Where the FL Story of Jeb's New DCF Chief Should Have Appeared: "The Weekly World News"

various, including www.myflorida.com, and The Miami Herald, AP, UK Guardian ^ | August 17, 2002 | summer

[summer]

Where the FL Story of Jeb's New DCF Chief Should Have Appeared: "The Weekly World News"

Written by summer - a former Dem, now an independent and a FL certified teacher

Florida media went into a heated overdrive this week.

"Far right" headlines across the state screamed about Gov. Jeb Bush's new appointment to lead the DCF (the state's Department of Children and Families, better known as the agency responsible for child foster care and adoption).

In the The Miami Herald, we find the Tallahassee Bureau Chief and political editor, Peter Wallsten, listed among other newspaper staff members, all claiming the governor's new DCF leader is a disgrace, because of this 'new appointee's essay.' The subject 1988 essay reportedly advocated, among other things, physical abuse of children: specifically spankings resulting in "welts and bruises."

However, beyond the FL media frenzy, there is an online statement from the new DCF appointee himself, Jerry Reiger. He claims he "was not a co-author" such an article, and never endorsed such a view. He says at the time of the article's publication, he was chairperson of a group releasing this paper, but he exercised "no editorial control" over the paper's content, and he disagrees with its views. He also says he then disassociated himself with this group and its extreme views.

Hmm. What's a swing voter to believe?

Should we believe the accusations in The Miami Herald -- which I saw published everywhere, here in FL, nationally on the AP, and picked up overseas, in the UK Guardian Unlimited website?

Or, should we believe the new DCF head Jerry Rieger's denial statement -- which I saw published nowhere else except on FL's state website?

To my fellow independent voters, I say: STOP reading the one-sided reporting of tabloid media!

Instead, read the highly competent political reporting found in my very favorite news source:
The Weekly World News.



I suggest this because only in The Weekly World News can we find something that doesn't exist in Florida media:
both sides of a political news story.

For example, this week The Weekly World News published a first-rate article about a local political race, below:


CLICK HERE to read: "Two-Headed Man Runs Against Himself For Mayor" --
a fine example of fair political reporting.

And, guess what? We get to read about BOTH sides in this above story!

Now, I ask you, seriously: Could Peter Wallsten from "The Miami Herald" handle this kind of story? I doubt it! He would shy away from this story because it involves TWO! TWO SIDES!

We learn that one candidate, Max, "teaches high-school history" while the other candidate, Niklas, "manages a popular coffee shop."

In the rest of the article, rather than The Weekly World News telling us what it thinks these two candidates believe (or, merely interviewing only one of the two candidates), my favorite news source reports in-depth about BOTH.

Consequently, voters in Germany's mayoral race get to read TWO sides of the story.

Wow! Readers now have all the information to decide for themselves, because BOTH sides are reported in the SAME article! Now, that's what I call real journalism!

However, here in FL, we are not so fortunate.

We only get to hear about one side. Only one side of the story about DCF's new head was reported.

That's because we are stuck with Peter Wallsten, the political editor of The Miami Herald -- a newspaper I once bought, but which, to me, has now sunk to the lowest level of a rumor mill rag.

In a better quality newspaper, one with higher journalistic standards - for example, The Weekly Word News - we find reporters taking the time to listen to BOTH sides.

Unfortunately, The Miami Herald is not willing to meet the higher journalism standards of The Weekly World News.

That's unacceptable, Mr. Wallsten! Wake up! Get a grip!

Until then - FL folks, read The Weekly World News for accurate political reporting! (And, if you've let your subscription lapse, now may be the perfect time to renew!)

[summer]

FYI - from www.myflorida.com:

Statement from Jerry Regier -
Governor Jeb Bush's Appointee to the
Department of Children and Families

For Immediate Release
Friday, August 16, 2002

Contact:
Elizabeth Hirst
(850) 488-5394

TALLAHASSEE -- "Today, the Miami Herald reported on my involvement with a theological paper that was originally released in 1988. I believe it is appropriate and important that I describe my role, or lack thereof, in creating this document, and my own personal feelings about its content and the organization responsible for its creation.

"Contrary to the newspaper article, I was not a co-author of this paper and did not exercise editorial control over its content. Rather, as a family advocate, I was asked to serve as a co-chairman of the group that released the paper. Having recognized some of the more extreme interpretations of the Bible that were held by the organization, I severed my relationship with The Coalition on Revival, Inc. approximately one year after the release of this paper.

"While not compromising my core principles, certainly, as it relates to this paper, there is much content and Biblical interpretation held by members of The Coalition on Revival with which I do not agree. In my 20 years of service in the area of children and families, I have never been soft on child abuse or wavered in the protection of children, so it is not my position that corporal punishment should result in welts or bruises. My own wife of 34 years is a registered nurse, and I am extremely supportive of her career. I support women in the workforce as well as women holding an equal role in marriage. Having spent years working with victims and seeing the horrific results of domestic violence, I certainly recognize that there are other appropriate grounds for divorce besides adultery. And, as a strong marriage advocate, I do not believe that marriage outside one's particular faith is at all inappropriate.

