Plainfielders can witness something unheard of at Thursday's Freeholders meeting: a public apology for violating Union County residents' First Amendment rights.
The spectacle, which is to be filmed by the New Jersey chapter of ACLU, is the result of a negotiated agreement between the Freeholders and ACLU after the New Jersey chapter threatened to sue.
The behavior which prompted the furor is documented on the CountyWatchers blog (see here), which also includes links to the letter from the Freeholders agreeing to the public apology (see here [PDF]).
Video of the meeting which sparked the issue is online (see here), with the Freeholder Director saying he 'won't tolerate' questions and comments on nepotism. The CountyWatchers story includes a link to the video and time markers for the relevant events, which include a uniformed officer removing CountyWatchers blogger Pat Quattrocchi from the meeting room.
I don't know if other counties are as rife with nepotism as Union County is (it still amazes this hayseed that officials have the chutzpah to game the system so openly), but the way it goes down here boggles the imagination. A detailed probe into Union County nepotism is online (see here).
Nice to see the Elizabeth Roughriders being overridden.
- CountyWatchers: "ACLU vs. Union County"
- Union County Freeholders: "Letter to ACLU agreeing to public apology"
Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders Meeting
7 PM | Thursday, August 20
Union County Administration Building
10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth
Directions available here.
7 PM | Thursday, August 20
Union County Administration Building
10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth
Directions available here.
-- Dan Damon
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2 comments:
Tina Renna, John Bury and Patricia Quattrocchi at
http://www.countywatchers.com/
are my favorite bloggers bar none. If you prefer your watchdogs with sharp eyes, sharp minds and sharp teeth, subscribe to their feed today.
It's about time the county did this. I am a longtime member of the ACLU. I think I will call upon them when the city uses its constitutionally-challenged police (there are a few) to illegally attempt to stop us from videotaping public meetings. YouTube is the great equalizer--next time, their behavior will be up for all to see.
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