More than three days and six hours after Tutty posted that John Blum had pulled his nominating papers, thereby removing himself from the Republican ballot for the Stephenson County board in the fast approaching primary election, the local newspaper, the Journal-Standard, got around to posting a story on their web page.
Tutty will address the John Blum saga with a post tomorrow. Right Tutty thinks the Freeport public deserves an answer on why it took so long to report a fact which could have easily been proven simply by placing a call to the Stephenson County Clerk and Recorder. Her name is Vici Otte and her number is 815-235-8289.
Apparently the kids at the Journal-Standard don't think that it's a news item unless John Blum, or some other official looking character, hands them a press release or shows up with a Rockford TV camera.
Maybe that's why the Journal-Standard, as a source of news and commentary, is falling behind the Stephenson Blumdoggle, Stephenson County's leading blog.
Search "Mill Race Crossing" on You Tube and you will see that Tutty's Mill Race videos have had more views than the Journal-Standard's videos on the same subject. Tutty was surprised... and to think Tutty is only a one ghost show with no corporate backing.
Anyway, back to the Journal-Standard story on Blum pulling his name from the ballot. When the newspaper did finally report it they do so by letting Blum claim that there are "important" and "sensitive" county issues he needs to focus on moreso than politics. What are these issues Journal-Standard? Clearly, if there are "important" and "sensitive" Stephenson County issues out there the public has the right to know what they are, don't they Journal-Standard?
Besides "important" and "sensitive" any issue Stephenson County faces should also be specific. Got that kids, when John Blum tells you he needs to work on "important" and "sensitive" issues, it is your job to say, respectfully, "but Mr. Blum, what specific issues are you referring to...the public wants to know" (Tutty wishes he could take credit for this journalism lesson but it was taught to Tutty by an old ghost named Mike Royko).
And the next question should be, "And why shouldn't any public issue be a political issue...isn't that the way we solve problems and differences in this country, state, county and city...by politics." Why can't John Blum run on these "important" issues...who's bidding is he doing, ours, yours or his?
Somewhere young journalists are being taught that it is acceptable to simply take what local leaders say as fact (even when there are no facts) and reporting that to the public and nothing more...and look at all of the wonderful results.
No wonder this one ghost show is kicking butt. Thanks for reading the Stephenson Blumdoggle, Tutty is truly flattered and will work hard to bring you the content you deserve.
As always, yours in honesty, Tutty Baker tutty.baker@gmail.com
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