Comments on: It’s Time for Their Close-Up http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up Con maldad hacias sombreros rojo. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:49:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sandy D. http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up/comment-page-1#comment-1407 Sandy D. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:33:00 +0000 http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up#comment-1407 That should have been "sell" cocaine not "sale." Sorry, I knew that didn't look right when I wrote it.<br/><br/>Anonymous 12:44 has a good point. Journalism has gone from attempting to inform the public to attempting to entertain the public. We went from Edward R. Murrow to Geraldo Rivera. That should have been “sell” cocaine not “sale.” Sorry, I knew that didn’t look right when I wrote it.

Anonymous 12:44 has a good point. Journalism has gone from attempting to inform the public to attempting to entertain the public. We went from Edward R. Murrow to Geraldo Rivera.

]]> By: Anonymous http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up/comment-page-1#comment-1406 Anonymous Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:44:00 +0000 http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up#comment-1406 I wish I was convinced your plan would do much good. When I look at the way the national media failed to challenge or question George Bush before the Iraq war, and the cozy relationship the local press has with some of our elected officials, I have to conclude that the press often fails to do its job. <br/>At the local and national level they often fail to ask hard questions and/or fail to report it when others do. Investigative journalism is dead. I wish I was convinced your plan would do much good. When I look at the way the national media failed to challenge or question George Bush before the Iraq war, and the cozy relationship the local press has with some of our elected officials, I have to conclude that the press often fails to do its job.
At the local and national level they often fail to ask hard questions and/or fail to report it when others do. Investigative journalism is dead.

]]> By: BlogFreeSpringfield http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up/comment-page-1#comment-1405 BlogFreeSpringfield Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:42:00 +0000 http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up#comment-1405 Tony,<br/><br/>I agree with your assessment of his style, but I’m skeptical that his intentions are noble. If he were truly committed to providing healthcare to all, he would have worked harder early in the budget cycle to build broad support for it among the legistature and lobbying bodies. Unfortunately, for him, building a coalition means that if he was successful, he would have had to share the spotlight with the others who worked to bring it about. Instead he took a maverick approach meant to assure that he alone could take credit for it. And, of course, he failed.<br/><br/>Sandy,<br/><br/>Wouldn’t you like to hear an elected leader answer to your charges? Make them defend, on the record, the existence of these loopholes and inconsistencies, and if they can’t or agree that they are unfair, make them commit to changing them. The key is not allowing them to get away with a canned response meant to absolve themselves of any responsibility. That’s why a thorough probing every four months would work to flush out the system.<br/><br/>Thanks for commenting,<br/>Dan Tony,

I agree with your assessment of his style, but I’m skeptical that his intentions are noble. If he were truly committed to providing healthcare to all, he would have worked harder early in the budget cycle to build broad support for it among the legistature and lobbying bodies. Unfortunately, for him, building a coalition means that if he was successful, he would have had to share the spotlight with the others who worked to bring it about. Instead he took a maverick approach meant to assure that he alone could take credit for it. And, of course, he failed.

Sandy,

Wouldn’t you like to hear an elected leader answer to your charges? Make them defend, on the record, the existence of these loopholes and inconsistencies, and if they can’t or agree that they are unfair, make them commit to changing them. The key is not allowing them to get away with a canned response meant to absolve themselves of any responsibility. That’s why a thorough probing every four months would work to flush out the system.

Thanks for commenting,
Dan

]]> By: Sandy Duncan's Other Eye http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up/comment-page-1#comment-1404 Sandy Duncan's Other Eye Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:11:00 +0000 http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up#comment-1404 My opinion? Thanks for asking.<br/><br/>As far as changing the status quo in regard to how our government is run and how our politicians behave I have the following theory.<br/><br/>Politicians know their weaknesses and their strengths and as such do a wonderful job of making their jobs easier and keeping themselves out of trouble. Case in point: When it comes to legislating, our lawmakers pass laws and amendments that they know cannot hurt them or at least have a very small chance of doing so. Take DUI laws for example. Because our legislators are very cognizant that they, or their close family members, could very easily be snared in a DUI arrest situation they have created more loopholes in DUI law than you could shake a crochet hook at. Getting arrested for DUI is easy. Getting convicted of DUI by a jury with a decent lawyer on your side is very hard. For an offense that kills and seriously injures the vast numbers that it does every year you would think that our lawmakers would take away some of the legal hoops the entire criminal justice system must jump through in order to help limit the devastation.<br/><br/>Another example is the sale or possession of cocaine. Sale crack and you are going to do some jail time. Sale powder and probation is at least on the table and is very likely on a first offense. Why the differing punishments? Because our lawmakers can easily see theirselves, or their children that they have ignored their whole lives, in possession of powder cocaine but not crack. For the most part crack is for the poor, powder is for the rich....our lawmakers know this. My opinion? Thanks for asking.

As far as changing the status quo in regard to how our government is run and how our politicians behave I have the following theory.

Politicians know their weaknesses and their strengths and as such do a wonderful job of making their jobs easier and keeping themselves out of trouble. Case in point: When it comes to legislating, our lawmakers pass laws and amendments that they know cannot hurt them or at least have a very small chance of doing so. Take DUI laws for example. Because our legislators are very cognizant that they, or their close family members, could very easily be snared in a DUI arrest situation they have created more loopholes in DUI law than you could shake a crochet hook at. Getting arrested for DUI is easy. Getting convicted of DUI by a jury with a decent lawyer on your side is very hard. For an offense that kills and seriously injures the vast numbers that it does every year you would think that our lawmakers would take away some of the legal hoops the entire criminal justice system must jump through in order to help limit the devastation.

Another example is the sale or possession of cocaine. Sale crack and you are going to do some jail time. Sale powder and probation is at least on the table and is very likely on a first offense. Why the differing punishments? Because our lawmakers can easily see theirselves, or their children that they have ignored their whole lives, in possession of powder cocaine but not crack. For the most part crack is for the poor, powder is for the rich….our lawmakers know this.

]]> By: UMRBlog http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up/comment-page-1#comment-1403 UMRBlog Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:24:00 +0000 http://blogfreespringfield.com/it%e2%80%99s-time-for-their-close-up#comment-1403 Let me say the same thing a slightly different way. Our Governor chooses never to ENGAGE contrary views, the press or the public on issues. He makes pronouncements and retreats.<br/><br/>I happen to think he has good intentions but he kind of reminds me of the golf pro who was too shy to actually give lessons. Really couldn't help too many people.<br/><br/>Interesting overview. Good luck on the Pulitzer thang. Let me say the same thing a slightly different way. Our Governor chooses never to ENGAGE contrary views, the press or the public on issues. He makes pronouncements and retreats.

I happen to think he has good intentions but he kind of reminds me of the golf pro who was too shy to actually give lessons. Really couldn’t help too many people.

Interesting overview. Good luck on the Pulitzer thang.

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