The Jan. 1 Organizational Meeting will be aired on Channel 18 tomorrow (Thursday) at 7AM and again on Friday at 7PM. The detailed resolutions are now being posted on the Town's website.
In defense of this new rotterdam town board.........they really have no choice but to stifle the taxpayers. This new board was NOT elected by the town's majority. They have much opposition out there.
Also.....as in the city of schenectady......it is the 'dumbed down' that vote for the socialist democops.....which means that there are still over 50% of the rotterdam taxpayers that are educated, smart and did NOT vote for this bunch.
So this rotterdam town board had no other way to prevent the over 50% from speaking, asking questions, revealing information accept by shutting them down.
...........that's what cops do!!!
woooooo ohh... they say they got to go.. go go copzilla
We didnt come this far to get this far. random 12 year old
A slave is someone that waits for someone else to free him. Ezra Pound
No one has been prevented from speaking during the Public Comment Privilege of the Floor --- so all the posts which claim that people were prevented from speaking are groundless and a pile of BS.
“And yet our opponents tell us not to interfere with abortion. They tell us not to impose our morality on those who wish to allow or participate in the taking of the life of infants before birth. Yet no one calls it imposing morality to prohibit the taking of life after a child is born. We’re told about a woman’s right to control her own body. But doesn’t the unborn child have a higher right, and that is to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” – Ronald Reagan
No one has been prevented from speaking during the Public Comment Privilege of the Floor --- so all the posts which claim that people were prevented from speaking are groundless and a pile of BS.
You are correct...Rotterdam Hill Street Blues sitting on the Town Board won't respond to residents during public comment so to not go on record. They know the only person from the local press sitting in the crowd is a "friendly" and can rely on them to print the party canned response. Rotterdam is now on the same program as the County Leg. The public will be ignored, and the Party will be faxing stories to the Gazette ready for print on how things "really happened".
A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier. ~ H.L. Mencken Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. ~ H. L. Mencken The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. ~H. L. Mencken
You are correct...Rotterdam Hill Street Blues sitting on the Town Board won't respond to residents during public comment so to not go on record. They know the only person from the local press sitting in the crowd is a "friendly" and can rely on them to print the party canned response. Rotterdam is now on the same program as the County Leg. The public will be ignored, and the Party will be faxing stories to the Gazette ready for print on how things "really happened".
The FACT is that the Public Comment Privilege of the Floor was NEVER intended to be a dialogue or back and forth between the board and the residents. It is an opportunity for residents to speak publicly on issues on the agenda or of concern to the town. The comments and questions-- and this has ALWAYS been Robert's Rules way of doing things -- are directed to the chair. The chair is only required (according to Robert's Rules) to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be heard and that the rules for the Public Comment Privilege of the Floor are followed by all who choose to exercise the PRIVILEGE. (you see it is a privilege and NOT a right to speak at public meetings)
A number of residents have abused the Privilege of the Floor Public Comment in the past by going over 4 minutes, addressing their comments to persons other than the chair, attempting to rope the board members into a back and forth exchange and attempting to go up numerous times to invoke the PRIVILEGE.
In the past, some who SAT and at least one who currently sits on the town board have attempted to improperly engage in a back and forth with town residents. A past, town supervisor would make flippant and sometimes rude comments back to the residents who had spoken. That is certainly not appropriate.
Residents DO have a right to ask questions and express opinions to their elected government and to discuss matters with town board members and others --- and most of our past and present elected officials have been willing to listen and talk with and answer questions from town residents OUTSIDE the regular business meeting -- but during the regular business meeting there it is perfectly within both the law and Robert's Rules of Order to establish limits, guidelines and procedures for public comment.
“And yet our opponents tell us not to interfere with abortion. They tell us not to impose our morality on those who wish to allow or participate in the taking of the life of infants before birth. Yet no one calls it imposing morality to prohibit the taking of life after a child is born. We’re told about a woman’s right to control her own body. But doesn’t the unborn child have a higher right, and that is to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” – Ronald Reagan
A number of residents have abused the Privilege of the Floor Public Comment in the past by going over 4 minutes, addressing their comments to persons other than the chair, attempting to rope the board members into a back and forth exchange and attempting to go up numerous times to invoke the PRIVILEGE.
If memory serves us correctly, wasn't the worse offender TJ Hooker himself when he was trying to jam higher taxes down the rotterdamians throats via REMS? He went on and on and on and on and on and........................... And fdg let him talk.....yes?
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
The chair is only required (according to Robert's Rules) to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be heard and that the rules for the Public Comment Privilege of the Floor are followed by all who choose to exercise the PRIVILEGE. (you see it is a privilege and NOT a right to speak at public meetings)
A number of residents have abused the Privilege of the Floor Public Comment in the past by going over 4 minutes, addressing their comments to persons other than the chair, attempting to rope the board members into a back and forth exchange and attempting to go up numerous times to invoke the PRIVILEGE.
