004-5 tax increase - deception in a property tax increase designed to generate roughly two times more revenue than disclosed in the official school request documentation. That has come to pass! I told you that revenues were falsified in 2005-6 and 2006-7 with intent to deceive the taxpayers and council persons to generate huge sums of money otherwise not obtainable. In each case that came to pass almost immediately after tax increase demands were rejected. That fits any definition of fraud. You said you had to have money for teachers, but teachers received less than any other category except those who needed it most. I said that increasing spending by 27.9% over that 3 year period is irresponsible - almost 3 times the inflation rate! You argue that not totally draining reserves is prudent. You say you have reduced (cut) spending! Add your numbers up & where they went. Why not sit down in a "board meeting" and present the lies, distortion, and conspiracy you folks claim! I have your numbers, do you?
This isn't really a quarrel with the state audit other than the fact that they do not provide year to year or management analysis - that isn't necessarily the purpose of a their type of audit. They do provide pertinent data that is not properly provided by the school system to the commission, with funding increase requests. The budget the auditor sees isn't the budgets that were presented to the commission for huge tax rate increases. In other words the huge requisitions for money from the taxpayers were not reviewed for consistency or disclosure because ... (why?) The repetitive actions of those creating the documents leave a clear path and pattern of deception involving millions of dollars! My comments strictly relate to a very small area governing the school system with possible affect within the county commission; not, the many working within the system or in any other area of county government.
don m
I think I want to PUKE on Don M....
Mr. Don,
You have a very keen mind and are very astute with numbers. I think the reason people become upset with you is because we do not understand half of what you write-and after we have read it we feel we have wasted our time. Could you please write in plain english. You would get your point across and people would be able to understand what you have to say-and you just might be able to make a difference!
There is a reason you cant read half of what he writes. It is the rantings and ravings of someone who uses numbers, audits, budgets to make whatever point it is he wants to make. It is mainly non-sense. He does not know "plain English" he is too busy trying to impress all of you with his creative accounting.
Ole Hickory
Ole Hickory
You are so right. That is PRECISELY what I have been trying to point out to some of the wannabes on here. They try to impress us with their intelligence and assume we don't have sense enough to come in out of the rain. They cloak their real agenda in a concern for the welfare of Giles Countians while, in reality, they just want to run things. Pitiful indeed!
Please explain what you can’t understand.
1-24
As the noose tightens, the legs & arms flail & the tongue starts wagging'. Is there anyone you don't hate (me, Bubba, old folks, property owners, freedom fighters, anyone who can add, Christians (God hates deceit!), etc. That leaves about a handful of you vs. the whole world.
You claim an inability to figure out that raising spending from $22,396,776 in 2003-4 to $28,641,021 in 2006-7 is a $6,244,245 is a huge increase, not a decrease, nor a cut in spending. If you're afraid enough to puke, you'll load your pants before it's over. You can hide here, but I'm sure that which makes the finger twitch on the keyboard likewise makes the lips flap when you are around people.
About all that's revealed in your messages are statements that you can't add & subtract or figure out that more 'ain't less! You say you are stupid! You are not! Evil is the word. Your love is hate. How in the world could you become spokespersons in charge of education? I would think that spending almost $600,000 a year pscyhopodidalry would have better results. (gonna' leap on that one?) Maybe you can get a transfer to Translyvania?? We need a rest.
don m
9-25
Woke up this AM & flipped on the TV & there was an old man reading from the Bible. While trying to wake up, I was reflecting on why anyone would fight evil when it's easy to walk the other way. The numbers we are fighting come directly from Mr. Jackson, the school board, and are well known by those few cool aid drinkers who condemn and vilify any who dare speak those same numbers as truth. If you created the numbers and results they convey, you are a witness to them. Without question by anyone so noted, the results and numbers are bad. You deny your numbers, claim good results, claim wisdom, yet claim inability to understand that which you do. You crow about success in spending money, yet endlessly beg and connive to take more money from the mouths of citizens who have none. Your condemnation of me is a compliment because I truly want to be the opposite of what you stand for.
Back to the point - As I was thinking about all your false witness, something short circuited my thought train & redirected it to the old preacher who was reading from Jeremiah. The message hit on words directly from Jeremiah 25-27. If I ever read them or heard them before, I have no recollection. I am not a Biblical scholar. I think someone wanted to send a message. It sure got my attention. So, if the urge to puke is overwhelming or you can't sleep because of what you do, don't blame me. Don't blame the devil either - he sure didn't make me do it. What the preacher said after that had a whole lot to do with the substance of what our little group of people running the school system are doing. If you aren't stopping it, then you are following the lead. Aside from God & country, deception is contaminating the little red school house and those who try to make it work. That's worth fighting! There is a difference between a wannabe and a stoppit!
