Byron Greens Councillors
Readers may not be aware of the initiatives we outlined in response to Ian Cohen (page 16), as our beloved paper is now the instrument of the Editor’s personal hatred of us Greens councillors. Hans recently abused us on The Echo’s Facebook page, describing Michael as ‘a true authoritarian tyrant twat’ and ‘a shit stain’, Sarah as ‘a third card in a terrible useless pack of jokers,’ and Simon as amongst other tags, ‘Mayor of Party Town’ (whatever that means). He went on to describe us as, ‘Totally inept, arrogant, and lacking in reflection,’ who are in the job, ‘to climb a greasy political pole.’ Perhaps more natural within a university-student newspaper, or the Daily Telegraph, but it’s tragic for the paper we all love.
Hans is free to have his personal opinions and threrefore to disparage us in his editorial or anonymously on the back page; however, opinion and objective journalistic coverage of council should be separated.
A paper (and in this case, an editor) that can only represent one view, that struggles or makes no attempt to be fair, accurate, and independent can’t possibly ever serve a complex, changing, multilayered and dynamic community like ours.
Echo readers deserve to be kept properly informed of Council issues and initiatives that affect them.
♦ The editor would like to note that he does not ‘hate’ the Greens.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