The only people that are PRIVILEGED at the Town Board Meeting are the TOWN BOARD MEMBERS. They are there to SERVE the will of the people, they do not ALLOW ME to address my elected official PUBLICALLY. I have a RIGHT to speak at a public meeting; it is certainly not a privilege. I know you and Team Hill Street Blues like to think that it is you that allows the public to voice their concerns. The public can speak, but only after taking their jackboot off of the public’s throat for 4 minutes, then they firmly reapply boot to throat.
Please don't cite legal reasons to stifle dissenting speech. I can read Nazi Germany and Communist Soviet Union "rules of order" used to stifle political dissent.
A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier. ~ H.L. Mencken Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. ~ H. L. Mencken The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. ~H. L. Mencken
If memory serves us correctly, wasn't the worse offender TJ Hooker himself when he was trying to jam higher taxes down the rotterdamians throats via REMS? He went on and on and on and on and on and........................... And fdg let him talk.....yes?
In all the years that I have been attending Town Board meetings, I don't recall ever hearing a resident by the name of TJ Hooker ever speaking during Public Comment Privilege of the Floor.
As for "fdg" -- which is apparently a reference to our former supervisor -- I would say that he never understood that it was his role as CHAIR of the Town Board to actually enforce the rules and set the tone for the conduct of the meetings.
“And yet our opponents tell us not to interfere with abortion. They tell us not to impose our morality on those who wish to allow or participate in the taking of the life of infants before birth. Yet no one calls it imposing morality to prohibit the taking of life after a child is born. We’re told about a woman’s right to control her own body. But doesn’t the unborn child have a higher right, and that is to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” – Ronald Reagan
I would say that he never understood that it was his role as CHAIR of the Town Board to actually enforce the rules and set the tone for the conduct of the meetings.
How long to you think you can hide behind "process" to curb political dissent?
A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier. ~ H.L. Mencken Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. ~ H. L. Mencken The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. ~H. L. Mencken
I also remember a certain former town board member -- his last name rhymed with a rental car company -- who frequently interrupted residents as they spoke and otherwise attempted to engage in "confrontations" with residents who just wanted to speak during Public Comment Privilege of the Floor.
Since no residents actually made an attempt to speak at the January 1 meeting -- it is actually more than disingenuous ... it is actually an out and out lie to claim that anyone attempted to stop dissenters. As per usual, the nayboobs/nntp GOPers need to create an issue where none exists .. and they are so used to lying and manufacturing falsehoods that it doesn't surprise me that they are at it again.
“And yet our opponents tell us not to interfere with abortion. They tell us not to impose our morality on those who wish to allow or participate in the taking of the life of infants before birth. Yet no one calls it imposing morality to prohibit the taking of life after a child is born. We’re told about a woman’s right to control her own body. But doesn’t the unborn child have a higher right, and that is to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” – Ronald Reagan
I also remember a certain former town board member -- his last name rhymed with a rental car company -- who frequently interrupted residents as they spoke and otherwise attempted to engage in "confrontations" with residents who just wanted to speak during Public Comment Privilege of the Floor.
Then Rotterdam's WELL PAID black shirts showed up to intimidate that certain somebody with a show of force.
The dummies that were at the podium leveling accusations were too stupid to match wits with this former town board member, and didn't like being challenged by him when their arguments didn't hold water. They are the same mental midgets that supported FDG and now Scary Buffatti.
A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier. ~ H.L. Mencken Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. ~ H. L. Mencken The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. ~H. L. Mencken
Since no residents actually made an attempt to speak at the January 1 meeting -- it is actually more than disingenuous ... it is actually an out and out lie to claim that anyone attempted to stop dissenters.
When Team Hill Street Blues is quoted in the newspaper to not expect open dialogue between public comment and the Town Board, it tends to have a chilling effect. Many interpret that as 'speak out of line - risk getting harassed by the police'. The Town Board consist of the ex Sheriff, ex Rotterdam Cop, and the majority party chairman is an ex Rotterdam Police Chief/Conty Legislator. People know how to read between the lines. Harry and TJ know the affect their titles of authority have on the people. If they don't, they are stupid.
A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier. ~ H.L. Mencken Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. ~ H. L. Mencken The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. ~H. L. Mencken
Rottedamains are already saying that they will not approach this rotterdam town board for fear of retaliation. That's the way it was back in the constantino days.
I forgot....who was the police chief then? Ya know, the one that protected a pedophile, super, teacher while stifling the victims?
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
Certain Nayboobs/NNTP GOPers will be reminded as often as needed that threats will be met with the fullest force of the law.. The terror organization that is the Nayboob/NNTP GOP will NOT be tolerated by the residents and by EXTENSION -- our uniformed personnel that work for the Officials who are the guardians of Town Hall..
"We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society." ---Angela Davis
"When you put a tiny and despised minority up for a popular vote, the minority usually loses." ---Andrew Sullivan
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