By Sylvia Gurinsky
Until early last week, President Barack Obama had been repeatedly on record as a champion of freedom of the press. That included support of a law that would protect journalists who have confidential sources.
Then, Obama met with his national security team:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/us/01shield.html?_r=3&scp=1&sq=media%20shield&st=cse
Did Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and company drink the same Kool-Aid the Bush Administration did? Sadly, it appears so. And more sadly, it looks like Obama has taken his cup to the punch bowl as well.
Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., is correct: The Senate should approve the bill, Congress should hash out the details in committee as if Obama wasn't backtracking on his support - and the president should be called to question on the record.
A weakened press, in any form, is more dangerous to national security than a million Taliban or Al-Quaida missiles. Congress must pass a strong shield law. And Obama must sign it, not veto it.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
October 2: Two Years To Get Streetlights?
By Sylvia Gurinsky
An excellent report earlier this week on my former haunting grounds, WPLG-Channel 10, called attention to Miami-Dade County's very odd policy on placing streetlights in unincorporated neighborhoods. The process can take up to two years:
http://www.justnews.com/news/21149937/detail.html
How many crimes can happen in a darkened neighborhood in two years?
The county's policy is unacceptable and one of the reasons so many neighborhoods in Dade moved to incorporate during the last two decades.
The next light that goes on should be a lightbulb over the head of county commissioners, who must approve a speeding up of this process.
This is an issue not only of government efficiency, but also - and more importantly - public safety.
An excellent report earlier this week on my former haunting grounds, WPLG-Channel 10, called attention to Miami-Dade County's very odd policy on placing streetlights in unincorporated neighborhoods. The process can take up to two years:
http://www.justnews.com/news/21149937/detail.html
How many crimes can happen in a darkened neighborhood in two years?
The county's policy is unacceptable and one of the reasons so many neighborhoods in Dade moved to incorporate during the last two decades.
The next light that goes on should be a lightbulb over the head of county commissioners, who must approve a speeding up of this process.
This is an issue not only of government efficiency, but also - and more importantly - public safety.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sept. 30: Polanski, Supporters and L.A. Justice System Are All Guilty
By Sylvia Gurinsky
There is no excuse.
Surviving the Holocaust is not an excuse. Having your wife murdered by Charles Manson is not an excuse.
Nothing justifies film director Roman Polanski's rape - and it was a rape - of a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles in 1977. The victim, now 45, has absolved him. That doesn't matter, either. Neither does his ability as a director.
Polanski, who skipped the country in 1978 to avoid sentencing, has to face the music - and justice.
Justice would be nice. The idea the Los Angeles justice system had back then - counting the 43 days he'd served in jail as his sentence - was a joke. Polanski fled because it looked like the judge in the case was coming to his senses and would hand down a harsher penalty.
There may yet be a harsher penalty - much harsher, as a Reuters article states:
http://www.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUSN3023042420090930
On the other hand, many have seen the L.A. system's reputation for incompetence in trying celebrities. So even if he pleaded guilty - which he did - Polanski might still get away with what he did.
Equally guilty are the more than 100 movie-industry people, including Oscar-winning Martin Scorcese, who seem not to believe that child rape is a crime. They signed a letter calling for Polanski's release. Actress Debra Winger, who complained years ago about the treatment of women in her profession, and "The View" cohost Whoopi Goldberg, who is a mother and grandmother, also seem to have had lapses of sanity in this circumstance - particularly Goldberg with her Clintonesque definition of rape.
It's rape, Whoopi. Polanski did it. He must pay.
There is no excuse.
Surviving the Holocaust is not an excuse. Having your wife murdered by Charles Manson is not an excuse.
Nothing justifies film director Roman Polanski's rape - and it was a rape - of a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles in 1977. The victim, now 45, has absolved him. That doesn't matter, either. Neither does his ability as a director.
Polanski, who skipped the country in 1978 to avoid sentencing, has to face the music - and justice.
Justice would be nice. The idea the Los Angeles justice system had back then - counting the 43 days he'd served in jail as his sentence - was a joke. Polanski fled because it looked like the judge in the case was coming to his senses and would hand down a harsher penalty.
There may yet be a harsher penalty - much harsher, as a Reuters article states:
http://www.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUSN3023042420090930
On the other hand, many have seen the L.A. system's reputation for incompetence in trying celebrities. So even if he pleaded guilty - which he did - Polanski might still get away with what he did.
