Showing posts with label Kevin Kampman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Kampman. Show all posts

Monday, May 25, 2009

Meltdown! Is There No Shame?

I Hate Canton was getting ready determine yesterday's Village Idiot when we opened up the paper and found the late night-early morning exchange in under Rite Aid's Closing is a Blow to Canton Neighborhood posted below. We are posting it before the Rep shuts it down, which is surely will. And quite honestly, we won't blame them. This abuse of Repository space and its readers simply cannot continue

I Hate Canton has always maintained that Octopuppet cannot be effectively controlled. This person posts under dozens of names. We understand that some entities have been banned and we congratulate Jeff Gauger for taking this action. Of course, as soon as "LeVar Burton" gets booted, "FYMP" shows up only to be replaced by "meridithb48." But now Octopuppet has pulled respected Rep reporter Gary Brown into its insane vendetta. We hope that Jeff Gauger and Kevin Kampman take a serious look at what's going on, and not continue to wash their hands of this muck.

Comments are a service to readers. We don't know for sure about the Rep, but for most newspapers they are the most popular feature. Comments are a grand marketplace of ideas. We love comments, and I Hate Canton believes there should be broad leaway in what is allowable. Gatehouse and the Repository have a set of pool rules that are reasonable and easy to abide for nearly everyone. With the exception of one person, no one to our knowledge objects to civility. The Rep, though has fallen down on the job.

I Hate Canton and plenty of others are sick and sickened by the spurious attacks on other commenters. These attacks aren't based on ideology or a simple difference of opinion that gets out of hand. That would be understandable. Unfortunately, one person, with a personal vendetta against certain commenters--one going back decades--has taken control of what seems to be the most popular Rep section.

Octopuppet's behavior is unacceptable, but so is the Rep's laizee faire treatment of its loyal readers who want nothing more than to be able to post their opinions without fear of lies, libel, character smears, and threats. It's bad journalism and its bad ethics.
We will continue to archive this through the day. We have also archived the entire thread.

BTW, thanks OP for posting the link here. Traffic has doubled and it's not even noon yet.

NOTE: Octopuppet has embraced itself and has begun to post under "octopuppet" making nice to Editor Gauger. BTW, OP, you've been real busy checking into IHC this morning, haven't you? 11hit so far!

meridithb48
All of you that use pen names go to I HATE CANTON.com. That weirdo lunch bunch thinks we are all the same person. Only a true sickie would create a website to put down posters on Canton Rep. If one does not care to eat lunch with the collective group of weirdos then they are an octopuppet, Now this group is dangerous.

MMoses
You leave my comment off, but you leave Shirleys. That is a sick way to run a newspaper!

scapegoat2
Al of you that use pen names go to I HATE CANTON.com. That weirdo lunch bunch thinks we are all the same person. Only a true sickie would create a website to put down posters on Canton Rep. If one does not care to eat lunch with the collective group of weirdos then they are an octopuppet, Now this group is dangerous.

I have to ask you a question since you seem to always want us to go to this website but never post the link......you seem to be an agent plugging for viewers. Are You the person who created this website?

RoseR
I could not find a website with that name. why don't you post a link?

Floomababy
Donna , whats up with the wide assed margin / neverland thingy?

Was you trying to give Mary Speer some extra room for her long assed thingy?

To all of yous that don't know any better....Canton is a product of it's self.

And nothing you all can do going to change that.

And to you racist back y'onder......white folks are not the only ones that seen the
eventual demise of Can Town and broke camp. A lot of black folk did too.

So basically, what you seee in Canton is the worst of the worst. Like our Pro teams for instants ;)

You reap what you sow.

I want the best for my home town, but yet I relish in it's demise...at times. For the way.......

saturn6
Floomababy;

Well, the only thing I can say is that basically your right. I can't make any comments about the person you refered to since I really don't know what was going on.

But, your comments now about canton is correct and right to the point. I used to come here back in 75 and Canton was a vibrant city in every way I could imagine. Most of the major industry moved out. i blame the city itself for that for not fostering a better business climate here. I don't know exactly what 'a better business climate is' to be honest either. You can only do so much!

