The relationship between the stories most commented upon and the stories most-read is often far less than linear. Sometimes stories that are tremendously commented on end up being well-read, but often the most-read stories are stories linked elsewhere that build readership over time.
Since we moved to davisvanguard.org we have been able to track the number of people who have read a given story.
No.2 of all time is a story that generated a ton of comments at the time, “Measure P Rebuttal Statements Turned In” – which generated 143 comments. No.3 is “CalPERS Debunks Myth of Shorter Life Expectancy For Safety Employees” which has been picked up by multiple outside sources as has No.5, “Why Do Firefighters Make Substantially More Than Police Officers in Davis?” And No.4 is one of the many Ajay Dev Stories that have generated a lot of readership, this one “Crowd Protests Sentence of Ajay Dev Sentenced to 378 Years Last Week.”
The other thing we note about the top ten list this year is the expansion of the Vanguard beyond City of Davis issues. Many of the most-read articles come from issues outside of Davis, as well as within.
So there are some surprising entries in here, including the No.1.
1. Yolo County’s Problems Responding to Requests For Public Information – This is our story from June that highlighted problems receiving public records requests from the county. This issue has reemerged in the last few weeks as similar problems have developed. The Vanguard has put the county on notice that we will be filing a complaint with the Yolo County Grand Jury’s office. We have just received our documents from the county and will proceed with filing the complaint this week.
2. Council Disintegrates Into Bickering As Mayor Falls Ill – The next two articles relate to the incident that occurred in late January that led then-Mayor Ruth Asmundson to fall ill, following a verbal spat with Councilmember Sue Greenwald.
3. What Happened Tuesday Night After the Cameras Were Off… – This was my chronicle of what happened after the cameras were turned off. This article drew a lot of heat at the time, but I believed it was necessary to bear witness to what happened. It is unfortunate that this incident had to occur and hopefully things are in a better place now.
4. Hundreds March in Davis For Ajay Dev – This is one of many stories that follow the case of Ajay Dev, a former Davis resident who was convicted and sentenced to 378 years in prison for the crime of raping his adopted daughter. His family believes that the charges were fabricated by the young lady and that he is completely innocent. The case is currently pending the filing of an appeal and the Vanguard has followed it since the date of sentencing.
5. Citizens Urge Councilmember Heystek to Consider Reentering Council Race – The ill-fated effort to get Councilmember Lamar Heystek to reconsider his decision to not seek reelection drew a lot of attention in early March. Several hundred people ended up signing a “Draft Lamar” petition, and after a number of days seriously considering the decision, he decided to stick to the original decison not to run.
6. Family and Supporters Gather in the Park For One Year Anniversary of Ajay Dev Conviction – Another Ajay Dev-related story.
7. “Cash For Conviction” Program in DA’s Office? – This is a story perhaps that has been among the most influential of the year and has been reposted on so many different sites that the number of hits are not reflective of the influence. The article came out on March 23 and showed a number of grants that necessitate more prosecutions and more convictions in order to receive grant money which creates a perverse incentive structure. The goal of a grant ought to be to show a decrease in the crime, not necessarily to prosecute or convict more people.
8. Rexroad Finds Himself in Hot Water Over Palin Comment – This is a moment Supervisor Matt Rexroad would like to forget. He posted on Facebook, “Matt Rexroad understands that it works with Republican voters… but if Sarah Palin endorsed me I would be too embarrassed to tell anyone.” Unfortunately Palin’s people are a bit petty and vindictive, the story ended up going national and to make matters worse he was referring to Carly Fiorina, whom his own firm had hired. Of course, he was right, but he got roasted for it.
9. McDonough, Holland and Allen to Close; City Attorney Said To Be Unaffected – One of the largest law firms in Sacramento literally split apart due to a variety of factors. It was of interest to us because City Manager Harriet Steiner worked there. She said at the time that she did not think it would impact the services to the city, and she moved to a comparable law firm and from what most can tell there is no impact on the city.
