Ne nuntium necare (modified 9/14/2008)

Wendy Otto-Shimun's responses when combined would do well
coming out of the Alice in Wonderland topsy turvy world. In her
replies the reason the Rodeo is failing is because the community
is too small and people aren't volunteering enough. According to
Wendy Otto-Shimun the Rodeo Board, which has all the control
and which makes all the decisions, bears none of the responsibility
for the financial failure. In truth, they are responsible. No one else
can be.

For good measure, she kills the messenger. The ancient Greeks
passed a law against it. The Latin version is in the title to this
article, "Ne nuntium necare." It seems that facing the truth of
the situation is more than some people can handle. At the end
of her personal attack, Ms. Otto-Shimun writes, " I think its
time for you to move and stick your nose in somewhere else."

How childish! So should we trust such people to report the
news. Is their objectivity compromised by personal political
views and their refusal to accept responsibility for the outcome
they helped to create? Can we trust them to report fairly and
honestly on all subjects, or are they apt to skew the news to
suit their Alice in Wonderland worldview so clearly
demonstrated below?

We are in a presidential election cycle that promises, no matter
who wins the election, to eliminate the failing paradigms of
the present and the recent past on a national level. Sarah Palin
had, by all reports, previously begun that process in Alaska. It
is only a matter of time till the other states, especially
Michigan (which is often described as experiencing a one
state recession) will follow suit, and hopefully the local units
can fall into line as well.

Given all that, it seems a shame to think that with the
anticipated economic upturn that is sure to follow, the
Rodeo Board that is at the helm during the worse days
makes those worse days a permanent situation for the
rodeo. Wendy Otto-Shimun continues to make excuses
for the financial failure of the rodeo and concurrently
she rejects proven solutions.

Entrepreneurial action is needed. That's the only important
fact. All the rest is emotional blather. As far as my attending
a meeting of the Rodeo Board goes the only reason to do so
would be to deliver my message, and it seems that that's
already been done.

The above is a reply to the following which was posted
today on WLUCTV6 "letters to the editor":

==============================================================

Title: Get Your Facts

Posted by Wendy Otto-Shimun, Iron River - Friday, September 12, 2008 at 1:35 p.m.

Maybe, like I mentioned previously, if you had attended a
meeting, when the members of the rodeo board practically
begged for community support and attendance at meetings,
you would know that countless hours were spent seeking
sponsors, both locally and on the national level.

Numerous fundraisers have also been put together throughout
the years, to assist in payment for not only advertising, but to
put on the parade, to pay for the stock contractor, to pay the
county for the grounds rental, for insurances costs, to put on
the queen pageant, the food booth and every other aspect of
the rodeo. But in a small area, you can only ask so much of
the businesses and the people.

Dont keep making assumptions about what you think
should be done when you dont know what has been
done or tried to get done.

Why do you insist upon giving out advice when you dont
have a clue what is going in within this board?

Not having the facts, while continuing to degrade those
involved and spout out lame advice, only makes your
opinion invalid and presumptuous.

Those involved have volunteered for many years and
with out "a fire in their belly", I doubt they would have
stayed working at it this long.

And yes, I do believe I will stick with the answers I've
given. Because they are based on fact, not opinion and
blatant lies, as your "information" is. The information I
have, that you obviously dont, comes from approximately
10 years of sitting on this board. While I am no longer a
board member, I have knowledge of what goes on. Where
do you get your information from, Mr. Vajk?

I will say it again- If you have this great wealth of
knowledge to share, if you think you know what
Donald Trump would do, then maybe you should
be going to a board meeting.

I agree with Mr. Faccin that you are a lot of talk
with no action.

I think its time for you to move and stick your
nose in somewhere else.

=============================================================

I posted a much shorter and sweeter reply to WLUC's web page
but it has not appeared at the time I post this to this blog.

9/14/2008 -- WLUC has approved and made available
my reply on their web page. I've modified this entry in
the blog to include it. My response follows:

------------------------------------------------------
My discussion is about entrepreneurial activities
that could save the rodeo. Yet all that I hear in
rebuttal is an ongoing defense of same old same
old activities that have already proved themselves
failures, right down to a blanket refusal to
enlarge the target audience and the targeted
sponsors.

Invariably the answers I am seeing fail to look
at options that will improve the situation and
they insist on living in the past and blaming the
community rather than blaming the individuals who
voluntarily accepted the responsibility for making
the rodeo a success and are failing to do so. It
isn't the community that is responsible, it is the
Rodeo Board. They are the ones in control. They are
the ones making all the decisions, apparently very
bad decisions.

I have lived in Iron County since 2003 and
previously I visited here every summer starting in
1981. I have never heard or read a single discussion
in the local media about the Rodeo Board asking for
assistance let alone a notice of when and where their
meetings are held.

So much for advertising.

While I cannot speak for the Iron County Reporter or
WIKB it seems to me, based on observation, that they
would gladly provide space and time for open
discussions about saving the rodeo. This discussion
is the only one in a public forum that I'm aware
exists at the moment. I have offered positive
insights. Are you, or anyone else closer to the
Rodeo Board, capable of carrying on a fruitful
exchange that will actually save the rodeo?

I don't care a whit about what has been done because
that has failed. I only care about what can and will
be done that has a chance of keeping the rodeo in
Iron River and bringing the financial improvements
it could bring if run in a successful way.

Let me repeat my comment about the derby which at one
time lived here in Iron River. It failed here for
much the same "given reasons" that nobody wanted
to volunteer. It was moved to Eagle River, a
community smaller in winter than Iron River, where
it has thrived ever since.

In aviation when a pilot complained about his
aircraft and it really was the pilot's problem the
adage was, "trouble's in the cockpit."

Well in this case it is as well.

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The above is the activism and opinion of Bill Vajk

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