As Twitchy reported, conservative activist Scott Presler saw the same videos the rest of us did of Baltimore neighborhoods covered in garbage, and that inspired him to put together a team of 200 volunteers who picked up 12 tons of trash in 12 hours.
“Some people were believing that the people of Baltimore just don’t care or they want to live that way.
And that’s just not true. They don’t want to live that way. I think they just needed somebody to show love and that’s what we did.”
–@ScottPresler https://t.co/8uHQ2tfwDQ— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) August 8, 2019
However, The Baltimore Sun’s editorial board decided to trash Presler in the form of an op-ed. You see, “Whatever he says his motives were, Scott Presler’s presence in Baltimore reinforces the tired image that the poor people in this city can’t take care of their own neighborhoods”:
We also hope Mr. Presler keeps his promise to return to Baltimore once a month. It would definitely give his motives more credibility. It might also give him better perspective about the city’s problems than any single visit can provide. Maybe it could even lead him and his followers to advocate for federal housing, health care, transportation, education, criminal justice, civil rights and anti-poverty policies aimed at urban communities.
So, hold up. By showing up to clean up trash, Presler was reinforcing the tired image that poor people can’t take care of their own neighborhoods. However, The Baltimore Sun expects him to return once a month to “give his motives more credibility.” So which is it? If he supposed to leave it to Baltimore to clean up after themselves, or is he supposed to volunteer every month to prove his motives are “pure”? What the hell, Baltimore Sun?
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Twitter philanthropist Bill Pulte obviously got word of the editorial board’s hit piece and pledged $100,000 toward clean up efforts if the Sun retracts its article trashing Presler.
My teammates and I will pledge $100,000 to Baltimore neighborhood clean up (I know a thing or two about that!) in Baltimore if the Baltimore Sun retracts this article that discourages people who want to help the City, when the amazing residents want them help! https://t.co/0vh444NAaM
— Bill Pulte (@pulte) August 7, 2019
How about if Rep. Elijah Cummings and Mayor Bernard Young use some of the $16 billion in federal grants from 2018 and use that to clean up the trash?
To further the irony, The Baltimore Sun has covered the city’s trash problem before and even praised one man who started the #30DaysOfPickingUpLitter challenge:
This Baltimore man's Instagram account is full of pictures of garbage. He's encouraging others to emulate him. https://t.co/XiOw4glB1t
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) April 6, 2018
We’re pretty sure he’s not a Trump supporter or he wouldn’t have gotten such positive coverage. And there’s this:
When we asked readers what they've always wanted to know about Baltimore, we got an overwhelming number of questions about litter. So, we dug into the city's trash problem. https://t.co/NkX5bIg7Nn
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) June 18, 2019
The city’s mounting litter problem? It’s real? We thought that was just President Trump being racist.
WELL @BaltimoreSun, will you RETRACT this biased article you wrote about @ScottPresler …so that you can Collect the $100,000 promised by @pulte towards Baltimore neighborhood clean up??
Or does your paper hate MAGA Trump more than you love Baltimore?https://t.co/LIbhNW8XDk
— Ed (@reFocusZone) August 7, 2019
What are you gonna do @baltimoresun? You gonna be the reason an neighborhood isn’t going to get 100,000 dollars?
— bob knos (@Bob_Knos_stuff) August 7, 2019
They need to talk to the residents and find out how THEY felt about Scott's work.
— Steve S ⭐⭐⭐ (@ss31704_s) August 8, 2019
@baltimoresun the ball is in your court! $100,000 can go a long way! Put your politics aside and HELP YOUR CITY.
— KAP ?? (@kap_chan) August 7, 2019
I hate to be cynical but I'm not holding my breath. @baltimoresun obviously believes the narrative is more important than helping to solve the problem. I hope they do retract it.
— MSV?⛳ (@bogeyboy013) August 7, 2019
Retract and apologize
— "CC" (@CC15482379) August 7, 2019
Hateful @baltimoresun should retract and apologize.
— Lacey Lance (@Asa789) August 7, 2019
Baltimore Sun should match that since they talk so much shit.
— TriggerWarning (@vinny5p1) August 7, 2019
As a proud Marylander and Baltimorean, I love the state and I love the city. However, democratically run for so many years, the fruits of their labor were finally opened up to the rest by President Trump. Thank you sir! #MAGA from a Red in a blue
— Brad Heil (@HeilbHeil) August 7, 2019
@baltimoresun retract your erroneous article stating that #Baltimore residents don’t want help. There’s is plenty of evidence to the contrary. https://t.co/Dsz2t4RAVN
— @KDalious (@KaeDalious) August 7, 2019
I think you should donate the money but don't give it to Baltimore officials!! Give it to someone like @ScottPresler that will actually use it and show the @baltimoresun that the people in those neighborhoods want and will except help from outside people. No politics!!
— steve landis (@slstudy) August 7, 2019
Definitely do NOT give it to City officials. Locate the leaders of the Neighborhood Associations and secure their support.
— TinaG (@peetyswie54) August 7, 2019
Of all the good you’ve done so far, Bill, this is the most unifying. Thank you for this stance. @ScottPresler doesn’t deserve anything but praise
— Hobbs (@NebsHo) August 8, 2019
Good luck with that. Media never apologize
— Marcus Bressler (@keymarcus) August 7, 2019
The Baltimore Sun is disgusting with their divisive narrative…
— Gary L McArdle (@GaryLMcArdle1) August 7, 2019
That would be AMAZING but they won't because Trump-bashing is more important than anything else including a clean city. I ❤️that you are pointing out their hypocrisy and complete incompetence! #TDS at maximum levels
— SAM (@SAMDiego45) August 7, 2019
Go Bill!! Article was disgraceful!
— Gwen Caldwell (@PejutaTasunka) August 7, 2019
Thing is, @baltimoresun, the residents thanking those who @ScottPresler organized didn’t care where we are from or who we voted for. Your move. Feel free to join next time too. The lady next door to this one was especially happy people cared to show up.https://t.co/kuDf5V9dMn
— Evan Young (@real_EvanYoung) August 7, 2019
A retraction and a grovelling apology for being useless tools.
— Winter (@WinterB123) August 8, 2019
They’ll never do it.
Just as a fun aside: Remember how Baltimore’s previous mayor resigned after a scandal involving the sales of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of her stupid “Healthy Holly” books? And no one seemed to know where they all went? They’re starting to surface … in trash bags:
Trash bags full of Healthy Holly books are being left on the loading docks of the Maryland Book Bank. No one knows where they're coming from. https://t.co/tVgjI0nhW3
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) June 12, 2019
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