Print, online different animals
It is pretty apparent to most of us at the newspaper that the online reader is often very different from the print reader.
The two readers should also understand that the news is displayed in different ways too.
We have come to use poststar.com as the conduit for breaking news whether that is a double fatal car crash or a single DWI arrest. Those stories always receive many more views than the in-depth analysis piece on your taxes.
The reality of running a news Web site in a small-town setting is that the breaking news is often lesser crime stories.
Sometimes Web readers comment that we are sensationalizing a small story. And here is where the news is displayed differently for the two venues. The DWI arrest that shows up on the home page as latest news is often a small brief on the inside pages in the B section in the print product. It is not displayed prominently in print, but may be for a short time with the online version until another news story replaces it.
Often it is simply a matter of what type of news day we are having.
One of the great things about the print product is that weight is given to each and every story by where we play it and the size of the headline. That is not necessarily the case on the Web page where the news is a constant stream rather than ranked by importance.
- Ken Tingley
We have actually heard criticism before that we did not offer specific suggestions for supervisors to cut the budget in Warren County. We actually had many suggestions and in July we put them all in one editorial.
You might want to check it out that editorial below:
EDITORIAL- July 22, 2009
OUR VIEW | Supervisors have ideas; what they need is they need is the will to make cuts
Here”™s a message to the Warren County Board of Supervisors: You”™re on.
During a moment of frustration at last Friday”™s board meeting, some supervisors chafed at The Post-Star”™s criticism of their budget-cutting skills. Particularly, they were upset with a Boo in our Boos & Bravos column criticizing them for proposing voluntary furloughs as a way to cut the budget. The idea had gone over like a lead balloon, and had only saved taxpayers $500 to that point. So we criticized it as a half-hearted attempt to cut the budget without making waves.
That prompted some supervisors to issue a challenge to Post-Star editors. “If you”™re so smart,” they said, “then you come up with ideas to cut the budget.” They asked for five ideas.
No problem. We don”™t even have to come up with new ones. We”™ve been suggesting ways for supervisors to cut the budget for months.
Back in November, for instance, we urged supervisors to take a tough stand on a new contract with the police union. Instead, they implemented an 18 percent pay raise spread out over four years. Now they”™re trying to get concessions from the union on that contract. Good luck unringing that bell.
In another editorial, also in November, we suggested the county stop allowing unrestricted use of county vehicles. We suggested they put the kibosh on overtime. We suggested they examine the social services budget and eliminate all but the most needy citizens from receiving county money. Last month, we suggested the county might be able to dismantle its tourism department and let private businesses that directly benefit from local tourism pick up the slack.
There”™s five right there. Let”™s keep going.
On June 6, we suggested in an editorial a 4 percent across-the-board cut for all county departments. Then in a column the next day, Editor Ken Tingley scrolled through the lengthy county payroll before suggesting that supervisors tell department heads to cut their budgets by 10 percent. If businesses can be forced to make these kinds of drastic cuts, so can government department heads.
On June 7, we said in an editorial that the county could potentially save tens of thousands of dollars a year in future upkeep and repairs by abandoning its failed tourist-train-to-nowhere. The county has poured more than enough taxpayer money down that bottomless pit. Yet they forge ahead.
Earlier this month, we suggested the county seek financial help from Washington and Essex counties to help offset the $17,000 annual cost of sheriff”™s boat patrols on Lake George. The other two counties benefit from the patrols, yet pay nothing toward their cost. Taking it a step further, supervisors could cut the boat patrol altogether, saving the whole $17,000. The state picks up about $50,000 of the cost of the patrols already, and Lake George is the state”™s lake. Let the Lake George Park Commission add staff to its fleet and save Warren County taxpayers the entire expense.
Repeatedly over the years, we”™ve encouraged government officials to examine ways to consolidate services, share workloads within departments, and share redundant duties and equipment with other government entities. Yet it hasn”™t exactly caught fire with the budget-cutters.
Here are a few other ideas that we haven”™t necessarily endorsed, but that they certainly could try.
They could get rid of the Warren County fish hatchery, not a new thought and one they”™ve already apparently rejected. That could save taxpayers more than $100,000. How many counties fund their own fish hatcheries? They could get rid of the county Cooperative Extension, saving half a million dollars. Washington County and the state could pick up any slack. Eliminate the county sheriff”™s road patrols. Are they really cost-effective?
They could raise revenue without raising property taxes by hiking the county sales tax a small percentage. New York City just got approval to raise its tax by half a percent, Ontario County just raised its sales tax by 0.375 percent, and 36 other counties recently got Senate approval to continue their 8 percent sales tax rates. It would be a way to squeeze a few more pennies out of the tourists while leaving the property tax alone.
During a meeting with The Post-Star editorial board in April, Board of Supervisors Chairman Fred Monroe said the county has the means to slash the budget deficit and eliminate a major tax hike. He said it might require laying off 100 to 150 employees and taking other drastic measures, but it could be done.
So we think supervisors are missing the point when they challenge others to come up with ideas for cutting the budget. The supervisors don”™t want just any ideas. They want easy ideas. Non-controversial ideas that won”™t prompt angry phone calls. Ideas that won”™t get county workers mad at them. Ideas that won”™t invite criticism that they”™re undermining public safety or driving away tourists. Ideas that won”™t come back to haunt them when they”™re up for re-election.
If supervisors want to cut the budget, they don”™t need help from us or anyone else.
What they need is courage.
Local editorials represent the opinion of The Post-Star editorial board, which consists of Publisher Rick Emanuel, Editor Ken Tingley, Editorial Page Editor Mark Mahoney and citizen representative Eric Mondschein.
I liked the old website. This new way to comment is not user friendly. Please put back in the most commented piece since that seems to have the most comments vs most read. That is the pulse of the community.