FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 8, 2006
FALSE CAMPAIGN AD PULLED
The DeVos for Governor campaign attorneys received notification today from WOOD TV 8 in Grand Rapids that it was pulling the Democrat’s China attack ad which started airing on Wednesday.
“Voters win when stations stand up for truth, the only question that remains is how many more lies will Granholm attempt to peddle,” said John Truscott, campaign spokesman. “Their ad was found to be false so they were forced to change it.”
CONTACT: John Truscott (517) 485-8404
It should come as no surprise that WOOD TV 8 which has spent so many years pandering to the Amway executive's fiefdom in West Michigan would come to his rescue in the gubernatorial campaign. The Grand Rapids Press and WOOD TV 8 for years have served as a 1-2 punch to not just reflect what may be a conservative-leaning West Michigan's public opinion but to ensure it and strengthen it. This is nothing more than members of the West Michigan mafia helping their own with little regard to the public trust or their viewership. The only other station that has made such a call is in Sault Ste. Marie.
Apparently the beef is not that the accusation itself is unfair or even untrue- it's a semantic argument. DeVos' people claim that the workers the Democrats are accusing him of "laying off" were in fact merely "paid off" to retire early- a move often given an innocuous name such as "attrition" but is really just a different way of sending a worker packing with a severance package and given a nice market-tested buzzword type name that sounds a little nicer. It's a little corporate shell game but the end result is the same and so the ad is as true as most political ads are and certainly no more unfair than so many of DeVos' own ads- all of which have been cleared by his wine and cheese party friends at the Grand Rapids TV station. If WOOD TV seeks to hold political ads to a new standard then maybe they need to look at both sides of the coin.
Anyone who would like to tell TV 8 that maybe they should report the news and not try to make it can register their opinions here:
General Phone: 616-456-8888
Fax: 616-456-5755
Website: www.woodtv.com
Station Manager
Diane Kniowski
Phone: 616-771-9607
Email: diane.kniowski@woodtv.com
A list of other phone numbers and email addresses for WOOD TV 8 can here found by clicking HERE.
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32 comments:
Pulled? Or changed?
Truscott is saying two different things here... and it sounds rather funny considering that Dick had to change one of his ads after complaints from the Free Press and the Lansing State Journal.
And yes, WOOD is in the pocket of the Pubs- Rick Albin is walking, talking proof of that. The man leans so far to the right he has to have special shoes made to keep him from falling over.
another press report I saw said that the ad was being pulled unless the Dems came up with a corrected change.
It is apparent by their planned broadcast of the mockumentery,"Path To 911" on sister station wotv41, that they have no qualms with broadcasting lies.
Please write them to acknowledge their capitulation in spreading neocon hate speech.
I do not believe in telling them they cannot broadcast what they want, but I do ask for a disclaimer expressing that the dramatization is in part made up so as to express a political view that is inconsistant whith the findings of the 911 commission.
How the news is reported is a favorite issue of mine. Just as all politics are local, so is news, and the business of informing the readers.
I would like to remind you on this day of high visibility mourning that 37,000 children died yesterday of hunger and malnutrition. Another 37,000 will die today while we wail and gnash our teeth at the loss of 3000 executives. Tomorrow, 37,000 more will die while we rant about the 3000 impressed military "coalition" troops that died.
Wednesday, while we eat our Kiwanis lunches, another 37,000 kids will die.
The Gates Foundation has its work cut out for it.
I have an article that demonstrates how the world could be "saved" for $75 billion. It was written as a report to the U.N. so the newspapers are required to scoff.
I've been trying to figure out where to classify journalists (print and electronic, etc). Are they considered elitist intelligentia because they can read at a 12th grade level?
Sorry, the thread was about some Dick that got some support from a WoodPecker.
By the way, the Commission was the 9/11 Commission. 911 is the exclusive domain of Ag3.