I hate like hell to put this in racial terms. But, as far as breaking camp goes, well, whites are real good at that. I'm white and I hate with a passion what my race does. True, all races will do this, but white people can afford it a lot better than anyone else it seems.

As far as crime, drugs and things on that level, I consider it a form of survival. You got to do what you got to do to feed your family and in some cases your habit. This is how I look at it. And, this is the nitty gritty, no way to avoid it. Survival come before anything else.

There are people who think they can conqurer anything that comes there way. This is absoulute pure illusion. And anyone who thinks like that should see a shrink because this is not reality. There are way too many ways of hitting rock bottom. And, it don't take much either. Personally, I believe this is all in the draw of he cards, luck if you will. Most of this is contrived, manipulated and if your the unlucky sob that gets screwed your butt is out.

This is what this country is about, pure and simple!

mary v parker
Stop the madness 'Meridith40 names' You get almost every thread shut down because of your vile, vicious lies and nasty comments. Your cover has been blown for months You can change names every 15 minutes, but we'll still know it's you, You don't let any of us have any peace. Leave the lunch bunch alone. None of us bothers you. Please, just leave us alone. .You aren't going to turn people against us, just yourself

mary
I think alot of Stark Counties problems are now happening because of the MRDD levy passing. We are giving alot of money so the retarded and handicapped kids can get a good education.

Maybe one of these kids will graduate from MRDD and open up some drugstores in Cantons bad areas.

At least we are getting lucky and Fehlman and Miller are quitting soon. Too bad Miller couldnt have gotten sick earlier. Maybe then he wouldnt have put that crazy levy on the ballot. Well at least he's sick so at least I know God is on the job and punishing the sinners who caused our taxes to go up.

meridithb48
http://ihatecanton.blogspot.com/

There is the link. Go to it and see how all of you are being talked about on the web just because you dare post a commen. Ms. Parker for your information none of us know each other. What cover are you talking about? My question is why does the Rep keep allowing you to post comments? You never stay on the subject but concern yourself more with who is who. You must have the editor over a barrell.

MMoses--maybe your comment was removed because you were lying as usual.

meridithb48
MMOSES--stop the craziness. No one is after you. I remember a party at you house and you said Gary Brown's ex-wife was after you. I remember you saying to a large group of us your sister-in-law was trying to steal your paintings. I remember you telling us you were car-jacked and kidnapped. I remember lies for 50 years. When will you stop. Van Gogh was mad also.

scapegoat2
Thank you for the link......I enjoyed it very much. Kudos.....to the website
meridithb48
M Parker and MMoses--quit threatening people. How dare you. Every poster has the same right as you to post comments. I thought threats were against the Repository rules?

MMoses
Donna, great comment! You are one great lady and pretty darn brave. You are always welcome in my corner. I haven't posted for a long time due to the abuser on this forum, although now I have some REAL protection and will not give in to this nut case that has tried to ruin many lives with their jealousy, hate, and outright obnoxious postings. I really wish these multible personalities would reailize what the heck they are doing and get some help . There is another life out there for the very ,very sick. See a professional! The police even know this is a multi-personality disorder. Why doesn't the rep?

Black Dahlia Avenger
The only people 'being talked about' on I Hate Canton are the LOONIES like Octopuppet. Oh, and by the way meridithb48, you're not Meridith Baxter Birney or some other movie star. So don't flatter yourself by thinking that people would want to spend all their time 'talking about' you.

Black Dahlia Avenger
To answer your question about the comments with racial overtones, theme19: you asked for it, here you go. Here's a few racist ditties for you from this thread:

'genie--the scum are their own kids. That is why it will never end..'

'You notice they are not stealing a lot of condoms from there.Hair straightener and lotion , so they can be successful in their reproduction efforts.'

'What they need is mothers and fathers to raise children ( married ) not grand mothers !'

'I don't feel sorry for people who sit around all day and collect welfare checks.'


