Wisconsin Protest Proves Main Stream Media Bias
There is no longer any doubt the mainstream media (broadcast networks, their cable affiliates, daily newspapers) have become completely mouth pieces for the democratic party and the left. All one has to do is observe the difference in the way the anti-Obama care/TEA party demonstrations last summer were covered in comparison to the way they are covering the current demonstrations in Wisconsin. Recall how TEA partiers and those who went to town meetings and who marched on Washington were characterized. They were called uncivil, accused of being racist or even Nazi's. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck became media pariahs because of their appearances at these rallies. They were accused of just being upset "because a black man was in the White House," and of being selfish and greedy only interested in protecting their wealth. President Obama throughout the protest and as late as last month's tribute to the wounded Congresswoman Giffords called for civility.
Notice how the President and the mainstream media have changed their tunes over public sector union members who are protesting the state of Wisconsin's attempts to balance their budget. Among their proposals is to ask state workers to pay a small percentage of their health care and pension funds (private sector employees pay part of theirs) and to place moderate limits on their collective bargaining ability. They are being praised as people who are defending basic liberties. They are being called heralded as people who are fighting the evil greedy politicians and Republican Corporate interests. President Obama is encouraging the demonstrations and accusing the Republicans in the state legislature (who were elected on platforms calling for these very budget revisions) as being anti-democratic. The media compared them to the democratic protesters in Egypt. It could not be clearer that the mainstream media no longer practices journalism. They are propaganda vehicles for the democratic party.
Lets compare the two demonstrator groups. The TEA Party people never entered a state or federal building, or blocked an entrance to prevent elected officials from doing their jobs. They made no attempt to prevent elected officials from voting. The media found only a handful of distasteful pejorative signs, or found no disrespectful speakers among the TEA partiers. The only accusation of a racial slur was disputed and appears now to be untrue. The media called them racists and Nazi's The demonstrators in Wisconsin have filled the State Capital, blocked State Buildings and prevented elected officials from taking an action they had promised the voters to take. The TEA partiers were accused of being undemocratic and dis civil, and yet it is union members in Wisconsin who are refusing to let the State of Wisconcin act on their constitutional duty to balance the budget, who shout down opposing voice and use perjorative rhetoric.
The right to peacefully assemble and demonstrate in favor of our beliefs is a precious constitutional right. Whether it is Cindy Shehan and the anti-war protesters who camp out side of George Bushes ranch. Vocal opponents of health care who passionately and sometimes irreverently opposed health care or teachers union members in Madison their vocal public dissent is part of the democratic process, the right to peacefully assemble is guaranteed in the Constitution. Their no impropriety in these actions as long as the law is not violated and the functions of government are not hindered.
What some modern media outlets do not understand is that in both protests -- those of Obamacare and those of public employees in Wisconsin a focus on the tone of the protest and the tone of the events serves little public interests. Both Protest are about the same issue -- the economy and jobs. The TEA party believes higher taxes, government entitlements are the cause of our current economic condition and point to fiscal responsible Presidents like Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton to make their case for smaller governments and lower taxes. The union leaders believe government spending will grow the economy and produce jobs and draw their support from academics, some economists and theoreticians. Rather then asking which group is nicer it is the media responsibility to sort through the rhetoric and educate and inform the public about who is right in the argument.
Unfortunately history and recent events are not on the side of "public sector workers in Wisconsin. Just ask the New Jersey state teachers association whose governor asked them to make the same modest concessions. When they refused that left the governor of the highest taxed state in the nation who had been elected to reduce taxes and bring the budget in balance only two choice: to ignore his electoral mandate or to take drastic action to reduce spending. He choose to lay teachers off. It seems to me that the group that was derelict in their duties was the New Jersey Education Association who merely acted preserve their power forced their members into a fight they could not win.
There is a reason why the main stream media covering events in Wisconsin has chosen to focus their reporting on the demonstrations tone rather than the issues. It is because the intellectual arguments as well as the facts of history are on the side of the conservatives and the governors. Whether the Republicans back down or not, their are going to be cuts in personnel cost for Wisconsin workers, either through their reluctantly making some contributions to their benefits or layoffs. This govenor is not going to say,"Read my lips: 'no new taxes.' " then turn around and raise taxes in an economically depressed state. When the President and the Union Leaders encourage these demonstrators; it is not in their best interest. This same President who has called for "everyone to have some 'skin in the game,' for all of us to make sacrifices" and who ran on a call to bipartisanship is saying union members should not have to make modest financial sacrifices for the economic good of the country, and that negotiation should be supplanted by "collective bargaining." He is harming the country, the economy and the state workers by fueling these passion.
Theses protests are a in no win situation for the protesters. The Wisconsin Constitution requires a balanced budget. The governor and the legislature are asking teachers to make a small contribution to their health and retirement benefits. Of course, they don't want to do this. They want to keep their free benefits. In one of the few states where teachers are paid well, they are being asked to accept remuneration in the way most professionals are remunerated, rather than viewing their benefits as entitlements. It is not about the value of their service or their constitutional right to negotiate for wages. What the President and his union cronies, and the main stream media are not telling the state workers is that their stubborn defense of entitlements is a lose-lose proposition for them. Expenses are going to be reduced in the State of Wisconsin. The question is where are sacrifices going to be made. I can remember what Ronal Reagan said when the Air Traffic controller went on strike "Go Ahead. Make my day."
