The recent Spotlight editorial about the special town board meeting .. was slanderous.

Apparently the Spotlight has decided to become a rag just like the Gazette has become.

Ok....so I just read the spotlight and NOWHERE do I find ANYTHING slanderous in John Percell's(reporter) article. The article is nothing more or nothing less than a recap of the last meeting.

Now the EDITORIAL was just that.....an EDITORIAL. I'll give ya what I can........

Town Attorney Michael Godlewski tells The Spotlight that he feels everything is legit, and that the board acted accordingly. We say his statement and the board's actions don't even remotely pass the smell test.

.........it went on to say...............

Now, Rotterdam Town Board meetings are usually very well attended-as are circuses-but present at the 'special' meeting were only a handful of attendees, according to our reporter's count. That alone, should tell that sufficient notice was not given.

.......it went on to say............

Residents of Rotterdam, this is your leadership: secretive, deceitful, cowardly and with little regard for what the law states and what you think.

Some politicians feel they can act this way because they have an ignorant, complacent constituency. Prove them wrong. We'll help you by providing you with the news that affects you. You do your part by being involved-at the next board meeting and the next election, show them you're not willing to lie down and just take what they give you.

Yes, quite a difference from the daily rag that cheerleads the left!!! Looks like the Spotlight is the 'newspaper of the day' for the town of rotterdam!

slander is offending material published in some fleeting form, as by spoken words or sounds, sign language, gestures and the like

you might do better with libel

however the jury is out on whether statements in an electronic public forum are slander or libel

so which statements are libel

are they

secretive - EUNICE

deceitful  -  REMS

cowardly - SYNC

Why doesn't someone print the whole think with a link?

This sounds like a story, not an editorial, but the story I'm looking at is at http://www.spotlightnews.com/news/view_news.php?news_id=1283306068.

Quoted Text

Rotterdam Town board members rescind vote, passing retirement incentive

Everyone thought Rotterdam’s retirement incentive debate was over, but it might have just begun.

During a Rotterdam Town Board special meeting tonight, Aug. 31, three Town Board members rescinded the previous special meeting vote on Thursday, Aug. 19, denying the board the option to use Part A of the 2010 Retirement Incentive offered by the state. In addition, a new section was added to the resolution, which was not made available to the public till the night of the meeting.

Deputy Supervisor Robert Godlewski and board member Matthew Martin joined Del Gallo during the special meeting, but fellow members Nicola DiLeva and Gerard Parisi weren’t in attendance. Del Gallo and Godlewski both voted yes previously, but Martin switched his stance and supported the resolution.

Town Supervisor Francis Del Gallo e-mailed board members and the media around 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30, announcing a special meeting to be held on the following day at 6 p.m. In the original agenda only resolution 238.10 was listed, calling for the adoption of the previously discussed retirement incentive.

New York State Town Law in Section 62 states,...

By the reading of this, they convinced Martin to change his position and had to get the meeting called before he could change his mind again.  Was the town lawyer at this meeting?  What does he say about the calling of this meeting in such short a time period?

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

Why doesn't someone print the whole think with a link?

I don't see the editorial on their website. Only the article by the reporter. Anyone else?

Quoted from bumblethru

I don't see the editorial on their website. Only the article by the reporter. Anyone else?

That's why I posted that link.  I think that's what was considered the "editorial," unless someone would like to correct me.

Quoted from Kevin March

That's why I posted that link.  I think that's what was considered the "editorial," unless someone would like to correct me.

Nope, the link you posted was the article by the reporter John Purcell. It isn't the editorial. I only saw it in the print version.

here you go

********************************
"Editorial

Rotterdam’s three men in a room

On Thursday, Aug. 31, members of the Rotterdam Town Board held a special meeting to pass the retirement incentive resolution that failed last week.
What made the meeting special, as far as we at The Spotlight can tell, is that it was probably illegal and most of you probably didn’t know about it.

Here’s the skinny:  On Aug. 19, the board failed to pass a resolution that would allow the town to use a retirement incentive program offered by the state.  Supervisor Frank Del Gallo and Deputy Supervisor Robert Godlewski voted in favor, Matthew Martin, Gerard Parisi and Nicola Dileva against.

Less than a week later, an e-mail goes out to the board members and the press stating the board will have the aforementioned “special” meeting the following evening. Del Gallo and Godlewski show up to reiterate their vote from last week.  Martin brings his waffle iron and they wind up adopting a not-insignificantly changed resolution.

From e-mail to town law in less than 24 hours.

Now, Rotterdam Town Board meetings are usually very well attended – as are circuses – but present at the “special” meeting were only a handful of attendees, according to our reporter’s count.  That alone, should tell that sufficient notice was not given.

Oh, and then there’s this thing called New York State Town Law,  Section 62 states, “The supervisor of any town may , and upon written request of two members of the board shall within 10 days, call a special meeting of the town board by giving at least 2 days notice in writing to members of the board of the time when and the place where the meeting is to be held.”

Town Attorney Michael Godlewski tells The Spotlight that he feels everything is legit, and that the board acted accordingly.  We say his statement and the board’s actions don’t even remotely pass the smell test.

Residents of Rotterdam, this is your leadership: secretive, deceitful, and cowardly and with little regard for what the law states and what you think.

Some politicians feel they can act this way because they have an ignorant, complacent constituency.  Prove them wrong.  We’ll help you by providing you with the news that affects you.  You do your part by being involved – at the next board meeting and at the next election, show them you’re not willing to lie down and just take what they give you."(1)

(1) "Rotterdam's three men in a room." Editorial. WThe Spotlight, September 2, 2010: Page 6. Print.

***********************************************************

Thanks, Tip.

I like it........

Spotlight is the official news paper for Rotterdam!!

Quoted from bumblethru

Spotlight is the official news paper for Rotterdam!!

The Spotlight will not be the official newspaper of Rotterdam -- anytime soon.  

Thanks, Tippy, for the article.  And the information is so true!