There are at least two sides to every story
by Jim Moser
(Posted 1/27/2010 02:40 pm)
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Breathe in, breathe out, move on… I have received quite the indoctrination into Karnes County politics over the past couple of weeks. And truth be told, I would have loved the opportunity to “pass.” But that wasn’t an option, so here we are. Everyone wants to have their side of the story heard – as you will see by the number of opinions expressed in today’s paper. And as you read these opinions, you will see that each side of the issue uses words like “honesty,” “integrity,” and “truth.” Words that are the backbone of a credible newspaper, but all too often thrown around with little thought. Everyone feels like they are on the right side, and that there can only be one right side. And when emotions run high and tempers flare, people use whatever means they can to convince others they are right. Sometimes lines are crossed. I would argue that has happened here in Karnes County over the past couple of weeks with regard to the County Judge’s race. And I was contacted by a candidate and his supporters over one of the issues that came up. One of the issues had become pretty personal between this newspaper’s publisher and one of the candidates and his supporters, at least in the eyes of the candidate and his supporters. Fast forward a few days, and this newspaper’s publisher is moving forward in his own endeavor, no longer an employee of The KarnesCountywide. The immediate perception is that I did not back the publisher in the face of a threat, that I dropped him in the grease. Well, now you are going to get my side of the story. It starts in September of 2007, when my small company bought the newspaper from the Bianchi family. From that time until just last week, there was a broadening gap in the operating philosophy of this newspaper between me and Joe. Joe’s separation from this newspaper boils down to one simple core element: the deterioration of the working relationship between Joe Baker and myself over the past couple of years. Was this latest issue at play? Yes. But it had less to do with the substance of the election issue and more about how the issue was handled. And in the end, it was merely the tipping point. In this very edition of the paper there will be varying accounts of this situation. And there will be varying opinions as to where the blame should lay for the dismissal of the paper’s publisher. I urge you to have none of it, because it was my doing and I take the responsibility for not taking time to better understand the issues that kept Joe from being successful within our structure over the past two years. I respect Joe Baker and wish him and his family well. I have spoken with him since this situation has unfolded and now feel at ease with the decision. I am certain that it is in part due to the kind of guy that Joe is and in part due to now knowing that we are both free to move forward in a fashion that we feel best fits this community. I only hope that the candidates and their supporters can move forward in the same manner when a final vote count is taken. In the mean time, we will try to give everyone who wants a chance to express their civil opinion about the situation ... ... whether we agree with it or not. Jim Moser President Moser Community Media
by Jim Moser
(Posted 1/27/2010 02:40 pm)
