Imagine you're Allegheny PR schmucks Todd Myers or Mark Nitowski (c'mon, you can at least pretend that you'd sell your own soul for a buck, can't you?) You get up one morning expecting this, and instead you get this.
Surprise!
This is the first time I've ever planned a surprise party on two days notice, invited a thousand of my closest friends, and retained the element of complete surprise. Either I'm getting better at this, or the guests of honor are getting dumber and easier to fool.
This morning, PATH had planned a special "media event" at the downtown Frederick Allegheny Power office where they intended to provide propaganda to the media, show them a simulation movie (created by shyster production company Truescape) of the proposed substation at PATH's terminus, and rack up a bunch of puff piece stories.
Instead, a determined, protest sign-bearing group of about 30 PATH opponents from CAKES, Sugarloaf Conservancy and StopPATH WV swooped in 10 minutes before the event began and slowly walked up and down the public sidewalk in front of Allegheny's building. The press came running to us while the PATH guys stood inside the lobby doors with drool dripping off their chins (except for Mr. Angry who stood outside with his arms folded, clearly exasperated). They had no clue. Hah, hah!
Their event only lasted about an hour, after which the press came back to spend more time interviewing the protesters and tipped us off that PATH was sponsoring a real Martha Stewartesque tent soiree for the media on the substation site (paid for by you in your electric bill), so we all piled into vehicles and headed for CAKES property right across the street from the site to await the return of the press from the ratepayer-funded propaganda soiree.
When the StopPATH group finally headed for home, we were quite amused by the black sedan sitting on the side of the road near the intersection at the end of Bartholows Road with its flashers on and bearing Pennsylvania plates that banged a screeching u-turn and fell in behind our little caravan. I hope they soon hire a real driver, because it was too easy to thwart them. I took a picture of the car, because it had a really creative protest sign in the back window, and as we passed I recognized the passenger as Mr. Angry from the morning's protest. After leaving them in the dust, we came upon Mark Nitowski (who drives like my Granny, btw) impeding traffic in the fast lane of I-70. After making eye contact, he tried really hard to pretend he didn't notice us. Seriously? Get a grip, fellas! We're laughing at you!
Congratulations to the opposition for very effectively shutting down PATH's propaganda machine today! What a follow-up to last night's victory at the Planning Commission!
Now, I need your help... send me links to any of the resulting news stories you happen upon, dear readers. Due to sheer volume, I soon lost track of the media outlets who interviewed us. And remember to say "thank you" to PATH for getting all that press coverage for our cause!
And also send PATH these words of advice...
"Stay out of Frederick County, Maryland -- you're not welcome here!"
Press links:
Frederick News Post
NBC25 WHAG
That's it for now... looks like the rest of PATH's audience was a bunch of weeklies. Remind me to ask PATH this question, "What if you threw a party and no one came?" We might have to bring our own press the next time we crash one of their press conferences. Just one more disappointment from the PATH folks...
NBC25 used PATH as the subject of their daily news poll on the website.
Final Tally:
65.6% (427 votes) said PATH is not needed.
17.2% (112 votes) said PATH is needed.
17.2% (112 votes) said they needed more information.
Could public sentiment about PATH in the tri-state be any clearer?
Surprise!
This is the first time I've ever planned a surprise party on two days notice, invited a thousand of my closest friends, and retained the element of complete surprise. Either I'm getting better at this, or the guests of honor are getting dumber and easier to fool.
This morning, PATH had planned a special "media event" at the downtown Frederick Allegheny Power office where they intended to provide propaganda to the media, show them a simulation movie (created by shyster production company Truescape) of the proposed substation at PATH's terminus, and rack up a bunch of puff piece stories.
Instead, a determined, protest sign-bearing group of about 30 PATH opponents from CAKES, Sugarloaf Conservancy and StopPATH WV swooped in 10 minutes before the event began and slowly walked up and down the public sidewalk in front of Allegheny's building. The press came running to us while the PATH guys stood inside the lobby doors with drool dripping off their chins (except for Mr. Angry who stood outside with his arms folded, clearly exasperated). They had no clue. Hah, hah!
Their event only lasted about an hour, after which the press came back to spend more time interviewing the protesters and tipped us off that PATH was sponsoring a real Martha Stewartesque tent soiree for the media on the substation site (paid for by you in your electric bill), so we all piled into vehicles and headed for CAKES property right across the street from the site to await the return of the press from the ratepayer-funded propaganda soiree.
When the StopPATH group finally headed for home, we were quite amused by the black sedan sitting on the side of the road near the intersection at the end of Bartholows Road with its flashers on and bearing Pennsylvania plates that banged a screeching u-turn and fell in behind our little caravan. I hope they soon hire a real driver, because it was too easy to thwart them. I took a picture of the car, because it had a really creative protest sign in the back window, and as we passed I recognized the passenger as Mr. Angry from the morning's protest. After leaving them in the dust, we came upon Mark Nitowski (who drives like my Granny, btw) impeding traffic in the fast lane of I-70. After making eye contact, he tried really hard to pretend he didn't notice us. Seriously? Get a grip, fellas! We're laughing at you!
Congratulations to the opposition for very effectively shutting down PATH's propaganda machine today! What a follow-up to last night's victory at the Planning Commission!
Now, I need your help... send me links to any of the resulting news stories you happen upon, dear readers. Due to sheer volume, I soon lost track of the media outlets who interviewed us. And remember to say "thank you" to PATH for getting all that press coverage for our cause!
And also send PATH these words of advice...
"Stay out of Frederick County, Maryland -- you're not welcome here!"
Press links:
Frederick News Post
NBC25 WHAG
That's it for now... looks like the rest of PATH's audience was a bunch of weeklies. Remind me to ask PATH this question, "What if you threw a party and no one came?" We might have to bring our own press the next time we crash one of their press conferences. Just one more disappointment from the PATH folks...
NBC25 used PATH as the subject of their daily news poll on the website.
Final Tally:
65.6% (427 votes) said PATH is not needed.
17.2% (112 votes) said PATH is needed.
17.2% (112 votes) said they needed more information.
Could public sentiment about PATH in the tri-state be any clearer?
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