Posted on 05/02/2013 2:54:27 PM PDT by onyx
Threats by members of the Los Angeles City Council to use the city’s pension funds to penalize investors if they sell the Los Angeles Times to Charles and David Koch could be illegal and unconstitutional, experts say.
A proposal by councilman Bill Rosendahl would allow the city to yank investments by the city’s three pension funds in the Tribune Co., which owns the Times, if the company opts to sell the paper to someone who does not uphold “the highest terms of professional and objective journalism.”
Rumors that libertarian industrialists Charles and David Koch might buy the paper spurred him to propose the motion, Rosendahl told the Times. He did not respond to a request for comment.
“Frankly what I hear about the Koch brothers, if it’s true, it’s the end of journalism,’’ Rosendahl told the paper.
The Koch Brothers are reportedly considering purchasing the Tribune Co., which owns the Times, though they are also said to be uninterested in the company’s other media properties, which include 23 local television stations, a national cable network, and other newspapers.
“We cannot support the sale of the Times to entities who Times readers would view as a political transaction first and foremost, turning L.A.’s metropolitan daily into an ideological mouthpiece whose commitment to empirical journalism would be unproven at best,” Rosendahl wrote.
Legal experts say Rosendahl’s political motivations in directing the city’s pension funds could run afoul of the Kochs’ First Amendment rights.
A Koch spokesperson declined to comment on the issue.
“The government generally can’t discriminate against government contractors based on the content or viewpoint of the contractors’ speech,” University of California Los Angeles law professor Eugene Volokh said in an email to the Washington Free Beacon.
(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...
“We cannot support the sale of the Times to entities who Times readers would view as a political transaction first and foremost, turning L.A.’s metropolitan daily into an ideological mouthpiece whose commitment to empirical journalism would be unproven at best,” Rosendahl wrote.
That’s really rich!
Satire?
Government leaders are threatening to intervene if a republican may purchase the local newspaper?
“the highest terms of professional and objective journalism.”
If that is a problem they should have never invested in the first place/
The LA Times is as big a DNC tool as the NY Times.
From a liberals point of view laws & limits are only for the peons under them.
I think all of this is pretty funny. Whether Koch’s buy any newspapers or not, they certainly have caused the libs to get their panties in a wad.
They like their crap just the way it is. The city is uncomfortable because the new LA Times will be very interested in covering all the crap going on in the city.
“Frankly what I hear about the Koch brothers, if it’s true, it’s the end of journalism,’’ Rosendahl told the paper.
Doesn’t this just sum up liberalism dreadfully? He doesn’t know the guys, and doesn’t know anything about them with any certainty, but he has “heard” things about them, and that is enough for him to use his power as a legislator to turn the force of the state against them.
LOLOLOL.
Yep, you’re right!
I do believe, with the state of L.A.’s balance sheet, they should have to pay the Koch bros to take ownership.
YES, you’re absolutely right!
Facts don’t matter!
The reason the pension funds would sell their stakes would be because they actually could sell and recoup some if their lost investment in a failing (epically) company, which is now a worthless investment as it is.
As it is now, they are stuck with donut holes and rubber biscuits.
In other words they are screwed.
A lot of posturing over nada.
Let me get this straight. The evil Koch brothers are moving in to buy the LA Times, so the City of LA pensions people are going to frantically SELL what the Kochs want to buy?
“The rapist was out to get sex from me, so I gave it to him and proceeded to rape him into submission. That’s my story, Officer.”
I'd take libertarians over most "Republicans" any day too... name one thing from its platform the Republican party has made a stand for:
“the highest terms of professional and objective journalism.”
How can they say that when the LA Times is the farthest thing from objective journalism now?
The Tribune Company owns TV stations, cable networks, and web entities in addition to a list of newspapers. The L.A. Times is viewed as a huge liability, otherwise it wouldn’t be for sale. If the Tribune Company can unload this paper on anybody their stock will rise. So let this fool wants to cut off his nose to spite his face.
I just hope dear Koch Brother do investation on LA City Coucncil you know they are crowd especially Rico Suave Mayor Tony Villar
OH Dear they may do it
I read Winkerpia post on that them they are bad*** ROFL
They got good sense of humor TOO ROFL
It’s bizarre,that’s what it is.
I’m proud to say that,other than a change of planes.I have never been to CA.
.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.