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SHAWANO–The Vice-President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA), a leading national taxpayer organization, today condemned the decision of the owners of Shawano radio station WTCH 960 AM for pulling coverage of TUA’s report on outrageous government-employee pensions in the Shawano area.
“Our recent report on the ‘Top 25’ lavish, gold-plated pensions and generous salaries of government employees in the Shawano area was the front page top story in the Thursday, July 28 issue of the Shawano Leader,” said Christina Tobin, TUA Vice President. “Not only that, all three lists of Top 25 pensions for city, county, and government schools employees were printed in their entirety.  The decision of WTCH to pull the story is puzzling and a bad omen for Shawano-area taxpayers.”
“I spoke with WTCH co-owner Bruce Grassman, who initially ran the story. After the story was suddenly pulled, he told me that his son, co-owner Don Grassman, made the decision purportedly because he could get no response from the government employees and former-employees named in our report. I also was told that our report was ‘not a fair story.’ The print media had no problem with the report.  In fact, it ran as the front page top story in the largest and most respected newspaper in Shawano.”
“Issues that are demonstrably of top tier importance to the community should not be censored, simply because government employees are too busy counting the money they’ve extracted from hard working taxpayers to return a phone call.”
“I am very disappointed in the lame reason given for Don Grassman’s killing the story. As a public radio station, the station has a responsibility for adequately reporting news, especially important local news affecting Shawano-area taxpayers. I hope the next time we issue a report dealing with Shawano tax issues, the station will not subject our report to a news blackout.”