The OSCAR, for Best Actor in a Supporting Role goes to:

Josh Resnek, “Editor” of the Everett “Independent.”

Making absolutely no pretense at objective journalism, Josh Resnek should get the OSCAR for his thrilling performance in supporting the Hanlon Administration’s bloated budget throughout the budget hearings, for his history-rewriting editorials and puddle-deep articles. Never mind that the department heads made statements that at times disagreed with that of the Budget Director, Janice Vetrano or City Auditor, Don Andrew…Never mind that Mayor Hanlon ran on a hiring freeze….never mind that the budget is loaded down with do nothing jobs for his supporters….Josh Resnek instead finds fault with any city councilors who dared question this budget, reserving most of his animosity for Ward 3 Alderman, Stephen Smith. Smith, who is running for State Representative against Superintendent Fred Foresteire’s hand-picked candidate, Frank Nuzzo, was the primary target in Josh’s editorializing, leading many to believe that Fred must be getting a little scared for his candidate, who is still walking his dog while other people do his campaigning for him.

Yesterday’s “analysis” of the last ten years of city budgets was more of a whitewash of the Hanlon budget than anything else. While the article looked at the budget recommendations vs. the actual budget – there was no examination of what those costs were! Were they fixed costs? How about transfers to the stabilization fund? Raises? Snowplowing? Police cars or fire trucks? Whatever it was - you don’t know because our resident armchair journalist didn’t bother to break it down. That would be too much like…real journalism.

So, Josh, put your pom-poms down and pick up your OSCAR. You deserve it for your most excellent performance this year in a supporting role. Unfortunately, the Pulitzer’s will have to wait for real journalists.