(For the senior editor's endorsements, go here: Cat's in the cradle, and more endorsements preceding Tuesday's election.)
In the interest of fairness, and because certain trognonymous outposts of local blogging continue to operate outside the boundaries of taste and decency, NAC today gives 3rd district city council candidate Brenda Scharlow (R) equal time to respond to charges made in a blog where comments are not allowed.
After all, doesn't such an opportunity lie at the very heart of "freedom of speech"?
On Sunday the senior editor learned that last week, a letter was sent to the Tribune attacking Scharlow. The newspaper contacted Brenda to provide an opportunity for rebuttal, but the letter apparently was withdrawn, only to magically reappear almost verbatim mere days later in a posting at Vicki Denhart’s Freedom of Speech trog/blog.
Read the attack here: WHY SCHARLOW FOR CITY COUNCIL?
Ironically, prior to learning about the back story of the anti-Scharlow attack, and personally annoyed at yet another cowardly sliming, I already had responded to it in an NA Confidential posting on Saturday.
Come out of your cave, Ms. Bolovschak, and disavow the treacherous troglodyte.
Indeed, it’s the sort of farce that small towns like ours seem to specialize in staging. I’m left to guess that the anti-Scharlow attack on FOS emanated in some fashion from her opponent in Tuesday’s election, incumbent Steve Price, but to be sure, there is no proof that Price was involved. Perhaps it came from a little bird. At any rate, the corrosive vitriol that routinely spews from various corners of New Albany’s Main Street corridor remains a phenomenon to behold (and to abhor), but one thing that I believe without any doubt is that Scharlow’s side of the story deserves to be heard before voters head to the polls.
And so it will be heard now. Take it away, Brenda.
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"We listed the property 601 W. Main St. and sold it. We were told by the buyers that they were going to sell granite, ceramic, and slate. We were even shown samples. Prior to this, a "lingerie' " shop had opened on Main St., and Mayor Regina Overton called the shop and asked the businessmen to quietly close the shop to avoid unfavorable publicity, and they did.
"With the real threat of unsavory businesses springing up, did the people in office take proper steps with zoning laws to stop this? No, they did nothing. Thus, when we sold the property, 601 W. Main St., we had no protection. We trust the people in office to protect us by establishing proper zoning, codes, and laws. It is from this experience, one of the many reasons, I am running for 3rd district council to establish and enforce laws to protect our people.
"We bought 324 E. Main St. to establish our TUMBLEBUS headquarters. The property was in very bad shape. We invested $25,000 in renovation with every intention of paving the lot. It did take about 6 months to come up with the additional $10,000 to pave the area. The condition of the sidewalks was beyond. The little children do not trip in front of TUMBLEBUS anymore. But what do they do between 5th and 6th St. on Main where the condition of the sidewalk is dangerous? It is also for this reason, to create a city plan to repair our sidewalks and streets that I am running for city council.
"My husband and I bought the Sloan, Bicknell, Paris home, 600 E. Main St., renovated it, and lived there for eight years. It is located on Mansion Row at the corner of East 6th St. and Main St. Due to the flood wall, there was no "river view" except in the cupola or widow's walk. Located behind us was a concrete factory. Neighbors will agree that daily the noise, dirt and dust from the factory was irritating. We bought that blighted site, zoned light industrial/row housing. The city had no plan to bring this industrial site into the National Register of Historic Places. We have contended with the railroad tracks, floodwall, and an electrical substation, but successfully we are building a high end development. All of the homes in the development complement the historic mansion row and will only raise everyone's property value. Have you seen Shiloh Place? Come see for yourself.
"Would you rather have a concrete factory?
"By the way, we have spent over $10,000 in sewer hookups. And we have never filed bankruptcy, personally or with any business or corporation with which we have been associated.
"I believe in the freedom of speech, but outright lying is not acceptable. When you make statements without the facts you are lying. We have seen too much of this in this city.
"In conclusion, it is this very spirit of hatred, contention, envy, and jealousy that is trying to permeate our city and every city council meeting. This is one of the main reasons I am running for city council: To fight this attitude.
"If you are in agreement, please vote Brenda Scharlow, 3rd district city council. Thanks."
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7 comments:
The Scharlows have been excellent neighbors, and I appreciate the fact that they have increased my property value by their investments.
Hatred, contention, envy and jealousy . . . that pretty well sums it up.
"... but outright lying is not acceptable. When you make statements without the facts you are lying. We have seen too much of this in this city." b. scharlow
indeed. Lying is a cultural value here I think.
Where is the line drawn in cyber space regarding slander and defamation of character?
I know there has been instances in the past where persons have collected quite the paycheck from irresponsible bloggers posting false stories while directly naming individuals.......
Maybe its about time that some one looks into this locally and nails the troll to the wall with a big fat lawsuit?
Well, that could indeed happen, Chris. It is unwise to link another business name to a pornography outlet, because the business could show damages due to loss of revenue.
I would do it in a heartbeat, and make pretty sure that everytime some irresponsible troll has to pay me half of what they earn for years to come, they may think twice about posting such reckless, blatently slanderous poop.
Politics are one thing, but suggesting that a couple intentially endangers children, and suggesting that a family so closely tied to kids are some how involved in porn is the most disgusting thing I have read thus far on any of the local blogs.
Some one would learn pretty damn quick that the freedom of speech is indeed NOT free.
From what I have read about lawsuits based on defamation on blogs, courts have generally not held a blog owner responsible for anonymous comments posted on their blog. However, if they are the blogger's own slanderous comments, they may be, and in some cases have been, held liable.
For those of us with direct experience, it comes as no surprise that FOS, Kersey, Coffey, Kochert and the like lie on a regular basis. That case has been made ad infinitum. It's just a matter of remedy.
With that and voting in mind, it's important to remember which politicians support the FOS and Kersey lie machines.
Schmidt and Kochert are already gone and Coffey is running unopposed. Steve Price, though, has a history of believing, defending, and quoting them publicly.
Maliciousness on Price's account? Maybe not. Price being repeatedly duped? Certainly.
Either way, a vote for Price is a vote in favor of cowardice, slander, and those who support it. Should he be reelected, the 3rd district will have chosen said cowardice, etc, as a matter of public policy.
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