Local CBS affiliate WBTV — or the person in charge of its Twitter account — apparently has a problem with conservative Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill James. Yesterday, @WBTV_News sent out a decidedly unprofessional tweet. It was deleted shortly thereafter, but not before being spotted by several shocked readers:
Screen-capped RT @sistertoldjah: WTH? Official news feed —> RT @WBTV_News: @sistertoldjah Tell Bill James to take his ass to Tampa
— Erik Soderstrom (@soderstrom) September 4, 2012
https://twitter.com/JasonBWhitman/status/242849536689717249
https://twitter.com/m_mcaulay/status/242850440725794817
Um….What the hell? RT @WBTV_News: @sistertoldjah Tell Bill James to take his ass to Tampa
— HouseRepEEE (@EEElverhoy) September 4, 2012
WBTV’s outburst was likely in response to this story:
County Commissioner says Charlotte responsible for Marshall Park protesters http://t.co/m6qZl8G3 #cltnews
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) September 4, 2012
James had expressed concern about Occupiers camping out in Marshall Park, the site they’ve chosen as protest headquarters outside of the Democratic National Convention. Because the city of Charlotte is allowing the protesters to remain in Marshall Park, he does not want the county to be responsible for what happens there:
He says, “What if something happens to the protesters? What if crime occurs in there? What if people living there create crime?”
He went on to say “Because it is not designed as a residence you have a health issue. What if people who are there get in some kind of health trouble.”
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Therefore- if something happens- he says the county should not be held liable. He says he “just wants to make sure county taxpayers are not going to be on the hook for something that happens on this site if police decide they’re going to allow this.”
WBTV employees are certainly entitled to support Occupiers personally. But whoever is running the station’s professional account needs to maintain a certain degree of professionalism. Perhaps it’s time for that person to take him- or herself to charm school.
Update:
It’s always a hacker, isn’t it?
Early this morning, a tweet was sent out from our account about Bill James (@meckcommish). Here is our statement: http://t.co/NwoeMteA
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) September 4, 2012
Is the toaster still loyal?
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