Hello Armando (Public Editor)
Good morning. I read your article this morning in the Bee. So now it is your job to sit in the chair to clarify the Bee's objectives and to spill forth the rhetorical nonsense that has become the standard in ombudsman style journalism. Especially in the Bee.
Some things about you and what you said in your article I felt was worth responding to you and your article:
1: You have 31 years experience since your first job in San Jose.
2: Your first job in the newspaper business started in 1973.
3. And after 31 years of experience in the newspaper business you claim you know how newsrooms work. You know newsrooms strengths and weaknesses. You know what it takes to produce great journalism and even know mediocre work and worse.
Armando, the reason why I mention the above is because my dad had near experiences such as you. Let me describe:
My dad started his career in the grocery business in 1942.
After 31 years of experience he came to Sacramento, in 1973, to promote a profit increasing program which he developed to help struggling firms increase their profits.
After 31 years of experience in the grocery business he knew how a grocery store operated. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of a grocery store operation. And he also knew mediocre work and worse. Put in simple words, my dad knew the grocery business more than any other person ever to walk into a grocery store. Sounds impressive, doesn't it?
Now further in your article you state "We are the stewards of an institution as old and as grand as any valley oak. We have survived and thrived by being relevant to our readers' needs and by being honest brokers of information."
And even further you state "It is a relationship built on integrity, which we must guard vigorously if we are to secure our future. We must practice the highest journalistic standards of ethics if we are to keep our readers' trust. We lose that and we lose everything."
Mr. Acuna, I have a web site called raleysexposed.com. On this site you can hear my dad tell his story about a chain of stores that he saved from bankruptcy back in 1973. A chain of stores that would have come and gone had they not hired my dad during this time period.
Mr. Acuna, I want you to listen to my dad tell his story and then I want you to search your soul and ask yourself one question: Does the Sacramento Bee really have any integrity? Does the Bee employ high journalistic standards of ethics and is the Sacramento Bee really honest brokers of information?
Mr. Acuna, after 31 years of experience, my dad knew the grocery business better than anyone else and when he came to Sacramento in 1973 he ran into "mediocre work and worse", and he also ran into a con man passing himself off as a "Christian."
Have a nice day Mr. Acuna.
Frank
Armando Acuna wrote:
Thanks for your e-mail. I'm not sure what your father's work or the situation you describe has to do with me or The Bee. If you are so opposed to the "rhetorical nonsense" inherent in the work of ombudsmen, why are you writing me?
Regards,
Armando Acuna
Thanks for your response. I don't think you read between the lines in my email to you. I liked your Sunday article and my email to you, so I created a "Sacramento Bee Public Editor" page on my web site and placed your article and my email to you on that page. I liked the numerology aspect of your article pertaining to your life and my dad's life.
There is one thing I would like to bring to your attention concerning your understanding of the "Bee's" ethics. In my dad's fraud court case against Raley's in 1995-96, in Judge Joe Gray's courtroom, Raley's attorney's were waving faxes up in the air that they had received from the Sacramento Bee indicating that my dad was looking for an attorney to represent him in his case.
Why didn't the Bee become honest brokers of information by letting the public know that Raley's was being sued for fraud instead of deceitfully providing information to Raley's attorney's to try and assist Raley's against my dad and keeping his case hushed?
It sure appeared like the Bee had a conflict of interest going on. Don't you believe the public would have been interested in how a local privately owned company by the name of Raley's overcame their financial struggles of the 1970's? How a man with 31 years of retailing experience in 1973 turned their struggling company around so they wouldn't have to close their doors. But I guess the Bee couldn't tell the public the sad part of this great story because it involved how Raley's had to defraud this same man with nine children.
Armando, I understand...
If you are still not sure what my letter to you was all about, raleysexposed.com/sacramento_bee_public_editor
Just because I think you are just passing off "rhetorical nonsense" doesn't mean I shouldn't communicate with you. It's people like me that help keep you in the real world...I just wish I could provide this same service to everybody associated with the Bee.
Frank
