Wednesday, June 14, 2006

The Crop Shop?

I find this interesting. Carey Wooten's editorial was also carried in the Americus Times Recorder.

That paper took the shears to the letter, cutting out every reference to Cathy Cox. Editorial license? One thing Wooten's words, even this edition, make perfectly clear: just because the leadership of an education union endorses a candidate, it does not mean that they either speak for all teachers or even asked their opinion.

Here's the letter as printed in the Americus paper.

GAE just another special interest

I am writing to express my discontent, and downright anger, with the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) for last week’s announcement by representatives who declared their support for Mark Taylor in the Democratic bid for governor. As a current member of GAE, I nor any other members were ever surveyed about our opinions on the governor’s race.

Those who support Mark Taylor are elected representatives, lobbyists, who have done little or nothing to even present the candidates or a forum to discuss relevant issues to the teachers of this state. Increasingly, GAE has become afraid, just another lobby group representing the political interests of a select few (most of whom no longer teach or work in school systems).

Carey W. Wooten, Ellaville

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2 comments:

Button Gwinnett said...

This is also the same paper that called Taylor "an originator of HOPE." I thought at the time that was rather strange as I don't think I've even heard Taylor state that claim directly, though he does often by insuation.

“It’s easy for them (other candidates) to support Hope now,” he said, but it was he who was an originator of Hope. He faced a lot of opposition while trying to make the Hope Grant into a reality, he said.


At the time I dismissed it as simply being a small town newspaper doing a popcorn story on a local boy. But there was nothing about the teacher's letter that called for editing. So it makes you wonder how high the journalistic standards are there.

It's personally disappointing for me as my dad was an Americus Panther.

http://www.americustimesrecorder.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_148015810.html

Amy Morton said...

I would love to know the back story on this.