Posts Tagged ‘Austin’

The Decline and Fall of the Austin American-Statesman

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

I’m not sure if you noticed (and it’s entirely possible you haven’t), but the Austin American-Statesman has instituted a paywall on their website. Obviously the Statesman feels that their slow, steady decline just isn’t getting the job done, so they’ll move straight to assisted suicide.

The Statesman website was not my first choice for news. Or my second. Or my tenth. In fact, they probably come in slightly ahead of Pravda (though behind Russia Today, which is pretty quick at putting up relevant disaster videos). In fact, despite living in Austin for decades, I’ve never subscribed to the Statesman, and purchases of single issues has been limited to the day after national elections and UT winning a national football championship.

The Statesman was never a great newspaper in the best of times, and these are not the best of times.

It’s no secret that the Statesman has suffered severe declines in circulation (possibly even more severe than the average suffered by the print newspaper industry a whole), despite publishing in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. But finding a single source for year by year Statesman circulation figures has proved elusive. Here’s what I found from various heterogeneous sources for daily (rather than Sunday) circulation, so they may very well not line up with “official” circulation figures (especially for the three most recent years), but are probably close enough to the ballpark to get a good idea of the decline.

  • 2004: 184,907
  • 2005: 184,398
  • 2006: 183,952
  • 2007: 173,579
  • 2008: 170,309
  • 2009: 151,520
  • 2010: 142,787
  • 2011: 137,681
  • 2012: 125,305
  • So, here’s a chart for Daily Average Circulation Figures for the Austin American Statesman for 2004-2012:

    (Click to embiggen. Crappy chart courtesy of a 12 year old version of Excel. I’m sure Will Franklin could do much better.)

    And some of that most recent number may be even more dubious, given that sometimes the Statesman won’t actually cancel people’s subscription when asked. And try to charge people more than they agreed to for the discount subscriptions they do sell. And don’t always deliver the issues people have actually paid for.

    The Statesman has been in a long, steady decline in staff as well. They bought out 71 employees in 2009, another accepted by 33 people in June of 2011, and laid off an additional 53 employees in October 2011. And even after that, more copy editing jobs were to be consolidated in Florida by Cox Media.

    Cox tried to sell the paper in 2009, but backed out of the deal.

    One big reason for declining newspaper circulation is the obvious and pronounced liberal bias in so much of the MSM. With so many choices for news on the Internet, local news is no longer a reason to continue funding a carrier medium for liberal opinion.

    The paywall seems to be the last thing newspapers institute before they go under entirely (a few of the bigger ones excepted). Initial reactions to the move are hardly ecstatic. I don’t expect the Statesman to go straight out of business next year, but I do expect their decline in circulation to accelerate.

    Rosemary Lehmberg: Seen at The Gun Show

    Sunday, April 28th, 2013

    Hat tip: Dwight, who brings us news that Lehmberg “won’t be seeking reelection.” Well, duh. People who have been removed from office don’t run for reelection…

    Rosemary Lehmberg: The Hits Keep Coming

    Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

    In a followup to yesterday’s video drop of Travis County’s Democratic DA Rosemary Lehmberg, we now have the dashcam footage of her DWI arrest:

    Deputies couldn’t believe who they had stopped

    2:10 in, hear her say “My career’s over.”

    Yep, pretty much.

    (Hat tip: Ramparts 360)

    Texas vs. California Update for April 16, 2013

    Tuesday, April 16th, 2013

    Time for another Texas vs. California update:

  • The Stockton Bankruptcy:

    Alarm bells have been ringing loudly in the heads of municipal bond investors…If you’re the chief of municipal bond investing for a big bank, whether on Wall Street or in San Francisco, Los Angeles or Chicago, this gets your attention. You might hesitate to lend hundreds of millions of dollars to other cities and counties if you fear they might go the Stockton route. Even if you proceed, you might insist on higher interest rates to compensate for what now appears to be added risk. That can translate to higher local taxes.

