Saturday, April 11, 2009

SDS Leader Calls Machen "An Ally."



Read The Alligator Article!



I think dialogue is great, don't get me wrong, but when a key leader of a revolutionary student movement calls the head of the University of Florida's administration 'an ally', then you have to wonder what SDS is exactly all about.

24 comments:

francisco said...

Ye of so little faith. You clearly bought in to the Alligator's inability to properly quote someone in context (there are several other errors in that article alone). Skeet was likely refering to Machen as an alley on the 1-cent sales tax because he agreed to push for it. In fact, in an article last week Machen responded to Skeet's request by stating he would sign the petition for an additional 1-cent sales tax and lobby for it. Other than that, Skeet and Machen don't agree on anything.

Anonymous said...

hey christian have you not heard about the fiasco going on with the GPD and UFPD. Getting DUI's, drinking and driving and assaulting citizens. And they are not terminated rather merely given a verbal reprimand. We have also had officer in trouble for sex crimes and they are getting off the hook.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090410/ARTICLES/904101005/1002?Title=Chief-blasts-officers-actions

Christian Duque said...

Frank,

I think you're a great guy.
*PR role now finished*

But seriously why is Frank Bracco defending an SDS leader? The same Frank Bracco basically denied to even sit in on a meeting?

Why is Justin Wooten defending Surrency? Or Ben Dictor? Or Joe Richard?

Who runs SDS? That's the question. In Gainesville.

Anonymous said...

Oh no! The election season is over and Christian has nothing controversial to talk about! I guess he'll have to resort to inventing controversies out of the ineptitude of alligator writers.

Christian Duque said...

It's not about 'inventing controversies' or wholeheartedly relying on the Alligator writers for information.

While I do not attend SDS meetings, I have close ties to several people that (e.g. through Progress). I have been informed over the course of the last few months that a shift in the guard has been taking place and that people like Skeet ('the Old Guard') have largely been run out (or have left on their own) from the organization.

I also think it's odd that Bernie comes out to meet with ten students, has an impromptu talk with them about a wide range of issues [potentially exposing himself to harsh criticisms], and then is called "an ally" by a person whose name has become almost exclusively associated with an organization that if reduced to a role call votes would largely denounce much of what Machen stands for on a person-by-person basis.

I also think it very convenient an Alligator reporter on hand.

francisco said...

Christian, everyone that knows Skeet knows the context that quote was meant to be in. You clearly missed the articles that covered Bernie's town hall meetings at the resident halls, because that is where Skeet got him to say yes to the 1-cent sales tax. http://www.alligator.org/articles/2009/04/03/news/campus/090403_machen.txt

Right after that [town hall] meeting Skeet called me to see if I had a recording of the meeting so they could actually receive the quote to the public...but, as you can see the Alligator got that one right.

I went to an SDS meeting back in Jan and Wooten invited me back (jokingly or not). I think hit up the wrong week for a meeting because it was rather boring. I could see where there was potential to actually be productive, but I got a week where only 7 people or so showed up. I have IRHA on Mondays...so...go to SDS...or go to IRHA...easy choice.

Seriously Christian, you are grasping at straws on this one.

Anonymous said...

Sell outs and traitors. Skeet needs to quit sucking Bernie's dick.

Anonymous said...

Whoops this blog became irrelevant!

Christian Duque said...

Frank,

Grasping at straws or not, I'm only saying what many are thinking.

Machen is the University President, we're not talkin Steve Orlando here. For the University President to come out and speak to a measly ten students about a wide range of issues that put him on the spot is very bizarre. The fact an Alligator reporter was on hand - even more bizarre. The fact it made it to press (past the Editors as newsworthy enough to make the hardcopy) - even more bizarre.

What exactly was the purpose of the article? Did Machen say anything new? Did he promise anything?

I don't know if this was PR, I don't know if it was STAGED, but what I do know is that us Senators had to pay a lot of dues to get Machen to come speak to us and even then there wasn't the apparent candor in his ways then as there seems to have been recently espoused at this impromtu meeting.

