Los Angeles Times Writers Say Goodbye

Robert Welkos farewell:

In recent years, the Los Angeles Times itself became the story as its owners,
publishers, editors and reporters came and went, sometimes with dizzying speed.
It was out of this seeming chaos that the Welkos Wire thrived. It was an
opportunity for all of us to catch up on internal news and gossip and take note
of the comings and goings of our colleagues. In the end, it wasn't me that gave
it life, it was all of you, just like all of the journalists who ever worked
here over the decades whose reporting and writing gave readers a front-row seat
to history.

Complete letter here:

Henry Weinstein's farewell:

The Principal Owner has the temerity to tell great journalists in our Washington
bureau that they are nothing but "overhead,'' not producing any revenue. As I
said, if journalists were not producing stories, be they from a ravaged Los
Angeles hospital, the Supreme Court in Washington, the flooded streets of New
Orleans, the war zones of Bosnia, El Salvador and Iraq, the famine-ravished
countries of Africa, the bright lights of Dodger Stadium or a dimly lit movie
screening room, there would be no Los Angeles Times to sell. I hope Mr. Zell
eventually understands that.

Complete letter here:

Joel Sappell's farewell:

Wow, 26 years sure moved fast. I can't begin to express how much I've
enjoyed sharing a career with all of you as we mastered some of the biggest
stories L.A. could throw at us—riots, earthquakes, O.J., fires and on and on.
The one constant amid the churn of stories has been the passion of the staff,
which has allowed this place to flourish even in the most difficult times, such
as now. It's been a privilege and inspiration to work alongside you.

Our new "Innovation Officer" recently used the origins of rock 'n roll
to explain his vision for The Times. No offense, Lee, but I'd like to think of
us more as a symphony, with each part, each note, as important as the next. And,
Mr. Zell, please don't confuse arrogance with a commitment to something grander
than the real estate in which we're housed or to the dollars in our ESOP. You
want people to "Talk to Sam" but not to "Talkback to Sam." Perhaps that's a
closer definition of arrogance.

So, with that off my chest (sort of), I'll say good-bye and good
luck to you all.