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by Mike Donoghue
BURLINGTON – Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, who has come under heavy fire in the past week for accepting free home-cooked dinners from the community because she thinks she is overwhelmed by her new job, continues to avoid most local media members.
Mulvaney-Stanak and her office has refused to return phone calls to local media members and ignored them when they meet up with her at public events.
NBC5 (WPTZ-TV) and Vermont News First were among those attending one of the new weekly community engagement events that Mulvaney-Stanak said she started this month to provide “more access to the Mayor’s Office.” Mulvaney-Stanak told more than a dozen people attending the public session in the Old North End that she would make general comments about her first two months on the job and answer questions. She said she would save time at the end for anybody who wanted to ask questions in private last Thursday .
She said everybody could ask questions and she would try to be as open and transparent as possible. Mulvaney-Stanak put no limitations on the session – except that all changed when media members tried to ask her questions as she wrapped up the session.
Media members had withheld their questions during the one-hour public session to await the private chance the Mayor had offered. As she prepared to leave at 5:30 p.m. to go to the 40th anniversary party for Channel 17/Town Meeting Television, Mulvaney-Stanak was asked by both NBC5 (WPTZ-TV) and Vermont News First to take a minute to answer a few questions.
Vermont News First wanted primarily to ask about a long-requested sit-down session by multiple local media members with the Mayor on the grounds rules she planned to impose on reporters during her tenure and what she could expect from the media. Multiple print and electronic outlets had asked for the session since her election in early March, and nothing has been set up by the Mayor or her staff.
Mulvaney-Stanak insisted she had to leave for the party, which was scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. When reminded she promised the audience she would take questions in private, Mulvaney-Stanak said she would not talk to the media.
Mulvaney-Stanak was reminded that she and her chief spokesperson Joe Magee had failed repeatedly to respond to media members in a timely way. Mulvaney-Stanak then claimed she had told Vermont News First not to use her cell phone. She had to be corrected because she had never spoken with Vermont News First and never returned a phone call.
She insisted that she “really had to get to my next meeting.” The party had been elevated to a meeting. She then left quickly, telling reporters they could talk to her chief of staff, Erin Jacobsen. A renewed request through Jacobsen to get the Mayor in touch with the media was unfulfilled as of Monday.
Mulvaney-Stanak has been under heavy criticism since the news story first broke last Tuesday afternoon for her being part of a MealTrain.Com solicitation effort directed at taxpayers to provide free meals for the Mayor, and her wife, and their two children. Mulvaney-Stanek’s wife is Megan Moir, the director of water resources for the city, and they have combined salaries of about $250,000 a year.
About four hours after the news story broke, the website that sought people to sign up with free meals for the Mulvaney-Stanak family was de-activated. The Mayor, who took office April 1, remained silent that day.
The next day as the criticism increased, especially from women, Mulvaney-Stanak doubled down with prepared statements for two local TV stations (WCAX and WPTZ). The Mayor apparently left out the rest of the local media, including Vermont News First, which broke the news story. The statements to the two TV stations tried to explain the need by Mulvaney-Stanak to accept the free home-cooked meals because she said she was working hard for taxpayers as the first woman to serve as mayor and cited her two children at home.
By Sunday, Mulvaney-Stanak had tripled down on the free meals when she appeared on “What Matters This Week,” the public affairs program on Local ABC 22 and Local Fox 44 in Colchester. Under questioning by veteran local TV anchor Lauren Maloney, Mulvaney-Stanak said she thought the incident was a distraction for her.
Maloney noted that the free meals had dominated discussion in the city in recent days
“I’m the first woman to be Mayor of Burlington and the first one with two small children,” she said. Mulvaney-Stanak made no mention of her predecessor Miro Weinberger, who also had two young children while serving as Mayor. Maloney asked if she had thought about the optics of taking free meals.
“Everyone should be able to access support from their community and their neighbors when they have difficult and challenging things that they are doing in their life.
She said neighbors had asked how they could help and she said a home-cooked meal would be welcomed.
“A home cooked meal would be really nice every once in a while,” she told Maloney.
Instead of an informal food drop-off, a MealTrain.Com website was established with more than 300 people invited to sign up for specific dates – and it apparently took off. The Mulvaney-Stanak website had been operating for a couple of months and she had recently asked that it be cut back to only Mondays, according to a note on the website.
“It was very informal,” the Mayor explained on What Matters This Week. She did acknowledge during the interview that she has been working to try to deal with a projected deficit of $9 million that is now estimated at $13.1 million. Her wife, Megan Moir, also has declined to respond to a request for an interview.
The story and the Mayor’s limited response have both become a news story statewide — and beyond. The former state legislator and head of the Vermont Progressive Party has found herself in the media across the state, including on the front page of the Caledonian Record in St. Johnsbury. The story has generated discussion and calls on the Morning Drive Show on WVMT radio in Colchester in recent days. It has spread on multiple social media platforms.
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Categories: Burlington, Media
Who was cookimg for her and her family when she was in Momtpelier 4 days a week ?
Dodging the media only makes her look worse. She knows full well that what she did was unethical as a state employee. Not to mention insulting and demeaning to working women everywhere. She just didn’t think anyone would find out. They can well afford a nanny or help around the house…this is not a good start to her term…I don’t think she should unpack, she won’t be there long.
Exactly.
