Guess What PA and Philly Taxpayers?

Guess what Philadelphia and Pennsylvania taxpayers?

Not only are you funding a MOVE propaganda “exhibit” at the African American History Museum, but you are also paying for the media coverage of it.

That’s right. According to a spokesperson for the museum, the facility is partially funded by city and state taxpayers.

The “exhibition” which was put together by MOVE members, is set to run from October 7th through the end of this week.

If you are not sure just how grotesque this is let me spell it out to you.

*MOVE members murdered a city employee in August of 1978.
*A MOVE “supporter” murdered a city employee in December of 1981
*MOVE members attempted to kill more city employees in May of 1985 after they threatened to kill the Mayor (another city employee.)

So now Philadelphia city taxpayers are without their knowledge, funding MOVE’s historical revisionism and cult recruitment drive. And worse still, are helping to pay for positive media exposure for the event.

I discovered this ugly little fact after contacting Retiarius Zogreso of Life Net Radio, who “covered” the event and whose “reportage” was featured on WTMR-AM 800, a small station whose signal reaches listeners in Camden, Philadelphia, and Wilmington.

I had initially wrote Zogreso expressing my view that his reporting on the event amounted to little more than crude, cult, propaganda. Somewhat to my surprise, Zogreso wrote back and had this to say:

“Life-Net Radio is a free-speech medium, so if you find anything disagreeable or offensive, you can "correct" it yourself by sponsoring a show you do agree with. All we require is a reimbursement of the airtime cost, and I volunteer the labor and donate the Web space. The reimbursement is $47.00, which would be your total cost for an episode of your own. Our next available airdate as of this moment is the first Wednesday in January. Will that be suitable? Let's make arrangements. Please be assured that I will sound just as friendly to you as I did to the Museum and MOVE.”

Forty seven dollars for my own radio show! And a friendly host to boot! It is, I must admit, a hell of a deal, and maybe if I had no integrity, spine, or respect for journalism, I might just have to take Zogreso up on his offer. But for now, I will have to take a pass.

But now the question begged to be asked. If I would have to pay, did MOVE have to as well? According to Zogreso, MOVE didn’t pay, the museum did, to the tune of $94 for two episodes.

Now exactly what percentage of that $94 did Philly taxpayers have to pay? And just how much did taxpayers have to pay for the month long “exhibit” in the first place? I don’t know, but I can say, if the number is anything other than zero, that there is a problem.

Bottom line is that no taxpayer in any city, anywhere, in this country should have to help foot the bill for the propaganda efforts of a group that has killed city employees. Not one dollar, not one penny, should go to the efforts of MOVE. Not after the murders of James Ramp and Daniel Faulkner. Not after MOVE created the catastrophe of Osage Avenue that has already costs taxpayers millions. Not after all that MOVE has put this city through.

Now there are just a few days left to see the “MOVE Exhibition”. If you live in Philadelphia or Pennsylvania, than I would have to encourage you to run out and see it. After all, you are helping to pay for it. You may as well see your hard earned dollars at work...