Transparency is a terrific word used by politicians to camouflage anything that’s not transparent.
Over-spoken and underutilized, the word has been abused by misuse.
“We want to be totally transparent with this new revenue stream generator.”
That’s called a new tax.
“This audit will dispel any doubt about the expeditures and billings required by law to be applied to this project.”
That’s called “We just spent your money.”
“Without doubt this is the most transparent legislation this body has ever adopted.”
That’s called “You just been hosed.”
With the rise of social media and the internet, transparency is proliferated by bloggers who bring us “transparent truths.”
Make note here, whenever the word transparency is used, you can be assured that it’s not.
The internet has become a haven for would be journalists who can’t get a regular job, such as Robert Haugh.
Robert used to work for the Weekly until he was terminated for cause in 2015.
After running through his unemployment, he resurfaced following meetings with Mayor Gillmor, Councilwoman Teresa O’Neill and political consultant and lobbyist Jude Barry. They encouraged him to start his own online newspaper to bring the citizens of Santa Clara that wonderful gift called “transparency.”
Haugh has become the guru of Santa Clara fake news.
If City Hall was burning down, Haugh would write a headline “Local marshmellow and weenie roast was spearheaded by City Council.”
Haugh has become the unofficial outlet for the Mayor and her Council cronies to manufacture transparent news. Oh, right. We already discussed transparency.
There is such a thing as literary license, which Haugh has taken to a new dimension. If he doesn’t have the facts, he creates them. If he does have the facts, he rewrites them.
Reading one of Haugh’s stories is like reading the Sunday comics, only you know the punch line before you begin.
The Mayor must be proud to have someone of Haugh’s caliber to carry her transparency message to our residents.
The only missing ingredient in Haugh’s posts is credibility. But why burden yourself with details like that when you have a City Council that loves what you write?
Fake news is in vogue. It ranks right up there with transparency.
A salute to our Mayor for making this pick to discredit her opponents.
Hats off to Haugh for setting a new journalistic low.
Just don’t expect the Pulitzer Transparency Award anytime soon.