Re: Ethanol 10.23.02
Tuesday 29 October @ 16:20:22
I am writing to you to comment on Andy Driscoll's article “Ethanol Chokes St. Paul.”
I am a bit confused, is this supposed to be journalism or an editorial comment from a highly biased source? If it is journalism then it is poor and not worth putting to ink for any paper that purports to report news. It seems to be about 90 percent editorial gibberish with an irate tone that makes plain the blinding nature of the writer's bias. The remaining 10 percent has some factual reporting, but a greater balance of obvious half-truth, rumor, and exaggeration. This mess is compounded by a writer bent on compensating for a lack of factual reporting by adopting inappropriate intellectualizations. The last time I saw “so-called” used in reporting it was in my high school newspaper, and who really uses the archaic words “temerity” and “erstwhile” when the plain English of “rashness” and “formerly” will do just fine? Driscoll is quick to brand people and organizations with zippy sounding word bites, but fails on all accounts to display the evidence and sources to corroborate labels that verge on being meaningless name-calling attacks.
What makes me sad is that for the most part I agree with CASE's cause, but this kind of article does not do it justice, it just makes sure the rest of the city sees CASE as a “little clutch of complainers.” It does little to spur any action that may bring relief to the affected neighborhoods in St. Paul.