It may very well be Machen's curiosity and Surrency's misquote, but to the political observers and to at least one SG blogger, it seems very fishy.

//I also think what's most disturbing is that YOU have taken the torch and are defending him. You're not in SDS. Why isn't Wooten here taking a stand? Or Ben Dictor? Or Progress people like Dave Schneider or Mitchell T.?
They're regular readers, why aren't they standing up?

Could it because Skeet is with the Officials? Could it be because he allegedly promised SDS to O&B at a pre-12/11 meeting with a top O&B official and then couldn't deliver and half-heartedly then pledged secret support for Progress?

Bottom line is, I want to know where SDS stands.

francisco said...

Dude, times have changed since you were hear. Bernie has been out at 4 or 5 different IRHA town hall meetings this school year alone and has literally called on people from the audience (rather than taking screened questions). The pattern started this summer with Senate and has continued through this school year. I am not a fan of the guy, but I have more respect for him than I did when I came in. It takes a lot to get in front of us students (via the summer Senate meeting and the IRHA town hall meetings) and take the questions we, including myself, toss at him.

Justin Wooten said...

Out of a certain amount of respect for SDS, I have in the past talked as little as possible about the inner workings of that organization. Allow me to set the record straight on a few things.

Number one, I never invited Frank Bracco to an SDS meeting, as I recalled somewhere out of the back of my mind the myth that if you invite a vampire into your house once, it is forever welcome. He eventually showed up on his own, uninvited, which was almost certainly an attempt to stop SDS from officially endorsing Progress.

Secondly, there was a shift in the organization originally, as all of the "Old Guard" stopped attending meetings, for various reasons, like they all fucked each other and didn't want to sit in a room together anymore (so said someone in their inner circle I won't mention). Since we were basically running the organization and were the future of the group, we decided to introduce some structure to the organization. Enough of the "Old Guard" came back to block this attempt, and then also never came back to SDS, even going so far to admit that SDS would die because of this and they didn't care (as they are all graduating and leaving). So we decided to split and do our own thing. SDS is now run by Skeet, with 2-3 people doing his “Guerrilla Theater” nonsense, and will probably no longer exist by Fall.

Thirdly, all of us think Skeet is generally an all around a terrible organizer and activist, and he was just completely snowed by Machen who expertly made SDS look incredibly stupid (admittedly not a hard thing to do). Skeet can attempt to blame it on poor Alligator reporting, but the fact is none of his little stunts ever work because his whole conception about how to do political work is retarded. I invite everyone to read Zizek's essay "Resistance is Surrender" and compare a million people marching against the war in London and George Bush's words to 10 people in Tigert Hall and Machen's words. This, among other things, is why Skeet is a failure.

As far as someone claiming Skeet guaranteed to deliver SDS to Orange & Blue to you, Duque, I don't know if that is true or not. Skeet did express to me at an SDS fundraiser that he was opposed to the split, though apparently he had told Dictor during the winter break he was on board with us. He effectively opposed us anyway, as he didn't do a god damn thing to help us, and during Radical Rush, even went as far to say to random people he wasn't involved in SDS anymore (though now he is begging us on Facebook to help him with the budget cut campaign). I also don't think Skeet cares enough about SG politics to be “with the Officials,” nor was Skeet attempting to make Machen look good. The budget cut campaign has got behind the idea of trying to put pressure on the State Legislature, which I think is completely misguided (as does Skeet, as he personally told me). So of course Machen is gonna be your “ally” in trying to make the legislature give us more money. Nevermind when the budget cuts come anyway, he is going to be our worst enemy.

Christian Duque said...

Frank,

With all due respect to you - and you know I like ya, but since you got CTV you've been somewhat of a bureaucrat in my book.

First you defend Skeet, then you defend Machen, if my memory serves me correct, I recall you defending other interesting characters over the years....

Is the fence a comfortable place to sit on?

francisco said...

