Sunday, March 21, 2010

Is Margulies a journalist?

Cartoonist PROfilesImage by Gianfranco Goria via Flickr

Where does Margulies get off confusing readers about the impact of Governor Christie's austere state budget? His cartoon today, in Opinion, seems to suggest the wealthy are being "screwed" by the governor? Or does he mean they will be running for their corkscrews and drink to their good fortune?

If he is saying the rich will be screwed, it's just plain inaccurate. In fact, the Borgs and other wealthy families no longer have to pay the so-called millionaire's tax, and owners of small businesses get a 4% tax cut on corporate income. If he's saying they'll be celebrating, it's an especially poor choice of image, given Stephen and Jennifer Borg's investment in an Englewood wine bar, not to mention their father's past problems with alcohol.

This cartoon doesn't say much for Margulies' journalism credentials.  

Most of the front page in The Record of Woodland Park today is devoted to the state's financial crisis

"Plenty of pain
to go around"


This is a reader-friendly summary of Christie's proposed cuts, but much of the rest of the Sunday paper is disappointing.

The L-1 piece on recycling electronics omits any mention of Hackensack's program to accept TVs, computers and batteries year-round, one of the few municipal efforts in North Jersey.

Where does Road Warrior John Cichowski have his head buried, so he doesn't have to write about lousy local bus service? Potholes (L-1). Inside Local, possible school cuts in Passaic city and Wayne are explored in great detail, but Hackensack schools are ignored.


In Business, what is the point of the article on luxury-car importers? The B-2 graphic also appears to be inaccurate on Ferrari sales: They went up, not down.


One of the best pieces in today's paper didn't come from a staffer. It's Jeff Tittel's O-1 piece on restoring the flood plain (he's director of the Sierra Club in New Jersey).


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5 comments:

  1. The image in the cartoon today was of a corkscrew on the swiss army knife symbolizing Governor Christie's budget cuts for the poor and the middle class. Yes the wealthy in New Jersey should be celebrating that they get a tax break while everyone else gets a cut of some kind.
    As far as the image of a corkscrew, what difference does it make that the Borgs have an interest in a wine bar, or a former problem with alcohol.Their personal lives should have no bearing on the content of my editorial cartoons.
    Making such a comment under the heading IS MARGULIES A JOURNALIST? is truly ironic if you think I should censor myself based on the owners' private interests.IS Sasson a journalist--not a very smart one when it comes to making ill advised statements like that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I created a new post to highlight Jimmy Margulies' comment. Please see, "Margulies responds."

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  3. why do you care where people invest their money? wine bar or bank, it doesn't matter. it's the potential of the return.
    where do you invest your money?

    ReplyDelete
  4. why do care where people invest their money? wine bar or bank, is doesn't matter. it's the potential of the return.
    where do you invest your money?

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  5. Where newspaper owners invest their money is extremely important, especially if they make editorial decisions, as the Borgs have done over the years. Where have you been, Anonymous?

    ReplyDelete

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