Don't worry about improving image; fix the roads!
Column appeared in Fort McMurray Today April 13, 2006.
Gimme Some Grammar
By MICHAEL HALL
Today staff
The roads are in awful shape.
I'm not blaming this one on Wood Buffalo. Well, not all of it.
The weather in this neck of the woods, the freeze-and-thaw cycles, plays havoc with pavement.
There are streets downtown that resemble roller-coasters right now. One example is Manning Avenue, the road that runs behind the Today building. The portion behind Alberta Motor Products and in front of the Greyhound bus building is one step removed from gravel.
Then there's the section of Franklin Avenue between King Street and Home Hardware. It was ripped up late last year to install new underground pipes for future development. It is literally surfaced with gravel.
I've received several complaints about that section, some from people who moved to Fort McMurray during the winter and didn't know about the project.
I'm assuming the powers-that-be are waiting for freezing to leave the ground or warmer weather before they repave the section. I sure hope it's not a lack of money or crews to do the work.
Roads like this help contribute to a negative image when outside reporters visit. Bad roads like these would not be tolerated for so long in downtown Toronto.
This is another reason why I think the proposed $675,000 publicity campaign by the municpality is a kooky idea. Put the money into pavement, instead.
* * *
I'm surprised businesses in the MacKenzie Industrial Park (just south of Gregoire Park) don't march in front of City Hall with placards.
The streets in that area of town are worse than those in some third-world countries.
While roads that councillors drive over on their way to work are pushed up the priority list, the industrial section of town is getting the short shrift, I believe.
I had a short career as a truck driver many moons ago, and I know it's a rougher ride for someone in a big rig than for someone in a car.
The inevitable rejoinder to my beef? Taxes would have to be raised to pave the roads.
I say you can pave it now, or re-build it later. The latter is way more expensive.
* * *
I'll finish off in a place far, far away from the Jubilee Centre -- Ottawa.
News organizations on Parliament Hill are upset at being shepherded away from the corridors that ministers trod on their way in and out of cabinet meetings. They want to be able to talk to our representatives to get an idea of what's going on.
I have some sympathy for them. Every new administration looks for a way to control the flow of information, so it can be polished and spun before we in the media get our hands on it.
I'll be blunt: not all news is favourable, so our elected representatives -- whoever's in power at the time -- want a chance to get their lies up to speed.
By approaching politicians as they dash from one meeting to another, we've seen that it's possible for them to drift off-message -- to accidentally tell the truth.
Stephen Harper, like Paul Martin, Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney before him, wants his accomplishments recognized and shortcomings buried.
Hence the new controls.
I have sympathy for the reporters being pushed around the Parliament buildings. The corridors do not belong to the politicians; they belong to us. While it's clear some areas should be off-limits for security reasons, these reporters have been vetted and are not a threat. Some areas are no-go because politicians fear they'd be embarrassed. No other reason.
MP Brian Jean, when asked about this issue, first mocked the members of our craft in this paper Tuesday: "Ooh, that must be very trying on them," he said, then challenged reporter Larissa Liepins: "I think your information is inaccurate," and ended with a non sequitur: "I prefer a leader who leads."
Huh?
Brian, you're off-base and wrong. I'll leave your tone for others to judge, but I'm surprised a self-described publisher would react that way.
All that said, this is not an issue that will resonate with the public. Jean's judged that one correctly.
Some people think we're either too close to politicians, don't tell the truth, cover things up or are plain lazy.
All untrue. I can only point to our 31-year record in Fort McMurray. Our integrity plays second fiddle to no one.
Some politicians tell us they keep score on whether the stories we write are positive or negative. We don't do that, but we're aware others do. Today bends over backwards for fairness in deed and even perception. Criticize that, if you must.
But the truth remains paramount. If it leads to negativity, so be it.
If a politician is unhappy about a story or editorial, see the previous paragraph.
In the end, our value to readers is not how we spar with elected officials, but in the truthful information we give them. The process is not the story. The spin is not the story (sorry, P.R. people).
