Is Wilson’s new chamber folding already?

COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

We have sad news to share this morning. The sad news is that Charlie Wilson recently announced his new “Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce” is going to cease operation. I think he is going to continue appearing on the professor of political baloney segment on local radio, at least for the moment, but he has announced he is going to cease overall operation of his new chamber.

The above statement is a parody and may have no connection to the truth, but it does mirror the false claim Charlie Wilson made last Tuesday on local radio regarding Inside Vero. (It is, however, probably closer to the truth than Wilson’s recent assertions that response to his chamber scheme has been “overwhelming” The best way to predict future behavior and performance is to consider past behavior and performance. At least to date, the results of everything Wilson has tried have been more or less underwhelming).

In September, an anonymous letter containing word-for-word the text of an email sent by Charlie Wilson to a number of Inside Vero advertisers was mailed to other advertisers. The letters, which urged a boycott of the newspaper, were posted the same day Wilson went on WTTB radio saying he would be contacting Inside Vero's advertisers personally to encourage them to boycott the newspaper. Now Wilson is taking to the airwaves, using his weekly time on WTTB to make false statements intended to cause listeners to believe the newspaper is, as he put it, "ceasing publication." Like much of what resides in Wilson's head and rolls of his tongue, his claims about Inside Veor are simply not true, and represent nothing more than his wishful thinking. — In September, an anonymous letter containing word-for-word the text of an email sent by Charlie Wilson to a number of Inside Vero advertisers was mailed to other advertisers. The letters, which urged a boycott of the newspaper, were posted the same day Wilson went on WTTB radio saying he would be contacting Inside Vero’s advertisers personally to encourage them to boycott the newspaper. Now Wilson is taking to the airwaves, using his weekly time on WTTB to make false statements intended to cause listeners to believe the newspaper is, as he put it, “ceasing publication.” Like much of what resides in Wilson’s head and rolls off his tongue, his claims about Inside Veor are simply not true, and represent nothing more than his wishful thinking.

“I do have sad news. The sad news is that Inside Vero has announced they are going to cease their print publication and only send it to people who ask for it, which is a couple of hundred people, which is probably less than their minimum press run. I think they are going to continue their blog, at least for the moment, but they have announced they are going to cease their overall distribution of their newspaper,” Wilson said, as he again misinformed WTTB’s listeners this week.

Wilson, ever one to weasel his way around the truth, contends he was simply expressing his option. Any reasonably person of sound mind, a criteria which may exclude Wilson, would hear what he said on WTTB last week as a statement of fact. However, it is simply not true, as Wilson claimed, that Inside Vero is “ceasing publication,” nor are we discontinuing home delivery of the newspaper.

WTTB station manager, Jim Davis, and Morning Show host, Bob Soos refused this morning to retract Wilson’s misstatements of fact. Davis and Soos both have interesting connections with Wilson. Soos was hired at WTTB when Wilson was the station’s news director, and Davis had a hand in Wilson’s unceremonious departure from WTTB.

A number of months ago, Wilson went on WTTB urging an advertising boycott of Inside Vero. He followed his comments on Soos’ program with calls, emails and letters sent to Inside Vero advertisers, under the heading, “Attention Business Owners! Cancel Your Ad in Inside Vero Immediately!” (See Dusting for fingerprints)

Clearly, aided by Soos and WTTB station management, Wilson is attempting to remove at least one news source that consistently holds him accountable for his adulterous relationship with the the truth.

6 comments

Since Wilson and the Mooch have a goal of 100 members by March, I would hope they will be proud enough to disclose that membership list when it happens. If they do not provide a list of members we will not know if they are being truthful or not. And, If they do put out a membership list as does the Real Chamber, seems that list might be fair game for you, Mark, to go after them as he did with your advertisers. Just saying.

Right He has quite a resume of folly.

I heard the false claims on the radio program and laughed. What is amazing to me is that anyone in Indian River County takes Charlie Wilson seriously. In my book he lost all credibility when it turned out that he was not a resident of the district that he was alleged to represent on the City Council. The entire community owes a debt of gratitude to Judge Karanek for saving the City of Vero Beach from having to endure Charlie Wilson on the City Council.