10. Vanguard Firefighter Brochure Hits Davis Mailboxes – This was our big mailer of the year, laying out for residents of Davis the influence and impact of the firefighters. The piece hit in late February. The firefighters stayed out of the city council race that traditionally they have donated huge amounts of money to, mainly because they could not get a second candidate to take their endorsement and money. Both Joe Krovoza and Rochelle Swanson refused to take firefighter money or seek an endorsement. This led Sydney Vergis to follow suit. Did the Vanguard mailer play a role in that? Hard to know. For those wanting to know, total cost of the mailer with postage was less than $5000.
We have chosen two different honorable mentions for different reasons.
First Honorable Mention: Rape Case Exoneration Provides Another Mark Against DA – This was a December 20, 2009 article, but the bulk of the readership came after the start of 2010. The story has received renewed interest due to parallels with the case of Michael Artz, about which the Vanguard had several articles and one that just missed this list. It had the same people investigating and prosecuting as in the Artz case, and it was wrought with similar problems. The Noori family has now sued in federal court and that case is pending.
Second Honorable Mention: Vanguard Investigation Finds Evidence of Exaggerated Crime Figures in DA Grant Applications – This may have been the most-read story we have but we will never know because of several problems that made the hit counter inaccurate. The Vanguard found a number of cases where the DA used what appeared to be inaccurate and exaggerated crime figures in the DA’s Grant application. The DA’s Office contemplated action against the Vanguard and dismissed the charges as “false” and libelous.
A Sacramento News and Review article picked it up and said “District Attorney spokesman Jonathan Raven told SN&R that Greenwald’s post showed ‘at the very least, a reckless disregard for the truth and even malicious conduct.’ ”
“We consider the allegations to be libelous,” he added.
“According to a recent editorial column in the Woodland Daily Democrat, the DA was rumored to be contemplating ‘some kind of action against Greenwald.’ The columnist, Jake Dorsey, went on to characterize the DA’s response as ‘petty,’ ” the News and Review reported.
Our own internal review finds that most of the charges hold up under scrutiny. We are considering a follow-up response, but that will be based on further research.
It has been a great year for the Vanguard. Our readership is up about 40 percent over 2009. We launched a successful side project, the Yolo Judicial Watch. We have become a 501(c)3 non-profit. And we are launching not one but two major efforts in January of 2011. Stay tuned, it’s going to be an interesting 2011.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
I have enjoyed watching the Vanguard evolve and grow. It offers an invaluable service to the community, and an opportunity for community members of all political persuasions/ideologies to voice their opinion. Best of luck and much prosperity to the People’s Vanguard of Davis for the NEW YEAR 2011!
I believe the definition of a Non-Profit is , pay the actual costs of the business, and then Pay the remaining money leftover to the owner of the business.
Hence that is how you become a 501(c)3 Non-Profit !!!!!!!!!!
Hope you can live with yourself .
[i]Hope you can live with yourself,[/i] says the man who speaks for the firefighters who have worked hard to bankrupt our fair city.
Thanks DPD for all you do!
You make living in this wonderfully cantakerous town all the more enjoyable!
And thanks to Don Shor for keeping the blog cantakerous but not nasty.
Happy New Year to you both!
To Avatar: Why would you have a problem with dmg taking some sort of salary for all the work he does on the Vanguard? Why is he not entitled to make a living at it? Perhaps you do not understand how 501(c)3 Non-Profits work.
From Nolo Press’s “Nonprofit Corp. of CA”:
“None of the gains, profits, or dividends of the corporation can go to individuals associated with the corporation, including directors, officers, and those defined as members in the corporation’s articles or bylaws. State self-dealing rules apply as well, regulating action by the board of directors if a director has a financial interest in the transaction…a MAJORITY of the board of directors cannot be paid (other than as a director)…”
“Most nonprofits need to deal with money – indeed, being able to attract donations is a prime reason for choosing nonprofit status. Nonprofits can also make money. Nonprofit does not literally mean that a nonprofit corporation cannot make a profit. Under federal tax law and state law, as long as your nonprofit is organized and operating for a recognized nonprofit purpose, it can take in more money than it spends in conducting activities. A nonprofit may use its tax-free profits for its operating expenses (INCLUDING SALARIES FOR OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AND EMPLOYEES) or for the benefit of its organization. It cannot, however, distribute any of the profits for the benefits of its officers, directors, or employees (as dividends, for example).
