MSNBC Hypes Story of Man Who Robbed Bank for Prison Health Care, Leaves Out Free Health Clinics in His Backyard
On June 9, unarmed Gaston County, North Carolina man James Verone held up a bank demanding the sum of $1. After getting the cash from a teller, he patiently waited in the bank for cops to arrive.
Twelve days later, MSNBC has picked up on the story as an example of the desperate straits that unemployed, uninsured persons will go for health care.
Yet neither anchor Chris Jansing in the 10 a.m. Eastern hour nor Tamron Hall in the 2:00 p.m. hour mentioned that there are low-or-no-charge health clinics in Verone's backyard.
[video follows page break]
A little Web search yields the website for Gaston Family Health Services, Inc., a nonprofit group with seven clinics that claims to "[provide] care to more than 30,000 patients per year (1 in 11 Gaston County citizens), through more than 100,000 clinical encounters."
For example, there's the Gaston Family Health Services clinic on West Hudson Boulevard in Gastonia that promises it provides "primary care services for patients who can't afford healthcare."
Of course, Verone was also looking for free housing for three years as a way to mooch off the government until he was old enough for Social Security, reported Rad Berky of NBC affiliate WCNC this morning on the station's website:
He is hoping for a three year sentence. He would then be able to collect Social Security when he got out and said he would head for the beach.
"I've already looked at a condominium. I've spoken to a realtor on Myrtle Beach," Verone said.
Jansing omitted that fact from her report. For her part, Tamron ran a news package by Berky, who of course included Verone's dream of coasting through life on the taxpayers' dime until he's 62:
BERKY: James is hoping for a three-year sentence. He figures he'd then be able to collect Social Security when he gets out and says he'd head for the beach.
VERONE: I've already got a condominium. I've spoken to a realtor, [it's] on Myrtle Beach.
Verone is clearly delusional, a liar or both, and yet Hall introduced the story by suggesting it was just a logical option one might take, albeit extreme, when unemployed and without health insurance:
So just how much is health care worth to you? One desperate North Carolina man claims it is worth a stay in jail.
- Ken Shepherd's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
Wow!
Submitted by Lord-come-soon-... on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 3:59pm.
MSNBC not presenting all the facts in order to smear conservatives? You could knock me over with a feather!
Verone SAYS he wants to go to prison for the health care . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 4:01pm.
. . . but I think he wants it for the sex.
HA!
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 6:49pm.
Reminds me of the old bear hunting joke. :-)
Galvanic
Submitted by Bhaal on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 4:05pm.
If he was conservative he could get all kinds of sex at MSNBC, they are screwing conservatives everyday over there in all positions and by any means.
Sick of the dishonesty
Submitted by LSBeene on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 4:05pm.
I have to be honest - I am just so freaking sick of the DISHONESTY in our media today. Just tired and annoyed and no longer shocked at how often, how blatant, and how regularly our "news services" regularly screen for stories that can forward the leftist / stateist / socialist agenda.
WTF is wrong with these people?
And what kills me - I have met local reporters, in various places, all of whom, of course (and who could blame them) want to "make it into the bigs" : they share liberal views and sensibilities, but when you point out that this colors their news stories, and which stories they deem to BE news they deny deny deny it.
I ask: "When was the last time you covered a story about a person who used a firearm to bravely defend their home." - blank look - or an excuse of "not wanting to promote vigilantism.
I ask: "When was the last time you covered the feminist agenda in our colleges - the anti-male attitude in our schools, wherein boys are failing, quitting and dropping out?" - I get labeled as "having problems with women"
I ask "When was the last time you looked into welfare fraud and showed how many people are scamming the system?" - They tell me it's "not sexy"
And so on it goes - they really don't see the bias. And even if I were somehow able to absolutely drive it home in no uncertain terms - IMO, they'd rather eat broken glass than admit this is propaganda they are selling, and not "news".
Steven
Steven...I don't know which reporters you've spoken with or
Submitted by Jer on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 4:28pm.
where they are located, but if those are indeed the responses you receive they fail to square with programming decisions concerning the subject-matter of news and public interest segments actually being aired--particularly at the local level where the issues you mention resonate deeply with sizable portions of the viewing audiences.
I see and read reporting on those and/or related issues quite frequently, albeit moreso regarding your first and third examples than the second.
Jer
Man,
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 6:55pm.
where do you live? Not in SoCal, that's for sure.
Jer
Submitted by LSBeene on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 8:29pm.
Hello,
I appreciate your response. :)
The surprising answer is especially concerning 2nd Amendment issues, because I live in Alaska.
Alaska certainly has, and this might surprise quite a few folks, quite a few left leaning folks - I think it's mostly of the Free Gov't bennies, Eco extremist, and lefty leanings involved in those matters.
While most Alaskans tend to be small gov't, due, IMO, to a "leave me in peace" kind of Libertarianism, a good portion of the populace have grown addicted to the "free" gov't bennies that are in place. IMO, and I could give you a ton of anecdotal examples, it's been deliberate and systematic, in how especially those in the villages have been targeted for dependency.
And the truly evil part, and this goes into the local politics, but it shows how seductive (and IMO evil) this set of ideas and these programs are - even the local Native corporations have really bought into it.
Very quickly, and certainly glossing over a huge swath of the history: In the 70's the Native communities played the whole "the evil white man came and took our land and destroyed our culture, and gave us alcohol, and we need special recognition and exceptions to the law" type of grievence. They were given, forever, tax free corporation status for the Native corporations.
