The writer sent this message to the Pantagraph strictly to make a point. He knows it will never be printed. Since it won’t be, he sent it to me so all of you can see it. You are actually reading it before the recipient, he got an automated “Out of Office” message until 5/2.
From: Dan Shickle
To: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2016 11:15 AM
Subject: Pantagraph
To: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2016 11:15 AM
Subject: Pantagraph
As a former long time subscriber and a life long member of the community of Bloomington-Normal am have found it disturbing that what once was a great newspaper has become a source of discouragement to me.
There is only two reasons I consider reading the Pantagraph, one is the local Obituaries and the other the grocery sales adds. The news articles are so slanted, and do not report the news fairly. The feature articles are almost always opposite of my Spiritual and moral values or they feature some faraway place that I have no desire to read about.
I consistently receive telephone calls want to offer me a special trial subscription, even though I have consistently said that I am not interested. The last time I had a subscription we ended up calling the Pantagraph because we had not received a newspaper that day. That is unacceptable and I nor my wife desire to be annoyed weekly by this inept delivery system.
With the use of internet becoming more prevalent, I mistakenly made the decision to give the Pantagraph my email address and now multiply emails per day are delivered to my email account with worthless “information”, many of which only a subscription will allow seeing beyond the “tease” provided in the email.
Local Governments in Bloomington and Normal has become a farce! They are disconnected from the taxpaying members of this community and the will of the people. They assume to be elite and more intelligent than those that elect them and proceed with projects which only cost additional jobs for the local governments and increase the local taxes of each and every household in Bloomington-Normal, yet the simple service of street maintenance is ignored for these grandeur projects. The Pantagraph appears to support these local government officials in that it appears to me that the City and Town hand out press releases and no objective reporting is ever done to assure that the press releases are actually factual. I remember when Dave Haake challenged ISU and other local government units with investigative reporting, but that seems to be a thing of the past with the Pantagraph.
Dan Shickle
Normal, IL 61761
Great letter Dan!! You have one line that catches the eye and tires of citizens- “simple service of street maintenance”. But you have to look at things from an ivory tower to see the “Tari view” People want to come here, build it and they will come, we NEED a downtown hotel, etc, or to use an oft quoted line “All roads lead to Rome” But if the roads are so bad that people don’t wish to, or cannot travel on them, they’ll stay home. Anyone have a FAVORITE pothole? I’d say the ones on Fairway by the furniture store and Rt 9 could hold a couple of pots!
Dan should really have someone edit his writing before he submits it. This piece is a rambling mess, both rhetorically and grammatically. He should be embarrassed that it’s been publicly disseminated.
Looks like you are along in that thought.
I would take this over Terry White’s diatribe. At least Dan used good examples and resisted the urge to sound like a dime-a-dozen Conservative.
Those of us with an open mind really don’t care about grammar. Grow up!
You should. More people will listen to you.
Great letter. I used to love reading the Pantagraph. But now, especially when they include a story on local govt., the story tells the reader what happened….includes a quote or two….then concludes.
That’s not journalism. That’s a press release.
I blame the reporters for not asking tough, well thought out questions based on the public’s need and right to know.
I blame Journalism schools too – the left has conditioned students to be news readers in TV and press release publishers in print.
I blame whoever it is that has the final say. Otherwise the writer is probably unemployed. Then since most of these writers don’t have what it takes (either mentally or physically) to find another job to make a living, they’ll bow to their masters and submit the crap that is required to keep putting bread on their table.
well done and I agree with him 100%. We too have had missed deliveries and when calling have been told that they would just take it off our bill and we’d have to go buy one because you have to call within a certain time or they won’t deliver it. I too am concerned about our city fathers. I feel Bloomington is following the pattern of Springfield government and the federal government. get the money and choose what to do with it pending on the council’s Wishes. where are the lawyers in Bloomington when are City needs them. so we have to go out of the city limits to find a lawyer.!!!!! local lawyers are good enough to pay taxes but not good enough to work for Our city.
This is a good letter. I have seen similar letters get printed but I can’t recall how much of them mentioned Pantagraph and objectivity. I have seen ones defending the sanctity of traditional marriage and challenging city spending. I wouldn’t be too sure this one gets rejected.
