What do Santa Claus and News-Press owner Wendy McCaw have in common?
They're both making a list and checking it twice.
Santa of course is keeping tabs on who's naughty and nice while Wendy has an elephantine memory for anyone and everyone who ever dared to diss her newspaper.
A mere five days after an earlier News-Press editorial implied that President Obama was compiling an "enemies list," Wendy made it clear that she is constantly updating hers.
Wednesday's lead editorial in the News-Press included this statement: "One only has to walk in the City Hall parking lot to see the cars of city officials displaying stickers showing bias and animus against this newspaper."
And you thought Wendy never got out of the office.
The editorial went on to blast the present city council and city administrator for the city's budget woes. I guess California's record low property tax values had nothing to do with it.
That editorial quickly moved from Santa Barbara City officials to the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce whose executives and board, according to the editorial, "have been involved in controversial political activities in Goleta."
I guess it's better that they get involved in Goleta than in Texas.
And what was the transgression that landed the Goleta Valley Chamber on the wrong side of Wendy and Travis? Uh, they cancelled their subscription to the paper, more than two years ago.
Now in its third year, the News-Press enemies list is still going strong.
When you throw in the Teamsters, the SEIU, a few bloggers and everyone who's not a coyote loving feral cat coddling vegan, the list of News-Press enemies will soon outnumber the people who actually subscribe to the paper.
Makes you long for the days when Santa had the longest list around.
© 2009 by Craig Smith and www.craigsmithsblog.com
