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May 17, 2005
Bailout Column in Pulse~The Unbearable Wordiness of Rural Literalism: Rhonda Thurman speaks to the "big people"
Here's an excerpt of my column in the Pulse:
Thurman was talking to the "big people" in her circle, mainly Republicans. It is a well-known fact that one of the reasons many people join the Republican Party is so they can feel part of the "big people." I meet lower-middle-class people who have joined the "big people" party so that they may have a chance at becoming one of the "big people." CLICK TO READ ON
Posted by wjbailes at May 17, 2005 07:25 AM
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Comments
John, over lunch today I read your commentary on Rhonda Thurman's speech to the Pachyderm club. The feigned insight offered in your piece was in reality only either a slam on someone with whom you disagree politically or a half page dissertation on how little you understand about the school system problems. Let's begin with the title. Its premise is that Ms. Thurman used 1700 words to refute 630. If the newspaper prints "John Bailes refrained from beating his wife last night." It might require many more words than the 9 in the statement to clear up the inferences made in this statement. If this was the first such incident between the TFP, Beverly Carol and Ms. Thurman you may have had a point. But it's not and you don't.
The TFP has a long history of bias against anyone critical of Jesse Register. In fact, if there is no bias, Ms. Carol has to be the single most incompetent reporter ever to pick up a pencil.
Your point of big people / little people is equally as lame. Ms. Thurman’s reference to “little people” referenced people on the lower end of the pay scale of the school system, i.e. not one of the long list of $65,000 to $100,000+ administrative assistant types currently bleeding the system dry. To attempt to make it sound otherwise is vindictive at best. As for the teachers receiving less than surrounding communities, you may want to brush up on who sets those salaries, Rhonda or Jesse. You see we give Jesse more per student than those surrounding communities that pay teachers more and get better results. Again this shows either bias or lack of information as to what is really going on.
Out of curiosity, how many Pachyderm club members do you know? I ask this because your article would indicate that you have some knowledge as to their incomes and positions in the community. Do you or is this just your estimation of what you think it’s like (like Ms. Carol’s TFP article)?
Your statement “there’s nothing of critical importance that differs between Thurman’s apologia and Carol’s report.” Is dead wrong. Did you read them both? My opinion is that the concept of an upstart hairdresser who has so frequently embarrassed the heavily degreed school administration, flies all over you. As someone who has probably spent much more time in a thesaurus then Ms. Thurman, you identify much more with the Register mob. But no matter how much polish you put on the words, a lie is still a lie. It is way past time for Jesse Register to give a REAL explanation of why education in Hamilton County is so much more expensive than in surrounding communities.
Posted by: Carlos Castillion at May 20, 2005 09:03 AM