Outspoken Steve Gill sounds off for local Republicans

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

GILL

Known as one of the driving forces behind the defeat of a state income tax last year, radio personality Steve Gill told members of the local Republican Party Thursday night that technology has changed the way politicians work.

“We have instant news from here and around the world,” Gill said during his speech. “I can literally read the world news in the minutes before I go on air. And, with cell phones, the talk show I do has gone from a monologue to a dialogue because a person traveling down the road can pick up the phone and call in and express their opinion.”

Gill, who is an attorney, is a highly touted radio personality on SuperTalk 99.7 and is also simulcast on NewsChannel 5 Plus television. During debate over a state income tax last year, Gill took an aggressive stand against the measure, urging listeners to make their voices known. Gill pointed out it was the mass media which allowed the public to know what legislators were doing on Capitol Hill even as votes were about to be taken.

“It’s brought the bright light of scrutiny upon them,” Gill said. “When the light came on, they scattered like a bunch of cockroaches. I’ve been criticized for referring to some of our legislators as cockroaches, and I just want to apologize to cockroaches everywhere for those remarks.”

Gill noted the technological advances have also been felt on a worldwide scale as evident by the recent coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Gill pointed out never before have people across the world watched a war unfold live.

“Just sitting in our living rooms, we had more intelligence on what was going on right then in the war than the Iraqi leaders,” Gill said.

While the technology has revolutionized the way people get their information, Gill noted there are still problems, much of which has to do with the way things are covered. As an example, Gill pointed to statements in the mass media that the “war had bogged down” in the first week of the invasion. Gill said in hindsight, it never bogged down.

“They took Baghdad in less time than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidians,” Gill said.

In closing, Gill urged local party members to become actively involved in their party by accepting roles and even becoming candidates in the next election. Gill pointed out many have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom by giving their lives so accepting a role in local political endeavors is a small price to pay for the freedom we enjoy.