To the editor;
I read the editorial of Feb. 20, 2014 (not yours apparently), and thought for a moment that I was reading the April 1st edition.
It is said that freedom of the press is only guaranteed by those who own one. I wonder if Mr. Fletcher belongs in the “press.”
Mr. Fletcher’s editorial is so full of half truths it’s hard to know where to begin. He first starts by citing an error in a column two weeks prior. He says that he was reminded that his information was incorrect. He apparently took two weeks to correct same only after being reminded? Reporting 101- check your facts. He didn’t or thought he could slide it through.
He goes on to describe how students were “sent out as union pickets” (based on his reporting) in 2012. No reference, no link to any story that could confirm this as being true. Time for another reminder perhaps?
In his best example of shameful half truth, he goes on to describe how “Premier Christy Clark and Education Minister Peter Fassbender have begun to push back against the conspiracy theory that has taken hold”. This is in reference to the claim that the government of the day actively sought to try and force the BCTF into a full scale strike, in the hope that the public backlash against the teachers would be extreme. Conspiracy theory? Not according to the Supreme Court Justice who said “The court has concluded that the government did not bargain in good faith” and “Their strategy was to put such pressure on the union that it would provoke a strike by the union.”
None of this mentioned by Mr. Fletcher. Another “error” by Mr. Fletcher or omitted by design? He then finishes by saying that this mess is before the court of appeal and that there may be better recognition of the real world this time around. Well Mr. Fletcher, it’s been decided twice by the courts that the government acted unconstitutionally on the original start to all of this in 2002, and in the current ruling they found the same result plus a 2 million dollar fine to be paid to the BCTF. Third time lucky for our no degree Premier?
Mr. Fletcher, I do hope for the sake of the people of B.C. that the Liberals hire you as their official spokesman, because it’s not fair to the public or Black Press that you do it disguised as a journalist.
L. Borsa
Clearwater, B.C.