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The July 22 edition of the Orange County Register reports that current publisher Terry Horne is retiring and moving to Arizona. According to the story he held this job since 2007. While the Register has in the minds of some become the paper that loves to report on what jobs pay and what kind of golden parachute and retirement pay people receive, no such information about this job or Mr. Horne is included in the story. A sad oversight, I am sure.
The article reports that the Register’s parent company, Freedom Communications, will conduct a nationwide search for a successor. Does this mean that current Register employees need not apply? If so, Freedom sure seems to be overlooking all that in house talent.
There is one particular stellar candidate that readers of the Register over the years know well, especially the 5% or less of the readership that peruses the editorial and opinion pages. He has a mind like a steel trap; he is bright, tenacious and quickly dismisses any view that is not in step with his own and he never, never gives up. He has enlightened the Register readership over the years with his well reasoned perspective on a narrow range of subjects. He is the Don Quixote of journalism.
What better person to apply his superior capabilities in the role of Publisher, and continue this newspaper’s slide toward the cliff of irrelevance? In the spirit of no good deed should go unpunished, I nominate Mr. Steven Greenhut!
A suitable reward for anyone who does a sellout of their libertarian principles.
OBNO. Before making recommendations you might ask the person whom your suggest to take the reins. Steve and I have been friends for over a decade in the fight to abolish redevelopment agencies and boon doggles such as the OC Center Line and more recently CA HSR.
Steve moved his family from Diamond Bar to the Sacramento area to be closer to the action in our capital.
Although we spoke about his current endeavors (at a luncheon on Thur.) the topic of Register leadership change was never discussed.
Ask the victim? Strange concept. Hope you and Steve win a battle some day – it must be frustrating.
Funny story – I met Greenhut Thursday night. Half an hour after getting my hands mauled by a feral cat (I’m on antibiotics and will be jamming even better on the piano soon – what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger!)
On the way home from work in Fullerton that night, I called up Bushala to ask him some questions for the Coyote Hills post I’m working on, and it turned out I was only five blocks from his place, so I popped by. The notorious B. Brothers were having a bonfire in their vast back yard; Greenhut was there, libertarian blogger John Seiler, and estimable (non-dog-eating) councilman Bruce Whitaker and his wife. We partook in cigars and beer, and talked mainly (once I was there) about the things progressives and Tea Partiers have (or should have) in common.
Nice people. Not like Deborah Pauly, Don Wagner, or Riggy We just mainly disagree on the purpose of government, and to what degree we Americans should take care of each other.
Wow, Vern. That had to be an interesting gathering. Did anyone sic the AQMD on all that smoke? BTW, if anyone has doubts, my intent with this one is primarily to add a little (pointed) humor to the blog. However, if Greenhut is interested in the job (which I view as the equivalent of signing on to be the Captain of the Titanic), perhaps some kind of grass roots movement could be attempted ——
Yeah… I didn’t really get your joke. I thought you were expressing admiration for Steve. Oh well, even Gary Larson’s Far Side misfired now and then.
Gee, you are not only a talented musician you are also a comedian!
I wish you weren’t anonymous, you would be a great debater against Greenhut. (on public employee pensions, etc.)
Vern – Well, he and I might agree that the electeds have promised way beyond reason – especially the early retirement promises such as 3% at 50, 2.7% at 55. And that the electeds too easily cave in to public sector unions – especially public safety unions – that offer endorsements.
We would most likely disagree on whether the public agencies should be let off the hook because of the caliber of people we elect and the retirement program decisions they make. There is such a thing as a binding commitment in my book and reneging on promises made is not acceptable, especially when good people have planned their lives based upon them.
I say cut the losses going forward but live up to the commitments made. I also think a good dose of honesty about just what the unfunded liability of public pensions means is in order, and there is too much exaggerated hysteria alleging that cities and counties and states are going to go bankrupt because of pension promises.
I cringe at people and so-called foundations and “think tanks” making a living over whipping up this hysteria, and that is probably where he and I would part company as he is part of that industry. I also cringe at the marketing ploy under way to advance 401k’s as secure enough for everyone to plan their retirement – that is unfounded and most likely untrue. See for instance The LA Times article by Tim Rutten published January 10, 2009 titled “the Failure of 401k’s”.
Lastly, my blood pressure really rises when people like Bushala make sweeping (and wrong) statements about what public sector employees contribute to their benefits, that public sector retirees get free health insurance coverage, etc when the facts are otherwise.
“my blood pressure really rises when people like Bushala make sweeping (and wrong) statements”
Sweeping and sweepingly accurate. Public sector employees don’t know the meaning of pain. That was propaganda on your part.
Greenhut doesn’t have the business sense to run a newspaper. Horne got out before the chain gets sold either to the LA Times or Dean Singelton’s Media News and massive layoffs kick in,. Say goodbye to the sports desk, the business desk, the opinion writers and local columnists., The only ones left will be the cheap reporters who cover various city beats. Goodbye and good riddance to the Register’s Libertarian pages which cater to a tiny population of readers.