Lamar Paris and the Union Sentinel

[shortcircuit]

I was sitting at a local restaurant today where a group of folks got into a conversation about local politics and heard something new. Supposedly Liemar got so pissed at the Sentinel when J.B. printed all the stories about him that he totally cut them off from county government, and the only way that they can get information about county meetings, etc. is by filing a freedom of information request through the court. He did this with the hope of putting them out of business. I haven't been reading the sentinel regularly lately but this makes me want to go out and buy a bunch of them every week just to help keep them going. If this is true I'll bet that the balding eagle at the NGN had something to do with it!

[sometimeman]

I'm Glad for "Blairsville City" Knowledge is power

[manape]

Shortcircuit said....

He did this with the hope of putting them out of business.

Shortcircuit, I don't think you can buy enough newspapers to make up for the circulation that the Sentinel lost due to poor management.

The Sentinel is putting themselves out of business and J.B. contributed. Filing a freedom of information request through the court sounds like the usual whacky stuff you hear. Just as J.B. got his information through open records no one can stop the Sentinel from requesting open records.

I have no doubt that Lamar hates the Sentinel and J.B. It is no big secret that he doesn't like Sonny. Norm hates nutty J.B. It is all old news.

Yes, knowlege is power, sometimeman. I have been waiting on knowledge from blairsvillecity.com for a while now. It's possible.

[shortcircuit]

Ape I see what you're saying and you are right. I hope the Sentinel can get it together and stay in business. I enjoy their paper, it's nice to see editorials that aren't biased unlike in the NGN. The NGN seriously needs competition, without the Sentinel it would be business as usual. I remember that when Harold got elected commissioner all the blame for him getting elected was placed on the Sentinel for running a campaign ad that the NGN mysteriously "forgot" to run the week before the election. Looking at it from Liemar's point of view I guess he has the right to not like them, but it's unfair for him to shut them out of county government if that's what he is doing. As for Norm, I think he hates anybody that doesn't agree with what he says. If he would stop his biased political coverage and the attacks on people that he doesn't agree with and PRINT THE DANG FOOTBALL SCORES he would be a decent writer. I don't think he is willing to change though.

[AskTheWiseOldMan]

For whatever its worth, I think we all realize that Norm's nasty nonstop vitriolic rhetoric is a more of a reflection of his miserable soul than it is a legitimate opinion about us.

[Justin Melick]

It is true that Commissioner Paris shut out the Sentinel and continues to do so. It is true that the Sentinel is in bad shape because of mismanagement by the owner.

However, while J.B. contributed greatly to the Commissioner's dislike of the Sentinel, he did not contribute to its failure as a business. While he was there subscriptions and ad revenue went up. Furthermore, he is not a nut. He is a very skilled investigative reporter, but his personality did not fit in well with small town North Georgia. Even so, that did not stop him from having a significant fan base, and even today people, including elected officials stop him in public to thank him for his work.
The drama and perceptions of the ordeal were caused by the epic personality conflict between J.B. Commissioner Paris, and Mr. Norman Cooper.
The owner of the Union Sentinel is solely responsible for its failure.

[manape]

Justin, you know more about the Union Sentinel and the details than I do since you spent part of your life there.

I guess I shouldn't characterize J.B. as a nut...just bipolar, I think. I just remember some of the links that someone posted about him, involving Bush, stalking, etc. It just seems like trouble follows him or he made his own trouble. I'm sure being an "investigative reporter" is a hard job.

It just seems to me that the Sentinel started on the down hill slope, post-John. However, I'm sure that is purely coincidental, now that you mention it.

About a million post ago, J.B. posted using his famous screen name and deleted his post. I hope he is doing well. I agree, he has good writing skills. Apparently, he didn't fit in Miami either.

[sometimeman]

For what its worth, I'm a fan of JB"s.

JB had balls. I greatly admire him!

[shortcircuit]

I'm a fan of JB also. And wiseman, I couldn't have said it better myself!

[summerose]

I really like the Sentinel and hope they can stay in business!

[oscarwho]

I think had the owner of the Sentinel kept J. B. and the others that resigned when John left , the sentinel would be doing well today . Lamar Paris put all the pressure he could muster on Frank Bradley , the papers owner . John Buchanan , Justin Melick and a few others did not cower to Lamar's threats . This is yet another abuse of office by Lamar Paris . Legal action should be taken against Lamar Paris .

[oscarwho]

I believe if the supporters of this web site would e:mail every one they can , info about this site , the people of Union County could become better informed about what has happened and is still happening in our county and to the people . The people deserve to know where the money of S P L O S T will be allowed to be spent . Answer : any where the board of education pleases . People need to know before the next election . People need to know about Lamar's L L C and its by laws . Lamar's L L C gives Lamar the power to buy and sell county property any time Lamar sees fit with out any election or any ones approval other than his own . With TAX MONEY . The N> G> N> will not tell you this info .

[queenbee]

You know posting a newspaper online could be supported by advertisers and a lot cheaper and get to a broader reader base.