There are no sacred cows
Published: May 10, 2009
Updated: May 11, 2009
We received a good bit of mail in the last week or so from all over the state. The volume is not unusual, but the geography is.
Most of our correspondence comes from within our circulation area. Although the Internet has eliminated those borders, interest in local matters tends to remain local.
These letters, from victims’ advocates and related organizations, had a common theme: How dare you?
How dare you question the good work of District Attorney Doug Valeska? How dare you criticize Valeska for donations to victims’ rights organizations?
How dare you?
The work in question was a three-part series on expenditures in the district attorney’s office. The story was timely; several local bills that would raise court costs to fund prosecutors in judicial districts across the state were introduced in the Alabama Legislature this term. Valeska, whose district includes Houston and Henry counties, had said his funding was projected to fall short by about $100,000.
Our editors decided to show the public how its money is spent. We requested data under the state Open Records law and received a box from the DA’s office with thousands of documents.
Over three days, the Eagle reported the expenditures of the prosecutor’s office. Most were routine. Some may be construed as frivolous. Others may be surprising. None was outrageous.
More important, the news stories simply presented the information.
The news stories did not question; the news stories did not criticize.
The news stories informed.
We understand that the cost of justice is high. There is no doubt that prosecutors representing the people of Alabama should receive the best and most up-to-date training available whether it’s required by the state bar association or not.
There is no question that the judicial system often gives victims and victims’ families short shrift, and that non-profit organizations that fill that gap are vital. I see no contradiction in the contributions from the district attorney’s office to these organizations.
District Attorney Valeska is undoubtedly a tenacious prosecutor who does his job with a great passion for justice and great compassion for those who have suffered at the hands of criminals.
However, none of that precludes the public’s right to know how its money is spent by the district attorney’s office. There are no sacred cows.
The work of state prosecutors is performed on behalf of the public — the same people for whom our series on expenditures was written.
How those expenditures reflect on the agency is up to the readers, who have every right to know how their money is spent by public servants.
How dare we?
How dare we not?
Bill Perkins is editorial page editor of the Dothan Eagle. E-mail:
Reader Reactions
Thank you Speedy for you well chosen words critiquing my article. I might suggest instead of wasting wishes for someone else to edit my article why didn’t you? You have the power of the key board. And in this day in a time, I for one would not waste my wishes as you did, but I would wish that there would be more jobs for those out of work, more and better health care for those who can’t afford the health care they may need, and my wishes as they are will continue on this line. Speedy, you had the chance to edit and put in words your own thoughts…but now, it is all after the fact. By the way, do you work for the Dothan Eagle or are you a public servant?
Rodogo… after reading your rambling posting here, I can see why the Eagle edited whatever you submitted as a letter to the editor. Wish somebody would edit what you posted online!!!
What a day for connecting the dots about our local published news. I must place the following disclaimer. I do not have a dog in this hunt and when it comes time to run him I will, but for now I am just stating my observation about local news that were printed this week-end.
I’ll start with the article There are no Sacred Cows by Bill Perkins, Dothan Eagle with the primary theme being “How Dare You (Dothan Eagle)?” with the closing sign off “How dare we not? My comprehensible summary of this article amounts to Mr. Perkins showing the prudence that they believe they are using in their duties of gathering and reporting the news. I see it otherwise.
Next , is the Out of Line editorial by the Dothan Eagle relating to Keith Seagle and his comments about Dothan’s City Auditor. Again, my dog is not in this hunt. Fact, Mr. Seagle did not call the report outcome illegal. That statement was made by those on the Mayor’s side of the fence and was given the name of exaggeration by the Dothan Eagle. I have one question for the Dothan Eagle. Did anyone at the paper see the data and confirm the study by the city auditor and if not, how did the Eagle determine that the study was valid? And most important of all, when did public employees become off limit ? As I see it, there is wee bit of contradicting going on.
The old adage…one cannot be a wee bit pregnant. And please…please remember the last paragraph of this article where the Eagle states, ” But he (Seagle) owes city auditor Valerie Harris an apology. A public one.” It is with a restful heart that we have such an entity in our community that is lending itself as a guidepost for the citizens of our communities to follow and practice such altruistic behavior as the Dothan Eagle exhibits.
Now fast forward to the article on Enterprise Ozark Community College officials/employees failure to comply with state laws in letting contracts in the amounts not coverage by the law and defending their actions and using the rationale that is wasn’t their intent. And the Dothan Eagle believes employees are off limit. Duh! These employees are supposed to be highly trained and highly paid with the ability to read and comprehend tomes.
Would these same employees give students the same benefit of the doubt when they failed a reading assignment and use the same defense “ I did not intend to fail”. I don’t think so. The history of Alabama Community College System speaks for itself with its double- dipping and we as citizens must sit back and take all of this in and make some sense about it all. It will take more than score cards to keep up with all of this _ _ _ - _ _ _ _(I doubt if the only true words I have to describe my true feeling would be printed) that is going on in our lives.
It was Labor Day Week-end 2008, when my last Letter to the Editor was printed in the Dothan Eagle. Now, my dog is in the hunt. It was edited by the Dothan Eagle without my knowledge and approval and printed in the Sunday’s edition. My conversation with the Publisher after the fact resulted with him telling me the editing did not alter the article and that no printed apology would be allowed . Sour grapes…I say not. When a game is played fair and square the winner is to be congratulated and the loser should learn from the experience and grow with the results. It is always the one who wins a game by hook or by crook that calls the other party who tries to correct the wrong for using “sour grapes” to further belittle them.
Using the Dothan Eagle’s own words…There are no sacred cows…How dare I not?
Valeska spends more money than necessary bu choice. Houston County has the highest number of death penalties in the state, thanks to Valeska. A death penalty criminal costs 70% more than a life without parole criminal due to extended litigation. So cry me a river about not having enough money, Valeska.
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