  • Can judges hire lawyers to lobby against budget cuts for courts? In what universe could the answer to that be anything but “No”?
  • California high speed rail to nowhere would lose hundred of millions of dollars a year.
  • Union response to the high speed rail boondoggle? Screw you. We’ve got ours, jack.
  • Seven years, seven billion more in unfunded liabilities for Los Angeles’ two largest pension plans.
  • Current California pension reform proposals are only a start.
  • Sacramento proposes to spend $447 million on an arena for a losing, mismanaged basketball team. “It’s 60 to 75 percent public subsidies.”
  • Problem: California’s politicians spend money like drunken sailors with a stolen credit card. Solution: Eliminate Proposition 13 so they can spend even more.
  • Indeed, that was just one of the many pro-economic suicide measures passed at the California Democratic convention.
  • Meanwhile, Rick Perry is pushing a business tax cut.
  • Austin, Houston and San Antonio among top 5 cities for small business.
  • North Korea Threatens to Nuke Austin

    Friday, March 29th, 2013

    So North Korea is kicking its Crazy Invalid act up a notch with Kim Jong-Un threatening to attack the United States.

    Which part of the U.S., you asking?

    Would you believe Austin?

    Dude, we’re all pissed off about the bag ban and the high cost of SXSW badges, but that’s a major overreaction.

    Here, apropos of nothing in particular, is a video about the B-52:

    And here, also apropos of nothing in particular, is a video of a B-2 hitting targets with 80 500 pound JDAM bombs.

    Democratic Donor Marc Rosenthal Convicted

    Monday, March 25th, 2013

    From Holly Hansen comes word that Austin attorney and Democratic donor Marc Rosenthal was found guilty of 13 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud and tampering with a proceeding.

    Holly did a great job looking at his state donations, but I wanted to take a gander at his national contributions as well.

    He gave $2,300 to Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar in 2008, and another $2,000 in 2010. He also donated $2,000 to Democratic U.S. congressmen Crio Rodriguez in March of 2008 (presumably for the Democratic primary), and then another $2,300 (the maximum donation) in October.

    Going back further, Rosenthal donated:

  • $2,000 to John Edwards in 2003 (I know, a wealthy Democratic trial lawyer supporting a wealthy Democratic trial lawyer for President. Try to contain your shock.)
  • Three separate donations of $1,000 to John Kerry in 2004.
  • $1,000 to Richard Raymond in 2005 (I’m assuming the Texas State Representative for Laredo).
  • $1,000 to Lloyd Doggett in 2004.
  • And $1,000 to Al Gore in 1999.
  • Here in Texas, we tend to convict people for felony jury tampering, no matter how many Democrats they’ve donated to.

    I’m sure this fact has absolutely nothing to do with trial lawyer and big Democratic donor Steve Mostyn suddenly deciding to move most of his practice to New York City…

    Reminder: Blog Meetup/Tweetup Saturday, March 23, 6 PM, Mangia’s on Mesa

    Thursday, March 21st, 2013

    Dwight of Whipped Cream Difficulties and I are having a conservative/gunner blogger meetup Saturday, March 23, at 6 PM, at

    Mangia Pizza
    8012 Mesa Dr., Austin, 78731
    302-5200

    Drop me a line at lawrenceperson at gmail dot com if you’re interested in attending and haven’t done so already.

    I’ll be the one in the black polo shirt and black cargo pants…

    Conservative Blog Meetup Dinner Query for Saturday, March 23, at 6 PM

    Thursday, March 14th, 2013

    Dwight of Whipped Cream Difficulties and I are contemplating a conservative/gunner blogger meetup Saturday, March 23, at 6 PM, venue TBD (but not too close to the SXSW madness downtown). Drop me a line at lawrenceperson at gmail dot com if you’re interested in attending.

    Federalist Society Symposium at UT Featuring Ted Cruz

    Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

    Attention UT students: The Federalist Society is having a Symposium Friday and Saturday, March 1-2 at UT on the subject of the federal Leviathan state. Ted Cruz will be the keynote speaker at BBQ on Saturday, and other legal heavy hitters includes Jeremy Rabkin and Richard Epstein. If you’re a UT student (or just interested in the subject) I’d encourage you to attend.

