Post-Star to Hold One Party Mayoral Debates

I know what you're going to say after you read the article I've posted below."What else do you expect, Matt? You were thinking maybe that a mayoral debate organized by the Post-Star would have ALL FIVE mayoral candidates in it? Come on, man! Get real! The Post-Star isn't going to go through all that work to set up a 'debate' and then give ALL of the candidates exposure. You're not really that naive, are you?"Well, when you're done with your imaginary little rant, I will defend my friends at the Post Star and their terrible and exclusionary behavior. I know many of the fine people who work at our daily paper and I am very upset at what you say about my friends there. I don't agree that they are all failed, miserable, low-down, dirty, egg-sucking dog types as you make them out to be (despite all of the completely solid evidence to the contrary). I believe that many of our friends at the paper are doing their best to work within the confines established by the paper's management and by the same token, it is obvious that Post-Star management thinks that only "Bud" Taylor and Peter McDevitt are running for mayor in our sleepy little burg.If this is our "hometown paper's" idea of a MAYORAL debate, its no wonder that many people are canceling subscriptions and talking about the need for a new paper. I talked to the reporter who wrote this and was told that he was, in essence, writing about a "primary" debate, the purpose of which is to better inform Republican (and Conservative) party voters about their choice in the September primary between "Bud" and Peter. I asked Maury why they were calling it a "MAYORAL" debate then and not a "PRIMARY" debate, instead. I also asked him why the remaining "debates" being sponsored by the PS were referred to as "forums". Are Bud and Peter scared of a real debate? Duuuhhh. You bet your a--! Of course they are! Frightened to death. Maury stuck to his guns. The "real debates" will come later, he said, after the two Republicans fight out there primary. Its truly a sad world we live in when people without any journalistic integrity (editors) make decisions for us about what they will ALLOW us to see and what they will report on. Guys! If its news, report it. Don't make up rationales and excuses for behavior that is, at best, insane and, at worst, undemocratic and unAmerican. Most of us who read the paper every day are well aware of your corporate, right-wing bias. Why be so freakin' obvious about it to boot?* As an important side note, since May 1st , the number of stories in the Post-Star per candidate is as follows;

Bud Taylor 68
Pete McDevitt 39
Esmond Lyons 22
William Berg 20
Leroy Akins 20

This is the number of stories published since May 1st in which the candidate in question is mentioned (not to be confused withe being written about or covered). It should be noted that the Democrat and the two independents running are mentioned less than a third as often as Bud Taylor and half as often as his UNI-PARTY "opponent(s)". The truth, in total, is that most stories that mention Bud or Peter are actually ABOUT them, primarily. The mention of the
other three candidates is usually just a tag which mentions that they're running tacked on to the end of the story. They are denied voice and are often neither quoted nor consulted. Enjoy your distorted, unfair, "Metroland's Best Daily Newspaper of 2005". Its great!

Mayoral Debate Planned
By MAURY THOMPSON thompson@poststar.com Published on 8/3/2005
GLENS FALLS -- The Post-Star announced Tuesday that it will sponsor a debate between mayoral candidates Harold "Bud" Taylor and Peter McDevitt from 7 to 8 p.m. Sept. 7 in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall. The two candidates will face off in a Republican Party primary on Sept. 13. Taylor also is waging a write-in challenge against McDevitt for the Conservative Party line, also on Sept. 13. The Post-Star will conduct at least one forum with all mayoral candidates sometime in October. McDevitt said Tuesday that he is pleased to debate, and suggested the candidates meet in a series of debates prior to the primary. Taylor said he would agree to up to two debates, provided they are organized by media or other neutral organizations. Under the format of the Sept. 7 Post-Star forum, candidates will answer questions prepared by Post-Star editors, as well as written questions submitted by the audience. Each candidate also will be permitted to ask the other candidate a question, and make opening and closing statements. The forum will be covered and televised by WNCE-TV8, station co-owner Jesse Jackson said Tuesday. TV8 just opened a new studio on Glen Street in downtown Glens Falls. Over the last several years, The Post-Star has hosted similar candidate forums in key area elections, including for federal, state and local offices. The newspaper plans several more candidate forums before the general election in November, including at least one for the Glens Falls mayor's race. "We think the voters benefit greatly from seeing their candidates for elected office in a public setting, answering questions and debating one another on the issues," said Mark Mahoney, The Post-Star's editorial page editor and coordinator of the newspaper's political forums. "We hope voters will turn out in large numbers, or watch the telecasts on TV8, to learn more about their candidates." During the general election mayoral candidates' forum, all candidates for mayor will be invited to participate and given an equal opportunity to answer questions. The other candidates for mayor are Leroy "Roy" Akins Jr., Democrat and Working Families; William Berg, independent; and Esmond Lyons, independent. Voters who wish to submit questions for the candidates for the Sept. 7 forum are encouraged to e-mail them to Mahoney at mahoney@poststar.com by Friday, Sept. 2. Editors will consider the submissions when preparing questions for the candidates.