Tony Palemri's Bullshit Can Now be Seen from Outer Space

There's really no other way to put it.

In his monthly column in the Valley Scene Palmeri concludes his annual "10 Most Censored Stories" exercise by including this summer's city council vote on the Grand Opera house repairs at #5. Here's the complete text (emphsases in the original):

No. 5: Oshkosh Grand Opera House Repairs: No Thinking Allowed. When the city of Oshkosh restored the historic Grand Opera House in the early 1980s, costs were spread out among city taxpayers, federal funds, private donations, and foundation grants. Because of the lease terms agreed to by the Oshkosh Common Council in the 80s and rubber stamped by subsequent councils, Oshkosh taxpayers cover repair costs over $1,000. That’s an extremely uncommon method of funding repairs; historic arts houses similar to the Grand (e.g. Baraboo’s Al Ringling Theatre, Wausau’s Grand Theater, Milwaukee’s Pabst Theatere, Viroqua’s Temple Theater, the Kenosha Theater, Menomonie’s Mabel Tainter Theater) rely mostly on private, corporate, and foundation funding.

Last summer the Oshkosh Common Council approved $1.8 million dollars for roof repairs. Coverage and editorializing by Gannett’s Oshkosh Northwestern was incomplete, under researched, intolerant of different points of view, and unwilling to consider that the current ownership model is not sustainable or suitable to guarantee the Grand’s long term health. Reporter Patricia Wolff’s tepid story on ownership issues appeared a week after the repair vote, greatly limiting the story’s value. The lesson? When Gannett has to choose between responsible journalism and protecting ad clients (in this case the Opera House Foundation), the ad clients will prevail every time.

Here's the problem: Palmeri voted for the repairs.

Yes, he gave those in attendance a stern talking to about something or another before casting his vote, but at the end of the day, when it came down to actually taking action PALMERI VOTED FOR THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE REPAIRS.

Also missing from the Palmeri's account of the GOH vote was the fact that the council was met with some 300 people the day of the vote and heard support from dozens of citizens during the meeting in contrast to maybe one or two people who felt otherwise. It was a good old-fashioned local grassroots effort -- like kind Palmeri lionizes in pieces like this one -- organized by the Grand management. They used the internet, word of mouth, a little PR/media savvy and a whole lot of razzle-dazzle.

Would you expect anything less from theater folk?

The way Palmeri crafts the passage above makes it sound like the belated NW article would have somehow swung public opinion against the repairs, but that's nonsensial Monday morning quarterbacking if ever there was such. Palmeri was well aware of all the details of this seeming Gannet-GOH advertising axis (which, by the way, amounts to less than the cost of 2 full page adverts per year last time I checked) before the vote was taken, but couldn't convince anyone that it mattered.

If Palmeri really thought that the GOH repairs were some grave injustice to the people of Oshkosh, he should have done something when he had a chance. After all that's the imagine he likes to project to the community:

(This photoshopped number is actually from one of Palmeri's websites.)

Palmeri can't have it both ways on this topic. Either he agreed with the overwhelming support for the GRAND OPERA HOUSE REPAIRS WHEN HE VOTED FOR THEM or Oshkosh's Knight in White Shining Armor only goes after dragons he can slay when he thinks no one else is looking. There's just no way he can reasonably expect to go after one party's verison of the story while simultaneously whitewashing his own complicity in the matter.

Everyone know Palmeri's ego stands second to none in Oshkosh (see the photo above for evidence). Now there's a pile of bullshit to keep it company.