COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

Utility activist Charlie Wilson’s performance on WTTB’s Bob Soos Morning Magazine program was perhaps a new low, both for the radio station with a once proud tradition of offering the community responsible coverage of local news, and for the political operative turned hatchet man who seems greatly concerned with the growing readership and popularity of Inside Vero.

Amazingly, Wilson claimed the following wording in his email to Inside Vero advertisers does not constitute an attempted boycott.  “Attention Business Owners!  Cancel Your Ad In Inside Vero Immediately!,” Wilson wrote, concluding his email with the following, “Cancel your Inside Vero advertising today!”  That Wilson does not consider this action on his part an effort to interfere in an established business relationship suggests just how disconnected he has become from reality and from the truth.

Inside Vero “attacked” Dr. Stephen Faherty?

Wilson confuses the reporting of facts that do not serve his purpose with an “attack.”  For example, when we reported that in the fall of 2009 Wilson was telling voters the sale of Vero Electric would net the city some $150 million in sale proceeds, he may have been a little embarrassed.  After all, as it turns out the city will be fortunate not to have to use reserve funds to help pay for transaction and transition costs.  At this point, If the city nets a few million dollars, that would be nothing short of a miracle.  Certainly there will be no $150 million for the city to take to the bank.

Similarly, when we reported that Dr. Faherty’s recent public records request of some 22 FMPA member cities made some leaders in those communities, “livid,” to use their word, we were not attacking Dr. Faherty, but were simply reporting the truth.

Christian Heritage Week supporters a hate group?

As an example of how Wilson is misleading our advertisers and the listeners of WTTB, he charged that Inside Vero referred to supporters of Christian Heritage Week as a hate group.  Beyond the specific group that approached the Vero Beach City Council asking for a proclamation recognizing Christian Heritage Week, the movement has many supporters and sponsors, both locally and across the nation.

However, the fact remains that the American Family Association, the group that approached the Vero Beach City Council for a proclamation, has been identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group.  In the context of explaining the reasons why the Humanists of the Treasure Coast gave last fall for objecting, not to the proclamation, but to its sponsorship by the AFA, it was important to present both sides.

All Obama opponents racists?

Another example of how Wilson has a way of contorting the truth is his claim that, “Inside Vero has referred to Obama opponents as racists.”

In a column in which I explored the question whether the Tea Party is a political party or an special interest group, or the far right of the Republican Party I concluded, “Unless some deranged nutcase takes him out, Barack Obama is going to be President of the United States for another three years.  The extreme far right needs to get over it, and it needs to stop taking its frustrations and thinly veiled racism out on local government, specifically the City of Vero Beach.”

That is by no means an accusation that all opponents of President Obama are racists, but it is an assertion that in the extreme fringes of the far right racism, though thinly veiled, is present.

Are conservatives and Republicans nut cases?

Wilson claims Inside Vero has taken the position that “conservatives and Republicans are nut cases.”  This, of course, is not true.

Commenting on Glenn Heran’s objection to the first raises for Sheriff’s Office employees in seven years, and questioning his suggestion that raises be given only where a County employee cannot be replaced by someone else in the job market I wrote, “While that may sound like sacred scripture to free market fundamentalists, it amounts to assigning the responsibility for public safety to the lowest bidder.

“That approach may sit well with the rule-or-ruin-but-mostly-ruin Tea Party crowd and “limited government” extremist like Heran, but many of the rest of us would prefer to sleep well at night, knowing the law enforcement officers who are protecting us are paid fairly, motivated, and feel justifiably respected for the fine and brave work the do in service to the community.”

Friends?

On WTTB this morning, Wilson claimed that in that in the past he and I have been friends.  To that, I can only say that Wilson has as fragile an understanding of the word “friendship” as he does of the word “truth.”

Conclusion:

I could make a full time job out of cleaning up after Wilson and clarifying his seemingly endless misstatements, but ultimately readers will have to decide if this man is credible.