Glad to see that three of the year’s top articles deal with the Ajay Dev Case. Out of all the cases you have reported this is the most tragic.
Hundreds of people have demonstrated several times this past year against this wrongful conviction–claiming that Ajay Dev is INNOCENT! Ajay Dev was given 378 years for a case where there was no physical evidence that a crime even took place. The accuser was shown over and over again that she was not credible. Witnesses have given testimony in public about this disgrace.
Over 650 people have signed a petition to start an investigation into this case. See this petition on: http://www.change.org/petitions/view/stop_the_epidemic_of_injustice_in_yolo_county_free_ajay_dev
David, thank you for your time and energy to visit the courts and uncover the truth of what is happening in the Yolo County Judicial Departments.
Hopefully your efforts will help future jurors to be more critical of what they hear from the prosecutors, defense lawyers, and law enforcement officers. I think before you started your Yolo County Judicial Watch, citizens just assumed that looking for the truth of the matter is what the courts did. Now we realize that everyone has an agenda, and for some, that agenda may not include “justice.”
He is making money , so why the non -profit status ?
Does the vanguard also run a Hospital , a Clinic , help mental children ?
Sounds to me like he is using this as a Loophole .
Leave the Non-Profit status for the Hard Working Charities that deserve and warrant it !
Is the Enterprise , Sac Bee , TV news stations , non-profit , I wouldn’t think so .
Lets hear from David , I doubt if he will respond .
to Avatar: Give me a break, stop whining about non profit, in this day and age of dirty politicians, the only way the other news sources can stay above water is to get their news by catering to the politicians that give it to them.
Non-profit means he does not relay on Gov. Smell the coffee and stop drinking the cool aide.
But I guess if our crooked DA Reisig can take tax free donations to run his crooked campaigns, that is OK. But someone trying to protect freedom of the press and keep the people informed is somehow wrong in your book. Clearly you must be a in the pocket of some politician and trying to gain favor by attacking this forum.
I’ve never made a dime on this project in the four and a half years of its existence. All money has gone into the operational expenses.
“””””””I’ve never made a dime on this project in the four and a half years of its existence. All money has gone into the operational expenses.””””””””
So why do you need a Non-Profit status then ?
You left out the finest piece you ever wrote, the one about no witnesses saw a knife.
So why do you need a Non-Profit status then?
Well, for one, because it can help draw more donations, because you can potentially take it as a tax write-off.
David, did you see this article on how Prichard, Alabama, dealt with its pension problem? They did nothing, and now their retirees receive nothing. It’s an extreme, but it offers one scenario for discussion:
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/business/23prichard.html[/url]
DMG: “””””””I’ve never made a dime on this project in the four and a half years of its existence. All money has gone into the operational expenses.””””””””
Avatar: So why do you need a Non-Profit status then ?
For all of the work David puts into this, I happen to think he has the right to a salary, here. One example of non-profit organizations offering salaries are arts organizations — ballet, symphony, etc. An example of a bigger, non-profit news organization is Pro Publica ([url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Publica[/url]), which also offers salaries.
If I understand the structure of 501c3 non-profits (and the Vanguard), they have a board of directors that have to approve budget issues.
wdf: Yes, they ran that in the Enterprise as well a few days ago. I’m not in favor of that, as it is unfair to the employees, but at least it is a more honest account.
Avatar: You seem to really lack a good understanding of how this all works. I politely suggest you do some research before you talk on this.
David ,
“””””Avatar: You seem to really lack a good understanding of how this all works. I politely suggest you do some research before you talk on this.”””””””
Then answer the question so that it will be understood why your business needs to be Non-Profit .
It’s a community educational organization that has not been created for the profit of a single owner. Therefore, under IRS law it is eligible for tax exempt status and people can then make tax deductible donations and we can receive grants to help finance ongoing programs.
