After reading Executive Director Deanna Loughranâs letter to residents in regards to the issues between the board, the Sun Day, and Dwight Esau, there are really only two items worth responding to.
First, Dwight Esau does NOT insert his opinion into news articles, especially those pertaining to board meetings, where he simply transcribes. Dwight is a consummate reporter, and although there are a lot of biased reporters who weave (either directly or indirectly) their opinions into stories they write, Dwight is not one of them. Nor does the material addressed at these meetings warrant much in the way of opinion building. Theyâre basically âshop talk.â And, yes, it is perfectly normal and ethical to report on matters discussed at a meeting that might never come to fruition. As residents, you have a right to know whatâs being tossed around the table, even ideas.
Comments from the reader poll
Ted Stockwell
What we seem to have here is a disagreement with some articles written by Mr. Esau over the last few years and the board is in a big tizzy over them to the point that they have unleashed the law firm of Howie, Duey, Scruim, and Moore to have Mr. Esau cease and desist from writing about the very thing that not one of us has a clue about but the board knows what it is and wants to keep it that way.
I’m waiting for all the street lights to be turned off because I love being kept in the dark and I don’t even know why I voted no.
Abbot and Costello were my favorite choices for critical thinking.
Galo Mejia
I’m in agreement with the above comments. We need accountability and since we can’t all attend theirâ¨meetings, we need a non-biased report. What are they afraid of?
Marilyn Sieck
This board is supposed to represent the citizens living in Del Webb’s Sun City. They are not autonomous and we should be apprised of every action taken by the board. We have a right to know how they’re spending our money, and as a resident of Sun City, Dwight Esau has every right to attend all board meetings, so we can know exactly what this board is up to and what they’re trying to hide from us.
Daniel Dell’Aringa
This is our Community, we pay an assessment fee to support and maintain our lifestyle. The Board is supposed to represent us and we are entitled for any and all information that is available. What are they trying to hide? This is a childish, political tactic. If they did not agree with the articles, they had an opportunity to refute them. They did not do so, which leads me to believe the articles were factual. Letâs cut out the childish antics and work for the welfare of the Community.
George Riebesehl
I live in N20 of Sun City and we pay big bucks to live here. We need to know whatâs going on with our money.
Marilyn Sieck
Dear Mr. Esau,
As far as I can tell, your reporting of the activities of our board of directors has been accurate and even-handed and let us know what was going on in the board meetings. I canât help but wonder what the current board is trying to hide with their underhanded tactics. The rest of us appreciate all your efforts. â¨
Neighborhood 25â¨
10 year resident of Sun City
Sherrill Sander
I believe the reason the board does not want people to be aware is a cause for concern. Thank you Mr. Esau for your time and your considerations to the people of Sun City.
Jay Hargrave
Not exactly sure why the current board wants things kept under wraps and the residents of Sun City kept uninformed. Perhaps it is the âegoâ of some board members who do not want their actions in print. Perhaps they have things going on they do not want us to know about, which would be cause for concern. The published minutes of meetings can be one or two line items and therefore not really disclose what is really going on. With the letter from the law firm to cease and desist, it truly bothers me that they are trying to hide things. I would think they would want the people in Sun City to know all the things they are doing, but this action is probably the result of one or two ego-driven board members who donât want anyone knowing the full scope. I think the residents of Sun City deserve to be informed on how their money is spent. This smacks of back-room politics, and the residents need to demand this stop. Who authorized the legal letterâŚthat is the person you need to replace.
Second, to me, the letter tries to turn Dwightâs compensation into a question of ethics, which is about as nonsensical as if I were trying to make Deanna Loughranâs salary a question of ethics for her work as Executive Director. Itâs absurd. If I were to highlight this line and present the letter to a newsroom, the resounding response would be, âYeah? So? Heâs paid, what of it?â When a reporter attends a meeting (any meeting), itâs always on someoneâs dime. When a reporter reports, itâs on someoneâs dime. Itâs the very nature of commerce: Work = Pay. Dwight is not paid to attend board meetings as a resident, so to put it in terms of my generationâs youth, Iâm âmiffedâ on why the board believes Dwightâs compensation is up for question.
And technically Dwight Esau isnât paid to attend meetings as a reporter either. Dwightâs paid for the resulting article he submits, not for his attendance, which sounds like a technicality but there is a big difference between the two. Hereâs why:
Dwight Esau is not a salaried employee of the Sun Day. He is, in fact, an independent contractor. When I worked for Shaw Suburban Media, I was an hourly employee. If I attended a village council meeting and put that attendance on my time sheet, I was paid for my attendance whether or not I wrote a story about the meeting or the story I wrote was published. If Dwight attends a board meeting and either doesnât turn in a story on it or we donât print one that he does, he isnât compensated. In short, Dwight isnât being paid to be there in any capacity. But even if he were, itâs normal and hardly unethical. In fact, it might be unethical were he not being compensated because other motives then take precedence.
If the board, or at least someone sympathetic to the boardâs position on Dwightâs compensation, would like to write in and explain it, Iâd be happy to print it.
Moving forward.
Providing the issues between the board, Dwight Esau, and the Sun Day don’t escalate (and I sincerely hope they do not), the Sun Day is finished with this matter. The Sun Day will continue to pursue board news and Dwight Esau will continue to attend board meetings and report on them. Readers may have to tolerate the frequent line: “The board declined comment.” Otherwise, it will be business as usual.
2 Comments
Chris I agree with you and Dwight, why are they harassing him. He is just reporting what he hears. I read your paper front to back and enjoy your reporting. Just a little note we are still having a problem with an issue on our assessment fee that has been going on for months. Sometimes we can’t reach the people we need to talk to and they don’t return our calls with the info we need to resolve the problem. Thanks for listening. Keep up the good work.
Well said, and well done !! Thanks