The only thing they need to complete this ensemble is the 'N-word'.

mary v parker
Boy MERIDITH, you're really trying hard to get the comments on this shut down aren't you? Do you ever sleep?

mary v parker

WHY'S EVERYBODY ALWAYS PICKIN ON ME' lol

meridithb48
Black Dalia Avenger aka Don Cirelli--you take your name from a murder novel. How charming.

Marley Greiner
Stop getting threads shut down on the Rep, 'meridithb48' or whatever you want to call yourself today.

90% of the problems on Comments are started by one person full of racist spleen and a vendetta against other posters. And we know who that person is. One person has turned Rep Comments into a zoo. 'This is simply a forum for opinion and discussion.--a customer service of the Rep. This service does not give carte blanche for abuse. The vast majority of people here get along with each other, even when angry words are spoken. Why wouldn't they get along? . Even in politics, most of the time when the office closes for the day, 'enemies' can go out and have a drink. I do it all the time. The pages of a newspaper should not be the playground of the dysfunctional and angry. Too many good people are hurt here by one person. I have no idea how to control or stop this abuse short of a total revamping of comments or total shutdown. Your recent attack on MMoses is inexcusable. I hope other readers here see you for what you are. Have you no shame?

mary v parker
Meridith, where and when did Marcia or myself threaten you or anyone else for that matter? That's a serious accusation, and you know what the rep does to people who threaten other's. Please point out a threat.

dsteelman1
Getting onto the ihatecantons website is my new mission.
Thanks for the link meredith.

Heaven frobid anyone speak the truth. Its the only reason people 'hate' on others , they dont like the truth.

Maybe it hits too close to home??

meridithb48
If anyone gets threads shut down it is Mrs. Parker and gang. They ALWAYS go off topic and get personal and that is why the treads get shut down. Stay on topic and there will be no problem. I think Moses was very threatening in her remarks against whoever. She has protection. Does that mean a gun? Mrley--keep up--Moses was the first to start accusing. Quit defening your little clones. AHA the rep can read these comments in the exact order they are written and she who the troblemakers are.

past7971
Black Dahlia Avenger--With the possible execption of the hair straightener comment, I think YOU are the one trying to turn this into a race issue. As far as the word scum, on welfare checks or kids not be properly raised by their parents---I have a news flash for you, that can describe any nationality, race, creed or gender. If it makes you feel better, i known plenty of 'white-trash' that fit those descriptions. Can you honestly deny that this area is in trouble and needs something done about it??? I believe that is what is being talked about. here.

RoseR
I went to the website.....it was all rather Deja Vu. Like I had already read the comments before.
I rather enjoyed the pictures.

meridithb48
http://ihatecanton.blogspot.com/

meridithb48
http://ihatecanton.blogspot.com/

meridithb48
dsteelman1--the prob with them is they think only their little group should be allowed to post comments under their rules not the newspapers. They have gotten away with this crap for years. The rep needs to get rid of them. Parker, Marley. Black Dalia aka Don Cirelli, Moses. All troublemakers.

http://ihatecanton.blogspot.com/

mary v parker
Oh come on Meridith, aka................ You know what she meant by protection. You want all your business out here? I don't think so. I stayed off of comments for a week, two weeks ago. I read, but didn't write. Stories were being shut down left and right, who was at fault then? DUH? Why do you keep flagging our comments and leaving your irrational ones on? That's why we're trying not to flag yours.

mary v parker
I get threads shut down for not staying on topic? Why were you talking about Gary Brown and things that Marcia supposedly told you? Me thinks that was way off topic, as are most of your comments on here. This story is not about me or Marcia, yet that's what you're writing about. Why not just let others enjoy the story and post their comments. Stop the dribble, Stop the Madness. Let it go. Please stay on topic. We see what you're trying to do. It's not nice, nor is it amusing. It's Memorial Day. Think about the deceased, and get off the backs of the living. Have a cookout with your family or something.

meridithb48
Mrs Parker--everyone was posting on the subject until that Moses person came on sounding like a thug and talking crazy stuff and telling people she had protection. Sounds like threats to the rest of us. Also, you are not the boss of the comment section. You have no business telling people when they post and when they cannot. Maybe you need to kneel inparayer and ask God to forgive you for telling lies and starting problems with your friends.

