10 thoughts on “Ten minute drawing. BGA’s Andy Shaw applauds pain on working people.”
Andy, as well as, Neil Steinberg and all of the reporters and news readers on WBEZ, WTTW and WYCC have become Chicago corporate lackeys unable to get off the 1% donor dole. They’d rather talk about sex trafficking in Qatar or LGBT issues in Russia than the rape of the common man in Illinois.
BGA is more worried about funding its operation than it is dealing with the real issues of better government for the working class. I can attest to that given the number of solicitations I get from them any time they send me an email. Their greatest concern seems to be to insure a revenue stream to keep the BGA solvent.They are very proud of their salary and pension pages where you could look up the salaries and pension benefits of teachers and state employees to reinforce that we are on the proverbial dole The ruse of “betterment government” works well to hit on teachers and other state employees.
I fully agree with Roger Gansauer, there has been a marked shift at WBEZ, WTTW, and WYCC and it is undoubtedly tied to their overall funding. Can they afford to offend big contributors, ie. such as the Koch Brothers and other big dollar individuals who support them. They try to walk a tight rope between their original charter and their continued need for funds. How many times have you been solicited to make a donation above and beyond your $150 membership to offset the costs of their programing. Maybe it would make more sense if the cable companies simply made arrangements for a BBC channel.
Andy Shaw’s concentration on a few extreme pensions only served to fuel the negative attitudes against public empoyee unions, mostly teachers. His work with the BGA has been biased and irresponsible and as a reporter he should be ashamed. When he announced that he was going to take over the BGA and clean up government and run it with volunteers, I wondered, “Will you be a volunteer, Andy?” I think he takes a big salary. As for WBEZ and WTTW, no more money from me until I am assured they are unbiased. When Rick Kogan hosted the afternoon show and started asking questions about education, he was axed in favor of a thirty something who is smart, and dedicated, but has no history or wisdom about Chicago to bring to the show.
I have to say, I was certainly (& pleasantly) surprised that, tonight, WTTW repeated their broadcast of the documentary commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and, consequently, the formation and rise of unions in order to protect working women and men from unscrupulous employers. (People like Andy Shaw seem to forget the raison d’etre for unions, well as they do “applaud pain on working people.”) Rather, we should all (sooner than later) “applaud” the dumbing down of education in the U.S. (except for that class of children of the 1%), preparing them (most certainly NOT for college–who can afford it?) for the “21st century” work force, a euphemism for minimum wage, no health insurance jobs, allowing them to live in less than decent housing, just like those factory workers now do in countries like Bangladesh (& where they have been killed in fires and in building collapses).
But, gee, the Waltons & the Gates & the Kochs WILL bring jobs back to the United States!
I live about 100 miles south of Chicago , and I have never HEARD of Andy Shaw and the BGA. I had to google his website to learn he is an opinion-mover in the Chicago area. Obviously, he’s never read the Illinois constitution and he doesn’t believe in honoring contracts. Oh, Pshaw, he must be a mouthpiece for the money crowd in Chicago!
Maybe they should call it the “Big Business Government Association”. Most efforts seem to be directed at pleasing large corporate “sponsors” who can fund their so called “crusades”. Has the BGA EVER gone after any of these corporate criminals?
Fred Klonsky 
Andy, as well as, Neil Steinberg and all of the reporters and news readers on WBEZ, WTTW and WYCC have become Chicago corporate lackeys unable to get off the 1% donor dole. They’d rather talk about sex trafficking in Qatar or LGBT issues in Russia than the rape of the common man in Illinois.
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes father in law
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID
Fred Klonsky wrote:
> a:hover { color: red; } a { text-decoration: none; color: #0088cc; } a.primaryactionlink:link, a.primaryactionlink:visited { background-color: #2585B2; color: #fff; } a.primaryactionlink:hover, a.primaryactionlink:active { background-color: #11729E !important; color: #fff !important; } /* @media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px) { .post { min-width: 700px !important; } } */ WordPress.com Fred Klonsky posted: “”
BGA is more worried about funding its operation than it is dealing with the real issues of better government for the working class. I can attest to that given the number of solicitations I get from them any time they send me an email. Their greatest concern seems to be to insure a revenue stream to keep the BGA solvent.They are very proud of their salary and pension pages where you could look up the salaries and pension benefits of teachers and state employees to reinforce that we are on the proverbial dole The ruse of “betterment government” works well to hit on teachers and other state employees.
I fully agree with Roger Gansauer, there has been a marked shift at WBEZ, WTTW, and WYCC and it is undoubtedly tied to their overall funding. Can they afford to offend big contributors, ie. such as the Koch Brothers and other big dollar individuals who support them. They try to walk a tight rope between their original charter and their continued need for funds. How many times have you been solicited to make a donation above and beyond your $150 membership to offset the costs of their programing. Maybe it would make more sense if the cable companies simply made arrangements for a BBC channel.
I won’t call Andy Shaw a Yellow Journalist. It would be an insult to Yellow Journalists everywhere.
Andy Shaw’s concentration on a few extreme pensions only served to fuel the negative attitudes against public empoyee unions, mostly teachers. His work with the BGA has been biased and irresponsible and as a reporter he should be ashamed. When he announced that he was going to take over the BGA and clean up government and run it with volunteers, I wondered, “Will you be a volunteer, Andy?” I think he takes a big salary. As for WBEZ and WTTW, no more money from me until I am assured they are unbiased. When Rick Kogan hosted the afternoon show and started asking questions about education, he was axed in favor of a thirty something who is smart, and dedicated, but has no history or wisdom about Chicago to bring to the show.
Pshaw
I have to say, I was certainly (& pleasantly) surprised that, tonight, WTTW repeated their broadcast of the documentary commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and, consequently, the formation and rise of unions in order to protect working women and men from unscrupulous employers. (People like Andy Shaw seem to forget the raison d’etre for unions, well as they do “applaud pain on working people.”) Rather, we should all (sooner than later) “applaud” the dumbing down of education in the U.S. (except for that class of children of the 1%), preparing them (most certainly NOT for college–who can afford it?) for the “21st century” work force, a euphemism for minimum wage, no health insurance jobs, allowing them to live in less than decent housing, just like those factory workers now do in countries like Bangladesh (& where they have been killed in fires and in building collapses).
But, gee, the Waltons & the Gates & the Kochs WILL bring jobs back to the United States!
And the history of 1911 will repeat itself.
I live about 100 miles south of Chicago , and I have never HEARD of Andy Shaw and the BGA. I had to google his website to learn he is an opinion-mover in the Chicago area. Obviously, he’s never read the Illinois constitution and he doesn’t believe in honoring contracts. Oh, Pshaw, he must be a mouthpiece for the money crowd in Chicago!
Maybe they should call it the “Big Business Government Association”. Most efforts seem to be directed at pleasing large corporate “sponsors” who can fund their so called “crusades”. Has the BGA EVER gone after any of these corporate criminals?
No.