A note for my friends at the Red Star Tribune

Out here at the AZ Republic, 70 percent of the sales staff did not make their numbers. So what do you do? Well, they chose to up the quotas by 30-40 percent and make it a requirement that all sales reps come in at 90 percent of quota on a quarterly basis or you are put on a performance improvement plan where you have 60 days to get your numbers up there or be fired. Looks like they want a revolving door of people to come and go. I guess they think that must be the answer, bring in fresh bodies. The ole "if they are not going to do it, let's get somebody who can" philosophy. It is a plan, a flawed plan but I guess it shows the stockholders that they are doing something. Bottom line, the newspaper business is in the tank and for them, things will never be the same. Yes, I regret leaving the Red Star when I did but given all the staff reductions, I probably wouldn't have been there much longer anyway.