Luddy tries, fails to stifle NCAE free speech

Submitted by scharrison on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 5:10pm

Legal battle looming over Internet video:

The N.C. Association of Educators is refusing a demand from businessman Bob Luddy to remove a video it posted to the Internet.

The NCAE video, "Money and Privatization: A Love Story," alleges Luddy, a charter and private school founder, businessman Art Pope, House Majority Leader Paul Stam, and Wake County School Board Chairman Ron Margiotta are linked in an effort to destroy public education.

Considering the fact the U.S. Supreme Court just sided with the Westboro Baptist idiots re 1st Amendment protections, methinks this video is safe.

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This video?

Submitted by James on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 5:26pm.

You can't be talking about this video, can you?

All Tom Fetzer's protestations about not being gay didn't have one shred of impact on the public perception that he IS gay, and Luddy's b.s., is going to do nothing but ensure that every one in North Carolina understands him to be the corporatist greeder that he is.

Do good. Be nice. Have fun.

I think you're right

Submitted by scharrison on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 6:21pm.

If Luddy pursues this into lawsuit land, a whole hell of a lot more people will be made aware of these connections.

I'd love to see the legal complaint Luddy's money can cook up

Submitted by usernamehere on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 6:44pm.

...esp in light of this 8-1 opinion from Chief Justice Roberts you mention above.

What can Luddy's lawyers cook up after the Snyder v. Phelps 8-1 decision, much less Citizens United?

 

It's just harassment and noise

Submitted by James on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 6:53pm.

that's the Republican game. Hassle your adversaries to death, threaten them, call your DA friends to lean on them, get your lawyers to send them intimidating letters. Power is as power does. The R's have it ... and don't hesitate to use it.

That's why all of Pope's whining about the corruption of Democrats is such a fucking joke. The Show is corrupt at its core.

Maybe once upon a time they had some vision of goodness and light, of freedom and possibility. Now it's just the Dark Side. Money, money, money. Always money. I've got more than you, so that means I get to have my way.

And have their way they will. All the way up to the big pearly gate in the sky where Saint Peter will say, "WTF are you doing here?"

Do good. Be nice. Have fun.

From NCAE's Daily Political Briefing

Submitted by scharrison on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 9:09pm.

dealing with Art Pope's efforts to conceal his role in the subversion of our education system:

One thing is for sure, Art Pope doesn’t like it when he is linked to the nationally embarrassing Wake County School Board or to anti-public education legislation circulating through the General Assembly. However, connecting Pope to anti-public education forces was no difficult task for NCAE since he is either a donor or board member of multiple pro-voucher advocacy groups.

Pope sat down with ABC-11 reporter Shae Crisson yesterday to claim his support for vouchers and resegregated schools is balanced by his family foundation’s annual gifts to his middle school alma mater and to Raleigh Charter High School. As to his political contributions, Pope denied giving to a 2009 school board race. Instead, he opted to route his money through the Wake County Republican Party. Pope even asserts on camera that NCAE’s connection of him to the new Wake County School Board majority “is a complete lie.”

Now for the record, Pope’s hands are not seen on camera, and DPB is assuming his fingers were crossed when he said “lie.”

That’s because DPB has a copy of an October 7, 2009 email from Wake GOP Finance Chair Marc Scruggs written to Wake County School Board Chair Ron Margiotta. Scruggs wrote, “I am fairly pleased with the elections yesterday — especially with the school board. Art Pope’s plan the GOP implemented worked very well — and THANK YOU for your help and service.”

Scruggs updates Margiotta in the email about the need to raise money for John Tedesco’s run-off race and come up with “a solid game plan.” “Art will be the architect,” he wrote.

As a child, there were a few occasions when I tried to pull a stunt on teachers. I paid dearly each time.

Fall from grace

Submitted by James on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 9:50pm.

I know a couple of people who know Pope, who say they have known him for years, from back in the General Assembly when he passed briefly through.

They say he used to be a gentleman and a fair-minded human being. Now he's nothing but a shadow of that person, a self-deceiving megalomaniac, a study in projection.

Mr. Pope is on a mission to root out corruption and lies. He should spend more time looking in the mirror.

Do good. Be nice. Have fun.

I don't doubt that

Submitted by scharrison on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 11:51pm.

I'm not one to believe a person can be evil (or good, for that matter), only their actions. And when you've had decades of power at your fingertips, judging your own actions can be difficult.

If I had been raised in a wealthy family I'd probably be a jackass, too. Or even more of a jackass...:)