Central Florida Future - News
Issue: 11/14/02
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Moore no more for council event
By Jason Irsay
In an e-mail letter to members of the UCF Progressive Council, activist Michael Moore cancelled his controversial appearance at UCF, but the Progressive Council vowed its event would go on. Citing the death of his mother, Veronica Moore, on July 8 at the age of 81, Moore wrote, "I am in no mood or condition to give speeches anywhere."
Moore expressed support for Progressive Council's plans in the e-mail, and shock over the $20,000 that his agent, Lisa Bransdorf, charged UCF Progressive Council and SGA. He also wrote that he never agreed to speak at UCF this October.
"I have never in my life charged to speak at a political rally. I am shocked that this has happened with all your groups. I, like Ralph Nader and many others, have a lecture agent who sorts through the many requests for paid gigs sponsored by universities or town hall lecture series.
"But to come and help stop the re-election of Jeb Bush — I would never take a dime for such a thing, to imply such a thing is so far from the truth, and I am so sorry whatever has happened or has been done in my name by the lecture agency."
Moore defended his agent in his letter claiming that she accepted the $20,000 assuming it was an official school event. Bransdorf could not be reached for comment.
Moore's withdrawal from Progressive Council's "We the People" event on Oct. 22 angered Mike Tiner and Brian Cregger, the event's organizers. After securing $20,000 from SGA for Moore's appearance, they pleaded with him to make the trip to UCF.
Both Tiner and Cregger said that they blamed Moore's agent for the ordeal, although Tiner said Moore deserves blame as well.
"The first person throughout the process that I was mad with was Lisa Bransdorf," said Cregger. "I thought the amount was a little high. I was mad at her because we never got the straight information from her."
"My first reaction was anger and rage," said Tiner. "I was angry at him, his agent, the whole situation."
Said Cregger: "I apologize that this whole process was like this. I thought the numbers were high. I apologize for any mistakes I made in this process, but things will work out."
Despite the setback, the Progressive Council members said their event, "We the People," would still be a strong campus function.
"I think we've got an awesome event planned, despite all the monkey wrenches that have been thrown in," said Tiner. "There will be a lot of great speakers talking about a lot of important issues."
"We the People" will feature environmental, political and workers' rights groups in front of the Student Union all day on Oct. 22, before the gubernatorial debate inside the Student Union. "We All Count" and "Rock the Vote" will have a table, along with Florida Greens and Greenpeace. Union group AFL-CIO will also have a table, as will the American Civil Liberties Union.
Scheduled speakers include several drug policy speakers, Clarice Pollock of the Florida Chapter of the National Organiza-tion for Women and Greg Palast, an investigative reporter for the BBC and author of "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy," a movie that details Florida's flawed presidential election in 2000.
Maybe I can vote in Palm Beach next time.....