Los Angeles Times owner Sam Zell, LA's unofficial quotemaster general, has received a rare honor from readers in his adopted city's blogosphere.
No doubt grateful for all the material the real-estate magnate has provided over the past year or so, LA Metblogs on Thursday announced that its readers elected Zell their "2008 Grinch of the Year."
Besides having steered the largest local paper in LA into bankruptcy, carving up its newsroom with a series of layoffs and buyouts, and freezing payments to an untold number of freelancers, Zell has given LA something it never had before -- a lot of really outrageous quotes from one guy.
And really, other than a paycheck, what else could a writer want?
The gems, enthusiastically gathered by LA Observed, include Zell's heartfelt defense of the right of LA strip clubs to advertise, a bit of playful banter with his workers (who he likes to call "partners" when he's not accidentally cursing at them), and some profound political insights.