Don m
As Ronald Wilson Reagan so eloquently said, "There you go again" don. You speak of hate. Who is it that is so bitter about things? I'm not angry because I can't be in charge or because I wasn't elected to some office. I'm not even angry that some of those I voted for didn't make it. Just wanted to clarify your misunderstandings.
I am very glad to read of your newspaper and I feel it should do very well.I urge you stay focused on your goal of reporting both sides of an issue.
I feel very strongly that each person who responds in your "comment" section should be required to sign their name. Many people who sign in anonymously tend to write slanderous,derogatory
remarks and they might not feel as free to do this if they had to identify themselves.
Maybe they would think first and actually add intelligent and helpful conversation.
Ann, I agree with you 100%.
Mr. McPeters doesn't see the absolute need for anyone who posts on this blog to reveal his or her name. Why should you? Some people simply can't afford to reveal their identity. It has nothing to do with cowardice.
If you have no ties to anyone who works for the county or you yourself do not work for the county than you are pretty safe posting under your real name. But if you have the slightest ties at all beware of what may come to be!!
My reasons of support for signing names is this, it would stop the people in power from making their comments and snide remarks about any person that has a disagreement with them. It would eliminate the calls for investigations to which we all know why these posts are so important to them. They can’t stand the thought of the general public knowing of their wrong doings and lies.
Those of you that think signing would help are Wrong.
Speaking as one that has worked for the County, I can assure you those in Power are underhanded.
They would simply "pay someone to post what they have to say" as they often do in Elections and on the job so they are not revealed as the one that is behind everything.
The ones' you need to be aware of at the present time are: County Mayor and eight of the commmissioners.
The impotent whiners (powerless) continue to claim that Giles County elected officials are crooked and evil. Well, what do they do that is so wrong as compared to neighboring counties? The rampant and endless whining here is almost embarrassing. Get over the impotence and try to be a team player instead of a naysayer! And I have NO ties to anyone in office.
I have a question to all of you who say leave the officails alone and just let them do their job, If you had a child and you gave them $200.00 to buy let's just say a class ring, and they went out and spent it on something else-would you give them another $200.00 without any questions at all so they could buy their class ring?
If you said no, well that is exactly what the taxpayers are doing here in Giles County-and we just keep giving and giving and then the few who do decide to ask questions are basiclly told to be quiet, and can't speak openly for fear of what others will do to them or family members.
If you said yes, you probably work for the county government that helps decide where and when money is spent and how to get more.
On the contrary, those without power and so jealously wanting it are the ones making the snide remarks.
Excuse me, but I have no desire to seek a political office of any kind. I do know what I am talking about with the lies and underhanded ways.
I don't beleive the post here are saying "all elected officals are evil and crooked"!
They are pointing out those thay KNOW are evil and crooked!
The reader needs to digest that!
If you do not beleive the statement,do your own investigation in to the matter, by means of public records and public meeting.
If you have any problems obtaining the public records easily, that should settle the matter and if you do obtain the records, Read them carefully.
You will never convince the problem that there is no problem. This idiot is from another plant, found green pasture, & wants to eat our lunch.
Let's see, If someone is stealing your car, stop them. give them your credit card & tell them to be sure & fill-er up. It's a power freak from Mongol.
You will never convince the problem that there is no problem. This idiot is from another plant, found green pasture, & wants to eat our lunch.
Let's see, If someone is stealing your car, stop them. give them your credit card & tell them to be sure & fill-er up. It's a power freak from Mongol or is it Him's Highness from Uranus.
Excuse me, but it's fairly obvious that the vast majority of the whiners (and there are only a few)are those who either didn't get elected to an office or whose candidates didn't win. The Lord truly works in mysterious ways, doesn't He?
to whinnie the foo, So does Satan
Like I said, I have NEVER run for an office but I was asked by a Parker family member to support Janet in her campaign. During this time I kept getting negative information about her and her ability to be honest. I decided to look into her pass beyond the occasional community church meetings she attended which I belonged also. I spoke with commissioners, employees, people at the Senior center and NHC where she worked years earlier. I attended some community supported meeting for her during the campaign, the Bean Supper at the park and decide I couldn’t vote for her or support her anymore. I did not vote this pass election.
May I suggest you do the same research I did and attend some of the meetings and get to know what goes on, the people involved and you will learn a lot. Not pretty.
You might stop shouting the word whiners on this blog and there is more than a FEW of us, however maybe just a few willing to put their names out there.
