Saturday, April 15, 2006

Read the Walzer lawsuit in full

It is amazing reading. A must-see for anyone interested in northeastern Pennsylvania journalism.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's about time someone sticks it to McHugh for his hiring/firing practices - not that Walzer is the idea person to bring charges, since she's guilty of many of the same such crimes (Lane Filler to name one). But it is nice to see McHugh getting what he has LONG deserved.

Anonymous said...

What makes you think he is guilty? Walzer lived by the sword just like he did. Who else has he bounced out of a job?

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 2 is right on both counts. Perhaps the suit, should it actually go to trial, will let the sun shine where it would do the most good.

Anonymous said...

He's guity. He's replaced all VP's except for Kahlau with his cronies. I'm not saying Walzer didn't deserve to be fired - she definitely did (if not for this offense, then for one of her MANY others - using the paper's press to print for her own personal projects (her's daughter's bat mitzvah) comes to mind.

Anonymous #1 I don't understand the Filler reference. Are you saying she only hired him because he's Jewish?

Anonymous said...

Here's the thing: Allison and Pat (and Iseman) are cut from the same bolt. The ends justify the means. The rules don't apply to them. They are accountable to no one. Fuck with them at your peril.

The battlefield is littered with the bodies of many, many, many people who crossed Allison or Pat for the most petty offenses. Allison didn't seem to mind as long as the checks cleared.

But live by the sword, die by the sword, you know? One day Pat woke up and realized he was tired of being Allison's bottom. So he fired her ass, which is his right. Two weeks severance? Cry me a fucking river. If Allison had an ounce of brains she knew that day would come. If Pat had an ounce of brains he would have papered her file for a year and quietly greased the skids rather than bouncing her ass on five minutes' notice.

At the end of the day, I don't buy the argument that Pat McHugh is the big bad guy. Allison had been there 20 years. She predated Pat. She was the leader, she set the tone. If there was a culture of constructive firings and discrimination at the Times Leader, Allison Walzer was the chief instigator.

Anonymous said...

And two more points:

1. If the TL's photographers are deposed, as Lord willing they will be, Allison's lawyers will find that most/all of them were ordered to shoot personal matters for executives, advertising jobs, etc. The TL has always been very willing to bend/break the rules regarding the sanctity of the newsroom.

2. Jolyn Resnick. Remember her? The TL City Hall reporter who went in 12 months from reporter of the year to obit clerk? The Conspiracy Theory Machine always said that the REAL reason she fell from grace was that Boscov's magnate Al Boscov tired of Resnick always hacking on Mayor McGroarty in print and ordered McHugh to have Jolyn bumped off. If you believe Allison's lawsuit, it's entirely believable.

God, the depositions in this case will be worth their weight in gold.

Oh, and Jolyn was Jewish.

Anonymous said...

Where was the journalism ethics story in Sunday's TL? Oh well, maybe they were super busy with the fishing/birthday puff-stuff Saturday.

Can't wait for the non-stop graphics/dom art photos/polls/"investigative" stories from the TL on the suit.

I am thinking Walzer will be the Ore of 2006. Take away the lurid back rub and add in a healthy dose of religous and sex discrimination. Fun!

I bet that starts Monday with an editorial begging McHugh to tell all. (If you don't have time, just take a Sherwood column and replace a few words. It will go something like this: "I think the reades of NEPA need to know why you fired her. You better tell us. If you settle out of court I WANT THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT. I will never give up until I get to the bottom of this issue.)

Oh. Wait.

This story is about the TL. God damnit. We all know the TL is innocent until proven guilty. But they can't (and don't) extend that to any other person/compnay/elected offical. Only OTHER people get A1 spankings before they get a fair trial.

I am willing to bet $5 billion McHugh will not get that trademark TL spanking. I mean, like, he's totally innocent because he is in charge of payroll. Duh.

Anonymous said...

All of this stuff is so fascinating it's making me giddy. The shenanigans at 15 North Main never cease to amaze me.

The sheer irony, of course, is by the time Allison's suit gets finished, the TL might no longer be around to print it.

Anonymous said...

What's up with the Lane Filler post on here? Did he get canned? I thought he moved on to a bigger, better paper. Or something like that.

Anonymous said...

And where was the follow-up court story to Paul N. "Nick" Walser's DUI charge?
And what about all the other DUI cases that have been heard in Central Court over at the Thomas building since Walser's charging by W-B cops?
Or does the TL just talk a big cheesy line when it comes to "celebrity" cases?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Beat-up said...

The sheer irony, of course, is by the time Allison's suit gets finished, the TL might no longer be around to print it.

...

Or if she somehow won and was reinstated as editor of a Times-Shamrock-owned TL.

Anonymous said...

the entire links on the main page are screwed up. I have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to get the rest of your sidebar links.

Dave Ralis said...

You can read my take on it in my Daily Rant.

Anonymous said...

Dave Ralis.....once a dork, always a dork!!!

Anonymous said...

Oh, she got Ralis a wittle cake. Now isn't that cute!