By Curt Middleton
Executive Editor
Don’t look for a report here on this page. It wasn’t due to a lack of media coverage on the part of the Gazette. Not at all. The event coverage was assigned to a Gazette reporter. However, when this reporter tried to enter Bistro Rudy at the Villages of Lehigh, at 1251 Taylor Lane Extension for the event, the journalist was denied entrance. The event was publicized in the Lehigh Acres Citizen April 30, 2012, as being open to the public in the paper’s OF NOTE feature stating:
“Hors d’oeurves will be served, and the event is free and open to the public. The reception is being sponsored by Eugene and Conchita Borosch and several other people.”
Apparently, the event was not free for everyone. But, denying a free press access to a public official is not a new concept or action. It is quite reminiscent of mid-30s European politics where brown-shirted, hooligan ruffians strong-armed incidents spreading their radical version of the truth that led to worldwide disaster.
Hey, Borosch is an immigrant who truly does love America. Then why is he allowing associates to deny press access to public events? Does Borosch have his own agenda for banning the press?
Ironically, it wasn’t any strong-arm, cretin -like know-nothing denying exercise of First Amendment Rights. No, it just happened to be a locally elected public official – Mike Welch, who sits on the board of the East County Water Control District.
Yes, Virginia, one of your elected officials didn’t want the media to find out what was going on inside the restaurant. What was Welch afraid to reveal? Could it possibly be he was worried the media would grab an unflattering photograph of Mann smiling at a celebratory gathering? What was Welch thinking?
Welch, according to the reporter, was quite polite but did state that anyone associated with Robert Anderson (Gazette publisher) is not allowed to play in the sandbox. The reporter said Welch pointed to Borosch standing by and indicated he wouldn’t allow anyone associated with the Gazette to enter.
Obviously, Welch’s background should not make him ignorant of First Amendment Rights. He did earn a degree in political science, did he not? And, was he not a senior legislative assistant to State Senator Tom Rossin? You would think a guy so involved with government and political action would champion First Amendment Rights and not trample all over them.
Perhaps Welch got confused during this event. After all, he helped arrange a “Meet and Greet” for Congressman Tom Rooney recently. The Gazette was not denied access to this event.
Maybe circumstances have changed since the Rooney event. If Welch did, indeed, help arrange for this reception honoring Mann, maybe he mistakenly believed media can be legally banned from public events at the local county level. After all, Rooney is a fed and has more clout.
In any event, any readers wishing to find out what took place at a public invited event banning the media need to contact their local county commissioner.
That would be Mann.
The Gazette contacted Mann for comment. He apologized for what he termed a “misunderstanding,” and said he was unaware a reporter was turned away until the event had ended. He said he had personally invited the Gazette to attend this event.
So, it more than likely comes down to some type of “personal” or “personality” conflict that compelled Welch to make such a blatant and non-American move like banning the press from a public event. It is a shame that an educated, seemingly well-respected local government official would stoop so low as to ban the press from a public event due to a “personal” conflict with someone who just happens to run a local news organization.
Since the Gazette publishes online only, and Welch has some personal ax to grind with Anderson, what’s his next step going to be? Will he gather his like-minded minions to execute a Black Tuesday and destroy all computers within the boundaries of Lehigh Acres so no one can read a free press?
Maybe the next action should be Towson University calling Welch asking him to return his poli-sci degree.
“The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure.” –Thomas Jefferson to the Marquis de Lafayette, 1823