19
Oct
2004
During the week of October 18-23, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns 62 TV stations nationwide, is forcing its affiliates to air an anti-John Kerry film entitled Stolen Honor. The FCC has refused to do anything about it but at this writing, there is an intense nationwide boycott against Sinclair, and its stock is at an all- time low point.
If Sinclair sounds familiar, it's because it is the same company that ordered its ABC stations not to air Nightline earlier this year when the aforementioned program read off the names of the war dead in Iraq. Sinclair said it "did not believe such political statements should be disguised as news content." Sounds like they are just typical right-wing hypocrites, because the film they are showing is nothing but a rehash of the Swift Vets & POWs for Truth campaign that was discredited earlier this year. The point of this is that we, the people, need to take back our airwaves, and we cannot let a small group of neo-cons control what we see and listen to.
We are fortunate in that we do not have any Sinclair-owned stations here in the Quad Cities, but there is one in Cedar Rapids, KGAN, and one in Des Moines, WDSM. This company obviously does not believe in freedom of speech, since Michael Moore has offered to show his film Fahrenheit 9/11 for free at all Sinclair-owned stations, and the company refused. People who are in the Cedar Rapids and Des Moines areas should take note that your airwaves are being hijacked by some people who believe in freedom of speech only when it suits them. And remember, everybody else, that this could happen here as well unless we take back our airwaves and media from the corporations. Bring back the fairness doctrine.
Joseph Penry
Davenport
Boland Brings Results
This is to reply to the letter from Ms. Schneider that recently appeared in your paper. (See "Boland Hasn't Created Jobs," Issue 498, October 13-19, 2004.) She seems to be impressed with Steve Haring and his ideas concerning economic development for the 71st District. It is interesting to note that Mr. Haring has been working as the director for the Blackhawk Hills Economic Development District. As director, it is Mr. Haring's responsibility to help bring new jobs into the area that will spur economic growth. However, during his tenure, he has shown little leadership and yielded even lesser results. In fact, Carroll County, where Mr. Haring is from, has the highest unemployment figures in the entire state of Illinois. His track record simply doesn't match his rhetoric.
In contrast, State Representative Mike Boland has worked hard to find innovative ways to create jobs during tough economic times for the entire 71st District, in particular Carroll County. Although only part of Carroll County is in the 71st District, Boland has secured $100,000 for the Cambell Center for Historic Preservation located in Mt. Carroll, Illinois, on the former Shimer College campus. Not only will this open an educational institution that has been closed, but it has already brought much-needed jobs to the area. In Thompson (also in Carroll County), Boland fought for the state to give money to the village to build new roads, new water and sewer works, and a new water tower. This infrastructure saved the taxpayers of Thompson thousands of dollars while creating jobs for many of its residents.
Representative Boland has been working with state and federal officials to expand Highway 30 to four lanes in Whiteside County. He also has made sure that in a time of budget constraints, money has been included in the state budget for the expansion and development of the new Western Illinois University Quad City Riverfront Campus. These two initiatives will bring businesses, jobs, and economic growth into all the communities of the 71st District.
In addition to the aforementioned examples, Mr. Boland has also worked hard to acquire funds for projects in other communities such as Morrison, Fulton, Albany, Erie, Hampton, Port Byron, Orion, Silvis, East Moline, and Moline. I ask the people of this district to compare Mike Boland's record of achievement to that of Haring and his record as economic development director in Carroll County. The people of this district deserve a state legislator like Mike Boland who will continue to provide the type of leadership that yields results.
Kevin Stuckwisch
East Moline
If Sinclair sounds familiar, it's because it is the same company that ordered its ABC stations not to air Nightline earlier this year when the aforementioned program read off the names of the war dead in Iraq. Sinclair said it "did not believe such political statements should be disguised as news content." Sounds like they are just typical right-wing hypocrites, because the film they are showing is nothing but a rehash of the Swift Vets & POWs for Truth campaign that was discredited earlier this year. The point of this is that we, the people, need to take back our airwaves, and we cannot let a small group of neo-cons control what we see and listen to.
We are fortunate in that we do not have any Sinclair-owned stations here in the Quad Cities, but there is one in Cedar Rapids, KGAN, and one in Des Moines, WDSM. This company obviously does not believe in freedom of speech, since Michael Moore has offered to show his film Fahrenheit 9/11 for free at all Sinclair-owned stations, and the company refused. People who are in the Cedar Rapids and Des Moines areas should take note that your airwaves are being hijacked by some people who believe in freedom of speech only when it suits them. And remember, everybody else, that this could happen here as well unless we take back our airwaves and media from the corporations. Bring back the fairness doctrine.
Joseph Penry
Davenport
Boland Brings Results
This is to reply to the letter from Ms. Schneider that recently appeared in your paper. (See "Boland Hasn't Created Jobs," Issue 498, October 13-19, 2004.) She seems to be impressed with Steve Haring and his ideas concerning economic development for the 71st District. It is interesting to note that Mr. Haring has been working as the director for the Blackhawk Hills Economic Development District. As director, it is Mr. Haring's responsibility to help bring new jobs into the area that will spur economic growth. However, during his tenure, he has shown little leadership and yielded even lesser results. In fact, Carroll County, where Mr. Haring is from, has the highest unemployment figures in the entire state of Illinois. His track record simply doesn't match his rhetoric.
In contrast, State Representative Mike Boland has worked hard to find innovative ways to create jobs during tough economic times for the entire 71st District, in particular Carroll County. Although only part of Carroll County is in the 71st District, Boland has secured $100,000 for the Cambell Center for Historic Preservation located in Mt. Carroll, Illinois, on the former Shimer College campus. Not only will this open an educational institution that has been closed, but it has already brought much-needed jobs to the area. In Thompson (also in Carroll County), Boland fought for the state to give money to the village to build new roads, new water and sewer works, and a new water tower. This infrastructure saved the taxpayers of Thompson thousands of dollars while creating jobs for many of its residents.
Representative Boland has been working with state and federal officials to expand Highway 30 to four lanes in Whiteside County. He also has made sure that in a time of budget constraints, money has been included in the state budget for the expansion and development of the new Western Illinois University Quad City Riverfront Campus. These two initiatives will bring businesses, jobs, and economic growth into all the communities of the 71st District.
In addition to the aforementioned examples, Mr. Boland has also worked hard to acquire funds for projects in other communities such as Morrison, Fulton, Albany, Erie, Hampton, Port Byron, Orion, Silvis, East Moline, and Moline. I ask the people of this district to compare Mike Boland's record of achievement to that of Haring and his record as economic development director in Carroll County. The people of this district deserve a state legislator like Mike Boland who will continue to provide the type of leadership that yields results.
Kevin Stuckwisch
East Moline