Seen on the street, a T-shirt saying "DICK DeVos....before he dicks you"
excerpts from Gongwer News Service Story 9/11/06
STATION FORCES CHANGE IN DEM PARTY AD ON LAYOFFS
The Democratic Party was forced change the wording of its TV ad regarding the job cuts at Alti-cor/Amway when it was headed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos because it had said there were 1,400 layoffs when in fact the workforce reduction included layoffs of 600. Grand Rapids station WOOD TV 8 on Friday had said it would only continue running the ad if the change was made.
WWTV/WWUP-TV based in Cadillac, the only station which had pulled the ad, began running it again Friday unchanged. It is also still on the party’s website unchanged.
The Democratic Party also asserted Mr. DeVos tried to pressure WZZM-TV into not running the ad by refusing to be interviewed until it pulled the spot. Mr. Truscott (DeVos spokesman) said the candidate had a full schedule but would have been available for a brief interview “if they were going to make news” by pulling the ad, which it did not.
Just playing devil's advocate:
1) Perhaps Dick had to lay off all of those people due to Granholm's lousy economy.
2) How many people has Jennifer let go from employment with the state? Ever try to find a DNR employee at a State Park?
3) Why is it OK for Slick Willy to try and censor Path to 9/11 and Michael Moore to present his wild fantasies as fact yet DeVos is vilified by the class envy crowd when he asks for the facts to be presented correctly.
Don't confuse Dick with Rich. Amway went global 30 years ago, when Dick was still Dickie. The real brains behind Amway/Alticor is Doug, who seems to follow in Rich's footsteps stating that he can get more done by not being President of the USA.
One reason for only allowing shotguns to hunt deer in Lower Michigan is the known fact that Trolls jerk the trigger and don't bother to focus on the center of a target.
...the truth, the truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us all.
I stand corrected and appreciate the contribution to the whole truth.
Granholm is the chief executive of this state, and the buck stops with her. She has been complicit in all this tax cutting. If she was truly against all these tax cuts, she should of fought more vigorously.
The economy tanked on her watch and she should be taken into accout. Alas, the Democrats would have us believe that if we look into those big doe-eyes and re-elect her she'll reform her four years of half-hearted accomplishments and really make this state great this time around. She had her chance and failed--time for new leadership.
While the buck may stop in the governor's office, the bull starts in the Republican Legislature.
Jay, Where have you been for the past 20 yrs? Sikkema has been in the legislature for about 27 years. Engler termed out as governor and in the face of declining state revenue, chose to cut taxes. He also sold off many state assets to shore up the state's bottom line, but in so doing, mortaged off our future. As just one example, closing the state mental institutions only to have those people end up in our prisons at twice the cost was shortshigted. Granholm inherited nearly $5 billion in budget deficits right off the bat and has had to deal with an annual $2 billion shortfall every year thereafter because of structural deficits (mandatory spending) as a consequence of the
GOP "leadership". Now, with the GOP's SBT dismissal, she is expected to come up with another $2 billion to cut, while her opponent DeVos offers up nothing. Get a grip on reality. If you want to blame someone for the state's ills, you have to look no further than the GOP. Don't insult us for blaming Granholm for what she inherited. Her three years cannot make up for a generation of poor management under the control of the GOP.
For a second, I thought Sentinel was wondering where I was. The "whole truth" involves trying to remember my grade school "Civics" from over 60 years ago. As I recall, it is easier to get things done in the Governor's office if you have people who are not constantly opposed to you in the Legislature. The political puffery of prospective Governors about how they are going to do this, that and the other ignores the fact that Governors don't do most of those things. This is why we need to elect Democrats this fall. It isn't that they have any particular good choices as candidates or any particular good ideas, it is going to be good enough just to get the GOP antagonists out of the way so something can move forward. It won't hurt that we "Liberal" Republicans will swing to send a message to the warmongers and neocons that we don't approve of their terrorism.
If you didn't see the news coverage of this week's gathering of over 100 "non-aligned nations" in Cuba it is because there won't be any. So far, they have condemned the senseless killing of civilians by the worst terrorist nation in the world. We don't seem to have won their hearts and minds, not that rabid conservatives give a damn.