"Again, while I consider myself a conservative and strongly pro-family, my record of public service with children and families under two U.S. Presidents and another state governor should speak for itself. If anyone checks my record or talks to individuals with whom I've worked, no instances of discrimination or lack of commitment to children would be found. I have been a strong administrator, recognized for carrying out the laws of government, and intent to carry out those duties and responsibilities to my fullest in the state of Florida."

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For index.

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From my editorial link above. Maybe this should be our next web site project: :)

2-Headed Man Runs Against Himself in Mayor's Race!

A SLEEPY town in Germany is the setting for one of the most extraordinary election battles ever: A two-headed man is running for mayor -- against himself!

And the bizarre campaign has been fraught with dirty tricks. Mud-slinging, name-calling, “freak-of-nature” candidates Max and Niklas Kerkner, 48, have already:

Spit in each other’s faces on live TV.

Slapped, scratched and slugged each other while stumping for votes.

Choked each other until they turned blue at a “meet the candidates” luncheon.
Stuck out their tongues, picked at their noses, contorted their faces, broke wind, belched and made crude comments while the “opposition head” talked with supporters and gave speeches.

Blabbed intimate and embarrassing secrets about each other’s sex lives and bathroom habits, with Max claiming Niklas “never washes our hands after going to the rest room” and Niklas alleging that Max’s “indiscriminate and roving eye has us chasing ladies and men.”

And that’s not all. In one stunning incident, Max pulled down “their” pants while Niklas glad-handed supporters at a fund-raiser. In another, Niklas goosed “their” bottom while Max kissed a baby, causing him to shriek, which made the kid cry.

The free-for-all has left some political observers wondering if either of “the Kerkner boys,” as people call the two-headed political hopeful, is capable of leading tiny Hersfeld, Germany, into the 21st century.

“My opponent is a liar and a creep,” Niklas fumed during a town meeting attended by 900 citizens and 60 reporters, many of them in town to cover the bizarre story for media outlets as far away as London and New York.

Max railed in reply: “I refuse to be dragged down to this man’s level!”

Prior to throwing their hats into the ring, the now-battling “boys” were widely admired for their dogged determination to lead normal lives.

Even though they share a body, they’ve successfully pursued their own lives and careers. By day, Max teaches high-school history. By night, Niklas manages a popular coffee shop.

When Max decided to run for mayor, he was considered a shoo-in to win the upcoming special election because nobody else expressed any interest in running for the office left vacant by the death of ex-mayor, Herman Wolff.

Then Niklas had a change of heart. “I got tired of hearing Max talking about all the things he wanted to ‘fix,’” he explains. “Max wants to recruit industry to build the tax base. I worry about the impact on the environment.”

With the election just weeks away, polls show the Kerkners are locked in a virtual dead heat.

“This is as much excitement as we’ve seen here in a long time,” observes Patricia Ardt, 76.

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I read your comment on another thread about this - the Dem Party must have done some digging. But, frankly, in my experience - they don't really care if you wrote something or not; if they want to attach your name to it - they will. That just seems to be a Dem policy somewhere; I don't know if it written, but they seem to follow it.

Also, it genuinely bothers me the FL media did not wait to get a response from the person they covered, especially in light of all the press on this agency.

The FL media was in way too big a rush on this story.

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Finally, I didn't see anywhere near the rush to cover the news about this recent poll -- CLICK HERE

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(as FL voters did not exactly blame Gov Bush for everything that has gone wrong with the DCF lately)

[Larry Lucido]

Michigan's got a bunch of them two-headed candidates running around.

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LOL...but the question is this: Does the press report on both sides?

Because, in all honesty, this essay is from 1988, and the person is denying he is the author, and denying he is a co-author.

I looked at the essay and it is not clear who wrote it, but if he says he didn't - and he left the group a year later, well, I think that should have been mentioned in these news stories.

Also, the implication the Miami Herald wants to convey to voters is clearly this: Here is what your governor really believes - it is OK to abuse children.

And, that allegation and assertion is ridiculous. Fl voters knows it.

IMO, all these stores make the Dems look so patheticly desperate in this FL gov race.

Gov Bush acted decively and found someone with national experience for our state, and I am glad he did. I'm willing to give the guy a chance. It is not an issue for me at all, and I suspect other voters will dismiss these lunatic headlines about this decades old essay as well.

BTW, you know what would REALLY be news? If the Dem FL gov candidates had a NEW IDEA of their own to tell voters about. I guess we'll never hear anything like that.