March 28, 2004

Can you imagine the pride that Ernie Schreiber must have felt when he was chosen to be the Editor of Lancaster New Era? After working for decades as an underling, it must have been wonderful to take the reigns of the nearly 125 year old paper.

Read in part, what Ernie wrote on his first day on the job:

"In its editorials, he (the founder of the paper) said, the New Era would be Republican in principle. But in its discussion of public figures and issues, it would be independent. It would not be the voice of any political faction, individual or special interest.

Today those values will continue at the New Era."

Oh, Really? Those values will continue? We can be sure that Ernie is making his predecessors turn over in their graves with his fascist support of the public/"private" partnership.

What evidence do we have to backup such a statement?

Believe it or not, the Lancaster New Era wrote an editorial AGAINST the hotel motel tax. Believe it or not, the Lancaster New Era wrote an editorial AGAINST giving money for a downtown hotel and convention center project.

But that was before Ernie Schreiber came onto the scene. Apparently, Ernie's mission in life is to please his master on the fourth floor (that's where his Master's Office is located). Ernie is apparently willing to sacrifice his stated "values" in order keep his job.

Now about the editorial. It was written under Editor Bob Kozak about a $10 million state grant given by then Gov. Bob Casey for a hotel/convention center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. We emphasis that the editorial was about the small sum of $10 million not the $80+ million of public money involved in Lancaster's project.

What did the Lancaster New Era say about the hoteliers argument against the tax? (click to read entire editorial)

"Their protests make sense. How can they compete, they ask, with a hotel that is being infused with $10 million of public funds? How can they pay the going rate for renovations in their own hotels, and pass those costs to customers, when the operators of Casey's project don't have to worry about recouping their renovation costs?"

Yes, just how are Lancaster county's hoteliers going to compete? The public is building the Penn Square Partners their lobby, their kitchen, their ballroom and their storage space! All told, the public is being asked to shell out $76 million!

But that's not all the pubic is shelling out - the Penn Square Partners have also received over $7 million in the form of an interest-free loan - with no pay back for 20 years!

Continue to read this excellent editorial:

"But $10 million is not a grant. It is a windfall. It is a lottery jackpot. It is an unconscionable amount of money for one facility in one city."

If the convention center is built with that grant, we have no doubt it will be filled with tourists from Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. Thanks to Congressman Joseph McDade and former Gov. Casey, the Scranton area has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars in public funds. If for no other reasons, tourists will flock there just to visit their money.

As for the other hotel owners who have to deal with unfair competition....well, they can join the rest of us on the other side of that nose-thumbing."

And you can join the Lancaster County hoteliers as Ernie Schrieber thumbs his nose at the taxpayers and the "values" Ernie says he believes!

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