The teachers and other state union workers have only three option in this situation:
1) They can take some responsibility for their own health care and pensions 2. They will have to take severe cuts in educational facilities and programs (as is happening in New York State). 3 Or the stat will have to reduce the size of the work force, layoffs (as happened in New Jersey). Their call for taxes increase to keep their free benefit will not reduce government spending or state deficits(unless they are accompanied by the above cuts) and they will not create jobs in depressed Wisconsin as it will take capital out of the state economy. Responsible journalism would point out to Wisconsin state workers that they are public servants. They serve for the public interest and at the public will. Refusing to negotiate some sacrifices is neither in the public interest or their own. It is too bad that few in the media have the kahunas to report the truth.
Notice how the President and the mainstream media have changed their tunes over public sector union members who are protesting the state of Wisconsin's attempts to balance their budget. Among their proposals is to ask state workers to pay a small percentage of their health care and pension funds (private sector employees pay part of theirs) and to place moderate limits on their collective bargaining ability. They are being praised as people who are defending basic liberties. They are being called heralded as people who are fighting the evil greedy politicians and Republican Corporate interests. President Obama is encouraging the demonstrations and accusing the Republicans in the state legislature (who were elected on platforms calling for these very budget revisions) as being anti-democratic. The media compared them to the democratic protesters in Egypt. It could not be clearer that the mainstream media no longer practices journalism. They are propaganda vehicles for the democratic party.
Lets compare the two demonstrator groups. The TEA Party people never entered a state or federal building, or blocked an entrance to prevent elected officials from doing their jobs. They made no attempt to prevent elected officials from voting. The media found only a handful of distasteful pejorative signs, or found no disrespectful speakers among the TEA partiers. The only accusation of a racial slur was disputed and appears now to be untrue. The media called them racists and Nazi's The demonstrators in Wisconsin have filled the State Capital, blocked State Buildings and prevented elected officials from taking an action they had promised the voters to take. The TEA partiers were accused of being undemocratic and dis civil, and yet it is union members in Wisconsin who are refusing to let the State of Wisconcin act on their constitutional duty to balance the budget, who shout down opposing voice and use perjorative rhetoric.
The right to peacefully assemble and demonstrate in favor of our beliefs is a precious constitutional right. Whether it is Cindy Shehan and the anti-war protesters who camp out side of George Bushes ranch. Vocal opponents of health care who passionately and sometimes irreverently opposed health care or teachers union members in Madison their vocal public dissent is part of the democratic process, the right to peacefully assemble is guaranteed in the Constitution. Their no impropriety in these actions as long as the law is not violated and the functions of government are not hindered.
What some modern media outlets do not understand is that in both protests -- those of Obamacare and those of public employees in Wisconsin a focus on the tone of the protest and the tone of the events serves little public interests. Both Protest are about the same issue -- the economy and jobs. The TEA party believes higher taxes, government entitlements are the cause of our current economic condition and point to fiscal responsible Presidents like Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton to make their case for smaller governments and lower taxes. The union leaders believe government spending will grow the economy and produce jobs and draw their support from academics, some economists and theoreticians. Rather then asking which group is nicer it is the media responsibility to sort through the rhetoric and educate and inform the public about who is right in the argument.
Unfortunately history and recent events are not on the side of "public sector workers in Wisconsin. Just ask the New Jersey state teachers association whose governor asked them to make the same modest concessions. When they refused that left the governor of the highest taxed state in the nation who had been elected to reduce taxes and bring the budget in balance only two choice: to ignore his electoral mandate or to take drastic action to reduce spending. He choose to lay teachers off. It seems to me that the group that was derelict in their duties was the New Jersey Education Association who merely acted preserve their power forced their members into a fight they could not win.
There is a reason why the main stream media covering events in Wisconsin has chosen to focus their reporting on the demonstrations tone rather than the issues. It is because the intellectual arguments as well as the facts of history are on the side of the conservatives and the governors. Whether the Republicans back down or not, their are going to be cuts in personnel cost for Wisconsin workers, either through their reluctantly making some contributions to their benefits or layoffs. This govenor is not going to say,"Read my lips: 'no new taxes.' " then turn around and raise taxes in an economically depressed state. When the President and the Union Leaders encourage these demonstrators; it is not in their best interest. This same President who has called for "everyone to have some 'skin in the game,' for all of us to make sacrifices" and who ran on a call to bipartisanship is saying union members should not have to make modest financial sacrifices for the economic good of the country, and that negotiation should be supplanted by "collective bargaining." He is harming the country, the economy and the state workers by fueling these passion.
Theses protests are a in no win situation for the protesters. The Wisconsin Constitution requires a balanced budget. The governor and the legislature are asking teachers to make a small contribution to their health and retirement benefits. Of course, they don't want to do this. They want to keep their free benefits. In one of the few states where teachers are paid well, they are being asked to accept remuneration in the way most professionals are remunerated, rather than viewing their benefits as entitlements. It is not about the value of their service or their constitutional right to negotiate for wages. What the President and his union cronies, and the main stream media are not telling the state workers is that their stubborn defense of entitlements is a lose-lose proposition for them. Expenses are going to be reduced in the State of Wisconsin. The question is where are sacrifices going to be made. I can remember what Ronal Reagan said when the Air Traffic controller went on strike "Go Ahead. Make my day."
The teachers and other state union workers have only three option in this situation:
1) They can take some responsibility for their own health care and pensions 2. They will have to take severe cuts in educational facilities and programs (as is happening in New York State). 3 Or the stat will have to reduce the size of the work force, layoffs (as happened in New Jersey). Their call for taxes increase to keep their free benefit will not reduce government spending or state deficits(unless they are accompanied by the above cuts) and they will not create jobs in depressed Wisconsin as it will take capital out of the state economy. Responsible journalism would point out to Wisconsin state workers that they are public servants. They serve for the public interest and at the public will. Refusing to negotiate some sacrifices is neither in the public interest or their own. It is too bad that few in the media have the kahunas to report the truth.
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