Looks like you have done plenty enough research for the both of us. Who appointed you the private eye who would go around talking to her employees, people at the senior center, etc.? Would you appreciate someone asking questions about you behind your back? And you wonder why Mrs. Vanzant doesn't want anything to do with those who do?
Anonymous of January 28, 11:11 am wasn't trying to be a "private eye" only attempting to make the best decision on their vote.
To Vanzant's supporters, tell us why a woman who "dont live with her husband" (separated) wont go to work cause she has to be at the hospital while husband has tests?
WHY is it any of YOUR business who Mrs. Vanzant lives with??? Please answer that for me. WHY is it your job to go about digging up things that don't concern you or me? When did it become your business to inquire into someone's private life?
For God's sakes, give it a rest. The election was over last August. I'm sorry you and the "griping few" aren't satisfied with the results.
If a public officials says one thing and than does another(which most people would call that a lie) than it is the publics business. FYI when a private citizen becomes a public officals they no longer have a private life-that may not be right but that is just the way it is. Officials are suppose to be role models for everyone else and when they do or say something questionalbe it breaks the trust in those who believed in them. With that said I understand that Mrs. Vanzant made the statement during her campaign that she was a single mother-this is an untrue statement she is very much married, as a matter of fact her husband hangs around the courthouse.
If you recall several years ago Mr. Bill Clinton did something in his personal life that got him impeached-like I said before PUBLIC OFFICIAL = LOSS OF PRIVATE LIFE.
January 28, 3:39:42 PM, I had every right to ask questions about a person I was asking the public to support. My parents always said, if you hang around with people doing wrong then people will always believe you are doing wrong too. I confronted Vanzant about the things that concerned me and her answers were not truthful and I could no longer support her or vote for her. I have NOT written any of the information I learned on this blog or spoken publicly about it, only to Vanzant”s face and to the family member that asked me to help. You have it backwards; I was the one that chose not to have anything to do with her.
Janet Vanzant supporters are like Alabama football fans!
smokie
Would that be...can't see the truth?
Will you video the commission meeting and have them available online? I think it would cut out a lot of he said, she said.
But...what is your group's ultimate plan or goal?
to drown idiots with truth
Thanks Mr. Barrett for the response and I am delighted your are making an effort to provide the meetings online.
Namecalling is so unbecoming of your little group. Face it; you don't have power! You ought to get over it and try in positive ways to better our county. Ever thought of that?
Well everyone had better be prepared to be at the next meeting Feb 8, it is my understanding Tee Jackson is getting a big raise and an extrension until 2012.
Listen to the last full commission meeting by going to GilesNews.us Click on Government, then give it time to download. Enjoy!
bubbles keeps gurrggllin about power & how good bad can be
The out-of-power wannabes are doing the gurgling...can't you hear them?
Bubbles is upside down & don't know which side is up - can't hear cause he's got water on the brain.
Riddler..
Why are you so angry? Have you ever really looked introspectively at the real source of your discomfort?
School board meeting time change. February 8, Thursday, 6:30 pm. The agenda is about school board annex, his pay raise, his contract (an new one already), and his evaluation.
I would suggest that you folks who attend that meeting go there with a determination not to show out and cause trouble. That is why I don't go to those meetings anymore. However, that doesn't mean I am ignorant and uninformed.
When you take into account what T Jackson did to the teachers and other school employees over their recent raise, the many violations of the audit, etc it will be interesting to see what the school board members do with the evaluation and raise. If they are responsible the review should not be the usual "excellent" and should not justify a raise. He automatically gets a 3% anyway written into original contract. This would be a good time for voters to see how your school board member represents you and keep it in mind for the next election.
deceit is where de bull sitter sits!
Done lick de bull sitter wit de bull in de china shop. Too many bulls, bull sitters everywhere smell lick bull sitin in de pull pit
Oh Riddler, will you ever stop with all the hate-mongering? You are worse than clinton and gore with that. It will only give you an ulcer.
Oh that our country was back where it was with Clinton and Gore!!! Shows what a moron you are.
Clinton and gore. Surely you jest. Carter was the worst til clinton came along to dethrone him. Laughable.
Laughable is George W. Bush. Now that is rib cracking hilarous. But you go on and fill your tank up and fill his pockets up and feel good about it. You go to the doctor while millions are unable to go to the doctor or buy their medicine. You need to go to the library and read some history. Too many people on this blog write crap they believe but have nothing to back it up. You hate the people, like Mr. Barrett, who have evidence and facts. You call them arrogant. What you got to support what you say? Nothing but crapola in your breakfast bowl!
Wow - both right but miles apart - Who could be worse that Clinton & Gore - Of course, Bush! What was started has climbed to a new level of insanity.
