Posted on 06/14/2005 9:30:07 PM PDT by absalom01
I'm posting this at RonDog's request, and to give a quick update on a successful FReep at SaMo City College -- the gang is still "networking" at the after-party, so photos should follow!
Kudos to RonDog for organizing 20+ FReepers, plus some outstanding SaMo College Republicans who met at the corner of 16th and Pico in support of Governor Ahhnold, and to help counter the cancer from A.N.S.W.E.R. We had tons of media exposure -- all of the local TV stations, radio, and print outlets were there, and many interviewed folks from our side. We should see some of this on the local news tonight. The "alternative" press was out in force, and interviews were given, but you could tell that their hearts weren't in it!
We did have some attention from the smelly opposition, but nothing untoward occured, which is always good.
The bad guys were broken up into two groups, a block to the east of our location. The Mechistas and Answer commies had their little Klatch, and the Union thugs had a separate gathering.
My own little anecdote: as I was approaching our corner (late, per usual), a young woman warned me to "be careful, there's fascists on the corner". When I arrived at the corner, I didn't see any of those, just a bunch of nice people holding "go Arnold" signs. So, she was either engaging in hyperbole, or (more likely) is an example of the unhinged left.
Following the festivities on the street, we repaired to a local eatery, and were joined by the college Republicans. According to their report, no major nonsense occured during Arnold's speech, though a few members of the "progressive alliance" walked out, and some people made low-level noise to ruin the event for the rest of the people there.
Hoping others will fill in.
"About 150 anti-Schwarzenegger demonstrators had gathered outside the college "
That's a FAR CRY from the 3000- to 5000 anti-Arnold demonstrators they were expecting.
You guys also made the San Francisco Chronicle:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/14/state/n212622D83.DTL
About two dozen Schwarzenegger supporters also rallied outside the stadium.
The ceremony "should be about the students," said Ben Eisenberg, who heads the Santa Monica College Republicans.
We had tons of media exposure --THIS was the key to today's success!
Thanks to an AMAZING press release......and an EXTRAORDINARY "press conference" co-ordinated by...
...SMC College Republican President Ben Eisenberg...
...we had some of the best media coverage that I have seen in a LONG time! :o)Here is a PARTIAL list of the media who covered our rally - extensively:
KFI (640 AM) - Mark Leonard
KFWB (980 AM) - ?
Associated Press - MICHAEL R. BLOOD (and a photographer)
L.A. Times - Peter Hong and Jessica Gresko (and a photographer)
Sacramento Bee - Dan Weintraub!
The Nation
The Corsair - SMC student newspaper (and a photographer)
KTLA-TV 5
Fox11-TV
KCAL-TV 9 (and their "sister" station KCBS-TV 2)
KNBC-TV 4
Telemundo
The Korean Times
KCRW
KFPK
Malibu Times
L.A. Independent?...and MANY MORE which I cannot now remember. :o)
Young Republicans who were in the audience reported that the sound system left much to be desired, which was particularly apparent when the gubinator was making his address because there was a lot of acoompanying noise. He mentioned 'rattling', but I think it was more 'whining'. Regardless, from listening to the news it seem Arnie handled it pretty well. First FReep I've been on in awhile, it was fun.
Destroy the grip of the union Nazis
They want to own you and to steal everything you think you own. They want you as a slave, period.
Media Alert:
Rally for Governor Schwarzenegger at Santa Monica College
. . . ..pdf file: . . . . print this: . . . . e-mail this:
Tuesday, 14 June 2005
Rally for Governor Schwarzenegger at Santa Monica College--Press Conference and InterviewsSANTA MONICA, CA, (NAMC) - Santa Monica College Republicans plan to hold a rally in support of the Governor during his speech at the Santa Monica College Commencement ceremony on June 14, 5 p.m. Press conference at 4:40 p.m.
Rally for Governor Schwarzenegger at Santa Monica College at 16th and Pico Blvd. at 4 p.m.
SMC College Republicans at 4:30 p.m., on 16th St., midway between Pearl St. and Pico Blvd., by main entrance ticket gate.
The Santa Monica College Republicans welcome Governor Schwarzenegger back to the SMC campus. We pleased to announce our success in getting the governor to speak at commencement in spite of the politically biased efforts to ban him from the ceremony.
We are holding a rally to showcase the enormous level of support the governor enjoys among students and faculty at SMC.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, as an alumnus of Santa Monica College, exemplifies the high levels of personal success and public service to which a Santa Monica College education can lead. His being here honors all the students, faculty, administration, and employees of Santa Monica College, and our state's community colleges in general.
We thank the Governor for allowing the voters of California to decide the critical issues of the November Special Election, and reminding us all that an educated populace is essential for a successful democracy.
Ben Eisenberg
818-312-7447
New Age Media ConceptsNAMC Newswire
I'd laugh but it's true.
