The Bulldog Has No Bite

The Maven routinely gets irritated when local media, usually TV and radio,  simply cut and paste and polish press releases written and assembled by the authorities. 
Where are the questions? Where is the original reporting?

What really perturbs the Maven is when a media outlet that knows better does the same thing. 

This little ditty appeared in the pages of the once-vaunted Journal Gazette this morning. If it looks like a PR staffer for the Henry administration wrote it, you're mostly right. It's long on brag and short on details. 

A quick read of the story begs questions that the Journal Gazette was comfortable enough not to ask. The friendly relationship between the Journal and the administration is well known, however the complete pass that the JG gave the city is glaring. 

Now, the Maven hasn't written for a newspaper in nearly 30 years, but even the Maven would like to know:

1. How were the neighborhoods receiving the new sidewalks and streets selected?
2. Isn't this just a multi-year PR campaign to enhance the images of the administration and city council? There's an election next year...
3. Why didn't previous administrations do this?
4. Which council districts received the most assistance?
5. Why is this not considered "vote buying"?
6. Do any of the contractors have a direct or indirect relationship with any of the politicians that voted to give them the contracts?
7. Did any of these contractors contribute to the election campaigns of council or the mayor?
8. How many of the companies doing the work are local. 
9. What percentage of the contractors are union vs non-union?

The Maven could continue, but the point is, the Journal Gazette has either become very lazy in it's old age, or it's doing a superb job of protecting the political and powerful, while doing a piss poor job of being a watchdog for government waste and fraud. 

The real crime is that the only reporter in town asking any questions is that slippery Adam whats-his-name on WANE TV.