WFMY reporter Mac Ingraham, news director Jim Platzer and station manager Deborah Hooper have circled the wagons and simply refuse to reply to inquiries asking about possibly faking video footage in a newscast.
Reporter Mac Ingraham has failed to answer three emails from me. Station manager Deborah Hooper has not responded to being copied on the third. I have emailed her a second time.
News Director Jim Platzer has not responded to Ed Cone.
News Director Platzer and reporter Ingraham have not responded to Jerry Bledsoe.
I do not want to jump to any conclusions, but I would think that if WFMY did not fake the video footage in their newscast, they would be eager to say so. Hiding out makes me think that maybe they did not not fake it.
Just for the sake of knowing, did you email these folks or call? Or both?
ReplyDeleteI emailed and would be happy to post the contents if that would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteHere's the reason why:
ReplyDeleteWFMY-Sacred Media Deity
Roch: "blogger"
Grab a video camera, go to Phillips Avenue and knock on the door.
ReplyDeleteBetter yet, go find an empty mobile home, find the letters W, F, M and Y. Put them on the door. Knock on the door. Shout questions through the door. Put on YouTube. Let laughs begin.
Roch—you wrote "I would think that if WFMY did not fake the video footage in their newscast, they would be eager to say so. Hiding out makes me think that maybe they did not not fake it."...(meaning they DID fake it ……if I understand your use of the double negative).
ReplyDeleteYour logic applies to the city's dam scammers in the same way. Greensboro faked a water shortage to win the approval and funding for the Randleman Dam. That's fraud. Now Greensboro is concealing a 15 YEAR WATER SALES DECLINE and its future water needs projections that bombed. Your same thinking would lead us to conclude that... "If the city did not fake the water shortage it would be eager to say so." To use your words, Greensboro is now “Hiding out.” That’s why its water web pages contain no useful data or history of water sales. It’s a City of Greensboro cover-up.
The city knows it cannot respond to the dam scam because once it does, 200,000 people will learn of my CHART and not just a few dozen bloggers. Once residents learn that water demand has declined they will ask, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING EXPANDING THE WATER WORKS BY 75% AFTER A 15-YEAR DECLINE IN WATER SALES WITHOUT TELLING US?
Blogging my CHART at We101 is not reaching my target market—the citizens. Just watch what happens when I take it to the people using an alternative means. The CHART loudly speaks for itself when seen by any average citizen. Isn't it odd that an average Joe—or average middle school student—can see the light in the CHART, and yet the average blogger cannot?
Your logic is so dam applicable that I am going to repost it at my place. Thanks!
Mike J Baron
Greensboro's only Water Conservation manager
Don. Great idea. They have to buzz you in to the building though, so I'm not sure the first idea would work. I know this because of numerous visits to WFMY during my lifetime to participate and support their station, from a kids going to the old rebel show, promoting my Muscular Dystrophy Carnivals, to going on the Good Morning Show many time to talk about various community events and endeavors, and to scheduling ad time when I was running for mayor including to put a check for payment into station manager Deborah Hooper's hands -- which makes the refusal to reply to me not just a disappointment, but an insult.
ReplyDeleteYes, Mike, the double negative means what you took it to mean.
ReplyDeleteAs you are aware, I have been unable to post on your blog until recently. (Thanks for making that change).
There have been numerous times along the way where I wanted to ask you some questions -- I think I may have even emailed you a couple.
I would agree with you. If the City is refusing to answer your correspondence, then that is not encouraging and you should bring to our attention specific instances of them ignoring you.
I am also a little confused about something else you may keep in mind next time you write about projections versus actual use. Your chart says the source is the City of Greensboro -- but clearly, that is not their chart, so I assume you mean the underlying data comes from the city. It would be most helpful if you could point us to the actual documentary sources. Where are the docs that show what the city projected our water use would be this year and where are the docs that show what our actual water use is? That would help instead of just having solely to interpret your chart.
But be advised, people are just fine with the damn. It is truly unpleasant to contemplate, but without some current great dissatisfaction with what the damn and lake project have become, people are really not going to care about deceptions from decades ago. It might make an interesting modern-day "China Town" should you decide to write a novel inspired by true life events, but I hope you are not relying on some eventual popular uprising because, unless the water turns out to be toxic, its cost exorbitant, or someone in public service lined his pockets along the way, people are not going to get riled up.
Mike's answer to Roch's question about the data in the water history CHART:
ReplyDeleteIn 1995 Utility Director Ray Shaw, a master manipulator of the water works with a career dream of building the Randleman Dam came to my desk and gave me his (Greensboro's) water forecast thru 2020. Shaw knew I was good with graphics so he asked me to create the document for him.
Ray Shaw published his watercast in 1995. Paul Holcomb of the Sierra Club challenged Shaw's watercast basically claiming it was a joke. And now we know Holcomb was right.
I lost access to my city computer the instant I was fired so I do not have the document but only the data that I copied to a personal file in anticipation of being fired. Obviously the city has never mentioned its bogus watercast to avoid embarrassment (and an investigation). But like everything Shaw manipulated, it sure helped the dam cause.
In 1996, the year following the release of Shaw's watercast, water use went down. I got in trouble for reporting the decline in a press release. The water engineers said it was a fluke and that it meant nothing. Then in 1997 water use (sales) went down again. They began freaking out over the success of my WC programs. The bosses were thinking, "How can we argue (and submit state and federal forms) for a dam when water use is declining? A very tiny highly successful one-man water conservation program was causing the problem. Record growth was happening. Record numbers of building permits were being issued. And water use was going down. I was toast.
Roch, request to the city for the document - the 1995 Ray Shaw water forecast thru 2020 - could be futile. You can try. It would be a lot more exciting than an answer from WFMY about the black book.
On the other hand, the annual average daily water use is easily verifiable. I even posted how to get it and who to contact. Each year during the first week of January I request it with an email to Water Supply Manager Steve Drew and he replies with the number. Then I add another year to my CHART.
Your question shows that at least you are interested in my case. Thank you! I am sure you recognize that the City of Greensboro is hiding its history of water use (sales). Its web pages reveal nothing that would cause people to question why the water works is expanding by 75% after a 15 decline in water use.
Mike J Baron
Greensboro's only water conservation manager
Next question please....
Just saw Frank Mickens say that the black binder shown in the story was not the "alleged black book", but rather a binder compiled by Mitch Johnson. He apologized for any confusion.
ReplyDelete