Equally guilty are the more than 100 movie-industry people, including Oscar-winning Martin Scorcese, who seem not to believe that child rape is a crime. They signed a letter calling for Polanski's release. Actress Debra Winger, who complained years ago about the treatment of women in her profession, and "The View" cohost Whoopi Goldberg, who is a mother and grandmother, also seem to have had lapses of sanity in this circumstance - particularly Goldberg with her Clintonesque definition of rape.
It's rape, Whoopi. Polanski did it. He must pay.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sept. 24: Speaking Of Ethics, What About the PSC?
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Last week, a member of the Florida Legislature suggested that the Public Service Commission, which is supposed to oversee the state's utilities, might be in need of its own overseer - the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
At the very least, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has already started, and the Florida Senate will likely start its own investigation into the PSC, which has recently seen too-cozy relationships between some of its employees and, in particular, executives at Florida Power & Light. This as FPL and other state utilities are requesting big rate hikes in a bad economy.
The PSC ignored years of grand jury recommendations about how to clean up its house. This is the result. The investigations are past due - and FPL is past due for similar scrutiny from the state. This public utility and its supposed guardian aren't acting very public.
Last week, a member of the Florida Legislature suggested that the Public Service Commission, which is supposed to oversee the state's utilities, might be in need of its own overseer - the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
At the very least, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has already started, and the Florida Senate will likely start its own investigation into the PSC, which has recently seen too-cozy relationships between some of its employees and, in particular, executives at Florida Power & Light. This as FPL and other state utilities are requesting big rate hikes in a bad economy.
The PSC ignored years of grand jury recommendations about how to clean up its house. This is the result. The investigations are past due - and FPL is past due for similar scrutiny from the state. This public utility and its supposed guardian aren't acting very public.
Sept. 23: Arrest Fallout: Broward Needs Tighter Ethics Enforcement
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Last year, Broward County voters approved the creation of an Ethics Commission. That commission, appointed by county commissioners, is to write a code no later than next March.
None too soon, after today's arrest of Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, Broward School Board member Beverly Gallagher and former Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman on corruption charges.
The South Florida Business Journal has the specific complaints on its Web site:
http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/09/21/daily43.html
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will be busy the next day or so, as he likely suspends Eggelletion and Gallagher. Salesman lost his commission seat earlier this year, as he was going to trial on the assault charge.
Ironically, the county Ethics Commission has one vacancy - the seat that would have been filled by Eggelletion. Whoever replaces him will likely fill it. Crist will make that decision on a temporary commissioner and School Board member as well.
There have been some Broward politicians arrested in recent years - former Sheriff Ken Jenne two years ago, former Commissioner Scott Cowan in 2000, and Salesman on an assault charge in 2007. But the scope of what happened today is staggering.
That's why the Ethics Commission must put together a code that leaves no room for doubt on the rules county commissioners must follow. And the School Board must conduct a similar review of its own standards.
Last year, Broward County voters approved the creation of an Ethics Commission. That commission, appointed by county commissioners, is to write a code no later than next March.
None too soon, after today's arrest of Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, Broward School Board member Beverly Gallagher and former Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman on corruption charges.
The South Florida Business Journal has the specific complaints on its Web site:
http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/09/21/daily43.html
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will be busy the next day or so, as he likely suspends Eggelletion and Gallagher. Salesman lost his commission seat earlier this year, as he was going to trial on the assault charge.
Ironically, the county Ethics Commission has one vacancy - the seat that would have been filled by Eggelletion. Whoever replaces him will likely fill it. Crist will make that decision on a temporary commissioner and School Board member as well.
There have been some Broward politicians arrested in recent years - former Sheriff Ken Jenne two years ago, former Commissioner Scott Cowan in 2000, and Salesman on an assault charge in 2007. But the scope of what happened today is staggering.
That's why the Ethics Commission must put together a code that leaves no room for doubt on the rules county commissioners must follow. And the School Board must conduct a similar review of its own standards.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sept. 22: Could Crisis Generate Civil War In Honduras?
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is back in his home country - sort of.
He's currently holed up in the Brazilian Embassy, which has had power cut off by the Honduran army loyal to Roberto Micheletti, who took over as president when Zelaya was ousted after trying to hijack the country's constitution and get another term as president.
