Union Thug Alert.
Posted on 08/19/2009 5:53:00 AM PDT by Kieri
Chris Gautz column: Yes, some were bused in for health-care rally in Jackson last week by Chris Gautz | Jackson Citizen Patriot Tuesday August 18, 2009, 11:46 PM CHRIS GAUTZ
Several readers have criticized the Citizen Patriot's coverage of last week's health care rally outside U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer's office, where hundreds came out — both to support and oppose — President Barack Obama's reform plan.
The chief criticism was that we failed to mention that some supporters were bused in from around the state.
It is true, and it wasn't included in the original story, but not because we were trying to slant coverage. The simple truth is it was a difficult fact to nail down.
You're reading this story today because Tuesday I was able to confirm with the Service Employees International Union that it rented vans and encouraged people to carpool to the event. About 100 SEIU members attended, from as far away as Muskegon and Detroit, said Zac Altefogt, a spokesman for SEIU Healthcare Michigan.
While covering the rally last Thursday, myself and another reporter were told by several opponents of the reform plan that supporters were bused in. But we did not see the buses that night and were unable to pose the question to the supporters' organizer before our deadline.
We left it out of the Friday story because we cannot print speculation as fact.
On Friday, we followed up with Organizing for America, which put out the call for supporters to attend the event. OFA state director Aletheia Henry assured us that her group had not bused people to the rally.
We wrote a short follow-up Saturday and thought it was resolved.
Then this week, some readers e-mailed us photos of supporters standing in front of a bus from Trinity Transportation parked several blocks away near Family Video, 1111 W. Ganson St.
My colleague followed up with Henry. We told her we understood OFA hadn't chartered the buses, but we wondered if she knew who had. She refused to answer the question and then hung up the phone.
Seems like an overreaction to a news organization simply looking for a straight answer.
I give credit to SEIU for not being ashamed to let the community know they used mass transit to get their members to the rally.
As Altefogt pointed out to me, health care is not just a Jackson issue. His union has members statewide, and they wanted to participate.
In the end, it doesn't matter if participants walked, drove or took a bus. Everyone has the right to come to a rally and express his or her views.
Earlier this month, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said some of the anger demonstrated at congressional health-care town hall meetings was manufactured by groups who oppose reform. He went on to say he thought Republican operatives were attending these meetings to give the appearance of widespread outrage.
So I can understand why local Republicans were upset that we "left out" any mention of Democrats busing people here to give the appearance of widespread acceptance of health reforms.
But in such a politically charged debate, we have to be careful about printing anything we cannot confirm.
I'll always opt for being right, rather than being first.
bookmark.
The rats are going to force a revolution in AmeriKa. They want to force it then bring it on!
We need to reclaim our country and or Government. This is the USA not Obama and Nancy’s USSA
We need to mobilize the the phones, the streets, the blogs. Let’s give the a bigger taste of their grassroots organizing the they gave us in 2008.
The people are talking quietly and are waiting for a leader to step forward to lead our movement.
Let’s crush the RATS with their own game..
acorn and unions supported by your tax dollars working against you
My response to this “article” is:
Gag me with a spoon.
So they can’t print “speculation.” But they can print Robert Gibbs.......uh........well......speculation.
The $4 billion of OUR HARD EARNED MONEY given to them from the stimulus at work here. With that type of money, they could bus in people from Mars.
Yet, they will print unsubstantiated allegations that opponents are waving nazi symbols or are centrally controlled “astroturfers.”
Oooh, good catch!
I knew it from the beginning. They were openly admitting to have come from both Muskegon and Detroit. Both cities are well outside the 7th district. They were making all kinds of noise, chanting and yelling, suddenly it stopped all at once because Reform Now (ACORN) and Organizing for America (Barackobama.com) all left at the same time.
http://s736.photobucket.com/albums/xx2/Snappler_2009/Jackson%20Mi%20protest/?albumview=grid
I don’t know but maybe reporting the allegation about bussed in UHC supporters at the WY TH would have smoked out the facts a little quicker. This writer sounds pretty weak kneed to me??
The CitPat endorsed Schauer. Now they’re having to deal with egg on their faces. I think it’s less about politics and more about looking like fools now that they see which way the wind is blowing.
The second protest is tomorrow night. I’ll be there. I have a feeling a LOT more conservatives will, too.
Opopps confused Jackson,MI with Jackson,WY.
I love how they lie without even thinking about it.
Why are so many "journalists" grammatically challenged?
I share your sentiment, but make sure you work through your state legislatures.
A bunch of bubbas in a “compound” or who attack a fedgov agent/building/entity will be easily and justifiably “put down” by overwhelming federal force.
However, a state that refuses to enforce federal law or allow them to be enforced can be legitimately defended by the state’s militia.
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