fawn leibowitz
my neice worked at this store and boy could I tell you some stories. she said some old hag used to come in all the time with her ugly daughter and would keep pointing to stuff and saying my dead son used to use this , my dead son used to use that. my neice said this would go on for hours until they had to have security remove her from the building.

the old hag would come up to people and butt into their conversations and get everyone off-topic. sometimes she was so nasty with her points she got everyone kicked out and the conversations were permanently halted.

if anybody there tried to talk sense to her, she would threaten to call the Repository and tell JG on them. Like he really gives two ships what she thinks. i used to think maybe he pretended to care but maybe now with her vile and vicious mouthpiece of an anti-canton talkbox in place, he will finally tell her to hit the road and block her chat access.

iI'll bet his call screener has a field day with her and the looney patrol. she always said she hated canton and would someday tell the world of her side of the story. i guess she has.

if i recall the old hags name is something like Vanessa del Rio or something like that.

mary v parker
Again Sh.. Meridith, Where and when have I ever told people when or when not to post? Point it out for me and the readers. You're the one trying to be a rep bully. Give it a break please. Let the people who just want to read and comment do it without having to read all of this PERSONAL DISLIKE GARBAGE. Don't ruin this for everyone. They are not interested in your personal vendettas.

Take a break and enjoy the day.

octopuppet
I believe in the Repository and what they are doing. Times are tough right now and you can't just take your local newspaper for granted. Jeff Gauger is a great steward and is doing what he feels is necessary to keep the Rep in business.

Instead of bashing him and constantly telling people to call him whenever the mood strikes, you all might want to consider thanking him for keeping Cantons' best source of news afloat.

Jeff, I thank you for allowing people with all sorts of viewpoints to comment on the message boards.


Frank Manello
I checked out the I hate Canton site. I'm curious why it says they long for the days when people posted under their real names. I didn't see any real names on the site, and I don't see many real names in this thread. Am I missing something or is octopuppet a real name?


Black Dahlia Avenger

I got news for ya, Mrs. Twinkie, or 'meredith' or whoever else you want to be this week: I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I'm here to stay, sweet cheeks, whether you like it or not. And if you don't like it, that's even better. If you somehow feel 'threatened' by the presence of rational people on cantonrep, there's a simple solution to your quandry: GO AWAY.

We know you won't do that, though. You actually love to stir up crap with people. Then you play the 'poor little victim'. Everybody's picking on the big fat woman with the big fat mouth. Too bad for you. Have another cigarette and another pint of Old Grandad. You'll feel better.


harasxlacidar
Thank you Fawn for your oh so enjoyable comment. No thread is ever complete without some silly story that no one in 100 years will ever believe.
This thread has gotten so out of control, I can't even comment on it.
Happy Memorial Day everyone! Give thanks to those who've served this country instead of arguing online!!


saturn6
I think the Rep should be doing something about all this mutual society hate bashing going on around here.

The Rep should totally close this blog down and make everyone, I mean everyone, re-register and make them use their real names, maybe include phone numbers and addresses with their screen name. Maybe this would stop all the trash that is getting thrown around here.

At least with this method, if someone did call and harass you, you can easily file a harassement charge with the police and trace their phones and have them taken to court on hassment changes. True, most people have their phone numbers blocked, but once you get the police involved, the phone companies must by law have these phone records and times they called in their database. The courts don't take lightly to phone harassement and cyber bullying too well at all.

But, knowing the Rep, since they keep publishing all this real radical trashy articles that people comment on anyway, they probabaly won't stop a 'good thing'. Nothing like a lot of contrversay to boost subscribers and keep everyone at each others throats!.

We ought to rename the Rep to The Enquirer or the Star. Its gotten that bad, especially in this Blog!

swordfishavenger
I totally agree with octopuppet !!
I totally agree with octopuppet !!

octo****
I totally agree with swordfishavenger! I don't agree with that dirty mouth Black Dalia or that MMoses who threatens people with HER protection. Mr. Gauger sure should stop that type of stuff.

swordfishavenger
Being a new commentor here. i must admit i am some what appalled at the comments of the black dahlia avenger , i hope those kind of attacks are not common place here . I don't have the heart to report the abuse though.


Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I Hate Canton Isn't the Only One....

...who finds it curiouser and curiouser that comments were disabled on Saturday's
Canton's Quarterly Magazine Produced in Partnership with Gatehouse-Ohio
story.

Martin Olsen, who broke the Repository-Canton Connection deal back in March nearly two months before the Rep got around to it, has published two blogs in the last three days about the Connection connection. We recommend you read them both in full but here's a preview of each:


May 9, 2009

Rep Publisher Kampman Thinks Stark Countians are Stupid and Naive
Olson's leads off with what a lot of Rep readers are asking:

Will this commercial relationship between Canton and The Rep embolden Healy's effort to manage, massage and spin the news coming out of City Hall? The SCPR thinks so.

The SCRP has been questioning the dependability of The Rep's coverage of the Healy Administration ever since a source tipped The Report off about the impending deal between the city of Canton and the newspaper. Moreover, The Rep has always had a coverage and editorial romance going with Ohio legislators Oelslager and Schuring.

and follows through with a series of hard questions about the relationship between City Hall and the Rep that nobody at the Repository has the cajones or ability to ask their boss, publisher Kevin Kampman, (the same Kevin Kampman who blew off Don Cirelli's request for intervention with Octopuppet smears.)

May 11, 2009
Proof That Rep Will Not Separate Commercial Relationships from the News?
To the SCPR, this denial of opportunity to comment is evidence that the news operation at The Canton Repository. canton.com is not independent of its commercial operations contrary to Rep publisher Kevin Kampman's assertion in the story itself...

Publisher Kampman and Executive Editor Jeff Gauger (who, in the opinon of the SCPR grossly mismanages the Comments section) know full well that they are not going to get congratulations from Rep/CantonRep.com readers on GateHouse's blurring of the commercial operations with hard news operations.

So the solution?

Don't allow comments!

And speaking of comments...another curiosity:

I Hate Canton has been online since March 31, mainly for the entertainment of a small band of Rep Alienateds. As far as we can tell, Octopuppet had no knowledge of the blog, (and no Octopuppet, this is not all about you!) Yet within a very short time of Kevin Kampman, Jeff Gauger, a few Rep reporters, and a member of the mayor's staff being informed of IHC, a flurry of log-ons by Octopuppet began. We have no idea what this means exactly, but Octopuppet's interest in I Hate Canton is too great of a coincidence to be accidental--especially when he/she/it seems to have a special relationship with somebody at the Rep and a slavish adoration of Mayor Bill (Jamie to his friends) Healy. There's a rat somewhere. We hope it's not at 500 South Market. Personally we think it's a bit north.




Sunday, May 10, 2009

Rep Blocks Comments on Production Deal with City Hall

Speaking of comments...

I Hate Canton knows that stupid (or insane) comments are the bane of every editior. It's quite another story, though, when we see that comments, with no explanation, weren't even an option for Saturday's controversial Canton Quarterly Magazine Produced in Partnership with GateHouse Ohio.

According to Rep City Hall reporter Ed Balint, the paper has taken over advertising, design, production and distribution of the City Hall-generated Canton Connection magazine. Mayor William J. Healy II is the publisher and Adam Herman, the mayor’s communications director, is managing editor. The publication, under the name of Canton Quarterly, (see Spring 2008 edition here), started in 2006 under the reign of Republican Janet Weir Creighton.

According to the agreement:

The city is responsible for all of the written content and has final approval before the pages are printed, said Chris White, general manager and senior vice president of marketing and sales for The Repository. Photographs and artwork are to be provided by GateHouse Ohio...

and more:

Savings will be realized in changes in distribution and how the vendor is compensated for losses, according to a city memo from the selection committee. In addition to advertising revenue, the city agrees to subsidize the vendor up to $5,000 per issue ($20,000 maximum per year) to finance the production and delivery costs. In December, council unanimously approved the one-year agreement with GateHouse Ohio; the city can extend the contract for one year by notifying the vendor by Sept. 30. In March, council unanimously approved accepting donations of $2,500 each from the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, ArtsinStark and the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District to fund portions of The Canton Connection in 2009.

