Well, we did get a response, and it is quite revealing as to the supposed objectivity of the small town newspaper. The following is the complete response.
Of course the post generated a lot of traffic and emotion, you threw a bunch of red meat at a group of judgmental, conservative bigots.Mr. Smith contends that if you are concerned about the rising level of abuse of government assistance in this country, then you are judgmental bigots.
Any opportunity to make a Democratic mayor in a small town look bad...
Tell me, can you confirm the Brannon's old dishwasher wasn't defective? I mean, "it looked fine."
You third-party political blog would better service its readership with some analysis concerning abuses of government assistance at the very top. Million dollar subsidies to oil companies, tax loopholes that allow millionaires to be taxed less than you or me, etc...
Your work is small-minded and simplistic; hate on average Americans, a public servant no less, for utilizing a decades-old federal nutrition program for children, but ignore the kinds of top-down abuses that have contributed to cratering the economy and keeping middle class wages flat.
What a joke.
Nate Smith
Examiner Staff Writer
nsmith@examiner.org
(937) 592-3060 Ext. *118
Mr. Smith says that our post was small-minded and hateful. Mayor Brannon routinely criticizes Republicans on his Facebook page. His rant against Mitt Romney was not unique. He is a politician, and he is out there attacking the opposition party on a regular basis.
That's fine. This is a free country and Mayor Brannon has every right to exercise his right of free speech. However, he has to expect that he is going to get responses to his political speech.
We simply offered a counter-argument to the mayor's public statements, and criticized him in a likewise manner. Is Mayor Brannon untouchable? Is any opposing response to his political speech automatically hateful and small-minded? According to the Bellefontaine Examiner, apparently it is, judging by their response to our post.
If you insist on calling our work hateful and small-minded, then please be consistent and call out Adam Brannon's political speech as just as hateful, Mr. Smith.
Given such a surprising response from the Examiner, Logan County residents now have no reason to believe that they are getting fair and objective reporting from their hometown newspaper.
Follow @Nick3BP
Great work Nick!
ReplyDeleteMr. Nate Smith/Examiner Staff Writer. . .when you point one finger at someone (in this case, your accusation towards those of us who are outraged by the Mayor), remember that you always have 3 fingers pointing back at yourself. . .in other words, maybe it's you who is being "judgmental" and a "bigot"?
ReplyDeleteGeez, now the Bellefontaine Examiner is part of the lamestream media? Legends in their own minds.
ReplyDeleteAs a citizen of Bellefontaine, I have to say it is embarassing and shameful that a mayor who is much younger than I can manage to live this way. I have been blessed enough to have a wife who was offered a part time position, but realized (even with my masters degree) that financially I would have to be a provider so my wife and children are provided for. I work between 60 and 70 hours a week, still have time to coach soccer, attend church and have a date night with my wife. If Adam can't handle working and being available as Mayor, then maybe he should resign. I can honestly say his platform in the last two elections has been a joke. Forget political affiliation Nick, I am offended knowing that the taxes of our cities hard working, honest people go to support someone who is younger and probably more physically capable of putting in the hours than I am. I am technically a employee of the city and I do not support this. There has to be someone more qualified, with more integrity than this.
ReplyDeleteQuick story, not a joke at all. I was in the city building delivering something to the parks and rec office and Adam is talking to someone about why he is a Demicrat. His conversation was something along the line, "when I was in school I wrote George Bush and he didn't write me back. Later I wrote Bill Clinton and he wrote me back. That's why I'm a democrat". That's showing them Adam. I'm glad your stand is so strong.
Be a man Adam. Be humble, get a job and support your wife and children the way you promised to when you took your marriage vows.
let me add to this im also a citizen of Bellefontaine and was outraged by adams story. Do you really think Bill Cliton had the time to accually write and send you a note? Its nice to know as a mother, I have to work 40+ hours to provide for my children and so when i couldnt get help thru the walfare system i was denined because i made 20 dollars too much!! Then someone like yourself doesnt even work as hard as us get a hand out is just sickening. You cant afford to pay your bills but continue to have children is just plain symply resiponsible!!! Grow up get a job and support your family as God has intended.. then maybe youll see it through our eyes.
DeleteAs a citizen of Bellefontaine, I have to say it is embarassing and shameful that a mayor who is much younger than I can manage to live this way. I have been blessed enough to have a wife who was offered a part time position, but realized (even with my masters degree) that financially I would have to be a provider so my wife and children are provided for. I work between 60 and 70 hours a week, still have time to coach soccer, attend church and have a date night with my wife. If Adam can't handle working and being available as Mayor, then maybe he should resign. I can honestly say his platform in the last two elections has been a joke. Forget political affiliation Nick, I am offended knowing that the taxes of our cities hard working, honest people go to support someone who is younger and probably more physically capable of putting in the hours than I am. I am technically a employee of the city and I do not support this. There has to be someone more qualified, with more integrity than this.
