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Bimbo NOMINEES for January 2006

January	February	March	April	May	June
July	August	September	October	November	December

GOOD QUOTE:
The new CEO of Intel, Paul S. Otellini, gets it right. “He thinks the only way Intel can succeed in new markets is by communicating more clearly what the technology can do for customers.” (The issue is – organizations need a model and methodology of communication – not just ‘more.’)
BusinessWeek, “Inside Intel,” Jan. 9, 2006

WINNING BIMBO:
“We are not thugs, we aren’t selfish, we are not greedy,” said Roger Toussaint, leader of the New York City Transit Workers Union, as they went on strike, leaving tens of thousands of New Yorkers to walk, hitchhike or carpool to work. (This is another interesting example of words traveling from person to person. Toussaint was reacting to Mayor Bloomberg’s charges the day before, calling the union “thugs, selfish and greedy.” The Mayor pointed out that the transit workers made considerably more than the average person using public transportation and paid none of their health insurance.)
The New York Times, “Union Leader Says Pension Issue is Key to Ending Strike,”
Dec. 21, 2005

CO-WINNER:
“Jeanine Pirro is not dead,” said N.Y. Republican Chairman Stephen Minarik, about Pirro’s candidacy against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Not surprisingly, she ended her challenge a few days later.)
The Washington Post, “Pirro’s Challenge to Senator Clinton Falters,” Dec. 13, 2005

AND MORE:
“We did not sell news time,” said Daryll Green, president and GM of WUSA, a CBS affiliate who was charging the government $100,000 annually and requiring news anchors to encourage viewers to learn more about breast cancer. The station’s website had an ad for the D.C. Department of Health and Human Services. (Aside from the defensive quote, Mr. Green should have promoted the association, thus insulating himself from the charge of “selling news.” The appearance of unethical behavior wasn’t helped when the D.C. agency refused to return a trade magazine’s call.)
PR Week, “Paper: DC paid TV station to tout initiative,” Nov. 21, 2005

“This is not a publicity stunt,” said Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, about an announcement by the Bush administration to tackle problems of the Great Lakes. (An example of inverted speech, Mayor Daley went on to say, “It’s an exciting time,” and then, “You shouldn’t be cynical.” He ended up competing with himself. It wasn’t clear from news reports if he was asked if the announcement was a publicity stunt, but the Mayor brought up the idea of cynicism himself.)
The Washington Post, “Funding Tight for Great Lakes Plan,” Dec. 13, 2005

“We are not in any way trying to undermine the vaccine program,” said a lobbyist for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. They were trying to prevent a bill which would establish limits and procedures against lawsuits from adverse reactions to vaccines.
BusinessWeek, “The Sickening Politics of Vaccine Legislation,” Dec. 5, 2005

Trial lawyers may go out of business if there are more people like the two sisters who were injured during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade when a balloon hit a light poll and sent part of it into them. Although they needed stitches, their father said, “We just count our blessings they weren’t seriously injured,” and said they didn’t plan to sue because it was a “freak accident” and “accidents just happen.”
MSNBC, “Sisters ‘Fine’ After Macy’s Parade Accident,” Nov. 25, 2005

THE REALLY WRONG THING TO SAY:
“You Jews are controlling City Hall,” said African-American Dallas City Council woman Maxine Thornton-Reese. She was speaking to colleague Mitchell Rasansky, during a debate about changing alarm codes. (Not surprisingly, the comment made front page news for several days.)
The Dallas Morning News, “Colleague’s Remarks on Jews Offend Rasansky”
Dec. 15, 2005

Tennessee commissioner of finance, Dave Goetz, said that cronyism “had been accepted as part of the culture there and we had been busy with other things,” during a probe of, you guessed it, cronyism.
The Tennessean, “Top Official: Bredesen Knew About Cronyism, Didn’t Act,”
Dec. 16, 2005

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE TRUTH:
“I don’t think we can design a system that will compete with Mother Nature,” said Donald Powell, the administration’s top official for reconstruction of the Gulf Coast when asked whether the billions spent to improve levees would protect against all future storms. (Not answered, why are they proceeding with the projects?)
USA TODAY, “$1.5 Billion Sought to Strengthen Levees,” Dec. 16, 2005

THE BEST ADVERTISING…
…is to be quoted in a publication like The Wall Street Journal, as Jasvir Gill, chief executive of the software firm, Virsa Systems Inc. that stops employees from misusing financial data. “Why hire us? We keep CEOs out of jail,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal, “U.S. Law Makes Tech Firms Secure,” Dec. 9, 2005

BAD EXAMPLE/GOOD QUOTE:
IDT Corporation barred a New York Times reporter from its shareholder meeting. This is a classic “how not to” example. A spokeswoman first said the company never let reporters into annual meetings, but it didn’t take the Times long to note that reporters attended the meetings in 1997 and 2000. Then, the reporter was told that the person in charge of media relations was coming to meet the reporter, but was parking his car. He never showed up. (IDT should have listened to corporate watchdog, Nell Minow who told the Times, “Sunshine is the best disinfectant and companies that have nothing to hide welcome the press.”)
The New York Times, “Phone Company Bars Reporter from Its Shareholder Meeting,” Dec. 16, 2005