For months if not a year or two --I've been seeking an intelligent online source of news about government, politics and business in Westchester County. I've been bewildered at the lack of real, substantive news outlets in the 'burbs. The primary countywide news outlet -- is the Journal News run by Gannett. Over the past decade or more, the Journal News has paired down its news gathering and reporting capabilities and effort. And within the past two years, this decline has picked up speed. In the last local election cycle culminating with the local elections in November -- there was pathetically little coverage of local races. In my town, Harrison, the only source of information about the mayoral campaign came from campaign mailings. Nowhere did I find any kind of analysis or digging into issues, claims, charges, allegations, political posturings, etc... The best one could do was read between the lines. The apparently shocking result in the county executive upset of Rob Astorino over 3-term incumbant Andy Spano -- may or may not have been shocking if there was any kind of analysis or coverage of the race. Save commentary from a few like Phil Reisman -- no real issues were brought to bare on this race -- other than property taxes. As an aside, if Rob Astorino actually won the race because the electorate believed that he'd reduce property taxes markedly, then his victory was based on false pretenses. County Exec Elect Astorino will be able to wield a thimble on that score. The bulk of county government serves as a conduit for state and federally mandated programs. And, moreover, in most towns and communities in Westchester, the county portion of the property tax barely makes it to 20%.
I hope to help launch an effort to create, from the ground up, a real, vibrant, vital, news and analysis site for all that goes on here in Westchester: politics, government (including school district governance), culture and the arts (not interested in recipes and pilates...) business -- with more scope and depth than offered by the Westchester County Business Journal. I don't want this to be a vanity publication like the Martinelli papers used to be -- or like the Westchester Guardian is. I would also like to create linkages to hyperhyperlocals -- such as the terrific scarsdale hyperlocal, www.scarsdale10583.com. I'm aware of some other hyperlocals out there such as the Croton Blog, the Larchmont Gazzette, The Loop, All things Armonk, the Yonkers Tribune. And AOL is bringing it's franchise, the Patch, to a number of Westchester towns.
I want to see a venue for analysis and criticism of local media -- and it's existing scope of coverage.
But most of all -- I want to ultimate have this migrate to a real, up-and-running, full blown website -- ala the Huffington Post.
More coming.
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