Comments for AZ Policy Wonk

Comment on Bankruptcy filings show Tribune publisher earned $334,000 last year by News Hawk

News Hawk — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:08:34 +0000

The story points out several points but fails to point out that prior to the arrival of Flanders, Horne, or Moreno the paper was losing money. It was in the red in circulation and advertising revenues were not keeping the margins where they needed to be.

The metro model is broken. The margins at metros have been behind for decades but have been ignored because of “volume.” As new competition came to aleady cluttered markets and revenues dropped even more it became clear that companies should have sold their metro papers and moved to community papers only if they want a margin.

While metros continue to close the community papers continue to turn in margins that their larger counterparts have not seen since the 1970’s!

Comment on Freedom paid out $3.7M in bonuses to top executives by Former Freedomer

Former Freedomer — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:50:18 +0000

As a former worker for Freedom Broadcasting, former because my entire place of employment was shutdown, this article makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. Whether these numbers are inflated a bit, or not, at least 80% are much much higher than my yearly salary. Absolutely pathetic. And as far as people “working their behinds off” — what a bunch of BS. My hope is one day their way of conducting business will come back to bite each of them in the behind. Needless to say my (and all my co-workers) layoff was a blessing–to not have to work for that company any longer.

Comment on Freedom paid out $3.7M in bonuses to top executives by Young Employee

Young Employee — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:06:30 +0000

I would have left… if it weren’t for the fact that every other company I’ve worked for hadn’t done the same thing. The longer you work for a company the less you get paid. Doesn’t matter the field either. I’ve changed carriers and left jobs because of pay cuts working retail, management, manual labor, and computer graphics. Only difference is I actually like to do Graphics and its nice that the people where I work are too stubborn to talk to someone with an Indian accent. I’ll probably work here till my jobs gone. If anyone is starting a union sign me up, at this rate what do I have to loose.

Comment on Bankruptcy filings show Tribune publisher earned $334,000 last year by What do small-town publishers rake in? « Jeff Pelline’s Blog

What do small-town publishers rake in? « Jeff Pelline’s Blog — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:47:05 +0000

[...] What do small-town publishers rake in? By jeffpelline “It’s a familiar story these days: Top executives reaping disproportionately large salaries and mind-boggling bonuses while executing poor business strategies and laying off hordes of employees,” as AZ Capitol Times reports. [...]

Comment on Suspect detainment criteria outlined in handbook by wrench clothing – Season right for emergency preparedness – NorthJersey.com - news bytes

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:13:33 +0000

[...] Suspect detainment criteria outlined in handbookArizona Capitol TimesMandatory implementation of E-Verify should not just for federal contractors/subcontractors are should be propagated for everybody who wields a wrench, …and more » [...]

Comment on Freedom paid out $3.7M in bonuses to top executives by M Hood

M Hood — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:53:43 +0000

Ok my comment was intended as “tongue in cheek”, I watched as Freedom let good people go (hell I thought I was pretty good) and hired people at the corporate level that could not find their butts with both hands.
So don’t get me wrong 5% pay cuts and unpaid furloughs while the bosses took bonuses is not right, but I am sure it makes sense to those folks on the west coast.

I miss the folks but I don’t miss the number crunchers. We all helped kill the local broadcast/print business when forgot to be good local corporate citizens and went for the dollars.

Comment on Freedom paid out $3.7M in bonuses to top executives by GW

GW — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:22:32 +0000

“…some of these people in the field busted their backsides under trying circumstances.” Yeah, busted their backsides trying to get as much money into their own pockets before bankruptcy was filed.

Comment on Freedom paid out $3.7M in bonuses to top executives by ex freedom employee

ex freedom employee — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:18:45 +0000

wow, to think of all the times that I had to write off my overtime so that we could make budget. Now I see all the broadcast executives that received these bonuses, and I can see where my overtime income went. Thank you Freedom Corporate, it was a pleasure to let you steal from me. Thank you Scott Flanders, and Doreen Wade. It is nice to see that you are able to make a living, and bonuses by stealing from an underpaid employee, bravo.

Comment on Freedom paid out $3.7M in bonuses to top executives by shannon

shannon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:08:34 +0000

I worked for The Freedom Family for more than a few years. It is GREAT not to be anymore.

Is this article accurate? I would be inclined to say it is.

Is this artical surprizing? Maybe a little but it shouldn’t be.

I left just after my unpaid furlough but before the 5% pay cut. I feel badly for the friends that I left behind but as the GM told some long time but concerned workers once; “The doors aren’t locked, you don’t have to work here”. I’m sure those words made them feel like they were the company’s most valuable asset. You betcha!

One cannot help but wonder how these top people sleep at night.

Comment on Freedom paid out $3.7M in bonuses to top executives by ann

ann — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:01:23 +0000

Oh - and I forgot to mention our lost 401k contribution, and the increased workload that has accompanied the lower pay.