While I appreciated Missouri Speaker of the House Rod Jetton's recent e-mail explaining how state representatives have made a deal to use each other's writings as their own, I still don't buy it.
Apparently, Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, does. I have written a couple of times recently how Ms. Ruestman and Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, have plagiarized, word for word nearly, columns that were originally written by Rep. Jetton.
As I was reading the Dec. 14 Newton County News today, I read "The Ruestman Report," which purportedly is Rep. Ruestman's weekly column detailing what goes on in the state legislature. As I read the column, I once again had the feeling of deja vu, so a quick check turned out an Oct. 7 column by Rep. Jetton, which is almost exactly the same as "The Ruestman Report."
While the earlier two that were explored by The Turner Report centered around the Medicaid issue, this column was a more general review of the 2005 legislative session.
Give Ms. Ruestman credit. She apparently wrote her own first paragraph, which reads, "The 2005 session was a great success, and many of the problems that have been our focus over the past several years have been dealt with."
After that, most of the column is either word-for-word or nearly word-for-word the same as Rep. Jetton's column.
After she reaches the portion of Rep. Jetton's column where he begins to talk about things that are germane to his constituents, Ms. Ruestman finally steers herself away, writing, "Currently, I am working on legislation that will focus on meth houses. We have strengthened our position on preventing meth labs from occurring in the state, and we now need to look at how to further protect our citizens from the effects of these labs.
"This legislation would require that a house, after being used in the production of meth, be properly reported and tested. It has been found that those who move into a former meth house are subject to adverse health effects, and this would ensure that the houses are properly cleaned and safe."
When Ms. Ruestman puts her name on a column, the same as any other columnist, reporter, or even someone writing a school report, she is saying that the column is her work and her work alone.
Again, if she wants to parrot the words of Rep. Jetton or anyone else, she needs to tell her readers that. They have the right to know.
4 comments:
They can "explain" all they want about this, but such arguments backfire with this Missourian. OK, so you share similar views. We get it. You're in the same party. But posting these missives copied nearly word-for-word? Doesn't this show that many of our state representatives are simply party hacks, simpletons, robots or, most likely, all of the above?
The echo chamber effect. They keep insisting it works.
The GOP has had the 7th District of Missouri in its grip for so long, they forget we are not all morons. Marilyn Ruestman and her GOP counterparts are all part of the giant GOP machine that runs Missouri now; they parrot each other's words and they try to stay on topic and with the "talking points." None of them have an original idea; and that is why they were chosen to run and why the party puts up with their mediocrity. If they were thinkers, if they were visionaries, or even if they really cared about what they are in Jefferson City to do, they wouldn't last long with the GOP. I've already called our "representative" on her plagiarism and her insincerity, and she knows how I feel. Worse, we are from the same home town - an embarassment. She should crawl back under her rock and stay out of politics, which is obviously something she does not understand and has no talent for.
Whoa, another Noel resident that knows that Marilyn Hansen never had an original thought in her life.
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