Yellow Pages
Tickets to the Sept. 26 appearance of Glenn Beck at Mount Vernon’s McIntyre Hall were sold out by noon Friday, less than less than a day after they became available.
Mayor Bud Norris’ offer to give some of the proceeds of the event to the nonprofit Lincoln Theatre Foundation did little to quiet the storm around his decision to give the controversial talk show host a key to the city.
Word of the controversy has traveled quickly to news outlets such as The Huffington Post and has spread like wildfire across the blogosphere.
The few unfortunate city employees answering phones this week might have wished for protesters to keep their thoughts to online comments.
Many who see Beck as a divisive voice on television and radio are asking why Norris chose to make Beck the first recipient of the key to the city during the mayor’s six years in office.
The Young Democrats of Skagit County began protesting on First Avenue with signs urging Mount Vernon to “change the locks” before the invitation became official as of Tuesday. Along with more demonstrations this week, their online petition to “stop Glenn Beck’s key to the city” has about 150 signatures so far.
The uproar was sparked by the mayor’s recognition of Beck coming just weeks after the TV host drew criticism for calling President Obama a racist on Fox News.
Phone calls have been pouring in to Mount Vernon’s city offices from angry people threatening to not visit the city or attend the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival this spring.
Local businesses also have reported feedback from some shoppers who say they’ll take their money elsewhere.
Chamber of Commerce staff member Marinus Rouw had phone-answering duty at the chamber Thursday, when more than 90 calls came in — 80 against giving Glenn the key. And as Tulip Festival president, Rouw has been intercepting the angry rants from all sides.
“Why would it have anything to do with tulips?” he said of the callers’ threats to shun Mount Vernon’s businesses unless the mayor reverses his decision to honor Beck.
Rouw said most of the calls were from outside Mount Vernon and even the state.
“The unfortunate part is they’re looking to the tulip fest and the chamber to stop this whole thing, and we have no jurisdiction. The city council can’t even do anything,” Ruow said.