The United States and most countries across the Americas and around the world still recognize Zelaya, actions aside, as the legitimately elected president of the country and are insisting on his return. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias tried to mediate a solution. Many in Honduras are having none of it.
The upcoming presidential election in November is supposed to resolve this. Increasingly, it looks like that won't happen. What seems more likely is the prospect of civil war.
With world leaders in New York and Pennsylvania this week for the United Nations meeting, the Clinton Global Initiative and the G-20 summit, there are a lot of other things on the agenda. But a Honduras in crisis means a country - and a region -more vulnerable to rogue leadership and terrorist groups. This needs a solution, and soon.
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is back in his home country - sort of.
He's currently holed up in the Brazilian Embassy, which has had power cut off by the Honduran army loyal to Roberto Micheletti, who took over as president when Zelaya was ousted after trying to hijack the country's constitution and get another term as president.
The United States and most countries across the Americas and around the world still recognize Zelaya, actions aside, as the legitimately elected president of the country and are insisting on his return. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias tried to mediate a solution. Many in Honduras are having none of it.
The upcoming presidential election in November is supposed to resolve this. Increasingly, it looks like that won't happen. What seems more likely is the prospect of civil war.
With world leaders in New York and Pennsylvania this week for the United Nations meeting, the Clinton Global Initiative and the G-20 summit, there are a lot of other things on the agenda. But a Honduras in crisis means a country - and a region -more vulnerable to rogue leadership and terrorist groups. This needs a solution, and soon.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sept. 21: Emmys Reflect Dying TV Breed
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Were the critics watching the same Emmy Awards I was? Apparently not.
They seemed to like what I found so humorless and tasteless that I switched channels after an hour. Neil Patrick Harris, so good at the Tony Awards, did his best here, but couldn't overcome a downright weird, at best, show.
And now Rob Lowe has the dubious distinction of having been involved in the two worst televised awards shows of all time. At least this time, he didn't have primary responsibility.
But the Emmys perfectly reflected the decline and fall of broadcast television.
Once, in an age before VCRs, it could be a painful decision to choose between two popular series. One could always find something to watch, be it comedy or drama. Characters were relatively functional people - a bit loony, sometimes, but no one you'd be sorry to meet. Heroes were heroes. Villains were villains. Most television characters were kind. There was no in-between. Reality was the nightly newscast.
For a while from the 1960s through the 1990s, television even managed to set standards and break barriers.
It's pretty much been a downhill decline since the late 90s. The majority of this writer's viewing these days is on PBS, and on DVDs of classic television series. Only CBS' Tuesday night lineup and "The Mentalist" (moving to Thursdays) and NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" hold any interest for me on traditional networks. Not even Kelsey Grammer's new show "Hank," which looks like just another variation of his beloved Frasier Crane character.
The most astute comment I heard before I switched the channel last night was Julia Louis-Dreyfus calling this the "last official year of broadcast television."
She may be right.
Were the critics watching the same Emmy Awards I was? Apparently not.
They seemed to like what I found so humorless and tasteless that I switched channels after an hour. Neil Patrick Harris, so good at the Tony Awards, did his best here, but couldn't overcome a downright weird, at best, show.
And now Rob Lowe has the dubious distinction of having been involved in the two worst televised awards shows of all time. At least this time, he didn't have primary responsibility.
But the Emmys perfectly reflected the decline and fall of broadcast television.
Once, in an age before VCRs, it could be a painful decision to choose between two popular series. One could always find something to watch, be it comedy or drama. Characters were relatively functional people - a bit loony, sometimes, but no one you'd be sorry to meet. Heroes were heroes. Villains were villains. Most television characters were kind. There was no in-between. Reality was the nightly newscast.
For a while from the 1960s through the 1990s, television even managed to set standards and break barriers.
It's pretty much been a downhill decline since the late 90s. The majority of this writer's viewing these days is on PBS, and on DVDs of classic television series. Only CBS' Tuesday night lineup and "The Mentalist" (moving to Thursdays) and NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" hold any interest for me on traditional networks. Not even Kelsey Grammer's new show "Hank," which looks like just another variation of his beloved Frasier Crane character.
The most astute comment I heard before I switched the channel last night was Julia Louis-Dreyfus calling this the "last official year of broadcast television."
She may be right.
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