Funding for the publication also includes $2,500 from the Police Department’s law enforcement trust fund and $10,000 in federal Housing and Urban Development funding.

Repository publisher Kevin Kampman assures us that unlike Cyndi Lauper's admonition "money changes everything," this special arrangement won't change a thing at the Rep. (We could be snarky here, but we won't, since I Hate Canton is nothing if not ladies and gentlemen.)

This business relationship does not involve our newspaper newsrooms and will not shape the independent coverage decisions made by GateHouse Ohio journalists.

The Repository-City Hall contract is not new news. Back on March 17, Martin Olson in his Stark County Political Report, reported this deal, including how it was brokered, in great detail. and questioned the Rep's silence on it. Olson, a local lawyer who is highly critical of what he perceives as the paper's lack of political news coverage and inappropriate relationship with city and county officials wrote:

[SCPR] [R]eaders have been amazed at the low key, extremely conservative and, at times, non-existent coverage (both reportorially and editorially) of Stark County controversies and/or issues (including the Healy matters) by The Repository - Stark County's ONLY major countywide news outlet.

The feeling is that The Rep has way too many cozy relationships with the personalities, businesses, organizations and government institutions that its reporters and editors cover.

The revelation of The Rep/Canton Connection connection does nothing but add to the suspicion or at least a perception on the part of many Stark Countians that The Rep has a lot of "sweatheart" [sic] relationships within Stark and that readers get jaundiced reports and editorials as a consequence.

It is not I Hate Canton's intention to re-hash Olson's blog. Read it for yourself. He's in a much better position to follow these events than we are. We do find it curious, though, that it took the Rep nearly two months to "break" its own story and then pre-emptively block reaction. The Rep can subject others to abuse, but can't take it.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Letter the Canton Repository Doesn't Want You to See--A Letter to the Editor from Don Cirelli

Today it is our pleasure to print the letter the Rep refuses to publish--a letter from long-time Rep commenter Don Cirelli taking the paper to task for allowing its online edition to become dog box for anonymous posters practicing character assassination for the fun of it. A few hours after the letter was sent, Cirelli received an email from Rep editor Jeff Gauger informing him the Rep did not intend to publish it.

Cirelli's experience, as documented in his letter, illustrates the disregard the current Rep management holds toward its readership. Spirited discussions and even flame wars are tolerable and can even by fun. Accusing individuals of criminals acts and worse, from behind a veil of anonymity is not. The number of people who have stopped reading "comments" or even the Repository is unknown, but it's no mystery why the smears don't make it into the print edition.

Here is he letter the Rep doesn't want you to read:

As a daily reader of your paper and participant in your cantonrep online comments section, I am greatly perturbed by an abusive situation that has been allowed to go on ever since you permitted people to us pen names in your online forum. At least five times this past week, some person, or persons have committed outright libel in the comments section.

First, someone insinuated that a local politico stole money from a neighborhood association. I found out who made the comment and forwarded her identity to the individual she slandered. Then, someone implied that another local officeholder had stolen money from his employer. As if that wasn't enough slander for this individual to commit, he (or she) then implied (falsely) that I had been fired from my job because of criminal behavior.

That particular attack caused me to call Allen Schulman to discuss a possible lawsuit against this individual. Now, the latest tidbit from this rotten slanderer is the claim that a local judge indulged in illegal drugs in the 1970s, including LSD. I am sick to death of these phony names being used as a shield for malicious individuals to hide behind as they commit outright libel against people in this community. Mr. Gauger -please don't ever write another editorial discussing the "professional ethics" of your business. Not while you are allowing your news medium to used as a vehicle to destroy the reputations of local citizens.

I have spoken to you and your publisher about this by phone. You hung up on me, and your publisher was as casual and non-chalant about this situation as he could possibly be. Your attitude about this is shameful.

Don Cirelli