That's just dandy: Newspaper paywall blocks explanation about paying to avoid newspaper paywall.

You simply can't make this stuff up.

The News and Tribune provides a link to a page breathlessly explaining the new fee 'Bama retiree-mandated corporate fee structure ...

You can now buy 24-hour passes to newsandtribune.com

 ... and predictably, you're not allowed to read the sales pitch without paying for the privilege.

Still, speaking only for myself, I'd consider subscribing to some sort of on-line-only access, but only if a couple of conditions are met.

First, a simple thank you from management for 13 whole years of directing traffic from this blog to the newspaper's web site. I may be critical of the newspaper at widely scattered intervals, but I signpost the route for readers to decide for themselves.

I adhere to the rules of the game. Management diddles. So it goes.

Second, simple courtesy when it comes to crediting NA Confidential when the blog breaks a story. It's not every day, but it happens. When reporters ask me about something they've seen on the blog, I'm never coy and always answer them straight.

It'd be nice to experience some reciprocity now and again. Breath duly held, I now go forth and proceed ... to avoid Harvest Homecoming.

Only one more day, people.

Just one more day.

Floyd County Democratic Party breaches paywall, defies pensioners, reprints Nash column in its entirety.

The party's brazen content theft (sans link to source; file under "tsk tsk") leaves Alabama pensioners reeling, and comes on the heels of a dramatic letter to the editor written by the troika of commissioners, at least two of whom are seeking other elected positions (file under "furry critters and ships a-sinkin'), in which there was much sound, fury and vintage Seabrookian phrasing:

As the executive branch of county government, the commissioners are responsible for the development and implementation of public policy for certain county operations. The county council is responsible for the fiscal oversight of those public policies and the fiscal operations of the functions of county government through the various elected offices.

Be still, my thudding heart ... okay, so it isn't exactly Winston Churchill at his most heroic, but it isn't easy for three executive-type guys to share an outdated electric typewriter, especially when two of them are Republican. As for the original editorial prompting Seabrook's stirring call to slumber, it's here, posted from the last time the Democrats tunneled under the paywall.

Officials can only play the dumb card so long before people will assume that they’re just not qualified to lead.

I persist in thinking that Chris Morris did not write these words, but at any rate, the Democratic Party mailing read like this:

Matt Nash: Let's make a better community.

News & Tribune Columnist makes the case for new county leadership.

In case you missed today's News and Tribune, local columnist Matt Nash heads strait to the point on the broken nature of Floyd County government. The piece provides a good outline on recent failings -- everything from the failure of the county to make timely payments for the YMCA and Parks Department to petty squabbles over trick or treat hours. Nash also outlines the many excuses that have come from the Republican leadership on these issues - Republicans control the County Commissioners 2-1 and the County Council 5-2.

Below, please find the full column. His concluding point: Maybe its time to find some new candidates for County office that are willing to work together and try to make a better community.

Following is the text of Matt Nash's column, as reprinted in its entirety in the Democratic Party e-mail, which makes it public domain, right?

Can we all work together?

By Matthew Nash, Local columnist

News & Tribune - 11/8/2013 Edition

One of the first pieces I wrote when I began this column more than four years ago was about building a pool in Floyd County. I lamented that it would probably never happen because it would take the city of New Albany and Floyd County government leaders working together to get something done. I pointed out that “New Albany and Floyd County governments have a very bad track record when it comes to working together on capital projects.”

Several years have passed, some of the principle characters have changed and it looks like we are back where we started. There still seems to be a disconnect with city hall and county government. What is going to take to get the two groups to work together to mutually benefit the taxpayers?

Last year New Albany was forced to sever ties with Floyd County as it pertains to their joint parks agreement. For years the city and the county operated the parks department together but over the last few years city residents ended up paying more and more than what was required because of a lack of funding from the county.

County leaders denied knowing that they were required to pay their portion of the parks deal and said we should just move on. A year later the city has moved on but it seems like county leaders still want to dwell in the past. Just last week they were complaining about a lack of communication coming from the city administration.

It seems that county leaders are unhappy with a plan to build a fire training tower at the Grant Line Road fire house. The property is adjacent to Sam Peden Community Park which is owned by the county. They believe there is a better location for the new tower and think they should be able to tell the city where to put it.

For years there was a tower at the very same location and from what I understand there was never any complaints before. Why is there now an issue when it is time to replace the one that was torn down? The fire station is isolated from the rest of the park and a fair distance from where many of the park goers congregate.

It was also pointed out that a Floyd County commissioner tried to contact New Albany about the plan to change the night for trick-or treat for Halloween. He was upset that New Albany would not change the night so they were on the same page. It seems to me that the city would be the best to decide when they would celebrate Halloween since there are more concentrated neighborhoods with children. If they were so concerned why didn’t they just follow New Albany’s plan? Ultimately the argument is still pretty petty.

