Thank you, Susan Goldberg, for continuing the fine tradition that warns all readers that its Cleveland paper doesn’t carry all the news that fits but all the news the paper sees as fit for viewing.

That’s the meaning of the quick demise of blogger Jeff Coryell – hired to blog, apparently to show the morning newspaper is innovative and exciting. He was one of four bloggers chosen to write for Wide Open on the PD site Cleveland.com.

Well, Wide Open became Selectively Closed rather quickly, after some six weeks.

What’s important about Coryell’s dismissal is that it reveals that Goldberg carries on a tradition of censorship well fashioned at the Pee Dee. The story goes that Coryell to continue blogging for the paper’s website was asked not to write about Rep. Steve LaTourette. The issue was that Coryell had supported and contributed financially to LaTourette’s opponent in the last election. LaTourette apparently discussed this fact with Pee Dee editorial uber-boss Brent Larkin. The hammer then fell.

Do you ever get a feeling reading the morning newspaper that it isn’t in the business of news anymore?

The news that does slip into the PD is sparse and not very tasty.

Back in the 1970s when Cleveland newspapers were grasping for ways to upend Dennis Kucinich (you may notice the Pee Dee’s addiction remains), the press critic at the Village Voice Alexander Cockburn wrote, “There is almost nothing so repugnant to humankind as a newspaper in Cleveland.”

Times may have changed; that criticism stands.

You want to ask the old hamburger ad question – Where’s the beef?

The beef has disappeared from the menu as newspapers scuffle and fumble around trying to attract the attention of non-newspaper readers with chitchat, too many worthless graphs and oversized photos. Or on the other hand, emotionally long series of human tragedies.

The paper has been failing to offer the space required for analysis of community decision-making, the information that greases the wheels of a democracy. Surely, the most important task for a general daily newspaper.

Michigan and Notre Dame are having about as much success this season as a Britney Spears comeback effort. Their worlds will collide this Saturday as the two humiliated heavyweights do battle on Saturday in Ann Arbor (somebody get Britney on the phone to sing the national anthem- she won't busy for awhile after that performance last night).

Mike Lopresti of USAToday pointed out some amazing things in his column about the game today such as:

Know when the last time Michigan played Notre Dame and neither was ranked? Try 1909.

Michigan has been outscored 73-39 in its first two games (and I will point out that 32 of those came against a Division 1-AA school).

Notre Dame has been outscored 64-13.

This is Weis' third season. That's a magic number in South Bend. The combined record of Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine and Lou Holtz in their third seasons? 50-2-1.

The news got worse for the Wolverines today. Chad Henne has been ruled out of action for the game. Oddsmakers must think Notre Dame is much worse than that tough Appalachian State squad as they have made the Golden Domers a 7.5 point underdog even with the top QB of Michigan on the sidelines.

To make things fair, the two storied schools should flip a coin with the winner (wait there would be no winners) getting to choose between Derek Anderson and Charlie Frye to take snaps under center. I am sure Charlie Weis could talk his old buddy Romeo Crennel into letting that happen. And, with any luck, both would get hurt and Cleveland Browns fans could see Brady Quinn take over the QB duties for the Cleveland Browns.

Have County Commissioners Tim Hagan and Jimmy Dimora jeopardized the Cuyahoga County’s future financial viability?

Two Commissioners – Tim Hagan and Jimmy Dimora - in July raised the sales tax a quarter percent to 7.75 from 7.50 percent. It is the highest sales tax assessed in Ohio. Peter Lawson Jones, the third Commissioner, voted against the measure.

The increase – estimated to raise $42 million annually for 20 years – would be used to attract a Medical Mart by insuring public funds for a new convention center.

The County legally could raise the sales tax another quarter percent without going to a citizen vote. Moreover, it might have to do this. The County has other major building projects on its agenda.

Hypocrisy remains the only growth sector in Cleveland.

Can you imagine the downtown gang now is pressing for a ban on panhandling!

When panhandling for handouts for themselves, they seem very adept and eager. They certainly won’t legislate against panhandling for government handouts for their businesses.

So, the poor and near poor can’t beg downtown. It’s untidy. The rich – developers and real estate interests – please line-up over there. We’ll feed you with millions of dollars of goodies in a moment.

The Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) – the newest of the downtown gang’s front groups – wants to stop you from giving a quarter or a buck to a panhandler, whether needy or working the streets for some sustenance.

The DCA recently helped another group of panhandlers – downtown real estate interests – make their pleas for state subsidies.

“I think all of these projects are very well positioned,” said Joe Marinucci, formerly of the Downtown Cleveland Partnership and now boss of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Since he helped put the list together, I guess he can offer an objective opinion. Or not.

Someone sent me a copy of a column from the New York News entitled, “Atlantic Yards gets a deal so sweet it’s sick.”

Welcome to Cleveland, all you New Yorkers.

The project involves Cleveland’s Ratner family and Forest City Ratner Cos., formed for this $4-billion deal, including, of course, a new basketball arena. (We build Roman Colosseums in all our cities, not for the rabble but for those who can afford the price of admission.)

