By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First
Progressive Party Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, who was nowhere to be found yesterday afternoon when media members tried to reach out to ask her about the ill-advised Gag Order she imposed on Burlington Police, apparently will grant some media members interviews this afternoon.
Vermont News First has learned Mulvaney-Stanak’s office sent out a notice to some media members this morning that she will be having a press availability this afternoon at City Hall.
Vermont News First was among those left off the invitation list.
UPDATE: Seven Days said after this post was made that it also was left off the invite list.
The Mayor appears still upset with Vermont News First for breaking the story that Mulvaney-Stanak began milking MealTrain.com last summer to get free donated dinners from taxpayers for her, her wife and their children after she got elected Mayor.
The Mayor had claimed at the time her family, which has about a $250,000 combined annual income, was working hard and needed the free meals.
She doesn’t answer her cellphone and actually has asked VNF to stop calling.
Mulvaney-Stanak’s office said yesterday she was too busy to discuss City Hall business, including the Gag Order with the local news media. She believed she had to go to Gov. Phil Scott’s Inauguration speech in Montpelier.
However, the Mayor also was able to find time later yesterday afternoon to issue a news release with her reactions to what Republican Gov. Scott had said. Surprise — she was not happy.
Mulvaney-Stanak couldn’t say anything about the out-of-control crime rate in Burlington that is fueled by drug addicts, homeless and people with mental health issues.
Sounds like Mulvaney-Stanak is taking a page out of the playbook of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who also proved to be MIA when her home fires — literally — were burning.
Bass was halfway around the world in Africa this week while multiple dangerous wind-driven fires were consuming her city. More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed. As she arrived home, Bass was speechless when confronted by the media about being MIA and for cutting the fire department budget by more than $17.5 million.