A few weeks ago it was pointed out that Floyd County had not made its annual payment toward the commitment that it made for the YMCA. Some officials pointed out that they have always made the payment in the fourth quarter of the year. Other officials announced that they knew nothing about the annual payments. The more things change the more they stay the same.

The bond payment are said to be due in January and August of each year, but Floyd County hasn’t paid its share? Why is New Albany paying twice a year on time while the county is allowed to wait?

Each time that something like this comes up the members of the county council claim ignorance and say they will do what they are required. Why are they continuously allowed to make excuses? At what point will the “leaders” in Floyd County do what is right without being reminded?

One of the big excuses that the members of the Floyd County Council have used for years is the trials of David Camm have put a strain on the county’s budget. As the David Camm murder trial was finally coming to an end members of Floyd County Council decided it was time to start asking questions about some of the expenditures for the final trial. After 12 years of just rubber stamping payments without question why now have they decided to ask questions?

I pointed out last year that if New Albany wanted to get the money back that was never paid for the parks department they should just send the invoice to the Floyd County auditor in an envelope that says “Camm trial” ... then they would get their money, no questions asked.

We are a year away from elections in Floyd County where we have an opportunity elect many new leaders. Instead of returning the same people to their positions year after year maybe we should find some candidates that are willing to work together and try to make a better community for everyone.

— Matthew Nash can be reached at dmatthewnash@gmail.com

Hail to the thief. Long live the chain. I'm comfortably numb.

In conjunction this week with numerous other CNHI chain newspapers, the News and Tribune erected an on-line metered paywall. You'll even have to pay to read the explanation of why you have to pay, except that I already reprinted it.

To summarize conclusions gleaned from recent Twitter exchanges, the cost for electronic access is $10 per month, compared with $15 to receive newsprint according to the US Postal Service's delivery schedule. The "Front Page" it ain't.

Finally the most recent temporary publisher Bill "Sales, Not Content" Hanson has conceded that your monthly tithe will not buy a reprieve from the intrusive roll-over videos and pop-up/over/under, buzzing-gnat-like advertisements that justifiably render the newspaper's on-line interface a local laughingstock. For this reason, I'm in no mood to subscribe. I'm okay with the price, just not paying it to be insulted by a chain.

Last night at Twitter, Jeffersonville-based managing editor Shea Van Hoy reinforced Hanson's earlier insistence that working together, they produce an "excellent community newspaper," by cautioning me not to peek around the paywall.

I would ask, Roger, that you not post entire N&T articles to your blog, as you did w/council story. I'm fine if you want to post a link, as you have in the past. Otherwise, it's theft.

In short:

Roger, there'll be none of that. I've no intention during this life or any other to follow of once acknowledging that time in 2011 when I screwed you over about your column after you did me a favor, but if you would, please resume directing traffic toward our paywalled website, as NAC has done for nine years running with scant thanks from us -- but anything else is mere thievery, to be quelled by sending the Community Newspaper Gendarmes to your back door ... of course, as soon as we fly them up on coach from Alabama, to which a sizeable portion of the $120 yearly cost will be going to Dixiecrat pensioners, anyway, even as we continue to insist that somehow, in some convoluted and wholly imaginary way with fingers crossed behind our backs, we're not a chain.

Shrug. Yawn. Somewhere, a dog fertilizes a bush.

This topic effectively has jumped the shark, along with Doug England's future in politics and the notion that this city by sanity's edge actually possesses a downtown economic development strategy. With the periodic exception of lifers past the point of mobility, chain outlets typically are staffed by folks eventually moving elsewhere, to other chains, and so it will be with this one, too. Maybe the next batch will be better. Maybe not. Whatever. In the final analysis, it just isn't worth giving a tinker's damn one way or another.

As we await Trib Daniel’s inevitable rejoinders -- touchingly, he is the newspaper's Jim Fowler, wrestling diabetic hippos in the oozing swamp as his upper management emulates Marlon Perkins, sipping chilled daiquiris in the hovering executive copter -- permit me to note that I’m happy to comply with Van Hoy's warning.

Henceforth, I’ll offer only rough paraphrasings of whatever I read at the 'Bune and ‘Bamagator ... however I manage to read it, and as seldom as possible. After all, I'm far less a thief than a spy in the house of bile.

Cheers.

You haven't missed anything, in more ways than one.

Back in the middle of August, the "Total Access" warning popped up several times when viewing News and Tribune articles on my iPhone. I did a screen shot of one, all the while thinking that Gannett (as in "net" profit) had purchased the state of Alabama. There followed an exchange.

I'm not sure what any of this means, so it's time for a beer. I reiterate my offer: I'm happy to pay for content, but it needs to be less than newsprint price, and absent the various SpamHansons that currently plague the experience.

By the way, congratulations to the new city parks director.