Sometime ago, Forest City Enterprises Chairman Al Ratner, at a meeting where his firm was first presenting its plan for Cleveland’s new Convention Center, engaged me in conversation.

He told me that I’d have a ball observing Forest City’s operations around the country. He said that they were getting federal subsidies all over the country. I guess his comments emanated from my reporting over the years about his and Sam Miller’s local hunger for government handouts.

The New York piece started, “Bruce Ratner, developer of the $4 billion Atlantic Yards Nets arena and mega-housing project in Brooklyn, is about to get another special, secret, sweetheart deal from our state politicians.” It’s called, as Al hinted, standard procedure.

The Ratners work the feds, state and local officials for goodies. They also ply them with campaign dough, bagels and cookies – whatever does the job.

The proposed medical mart and convention center that would be supported by an increase in taxes has been literally rammed down our throats. Not only by the Convention and Visitors Board, but also by the good ol' Plain Dealer, who between their print and online versions of the paper, have published at least one new story (sometimes more) each day telling us how great it would be if we got the medical mart. Cleveland needs "a shot in the arm" they say, and medical mart/convention center plan would be the shot that gives new life to the local economy.

Somehow that just seems like too much of a "get rich quick" scheme destined not to pan out like they're promising us. For one, the fact that the commissioners wanted to slide this right under our noses, without taking it to a vote, should really cause alarm bells and red lights to start flashing in our minds. Other than lining their own pockets, what benefit will this be to the rest of us?

And then there's the issue of full disclosure. Sure, they're holding "public hearings" and inviting the public to come down and have a listen to their plans, but the days and times they offer them are not condusive for most area residents and workers to attend. The first was held on July 19th, a Thursday, at 11am. The next one is scheduled for Thusrday July 26th, also at 11am. How many working adults in Cuyahoga County can really afford to take time off of work to attend such an event? These are the people such a tax hike would affect, and they can't even be offered the opportunity to attend a public forum to discuss the issue at a reasonable time? Few people can attend, which is exactly what the people behind this plan want.

The front page of the Pee Dee has become a forum of Fast Food Journalism - just about as protein deficient in information as the McDonald’s servings are absent nutrition.

Sunday’s edition reveals the lack of thought now a trademark of the PD front-page slide. The five-and-half, 12-inch display – about leadership and regionalism – has the photos of 75 politicians imbedded. Seventy-five cropped photos!

Is that supposed to be powerful? Is that supposed to be creative?

As usual, the “article” isn’t one. It sends you searching among the shorts in the display for “Where the hell is the story?” Finally, I noticed a black line with an ad for the website and - YES! - a note that inside on Page 4 “area leaders react.” All in all, not very tasty stuff.

Please, tell me I’m having a bad dream.

George Forbes indicted. On mere misdemeanors!

After all the questionable deals Forbes pulled during his long tenure in City Council, much of it as its president, he gets caught taking little grub and a couple of flights. You gotta be kidding.

Moreover, the crime is NOT reporting the gifts. Spare me.

Has Cleveland sunk so low that even its Premier Power Broker proves to be a minor league delinquent? How embarrassing.

I loved his interview with Tom Beres of WKYC, Ch. 3. Forbes, almost straight-faced, told Beres, I didn’t even know my daughter worked for the company that lost $200 million. Forbes was interviewed in his backyard sporting a grilling costume to show his humble side. You know, just a simple common guy enjoying July 4, toasting up ribs.

My memory may fade but a “misdemeanor guy” is not the Forbes I’ve known.

Is this the Forbes that cut a secret deal that allowed his good friend Dick Jacobs to walk away with the highly desirable Chagrin Highlands development land, worth untold millions of dollars? Thereafter, Forbes left public office and his firm represented the same Dick Jacobs. And how many flights to New York City entertainment venues did George take with Dick on his private plane?

Is this the same George Forbes who became a partner with the late James Carney when Carney was Democratic Party boss and a wealthy businessman with numerous downtown interests? (Same interests as nephew John Carney strategically located on the same Port Board today).

Is this the same George Forbes who took paper bags of money in the carnival kickback days only to be ruled blameless by a retired judge sent up to Cleveland by Gov. Jim Rhodes, another of Forbes’ Republican backers? Forbes is a Democrat in name only and long has played with Republicans to advance himself.

Is this the same Forbes for whom a shipping firm was established as a minority firm but turned out to be a white front? It was later sold to Pickands-Mather, one of Cleveland’s old time corporations, with Forbes walking away with a cash settlement. The firm got a favorable loan from the Nixon administration, despite staff objections about the nature of the firm.

Is this the same Forbes who joined with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey’s managing partner James C. Davis when the firm was trying to help CEI steal the city’s municipal light plant, as Davis helped Forbes with the first black law firm in the bond counsel business? The same Davis – called the Great White Father by Forbes – who tried to have Gov. James Rhodes take over the city to thwart Dennis Kucinich’s term as mayor and who wanted to fund (by bonds, of course) a jetport in Lake Erie?