Clearly you didn't read Christian :lol:. I am not a fan of the guy [Machen], but stuff has changed and he actually comes out to places now and talks to students. Granted it is still political answers, but at least it is better than never seeing him (like when I started or when you were here). I don't have to defend Skeet, because everyone knows he still has nothing in common with Machen other than they are both at UF and they both agree on the sale tax. Everyone knows Skeet dislikes the direction Machen has taken UF in and he hasn't been a quiet about it either. As far as Wooten's comments go, I don't think I have ever stated whether or not I believe Skeet has been effective or not (I will leave that to everyone to decide for themselves). Yet again, Mr. Christian is blowing things out of proportion just like with that silly salt addiction story.

As far as Wooten inviting me, as I said he invited me one day (jokingly or not) to show up and make a scene like I had done at Senate; it was just some silly conversation we had in passing in the Plaza. This was after I came out in Jan. after repeatedly being called out for never attending a meeting. I think the one thing I said throughout the entire meeting was something along the lines of, "perhaps you should actually look into buying those pamphlets this week rather than waiting since Radical Rush is coming up very soon"...yeah, really trying to stop an endorsement with that line :lol:.

Justin Wooten said...

Again, I never invited Bracco to SDS. Bracco is a liar, but I'm sure everyone knows this already.

francisco said...

It is amazing how Wooten forgets everything. We were in the Plaza in like Feb. or something like that when Progress was the only party campaigning. I was talking to one of the party volunteers and you came up talking about, "you should come out to SDS and make a scene like you did at Senate the other week" (as a joke I presume) and I responded with, "Why would I do that, SDS actually has the potential to do something relatively productives...and besides, I have IRHA on Mondays." I also notice how you only respond with personal attacks, rather unfortunate.

Anonymous said...

Odd how I was with Frank when this dumb ass joke came up. It is easy to see why Wooten forgot about it because it was such an off-hand comment; nevertheless it did happen

Anonymous said...

Notice how everyone lies except for Wooten. What reason would Bracco have to lie about this? seriously you douche Justin get off your lazy ass and admit may have forgotten things and stop accusing everyone of lying

Justin Wooten said...

Again, Bracco is a liar. That conversation never happened. I never asked you to come back to SDS after your first visit in January. I never asked you to show up to disrupt a meeting in early February, before the split in SDS and while we were trying to bring structure to the organization. You and your anonymous coward source, which is probably yourself, are lying. The last time I recall talking to you before I called you a fucking weasel was during slating, where you tried to pretend the Keg Party was serious.

Anonymous said...

Wooten you need to get over yourself already, shouldn't the FBI have already recalled you?

Anonymous said...

Wooten, just admit you are mistaken and stop giving Frank the pleasure of being able to post on here and talk circles around you.

Christian Duque said...

I've deleted almost a dozen anon comments attacking Comrade Wooten. It's really unfortunate.

Comrade Wooten (an alias of respect I will now use to refer to him as), like myself with Access, was part of a great effort with the Progress Party. And while I seriously doubt CW is anything but lazy, even if he decided to sit on his ass and vegetate - he will always have the Progress distinction to boast of.

CW, through the Progress-Spring is inducted, tenured, immortalized in the Independent movement for all posterity - so far as this blog is concerned.

In terms of Indie history and indie thought, when Duque speaks - that's akin to when the Pope speaks to Catholics. :)

When Kerns speaks, similarly, it's like when Richard Simmons speaks and fat people listen.

francisco said...

Too bad Wooten, you are stil mistaken, it seems you have a horrible memory and are just affraid to attempt it. Oh well, I will continue to stand by my comments and it seems like most people agree with me and know the truth.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad this blog gives you something to boast about Mr. Duque, I find it very entertaining.

Anonymous said...

Let's think about this for a second here? What benefit does Frank have to lying about any of this at all? He gains nothing! Sounds like Wooten made an offhand comment, cannot remember it, and the rest is history.