September 6th, 2010 
joel According to the readers of Press and Tower, the Erie market is in sore need of an alternative rock station, adult or otherwise. Well over one-third of our poll respondents said that if a local radio station was looking to flip formats, they should consider the alternative or Adult Album Alternative format. The next missed format is Oldies.
Open memo to the administrations of Gannon University and Mercyhurst-North East: find a few bucks in the budget to advertise your radio stations…there are people out there that want to listen!
At the risk of injuring my “journalistic detachment,” I must admit that I’m a big Pat Howard fan. I enjoy his frank, curmudgeonly and skeptical persona, and usually agree with his take on the local issues du jour. I get a sense that he might be a bit left of my politics, and I only skim through his bike stories (although I could definitely use the exercise), but for the most part, I look forward to every Sunday column.
Do you have a favorite columnist in the newspaper? Is their spot-on opinion or turn of phrase enjoyable to you, or maybe there’s a writer that you “love to hate?” I’ve listed all of the local opinion and feature columnists I could find on GoErie, and am asking you to pick your favorite three. I didn’t include sports because they appeal to a narrower audience.
Who are your "must read" Erie Times-News columnists (non-sports/choose up to 3)?
- Pat Howard (41%, 15 Votes)
- Ed Mathews (24%, 9 Votes)
- Kevin Cuneo (14%, 5 Votes)
- Liz Allen (14%, 5 Votes)
- Dave Richards (14%, 5 Votes)
- Meg Loncharic (11%, 4 Votes)
- Lenore Skomal (11%, 4 Votes)
- Monica Lewis (11%, 4 Votes)
- Jennie Geisler (5%, 2 Votes)
- Pat Cuneo (5%, 2 Votes)
- Lindsey Poisson (3%, 1 Votes)
- Joan Benson-Cacchione (3%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 37
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Not one conservative among the lot of them. Four of them are on the editorial board, that continually advocates spending public money, which we don’t have, on things we don’t need, and can’t even cover the operating costs. Collectively they are a bigger threat to our economic well being than the politicians we elect, as they demand compliance to their free spending, or they trash them in the public eye, as most recently has happened to Giles and Foust on county council.
Can you really have a “favorite” Times-News columnist? Really? Have any of them ever really called out any Erie institution ever? Are any of them really independent in their thoughts? I don’t know if I have ever really seen any of them rebuke an elected official or violently disagree with anything that any of the numerous “boards” or “agencies” have determined are the best way for the Erie-area to move forward. It almost seems as if they are basically “Yes-men” for whatever someone in a supposed position of influence says. Don’t rock the boat seems to be the Times-News motto.
I agree with Bob, the Times News never takes a stand against any elected official or board or agency. It would have been nice if there was a “none of the above” button listed for favorite columnist.
“Must read” and Erie Times News is an obvious oxymoron, nes pas?
Does that come from the same minds that brought us “Must See TV”?
None of the above
Note that the editorial board is after Giles again this morning. They will continue to hound him until he changes his vote to agree with them on community college spending. Is there any media left that accurately reflects both sides of an issue?
I suspect there is a lot of reading (and seeing and hearing as well) through one’s own perspective.
I can say with certainty that Pat Howard has on many an occasion “called out” Erie as a whole and Erie area elected officials, organization, and individuals and institutions. I don’t always agree with him, but the column is, after all, his opinion. Furthermore, I have no doubt that Pat believes in every word he writes. He’s not pandering to anyone, bosses and public included. That might not make him right, but it makes him honest.
The truth is Pat Howard is as good a local issues columnist as exists anywhere in the country. I would challenge you to find one better.
My experience has been that most people like to dislike their hometown paper.
And just for the record, although I’ve known Pat for many years, we have had significant personal and professional differences. But I have to give credit where credit is due.
Ask Rick Fillippi if the Times has ever called out an elected official. They tarred and feathered him. (deservedly so)
True they went after Fillippi, but that was after they endorsed him for mayor, got electcd and turned out to be a loser. They really stepped on their d**k on that one.