The Mercury News Shows Its True Colors

Friday, we articulated clearly reason to question Tom McEnery, his role in City politics, and the lobbying he does. For those just catching up - McEnery is caught boldly providing misleadingly inaccurate information on his lobbyist form. A violation of law, ethics - and McEnery's oft-stated opinions.

From the Merc - not a peep. Not a single word written about this.

Yet, at the same time, the Merc runs a Scott Herhold piece that makes an early case for giving over the Civic Auditorium to McEnery and the folks from the old Sports Authority. Herhold learned more about how much sense this made as he toured the facility with folks, including Dean Munro, who he calls "chief of staff for the redevelopment agency". Google search 'Dean Munro', and his last job pops up: Executive Director of the Sports Authority. (The line between "current" and "last" job gets a little blurry.)

Still not a word about Vic Ajlouny, who sits in senior staff meetings with Mayor Reed, but won't take City money, a tipster points out, because he doesn't want to have to list who his other sources of income are, as required for City employees. Are they major developers? Big box retailers? Who knows?

And yet the Merc gives more column-inches to Chuck Reed lackey Pete Constant's church school efforts to get pictures of boobs off our library computer screens. They even let this quote fly:

"A seat belt won't save your life in every situation," Constant noted, "but it will 98 percent of the time."

The analogy he's drawing? Between seat belts and your First Amendment rights. In his oath of office, after all, he stated he would protect and defend "a strong majority of the Constitutions of California and the United States." (Though I am amused by the Google ads that pop up with the story - two of them are for the treatment of sex addiction. Not sure what story content prompted that. Probably the phrase, "Larry Pegram".)

The Merc is invested in Chuck Reed's success, obviously. But I am, frankly, staggered at their willingness to jump back into bed with McEnery and his cronies, cozying up and closing their critical eyes. I was skeptical of the Mercury News - now I'm disgusted.

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UPDATE: Out of sheer curiosity, I emailed Josh Molina from the Merc and asked why they hadn't done anything with the McEnery info. Just found out that he hadn't seen it until today. As such, I've taken down the ways to complain, and extending the grace period.

I have to remember, I suppose, that the Merc isn't exactly a nimble media organization. But, remembering that, I'm also casting a wary eye in their direction.