Hissy fit freak show…vote her out!
She is deplorable, and disgusting. MaGee is her spokesperson? Good luck with that.
“Free meals” Emma……you gotta love it!
Ridiculous isn’t it, she said she was making sure her family was taken care of which is b.s. before she took down the meal link it clearly said 2 meals. Then saying she works long hours and needs meals is a load. There are a dozen restaurants next to church st. She could get a meal or send her assistant to get one. Joan was the better choice for the city.
Since when does a mayor of a town (of any size) get to “dictate the ground rules to reporters”? Wow! If I were a reporter for a legitimate outlet (like VDC), I’d dig in on her like a tick.
Since I’m not, I’m suggesting that concerned citizens spend a little spare time digging into the mayor’s background. Favors granted, favors accepted, any shaky financial dealings, etc etc.
You know what they say… when you turn over a rock, you have no idea what might crawl out. Then again, the mayor may be completely above-board. If so, we deserve to know that too.
But why do I feel like when the heat gets too hot, she’ll leave for a “better position” offered by one of the usual demonrat suspects?
Re: ‘Since when does a mayor of a town (of any size) get to “dictate the ground rules to reporters”?”
Since when? In Vermont’s current democracy, since the two wolves and a lamb determined the menu.
It’s only a stepping stone for her in my opinion. First lesbian mayor so next will be governor or higher. She doesn’t have a clue what she is doing and doesn’t care to learn.
Well joey b gets away with it. He even dictates rules for debates.
Thought I saw her getting comped with free cocktails at Red Square across from city hall…. Well within her entitlement. It was noticed that she had not a tip as she was scraping by on a fixed income of a quarter million.( I know it is joint between her and her partner so with the two of them living on that it is really a struggle)
On the way out she pledged to come back for dinner. Her sycophants took this as her keeping a campaign pledge to ensure the downtrodden are fed.
Power to the upper class!!!!! Or at least those who believe that there is a free lunch.
When ideologues rule reality is a tough taskmaster. Keep the heat on, Mike.
I guess according to Emma Bidenomics isn’t hurting her food expenses one bit. Everyone who’s complaining about food costs must be out of their minds.
Why is it that liberals are so damn cheap and “do as I say, not as I do”? The gullible voted for this, and everyone pays. $250,000 income and has to seek free meals that the “little people” paid and made. Burlington, this is your future. Also learned Burlington is a high crime city. Shepople voted for it.
Typical narcissist, I deserve everything and how dare you question it. I’m glad to be leaving Chittenden County and more importantly Burlington. My one hope is a national news network picks this up and finishes her.
Mayor Emma “Food Train ” Stanak, is just another liberal, with no morals or shame,
she’ll hide until things blow over she hopes, what a pathetic excuse for a leader !!
I guess she thought being a Mayor was going to be a walk in the park, but not city hall park, as she would have to step over the homeless and drug users………………….
So what used to be the Queen City, is now a cesspool with no leadership, what they have is a community organizer, that’s in over her head, if she has any morals she will step down, but being a progressive, female and gay………. Nah, she thinks she holds the cards within the cesspool, property owners should stop paying their taxes, until they get a real leader, not this poser !!
Voting has consequences and Burlington just elected a steaming pile of it.
Not having much accessibility to the media, regarding VT, It would be interesting to have multiple individuals in various communities notify the Liberal freeloading Mayor and her friend just where free food is being available. I know of a church in Brattleboro every Wed, it’s free meal time, no need of resident proof and they wouldn’t have to labor washing dishes. Donations are asked but not required. With a $250,000 salary, if they can’t afford food, what is the spending?
You people in Burlington are big fools to have been tricked into voting for those grifters. Do you think they will make your life better or will they fill their pockets with what used to belong to you? Time to VACATE all democrats/RINOS and get on the prosperity train. I’m tired of the mis management and wasteful spending by people that do not know how to appropriate and spend. Time to cut their stipend 50% and meet only every other year. Cut, cut, cut, back to the 60’s.
I wonder what her meal stipend might be, if she has one. I would bet that she has a meal allowance and for other business expenses. Perhaps she should donate that stipend to the food shelf, or to the homeless that she is allowing to camp near North Beach with some accommodations made for them. Anyone want to go to North Beach in this hot weather?
You shall not question your new ruler. You shall be obedient to your new ruler. You shall celebrate your new ruler. You shall promote your new ruler.
Any failure to do so, or act contrary to the best interest of your ruler shall be met with swift unilateral punishment.
Obedience without question to the communists who rule you.
🤦🏻♂️
I will bet a hundred bucks she is not putting in 40 hrs a week; the media ought to check her calendar, and see what voters are actually getting, because I highly doubt her time is all spent on city business. Check her wife’s calendar too; I be there’s plenty of shared days off, because, you know, two kids!!
I am having fun watching the libs turn apoplectic over this hypocrisy! $250k/yr is certainly more than a living wage; it puts them in the top 1% that the Left loves to bash so much!
What about a “pop-up” dinner @ Mayor Emma’s? Guess who’s coming to dinner? Or maybe “pop-up” protests @ the city of ” Misery” ( aka BTV ) meal train cohorts?
Food for me; not thee.
Well, why shouldn’t she avoid the people? It’s not like she’s accountable to them as per the Vermont Constitution or anything.
Oh, hold up.