If you would like to be on the Louisiana Ping list please freepmail me and you will be added.
Posted on 11/14/2005 6:43:23 PM PST by lonewacko_dot_com
Snopes says this claim is false:
New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin created a phantom force of 700 "virtual policemen."
Actually, that's only partially false:
1. Snopes only discusses a satire from azconservative.org entitled "Nagin Defends Use of ‘Phantom Police’", which I linked to on October 1, and which has a creation date of 9/30 at that site.
2. However, there was a real news story from Tony Snow of Fox Radio on 9/27 (at about 9:48AM EST) discussing phantom police. From this (cache):
...Fox News' Tony Snow has said that of the 1700 police working for New Orleans, maybe only 1000 really exist.Rogers asked someone in the know, who agreed with Snow's statements.
"It's pretty much always been known, but never openly acknowledged, that NOPD's actual numbers were far below the "official" figure of 1500 - 1700," said the source.
"To get that number over 1500, and thus qualify for federal funding, Compass and his predecessors counted reservists and certain retirees as active duty officers. The REAL number is, and has been for some time, a lot closer to 1000."
Some time ago, the Feds were considering taking over the NOPD. Allegedly, that's when the "cooking of the books" on numbers of cops started in earnest, because one of the feds' complaints was the low number of officers, Rogers is told...
This Tony Snow claim was written up in a few minor newspapers; one such link is in "FBI investigating NOPD corruption, phantom police; $5k bonus" which I posted on 9/29, and which has more information on Elodia Blanco. A direct link is here. And a similar Pravda report is here. I wouldn't suggest trusting that source but instead referring to Snow's report.
Unfortunately, while a link to his report is provided here, now that link goes to simply a short "outro" music-only segment.
So, we have these two items:
1. There's a satirical article, and a Snopes debunking of that article.
2. A real news story that hasn't been confirmed and needs looking in to.
And, then, you cannot believe the reporting of the MSM on what the officials from New Orleans say ...
Oh, what a tangled web we weave ... LOL
If you would like to be on the Louisiana Ping list please freepmail me and you will be added.
It makes more sense about inflating the numbers with the reserve, retired, and other part time officers than out and out phantom cops. The extras were probably mainly used during the parade season.
In a way the MSM has done as much damage as the storm. In trying to get the President the misreporting and out and out lies have turned the normal goodwill after disasters into a blame fest. It's not like Louisiana is the only state that has corruption. I mean Arkansas gave us the Clintons. At least we didn't put a pox on the whole nation. We sent our crooked governor to jail not the White House.
I am going by what I have heard them say on TV themselves. I never judge a person by what the media reports. I judge them for the lies they told
ex...
" I am standing here watching people getting raped, people getting murdered, etc " by Ray Nagin.
Can't blame a bold faced liar on the media. He said he was standing there WATCHING. It's about time someone quits blaming the media and Bush for the BS of the polititions down there..
Thanks! That's much better, we can't read the motto. The motto doesn't fit at the moment it seems.
President Bush is absolutely not culpable in any of this!
The media, on the other hand, must be held to account for reporting unfounded rumours ... including Hizzoner's unhinged, untruthful, hysterical hyperbole.
If we do NOT hold the media accountable for the validity of the "news" they disseminate ... they then become just another irresponsible hysteric shouting FIRE in a crowded theatre and causing mayhem. That must not be allowed!
The media deserves every bit of blame they've been getting and much, much more. The media gave us nothing but unsubstantiated rumors of imagined horrors at the Superdome reported as "news" without bothering with the most rudimentary fact-checking. The media reported that blacks were eating corpses four days after the storm because Bush was trying to starve them to death by withholding food. The media totally ignored the 1,000+ school buses and city buses left to ruin in the floodwaters when they could have been used to evacuate people from New Orleans. The media all but accused Bush and Rove of dynamiting the levees by using the old "Now we don't necessarily believe this but reasonable people say ..." tactic of "reporting news."
And that's just the beginning of the media's malfeasance here.
HEAR! HEAR!
My post does not say the media are free and clear. My point was Ray Nagin said he was standing there watching things go on that were later proved to be lies. Read my post.The media DID NOT make him lie. All I said was quit blaming the media and Bush for the things the polititions down there are doing and saying. Please don't twist my post and read something into it that is not there. Have a great day
Personally, I don't believe anything, either written or spoken that comes from a politician.
It is amazing how many people read my post and twisted it into saying something it doesn't. I didn't blame the media for running my pantyhose this morning, just as my post said not to blame them for a politition standing up on TV and lieing. NOWHERE in my post does it say the media is blameless. I just stated a liar needs to take responsibility for his own lies. You have a nice day too
Tom: “My God, you’ve actually seen people looting, raping and eating each other?!”
Mitch: “No, no we’ve haven’t actually seen it, Tom. We’re just reporting it.”
Thanks for really reading my post. That is the point I was trying to make. God Bless you.
Lauranne
Thanks, very kind of you.
Sorry, Lamb, I haven't twisted anything.
My statement is loud and clear ... each person/entity is, and must be, held responsible for his/her/its own actions. No one gets a pass.
The original untruth by Hizzoner is a problem.
The compounding, and dissemination, of that untruth by the media is a problem separate and apart from, and just as damaging as, Hizzoner's actions.
Thank you, I have indeed had a rather fabulous day [possibly because I am not in Louisiana}... hope your day has has been half as nice.
You have some valid points. I also have some. I have tried to explain it all I am going to.Take care and lets just agree to disagree and move on.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.