Those same corporations gave dividends to the Native peoples each year - but, surprise surprise when those corporations found that the local populace did not vote "as they were supposed to", they used the same "evil white gov't" programs to keep their OWN PEOPLE in dependency status.
They set up their programs "to help people" that increased single motherhood, dependency, corporation grants, housing, child care, what-have-you.
I mean, hey, it worked for the evil-white-gov't, and the Native Corporations now use it to the same full effect on their OWN PEOPLE.
So, when elections come up, the people in rural areas are a solid voting block (in practice) who vote for perpetuating gov't "freebie" programs, and the cycle of dependency. It's sad, and it angers me.
##########
Also - Alaska is a big 2nd Amendment state. Everyone up here has guns. Many guns. But I cannot tell you when the last time I saw a story on "Brave Johnny / Jane used their legally owned firearm to protect their home" story.
And adding to the first part of my post : I never see any "exposes" (accent on the last e) on the gov'ts' and Native Corporation [x] exploiting the cycle of dependency they have created for the purposes of voting in liberals or those that perpetuate said cycle.
So - Jer, while you find it hard to believe that the local news is not a more direct reflection of local issues and more balanced than the almost monolithic national media, with just these two examples I hope I have shown how the liberal media bias is alive and well in what is clearly a "Red State", has many conservatives who live here - but ....
The media is staffed, IMO with those with, if not liberal outright bias, at least liberal sensibilities that influences their reporting.
I hope my post is of some use to our discussion.
:)
Steven
Steven...
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 12:51am.
Just noticed your post.and the interesting points you raise which I'll address tomorrow. As you might suspect, I agree in part but not completely. It's late here.
G'night...
Jer
we've got top men researching these stories...
Submitted by wizardjr on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 4:22pm.
Top.
Men.
.
obamacare:
Submitted by look on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 4:29pm.
sounds framiliar...
give up your freedom for sub-standard health care...
It does not fit in with the
Submitted by John21 on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 4:41pm.
It does not fit in with the Obama administration and the propaganda media agenda. This is just like Obamacare be locked into a minimal healthcare system without options. No Difference.
I nominate dufus (I am
Submitted by jdhawk on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 4:47pm.
I nominate dufus (I am ashamed to admit he is from the state where I live) for this year's Darwin Award. What a putz!
Meanwhile, "Verne" may be surprised that they don't have comfy barco loungers at the state pen. In fact, here in the South they have what some may call "Chain Gangs." This is where they round up a bunch of prisoners and take them out for a stroll - down our highways and byways picking up garbage. It's especially fun on a cool summer day of 100 degrees/100% humidity. Of course, then there is the fun, erudite, and witty companionship that one meets in our state prisons. Hey! I am not bending over to pick up your soap . . . .
And to think.....
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 6:06pm.
Poor old Brooks didn't really need to hang himself after all.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
But Andy had to crawl through several hundred yards . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 8:47am.
. . . of raw sewage to reach freedom.
Unemployed...
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 6:52pm.
...uninsured, uninformed, uneducated. Must be a registered Dem.
Those free clinics don't
Submitted by goldwater89 on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 6:57pm.
Those free clinics don't provide surgical operations
Emergency Room
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 4:13am.
He could have walked into any emergency room in the country and received any medical help needed free of charge, for federal laws says that they HAVE to treat him regardless of his being destitute or not. The free care is available, without resorting to the commission of a felony.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Bank robber health care
Submitted by reddog339 on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 7:00pm.
We can only hope he meets a shiv in the joint.
I lived in Gaston County
Submitted by ricklail on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 8:07pm.
I lived in Gaston County (Dallas) 14 years before moving here. There is some weird stuff goes on in Gastonia. And weird people like this guy. Here is the rest of the story from the Gaston Gazette What he don't know is that the NCDOC will not take care of many of his problems if only doing a few years. He'll get some medical help but for only life threatening illnesses. Carpal Tunnel they probably won't fix that. If he sits in jail very long before trial the county will be responsible. They will do as little as possible.
What an idiot!
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 4:09am.
"He is 59-years-old and with no job and a depleted bank account, he thought jail was the best place he could go for medical care and a roof over his head"
What an idiot! He committed a felony! Say goodbye to his voting rights, ANY chance of getting into a Condo (they do background checks on prospective residents), and any chance of receiving any type of medical treatment that isn't an emergency in nature.He would have had better luck appealing to a Christian Church. At least there he could have received the charity he apparently needs AND avoided a criminal record.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Notice, he says he doesnt want to burden his Brothers and Sister
Submitted by Boudin on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 8:56am.
But has no problem with burdening the rest of his community. Obviously a product of our failing media, and education system. There is no problem solving awareness from this guy, just knee jerk destitution. Pretty damn sad if you ask me
Also,
Submitted by Boudin on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 9:05am.
No-where in the story does it make the reader aware the many avenues for getting free HC. This man is unemployed, he qualifies. Heck his Sisters and Brothers would be no use to him anyway. Also this story does not make the reader aware of the 38Bil that US hospitals do in "free" care every year. Nor do they make aware of the Charity Hospitals around the state and Country. Here in Louisiana, we have State run and funded Charity hospitals, that have extensive clinics, for out patient care.
This should be a story of pure stupidity, but of course, this guy is still 3 rungs higher on that ladder then those writing the story.