Hotel & Motel Management - September 3, 2007 - (Page 6)

Checking In PERSPECTIVE H&MM September 3, 2007 | HotelMotel.com An apology for not being more clear IN THE details Accountability is needed Media buries clariﬁcations Johnson has medical issue Congress should be present EDITORIAL By Jeff Higley Editorial Director O ne of many things that bothers me about the mentality of the media is its overall lack of accountability. As the Internet continues to feed the must-have-news-now preference of the general public, just about anyone can write a blog or commentary that passes as “journalism.” In turn, broadcast and print media feel the need to turn up the heat in an effort to keep up with the Joneses. When a mistake is made or something is unclear, rarely is a correction or clariﬁcation placed in the same spot that the mistake occurred. However, it’s not just the mainstream media that falls into the trap of quoting anonymous sources and unsubstantiated rumors or doesn’t do enough homework. I fell into the latter category in a recent column and need to set the record straight. After “Hoteliers can take a deep breath for now” was published in our July 16 issue [page 6], I received several e-mails taking me to task over the following statement, which was in reference to the defeat of the so-called “card-check” legislation in late June: “The fact that the bill received 51 of the needed 60 votes indicates that this won’t be the last attempt to institute this type of legislation. Fortyeight senators voted against it, and one ill-advised soul, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, didn’t vote.” haps you owe the senator and his family an apology.” From Josh Graham, assistant g.m. at The Watergate Hotel in Washington: “Tim Johnson is actually the same senator who suffered bleeding in the brain in Dec 2006 and lost speech and motor capacity. He has been cleared to return to work but has not done so yet while All members of Congress are hired to shape the direction of our country. Medical issue I failed to note than Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage in December and has been rehabilitating in the nation’s capital. His staff recently announced that he was scheduled to return to South Dakota in late August to continue his rehabilitation. A couple of the e-mails: From Charlie Long of Extended Stay Hotels in South Carolina: “He might not be able to make it to every vote, as he is in therapy ﬁve days a week for several hours each day. Per- he is still in rehab and is not expected to return until September. … I think that ‘poor soul’ might be a better description than ‘ill-advised’ given the circumstances.” Both readers give excellent insight. I do apologize for not making this clear. Bigger picture In the bigger picture, it should raise a red ﬂag for all voters that missing votes for any reason is an issue. If Johnson can’t devote his full attention to the tasks at hand, should he not step aside for an able-bodied How to contact the H&MM editorial staff 600 Superior Ave. East, Suite 1100; Cleveland, OH 44114 Tel: (216) 706-3700 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 | www.HotelMotel.com Jeff Higley Editorial Director jhigley@questex.com Stephanie Ricca Managing Editor sricca@questex.com Elaine Simon Senior Editor esimon@questex.com (216) 706-3728 (216) 706-3791 (216) 706-3782 representative? Because Senate rules do not allow members to vote if they are not present, those elected must take their roles seriously. But we all know that it’s not the case. Many senators routinely miss votes— in many cases because they are on the campaign trail seeking higher ofﬁce. Regardless of political afﬁliation, this should outrage all Americans. What if the card-check legislation had passed by one vote instead of failing? It would have created a situation in which the secret-ballot system that we all cherish would not apply to organized labor’s attempts to unionize hotels. Yikes! Even as a supporter of organized labor, I couldn’t stomach the thought of the secret-ballot system being disregarded. Maybe I’ve watched “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington” too many times and live in a dream world. All members of Congress, whether they be in the Senate or House of Representatives, are hired to shape the direction of our country. If they can’t make it, or worse, choose not make it to sessions that have votes, shame on them for taking the oath of ofﬁce in the ﬁrst place. By all accounts, Johnson is a ﬁne man with the country’s best interest at heart. I wish him a continued speedy recovery, but his situation does point out a larger problem. And for some reason, I don’t think we’re ever going to get an apology or clariﬁcation from an elected ofﬁcial for missing a vote. jhigley@questex.com We welcome your comments, criticisms and compliments. Address correspondence to: 600 Superior Ave. East, Suite 1100, Cleveland, OH 44114 Jeff Higley, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . jhigley@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3728 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Stephanie Ricca, MANAGING EDITOR . . . . . . . sricca@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3791 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Elaine Simon, SENIOR EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . esimon@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3782 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Stacey Mieyal Higgins, SENIOR EDITOR . . . . . .shiggins@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3783 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Heather Gunter, ASSOCIATE EDITOR . . . . . . . hgunter@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3792 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Amy B. 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Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - September 3, 2007

Cover Contents Convention Centers Add Bells and Whistles Questex Media acquires Five Star Alliance Perspective At Your Risk Energy Star Update Sales Clinic Transactions Awards Trends & Stats Wireless Networking Northwest Pipeline Coffee Services Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - September 3, 2007

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