Our Country has been invaded & captured by a hord of peasants too weak & lazy to clean up their own country. Holding us as ransom to pay their medical & social bills - doping up our people, imposing their language & culture. About to create a Mexican corridor straight through the US. much more
Sent what was left of out industrial might to China - no decent jobs left here. Unimaginable debt to China. Mil;itary & industrial technology & secrets to China on & on
Who Who Who - Clinton Gore, the Bushes, Frist, Alexander, Kennedy's, democrats, & many republicans & the might of the 3 man media. We have some good ones out there, but they are being run over.
The reason all of these things are happening is because people are taking God out of everything. This county was founded on christian values(God, and the Bible)which is what made it so great. Now everyone wants to push him aside and He is going to let it happen so we can see what it is like to be out of his will! Just wait, things are gonna get worse.
more common & practical sense - maybe it will grow - lots of good people here!
Can anyone identify the woman speaking in this property meeting?
I figure it was Connie Howell. Sounded like Connie Howell.
Im Said: 02-06-2007
The people are taking God out of everything.
Wrong!
The government officals the people elected (Congress) are taking God out of everything!
The people need to know who they are and what they are before voting them in office.
The local problems here are due to the same reason.
Look at your County Mayor. Do you need any more examples?
If people will read here maybe they will have enough guts to ask for her to resign or oust her.
Then start on your school board and after that your commissioners.
They were elected to do the GOOD for the public, nothing short of that!
ole smokie
Ole Smokie
I appreciate your postings. Please keep at it.
Also liked reading postings by "Ole Hickory". Hope that person is still reading and will post again.
Smoke - I think both of you are right - you especially on the government taking God out of our lives. On the other side, spin came to be a way of life, cool & expected - to the point where just about anything said has little true meaning. - gotta fight for it - you & im both. we have some really good people in government, they're bein runover gotta help them & make life miserable for the bad ones
More times than not if you vote for a christian to get into office once they get in there they change, but yes we the people do not stand up for what we believe in enough, so ultimately it is the peoples fault. Congress is for the people by the people-but when the people do things we don't like, what do we do? We are too afraid of what we might lose, myself included, that is why I do not sign my name. So most of us just sit back talk and let it happen, saying it doesn't matter what we do we can't change anything-but in all actuallity if we would follow Mr. Barrett's example we might be able to change things. Look at what Mr. Barrett does and the flack he gets for it, how many others of us are willing to do it? I applaud him for his will to fight for what is right!
I agree all elected officials are elected to do the will of the people and to do what is best for us, instead most have turned it around to do what is most beneficial for themselves.
As a tax payer, each of us have the power to vote these people out.
The problem is many voters' only get one side of the story.
It is up to those of us that know different to keep speaking up and make the facts known to them.
The Senior Citizen had a big hand in getting Mrs. Vanzant elected and still think they did a good deed by putting her into office.
I would wish that any of you that know the truth would start letting any of that group know, because without their support she can not last!!!
No one is against her because she is a woman as she has claimed. Quite the opposite! We are against her because of her actions in office. Just look at the elected officials that are women, then ask yourself how many of them have voters asking question about them?
NONE, because they know what they are doing and don't try to screw over anyone. Not county workers, not the tax payers, no one!
Maybe Mr. Barretts' actions will get the Senior Citizen to thinking and investigating what she has done for a change.
I appreciate what he had done to make people aware of some of the low down things going on with a select few, Elected Officials.
ole smokie
I think someone "exposed" his rear end at last night's meeting. So predictable, however.
He truly did. What a sad commentary.
I missed the meeting, give me more information as the the exposure.
Just ask anyone who was there. The "exposure" was obvious.
Why ask anybody the promise has been made to post the vedio as soon as the police get finished with it that way you can see for yourself.
as for the exposure you're right Barret
gave Jackson plenty opportunity to apologize or give proof of his false statement when Jackson refused to do either Barret exposed him as an out and out liar. Nothing surprising about that to anybody who's been watching Jackson.
Why does the police have the video?
Can't help saying, A wonderful show -Thanks to TJ & his faithful bumbling companions - Almost as good as the silent flick "trainwreck". The director should get an Oscar for the film. Jackson got 4 years, but isn't where he belongs.
So hilarious how those not aligned with the malcontents are characterized as bumbling idiots. Has that not gotten a bit old by now?
he who plays in web of deceit
to be mighty high rider
find he be the meat
of the spider
Angry man who pokes man in rib
and will not be budged
defending the fib
will be judged
Riddler....
You are good. If you have a job, why not consider a career change as has been previously suggested? I'm thinking along the lines of stand-up comic or soothsayer. What do you think?
What has happened to the paper??? We need it - was a good idea. What's needed/?
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