Detroit’s Journalism King Bill Bonds Dies.

He was more than a TV news anchor although that’s one of the reasons he reigned number one and regarded as the King of the news here. No he was much more, Bill Bonds was hard-core journalist at its finest. Old school reporting, he wanted the what were and always should be the basic rules of the profession.

The Who, What, When, Where and Why.

He demanded the answers, from those he interviewed and from the reporters on the street working at the station. We all grew up in Detroit watching all three channels 2,4 & 7 and in the end it would always lead back to WXYZ for only one reason, Bill Bonds.

A powerhouse reporter who got down to the grit of a story and there was none better for not letting anyone off the hook until he gained the answers and what was the truth.

The World is About to END and it’s all Bob Ficano’s Fault!

15 Shot, 6 Dead Within 24 Hours in Detroit. Journalism at its Finest!

The GREAT reporting by Detroit News sources on both the newspaper and flip side TV.

5W’s and 1H is the Basis of any journalism. At least it used to be. Otherwise the REPORT you are given leaves giant holes to the story your attempting to report on. And if you’re not going to give ALL the details then don’t give us any. Because it is very irritating.

It’s very simple: Who, What, Why, When, Where & How.

WXYZ Detroit Full Of Holes Reporting Concerning Pinnacle Race Course.

Talk about SHODDY REPORTING.

This station has been on some rampage concerning executive director Robert Ficano for months now. Last week on July 27th Mary Conway’s entire story was how Bob Ficano threw away $35 Million on Pinnacle Race Course.

I addressed that unfair attack in a blog.

And all I’m addressing is stories they are doing on Pinnacle and nothing else. But again on Wednesday’s 6:00PM news cast they managed to again drag Pinnacle into another one of their stories over the hiring of another Wayne County official for the airport. Video in the backdrop of Pinnacle with our horsemen and horses.

Heather Catallo did this story.

How in the hell do you take a story about an individual you don’t feel has the experience for the position they’ve been hired to do at the airport and somehow within that story bring up the race track again.

Same rant on both of these stories within 10 days of each other. Pinnacle failed to produce the number of jobs expected.

Look WXYZ if you want the heads of Ficano and any other appointee for a position within Wayne County that’s one thing, but if you want to start talking a bunch of untrue bunk about Pinnacle’s failure to do this or that. Then damn it let’s talk about why Pinnacle was unable to fulfill these job expectations fairly and with truth.

You want to talk Horse Racing Industry let’s get down to it.

Michigan And Jerry Campbell Letting Bob Ficano Take The Heat For Pinnacle Race Course

And it is all BULLSHIT.

WXYZ VIDEO: Wayne County Exec. Ficano responds to audit critical of Pinnacle deal

Detroit Free Press

Audit says Wayne County blew $35.2 million on investment plan

Both the Newspaper and flip side on WXYZ are making Bob Ficano out some devious schemer when he’s anything but. Let’s get something straight here on both of these news media outlets including the Free Press quoting some off the wall right-wing source ( Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan Capitol Confidential ) that Michael LaFaive of the Mackinac Center is apart of. I addressed these group long ago when nothing but bashings of this Race Track were constantly being bombarded on.

Yet The Michigan Capitol Confidential eventually came out with was a very accurate article WHY Pinnacle never had a chance from the beginning.

‘Schizophrenic’ State Planning.

Excerpt:

The state of Michigan and Wayne County showered millions upon millions of tax dollars on the Pinnacle Race Course in Huron Township in 2008. The track was seen as the start of a tourist attraction that would draw fans from surrounding states and Canada, create thousands of jobs and generate millions in state revenue.

Yet state legislators and state government roadblocks were damaging the very project they were pumping millions of dollars of incentives into, leading to what one expert called a “schizophrenic behavior.”

Thoroughbred Racing Back In The City Of Detroit At The Fairgrounds?

Now that Pinnacle Race Course has made its decision.

PINNACLE RACE COURSE IS BEING HIJACKED BY THE MGCB: MICHIGAN THOROUGHBRED HORSE RACING HAS GENERATED $5,594,667.00 current fiscal year off 3.5% Simulcast Tax. But Threatens to Shut Pinnacle Race Course Down Today at 12 NOON Unless WE PAY THEM $57,000 MORE. THIS IS A CONSPIRACY.

PAY RANSOM OR ELSE? 

   

Simulcast revenue produced from 3.5 tax for current fiscal year ending september 30, 2010. Current bal. Oct. 1, 2009 to August 29, 2010 

$5,594,667 

  

  

18 Horses left Starving to Death and Owner TICKETED?

Enraged is the only word to describe this horror story. But what infuriates me even more is that Animal Control visited this farm several times over a month ago. One horse was so emaciated it couldn’t be even saved.

All Mi. Horse Tracks about to be SHUT DOWN.

And yet not one word on our LOCAL MEDIA NEWS STATIONS.

WXYZ, WDIV, WJBK, DETROIT NEWS, OR DETROIT FREE PRESS.

But the Free Press did do an article on The Hannahville Indian Community, who wants to put up a casino in Romulus.

On November 5th because of the Veto of funding to the ORC which in reality was already dissolved by Governor Granholm. Because of lack of money for racing officials. ALL 5 MICHIGAN HORSE TRACKS WILL HAVE TO CEASE OPERATION. That means ALL Simulcasting & Live Racing.

And yet the only Media coverage I’ve seen is on links below. Out of Mid/Mi.

Infamit Wisdom Verses Completely Inept

The Breeders Cup this year is on Friday November 6th & 7th.

Our HBPA here in Michigan was notified Thursday Oct. 22

Also a link to MHHA also stated same message with the Urgency for action.

Because of the ORC LAYOFFS: The Michigan HBPA was notified that effective November 5, 2009, due to the Governor’s veto of the funding for the ORC, that all ORC will be laid-off. That will cease all racing activity to include live and simulcasting statewide.