So this is freedom of the press?

     Freedom of the press is one of our most sacred foundations - all other freedoms have some restrictions that keep people from hollering "fire" in a crowded theater, or prevent witnesses from lying in court, or from having loonies carry guns.
But there are virtually no prohibitions to freedom of the press because all our freedoms depend on a press of INTEGRITY and DIGNITY to be fair & honest and hold the government in check.
You just don't mess with the Freedom of the Press!

     So it is that this freedom is so important and so sacred that nobody should distort it for their own selfish purpose.  Nobody should violate the basic principles of the freedom of the press for their own personal and petty agenda.

     Wouldn't you think the integrity and honor of what a reporter or journalist publishes - is of the highest order...?

Isn't the dignity of what they report worth fighting for - standing up for -- even taking risks for??

Well - 
     Nooooo......not for these Gatehouse people -- if they don't get what they want in their own small minded agenda, they are going to withhold their columns.....literally hold the content of a free press as hostage!!

http://jimromenesko.com/2013/07/02/reporters-at-gatehouse-paper-withhold-bylines-after-veteran-city-editor-is-laid-off/

http://peoriapundit.blogpeoria.com/2013/07/02/reporters-rebel-mildly-at-local-gatehouse-media-publication/


     They have warped the FIRST AMENDMENT from FREEDOM OF THE PRESS - into freedom of what the reporters want for themselves!
They, in their own minds, have become the most important part of the 1st Amendment process.
Only in Peoria...

Ooops, more bad news - now $5-6 million just became $6.6 to maybe even up to $7.6-8 million when all the legal costs are done....I am beginning to think there is a certain buyout or two that would save a lot more from going down the drain.

Simple 2-year cost comparison since coaching change - you do the math

     Had we stood pat in 2011, the next two years from 2011 to 2013 would have cost $450K per year or roughly $900K, and surely we wouldn't have done any worse than 9th or 10 place - and just maybe we would have done lots better and lost far fewer loyal fans.

BU, with the change - first BU was on the hook for 3 years of JL's salary, the search firm fee, the cost to pay expenses to bring nearly a dozen candidates in for interviews before picking GF, the cost for the first 2 years of GF's deal at $700K base plus extras for camps, TV, etc...
then as we see more factors emerging - BU was on the hook to increase other people's salary as well, change over several assistants, and now even pay off gobs of expensive legal fees for lawsuits and threatened lawsuits on both fronts and lastly - the penalties (buyouts) that someone has to pay - and it's definitely not over yet as BU still faces the court case in October.
Then there's the loss of around 3000 good, loyal fans at each game - this revenue loss is at least $1 million but maybe more since some of the departing fans were big donors as well.
It sure doesn't take an accountant to add all that up and come up with around $6 million and more...possibly lots more......and still counting.

As the politicians say....
are you $5-6 million better off than you were two years ago?? SMH...