Sunday, June 28, 2009

Observer Reports Breaking News About RoMo

Sunday's paper will carry the story....

"Captain reassigned after call to help chief study"

Well ok it's not really breaking news that the CMPD has reassigned Mike Campagna from director of the department's training division to the Watch Commander's Office.

But the Charlotte Observer is pretty understaffed these days and even though Cedar Posts reported this move nearly two weeks ago it takes a while for the daily fish wrapper to "follow up and confirm" news before going to print.

Cedar Posts on the other hand reports this sort of news as it happens, or at least when we get around to it which seems to be a whole lot faster than the Observer.

I just hope they fix the typos before the presses run tonight.

Years ago I did a very short stint with John Kilgo and Stan Kaplan over at the Weekly Newspaper. This was long before the fire and when John Kilgo was the John Wayne of the newspaper business around Charlotte.



Undated photo of John Kilgo right and Jay Thomas

The Weekly Newspaper was the only place I ever got to shout "STOP THE PRESSES"!

Of course it wasn't for a big story, or breaking news even, nah... they had the color wrong on a full page AD I'd sold to a very good client and friend.

I didn't know my PMS Colors from my butt, and this was so far back in the day that the paste up and type setting work was done manually. You filled out an order proofed a black and white AD, wrote down the correct pms color and prayed the press crew got it right.

I happened to be in the office when the presses started to run. The ad was on the back page, and I could see the pink last page of the paper as it looped around in a blur of OHMYGOD as I realized it was my AD which was susposed to red. Pink would have been fine for Easter but this AD was for a 4th of July sale at a car dealer.

John once told me I had an abrasive personalty during a staff meeting, he meant it as criticism, but I took it as a compliment. I've never liked hubris people, and John Kilgo had a pretty big head back then, but I stuck it out at the Weekly Newspaper because I had a thing for his daughter Robin. Neither the job or the "thing" with his daughter lasted through the second summer.

John Kilgo and the Weekly Newspaper have bounced around for years, each never finding perfection. Stan Kaplan passed away in 2001, no doubt with a cigar in one hand and a rocks glass in the other, Stan's wife Sis filled for chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2005 and the paste up and type setters are all unemployed now as well.

And I wonder how much longer the Observer presses will roll down on Tryon Street.

Monday Update:

The Richmond Times - Dispatch picks up the Captain C story with some interesting reader comments. NC Policeman Reassigned

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like the observer is way behind cedar posts!! Will all the stories out there about "RO-MO" they are on a long road to play catch up. What a worthless paper we have in the Disturber........I think Cedar Posts should be our new newspaper......I would subscribe.

Anonymous said...

I'm just happy some stuff is starting to appear in the paper

Anonymous said...

I remember Kilgo he worked at the Disturber for a time years ago. Is he still living? He's got to be 70 or better now!

Anonymous said...

Did anyone see the news about the Supreme Court Decision??

VERY interesting as it pertains to CMPD....VERY INTERESTING.

Google it....but basically says firefighters in Conn. were unfairly denied promotions because they were white.....and the dept. was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because african americans and hispanic firefighters were unlikely to be promoted based on results.

Seems like what is happening at CMPD right now....looks like the Supreme Court would back up all lawsuits brought by white CMPD officers according to how things have been handled at CMPD....from everything I have heard.

Anonymous said...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/29/national/main5121634.shtml

Here is the story on the reverse discrimination lawsuit won by white firefighters who were passed over in promotions.

"CBS/AP) The Supreme Court ruled Monday that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

New Haven was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results, the court said Monday in a 5-4 decision.

The controversy started when New Haven voided its entire 2003 promotional exam after the results made 18 whites - but no blacks - eligible to become officers. When the city decided to promote no one, the white firefighters called that invalid under the Constitution. "

Anonymous said...

WHEN IS LC TAKING THE STATE EXAM????

DID he get an "extension" on time to take it??

Wasn't he supposed to take the exam ONE YEAR from the date he was hired?

Did he intentionally go out of the country so he could get an extension on taking the exam??

Just asking these questions because I honestly don't know, but as a concerned citizen I would REALLY LIKE to know the answers to these questions.

Anyone know????

Anonymous said...

As far as the reverse discrimination suit goes, how on earth do you get something like that started? We all know its going on within CMPD. I personally have already missed out on a transfer because the unit had no minorities and none of the other people that put in for the position was a minority. I know several others that were all put told that they were in line for a transfer to a specialized unit but at the last minute the whole process was scrapped because of a lack of a certain minority percentage. We all know this is happening, but pretty much it's all hearsay. How do you get the proof you need to go forward with a lawsuit?

Anonymous said...

There will be plenty during the next promotional process I'm sure!!

Anonymous said...

Ro-mo isn't going anywhere people. He is going to continue to stay here and abuse his power and no one will stop him. This isn't his first rodeo. Just like it wasn't Lisa Shores first rodeo. Another moron who abused her powers. Granted, she finally got hers but it took someone on the inside to take her down and from what I see this current command staff is a bunch of wimps. MC got his finally but he has always been a butt kisser and weak leader. Sit back and let CMPD (Colored Mans Police Department) run into the ground. I hear and see what is going on. The white officer better stop worrying about Ro-Mos spending habits and education or lack of and start looking at what is really going on. If not you better start learning how to pick crops and working a mule because picking is in your future my friends. You guys are really going to be out in the FIELD. Ro-mo knows what he is doing and when things get bad enough,and it's going to take awhile, then he will pick up and move onto the next city and take another retirement check with him.