In passing, eventually we will become educated to the fact that "closing the state mental institutions only to have those people end up in our prisons at twice the cost" is an unfortunate misconception shared by many people. I can only speak for Barry County, but it is rare that a mentally ill person is confined for long in our jail unless the person has commited a serious crime, and continues to be a threat. The mental health hospitals are still open for very serious cases and cost us over $1000 a day for the few people we must send to them. We have well-trained deputies and jail personnel that call in mental health professionals as quickly as possible to get the person back into society as no threat. It isn't a "one size fits all" situation like throwing them in dungeons, that some people thought was a good idea. The Jail Administrator is a regular attendee at Mental Health Board meetings and we have great respect for each other. Overcoming stigma is a major goal and is not helped by the perpetuation of an ancient myth.
El, Hardly an ancient myth. You've bought into Newell's thinking, and its wrong. One need only speak to those working in the PRISON (not jail) system to get a sense where many of the previously institutionalized mental cases ended up. The other unspoken outcome was that families were forced to assume home care for those kicked out when Engler closed the doors. If you are young and able, taking care of "one's own" might work, but many of the elderly can hardly take care of themselves let alone someone with special needs.
Clearly, taxpayer support of corrections facilities has become one of the largest components of the states obligatory budget. This fact is sypmptomatic of an overbearing govenment passing rediculous laws and the defacto use of prisons as mental institutions.
First question asked by "Your" mental health professionals Ellie is "Do they have health insurance? They only finance the worst case scenarios, the rest are lost in the system and many are walking the streets of the bigger surrounding Cities, constantly going through the Court system or in prisons as previously stated. Or, at the State Tech on Pine Lake, where one drove a car 80 MPH on a dirt road and killed three of her classmates. Bi-polar, but gets a drivers license? Most of the ones under care are on again and off again, as they choose when to take their drugs or not. Mental Health in Barry County will find any reason they can to put a mentally challenged person back on the streets without taking any action to care for their future.
You make it sound like calling in the mental health people, and "getting these people back into society as no threat" is possible and a cure all! Most of these people are not cured and are "sedated" back into "your society" and will recidivate until they finally commit the serious crime and get incarcerated.
If you're on the Board, I now understand why there are so many problems with getting Mental Health to do anything in Barry County. Too much BS, no positive interaction, too busy trying to impress each other with your "knowledge."
Let me guess, the cops are represented on the Mental Health Board by some of the same people on the 911 Board, right?
Both of you "mental health experts" must be intuitively right without doing any investigation, so I will add to your vast knowledge. The Mental Health Board is comprised entirely of retired State Police officers who must be disrespected at every opportunity.
Newell has never done anything of value because we all know that retired State Police are intrinsically evil.
We all know that the best way to treat the mentally ill is to sentence them to life in state institutions, where their families don't have to look at them and be embarrassed by their wierd behavior.
Of course, all mental health services should be paid for by the taxpayers instead of the insurance companies. It isn't fair for insurance companies to reduce their profits by having to pay claims.
It is a definite fact that all the people at "State Tech" at Pine Lake are insane and should be shipped to Kalamazoo with the rest of the loonies.
Add the absolute proven fact that "Most of the ones under care are on again and off again, as they choose when to take their drugs or not", to the huge pile of facts regarding 911. It is all true."Most of these people are not cured and are "sedated" back into "your society" and will recidivate until they finally commit the serious crime and get incarcerated". This is supported by a vast amount of reading and careful gathering of facts by the same people who bring you the "whole truth" about 911, and therefore it must be very true.
If you find yourself intimidated by my ability to walk and chew gum at the same time, I apologize for showing off. What you do is put the gum in your mouth and....
LOL, I have yet to see or believe you can perform this feat you mention, yet! Your whole commentary made no sense! I support your right to speak gibberish!
"Too much BS, no positive interaction, too busy trying to impress each other with your "knowledge.""
