Eric Turowski
GM, CEO Alameda Sun

Either take the high road or admit you are down and dirty with the rest of us. Or you can continue to act all high and mighty and threaten a lawsuit every time somebody says your paper sucks while at the same time telling other critics to “shut up”.

The same for the paper’s coverage. If your reporter was really seriously assaulted, by all means it warrants legal action, but how about at least attempting to show some journalistic restraint to balance that out by not leading with editorials and little aids on the front page about getting one’s signature removed from the petition? If you have the moral high ground why compromise it with all the chest beating? If you press changes on anything less than a serious incident then you will look even more lame.

I’ve not met anybody at the Sun other than Julia nor have I met Lucinda Ryan, but it was under Lucinda’s editorial reign when the Journal really seemed a most outrageous tool of City Hall. I hope Lucinda doesn’t sue me for saying that. Remember when she tried to do away with hyperbole by editing “megaplex” from letters? I think the Sun has taken a similar turn in the other direction with it’s heavy handed writing.

I think most folks in town respected the launch of the Sun as an earnest effort at being a viable home grown alternative. It began to slip slowly, but lately the paper has really gone on the skids.

Eric Turowski
CEO, GM
Alameda Sun

So how should I proceed here? The reference to the density bonus is on pg. 16 of the Community Plan, and there’s no question that the bonus will apply (by state law, with or without the city’s own ordinance), so here’s what I’d like to do:

* Ask Pat Keliher whether SunCal is planning to use the density bonus, and how many more units of housing they might be hoping to build;

* Ask city staff what they think SunCal is likely to do;

* Ask the Mayor whether she thinks SunCal should build more than 4800 units, and whether the process is really so “transparent” as she claims.

What else should I ask Jeff? Any suggestions? Thanks!!

Anyway, a few points:

JKW’s comment equates the news article with the editorial, when obviously, opinion in the context of the editorial or the letters is perfectly legitimate. JKW writes an opinion blog, so he can say whatever he wants — but when someone who is a journalist concurs with the blog’s statements, it seems to legitimize those opinions. I think people objecting to the Sun’s coverage are probably unhappy with the article AND the editorial AND the letters, but they can’t say that flat out, so they’re jumping on the article instead.

I also think it’s obnoxious to claim that signature gatherers are free to say whatever they wish in promoting a petition — and that it tends to discredit SunCal and anyone who supports this process.

SunCal could have better controlled the signature process (thru its manager) while still carrying on a political campaign by any of these steps:
* Provide the signature gatherers with pre-printed signs and forbid them to use personal signs.
* Provide them with a list of approved statements and tell them to stick to it.
* Make clear to them on no uncertain terms that they must not harass or follow anyone.

Being followed is not that “amusing”, incidentally — I was followed and harassed at length by a signature gatherer who was absolutely desperate to make money — so he told me. Having to literally run away from someone like this is not good, and should not happen under any circumstances, period.

The reality is, people do this work to make money and it’s very predictable that some rules have to be made clear up front — and SunCal can’t even get this right?