Avatar, it’s really none of your business how David operates his business. I’m sure he is complying with the law and that’s all that matters. You have not a shred of evidence to suggest otherwise.
By contrast, what you guys in the fire department do is the public’s business.
[i]”Since we moved to davisvanguard.org we have been able to track the number of people who have read a given story.”[/i]
I think it would be interesting if, with your top 10 listed above, you also included how many hits each got, and how many of those, if you can tell, came from unique users. I suspect some stories, for whatever reason, get multiple hits from some individual users.
My own perception, as a regular Vanguard reader, is that the most passion among your readers is with issues of development*. I think it is the same thing with the Davis Enterprise–that issues of growth or restricting growth are what the largest number of people have strong views on.
*FWIW, these are not the issues I care most strongly about. My greatest civic interest (for the last five years) is the mismanagement of our city’s labor deals and how that mismanagement is costing us more and more money and ultimately is leading us toward bankruptcy and worse city services. … And if I had to guess, it seems to me the Vanguard’s greatest civic interest is with issues of law and order–that is, how the police officers, sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors in our region behave or (perhaps) misbehave, especially when those people are dealing with people that the Vanguard believes are vulnerable minorities (gays, blacks, Latinos, etc.).
I also commend David and enjoy this blog. I enjoy the informed and thoughtful dialogue, and occasionally can’t resist offering my 2-cent’s worth. I would encourage some of the regular contributors to the blog to consider running for city council. Happy New year to all (even “Avatar!”)
David:
I don’t agree with you on everything especially earlier on in the year, but I do appreciate your hard work on the blog and giving most of us an opportunity to express our opinions most of the time.
@ Observer: “…running…” or seek appointment come 1/5, when the process for such will be final.
Thank you, David, for increasing the quantity and quality of community discourse.
Happy New Year, all.
Avatar: “So why do you need a Non-Profit status then ?”
So that the income received from donations for the “public benefit corporation” (501(c)3 Nonprofit) is exempt from taxation. A 501(c)3 nonprofit must be either for a) charitiable purposes or b) public purposes, which can include the specified purposes of charitable, scientific, literary, or educational. The People’s Vanguard of Davis 501(c)3 nonprofit would come under “educational (public) purpose”.
And by the way, I’m glad you raised the question (even tho w a bit of hostility), bc I think it is very important for people to understand what a 501(c)3 nonprofit is and how it works. I hope you now have a better understanding…
Rifkin: “My greatest civic interest (for the last five years) is the mismanagement of our city’s labor deals and how that mismanagement is costing us more and more money and ultimately is leading us toward bankruptcy and worse city services. … “
I appreciate your efforts on behalf of citizens on this matter…
wdf1: “David, did you see this article on how Prichard, Alabama, dealt with its pension problem? They did nothing, and now their retirees receive nothing. It’s an extreme, but it offers one scenario for discussion: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12…chard.html”
Very interesting article, and quite frightening to think about…
David, It nice to see the appreciation on the comments. I know many people read your articles although they don’t post regularly. Thanks for giving your time, hard work and analysis for the public. You have brought a wide variety of issues to light for the betterment of our community. I look forward to your two new projects! Congratulations.
I spent 10 years in California prisons and know the Pelican Bay SHU personally. I wrote a drug war novel Roll Call by Glenn Langohr to show the public the path we are on by incarcerating petty criminals is only breeding bigger ones who are displaced from society when they are released. The U.S is not the leaders of the free world; we are the leaders of the incarcerated world! I started http://www.lockdownpublishing.com when I got out of prison to help other prisoners change their lives through writing. http://youtu.be/jEQ8Gh1-bFs Here is the NY Review Kirkus Discoveries, Nielsen Business Media
discoveries@kirkusreviews.com
A harrowing, down-and-dirty depiction—sometimes reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic—of America’s war on drugs, by former dealer and California artist Langohr.
I’m also writing over 50 California prisoners to inspire them to turn their lives around through writing. I want interviews and publicity as I am broke out of prison and can’t afford the regular channels…
Thank you and God Bless Glenn 949 357 7465
TIME TO PROTEST THE C.C.P.O.A –Coming soon