I have to assume that you are repeating something you heard at last call, since it sounds like your usual unsupported rant. The Barry County Community Mental Health Authority is recognized as being one of the best in the State. This doesn't pretend to be perfect, as it is also one of the lowest funded organizations (due to small population and record of not wasting money). The BCCMHA consistently passes an almost continuous parade of auditing inspections in the highest percentiles. I'm sure this "gibberish" also makes no sense to you. It is based on facts that you could hire somebody to read to you.
Your constant focus on spreading a proven weak argument rejected by both the Prosecuting Attorney and the Attorney General, and your fantasy that this will do anything other than a create a bad smell proves to me that you must be able to either chew gum or walk but doing two things at once would require too much "knowledge".
While I appreciate your willingness to support my First Amendment Rights, six classes of sixth graders, today, did not know what the Bill of Rights was and due to some "gibberish" by me will be better prepared on Monday to understand what they will be shown on Ch.1. I am not trying to impress you with my vast knowledge, but I'm not afraid to speak out on issues that I know something about. I would have appreciated being overwhelmed by factual information regarding your 911 fantasy, but I won't live forever and you don't seem to have anything but static-filled noise to offer.
LOL, 911 fantasy? You want facts? Obviously you have not been reading the Banner for the last couple of years? How many people have to complain about 911 before it will get your attention? I've seen "facts" listed in the complaint articles. 911 action does not require the burden of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt! A preponderance of evidence is sufficient to send the Director and so called "civilian" Chair packing. Fact: 15 years as a 911 Board Member from one jurisdiction is not representative governing and is "king of the hill" building, "my way or the highway." There are several on the Board like that. Other facts have been outlined, but you apparently discard them without rational thought!
Mental Health, one of the "best in the State," sounds like the typical 911 accolades espoused by those who run it!
The facts HAVE been in many of my 911 "rants!" You need to take notes or have someone do it for you, only if you continue to obsess with cutting everyones thoughts apart. I have lived them and seen them, and know them to be FACT! What do you want, Legal Briefs?
Seems in your world everything is GREATTTTTTTTTTT in Barry County, at least when you're involved directly in it, or "trying" to explain it.
The 911 argument rejected by the Prosecutor and Attorney General has not been my dog in the fight (Think Sheriff, S H E R I F F), even though I fully support his efforts and the political dereliction of duties he has had to endure. You need to "read" far more carefully and credit the proper sources of the "weak" assertions you so uneloquently find distasteful.
I can only guess you probably even might sit on the 911 Board? You seem to be a very good fit for what we have out there! "I know everything and the rest of you are dummies!" "I can song and dance around five paragraphs and some idiots will believe me."
"and abhor the political derelictions he has had to endure."
Kids, don't make me pull this car over! If you can't get along I'll send you to your (own) blogs!
Typical of this 911 assembly of "facts", your attempt to create another "fact" by quoting yourself ("and abhor the political derelictions he has had to endure.") is pretty typical of why I am unable to support your concerns. The assertion that some citizen, usually unnamed, has a personal complaint that gets summarized in the local paper somehow creates "evidence" or factual information seems like a pretty long stretch. Fred is pretty careful to point out that his editorial opinions are not the "whole truth" but are only a point of view. Otherwise he might use the headline "Fred's Facts". I also enjoy the sentences that begin with "Most people..." which I quickly convert to "My girlfriend and I, ..."
Pol,
I did time in the U.S. military to supposedly ensure my right to not get along.
I explained to some 6th graders last week that they had the right to blog that I am old and fat, but that doesn't make it a fact, and especially doesn't make it the "whole truth" even if it has some truth to it. I may have hurt the 911 cause a bit when I explained that they don't have to believe everything they see in print, just because it got printed. I still have hope that we will accomplish an informed electorate.
