| By Clem Guttata
Can you hear us now Verizon? Yes, you can.
In today's Washington Post, "Verizon Wireless Criticized by Green Groups for Backing Event." Even if Steven Mufson missed most of the reasons we've been telling people this rally is a bad idea, what he does say is reason enough.
[N]ow environmental groups and bloggers are besieging the phone company because they say the Labor Day bash was designed to bash the climate legislation that Congress is considering.
Of course, some things will never change, Don Blankenship is still his own worse enemy. The most damning quote of the article is probably his own:
The Labor Day event, labeled a "rally" on its Web site, also features Fox News conservative host Sean Hannity and Don L. Blankenship, chief executive of coal giant Massey Energy, who says in a short video on the site that "We're going to have Hank Williams and a very good time, but we're also going to learn how environmental extremists and corporate America are both trying to destroy your job."
About two-thirds of the way down the event's Web home page -- after the karaoke competition promotion, detailed directions, and photos of the country music stars and Hannity -- the site invites people to "click here" to sign a petition opposing the Waxman-Markey climate bill adopted by the House in June.
Too bad the reporter didn't see the website before all those changes, but that's a minor issue. A big congratulations to Jeff Biggers for much-deserved recognition:
News of Verizon's role was carried a week ago in a Huffington Post item written by Jeff Biggers, grandson of a miner, historian of Appalachia and author of a forthcoming book on the "secret legacy" of the coal industry.
Biggers said Friday that he learned of the rally from a flier he received at least a couple of weeks earlier. Upon scanning the list of sponsors -- which includes more than 100 firms, most of them local -- he stopped short at Verizon's name because its image is very different from lead sponsor Massey's. (In its "green press kit," Verizon says that "environmental stewardship is ingrained in Verizon's heritage.") So Biggers blogged and e-mailed his posting to the company.
Verizon digs in
Now, if you didn't have reason enough to be pissed at Verizon, here's more.
But Verizon said it didn't intend to make a political statement initially, and that it didn't want to make one now by withdrawing its sponsorship and shunning the event.
If you have fall back on intent, that's a pretty lame excuse. It implies that Verizon recognizes it has made a political statement and just doesn't want to risk offending the political segment who is going to be attending. (Not that this is a legal matter, but thousands are in jail for negligent homicide. Also, Verizon Wireless is a huge company with the resources to figure these things out ahead of time.)
Now, here's the salt in the wounds...
Moreover, (Verizon Wireless spokesman Jim) Gerace said, bloggers got the Glenn Beck story wrong. "We never pulled ads," he said. "We had a commitment to Fox for a number of ads. They placed them. We satisfied that commitment, and the last time any ad of ours ran in that time slot was Aug. 11 -- about a week before bloggers attacked."
Say what?? The spokesman says, "... before bloggers attacked"?
When it comes to dissing liberal bloggers, it looks like Verizon Wireless is quite comfortable making political statements. Any verbal violence agitated from blogger's keyboard pales in comparison to the explosive rhetoric of Glenn Beck and the very real explosives blowing up Appalachian mountains each day.
This has to be the worst $1000 Verizon Wireless ever spent.
Update: To take action... here are the petition links: (1) Credo, (2) Center for Biological Diversity, (3) Rain Forest Action Network. Thank you for your help! |