Note how LIBERALLY they use Ben's press release. :o)From:
Backers, Foes Await Governor at Local College
[Schwarzenegger at Santa Monica College]
abclocal.go.com ^ | June 14,2005 | KABC-TV and the Associated Press
Posted on 06/14/2005 12:31:15 PM PDT by RonDog
Backers, Foes Await Governor at Local College
(ABC7 EYEWITNESS NEWS FILE)SANTA MONICA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will deliver the commencement address today at Santa Monica College, where two groups plan to protest his appearance while a third holds a rally to show it supports him.Schwarzenegger, who attended Santa Monica College from 1971-74, is expected to speak for 10-15 minutes to about 600 graduates and a capacity crowd of about 5,000 at Corsair Field, according to Bruce Smith, the school's public information officer.
An aide to Schwarzenegger declined to reveal the topic of the speech.
His appearance in Santa Monica comes one day after Schwarzenegger called a Nov. 8 special election to decide the fate of initiatives he backs that would limit state spending, take reapportionment out of the hands of the Legislature and increase from two years to five the time needed for a teacher to receive tenure.
Today's speech comes eight days after about 35 people, including staff members and students, asked the college's Board of Trustees to rescind its invitation to Schwarzenegger.
They would have preferred a "champion of community colleges" to speak instead of the governor, according to history professor Kenneth Mason. Policies backed by Schwarzenegger have made community college education "much less accessible," Mason said.
The plea to rescind the invitation to the governor was merely symbolic because the matter wasn't on the meeting's agenda. Under state law, trustees couldn't vote on matters not on the agenda.
The group, which includes the college's faculty association, various Democratic Party, labor and self-described progressive organizations, plans a march from St. Anne's Church to the school and hold a rally at a campus parking lot at the corner of Pico Boulevard and 20th Street.
A second protest, organized by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition-Los Angeles, is planned for the corner of Pico and 17th.
The Santa Monica College Republicans plan a rally at Pico and 16th "to show that the ceremony should not be politicized," said club president Ben Eisenberg, who called Schwarzenegger "a positive role model, an example of just how far someone can go with an SMC education."
Club members also plan on handing out buttons and to be at the graduation, for which tickets are required, "trying to cheer the governor on and support him," Eisenberg said.
"Some of the students and faculty members here have tired to make it seem as though there is unanimous opposition to Arnold speaking at graduation. That's just not the case," Eisenberg said. "It's really only a very small minority that has these objections, but they're determined to ruin graduation for everyone."
Santa Monica College interim President Tom Donner said the college is honored to have Schwarzenegger as the commencement speaker.
"He is the governor of the state of California, he is an alumnus of Santa Monica College and he has been very supportive of community colleges. His budgets reflect that support," Donner said in a statement issued before last week's meeting.
Figures from state officials contradict Mason's claim that Schwarzenegger's budgets have made community college less accessible.
H.D. Palmer, deputy director of the state Department of Finance, said Schwarzenegger's proposed 2005-06 budget provides $436 million more for community colleges than the current year. Student fees won't increase, and they remain among the lowest in the nation, Palmer said.
The proposed budget also calls for an additional $10 million for community colleges for the current fiscal year, Palmer said.
Enrollment at the state's community colleges has gone from the equivalent of 1,092,622 full-time students in the 2003-2004 academic year to an estimated 1,134,360 in the 2004-2005, according to Ron Owens, the public information officer of the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.
Enrollment for 2005-2006 is projected at 1,168,391, Owens said.
The 2004-2005 budget signed by Schwarzenegger provided for a 3.65 percent enrollment growth, while the proposed 2005-2006 budget provides for 3 percent enrollment growth, Owens said.
"Our analysis indicated that this will fully meet access needs for the colleges," Owens said.
Last Updated: Jun 14, 2005
CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread
It was GREAT FReeping with you!I particularly liked THIS (three foot by four foot) sign from our rally...
...since it so clearly stated one of our primary themes:
"What better person to invite to give the commencement address at Santa Monica College than a successful ALUMNUS, returning to his Alma Mater?"Arnold's example shows that an SMC education prepares you for ANYTHING in life!
See also, from www.sacbee.com:
...Schwarzenegger, an immigrant from Austria, attended Santa Monica College and often credits his community college education as crucial to his success as a bodybuilder, movie star and politician.From www.smccorsair.com:
...What many students don't know is that the governor was enrolled at SMC from 1971-1974, which might be a reason as to why SMC seems to be his preferred community college.From www.smu.edu:
...And we mustnt forget the current governor of California: shortly after moving to Southern California from his native Austria, Arnold Schwarzenegger earned seventy-two units at SMC before moving on to success in Hollywood and Sacramento.And, from www.glendale.edu:
...While a champion bodybuilder in the 1970s, Schwarzenegger attended Santa Monica College on his way to a business and economics degree he ultimately obtained from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, according to published reports.
About 150 anti-Schwarzenegger demonstrators had gathered outside the college more than an hour before the speech...Hi, feinie!
Long time, no FReep! It was also GREAT FReeping with YOU -- again!The EXTRAORDINARILY low turnout by our opposition outside the event this evening was, as Sherlock Holmes would say:
"...the dog that did not bark."
