Last Call: Georgia’s Blueberries
Unfortunately, i wasn’t able to accomplish all of Maureen Dowd’s homework today, missing the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture by just a few minutes. So instead, I’ll post the letter I sent to him. I hope to hear back from him by tomorrow.
Dear Commissioner Irvin:
My name is Brendan Skwire, and I’m a freelance media critic located in Philadelphia PA. I’m working on a response to a column I read in the New York Times this morning, written by Maureen Dowd.
In her column she identifies an earmark of “$209,000 to improve blueberry production and efficiency in Georgia” as an example of “offensive bipartisan pork”.
As I read the article, I noticed she provided no justification for this claim, and so I began methodically calling every research center or organization on her list. Interestingly, I found that she was wrong about every single one, and in many cases substantially misrepresented the activity that was funded.
So I am writing to you to find out why Georgia needs $209,000 (which doesn’t seem like a lot of money anyway) to improve blueberry production and efficiency. I have a feeling the entire story isn’t being told, and as I have debunked everything else Dowd has included in her list, I would like to complete my work. Georgia’s blueberries are the last item Dowd names, and I am sorry I wasn’t able to reach you today. You can reach me by email or phone (267-456-8910), and I would like to hear the other side of this story.
thanks for your time,
Brendan Skwire
I’ll keep everyone updated on responses.
