By Roldo Bartimole

The Plain Dealer introduced its new publisher as “a humble, charismatic man who grew up poor and lived in public housing…” Terrence C. Z. Egger may have lived in public housing but here he’ll move his family to Bay Village.

Well, he ain’t po’ no mo’.

Egger comes to the Plain Dealer from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch with his pockets full and overflowing with big bucks.

Here’s how the St. Louis Journalism Review, which monitors the news media in that town led off his exit review:

“Terry Egger’s decision to quit as publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last month has to make him feel pretty good.

“He walks away with millions of dollars through various compensation schemes. He escapes the headache of having his new bosses at Lee Enterprises (recently acquired the paper from the Pulitzer family) beating up on him for not increasing revenue. And at 48, he can move on to another job or career.”

Egger can thank Robert Woodworth, former Pulitzer Inc. president, for finding him this new job. Woodworth “found” Egger for the Newhouse Family, which owns the Plain Dealer. Woodworth worked the deal to sell the Pulitzer paper to the Lee chain for more than $1 billion. The two came away millionaires. Oh, change that – multi-millionaires.

Again, quoting the St. Louis Journalism Review:

“From various company reports and government findings, these figures were gleaned: Egger got $3.2 million in cash for stock-based compensation when Pulitzer was sold. He got a Lee retention bonus of $675,000 and a $75,000 transaction incentive. He could get as much as $900,000 to cover taxes associated with his extra compensation. Add a $197,000 bonus in lieu of 2004 stock options, and an $112,500 performance bonus and a $263,013 from his supplemental pension plan.

“His common stock in Pulitzer was valued at $11.4 million,” and the article by Ray Malone says, “there’s probably more,” but other information is guarded and undisclosed.

The article said, “Most people at the Post say Egger’s been a good boss, though he lacked experience on the news side.”

In another article, however, it was noted that Egger hired an editor nicknamed “Affable Arnie,” and called him “the perfect choice… a team player.”

Egger, Malone wrote, seems cautious and clearly a perfect hiring attribute here, “not wanting to offend big shots in the community,” and more “palatable to conservatives.” Malone was a long-time reporter for the Post-Dispatch.

The speculation in the article was that he might “join Woodworth” at the Plain Dealer.”

This, of course, follows the “resignation” of Alex Machaskee as Pee Dee publisher. Although you won’t get anyone to say it there is little doubt that Machaskee was pushed out.

Machaskee apparently had been paying too much attention to his public image and profile in Cleveland and not enough to Newhouse’s major interest – the bottom line. Machaskee seemed to become more and more enamored with having his picture in the paper and receiving awards for distinguished whatever.

Egger certainly will be watching the bottom line more carefully. In St. Louis, Egger proposed an open shop for Guild membership, “which would weaken the union’s bargaining strength. It didn’t fly,” said the Review.

Having just spent a week or so in St. Louis, I can see that Egger's former newspaper isn’t exactly setting the city afire. A week isn’t a long time but I’ve seen the paper before. It’s dull and I’d say that even the Plain Dealer, bad as it is on important city issues, is better. Its editorial page seems to have gone conservative and its front page is as much an affront to readers as our morning paper.

I came home the day the miraculous dubbed photo of LeBron dominated the front page. The photo made James appear spiritually lifting this community. A striking shot.

I understand that sports means a lot to a lot of people, however, it cannot make up for what Cleveland lacks.

Despite the good feelings, (the final game of the Cavs-Piston series awaits us as I write) even a victory cannot change the dimensions of Cleveland’s economic woes.

Of course, the other headline I read on my return was one seeking a $90-million “roof” for Browns Stadium. The proposal offered by developer Robert Corna makes it even more absurd. For this, we would get a Super Bowl game in 2016. Now isn’t that farsighted planning.

City Planning Commission chairman Tony Coyne -who never met a deal that would cost the public tens of millions he couldn’t worship - seems to have awakened to the fact that Browns Stadium sits empty some 350 plus days a year.

The scant use of the $325 million stadium – a situation known before a single brick was removed from the old stadium – is the fault of former Mayor Michael White, the National Football League and then owner Al Lerner and family.

If there’s any fixing to be done on the stadium, those three should ante up for it.

Browns stadium, in addition to paying absolutely no property taxes on the structure, has cost county taxpayers $9.9 million as the sin taxes originally enacted for Gateway but continuing to be collected. Sin taxes collected toward bonds for Browns Stadium, as of this April, total $9,929,180.72, not to mention the sales tax assessed on the sin taxes.

It will be interesting to watch Egger in this year’s gubernatorial election, in particular.

We’ll be watching whether Egger can have the backbone to allow an editorial decision on who the Pee Dee will endorse for governor. You’ll remember that Machaskee embarrassed the paper nationally by overruling an endorsement in the Presidential election in 2004. The paper failed to endorse either candidate as a result.

Egger certainly can be deciphered as a newspaper publisher by allowing the obvious choice for governor – Ted Strickland over the wacko Ken Blackwell.

Any other choice would tarnish Egger as it would the Plain Dealer.

From Cool Cleveland contributor roldoATdelphia.net (:divend:)