What a childish whine ass. 1 missed paper? What time frame? Know any business or person who doesn’t make s mistake?
Keep your spiritual self to yourself. This is a PUBLIC newspaper.
Man use the damn internet and pay nothing.
Another whining right winger who knows he is so far in the minority he will never see daylight.
Regards
Tom
Sent from my iPhone
>
Thanks for the comedy!
I see “Tom” and I move on to the next comment. I don’t read any of that babble anymore. It’s a complete waste of my time.
Hey Tom, the Pantagraph now charges for internet access–no free lunches in B/N–the Mayor has made his proclamation.
The letter writer is correct in his assessment of the tax-happy local government. Existing taxes and fees have increased dramatically in the past 3 years and new ones added to keep up with the excess spending. Now, in addition to the deplorable condition of the roadways in B/N, the recent sales tax increase is being spent on more buses but bus routes are being removed so fewer residents will have access to public transportation–specifically low income families who rely on that mode of transport. This is being done in the name of economic development without concern how it affects the citizens. The Mayors and Councils are not in touch with most of the citizens or just don’t care.
Diane,
I almost beg you to block “Tom” from posting. Think many of us conservatives feel pretty beaten down right now, and having to listen to his vile attacks in a forum that we find comforting and friendly is very unsettling. He adds absolutely nothing to the discussion, and other than putting on full display what horrid and despicable people most Leftists are, his posts are just long distance insults.
Need a safe place? Oh right that’s only immature college students that need that.
Start looking at yourself when you complain about “vile” attacks. You guys whine so much about the Pantagraph but we don’t know how many posts Dianne blocks. Or better yet, move the site to member only with a password. Then you all can sit around the campfire and sing about how you want limited government or Sarah Palin
–Signed your friendly Centrist and Conservative BS monitor
lulz….”Centrist”
I say let Tom post. He is entitled to his opinion. We can laugh or get annoyed and challenge him. It seems to me he sometimes is baiting the readers of this site with his acusitory statements that are not supported with referenced facts.
Since I don’t see any context before I hit approve, most of the time I don’t know who or what he is talking about. I will leave him in your capable hands.
It’s HIS right to freedom of speech, it’s up to YOU whether you think it’s worthy of being republished on a bathroom wall or not. Heck, he MAY live in the middle of the MOJAVE desert with the chuckwallas and stars, so the poor fellow is bored and only gets 3 bars twice a day. Otherwise he gets his say, and we get comedy of errors. Besides, he SAYS he’s a liberal, he maybe be a full BLOWN card carrying communist or anarchist. Not much to set him straight in the desert! And IF some guy named TOM in the middle of the desert annoys you, then WHAT does TARI do to your dander? I’d STILL like to see a “pothole schedule” and when they are going to get filled. which is like a band aid on a “gut shot wound” It’ll stop the bleeding, but NOT the pain or the impending death.
Personally I think there should be some disposal fee tacked onto the Pantagraph based on it’s weight. My mother gets home delivery and quite a few missed deliveries too. On Sunday I swear the number of ad inserts out weigh the Pantagraph newspaper. What a waste to see this going to some landfill taking up space. I know they don’t allow landscape waste to be picked up and they should do the same for the Pantagraph. Nasty filthy print ink and chemicals going into the ground.
I myself don’t see anything in that newspaper worth reading or even paying for. About half of it you can find on the internet from the AP, Reuters, etc. What they do print is outdated anyhow.
If I could get my mother to use Kindle or something similar that subscription would be gone. A subscription isn’t cheap too. I know my brother dropped his because of missed deliveries.
I suspect the Pantagraph finds it difficult to find people to deliver the newspaper especially for the rural areas. It probably pays nearly nothing not to mention the expense of having an automobile to deliver it with. I don’t know how many different ones I have seen delivering my mothers newspaper.
The letter from Dan is spot on. I certainly have to agree with the street conditions. Quite pathetic if you ask me considering what people are handing over to city hall to support this city.
Once you point out to Tyranny Tari the disposal fee as a good idea for another tax, I’m sure he’ll consider it.
The disposal fee for the Pantagraph already exists as part of the solid waste fees found on your water bill. Those fees will be increasing in the very near future.
Well skunk that doesn’t mean that Tyrant Tari won’t tax it again.