An Open Letter to Meaghan McGoldrick
Meaghan McGoldrick is the editor of The Brooklyn Paper and Courier. For years, McGoldrick was a journalist for local papers in our area. Now as the editor, Meaghan controls what goes into the paper.
Over the years, McGoldrick has heard me complain about how the reporters at local papers have distorted the news by providing one-sided articles to the community. It‘s disappointing to see McGoldrick run an article which allowed a politician to tell us “all the work he did,” when many people in Gounardes’ district can’t get help from Gounardes. Finding a representative that is willing to represent the whole community is a problem that has existed in Bay Ridge for years!
Another resident described McGoldrick’s article as “a thinly veiled campaign ad.” Reporters articles need to present both sides. I can’t appeal to anyone at the newspaper because McGoldrick is the editor and this is what she thinks we deserve. When a politician can control the story and the paper doesn’t provide the back up research, you know we have problems!
McGoldrick questioned Senator Gounardes about what bills he had passed. Why didn’t McGoldrick ask him about the property tax bill that he failed to pass for two years? Remember in the Fall, Senator Gounardes said he was waiting for the Mayor’s Property Tax Commission, when Andrew Gounardes always had the power to change the property tax rates in NYC, regardless of the mayor or anyone in NYC. (See here)
At this point, anyone could hold our senate seat. Gounardes pushed the Democratic Party’s bills and didn’t push bills for Bay Ridge. #EmptySuit
There are enough Democrats in the NY Senate, so things won’t change regardless of who we vote for in November. But we have a shot at voting for someone who will focus on changing the law for this community. Gounardes had two years to do this and he wasn’t able to do it.
When the bail reform law hurt our neighborhood this year, Senator Gounardes didn’t speak up for the woman who was sexually assaulted at the 95th Street Subway station. Please do not tell me Gounardes supports women when he didn’t say a word for that woman who was attacked.
While bail reform was needed, the Democrats (including Andrew Gounardes) went too far with the bill. Gounardes was silent on bail reform, until the Jewish community complained about how bail reform hurt their community. McGoldrick knew this, as she reported about the problem with the bail reform bill just a few months ago here. When a one-sided article needs to be written, it means that Andrew Gounardes is the wrong person for the job.
While I have voiced my opposition to McGoldrick’s writing, I believe she just strugged it off and will continue with silly articles called “Checking in with..(Name of Pol)” so politicians can continue to relay one-sided news. The editor’s column needs to be renamed, “Hey, Let’s Fool Bay Ridge.”
On July 30th, McGoldrick did a “Checking in with Councilman Brannan” article. McGoldrick must have thought it was cute to leave out part of the story! The article began with her asking Brannan about the protest for the police in the community. He didn’t attend any of these protests so it was just a moment for Brannan to talk about the people who were tired of the “Defund the Police rhetoric” and wanted to show their support to the police. (Bay Ridge just got a new Captain so people wanted to show support to him.)
At no time in the article did McGoldrick mention that Justin Brannan voted in favor of NYC’s Council budget that was surrounded with the words “defund the police.” It was a huge story but McGoldrick didn’t cover it. Councilman Brannan played both sides of his district and this caused socialists to protest outside of his office. (Brannan claimed he wasn’t in the office, but a pizza delivery man showed up while the protesters were there. Story here)
The editor of a paper doesn’t want Bay Ridge to know what the politicians are doing! Anyone who is in tune with what is happening in the neighborhood knows that a man yelled out: “Death to America. Death to Israel” and people repeated him at a Palestinian protest on 5th Avenue. (See video) It took Justin Councilman Brannan seven days to speak out quietly about the hate. (See here) Andrew Gounardes remained silent and doesn’t mind someone yelling out “Death to America” in his community. But we do!
Bay Ridge, you will hear the truth here any time a reporter prints one-sided articles. We live here and know newspapers stopped representing our community a long time ago!
,
Hugs,
marlene
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