Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards
General Category => Hackensack Discussion => Topic started by: itsmetoo on September 29, 2014, 09:48:52 AM
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Editor's note: I split this from the "Changing Hackensack's form of government" post.
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I did not see this news item posted "Hackensack Council lays down guidelines for civility in meetings". Some comments from the article suggest that there is more than civility addressed in the proposed Ordinance, namely:
• Speakers would be required to address the presiding officer, not individual council members.
• If a group of speakers is addressing the same topic, the presiding officer can ask that a spokesman speak for the group.
• Speakers would be asked to refrain from making "remarks irrelevant to the public business."
The Record printed an unfavorable editorial about the proposed ordinance but I cannot locate it on line. The issue is that the request for civil discourse bordered on violating the First Amendment by restricting speech at the public meeting.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/hackensack-council-lays-down-guidelines-for-civility-in-meetings-1.1141177 (http://www.northjersey.com/news/hackensack-council-lays-down-guidelines-for-civility-in-meetings-1.1141177)
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Related Letter To The Editor in today's Record:
Public discourse must be civil
Regarding "Meeting decorum" (Editorials, Nov. 28):
The editorial seriously downplays the importance of promoting intelligent, mature and civil discourse at public meetings. As the cornerstone of local civic engagement, the atmosphere at these meetings reflects the underlying civic health and well-being of the community.
In Hackensack, at public meetings, I have witnessed excessive and unnecessary tirades from citizens, at times malicious, defamatory and intimidating in nature. Though some may find this amusing and entertaining, the result is embarrassment and harm to the city. A toxic and polarized atmosphere is created, driving away segments of the general public, while eroding the standing of local elected officeholders.
The City Council, unfortunately, has allowed this problem to fester, but is now entirely justified in proposing measures to establish and maintain a degree of decorum and civility. Whether or not a new ordinance is the best approach to accomplish this, the status quo is simply untenable.
It is quite ironic that nowadays, great emphasis is placed on establishing a respectful learning environment in our classrooms, free of verbal abuse and bullying, yet later on we virtually abandon these practices in public life as adults. I believe this to be a fundamental cause for the general decline in civic engagement by the public and especially among young people.
We must reject the notion that our open public forums be played out as contact sports or endurance contests, dominated by the most unrelenting and aggressive voices.
While issues of controversy are bound to be aired at public meetings, over-the-top melodrama is better showcased at performing arts venues, rather than at the podium.
Edward Lipiner
Hackensack, Nov. 30
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Amazing how I can't find this on The Record's site.
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-230669573.html
(have to pay for full article)
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Subscribe to The Record and you'll get the searchable e-Edition:
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Good editorial. Once in a while, "the rag" comes through with some common sense.
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The op-ed piece by Kelly includes information that Steve Lonegan, the former Latino-bashing Mayor of Bogota and losing candidate for many higher offices, has now moved to Hackensack. I can't imagine him running for office here, but you never know. Anyone know where in Hackensack he lives? http://www.northjersey.com/news/kelly-hackensack-council-civility-rule-walks-a-fine-line-on-free-speech-1.1153066