The Enquirer grows a pair (for a day)

Today, The Cincinnati Enquirer's editorial page abandons its traditional role as City Hall pompom squad, and actually engages in some critical analysis of the persistent shenanigans at City Hall, this time joining the chorus denouncing the granting of double-digit raises to his staff by Mayor Mark Mallory at exactly the same time the City is threatening the livelihoods of 300 City employees.  Read the about-face here.

This leads us to ask our consistent question we have of The Enquirer: If they wanted to sell newspapers, if they wanted a better community, would we all not be better off with a critical, independent view of municipal governance rather than a cheerleading team?


As evidenced by the Shock and Awe Parking Plot petition drive results and the public outcry around a series of poor Mallory decisions, don't The Enquirer's narrow self-interests (selling papers) and the City's long-term interests (fiscal stability) intersect by having a robust and critical dialogue about what's transpiring at City Hall, rather than the (other than regularly simply ignoring the insanity) holding of predictable journalistic pep rallies promoting the company line emanating from inside the fortress?

We expect that tomorrow they will revert to old form, but for now we embrace the departure from their role as Qualls-promoter-and-mouthpiece.  Today, to the Grand Old Lady, it was job well done.

As to Mallory, "tone deaf" is too kind.  "Intoxicated with his own power" is a more apt description.