Gotta love the "fair and balanced" BS. They want the Daily Times to be more like Fox News.

And this part: "Perhaps The Daily Times should seek public comment on its direction and fulfillment of its charge to be a balanced observer of events in our county."

So, the Daily Times starts acting like a newspaper and reporting stories that weren't faxed in by the good old developer boys prayer meeting club, and now they are no longer "balanced observers"?

The irony is amazing.

The paper’s latest target is one of our best and brightest corporate citizens, Ruby Tuesday Inc.

I don't understand just how it was a target when the question the DT ask was in all honesty one aimed at helping RT thus helping the community.

The question ask
(link...)

Local answers given/printed
(link...)

and the thank you* LTTE from Sandy Beal seems to be missing from the website now. Anyone got the link to that LTTE>

Sandy Beall's letter:

(link...)

Okay, that is really funny. Who needs the comics? I'm imagining what would happen to our beloved hometown if the New York Times staff was unleashed here for a week to produce a copy of The Daily Times.

Nostalgic references to our "hometown paper" are both nausiating and a great example of the "good old boys" mentality/network that our county mayor says does not exist.

His letter reminds me of the belief that the way to "support the troops" is to not criticize the administration. I get that the mayors want a dynamic community that solves problems and lives well. A strong newspaper that finds problems that are below the surface will take us in that direction...if they want a community newsletter that highlights our strong (a-list) citizens and businesses, then they can make a newsletter. A newsletter is different from a newspaper.

I wanted to cancel my subscription to the rag because of the poor local reporting but now I want to keep subscribing because it's like a soap opera unfolding. Poor Daily Times can't do anything right. Realtors hate it, attorneys hate it, government officials hate it, business leaders hate it, now what? Any hope of doing investigative reporting is out the door. The rag will become even more generic and print press releases that may be 6 months old.

Hey Dean Stone, quit signing books and pay attention to what your rag is producing! Hey Max, pay attention to your paper and what's printed!

I miss puttin' on my Sunday best, loadin' up the Studebaker and goin' down to the to the Rx to see the soda jerk for a tall cool soady pop. Afterward, we would put on our long suits for a swim in the crick. I miss getting reported, what I want reported, when I say it should be reported. Ahh, those were the days.

But hey, there's still the other paper not willing to print any "offensive" news.

I guess the boy's will be reserving another room at the library to champion Sandy Beall this time. If Ruby Tuesday folds, so does half of downtown Maryville. I think it's important he knows the truth about his restaurant. And the truth as many see it - An upscale hamburger restaurant is oxymoronic. You can be upscale or a hamburger joint, I'm not sure you can be both.

The fact the three men who signed the letter don't recognize we have the "little" town we have now is due largely to their efforts. For those who don't know, we need two Wal-Marts, convention centers, ridgetop developments, two liquor stores for each end of the county, interstates through our treasures, etc. etc. Don't you people understand, those in charge simply know what's best for us. We are supposed to pay our bill and say thanks. Just like Ruby Tuesday, when we don't like the food, the changes, or the service - it doesn't matter. Again, just shut up and pay your bill.

I'm imagining what would happen to our beloved hometown if the New York Times staff was unleashed here for a week to produce a copy of The Daily Times.

I would bet all the mayors would install close circuit monitoring in their office and would never come out.

Anyone ever try to find a parking space at Aubrey's for lunch or dinner? Mind you, a restaurant a stones throw away from Ruby Tuesday. If you drive down 321, look at the Aubrey's parking lot, take a right onto 129/411 and observe the Ruby Tuesday parking lot.

Same locations, same price points - but very different results. Maybe Sandy Beall could ask Randy Burleson why, since he seems offended by what his customers are telling him.

SeeJaneRide
It's obvious Cunningham, or someone in GOB club wrote it. Mentioning Judge Young gave away the identity of the author(s). What's not so obvious is WHY the other two mayors would sign their names to it? It draws more attention to something Ruby Tuesday would probably like to forget.