The truth is the story.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today.
Gimme Some Grammar
By MICHAEL HALL
Today staff
The roads are in awful shape.
I'm not blaming this one on Wood Buffalo. Well, not all of it.
The weather in this neck of the woods, the freeze-and-thaw cycles, plays havoc with pavement.
There are streets downtown that resemble roller-coasters right now. One example is Manning Avenue, the road that runs behind the Today building. The portion behind Alberta Motor Products and in front of the Greyhound bus building is one step removed from gravel.
Then there's the section of Franklin Avenue between King Street and Home Hardware. It was ripped up late last year to install new underground pipes for future development. It is literally surfaced with gravel.
I've received several complaints about that section, some from people who moved to Fort McMurray during the winter and didn't know about the project.
I'm assuming the powers-that-be are waiting for freezing to leave the ground or warmer weather before they repave the section. I sure hope it's not a lack of money or crews to do the work.
Roads like this help contribute to a negative image when outside reporters visit. Bad roads like these would not be tolerated for so long in downtown Toronto.
This is another reason why I think the proposed $675,000 publicity campaign by the municpality is a kooky idea. Put the money into pavement, instead.
* * *
I'm surprised businesses in the MacKenzie Industrial Park (just south of Gregoire Park) don't march in front of City Hall with placards.
The streets in that area of town are worse than those in some third-world countries.
While roads that councillors drive over on their way to work are pushed up the priority list, the industrial section of town is getting the short shrift, I believe.
I had a short career as a truck driver many moons ago, and I know it's a rougher ride for someone in a big rig than for someone in a car.
The inevitable rejoinder to my beef? Taxes would have to be raised to pave the roads.
I say you can pave it now, or re-build it later. The latter is way more expensive.
* * *
I'll finish off in a place far, far away from the Jubilee Centre -- Ottawa.
News organizations on Parliament Hill are upset at being shepherded away from the corridors that ministers trod on their way in and out of cabinet meetings. They want to be able to talk to our representatives to get an idea of what's going on.
I have some sympathy for them. Every new administration looks for a way to control the flow of information, so it can be polished and spun before we in the media get our hands on it.
I'll be blunt: not all news is favourable, so our elected representatives -- whoever's in power at the time -- want a chance to get their lies up to speed.
By approaching politicians as they dash from one meeting to another, we've seen that it's possible for them to drift off-message -- to accidentally tell the truth.
Stephen Harper, like Paul Martin, Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney before him, wants his accomplishments recognized and shortcomings buried.
Hence the new controls.
I have sympathy for the reporters being pushed around the Parliament buildings. The corridors do not belong to the politicians; they belong to us. While it's clear some areas should be off-limits for security reasons, these reporters have been vetted and are not a threat. Some areas are no-go because politicians fear they'd be embarrassed. No other reason.
MP Brian Jean, when asked about this issue, first mocked the members of our craft in this paper Tuesday: "Ooh, that must be very trying on them," he said, then challenged reporter Larissa Liepins: "I think your information is inaccurate," and ended with a non sequitur: "I prefer a leader who leads."
Huh?
Brian, you're off-base and wrong. I'll leave your tone for others to judge, but I'm surprised a self-described publisher would react that way.
All that said, this is not an issue that will resonate with the public. Jean's judged that one correctly.
Some people think we're either too close to politicians, don't tell the truth, cover things up or are plain lazy.
All untrue. I can only point to our 31-year record in Fort McMurray. Our integrity plays second fiddle to no one.
Some politicians tell us they keep score on whether the stories we write are positive or negative. We don't do that, but we're aware others do. Today bends over backwards for fairness in deed and even perception. Criticize that, if you must.
But the truth remains paramount. If it leads to negativity, so be it.
If a politician is unhappy about a story or editorial, see the previous paragraph.
In the end, our value to readers is not how we spar with elected officials, but in the truthful information we give them. The process is not the story. The spin is not the story (sorry, P.R. people).
The truth is the story.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today.
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