"...the dog that did not bark."Or, more precisely, from en.wikiquote.org:
- "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime."
"The dog did nothing in the nighttime."
"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.
- Silver Blaze (1892), a conversation between Holmes and Inspector Gregory
Yes, good to see you & the others. I wish I had made it a bit earlier. Seeing the video of the faculty acting like spoiled brats was just pathetic.
College Braces for Govs VisitSo, our opposition dropped from an ESTIMATED "3,000 to 5,000" -- just a few days ago, to an ACTUAL "about 150" today. :o)By Ann Williams and Gene Williams
June 14 -- No one knows exactly what will happen when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger comes to Santa Monica College Tuesday except that, like the man himself, it will be big.
The visit by the larger-than-life governor -- who will give this years commencement speech -- has pumped up the colleges traditionally low-key graduation ceremony into Brobdingnanian proportions which, like Swifts giants, threaten to cast a shadow over the graduates big day.
As the college gears up for the crowds, preparations for the commencement are much, much more extensive than they have ever been, said college spokesman Bruce Smith.
This is the first time the college has ever needed to issue tickets to the ceremony, Smith said. They printed 5,000 and have had to cut back on the number they can give to each graduate from 15 to six.../font>
-- snip --
...While families and friends of the graduates are expected fill the bleachers at Corsair Field to capacity, an equal number of protestors could gather ouside.Opposition has extended beyond the campus to include local residents, political activists and regional labor leaders who vow to show up en masse.
Most of these people have nothing to do with Santa Monica College, college spokesman Smith said, adding that campus police had met with some of the organizers.
Although estimates vary wildly, campus police told teachers and staff that they are preparing for some 3,000 to 5,000 protestors, according to a faculty member who attended the briefing...
What happened to all those barking dogs?You don't suppose that OUR opposition to them could have had any effect, do you?
Seeing the video of the faculty acting like spoiled brats was just pathetic...That was the only "down side" to this event...
...those "tolerant, open-minded, diversity-craving, thoughtful, highly-educated" SMC faculty and students -- INSIDE the event. :(See also, from www.sfgate.com:
Click the thumbnails above to see a LARGER image.
...and the people around her are displaying a complete lack of interest in her profound 'statement.'
...see these pictures from our post-FReep "food and fellowship" at a local pizza shop......courtesy of David Forbes.
We should have pictures of the rally itself soon -- perhaps by tomorrow afternoon.
Less than HALF of the folks from the rally were able to attend this post-FReep gathering, though......as there was a competing meeting scheduled (without my prior knowledge) at the same time, in a different city. :(
L.A. Times - Peter Hong and Jessica Gresko (and a photographer)Here is a SHORT (and surprisingly balanced!) EXCERPT from the L.A. Times:
Pomp and Conflicting Stances
Crowd reaction is mixed as the governor stresses the importance of community colleges in commencement address in Santa Monica.
By Peter Hong and Jessica Gresko, Times Staff WritersGraduating students mostly cheered, but some audience members booed Tuesday as Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to one of his alma maters, Santa Monica College, to deliver his first commencement address as governor of California...-- snip --
...The cheers and boos were mixed as Randal Lawson, the college's executive vice president, introduced the governor.
Applause prevailed when Lawson began naming Schwarzenegger's films, especially "The Terminator."
But catcalls and jeers grew louder when Lawson mentioned Schwarzenegger's election as governor.
Schwarzenegger wore a black academic gown but no cap, with an orange cowl, signifying his business degree, draped across his shoulders.
A clear split emerged between the graduates who gave him two standing ovations and the larger audience behind them.When Schwarzenegger said it had been an honor to attend Santa Monica College because "no one in my family attended college, no one even graduated from high school," the graduates applauded enthusiastically.
But several faculty members turned their backs on the governor.
When some audience members blew whistles and screamed in protest, many graduates turned and held fingers to their mouths or said, "Be quiet."-- snip --
...Before the ceremonies, about 100 demonstrators who were protesting the governor's appearance gathered at the entrance to the lot where those attending the graduation parked...
-- snip --
...About 20 demonstrators supported the governor.
"He is an alumnus of the school. He's a great role model. He has been very successful in business and in entertainment and in politics. And we hope people will stay focused on that," said Ben Eisenberg, an economics major at the school and president of the campus Republican group...-- snip --
..."I'm kind of annoyed by the whole thing," said graduating film major Greg Klein. "I'm trying to get my diploma."
"I'm definitely against the protests," said graduate Dina Cervantes, this school year's student representative on the college's Board of Trustees.
"The students worked really hard to get to this day."
While we won the battle OUTSIDE...SANTA MONCIA - Tuesday, June 14, 2005 The governor of California was basically booed off stage during a commencement address to graduating students at Santa Monica College today.http://la.indymedia.org/images/Boos4Arnold.mov (6.37 Mb)
Boos, and chants continued non-stop through out the govs speech.
...things do not appear to have gone very well INSIDE the stadium. :(Perhaps the video by OUR guy (Jeffers Dodge) will show what actually happened more accurately.
We should have THAT video posted online -- soon.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.