More part-time columnists

A few days ago, I discussed a pathetic letter by Mike Jones of Oklahoma City. I noted that he'd written before to the Oklahoman. Turns out, I just haven't been paying attention, because Mr Jones is yet another part-time columnist for the state's finest paper. Indeed, his hits list is sort of pathetic:

Obama is just a big jerk, more or less. (June 13, 2013)
Taxes are bad when used for stuff I don't like! (May 8, 2013)
In favor of Oklahoma businesses! (March 22, 2013)
Jesus loves Sam Seller!! (February 18, 2013)
CSA Forever!!!! (January 20, 2013)
Why Democrats suck and Republicans are great, according to Mike Jones! (October 20, 2012)
Regulations, unions, lawyers, and Hollywood are BAD FOR BUSINESS! (September 14, 2012)
Free Enterprise is better than government! And Hollywood, public schools and the media are bad!! (August 10, 2012)

So there you go-- in not even one year, this paper has run nine letters from the same guy. Now, even if Mike Jones is an idiot, there's nothing wrong with him writing letters to the editor. Hell, how different is that from blogging? Not much. But what is truly sad is that the Oklahoman sees fit to run his utterly fatuous, error-filled, poorly-written, and repetitive letters.

Great, we get it, Mike-- you hate taxes and unions. Stop writing us.

While the paper does occasionally run letters that address actual issues of relevance to the city, all too often they feel compelled to run the sort of "I hate liberals" screeds from the likes of Mike Jones. A real newspaper would have stopped with that gimmick a long time ago. But the Oklahoman has an agenda to push, and thus we get the sort of drivel from Mike Jones that most papers would have taken a pass on after the first three or four letters.