The actual data on BCCMHA compared with other mental health organizations in the State is documented at great length and in boring detail. There have been a number of articles in the Reminder summarizing a few easily understood high points. The data is more than five paragraphs, or even five pages, long. To be an informed citizen you wouldn't take my word for it, just like I don't take your word for your allegations. Continuing to serve on a Board for many years is not a definition of wrongdoing. The Jacobs family has a long history of printing the news. This does not define them as derilect or evil. At best, some of them may be aging.This still doesn't deter them from listening to rants.
Grillo, step away from being Newell's lap dog for a moment and look beyond Barry County, as distasteful as that may be to you. New national study of prisons shows over 50% incarcerated have mental conditions and many of those incarcerated were attributed to closure of mental institutions. One insider testimony said it goes against the state's interest to identify those in prison who have mental issues since the state would then have to pay for treatment. Maybe Newell should have held up BCCMHA as the success story for others to follow. But then, that would have required him to exert leadership on something. You need to speak to some Michigan Corrections Officers in Ionia. I-Max would be good. Newell is feeding you political tripe. If you want the truth, go to the front lines,and don't be condescending to me or ag-3 because you don't want to look for "facts" beyond your backyard.
Yes, sir, whatever you say.
You talking with sixth graders is frightening. I can only imagine you standing before them in a black trench coat. Written and verbal threats keep people from signing their "rants," and letters to the editor. Is this the kind of County Government you are so proud of? You obviously are part of the problem, not the solution.
Seems the County Sheriff tried to Stand Tall and present his facts to a County Board, whose Chair tried to gavel his mouth shut. Is this America? Isn't this really why the Facts do not come out? The power of the vote will change it come Jan 1st. The Facts will come out, despite spineless AG's and other status quo advocates.
I also served my Country with honor, and with honor/respect will heed requests sending me back to my own blog to "rant" to my hearts content.
Ag3,
I thought your decision to shut down your blog was a perfectly reasonable thing to do, considering your disregard for reading and writing.
I have nearly finished gathering the applicable information on Central Dispatch from the Courthouse, etc. which would have been a good idea for you as well. Most of your rants are pure crap, but you can get the facts easily by asking politely for them. In your case I would send somebody to the Administrator's Office who has some tact.
I will be posting my findings on el-grillo.blogspot, soon. I hope you will not bother reading any of it since you already know everything you need to ever know.
LIVING IT is all the PROOF one needs Grillo. And, NO, I don't read your blog. Sometimes I gaze quickly over your garbage to see if you are talking about 911 and all the documents "they" give you. Documents mean nothing. Apparently officers and ems workers on the streets care nothing about your opinion either, or you might have a CLUE about the TRUTH!
911 continues business as usual due to folks like you!
I would appreciate it if you would stop "gazing" over my blog, even quickly. I thought I smelled some lingering sulfur. You may be drooling.
Once again you win the debate. Documents mean nothing! The only truth is found laying around in the streets, and under rocks.
Yes, 911 continues to function, and it is a good thing it does. It seems that in other counties it is not doing so well. I will take no credit for the success of the BCCDA other than paying my taxes.
Since I need more PROOF than LIVING IT to come to a rational conclusion, I will withhold my judgement of who is responsible for the success of our local system. It takes quite an effort to get a team to function smoothly, and cooperation seems to continue in spite of the mud war going on out in the street.
Mike Lewis is full of it and does not and never did speak for me. It is true that I did work for Amway as a supervisor but it was for just short of 21 years, not the 25 years he claims. I have no idea as to the number of hours Amway employees are working (I am not there, how would I know?). My so-called "friends" have told me that they have brought in around 75 more people to work in the distribution center. Is this backward and false misinformation on the part of Mike Lewis?
The truth is, I voted for Mr. DeVos last fall and the push for a tax on services in Michigan is evidence of the backward thinking of the Grandholm administration. This tax will put a lot of small businesses out of business (more lost jobs under the Grandholm administration?). The paperwork and time involved to keep good records will make the effort of staying in business insurmountable to small business owners. Michigan needs to educate, encourage and help small business owners, not give them more paperwork and tax filing to do.
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