Number of buses as confusing as claim of bias

When you're a reporter, some things just come with the turf.

One of those is accusations of bias.

The funny thing about these accusations is that people often make them not when you represent only one side of an issue -- but when you have the audacity to represent both.

And it becomes downright humorous when these accusations are in such stark contrast with reality.

My latest experience with this phenomenon came after I wrote a story about the number of extra buses in Huntley Unit District 158.

Without naming names, I was made aware, on the day the story ran, that at least one person in the District 158 administration thought I completely "bought" board member Larry Snow's arguments.

That's interesting. To investigate this individual's claim, I went back to my story and, in the spirit of an article that was all about different tallies, I counted.

I started by counting how many paragraphs I dedicated to Snow's argument. Funny, I couldn't get past two.

Then, I counted the number of paragraphs that spelled out the administration's arguments. I got a lot farther.

In fact, I counted eight paragraphs dedicated solely to the viewpoint of the administration. That's four times the number of paragraphs I gave to Snow.

Does that stink of pro-Snow bias to you? You be the judge.

What's even more amusing is that in a recent conversation with Snow, he suggested that I had allowed myself to be the unwitting stooge of Superintendent John Burkey's administration.

So which is it? Am I a slave to Larry Snow or to John Burkey? If you know the answer, please tell me. I'd like to know.

While you chew on that question, let me ask another one.

Did you find my story on District 158 buses easy to understand? I'll venture a guess that it left you a little confused.

Admittedly, part of that was my fault. From where I stand, it was missing two essential pieces of a news story -- the "news plug," or what the actual news is, and the "nutgraf," or why you should care.

But a large part of the confusion came from the appearance of four different people in District 158 voicing four different opinions on the number of buses in the district.

What does that tell you? (Sorry, I couldn't resist quoting "The Godfather Part II.")

It should tell you that either someone's not telling the truth, or someone doesn't know what he's talking about.

Now here's where you say, "But Jameel, aren't you supposed to cut through the rhetoric and find out the truth?"

I wish it were as easy as looking as documents or going down to the lot myself and counting the buses. But I don't think that would clear up the dispute.

However many buses there are on paper or on the lot, there will still be someone who says the district has too many and someone else who says it has just enough.

But perhaps I can shed some light on the issue. I think all parties agree, if reluctantly, that 12 of the so-called 25 extra buses are leased buses that will be returned in December. I think it's fair to subtract these.

That leaves 13. Of those, six will be, or already have been, incorporated into new routes, leaving seven to be used as spares. Considering the shortage of buses the district had last year, seven spares in a fleet of 90 (five were out for repair on one recent day) doesn't seem unreasonable.

Is that taking the administration's side? Maybe, if the administration has a side. My recent conversations revealed the administration doesn't always speak with a united voice.

But remember, folks, my reasoning only applies if the numbers the administration provided me were correct.

As to whether they are true -- your guess is as good as mine.