ReplyDeleteQuick story, not a joke at all. I was in the city building delivering something to the parks and rec office and Adam is talking to someone about why he is a Demicrat. His conversation was something along the line, "when I was in school I wrote George Bush and he didn't write me back. Later I wrote Bill Clinton and he wrote me back. That's why I'm a democrat". That's showing them Adam. I'm glad your stand is so strong.
Be a man Adam. Be humble, get a job and support your wife and children the way you promised to when you took your marriage vows.
"You[r] third-party political blog would better service its readership with some analysis concerning abuses of government assistance at the very top. Million dollar subsidies to oil companies, tax loopholes that allow millionaires to be taxed less than you or me, etc... "
ReplyDeleteSeriously, this guy needs to step away from the table, and stop drinking the kool-aid. "Million dollar subsidies"???!?!?!? So because an oil company makes money (less than 10% profit), and the government doesn't take more of its money, you call it a subsidy? Does this guy think that the government should just take 100% of everyone's money and redistribute it as it sees fit?
Millionaires are taxed less that us? How much did you pay in taxes last year? Was it anywhere near the $2 million that Romney paid? How much did you give to charity last year ($4 million or so like Romney)? Millionaires pay the lion's share of the taxes in this country... why must you demand that the government take even more of their money?
Stop drinking the kool-aid of the left.
Nate doesn't drink it. Nate is one of the guys mixing and pouring the Koolaid.
DeleteOdds are that the staff writers of the local newspaper aren't making more than the mayor anyway so they of course will sympathize with the mayor against "The Man"...oh wait, isn't the mayor "The Man"?
ReplyDeleteI do not think that applying for and accepting handouts from the government (aka asset / wealth / income redistribution from your neighbors) requires one to reveal which political party you chose to register with. All types (able-bodied or not, democrat or republican or non-voters) apply and accept the handouts but only one type of folk (funders) accumulates enough assets / wealth / income from which to pay the federal and state income taxes. Because these funders work so hard year in and year out to earn and manage their money, they do not like to see it handed out like free candy to individuals who have the capacity to have two-worker or one person holding two jobs type households, if need be.
ReplyDeleteOur discussion on this matter is about taxpaying Americans willingness to pay for essential (as well as frivolous) living expenses for other Americans with apparent ability to also be taxpaying Americans [instead of WIC recipients].
We, the average American taxpayer, also believe that the crony capitalism at the top income brackets is not acceptable but that certainly is not appropriate justification for the mayor to apply for and accept a handout. Sounds something like this, "If the millionaires are stealing from the 'government' then why can't I?"
There are many but I shall focus on just one select item in Writer Smith's response, pity for "...public servants...". Please share the Mayor's actual and necessary work hours per week as well as his pension and healthcare coverage benefits cost / value and then we'll talk about whether pity is warranted.
So you disagree with Mitt Romney's statement that it would be un-American for him not to take every deduction/benefit offered by federal law? Following the law is now stealing? Laugh. Of course, Romney also said he's always paid at least an effective federal income tax rate of no less than 13%. Unfortunately, to avoid being caught in a lie, he chose to forego $2,750,000 in chartiable deductions that would have lowered his tax rate by $250,000 in 2011 and reducing his effective rate below 13% (wonder whether he'll amend his return if he loses). I still pay a higher rate effective federal income tax rate on a whole lot less middle class income donating to charity at a similar ratio as Romney does.
DeleteFunny how you choose not to focus on millionares who do things like donate a piece of art valued at thousands of dollars (writing it all off) that sells at a charity auction for mere hundreds. That's a hefty loss of revenue otherwise due to pay for things like the war in Afghanistan for minor benefits to charity (Don't think it happens? Try attending one). The IRS reports that more than 1,400 persons paid no federal income taxes on incomes in excess of $1,000,000. Over 20,000 households paid no federal income taxes on incomes exceeding $200,000. Billionare Dianne Hendricks reduced her Wisconsin state income tax burden from $2.3 million in 2009 to $0 in 2010. It is the equivalent of the government writing billionaires checks for millions of dollars. Makes the lawn chair furniture example seem sort of bigoted.
UPDATE: "Reporter feeling heat for ‘bigots’ remark"
ReplyDeletehttp://watchdog.org/57110/oh-reporter-may-get-fired-for-bigots-remark/
"A reporter for the Bellefontaine Examiner may be fired for calling conservatives bigots during an e-mail argument about a small-town mayor whose family is receiving food stamps."
"Nate Smith, a staff writer for the paper, sent a sharply worded email last week to Nick Mascari, the main blogger at Third Base Politics, accusing him of throwing “a bunch of red meat at a group of judgmental, conservative bigots.”
"Third Base Politics is the state’s leading Republican blog."
"We checked with the paper’s management on whether that sort of gross generalization about conservatives was acceptable. General manager T.J. Hubbard wrote back to say that “the Examiner apologizes for the unprofessional and offensive personal remarks made by Mr. Smith. Disciplinary action against Mr. Smith, up to an including employment termination, is being considered at this time.”. .
Read the rest of the article @ http://watchdog.org/57110/oh-reporter-may-get-fired-for-bigots-remark/