The purpose of this blog is to encourage people to think for themselves, and not to accept as fact everything they see and hear. I use the word lemmings to describe these people; they follow blindly without questioning. I see articles, videos, and news items daily that spout alleged facts. I hear, or participate in, conversations where I hear unfounded assertions. This blog’s purpose is not to persuade you one way or another; it is to encourage you to research things for yourself. I sincerely hope you enjoy my blog.-Pete
In my surfing for a new topic for discussion, I came across a blog blasting Glenn Beck, a Conservative journalist, for some allegedly incorrect assertions he had made. Most lemmings would read this blog and accept it as gospel; I, being a cynical kind of person, decided to check out the facts for myself. Here is what I found.
The blog started out with a statement by Glenn Beck where he stated, "Vancouver lost, how much was it? They lost a billion dollars when they had the Olympics." (Glenn Beck Show, 2009) . The blog points out that the Vancouver games do not actually take place until 2010. This is a fact. It appears to be that Mr. Beck lied. However, he did respond, “So I misspoke. I should have said Calgary and not Vancouver.” (Glenn Beck Show, 2009) Okay, so the blogs insinuation that Mr. Beck was spouting “rhetoric” was actually just a case of misspeaking. The Toronto Star reported an independent audit placed the financial loss of the Calgary Olympics at $311 - $371 million. Mr. Beck was right about the loss, just wrong about the city and the amount.
In his explanation, Mr. Beck does bring up these facts about the 2010 Vancouver games:
“The Vancouver Olympics budgeted $175 million for security. According to the Vancouver Sun, that number may be $800 million higher. British Columbia's auditor general reported that British Columbia, "... has not fully disclosed the risks associated with the cost and revenue projections". He says they did not include, "... what he and two previous auditors believe should be counted as Olympic related costs. The billion dollar sea to sky highway improvements, the billion dollar trade and convention center and the $2 billion Canada line." That's close to $4 billion that they just kind of shuffled off onto other books. Plus the $600 million the government admits to.”
He continues: “Also missing from the budget, the $300 million Olympic bonus that unionized government employees got for signing a four year contract that ends after the games. I just, I just love these unions. By the way, that contract ends right after the election, too. Transportation to the event, which is another unaccounted for $250 million, Canadians are also on the hook for the Olympic village for a billion dollars. Its original budget was less than $200 million. They thought they could make the money back by selling everything as condos after the games. Yeah, guess how well those condo sales strategies are working out for them. Just interest on the money for all the unsold units could cost Canada $48 million. Every single year. So far we're up to over $6 billion in unaccounted for costs. The original budget was $1 1/2 billion. Also remember it doesn't include everything. There's still almost a year before the games actually start, but, you know, don't worry. They planned for this, you know. They have a contingency fund. $66.8 million. Unfortunately they've already spent 98% of that money.” (Glenn Beck Show, 2009)
So now, apparently, Mr. Beck’s original assertion that Vancouver is in fact already losing money on Olympics that have not even occurred is born out. This would appear to discredit the reliability of the accusatory blog even further.
The blog now blast Mr. Beck for asking questions about Valerie Jarrett: "Is it possible that she is going to benefit if the Olympics come to Chicago?" Caddell responded, "Well, that’s the word. She has certainly had a lot of dealings going on in real estate." (Glenn Beck Show, 2009) So who is Valerie Jarrett? A little research shows that Valerie Jarrett is a senior adviser to Obama's presidential campaign and a member of his finance committee. The blog now proves Mr. Beck is chasing a red herring by stating, without any supporting references, “Valerie Jarrett divested all her investment real estate holdings upon entering government except for a single real estate holding that she was unable to sell” (Lee, 2009). Therefore, we now see that Mr. Beck is apparently wrong again. Wait a minute. Research shows that in fact, Jarrett did not divest of her holdings voluntarily. A Time.com article states “Jarrett is the chief executive of Habitat Co., which managed Grove Parc Plaza from 2001 until this winter and co-managed an even larger subsidized complex in Chicago that was seized by the federal government in 2006, after city inspectors found widespread problems.. In 2006, federal inspectors graded the condition of the complex an 11 on a 100-point scale - a score so bad the buildings now face demolition.”(Scherer & Gregory, 2009)It now appears that this blog has now lambasted Mr. Beck erroneously on two counts. The blog goes on to show its true bias with this link: “For even more Fox lies,…” (Lee, 2009). Hmmm. Does that look like libel to you?
Simple examination of the facts, and a little time on the internet researching, show some serious discrepancies in the blog’s assertions. I, for one, will still read the blog in question. I will however, be skeptical about its contents until I check them out for myself. If you would like to check out the blog in question, here is the link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Reality-Check-Turning-a-Point-of-Pride-into-a-Moment-of-Shame/# :">
I see a blog make the assertion a television journalist is lying. I researched the facts. I will not say what I believe. My belief is irrelevant. I am just trying to encourage you to question and research things for yourself. That is the purpose of my blog. Remember, the truth is out there…you just have to look for it.
References
Glenn Beck Show. (2009, October 1). Glenn Beck- Current Events & Politics - White House attacks Glenn. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from Glennbeck.com: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/31387/
Lee, J. (2009, September 30). The White House- Blog post. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from whitehouse.gov: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Reality-Check-Turning-a-Point-of-Pride-into-a-Moment-of-Shame/#.
Scherer, M., & Gregory, S. (2009). Obama's Olympic Bid: Political Risks Even if He Wins. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from Time.com: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1926885,00.html
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