    A Quick Roundup of Gun News

    Monday, February 18th, 2013

    Here’s a Whitman’s Sampler of gun news for you to chew on:

  • The Truth About Assault Weapons, in easy-to-follow graphic form.
  • Dwight is all over Polifact Texas “checking” Ted Cruz’ statements about untracked gun buyers.
  • Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot appeared on a RedState podcast discussing guns.
  • More on the tremendous success of Chicago’s gun control initiative, and how it’s throwing a wee bit of a kink into Obama’s gun control pitch.
  • In the Texas legislature, Rep. James White’s House Bill 1142 would allow firearms safety to be taught as an elective.
  • Missouri Democrats introduce a bill to seize the guns of the law-abiding.
  • What happens when an expert arrives to provide testimony on modern sporting rifles? If you’re a Minnesota Democrat, you actually walk out of the presentation.
  • Borepatch suggests a legislative strategy.
  • Interesting profile of Bond Arms of Granbury, which makes derringers. The article calls them the only gun manufacturer in the DFW area, which I rather doubt.
  • Ted Cruz will be visiting LaRue Tactical to support the Second Amendment. Sadly, Wayne Slater is evidently too unprofessional to bother telling you when Cruz will be visiting. (Do they just not teach “Five Ws and an H” in journalism school anymore?) Since I offer a full-service blog: Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 11:00 AM, LaRue Tactical, 850 County Road 177, Leander, TX 78641.
  • Finally, here’s a fine NSFW rant about how liberal “civil libertarians” are only too ready to watch the rights of gun owners trampled:

    “At the time the Constitution was written, the weapons in question were muskets.”

    You know what? You’re right. And marriage was between one man and one woman. So what’s with gay marriage? No longer will I offer any moral support, oppose any online statements attacking it, speak out for it. They have the same right as anyone—to marry someone of the opposite gender. And given that all gays support raping little boys (just like all gun owners support shooting school kids), I don’t think I can support them. We should do things just the way they were done 220 years ago. That’s the liberal way.

    “The Heller Decision was by an activist court. It doesn’t count.”

    Indeed. Just like Roe v Wade was an activist decision. It doesn’t count.

    “We’re not trying to take your guns away, just have reasonable limits. It’s a compromise.”

    And some people want reasonable limits on abortion, like waiting periods, gestational time limits, ultrasound, etc. It’s a reasonable response to an activist court decision, and reasonable restrictions on a right, for public benefit. Don’t come whining about your right to murder babies, and I won’t come to you whining about my right to shoot school kids.

    And no one is saying you can’t ride the bus. You just have to sit where people think is reasonable. No one is saying women can’t work. They just have to get paid what is reasonable for the work they do, allowing for the fact they’re going to leave the workplace and raise a family. It’s a compromise.

    “Assault weapons are an extreme interpretation.”

    True. And not allowing any religious emblems on government premises is an extreme interpretation. As long as they’re privately paid for, what’s it to you? No one is saying you can’t belong to the Christian church of your choice, just not to extreme groups, like atheists or Muslims. It would be paranoid to think anyone was trying to infringe on your legitimate right to be free from state religion, just like I’d be paranoid to think they wanted to take my guns. Quite a few states had official churches well into the 1800s. This is not an infringement on your freedom of religion.

    “Given Sandy Hook, you have to make reasonable compromises.”

    “We just want licensing and safe storage requirements so the wrong people don’t get guns.”

    “Publicizing the information lets people make informed choices about who they live near.”

    Accepted. In exchange, gay men should make reasonable compromises over Penn State. They will simply have to accept being registered and kept a safe distance from children. This isn’t a violation of their rights. It’s just common sense. The public has a right to know.

    This should apply to protests, too. No reasonable person would object to being identified. They should welcome it—it means they can’t be wrongly maligned. All union members, blacks, gays and feminists should be signed in with ID before a march or gathering, just so we can track the real criminals to keep the rest safe.

    Also:

    First they came for the blacks, and I spoke up because it was wrong, even though I’m not black.

    Then they came for the gays, and I spoke up, even though I’m not gay.

    Then they came for the Muslims, and I spoke up, because it was wrong, even though I’m an atheist.

    When they came for illegal aliens, I spoke up, even though I’m a legal immigrant.

    Then they came for the pornographers, rebels and dissenters and their speech and flag burning, and I spoke up, because rights are not only for the establishment.

    Then they came for the gun owners, and you liberal shitbags threw me under the bus, even though I’d done nothing wrong. So when they come to put you on the train, you can fucking choke and die.