Sentinel Down With Its Peeps

The Sun-Sentinel's Doreen Hemlock did what is, overall, a decent front-page piece on the dearth of vacation time in the U.S. of A. But I had a hard time getting past the lede. The story's downtrodden subject, the one we're supposed to sympathize with for not taking much vacation time,...

By Bob Norman

July 23, 2007

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The Sun-Sentinel's Doreen Hemlock did what is, overall, a decent front-page piece on the dearth of vacation time in the U.S. of A. But I had a hard time getting past the lede. The story's downtrodden subject, the one we're supposed to sympathize with for not taking much vacation time, is a ...

... high-priced lobbyist.

It is specifically Becker & Poliakoff's Yolanda Cash Jackson, who counts the insurance and gambling industries among her clients. Nothing against Jackson (who is one of the few black women in Broward's power structure), but for most of the millions of workers who don't get a single day of paid vacation, her days of hobnobbing with the power elite would probably seem like time off anyway. The other poor folk quoted in the story: a lawyer, a vice president for a finance company, and a restaurant owner.

What's next, a heart-wrenching story about how corporate executives are too busy to enjoy their yachts?

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, New Times Broward-Palm Beach has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Journalist Bob Norman has been raking the muck of South Florida for the past 25 years. His work has led to criminal cases against corrupt politicians, the ouster of bad judges from the bench, and has garnered dozens of state, regional, and national awards.

Contact: Bob Norman