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Thursday, September 25, 2008
Councilman Goode Defends & bashes The Media
W. Wilson Goode Jr. says the media doesn't care about his mission.

City Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr., speaking from his desk in Council's chambers this morning, defended the right of the media to tell stories as he bashed the same media for telling a story about his office.  Of course it's this story here and here.  What else would it be?

Goode said his oath of office meant he was required to defend the U.S. Constitution, which includes the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of the press.  Goode said he would defend that right, even if the press told stories that were "inaccurate" or "misleading" or "simple petty politics."  For good measure, he also bashed the local media for lacking diversity.

Goode's chief legislative aide, Latrice Bryant, was not in Council's chambers this morning.  She drew widespread attention during last week's session for holding up signs accusing Fox 29 News of racism for investigating a story about her attending to personal business while logged in as working at her City Hall office.  Goode repeated that he has corrected a problem with how his employees filled out their work time sheets.  And he complained that reporters who have been covering the Bryant issue ignored this.

"The time sheet tipster doesn't care about my mission," Goode continued. "For the last week, it appears as if the press doesn't care about my mission either. But I care about my mission. I believe in freedom of the press, even with its lack of diversity.  Many black elected officials would never admit it but the lack of diversity in the press is a major issue for us.  In fact, many don't feel that the freedom of speech applies equally to them."

Goode made his speech as reporters from newspapers, radio stations and Fox 29 took notes and recorded his words.  His final point:

"I took an oath of office. I will not betray it," Goode vowed. "But I also will not allow anyone else to judge me or impose their values on me or tell me what to do in my office."

Posted by Chris Brennan @ 1:32 PM  Permalink | 62 comments
Comments   
Comment removed.
Posted 01:00 PM, 09/25/2008
MacDaddy
Diversity in the press, please. WG Jr. sounds like a child who just got caught stealing.....the tax payers money that is! Gotta run, I am meeting an associate for 1 PM beers at my house.
Posted 01:01 PM, 09/25/2008
Keyser Soze
Caught with a case of beer and my assistant at my house. My employees doing personal business while on the clock for the city. Let me think....ummmmm.....I got it - racism!! Yeah its lack of blacks in the media. What a disgrace.
Posted 01:09 PM, 09/25/2008
Chr
This guy just doesn't know when to shut up!! Clearly we have a racist sitting on City Council. An At-Large Councilman at that--who is supposed to represent the entire city: black, white, hispanic, etc. It really sounds like he hates anyone who isn't black.
Posted 01:16 PM, 09/25/2008
voiceofreason
Goode loses credibility by continuing to defend the Bimbette. What does his father the minister have to say about stealing from the taxpayers by drinking beer at a pajama party with his ridiculous aide? Of course, the old man WAS the only mayor in US history to bomb his own citizens--what do you expect.
Posted 01:41 PM, 09/25/2008
Mesa
Does Wilson Goode Jr think everyone is stupid? What he has done is wrong, there needs to be a city investigation into his office activities, and also federal investigation. Latrice Bryant needs to be fired. The rest of city council - wake up, W Goode Jr, is making you ALL look like corrupt "business as usual", and like mini-Chicago style politics. AND THE TAXPAYERS - IF YOU VOTE FOR WILSON GOODE JR IN HIS BID FOR RE-ELECTION YOU ARE MORONS AS THIS CORRUPTION WILL CONTINUE UNDER HIM. Wilson Goode Jr's political career in Philadelphia should be put to a stop, as to not waste all of our money
Posted 01:42 PM, 09/25/2008
dan19148
Can he share the names of the other black politicians who find Philly media racist? And you wonder why some are starting to prejudge black politicians.
Posted 01:42 PM, 09/25/2008
dan19148
Can he share the names of the other black politicians who find Philly media racist? And you wonder why some are starting to prejudge black politicians.
Posted 01:50 PM, 09/25/2008
sillybilly
Who votes for these professional victims?
Posted 01:51 PM, 09/25/2008
newsleader
FOX 29 has video of Goode and an aid going after Claudia Gomez. http://tinyurl.com/4kn5wl
Posted 01:53 PM, 09/25/2008
rvb2321
So if Dave Huddleson broke this story, he would be cool with it??? I am sure he would be blaming the PD for sending him on this assignment or call him an Uncle Tom. I also dont know about you but I have been looking all over the City of Philadelphia employment site looking for 90K aide positions but they all seem to be much lower than that.
Posted 01:54 PM, 09/25/2008
gregious
What really makes all of this rediculous is that a few weeks back, Jeff Cole did a story about a public works supervisor (looked pretty white to me, btw) doing the same exact things - lying about the time he was working, spending work hours at his residence, running errands including bringing beer back to the house... He was subsequently fired by the city - as for WWG Jr's lame excuse about inaccurate timekeeping - the only logical explanation is that Latrice's watch must have been stuck on West coast time - how else could she explain a 3 hour difference... On a side note, if WWG Jr wants, he can pay me $90k a year to come up with "plausible" explanations for the gaffes of his staff, and I'll even promise to work the hours I am supposed to...
Posted 01:55 PM, 09/25/2008
DTWexpat
Chris: Here's an idea--ask the good councilman how he thinks the reporting of this story would have differed if a "more diverse" Fox 29 had handled it.
Comment removed.
Posted 02:00 PM, 09/25/2008
Rob Cherry
What a joke, that racism thing just never gets old for certain people. That nubian godess is paid 90k a year!!?!?!?!?!! Unreal, but he will probably get re-elected.
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About Chris Brennan and Catherine Lucey
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.

Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002. Since then she has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. For the past two years, she covered the 2007 mayoral election. Now that the battle is over, she has moved down to the City Hall bureau where she will report on the Nutter administration.

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